Some more Easter Inspiration........

.....to get you motivated to be different this year and to look beyond the strips of marshmallow easter eggs hanging at the check out counters in the supermarkets. There IS more to Easter than marshmallow eggs!

Be colourful and creative, pull out your long lost baskets, buckets and bowls and fill them with Easter treats!

 

 

Easter is not only for choc-aholics..... it is also a time for those of us who enjoy collecting ( as in my case....these eggs) , to showcase our goods!

Department stores are dripping with beautiful Easter decorations such as these in Europe at the moment.

 

 

.... and of course the obligatory Easter Tree is a must in any European home where Easter is celebrated.

 

While you are decorating, you might as well add an Easter touch to your chairs as well. A surprise for your guests when they arrive for your Easter Brunch or Tea!

Easter is all about Eggs... so why not indulge in the perfectly boiled egg accompanied by the ever classic toast and homemade Seville Marmalade?

 

Ensure that everyone receives their dose of Vitamin C ,  with a glass of freshly squeezed Orange Juice!

If you are lucky enough to head out into the Winelands for a hearty Country Breakfast....enjoy, otherwise set up your own country retreat at home.

Easter is all about baskets, so pack up your picnic basket, rugs and cushions and head off to the hills and collapse and enjoy the wonderful smell of nature.

 

 

Until next time, keep on dreaming of that wonderful, sunny, Easter Sunday with friends and family.....and your secret stash of Easter Eggs!

How was your Earth Hour last night?

I trust that you all enjoyed 'time out' in the dark last night?

My favourite candle holder helped create a bit of magic last night.

 

Start planning early for Earth Hour 2012 and spread the word amongst your friends and plan for a large group Earth Hour get together where everyone contributes to the offering by bringing a platter of snacks to be enjoyed without any heating....unless heated using another source of energy!

How about planning a 'Multi Culti' type evening where you enjoy a mixture of taste sensations from various cultures? This image conjures up a mix of Oriental and Moroccan styles......just allow your imagination to flow and see how creative you can be.

Why not create an ethnic and African themed evening, where you can literally 'go wild' and make use of African crafted bowls and dishes and beaded ornaments?

 

Remember to take a walk around your garden and collect herbs, flowers and foliage to adorn your table and to add interest to your garnishes.

Fresh from the garden.... Gooseberries and mint add an elegant touch to this platter. Love the reflection, as always!

 

Remember to complete your commitment to the earth by ending the evening with a recycling mission? Ensure that all guests are reminded of the importance of recycling at their own homes as well....so simple to seperate your glass, paper, plastic, cans and organic matter for compost.
If you require some help, visit  the various websites which will offer advice on drop - off points and recycling depots in your area.

To make the task of collecting empties a little easier, place a suitable container close to your party and insist that all guests place their bottles in it...... it is as easy as that!

 

 I could go on all day....but I am sure you have enough ideas now to get going with your plan for next year's Earth Hour. In the meantime keep up with your recycling, compost making and gardening......Oh yes, and the cooking, crafting and creating as well.

Next time more Easter Inspiration and also more on the Food trends for this year.

mmm...... I wonder what special treat is tucked away in my Easter Box?????

Earth Hour is upon us....are you ready ?

I trust that all who follow my blog will be joining in the largest mass participation of an environmental event in the world? If you are following this worthy initiative, then you will be ready to switch off lights and all non essential pieces of equipment for an hour between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm tonight.

Lanterns, Hurricane lamps and candles are ready to create an enchanting evening?

Oh what a special way of showing that you care  about our fragile earth.....go all out and support this event. YOU will help by adding extra time to the earth hour....why not extend this period to beyond an hour and enjoy no noise, no lights, no television and no interruption of a special quiet time with mother nature?

Pack your picnic basket and head off  to a special location and enjoy the company of friends and family all uniting to celebrate this mighty occassion.

If you are staying at home, make this a special evening where candles burn bright in your home.... and make the magic last a little longer as well.

Enjoy the magic of sunset in your own backyard...... and make a special occassion of it....it is as easy as that!

As well as being aware of Earth Hour, be aware of your carbon footprint and where you shop and what you eat.

Why not commit to shopping locally at farmers markets, eating organically grown produce and commit to support the local community and be ethical? It cannot be that difficult to make a small difference? Imagine IF we ALL tried to do this......?

Enjoy your special time with Mother Nature......I will be back tomorrow with more inspiration for next Earth Hour and beyond......

Food and Hospitality trends for 2011 as predicted by Baum + Whiteman, International Restaurant Consultants from New York.

I still find it fascinating to stay up to date with food and hospitality trends around the world. I found this article which highlights trends for this year. Some trends are perhaps more suited to America...but none the less interesting for us here in Africa.
I will kick off with the first few trends....and follow up with the balance of the 15 trends later.

Old Italian Favourites are making a return..... such as Meatballs and gravy....except my version here is a meatless Monday version!

Apparently this trend is so popular that Disney have opened a Meatball and Beer Bar, as well as some establishments offering Meatball Monday's....as opposed to our following of Meatless Monday's here in South Africa!

Money will always be available for fine dining experiences at good restaurants.

Competition between retailers for the Grab - and  - Go business.

 

Items such as pre packed salads, sandwiches, prepared meals and bakery items are popular as the pressure on working mothers increases. Food retailers and others are catering for this market and competing for a bite of the grab and go business.
I still believe in being old fashioned and baking my own treats, as illustrated in the image above!

Me, preparing for some catering at the Yacht Club.

Chefs and Restaurateurs have learnt the value of creating Pop Up Restaurants by using catering vans and wagons whereby they can take the food to the customers....this is a bonus to the restaurateur as they do not have to carry the fixed costs of a permanent establishment.
In a reversal of Roles, the chef now moves to where the customers are located, and not the customers searching for a suitable eatery!

Everyone is looking for a slice of the lucrative breakfast business.

  Many traditional fast food outlets are creating breakfast type meals that slot into their individual brands. Together with the grab and go business, the early morning breakfast business is just as important.

Celebrity Chefs are promoting healthy eating at schools.

Many celebrity chefs have created a following at local schools, where healthy meals are prepared according to the school budget. Together with this education on basic nutrition, eating local and ethical is also being promoted. Some schools even start their own vegetable gardens and encourage  the children to start creating their own small herb and vegetable patches at home if possible.


The balance of these food and hospitality trends will follow next time.

Dog Blog!

No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, a dog makes you
rich. - Louis Sabin.

The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce

It's no mistake that man's best friend can't talk!

.....Aha... lunch with Wiseman  means we get  treats ..... mmmmm .......

This blog is dedicated to all my special Canine Companions.....those present....and to my friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge.....


Life would be quiet, dull and lonely without the love, dedication and devotion of our special friends.
I dedicate this blog to my Canine family....and to all of you who also feel the same about your four legged family!

Our favourite escape..... paddling at the Waterfront.......
this is where we share and experience magical moments with fellow paddling team members and appreciate the beauty of Cape Town from the water.


 The friendship of a dog is without a doubt more intense and more constant than that of man. - Montaigne.





















 

Searching for inspiration in the garden.

How many 'rooms' can  you create....or dream of creating in your garden?

How I wish I had this tranquil courtyard at home?

Living with this heat in Cape Town recently, we have all been driven to find cool, shady spots for some relief from the heat. Herewith my inspiration and dreams................. 


Every garden should be blessed with the sound of trickling water.....cool and tranquil, to calm one's mind and refresh the soul.


I can clearly remember a lecture during my studies by an architect who believed in designing his homes with a central courtyard, with a pool, and all the living quarters flowed off the central, communal area......as the Roman's designed in ancient times. 

Take the inside, out......and enjoy entertaining outside in the peaceful setting of  the garden. The perfect  way to start the day with friends and family.....a breakfast on the patio.

Create a Lunar garden....best enjoyed when the moon is bright........plant grey foliage, white flowering plants and a touch of purple or blue.....it can be mystical and magical.

Use agapanthus and lavender as your purple and blue component in the Lunar garden.

Lanterns create added atmosphere....especially  at night when viewing your Lunar  garden!

These magical lanterns were bought in Turkey. They are made out of gourds and have beads inserted into holes drilled into the dry gourd. How beautiful are they?

Create a tropical setting using Palm trees and Banana trees.....and it helps if  you are lucky enough to live with the sea as the perfect backdrop!

Any deserving cook dreams of the perfect Potager where herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and edible flowers are grown. Here again it is fascinating to look at the origin of this type of garden......Monks used to plant medicinal herbs as well as vegetables side by side for daily use.

We should all go back to nature and cultivate our own herbs, salads ingredients, fruits and vegetables.

Fennel flowers always add a wonderful, sunny splash of colour to any herb garden...and the bees love them too!

Mint will always be lush, juicy and green if grown near a source of water....or as with this one, in a pot placed under a leaky overflow pipe!

Fragrant Lemon Verbena, another must for any herb garden.  Crush the dried leaves and place in your linen cupboard to keep it fragrant and to deter the fish moths.

This clove scented Perennial Basil also loves water and  also attracts the bees to the herb patch.
I always include this in my herbal tussie mussie's .....and everyone knows I am coming, as they can smell my herbs  before they see me!!!

Happy gardening, until our next inspirational gardening encounter!

I leave you with a Sunflower Smile...............they always make me feel good, bright and happy!!!