Winter time is Coffee time........ with Homemade Buttermilk Rusks.

One cannot start the day on a chilly Winter's morning without dunking a Homemade rusk into your cup of coffee or tea.

These rusks are the genuine thing, as the recipe comes from my Aunt in the country. One can almost taste the Swartland.

 

 The Recipe for Buttermilk Rusks:

250 g Butter
250 ml Sugar
3 Eggs
500 ml Buttermilk
1 Kg Selfraising flour
20 ml Baking Powder
5 ml Salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
Cream the softened butter and sugar until the sugar grains have dissolved in the butter and the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter mixture.
Add the buttermilkand stir well.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until all combined. Knead the mixture until soft and well mixed.
Form the dough into small balls and place next to each other in a greased roasting pan with high sides.
Bake for at least one hour, or until rusks are baked through and golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and cool.
Break rusks in half, using two forks. Place rusks back in the roasting trays and dry out in a warm oven until dry and crisp. This will take a couple of hours.
Cool rusks and store in airtight containers.
Enjoy with your morning cuppa tea or coffee.

Well baked and golden brown. Cool the rusks before breaking up into individual rusks.

 

Cool rusks, break in half and return to roasting pan to dry out in the oven.

Once dry and crisp, place the rusks in airtight containers.

Enjoy with your early morning cuppa.....or if you are like me, keep a stash in the car for a secret treat when out and on the run without breakfast or lunch.......enjoy!

Until next time..... keep warm and cosy.

It is Soup time folks!

I am sure that you will all agree that there is nothing nicer than arriving home to the wonderful, warm, inviting aroma's of soup cooking.....mmmm...Winter must have arrived!

My all time favourite is Butternut Soup, with many twists to it. It may be prepared with  roasted fruits and vegetables, or creamed with coconut milk or cream..... or curried, with a slight Malay twist to it.

Today, however, I am going to share my Roasted Butternut Soup recipe with you.

Served up in style with the charger plate and all.

To start with, I roasted my fruit and vegetable selection in roasting trays sealed with foil. Snip a few sprigs of rosemary from the garden and scatter amongst your vegetables.

Ingredients:
2 Large Butternuts
2 Large Onions
4 Large Potatoes
4 Apples
Juice of 2 Oranges
Garlic to sprinkle
Olive Oil
Coarse Salt
Black Pepper
Sprigs of Rosemary
Dried Mixed Herbs
Chilli Paste ( optional)
2 Stock Cubes, or Fresh Stock

Place peeled and quartered fruit and vegetables in roasting trays, scattered with salt, pepper, herbs, garlic and a generous sprinkle of Olive Oil. Seal with foil and bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees C until soft and tender.

Do not forget the compost heap, so save the seeds, peels and pips from all your fruits and vegetables.

Your garden will be grateful, and soon you should have little butternut squash seedlings pushing up through the soil.

When the fruit and vegetables are cooked through and soft, remove from the oven and place in a deep saucepan with stock to blend if using a hand blenber, or place in a food processor and blend.

Remove rosemary sprigs and prepare stock to add to the roasted vegetables.

Add stock to the vegetables and blend or puree in a food  processor.

 

Blending the butternut selection and the potato and onion selection.

Ready for serving, the final product..... thick, smooth and filling. 

 

Serve and enjoy with a glass of Sherry...yes, this is the taste of Winter!

More soup inspiration next time. Keep warm and cosy.... cuddle up next to the fire!
 

Good morning Granola.......especially for Reckless Ron.

Homemade Granola...... especially for Reckless Ron as he prepares to set sail across the ocean once again..... safe sailing Reckless...we will miss you!

Just in case you want the recipe ....here it is:

Ingredients:
3 Cups Oats
1/2 Cup Wheat Germ or Bran
1 Cup Peanuts, or other Nuts
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
Sprinkle of Cinnamon

To Serve: Dried Tropical Fruit, Yoghurt or Milk and Fresh Fruit.

Method:
Combine Oats, seeds, nuts, bran or wheatgerm, coconut, cinnamon, oil and honey. 
Stir well to combine all ingredients and mix honey and oil through the mixture. I find it best to warm the honey a little before mixing in to the mixture.
Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees C for at least a half an hour, stirring regularly....depending on how toasted you like your granola.
Once golden enough, remove from oven and cool. 
Add Raisins and mix well.
Serve as desired with yoghurt, milk or fresh fruit juice.
Have a great day! 

Serving the Granola in individual glasses is a great way to portion the Granola when serving a large crowd.

..... or perhaps a quick breakfast treat when you get to work. This little jar with Granola makes the perfect take away breakfast from home!

...... or serve your granola in grand style with your favourite platters and glasses.

If you are lucky enough to have fresh gooseberries in your garden....go and raid your fresh supply and enjoy......

Just perfect.... a lazy Sunday morning breakfast outside in the garden....or next to the pool. Enjoy!

Dress it up.... or dress it down, this Granola has been a staple in my home for many years.... too many to recall. A wonderful gift for a health conscious person.... or just for someone who enjoys homemade delights. Decorate a glass jar, and you have the perfect gift at any time of the year.

Enjoy..... and fair winds.....Reckless......be safe.

My soup recipes are all ready and waiting for the next blog....I just tested one of them this evening....mmmmm.... delicious!

Hibiscus Heaven continues, and Aloe Arborescens next in line.

Since I am now hooked on Hibiscus blooms, I could not help but notice these beautiful specimens at my Mom's Retirement Centre.

I could not ignore the delicate blooms on the Potato Bush......just love the colour.

And then there is the beautiful Variegated version as well....... so attractive.

The beauty of a large and interesting garden is that one is forever discovering new surprises. This morning I suddenly realised that it is Aloe time again.....my Aloe Arborescens, or Krantz Aloe,  has loads of new spikes on it. Still all tightly wrapped up, I will document their progress as they open up and expose their bright orange heads. The succulent leaves are tough and fleshy, but have such interesting texture and shape. The conical formation of the leaves is also fascinating..... hence the common name, Krantz Aloe.

Another delcate bloom found in my garden belongs to an Indigenous bush, the Marshmallow ....... the gum from the plant was used in making marshmallows, hence the name. The flowers are perfect for garnishing  and I used them very successfully on a wedding cake many years ago.

The leaves are large, but delicate with wonderful fine detail on them.

And to end, the interesting cloud formation captured last night. 

Next time, I will pop back into the kitchen with some Winter warming soup recipes to inspire you!
Keep on discovering new delights in your garden.

Uncle Jeff, I dedicate this blog to you..........

How sad it is to think that you will no longer potter around in your garden ......but heaven will truly be blooming with your green fingers!

Uncle Jeff and Emma enjoy quality time together on the patio.

Your Coconut Ice Bougainvillea has become famous through this blog...... I am definitely going to look for one next time I visit Starke Ayres!

 

We will always admire the most spectacular collection of Hibiscus varieties in your garden....... you have inspired us to start our own collection of these magnificent blooms.

Dear Emma is missing your loving touch on the patio..... but we will always have a laugh at the cheeky way in which she stole my marble cake!

And then the most spectacular rainbow in your honour, Uncle Jeff....... the colours of the rainbow all to be found in your garden....red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

I also have fond memories of your hot house ..... Aunty Eyke's pride and joy. My Cymbidium blooms in memory of you.

A final tussie mussie for both you, Uncle Jeff and my Dad..... he so loved the Lemon Verbena in a tub outside his office window....I will always have a Lemon Verbena in my garden..... just to smell sweet memories of Dad as well.

 

RIP Uncle Jeff.......I will look after your Bougainvillea's in my garden, and remember you as they brighten up my day. 

Post - Easter post, and more pictures from the garden in Pinelands.

My fascination of the German traditions at Easter and Christmas time is echoed here in these pictures of my Aunt's Easter display....now you can see that this trend runs in the family.

This Easter nest  looked best displayed on the grass.....a wonderful collection of cheecky chicks!

We managed to convince my Aunt to use a would be Christmas tree and turn it into an Easter tree....and this is the result!

How cute are these Easter characters? Just look at all the detail in the finishing touches...... my Aunt is truly talented.

The easter collection is dripping all over the sideboard in the dining room..... What a collection from over a lifetime!

I arrived with a homemade quiche tucked away in a large red napkin and herbs ready to plant. This perennial basil grows like a bomb and smells just like cloves....mmm, so fragrant.

And of course my collection of lavender and mint made up a herbal posy to adorn the quiche hamper.

Back into the garden we go..... how bright and colourful are these flowers?

Another beautiful Hibiscus to add to yesterday's collection.

Shelley checking out the turf...... and there is history attached to the collection of all the stones for the garden path...shall I say a group / family effort!

Shelley  perusing the patio!

The inviting view from the patio....enticing one to take a stroll through the hidden corners of this gardener's delight.

What a beautiful contrast of colour against the variegated leaves with the delicate rays of sunshine filtering through in the late afternoon.

Until my next visit to Pinelands...... happy Autumn gardening!