Homemade Caramel Vodka

Yummy ...

2 possibilities here ... the homemade traditional one that tastes better (but is not clear) and the quick fix.

First ... the homemade caramel sauce method:

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup golden syrup
3/4 cup whipped cream
a drop or two of vanilla essence, if you like that added flavour

Preparation
Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Increase heat and boil without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Carefully add cream (you may want to stand back — mixture will bubble vigorously).
Stir sauce over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and sauce is smooth.
Left-over sauce can be refrigerated and made pourable later be slowly heating without cooking it again.


Make the vodka ...
Take a 750ml bottle of vodka and pour out about a 1/2 cup of vodka and keep aside.
Pour in a half cup of caramel sauce and set aside for a week.
Turn the bottle every 2 days to mix and infuse better.
After a week (or closer to actually serving), strain through a paper coffee filter and bottle.


Then ... the quick fix method ...
Pour a cup of vodka out of the bottle.
Add a cup of sugar (or half a cup of glucose, which you can get from a pharmacy - this makes the texture must smoother and dissolves easier).
Add a 40ml bottle of Caramel essence.
Add whatever vodka you can back into the bottle.
Shake until dissolved, refrigerate and serve.

Yum!


Enjoy!

Thanks Caletx, the apology is appreciated

In fairness, after having made public the bad service that I have received from Caltex at Randjiesfontein on the R101 in Midrand, I'll now make the resolution of the issue public too.

Thanks for the apology, Caltex.

Here is what I received:

Good day Michael

First I would like to thank you for letting us know of the bad service you received from Caltex Corporate Park. The knowledge can only help us to remedy the situation by doing something about the service or the person who gave the bad service. I would also like to apologise for what happened on the 28 April 2011. This is not the kind of service I would like my customers to experience on my site, it is unacceptable.

The cashier was given a warning for insulting, humiliating and giving you a bad attitude. He made a personal apology to you, which is attached hereto. He acknowledged that he was wrong and will not repeat.

Regards

******* *****
Retailer
Caltex Corporate Park

For your benefit I have typed up (verbatim, errors not corrected) the handwritten letter that was attached to the email:

An Apology Letter to
Mr ******* ****

From : ****** **** at Randjiesfontein Caltex Garage.

I am so sorry of the way I reacted when giving my service to you on the 28 April 2011 Thursday night.

I was not and dont have any rights to set an argument whith with a Customer when giving a service, and for doing that to you, I apologise to you and Caltex. [some unreadable text here, possibly "as was told"]

I promise that it wont happen again & not ol only to you alone, but to every Customer.

Sorry for all this and pls forgive me.

Tthanks Thanx

Original attached to this post.

I see the matter as resolved now.

Caltex: This is not how people should be served! Sis on you!

Main Complaint:
Stopped at Caltex on the R101 in Randjiesforntein, Midrand on 28 Apr 2011 @ 1930.

Numerous things indicative of bad attitude and horrible service happened:

• When I asked Silas if the avos were ripe he responded with: 'errrr... aaah'.
• He talked on his phone while ignoring us and not serving us. When I asked if he is going to have a conversation on the phone or serve us he pointed to his phone.
• When I asked who he is talking to on the phone he said 'A friend' and then continued to ignore us.
• I had to repeat every request twice.
• He rung up a 1 kg Whiskas cat food as a R59 bag of 1.75 kg dog food
• I had to ask for a receipt to get one.
• When I showed the wrongly rung up item he looked at me blankly, until I asked that I be refunded on my card. He then proceeded to refund me in cash. The then proceeded to help other customers, ignoring me while I was still trying to buy the cat food.
• He was reluctant to give me the manager's number and started losing his temper with me and we had some unfriendly words.
• There are no owner or management contact details anywhere in the store.

Pathetic. I spent R 120 at your store (R170 - refund) so that I could be insulted, ignored and given attitude?

Caltex can be sure that I'll re-tell and publish this experience everywhere within my means:

• hellopeter.com: My complaint:- http://www.hellopeter.com/caltex-complaint-[564938], other:- http://www.hellopeter.com/search_results.php?search=caltex
  (although I see they only ever respond there with a generic pasted templated response and no one is ever happy with the response or resolution)
• facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CaltexSA
• twitter: http://twitter.com/Caltexsa
• Caltex SA: http://www.caltex.com/contactus/default.aspx?country=7
• Chevron Corp: http://www.chevron.com/products/contact.aspx
• Wherever I can until I get a satisfactory solution

Update: 03 May 2011
Caltex has contact me via Facebook and Twitter and asked for my contact details. These have been supplied to them. To date (and in fairness we have had a lot of public holidays) no contact, except on hellopeter.com. Unfortunately the response on hellopeter.com was exactly what I predicted it would be:

Hello ***,

Thank you for your email. Your complaint has been forwarded to the necessary business consultant for investigation. Once feedback has been received, you will be contacted.

Kind regards
*** *******
Chevron S.

*sigh* - I am NOT holding my breath that the hellopeter.com route is going to bear any fruit, sadly :(


Update: 05 May 2011 - complaint resolved
Caltex has sent me an email with a resolution to the complaint. You can read about it here.

I see the matter as resolved now, thanks Caltex SA

Western Riding Lesson 4

After a loooong, long weekend and with a bit of "I don't really want to" attitude thrown in on the Monday morning of the 21st of March 2011, I arrived at GAS for my 4th Western Riding lesson with Debbie Griffiths.

Both Gerhard and I did our own groundwork and warm-up quite effectively and proceeded to tack up our noble steeds.

We worked in the lunge arena again and I had a lesson together with my fellow student Gerhard Koekemoer.

We steered our ponies around obstacles without reins using just our feet. We learned about "the banana" and the "gears" (i.e. where to apply pressure to squeeze the fruit and get the correct response for the "gear" we want).

This was followed by jogging, with no reins and our hands on our hips, with no reins! That was fun!

I wasn't really in the mood for this lesson, but ended up enjoying it greatly in the end.

Some things I should keep working on:

• Shoulders up and open
• Back straight
• Heels down
• Toes in

Besides that, I've been told I have a good seat and that I am doing well.
Practice makes perfect I guess.

You can read previous posts in this series here: http://timonmeerkat.blogspot.com/search/label/western

Western Riding Lesson 3

Yup ... I am still sticking to it and learning so much while having a great time too.

On 12 March 2011 I had my 3rd Western Riding lesson at Glen Austin Stables. You can read about the previous lessons here:
http://timonmeerkat.blogspot.com/search/label/western

This time I pitched early, on purpose, to that I could fetch my lesson pony (Billy B) myself and do all the preparation and groundwork myself before the lesson started. Billy was a star and I quite capably managed the warm-up and groundwork myself.

David and I had a group lesson with Debbie Griffiths in the lunge arena. We concentrated on the correct aids for turning - much more so on using our legs than on using the reins. Can you say dead legs? We also practiced our seat, in-saddle balance, keeping that back straight and those shoulders open. Practice makes perfect? Debbie was happy that I did much better and that I am making progress. She'll make a cowboy ot of me yet!

We also jogged a bit more which I really enjoyed in the lunge as there is far less risk of just being run away with. Not that I believe Billy would run away with me - he is a sweetheart and a bit lazy to boot. He gets a bit ADD towards the end of the lessons.

Thanks Debbie. Thanks David. Great lesson!