As we say farewell to 2012......

May 2013 be bright, festive, full of good cheer, love, life and happiness.....and good health........

May you enjoy loads of freedom to play with all your favourite toys........and share them when required to!

May delicious and legal treats be available to you from the galley at all times........just check on the ingredients first if sharing with your canine friends.......

May your favourite friends enjoy all the delights you have to offer under the Christmas tree.......

Just remember that in dreams and love there are NO impossibilities......may all the best be yours in 2013 and beyond........until next time!

And so that was Christmas 2012!

It is good to be children sometimes, never better than at Christmas. Charles Dickens.

I am always "bead happy"........ especially at Christmas time. Here my simple suncatchers that used to adorn my coffee shop many years ago are now enjoying space in the heart of my home....the kitchen!

And the same spot with a spectacular sunset.......... now you know why this is my favourite spot in my home. Just a pity about the leaking  pool though!

Christmas decor always starts in the heart of my home and then it literally mushrooms around the house and the garden! With our hot African climate we should be moving our inside out and celebrating in style in our beautiful gardens.

No reason why the Aloe in the garden should not be decorated as well?

This spectacular display of  Iceberg roses is an absolute treat, especially at this time of the year. 

Some more festive colour abounds with this display of cerise pink of the Scarlet Ohara bougainvillea.

Make the ingredients of your salad or starter  your table decoration. Here the baby tomatoes and rosa tomatoes cuddle next to calamata olives, scattered with feta cheese and sprinkled with fresh herbs from the garden. Just perfect Christmas colours.

Christmas would not be Christmas without the aroma of  Gammon roasting in the oven......... all part of the sights, sounds, aroma's, tastes and textures of the Festive Season. What a delight to the senses!

A tradition in any German household is to bake a large selection of spicy festive biscuits at Christmas time. Here Zimtsterne or spicy cinnamon stars are being cut out. 

While we are on the spice route, I cannot march on without mentioning good, old fashioned Ginger Bread. It is so quick and easy to prepare and it also fills the house with wonderful Christmas baking aroma's.  I also tested a silicone star shaped mould for the first time.....an absolute delight to bake with!

Hassle free baking with a silicone mould....thank you Judy! If one is a traditional baker used to using baking tins, this is a departure from the norm.......but it works like a dream!

Honigkuchen, another staple in any traditional German home at this time of the year. This recipe is from a close family friend......Tante Karla I will bring you a sample when I visit tomorrow!

The spice route continues....... we have now reached another traditional biscuit.....Pfeffernusse. A must for Christmas as it has many fond memories of the German Club attached to it. The home baked version is even better than mass produced biscuits.

A festive table to delight everyone, the start of any festive celebration. As Charles Dickens quoted; I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. So true!

Enjoy the spirit of Christmas and all the delights found under the tree.

MY Heritage Day activity.

So on our National Heritage Day here in South Africa, I decided to look to MY roots and my heritage ........and as it is October, what better than celebrating a bit of Oktoberfest with my camera! So I did. Here are the results.

Fresh herbs from my herb patch ready to be used as the key ingredients in the traditional Frankfurter Grune Sauce / Green Sauce.

Green Sauce in the making........

So, what is needed to make this wonderful Green Sauce?

4 Hard boiled Eggs
80 ml Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Vinegar
2 teaspoons hot German Mustard
A generous pinch of Salt
150 g Mixed Herbs..... I used a mix of fresh herbs from the garden.......parsley, chives, coriander, basil mint, vietnamese coriander, rosemary, Fennel, perennial basil. All washed and drained.

To prepare, simply shell the hard boiled eggs and place in blender, add mixed herbs, salt, olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Blitz.....and that is it!
Serve with boiled potatoes and your favourite German Sausages. Yum!

You will also be hooked.....why did I not prepare this before? A great way to use all those wonderful herbs in the garden.

And then, tomorrow just happens to be International Egg Day.....
So in honour of the humble Egg, I also salute another easy, quick, nutritious and popular dish originating in the Berlin / Brandenburg districts in Germany. Guten Apetit!

This popular dish can be prepared in under half an hour...... a quick Mustard sauce and some hard boiled eggs. Easy!

So, what is needed to prepare this easy dish? A simple white sauce flavoured with sharp, German nustard and a hint of vinegar. Hard boil two eggs per person, as a main meal. Allow to cool, shell them and cut in half. Place in a casserole dish. Pour the rich mustard sauce over the ggs and serve!

The ideal, quick, easy Sunday evening meal.......Eggs in Mustard Sauce, a good Pils, Rye bread....and of course, good company!

Looking good enough to eat! A typical German meal.....Boiled potatoes and green sauce, rye bread and of course a decent Pils!

Setting the scene.....a starting point of any food styling episode.

Memories.... to you this may just be another photo, but to me it is an image full of special memories. The best being the visit to Berlin and the BEST department store in the world. Ka De We in Berlin is my playground....say no more!

This simple butter dish is a family heirloom......it belonged to my Grand Mother, it must be over 100 years old. I believe my Aunt has another piece to match it...... I need a picture of the two items together.

I can remember my Dad looking for this traditional hat when we visited Germany. I look at it and remember him every day....Love you, Dad. Of course I could not forget our favourite Bernstein.....otherwise known as Amber. I created  these pieces from around the world.

Something Blue and Grey......one shiny, one fragrant.

Have you heard of the gemstone Labradorite? It has a background colour of smoky grey, but when the light catches it in a particular direction, it displays a beautiful peacock blue reflection. This reflection is known as labradorescence.

One of my favourite pieces made at jewellery classes. This Labradorite pendant with a solid silver setting is generous and eye catching. I love to wear it with this mixture of labradorite beads and freshwater pearls.

From my favourite piece of jewellery to my favourite herb, Lavender. 

 A natural and direct pairing as far as I am concerned.....that is if you think like me. I am thinking grey, blue .....with various ranges of blue.....what could be more fitting as a partner to Labradorite than Lavender?

This lavender, a fern-leaf lavender, is not a real lavender but an ornamental lavender, according to Margaret Roberts.

 The colours are right as far as the eye is concernred, purple-blue and grey, but the fragrance is missing from this fern-leaf lavender. According to Margaret Roberts, this Lavendula Pterostoechas is widely distributed, as far away as the Canary Islands. It was once also known as Arabian Lavender........but here in South Africa, it grows well through the winter and puts on a wonderful show of purple flowers especially when planted en masse.

My little patch of  glory in my garden......a delightful selection of lavender.

It has always been my dream to visit the Provence and lie amongst the rolling fields of lavender. Oh may my dream come true...........just to see, touch and smell this spectacle is my desire.
Rooted in ancient lore, this potent herb still casts a spell in our gardens. I am sure we all have lingering memories of burying our nose in a clump of lavender and catching a whiff of history and sweet memories .......a lavender sachet tucked amongst family heirlooms......the magic of lavender lives on in our gardens today.

I love the soft light and shadows in this image and the contrast in texture with the bark of the tree.

Lavender is native to Mediterranean regions from Tuscany to North Africa. Lavandula, as it is botanically known, belongs to the family Labiatae- aromatics with squarish stems and spiky blooms which also includes marjoram, mint, sage and thyme. Lavenders enjoy full sun and good drainage. Pruning is best done after the blooms have peaked.Trim the plant by a third and water well. 

Labradorite is derived from Labrador peninsula in Canada. 

This stone is thought to symbolise the moon and the sun and apparently has been found to be a constituent of moon rock. Labradorite is said to be helpful in the treatment of disorders of the brain, to stimulate mental acuity and to reduce anxiety and stress.

To relax, just lie in the sun next to a lavender bush and take a deep breath and inhale the calming fragrance .....let it lull you into your dreams. Wear your labradorite gemstone to keep you feeling strong and fit to handle changes in your life. I think this is a good pair to combine.

September is Arbor month, so it is not too late to plant a tree, or support a charity who will plant on your behalf. Take a trip down to your local garden centre and select something special to remember this year by. Until next time, stay strong and positive.

Something Pink?

Why not? Every young girl loves pink.....I was one of them and had a pink bedroom at some stage. These days my fascination is more with bright, bold and vibrant cerise pink than baby pink.

When it comes to minerals I am sure you are expecting me to introduce Rose Quartz...... not so, I have a new and more exciting mineral to introduce.... Rhodochrosite.

Rhodochrosite is a mineral of manganese carbonate and is found in manganese ore veins. As seen above, it is generally light to dark pink with white stripes and veins.

Together with Rose Quartz, the combination works well.

Rhodochrosite is known as the stone of love and balance and is also thought to awaken a need to give and receive tenderness and love.
 It also promotes creativity and helps one to accept and integrate new ideas and information.

In the pink and all soft and feminine, Rhodochrosite has also been used to heal the heart....both emotionally and physically. It is said to heal old wounds and to stabilise the heart and pulse rate.

While I am thinking of pink and white striped Rhodochrosite, I have a clear image in my mind....related to food that is. It is of soft, sweet, stewed Guava's served with lashings of chantilly cream.... Can you see this image? mmmmmmm........

Well, the closest image I have at present is this baked Guava tart. Can you see the pink and white of the Rhodochrosite in this image? 

Light and dark pink, I have chosen to pair simple Hibiscus flowers with the delicate colours of the Rhodochrosite gem. 

Dreaming of summer entertaining...... here is a great idea for outdoor decoration. Simply float hibiscus flowers and floating candles in a bath of water.

The ultimate partner for Rhodochrosite has to be my all time favourite,  Turkish Delight Bougainvillea. A variegated variety, it has both pink and white flowers on the same bush. The other more descriptive name is Coconut Ice.....really a fitting partner for Rhodochrosite.

I have another passion..... that is making decorations from old buttons. Here at Easter time I created these button eggs to hang on the Easter tree. The light and dark pink coloured buttons pair well with the colours of Rhodochrosite.

I cannot help but leave you with the image of sushi in your mind...... think of  salmon roses as a partner to Rhodochrosite. In the above photo I am joined by friends who supported a fundraiser  arranged for the Western Cape Rehab Centre. 

A platter of homemade Sushi. It was a fun experience........ Looking at the salmon next to the sushi rice, I can once again see the colours of Rhodochrosite....Can you?

From Amber to Orange continued.....

So, I have looked at the gem stone, Carnelian and paired it with a bright orange Nasturtinum flower. I cannot also help but think of the deeper coral orange of the Aloe flower as well.

Standing tall and strong, the magic of the Aloe plant adds structure and interesting lines to any garden design. Adding a splash of colour, the Aloe spikes are an absolute delight for the birds as well. The frenzy that exists when the birds are feeding is an absolute delight to behold.

Let me turn away from flowers and look at fruit......and yes, the bright orange, fleshy Butternut Squash is classified as a fruit. You will understand why I am pairing this squash with the Carnelian gem stone when you look at the deep and rich orange flesh of the Butternut squash.

A great source of vitamins and fibre, Butternut squash is an important addition to any diet.

In winter the aroma of Butternut soup simmering on the stove is an absolute delight. Thick, warm and slightly spicy, Curried Butternut soup is what one needs to ward off the winter chill.

Create a Butternut soup with interesting flavours by adding roasted fruits and vegetables such as apples, onions, sweet potatoes as well as a toch of grated orange rind to the butternut base.

 

Enjoy a cosy week end at home with a warming bowl of hot and spicy butternut soup. Enjoy with a scattering of bright orange Nasturtinum flowers for a splash of colour! Bon appetit!