Weekly Wrap-Up : Two Weeks into the Holidays

Holidays are in full swing and Keren and I have just returned from our mid week getaway. We had a wonderful time together and enjoyed and savored every moment. On Tuesday we headed out to Strand and had lunch at an old fashioned restaurant over looking the sea. They offered a three course meal at very reasonable prices and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Good old fashioned food!

The views out over the bay were magnificent. Just what we needed after all the pressure of exams and getting her file done for term 2.

We ambled along the beachfront before driving to my aunt and uncle just outside Stellenbosch.

 We were welcomed with tea and enjoyed catching up before taking a walk around the estate with my uncle and his dog.

The estate is beautiful and peaceful and their home like a home from home. Familiar objects, pieces of furniture from my grandparents, beautiful quilts made by my aunt and giant comfy beds and delicious home cooked food made our visit perfect. We enjoyed a log fire and long conversations reminiscing about days gone by. We slept in and didn't want to leave those comfy warm beds but eventually did to enjoy a hearty home cooked breakfast made by my uncle.

We stopped off in Stellenbosch to visit Oom Samie se Winkel , a place I have often passed by but never ventured in.

 Everything you can imagine is found in this shop from old fashioned sweets to spices, vintage clothing and dolls, memorabilia from days gone by, books, trinkets and curios. Well worth a visit even if you are not buying but just browsing. Apparently bus loads of tourists stop by on their way through the village.

We drove through the village and out the other side to climb the Helshoogte pass to our destination, Clouds Estate. With great excitement we entered the estate and made our way to reception. It deserves a post of its own so that is all for now!

Besides this wonderful getaway, holidays have been filled with friends, sleepovers, sleep ins and lots of fun. A few girlfriends joined me for a movie night. I had the wonderful privilege of joining 194 others at the prison for a prayer walk. An unforgettable experience and I cannot wait for next month's prayer walk.

 Zak has been to the movies a couple of times and to a magic show where he attempted learning to spin a plate!

 He volunteered time at church helping to prep for the holiday club for a few hours.

 We have enjoyed sunny afternoon walks.

Keren besides completing her exams, finished her oil painting and handed it in for marking.

 She cooked endless dishes for consumer studies and we all enjoyed eating them!

 Josh bought himself a car!

Tonight the youth are having a stay awake at church.

 Its been full and fun and I am thankful we have another week off!

Slow Living Monthly 9 : September and October

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, If a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, If the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.” - Eleonora Duse

NOURISH: 

I have had a bit of fun in the kitchen recently. My aim is to try new recipes often and we have enjoyed a few new favorites more than once.

A quick and easy wrap filled with mince and marinated courgettes is a winner. Fully loaded cauliflower is another firm favorite. It is packed with mushrooms, bacon and cheese in a sour cream sauce.

Our lemons have been used in a variety of puddings that my daughter has made. The best being a lemon meringue pie. Rooibos and lemon iced tea is enjoyed on warmer days.

PREPARE:

Our daughter prepared  a tomato jam and an apple chutney.

REDUCE: 

I collected a broken mirror from a friend so I can reuse it in my mosaics. An occupational therapist was also throwing out a number of her clients half finished projects and I have claimed them to rescue the tiles for my own mosaic projects too.

GREEN: 

Lemon balm tea is a soothing refreshing drink I have been enjoying.

GROW: 

I love this time of year in the garden. It's so exciting to see the new growth. My California Poppies and sweet-peas are looking gorgeous. Seedling are peeping through the soil and there are first fruits of tomatoes, chilies, passion fruit and peppers. Carrots and beetroot are ready for harvesting, corn is knee high, beans are climbing the tripods and squash are putting out leaves.

I have planted aubergine, lettuce, peppers, basil, spring onions as well as numerous different seeds. It is going to be fun to see what does well.

CREATE: 

Beanies galore have been knitted from the tiniest prem baby beanies to slouch beanies for teens and a lovely new "tea cosy" style fitted beanie for my daughter, niece and dear sister. 

This little guy is a month old and the tiny prem beanie is still way too big!

I adapted the baby pattern for the adult sizes and the recipients all love them. 

I have made some baby jerseys and booties too.

It was fun to put together the blue set, adding colours as I went along. 

Its a great way to use up even the smallest scraps of wool. 

It was lovely to create some mosaic projects again. 

My nephew loves his new mirror.

The blue one will go up in my son's room and the neutral one is for my sister. 

DISCOVER: 

I have been enjoying quick reads on blogs and in magazines. A recent win of a recipe book also makes great reading.

ENHANCE:

I joined a pay-forward initiative for the fun of it. My recipients will receive a surprise from me at some point during this calendar year- anything from a book, a ticket, something home-grown, homemade, a postcard, absolutely any surprise! There will be no warning and it will happen when the mood comes over me and I find something that I believe would suit them and make them happy. 

ENJOY: 

Hubby and I had a rare weekend away on the West Coast. Wide open spaces, spring flowers and freedom. 

My sister visited from the farm and we enjoyed her daughter's photography exhibition.

'Beach and forest walks fed the soul.

My siblings and I visited the Oranjezicht City Farm and market. 

We celebrated the birthdays of my niece, daughter and hubby.

Slow Living Monthly 9 : August 2014

Lovely to reflect on the month of August, a month of varied and contrasting weather.

 A month where we settled back into the routine of school term. 

NOURISH: 

The weather in August was still cool enough for the likes of comfort foods like fragrant curries and leek and potato or chicken noodle soup. We enjoyed hubby's homemade pizza again too. My brother gifted us with eggs from his hens and we enjoyed them scrambled, fried or in omelettes. Always a quick and easy cost effective meal!

There was plenty of baking  and sugar cookery as my daughter tried to get through most of her practical classes for consumer studies.

She made the best ever Swiss roll...

 short crust pastry filled with confectioners custard and topped with granadilla, 

fudge, coconut ice, marshmallows, a vanilla sponge cake....

milk tart, iced vanilla biscuits and coconut biscuits!

 Her efforts were much appreciated by all our younger son's friends as we served them at his birthday party. There is nothing tastier than delicious home baked cakes, biscuits and confectionery!

PREPARE:

There was no preparation this month, unusual for me, but we did stock up on canned tuna as it was a good price and I can really stretch a can a long way! 

I froze some lemons too as I found out one can freeze them on someone's post for last month...

thank you!

REDUCE:

Nothing new, just our usual recycling.

GREEN: 

Nothing new.

GROW: 

Oh gosh another month with not much happening in the garden!

 Hubby got some beautiful compost from our heap for the veg beds and I have done a little weeding here and there. We have enjoyed herbs ( I have a Basil that has even lasted through the winter!), lemons, granadillas, strawberries and a few peas and gooseberries. 

CREATE :

A friend gifted me this pink wool and I made a baby blanket...

 four baby beanies, a prem jersey, a newborn jersey and two pairs of booties.

The wool is all the same colour but photos were taken in different light.

 I am  so relieved to move onto other colours after a month of this dusky pink!

DISCOVER:

 Not much of my own reading as we are back to school! 

We have been reading about Ancient Greece and Rome.

ENHANCE: 

 We have enjoyed babysitting my nephew regularly and a couple of sleep overs for him too. 

My knitting has all been done for donation to the Fish and Chips Project.

ENJOY:

We celebrated our youngest's 14th birthday, Christmas in August with friends, beach and forest walks, log fires when the storms came and the first braai was enjoyed when the sun came out. 

Thanks for the link up Linda!

Slow Living Monthly 9: July 2014

Another month gone by and great to look back and link up with Linda, the new host at Greenhaven!

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” 

― Edith Sitwell

NOURISH: 

Comfort food time. Stews and fragrant curry. Hubby and I were often home alone as the kids were out having fun with friends. He makes a mean omelet, a tasty, simple yet nutritious meal! We also enjoyed his home made pizzas with friends. Always a winner!

I did a little baking, bran muffins and some zesty lemon brownies with a lemon glaze.  Light and a nice change from chocolate brownies. I made a butternut pie too, yummy but a little sweet despite the fact I halved the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. My daughter made a delicious baked berry cheesecake for her brother's birthday.

PREPARE: 

My chili harvest was made into a home made harissa paste, very hot but delicious on a sandwich, in fact my guys eat it with anything and everything!  Beet and apple chutney was made too.

REDUCE: 

Over the holidays I spent some time sorting out the office and reducing the amount of clutter.

Hubby and the boys took apart the old washing machine and I got a large glass bowl out of the front door of the machine! 

He is also making an outdoor fire pit from the drum and the rest of his has been taken to the scrap yard.

GREEN: 

Nothing new.

GROW:

My winter garden is rather sad. Just a few chilies, tomatoes , herbs, lemons, granadillas and the first of the strawberries are being enjoyed. I have not done any planting.

CREATE:

I completed hubby's scarf and made one for Josh too.

 The guys love them and Zak requested one too. I was glad to be done once I had knitted 3 scarves exactly the same for each of the guys! Lets hope they don't get them mixed up!

A dear friend had posted boot cuffs on her blog recently.

 My niece and daughter went crazy for them and each just had to have a pair! 

The above are the pair I made for my daughter.

 They look good and make a lovely quick knit for an evening and would be a perfect gift too!

I was thrilled with myself as I have never attempted to knit cables as I assumed they were just too difficult. My sister assured me it's not difficult and offered to tell me over the phone how to knit them, but my neighbor showed me how and now I can knit cables!

  You can find the pattern for these boot cuffs at homespun living if you want to give it a try.

My niece loves her boot cuffs!

I found the Fish and Chip Project on Facebook and joined up.

 I knitted up baby beanies and booties to donate to the project. 

These little babes are sent home wrapped in newspapers as they have no clothes. It has been a great way to use up all the scraps of wool that are too small for any larger projects. There are some sweet and easy baby patterns on the page too. A friend just gave me a large packet of wool so I am going to try the cardigans and blankets.

I discovered that my old High School also collects baby beanies and the likes for their Wool for Wonders project. Knitted items are donated to children's homes. I will send some of the items there too.

DISCOVER: 

I have been browsing the net for knitting patterns and also discovered a great site called The Whoot. They share loads of crafty ideas, recipes, patterns, handy hints and DIY ideas.

ENHANCE: 

On Mandela Day, my neighbor and I spent our 67 minutes with Operation Smile. We colored and decorated rag dolls for the children who have corrective surgery with them.

The kids spent much of their holiday volunteering at holiday club at church.

I have been babysitting my little nephew and he has slept over too. Just love having the cute little guy around.

ENJOY: 

We have relaxed and slept in over the holidays and I have enjoyed the break from routine and the rest. 

Its been great to catch up with friends over coffee.

 We enjoyed  an outing to Kirstenbosch botanical gardens and the science center. 

Also lovely to get away for a night to my Dad's place.

We celebrated my neighbor's birthday and our oldest's 19th birthday too. 

How was your month?

Slow Living Essentials Monthly 9 Link -Up: June 2014

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."  – John Boswell

NOURISH: 

With cold weather it's been comfort food. Sausage stew in a rich herb and tomato sauce or meatballs in tomato and red wine sauce, nourishing chicken soup with cheesy garlic scones or spicy nachos. Staying clear of carbs is not so easy in this cold weather and lunch is sometimes a batch of low GI flapjacks or pancakes.

PREPARE: 

Nothing much except the last of my basil harvest made into big batch of pesto with a hint of chili, delicious on  cheese toasties!

REDUCE: 

With cooler temperatures we have needed to keep warm. Instead of electric heaters, we have been layering on the clothing and I am often seen with a blanket wrapped around me Basotho style. 

We have also enjoyed log fires. 

GREEN:

 Nothing new.

GROW: 

I didn't plan my winter garden too well this year so the harvest is very small. I am still picking handfuls of cherry tomatoes, chilies, herbs and granadillas. We have a few lemons on the tree and a couple of sweet potatoes. My strawberries are just starting to produce.

“The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.” - Hanna Rion

CREATE:

I made beanies for my friend's two girls. 

I love the way the wool self stripes.

 I promised myself not to buy any more wool this month and knitted up another two snoods with wool I had. One was meant to be a scarf for hubby but when there wasn't enough wool, I had to go and buy more to make a new scarf for him as they no longer had stock of the wool I had been using. And then I saw wool I loved...oh dear, I just cannot go into the wool shop without buying something!

DISCOVER: 

This month I have been reading some novels. Its been fun to read again. Zak and I have also been discovering Ancient Greece for school read aloud time.

ENHANCE: 

My nephew has been spending Monday afternoons with us as usual while his mum is at work.

 I have not ventured out into the cold early morning air to join my walking group. I have however tried to fit in a few walks later in the day when its sunny and a little warmer.

ENJOY:

I certainly have enjoyed the month which despite much school work, has taken a slower pace. 

Long naps have brought much restorative and needed rest. 

We have enjoyed catching up over dinner with friends we haven't seen in a while, log fires and cozy read aloud times.

The kids spoiled hubby for Father's Day and Father's day and breakfast with my Dad and brother was wonderful. 

My girl and I enjoyed a  girlfriends getaway evening at the movies where we were thoroughly spoiled with red carpet treatment. 

We enjoyed seeing our youngest's art on exhibition at his art school. 

The school term came to a close and we are now enjoying a much needed break. 

Wonderful to reflect, thanks Christine!

Weekly Wrap-Up: The One With Eyeballs and Brain Surgery

The week has flown by...

It's been jam packed with activities and the house has been a little like a railway station. 

Monday afternoon we had our little nephew here, Zak had a friend over on two different days as well as  Josh's girlfriend being here to study on days she is not writing exams. Hubby and Josh were both off sick and home on different days. The youth filled the kitchen on Wednesday evening and had fun making paper mache rocks as decor for the upcoming holiday club. 

Despite the railway station, we still managed a good school week.

 Zak and I have been reading The Tempest, scene by scene. I always like to read or listen to a simpler version of Shakespeare so the kids get a good idea of the story before diving into the real thing. We found a great audio version on Open Education Source which has more than 11 000 free audio books.

He had to do virtual deep brain stimulation surgery for science. It was great for him to see what his Grandpa does at work but we know for sure he will not be the next neurosurgeon in the family! 

He was feeling rather green when he had to "cut" the patient's head!

Go on, give it a bash and help the Dr cut, probe and drill her way to helping the 

patient with Parkinsons over at Edheads.

We moved on to study the eye and watched the dissection of a cow's eyeball. 

That's where I draw the line and much rather prefer watching it online than actually doing it ourselves at home. 

And today he brought some art home.

Keren's week was filled with goals that needed to be met and she finished off two subjects for the term. She did her first oral for Afrikaans which will count toward her term mark. She was excited that her exams arrived and we both look forward to getting them over and done with. 

For consumers, she made the most delicious choux pastry puffs....

filled with cream and topped with chocolate sauce.

 A tasty treat that was enjoyed by all!

Of course we watched the opening ceremony of the World Cup and tonight hubby (dressed in his Dutch supporter sweater and scarf) and I enjoyed the game between Holland and Spain while the kids were at youth. 

We look forward to a relaxing long weekend. 

Slow Living Essentials Monthly 9 Link -Up: May 2014

May was a time of knuckling down and getting back into the rhythm of regular school weeks. Weekends were always looked forward to.

 As autumn faded, the weather was beautiful on some days, and others let us know that winter is certainly on its way. First fires were enjoyed and winter woollies kept us warm.

NOURISH:

 Nourishing, warm comfort food graced the table this month. Seafood paella made by hubby was enjoyed, goulash soup with lashings of sour cream, curried butternut soup, and a creamy cheesy broccoli and cauliflower soup....a definite winner!

The weather was warm enough for one or two braais and I made a delicious curried sweet potato side dish. A great low GI alternative to the usual potato salad.

My daughter made yeast bread and doughnuts for her consumer study practicals. Both were delicious and we look forward to more of her practicals.

PREPARE: 

With 6 varieties of chili growing my garden, I made a fiery hot sweet chili sauce using 500g of chilies. Tomatoes from the freezer were used for a chili and tomato jam and basil pesto with a hint of chili was made too. 

I made a batch of beetroot and apple chutney and the usual apple and oats bake was made for hubby's breakfast whenever the oven was on.

REDUCE:

Some poles that were lying about were used to make a simple trellis for my new granadilla vine.  

My daughter, youngest son and I cleared out clothing from our cupboards to donate to shack fire victims. 

I reduced the number of contacts on my email contact list and cleared out the inbox. So good to de-clutter even the seemingly small things.

GREEN: 

Just the usual home made compost and worm tea.

GROW: 

 I enjoyed visiting a local nursery as they had a sale. I bought some lavender for my front beds, bright yellow daisies, violas, gaura , marigolds, lettuce and some basil mint. 

The harvest has consisted mainly of baby tomatoes, chilies, granadillas, lemons, herbs and a few green peppers. My poor peas got eaten but I am hoping to sow more. Freesia bulbs went into the ground and dahlias were lifted. 

CREATE:

I finished off my mosaic projects.

 Knitting projects kept me busy...a slouch beanie for my niece, a red snood for my daughter and a scarf for my brother in law (modeled by my youngest).

A friend was delighted to receive this pretty blue snood as a birthday gift.

DISCOVER:

I have been reading a book by Dr Caroline Leaf. The book deals with one's thought life and how to detox the brain from toxic thought processes by changing your thinking. Scripture backs up neuroscience and it is an informative read with real tactics to detox the brain and thought life. 

ENHANCE: 

My little nephew has been spending Monday afternoons with us while his mum is at work. We treasure our time with this cute fellow. 

I have not been too diligent with my walking group as the weather is sometimes not in my favor but I managed a few sessions.

We enjoyed an International Food Fair in support of missionaries that our church helps to fund as they work with other nations.

ENJOY:

I enjoyed a wonderful over night getaway with my niece and my daughter. They spoiled me with a delicious dinner and girly time was great fun!

A girl friend and I enjoyed a night out at the movies and my daughter and I spent a great morning out at our church's woman's event. There was a guest speaker, tasty treats and a morning of creativity at the Clay Cafe. We look forward to receiving our items once they have been fired.

We have a new neighbor and there was a neighborhood meet and greet pizza evening.

Hubby and I have had a good time catching up with old friends over dinner. 

Wonderful to reflect on the month, thanks Christine.

 

Weekly Wrap-Up: The one with yummy treats

The week started with beautiful weather and an early morning walk with walk 4 life for me on Monday. I had good intentions of getting in more walks but unfortunately didn't make it the rest of the week. Next week is another week...

Here's some of what we've been up to...

Zak and hubby made a simple trellis for my newly planted granadilla bush. I am hoping it will grow quickly and cover the bare back wall.

The weather turned really cold later this week and we lit the first of many fires for the season. 

Jambo and Zak enjoyed warming themselves while I read aloud. 

The school week went on as usual despite the fact that Zak was not feeling great. We kept a steady pace and finished off our unit on China and did lots of reading. In science he is now learning about the central nervous system.

Keren kept up with her weekly deadlines and spent much time studying for next weeks art theory exam. We received her practical assignments for consumer studies which she couldn't wait to begin! This brought back fond memories of my days in high school, studying home economics. I always felt proud to bring home tasty treats for my family to enjoy.

She made a delicious yeast bread as her first assignment. 

Her brothers declared it the best ever bread! 

Nothing nicer than hot bread with lashings of butter!

The second assignment proved to be delicious too! 

Doughnuts made from scratch with glace icing! 

Simply scrumptious!

Josh has been working as usual but also doing a lot of driving now that he has his licence. He took my car into work on one day (in the rainy weather) and on others the driver at work was off sick , so he got to do deliveries all over the show for two days. He also got to drive his boss to the airport in the boss's new car. I am thankful that he has been safe all week and that he is confident behind the wheel. It is rather a strange feeling to feel so concerned for his safety on a daily basis. But I suppose that is a mamma's prerogative....