Festive Table Inspiration.....outside in the garden.

Create a rustic, country styled table setting outdoors.

Enjoy  festive celebrations outdoors where the colours in the garden add to your table setting. Plan a table setting near a colourful tree or bush. Use nature as your inspiration and your designer. Collect bunches of fragrant herbs and place in a rustic basket. Decorate with red ribbon and hang decorations in the tree.
Take the inside out......and Celebrate in style!

 
Polish your favourite silver platters and servers, and use them! There is nothing like a bit of silver and crystal to help create that festive spirit.....especially as you will be celebrating with nature, outside.

To add to the rustic touch, use bright green apples to add colour to your table. I added fresh gooseberries from the garden.

A colourful platter with cheese and biscuits and baby tomatoes from the garden easily becomes a focal point.

Make simple beaded serviette ties using soft wire and beads from your collection. Mix and match beads to create a theme. To secure the end of the tie, simply fold over the wire or create a fancy curled end. These are wonderfully creative and quick, economical and easy to make! Go on, have some fun!

Sit back, relax and admire your festive table......and enjoy the garden that you work so hard in throughout the year. Create the perfect festive setting with your favourite collectables.
Cheers to Christmas 2010........and beyond!

'He who has Christmas in his heart will find Christmas under the tree.' Anon.

And so it is nearly Christmas.......From now until Christmas I will share my creative and green festive ideas with you on a daily basis. There are so many, I could write all day....then I would have a book. ( Maybe an idea???)

Today I will start with one of my favourite green gift wrapping ideas. Something that I have shared with you before, but extra special during the festive season because one can really 'get festive' with it. It is wrapping will dried herbs , tissue paper and cellophane. I am reminding  you about this now so that you can collect and dry your herbs and flowers in time for the festive gift wrapping rush!

Collect  fragrant herbs such as rosemary, mint, lavender, rose petals, lemon verbena and whatever you can find. Dry on open trays or on decorative platters where the petals and leaves become a fragrant  feature in your home.

Dry herbs and petals on flat platters or baskets.

To complete your collection of materials for this gift wrapping exercise you will also need to collect tissue paper, cellophane and ribbon or lace. Here again, you can recycle tissue paper, cellophane and ribbon. Should you need to remove a few crinkles in the tissue paper,  simply iron with a warm iron. Best done between sheets of brown paper. Iron your lace and fabric ribbon as well.

Personalise your gift wrapping process with a unique selection of dried herbs.

Here, you can see how I have sandwiched the dried petals between the layer of cellophane and tissue paper. It is absolutely a unique gift wrapping process which will be appreciated by the recipient of the gift.

It is not WHAT you give, but HOW you give that is most important!

Yes, it is newspaper!

My next secret for green gift wrapping is quite simply a piece of newspaper or a colourful flyer. No excuse for never being able to wrap a gift at any time of the year. Once again, use recycled ribbon or lace and you will be able to hand over a perfectly presented gift.

Fresh from the garden, a fragrant tussie mussie.

When one has herbs growing in one's garden, gifts from nature will always be abundant.Create floral posies or tussie mussie's for instant gifts, wrap in generous layers of cellophane and finish off with raffia, ribbon or lace.
So, go ahead and prepare yourself for the festive season....the green way!

Decorate your cellophane with decorative ladybirds.

 

 

Dullstroom, Mpumulanga....not so dull after all.....

Just a two hour's drive from Johannesburg is all it takes to be swept away into the tranquil and peaceful town, Dullstroom. With its mist and rolling hills, one would believe one was  in the Scottish Highlands and not in the Heart of Mpumalanga!

The gorgeous countryside here cries out to be explored. Be it that you enjoy fly-fishing for the famous rainbow trout, or just simply taking a laid back stroll through the town. Dullstroom has something to offer everyone.

Beans about Coffee recently opened in Dullstroom. They are dedicated to supplying only the freshest ingredients. They offer a wide selection of beans and blends are available as French Roast, Dark Roast or Medium Roast. Should you wish to contact them do so on www.beansaboutcoffee.co.za

From Coffee Beans to freshly brewed beer at the Micro Brewery, The Anvil is also located on the main street  in town. Seated on wooden benches outside, under the shady trees, our family enjoyed the beer, the passing trade and questioned where all the heavy duty trucks were going to.....

Of course food had to follow the beer and the coffee. Being the area where Rainbow Trout is farmed, it had to be the speciality of the day. Here a hearty serving of  smoked trout is the filling in this wrap....looks good enough to eat?

Our accommodation was at a family owned lodge by the name of Cairnfern Lodge. The architectural features are a delight, as seen here in this tranquil quartyard with the continuous trickle of fresh water from the spring. Just so soothing and calming.......my favourite spot in the house! As you will see, there is perfect balance and symmetry everywhere in the features.

The spring water is literally available on tap....so soft, fresh and sweet. We should have enjoyed more! I believe this water will also soon be bottled for others to enjoy.

One cannot help but relax when lounging on the patio watching these magnificent horses. They were so friendly as well.

This area  offers loads of drama ....just so naturally. The weather is changing all the time, and keeps one guessing as to what it will do next!

And at the end of a busy day as a tourist in a small town, one has to relax around a roaring fire in the boma....the true African experience!  What an awesome week end. I will research for more hidden treasures to experience before the next family reunion. I have already spotted some information about an award winning Organic Spa....sounds good to me!

Francolin Hof Bed & Breakfast in Hermanus.....an absolute treat.

We were delighted to be invited by Mary and Dr Faure to test drive the specially designed suite at their establishment in Hermanus.

This perfect setting with views of Walker Bay and Mosselberg Mountain means that one has magnificent views from every angle....What a treat!

From the patio area one can almost touch the mountain.....it is that close.Sitting outside relaxing with the Fernkloof  Nature Reserve on the doorstep is an absolute delight. The fynbos and birds, including the Francolin are within sight of one's suite. The Francolin's even come to visit while one is enjoying one's morning tea!

How beautiful are these Proteas? An absolute treat on one's doorstep! The male Cape Sugarbird is easily identified with its long and wispy tail and bright lemon undertail. They were having an absolute feast and enjoying the nectar in these Proteas. 

Breakfast at Francolin Hof is a healthy affair......Juices, Yoghurt, a selection of Cereals, local cheeses, fresh bread and a hot breakfast menu is also available.

The hot breakfast is also well presented with fresh herbs.....a delicate touch to start the day.

To experience this tranquil setting far away from the crowded city, contact Mary and Dr Faure at Francolin Hof on info@francolinhof.co.za or visit their website on www.francolinhof.co.za

I know you will enjoy your stay. We did, and we will be visiting them again as soon as we can......especially because we know that the facilities provided for us are user friendly.

Oh for a healthy breakfast on a beautiful morning....just like we had today!

As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is our get up and go meal of the day. We need to literally break - the - fast and enjoy a light meal to raise our blood sugar levels and boost those low energy levels.

If you have the time to sit outdoors and enjoy the fresh air, fragrant herbs and sunshine.....make use of the opportunity and savour the moment. Spoil yourself, pick some herbs to uplift your spirits. Pick a few fresh gooseberries off  the bush and indulge yourself in a designer breakfast in your own garden!

My gooseberries are self sown by the birds ....or the compost....a huge surprise. I nearly pulled them out as weeds, only to discover the gooseberries on them! Now I enjoy searching for ripe and ready to eat gooseberries. Don't they just make the perfect garnish to this healthy breafast with the Pineapple mint...my favourite mint.

The extra touch of herbs and lavender will be appreciated if spoiling a friend or special guest to breakfast...always shows that you care!

Need I remind you that Christmas is coming! Stock up on loads of Festive Granola...add extra spices when preparing..a hint of cinnamon and mixed spice will add that festive touch. Collect interesting storage containers and canisters...add some ribbon and herbs, and voila, your Christmas gifts are ready!

So, prepare yourself for an indulgent breakfast , should it be another beautiful morning tomorrow. Set everything out tonight so that your healthy breakfast will be a breeze to prepare in the morning!
Relax, rejuvenate and enjoy!

Make this Christmas a GREEN one.

These pictures were shot on location at Warren Knight's , Pierre Cronje store at the  Willowbridge Centre.

To create a spectacular wreath as a festive centre piece, waltz around your garden...or your friend's garden and select long lasting greenery such as Cypress, Bay tree, even herbs such as rosemary and lavendar will last long and also have a wonderful fragrance.
Working on top of a straw base wreath, simply build up your wreath, layer by layer, tucking in and adding extra greenery where needed to fill the gaps. On the first picture you will see the raffia used to secure all the foliage in place. Keep on building up the layers until you have a fat and generous wreath.

Christmas would not be Christmas without candles......be creative and decorate your own plain candles, or look out for interesting creations such as these.

Looking for Festive inspiration, visit Warren's store, Knights at Willowbridge, or browse Pierre Cronje's web site on www.pierrecronje.co.za to view his latest designs....be it country or classical furniture you are looking for. Warren always has a selection of vases and art on display .....go and feast your senses!

Here is an interesting way of creating your own personalised look when wrapping gifts this season. Wrap the gift in plain tissue paper, coloured if you like. Sprinkle the tissue paper with dried flowers, rose petals, lavender heads or whatever herbs and flowers you have been collecting for your pot pourri.
The next step is to wrap this gift in cellophane, keeping the petals on top. You could also prepare the petals on the sheet of tissue paper and cellophane layer all at once if it is an awkward gift to wrap.
Finish off with a piece of ribbon and a huge festive bow. Merry Christmas to the lucky recipient!!!

More Christmas inspiration soon......start collecting those petals and herbs in the meantime!

Think Seasonal, think Organic....think Green....

Who can resist a soft, creamy, fleshy Avocado Pear.......dolled up with a Salsa to give it a kick of flavour?
Using fresh coriander just picked from the herb patch, baby tomatoes, a crisp yellow pepper for contrasting colour, salt, freshly ground pepper and a splash of vinegar I created a simple salsa type dressing for this avo.

To create a colourful starter, be generous with your edible garnish and create a side salad using extra coriander, basil and extra salsa dressing over the baby tomatoes. What wonderful colours!

Be creative when serving at a dinner party. Use a main colour scheme, as in my case, blue....but get creative and use different plates to create more interest in the table setting and food presentation. From a distance the presentation looks uniform, but on closer inspection one notices the interesting designs. Just have fun!

Action in the kitchen, preparing a quick fix.

Returning home late after paddling on Tuesday evenings means I am always looking to create a quick, convenient and satisfying supper. Last night I once again prepared a quick savoury mince sauce, loaded with flavour from crisp green and red peppers, onions and ripe tomatoes.To cut the acidity of the tomatoes, I added a generous slug of the semi sweet Jam Jar Shiraz. ( Learn more about this wine on www.capeclassics.com)

The mince ragout was ready in a flash, served on freshly cooked pasta.....always satisfying.
Double up on your quantities so that you will have extra sauce for the freezer...or just keep it as back up for the next day so that you can have a night off from kitchen duty! Enjoy....as always!