Yesterday while shopping at Spar Market in Komatipoort, I thought of the song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones in this video here.
Lately, we’ve been enjoying various Asian stir-fry dishes, using chicken or steak for both of us and occasionally a separate batch for me, using prawns. The Asian seasonings are crucial to making these stir-fries delicious and authentic. A few months ago, Spar sold all the sauces and spices I needed to make these delightful dishes.
But when I ran out, I couldn’t find them again. I must have been the only person buying those products; they didn’t replace the inventory once they were gone. I looked and asked each week. But, TIA, “This is Africa,” and things aren’t the same here as they are in the US, and often products are available, and then they are never to be seen again.
Also, when we shopped, there was no celery. I asked the produce guy if they had some in the back room. There was a language barrier (my problem, not his), and I had a hard time explaining what celery was. Instead, I pointed to the place on the produce shelf where the celery usually sits. Then, he understood. He explained that it might be back in stock tomorrow and to come back and see.
Hmm…I don’t want to drive for an hour round trip to “it might be in tomorrow, but maybe not.” I maintained a friendly smile, thanking him for his assistance. This is the way it is.
So, today, I thought, of the 2.5% of citizens of South Africa of Asian descent, that there surely must be an online Asian market. There was! I was thrilled to find A-Mart on this site.
This morning, I purchased enough spices and sauces to avoid a shipping fee and will have the products within a week. After that bit of research, I made a new recipe for Keto coconut bread. It was the first time I’d made the recipe, and it came out perfectly. This way, I can toast it each day and top it with avocado and Himalayan salt for a fantastic start to the day.
I’ll toast one piece of the bread and top it with one of the little avocados I buy at Spar, ripening them on the counter in a glass bowl and, once ripe, storing them in a sealed plastic bag in the produce drawer in the refrigerator. They keep for a few weeks this way.
Last evening, as usual, we headed to Jabula for sundowners and dinner. Lately, we’ve decided to go to Jabula on Fridays and Saturdays, as it’s become too hot to cook as we roll into summer. More of our friends are arriving soon, and some weekend nights may include social gatherings. We’ll leave our options open for other events.
While at the Spar Market Centre, we headed to the pet shop to see if we could find some food for our boy Aggie, the colorful agama lizard that lives in our garden. They didn’t have worms, crickets, or any food Aggie would like to eat. Pickings are slim for him now, with the soil hard as a rock. I may start collecting some dead bugs and saving them for him to place in the “V” in his tree.
Of course, before all this shopping, Tom had his dentist appointment to get his teeth cleaned, and I had an appointment with Doc Theo. I want one more day to pass on new meds to share what we discovered and my all-new treatment. I am very hopeful. I am also very excited to be off that awful medication that made me sleepy all day.
I got up this morning feeling energized, prompting me to make the Keto bread and a big batch of Keto taco seasonings (packaged taco spices containing wheat and chemical preservatives). Tomorrow, we’ll make taco salad, chopping onions, olives, lettuce, and tomatoes, and cook the lean mince we purchased yesterday. Usually, I cut up celery for the salads since we both like the crunch. But not this time.
We’ll be back tomorrow with my new medical protocol and how once and for all, I am hoping to be rid of the lingering symptoms since having Omicron in April.
Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, October 15, 2021:
