Bombay Chapati - #thegreyblogtakesthekitchen

I love being in the kitchen after a day at work . I find it therapeutic, and nothing makes me happier than when the food I make is appreciated (empty platters).

I also enjoy experimenting on new recipes as well as learning from others. Recently I came accross a Bombay Chapati recipe on Facebook and I was keen to try it out given I had eaten many of these on the streets of Mumbai and they are so tasty !

Here is my amateur video tutorial version of the Bombay Chapati , with the recipe below.

* Chaat Masala can be found at indian spice stores

This is legit as tasty as it looks 

Thin Roti for base , smear a thin layer of green chutney   , place thinly sliced boiled potatoes over , sprinkle chaat masala, black pepper and salt and cover with finely grated mozzarella cheese. 

Place another roti over this , smear a thin layer of green chutney, place sliced green peppers over sprinkle chaat masala, black pepper and salt and cover with finely grated mozzarella cheese. 

Place another roti over this , smear a thin layer of green chutney, place sliced green cucumbers , cover with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle chaat masala, black pepper and salt and cover with finely grated mozzarella cheese. 

Place another roti over this , smear a thin layer of green chutney, place sliced red onions over ,sprinkle chaat masala, black pepper and salt and cover with finely grated mozzarella cheese. 

Place a final roti over to cover as the top

Place in a pan with a little butter and toasts both sides for two minutes each. 

Bon appetite !

Walking into Tuesday

Keeping it black but casual

Tuesday's work ootd is from :

Dress: Zara

Boots: Woolworths 

Got Me New Nails To

This weekend I had the benefit of having my nails done by the beautiful Collette of C Nails, a qualified nail technician and artist running a home based salon. 

I am a big supporter of service which is delivered with quality , affordability , as well as love, and I got this all at C Nails.

I love getting my digits decorated , but given daily prayer , I usually indulge in this beautification once every  two months when time permits, and I'm generally obsessed with acrylic nail design as well as gel nails.

I usually keep these beautiful nails on for a short period before I lazily pick them off cos I'm too busy to book an appointment to remove them .

Yip , I'm a "picker" I know - jaw drop - Collette had the same look when she realized  what I was going to be doing a few days from now to her beautiful creation (got a long lecture on nail damage) , but what I loved about her is she took this into consideration when doing my nails , and provided me with a handy tool to healthily remove them when I was ready to. #pickingbegone

We began with discussing the designs; I was after something simple with a dash of sparkle that would compliment my work attire for the week , but I must say I battled to stick to my "simple with a dash of sparkle" when I had a look at her vast array of nail art options , not to mention (gasp) the hundreds of sparkle options ... I was definitely spoilt for choice and that is a service offer I like !

The session was pleasant and enjoyable , my nails got love (they look so good ) and I had my free therapy session chatting to Collette.

Given her salon is bit of a drive from where I stay , I must say that I will still definitely  call on her business whenever I'm in the area and due for a spoil . 

So I'm giving a shout out to C Nails today #recommend

C Nails

Instagram: cnails_jhb

Contact: 0829978304

(Situated in Winchester Hills, Johannesburg)

The Grey Blog Gets New Hair

I needed some change ... And what better change than a new hair  color ? . Given  that my natural hair color is dark brown , going shades lighter always has it setbacks , and I'm always worried on what my hair condition would be like at the end of it all , as having amazing color but ratty looking hair is NEVER worth it. (I'm all for healthy hair always as healthy is beautiful )

I find that it's always important to explain your fears and what you do NOT want as an outcome when sitting with your stylist at the forefront of your appointment so they treat your hair with care to avoid those outcomes , OR deter you from hair choices / hair wish list if they feel the outcome will not favour you hair #healthyisalwaysbeautiful

Brian from Swept Morningside (Morningside Shopping Centre) was in charge of my hair , and I knew exactly what I wanted (Instagram hair wish list) ... 

He handled my hair with care  , was present and involved throughout the whole process  (did not abandon me alone to the assistants - I always stress when hair stylists do that #myissues) , and took me shades lighter beautifully . 

I could not stop touching my hair the whole evening as it was as healthy as I walked in except all "new".

Thanks Brian .... As Arnold Schwarzenegger  said in the Terminator .... "I'll be back"

Poke Me Please

My 27 PINX Experience🎀

Let me just start by saying that I just love the ambiance and energy that this places oozes the moment you step through the steel doors ...  The decor and surrounding are designed to take you to a place of relaxation , and the pink decor just speaks to my soul .... 🎎

My treatment for the day was the Dermapen Facial 💉which I was keen to try out to target my pet problem areas of pigmentation and dark circles ...

About DERMAPEN:💉

The device consists of a high speed, vibrating device that uses multiple micro needles that pierce the skin creating “controlled damage” on the surface of the skin.The idea is that skin will repair itself immediately after an injury occurs. In other words it triggers the formation of new collagen and elastin, resulting in plumper, smoother skin. It also works wonders on textured skin, acne scars, enlarged pores, fine lines and wrinkles.💆🏽

The FAILED PLAN:👀

The plan was to video 📽the experience to give my readers an authentic view of what the process involved , but let me just confess that I chickened out🐔 .... I have an inherent fear for needles.. I am the person who no matter how sick , would rather opt for a tablet than a jab , and when I do require one (major circumstances)  , put my doctor through countless 'wait wait I'm not ready , ok wait I just need to take a breathe , ok I'm ready , ok no wait let me relax , OK don't tell me when it happening' , so when my very patient therapist Bongani figured me out from the 'wait wait I need to breathe ' I thought I was safer to go through this 'solo' and not give you guys a false scare factor due to my DEEP rooted fear of needles ....

The TREATEMENT:

To start with, I had numbing cream placed all over my face. This anaesthetic cream made my entire face numb, which I gratefully welcomed, as this would help stop me feeling the needles .. Whoop whoop!👌🏽

The cream stays on for about 15 minutes, after which, I'm ready. Bongani explained that there would be some minimal bleeding as she was basically pinning holes in my face (how exciting) . She commenced by  moving the pen all over, working on my face section by section, checking in every now and then to see if it's painful.

Ok , truth be told , I found all the bony parts (forehead, nose, cheekbones and jawline) painful and gritted and complained my way through them , the rest of my face was pleasantly manageable . The process took much longer than expected but that was due to all my 'stops and starts' with Bongani (on the bony parts) ..... Who I must say was so patient with me .

Once complete , she changed the needle to a 1.0mm. I was pleasantly surprised that the second 'face over' was pleasant , but I guess it was because at that stage my face was completely numb with the cream .... (Happiness)😬

The treatment was completed with a cold facial mask being placed on my skin to cool it down , as it felt hot and stingy (which is completely normal) . I was requested not to use any creams with active ingredients on my skin , and to only rinse it with cool distilled water.

My skin was quite red and sensitive. On the drive back home I put the air conditioner in my car directly onto my face to cool it down. The hot feeling doesn't subside until about six hours later. The next morning my face felt quite tight and dry, with slight red spots around my cheekbones , but post the third day I'm back to normal.

SO .... DID IT WORK? 😏

When the redness disappears and you are left with dewy, soft, smooth skin ... It's amazing
After such a short period I can see a difference, and from only one treatment ! , so I'm definitely sold ... And me with my needle fear , will be doing pre - breathing exercises with Bongani prior to needling on the next, next and next appointment .

VERDICT ?
Recommended !👍🏽✌🏽

Keeping it Real

Will be blogging soon on how I keep fit 😎... short posts along the way to give you an idea of how my day runs from food to working out and balancing it all ... 👧💼

 

I'm generally always on the move and can't do sitting around for long periods of time, even as a form of relaxation #ADHD. I hate hairdresser appointments as I have to sit in a chair for more than an hour and do nothing but read magazines - I mean really how long does that take  (I usually put my hairdresser on time terms when I call in, and after nearly 10 years of doing my hair , he is used to my adhd problems ) and massages 💆 let me not even go there ..... as nice as they are, they make me agitated when they are too long .. (staring at the floor and the therapists shoes 👟gets annoying for 60 minutes) and no I'm not blessed with an amazing metabolism 😩.... and I'd choose chocolates and cakes over food anyday ... and I'm the late night refrigerator thief so the struggle has always been is real .

 

#notbtkidpictures#burnthemall

 

Mondays OOTD

Crowning Glory

Before I headed of to my recent holiday I chatted to a friend of a friend who was complaining on how her hair suffered from her recent beach holiday, and I had to agree that it was visibly dry, with ratty ends, which usually happens with lots of sun, salt and chlorine exposure.

 

Given that I was just about do the same and knew that for sure that I'd end up in just the same position, I decided to make a stop and my trusted 'hair doctor' #womensbestfriend aka most commonly known as a hairdresser to find a product that I could take along with me that would protect my hair condition from daily exposure to lots of sun , salt and chlorine.

 

He recommended me trying the MK Deep Keratin Treatment Masque to replace my conditioner ( which I don't use anyway) and given that me and the hair dryer were going to be parting ways for most of the holiday ( whoop whoop) , I could use this as a leave in treatment after washing my hair. 

Given that I was in the water at least twice daily , and washed my hair nearly twice a day everyday (can't deal with chlorine or salt in my hair drying) ....  All I can say is that this product gets the 5 stars from me ! , and will follow me again on my travels given it did all that he promised me it would. 

When used as a leave in conditioner after my wash , my hair was left soft and silky and dried like a dream ... (Silky beach waves)

My hair remained protected and healthy given the amount of salt and chlorine exposure I put it through, and i left the holiday with hair in a better condition than I started (can't believe I'm saying that) 

 

So guys ..... I would HIGHLY recommend this products usage on a planned beach holiday .

 

My 'Conditioner' - Coconut Hair Treatment

 

My review today on hair is two fold, as it includes what I use everyday to keep my hair healthy and shiny. I'm sure we all know the benefits of coconut oil in relation to hair growth , as it's well known and well articled because it has always been the age old secret to soft silky and strong hair.

As a child growing up I was subjected the 'old school' coconut oil head massage weekly , which left me looking like an oil head, apart from the fact that you could smell me next to you ( coconut eau de toilette) AND that it took me like two vigorous washes to removes the oily texture from my hair .... 

Funny enough today though I'm back to it ... Well... it may not be in the same version as it was when I was smaller , as this treatments washes off well,  does not leave you smelly oily, but delivers the same value as the real deal old school remedy

THIS is my conditioner replacement which I massage into my hair after my shampoo and leave in for 3-5 minutes before washing off .

The results ... Soft , silky, strong and shiny hair ...

 

#goingbacktobasics

Some Good Sugar Loving

Loving on this lip exfoliant and Lip serum from Fresh which I have been testing over the December-January period. I am a lover of lipsticks , however given my work I hardly have time for touch ups and spend most of my weekdays lipstick free.

 

I'm also one of "those" prone to dry lips so taking care of my lip condition is important , and this product has worked wonders for me.

 

The unique formula of the Sugar lip Polish is enriched with real brown sugar crystals to gently buff away dry flakes as it exfoliates and conditions for a smooth finish. The formula nourishes lips with quick-absorbing meadowfoam seed, jojoba seed, and grapeseed oils, while shea butter provides long-lasting moisture. Lips are left smooth, protected, and hydrated. Not only does the product leave my lips feeling smooth , it smells and tastes amazing (I'm sure I wasn't supposed to taste it but I did) 🙈.

 

The Lip Serum Advanced Therapy was added as a treatment to my usual morning and night skin care ritual to hydrate and smooth my lips. 

 

A unique feature of the Fresh Sugar Lip Serum is that it comes in .3 oz applicator which makes dispensing the right quantity for your lips a dream. On application, I found the serum to absorb into my lips right away into a matte finish. It’s not sticky or glossy so you can apply your lip liner, lipstick or lip gloss right over it for a flawless finish.

 

Note to self: not to lick your lips as this serum does not taste as good as the scrub. 

 

I have experienced great results using the Fresh Sugar Lip Serum. I’ve been using it for nearly two months now and my lips have been consistently smooth and hydrated. My recommendation would be to use both the scrub and the serum in conjunction for best results , however each in their own right offer amazing results.

 

(Please note that This is not your typical lip balm – this is a lotion like serum for your lips and surrounding area.)