Bubbles (of a different colour)

And so, it is inevitable that I finally come to the first of probably many commercial product reviews. Just to clarify - I am reviewing these products in a personal capacity - and I really am using these products, not just sourcing frothy blurbs from around 'teh interwebs'.

That being said...

There are many cappuccino in a sachet products out there - most suck, but there are some instant foam fans out there - frantically stirring a hole in the bottom of their mugs. I personally don't care for instant coffee cappuccinos - so why this particular lead in? Dear readers, I humbly present: Laager Rooibos Cappuccino!

Cappuccino tea! Yeah, you heard me - lovely silky, slightly fake milky, frothy tea. Rooibos tea. Rooibos tea that tastes like Red Tea products sold at coffee shops. Good tea, healthy tea, tasty t (Ok, I've just had a lie down and I'm ready to continue).

Vegetarian readers will be pleased to know that this product, for all its chemically induced bubbly bliss, is veggie friendly - in fact, it was a vegetarian friend who first introduced me to this instant cuppa. She immediately went up many places in the Friend Rank Ladder (TM)! And unlike the coffee equivalents of yore (again thanks to the wonders of food science), you do not have to send dogs into a frenzy from the rapid and rabid metallic scraping of spoon on cup to generate the foam in the tea - it just magically appears.

There are numerous reports on the benefits of Rooibos tea - it is an antioxidant, caffeine free, Proudly South African, and all-round good guy tea. Many people do not like Rooibos tea. Many people need a kick in the head! I was raised on Rooibos. My gran was a fan and poured it down our throats from the time we were wee waddling babes. For many years this was the only tea I knew. Now I have come to know the pleasures of many other varieties of tea, though Rooibos will always hold a special place in my heart. A heart hopefully healthy all thanks to Rooibos.

Blame Canada!

So after a long couple of weeks and carrying a sleeping pill hangover (first pill I found that only kicks in 12 hours after taking it), I was in no mood to cook up a storm. Rummaging through the fridge and pantry, I came across the following: oven-bake fries, biltong, cheddar, and instant white sauce. Then it hit me. The proverbial bolt from the blue - poutine!

I was introduced to the concept of poutine through the musings of the loveliest lady of Firefly - Jewel Staite (drool).

Now for the uninitiated, poutine is a work of art. A base of french fries topped with bacon bits and cheese curds, all liberally smothered with gravy - or in other words - a heart-attack on a plate! Now while I didn't have the exact ingredients, I love experimenting and putting a new spin on established concepts. So herewith my own South African interpretation of that beloved Canadian heart-clogger: Poutine!

Although I do feel that a variant of the original needs a new name. Any suggestions for a local poutine?