Happy Birthday Wesley! A Bird's Nest Tablescape.

Our oldest son is celebrating his birthday today.. I set a little table for us in our sunken lounge this morning thinking of him! I so wanted to do my tablescape outside with my many feathered friends chirping in the background but we are experincing gale force winds and I live near the sea!  So had to make do inside instead!

Happy Birthday dear precious son! We are truely proud of you!

I was in a nearby little town from home, Port Alfred, last weekend and found a little treasure shop in their mall. I bought this little "Bird's Nest" teaset there. It is stamped Gifthous. Even if not a collector's item, I am sure to treasure it and have many a cuppa from it! The teaspoons are antique silver heirlooms.

I am linking to Susan at 'tablescape thursdays' . You can find it here  or click on it in my right hand bar! http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ .Susan's post is awesome!! and so are the many others. If you have time,won't you scroll down to my previous post to see just how we should be counting our blessings daily and spare a thought for these poor folk!

Please come along with me!

Blessings

Shel

Matthew's Ground! The other side of South Africa's Rainbow!

The next time you stop to take tea....

Spare a thought for the "forgotten people of Matthew's Ground". This is an area just outside my hometown where impoverished people live... there is no running water, they share 3 communal taps and use a bucket toilet system.
It is a close knit community living below the bread-line comprsing 50 families. Those children that are lucky enough to go to school have to walk kilometres to get to the nearest school..most don'y go to school and unemployment and Tuberculosis are  rife!
They rely on the Anglican church for a decent meal once a week which consists of soup and bread!
Most of the elderly don't have identity books so have no hope of getting a state pension.

However, they don't want to move, saying they feel safe in their area, which looks like a garbage tip.
This is a very sad affair and one of many in Sourthern Africa.

I am saddened by the thought that there are people who have to live under these conditions, not only here in South Africa but all over the world! I salute people like the jounalists that bring the plight of these people to the fore and I truely wish that there was more that I could do for them!

My grateful thanks to the local paper, especially the journalist, Lynn Shaw, who wrote this article. PS I trust I'm not treading on toes but just wanted to highlight the plight of these people.

You can read more at http://www.theheraldonline.co.za/

Should you wish to get involved please email me at edterbconstruction@yahoo.com and I will put you in touch with the Anglican Church.

All photos were taken by "The Herald" .

Have a Blessed Day!

Shel

I am linking to http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/ for Teatime Tuesday. There are beautiful teascapes there, please join me.

I am also joining Susan at http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ today! Always love visiting all the tablescapes there!

Also joining http://www.romantichome.blogpsot.com/

for Show and Tell.

Menu Plan: 23rd - 27th August.

Monday: It's always a busy day for most of us, so it's good to know at the end of  a chilly winter's day, something hearty is waiting in the pot for us...and it's basically looked after itself.
If you take time to brown your meat and vegetables before transfering to the cooker, you're sure to end up with an awesome meal in your crock pot!

Slow Cooker Lamb:

Ingredients:
1kg lamb knuckles
2 chopped onions
1 clove of fresh garlic
1tsp each thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper.  2 bay leaves
2 tsps sugar
1 tin of tomato paste/pasata
Chopped celery, parsnips, carrots.
1 lt of either meat or vegetable stock.
1 tin of peeled tomatoes.
Method:  Brown the meat first rolled in a little flour with the onion and other root veg. Transfer this to the crock pot and add the stock, tomatoes, paste and herbs and seasoning. Check for seasoning as you will possibly need to add more salt and pepper.
First set the pot on high then reduce after an hour.
Serve with fresh veg and brown rice.

Tuesday:
Hearty Vegetable Soup:
Need to be healthy today and tomorrow as Thursday is Wes's birthday and we will make a celebration birthday meal for him!

Ingredients:
Roughly chop celery, leeks, carrots, onion and fry with a nice big piece of soft shin meat, bone in, this allows for extra flavour. Add 1 cup of dried split peas and a cup of barley. Add 1 lt of vegetable stock and allow to boil for altogether for about 45mins. Add salt, pepper to taste. Let this simmer for +-2hrs.
I then grate 2 potatoes on the course grater together with finely grated 2 carrots.
Let this all simmer until you are ready to serve and all the veg are nice and soft.
Serve with a crusty bread. Delicious for this chill we are experiencing just before spring!

Wednesday.
I am trying a new recipe today. I found it at Stonegable and savouring time in the kitchen.
You can click on the Stonegable link on my right hand bar! Stonegable must be one of the most beautiful blogs I have read! True inspiration. I have adjusted it to suit the Cheese we get here in S.A.
Here goes the recipe:
Baked Zucchini Pie:
3 cups grated baby marrows, squeeze the juice out.
1 small onion chopped
1 cup flour
1/2 cup of strong cheddar
1/2 cup of mozzerella
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup oil
4 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese (reserve 1 tablespoon)
1tsp each basil and thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Grease a pie plate.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients except 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Blend. Spoon the mixture into pie plate.
Bake for 40 - 45 mins til brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle over parmesan cheese reserved.
Cool and serve with a nice big green salad fill of fresh leaves dressed with balsamic, cherry tomatoes,feta, olives, avocado and garlic croutons!
Scrummy!
Thursday:
Wesley's Birthday celebration.
Slow roast leg of lamb baked for 8 hrs until the meat falls off the bone! Stuffed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and Rosemary freshly picked from my garden.
Roast potatoes, broccoli cheese, carrots in parsley and butter! and Brown rice.
For desert, I am baking (attempting!) a Dutch apple cake! with lashings of cream.
I will put the recipe for this cake up soon. But have to  say it's my son's favourite cake/desert!
Friday:
Stir fried skinless chicken, peppers, mushrooms and garlic on top of linguine with Parmesan shavings and cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy your week.
Shel

Sunday! How to overcome discouragement.

Then the people of Judah said, "The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can't continue to rebuild the wall." Nehemiah 4:10 (GWT)

The four words of discouragement:

FEAR; FRUSTRATION; FAILED; FATIGUE!

Choose to resist, Say, "God help me get my eyes off the problem, off the circumstances and keep my eyes focused on YOU."

Have a blessed day.

Shel

Dinner with the Big 5!

A few weekends ago I was treated beyond all expectations!

We were at the beautiful Pumba Game Reserve very near to my home!

We could n't believe our luck, we saw the Big 5 and the White Lion which I have never seen other than in enclosures...Here are some more photos.....

A little too close for comfort!!

For more information on this game reserve, go to http://www.pumbagamereserve.co.za/.

I'm linking to Susan at http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

for Tablescape Thursday and Romantic Home's Show and Tell at http://www.romantichome.blogspot.com/

See you soon!

Shel

Menu: 2 - 6 August Part 2

I'm back! My nerves are finished!

I've just taken my youngest for a driving lesson in my "bakkie" in extreme traffic...anyway, I have the rest of what's for dinner at Solomon for Thursday and Friday.

I have so many ripe avo's , the result of bargaining with my favourite coloured man at the park.
So for Thursday I thought of Salmon fishcakes, mashed potatoes and a little avo salsa!
We use tinned Salmon ,or you can use fresh,
For 4 people, I use 2 big tins, 3 boiled and grated potatoes, 2 grated onions, 1 finely grated raw carrot, seasoning, a little fresh thyme and parsley. Mix thoroughly and add flour and a beaten egg to bind.
Roll and coat in flour and fry in hot oil 'til nicely brown.
Serve with the mash and the avo salsa! I combine avos, tomatoes, a little spring onion with salt, pepper and a dash of white wine vinegar. This is how my mother taught me to make it! Delicious!

Friday! Grilled Stuffed Aubergines and Sweet multi coloured Peppers with a bolognaise Sauce and covered in a creamy, oh so creamy, cheese sauce. (Especially made for me and honey as the boys are out on the town!) Serve with a good crisp white wine and fresh baguette for mopping up all the sauce!
There you have it, another week of recipes....now I can get on with my office work and not worry about what's for dinner for the week!

Bon Appetit!

Shel

Menu Plan: 2 - 6 August

Menu Week: 2 - 6 August!

Monday:

Beef Casserole:  Using brisket, I brown with 1 onion finely diced and 2 sticks celery. To that I add 3 carrots chopped up  in nice big chunks and 4 potatoes halved.Add bay 2leaves, 1 tsp italian dried herbs, salt, pepper and a big spoon of sugar. Make up 1lt of beef stock and add to the browned meat and veg. Transfer  to the oven and slowly cook at 180degrees C until all the juices have infused and the meat and veg are tender. Serve with rice and seasonal veg. I like to serve with butternut...my boys favourite!

Tuesday:

Crumbed Pork Chops with a delicious peach salsa that I found here: http://southernfood.about.com/od/salsarecipes/r/r70728f.htm 

I buy pork loin chops...dip in spiced flour, egg then fresh breadcrumbs then fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the Peach Salsa.

Wednesday:

Creamy Chicken and Leek Pasta.

Recipe~ as from an old post :http://www.justmeshel.blogspot.com/ Post: Saturday 3 July 2010

2 tsp crushed garlic, 2 leeks, sliced, oil for frying, about 500g cubed butternut, 3/4 pkt macaroni, 3 TBL flour and butter each. 11/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup each mozzeralla and cheddar cheese. Salt and ground pepper. 2x500g pkts of skinless chicken breasts sliced . 3 - 4 slices bread blitzed to make breadcrumbs.

Method~

Preheat oven to 220 C

Fry garlic,chicken strips and leeks in oil. Cook butternut and macaroni in boiling salted water. Melt butter and add flour. Cook gently for 1 min and add milk incorporating 'til a smooth sauce. Add cheddar cheese and season. Toss leeks, butternut, pasta and chicken together and season well. Place in an oven proof dish.

Top with breadcrumbs and mozzeralla. Bake for 20 - 25 min or until golden.

Oops, I'm going to publish this part of the post now....Note to self:  a big no,no! Don't blog whilst cooking, you're bound to burn something! I'VE JUST BURNT THE RICE!!

See you later
Shel