A very much belated Valentine's Day Blog.

As I sit here in Cape Town, it is a calm, wind free evening with the sun setting in the distance. The light is soft outside, the air is a lot cooler than it has been recently and I am in awe of the bright beauty that surrounds me in my garden. I am looking at the bright red bottlebrush flowers, the pink Oleanders and the vivid colours of my favourite Bougainvillea's. All very simple, but that is all I ask from life......to love those close to me, love my simple home, my garden, my dogs and to stay creative and to inspire.......

My little piece of paradise........ When you wake today, affirm in your heart to get closer to your dream..... and keep on dreaming until the day is done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

And so I missed the special day as far as this blog goes......but not at home. My kitchen remains my display case for various celebrations and changes in season. Soon after my Christmas decorations were taken down, my Valentine's Day decorations emerged!

The warmth of a home and all its beauty depends on the love that lives there....... well, my kitchen is loaded with LOVE !

How can I not love washing dishes at my kitchen sink when I can day dream and look these bright Bougainvillea flowers? Friends and flowers are an exquisite beauty given to make us feel cherished.

 

And so my drying rack is laden with Valentine's Day collectables...... but wait until you see my fresh, new French collection?

 

...... fresh from France. Intended for Christmas, but displayed until well after Valentine's Day! Special thanks to my life long friend Tina Burckhardt. I am proud and honoured to be your friend....we have each travelled our own journey  of discovery in life. Long may our friendship last......

These new items on display were sourced from chehoma atelier d'ambiances. Look them up on www.chehoma.com

Entertain and make preparations to bless all those around you! This is what I love to do.

Treasures of old and new make our lives a little more interesting.

Pack a picnic basket and head off down to the beach or into the winelands. We have so much to explore on our doorstep. 

 

While I am talking about all things French, I have to include my classic pate pot. I use this dish on a weekly basis for my chicken liver pate. Just perfect to pack for a picnic or for a trip out on the yacht.

 

In memory of my beloved Shumba Boy......your pool still awaits.....we miss you!

 

 

 

New equipment in my kitchen = new inspiration for 2013.

I trust that everyone has settled into their 2013 routine and that those well intended resolutions are still sticking? 

I only ask for health and happiness....... and all of that I can find and create here at home. It is so simple if one abides by simple rules. I will continue to be creative in my kitchen, garden, workroom and home and I will continue to follow a green and healthy approach to life and living...... helped by some new equipment in my kitchen.

At last our new gas hob was installed just in time for festive kitchen duties. 

It is an absolute delight to cook on gas.....instant heat and easy to control the flame. Good bye electric wok.......hello gas!

And so our juicing days have started. Our new plan to ensure we consume enough antioxidants and loads of vitamins.

Hey presto!! Fresh tomato, celery and parsley juice.

A healthy CHEERS to 2013!!!!

Before I pack up Christmas 2012, I have to share this beautiful image with you, taken at Cassia Restaurant on Nitida wine estate in Durbanville.

And then of course Christmas would not be Christmas without looking at my Aunt's Christmas display. Collected over the years, Aunty Eyke has and endless collection of traditional German decorations. I am  particularly in awe of this desk as it belonged to Opa Jensen.

Always a sight to behold.......Aunty Eyke's Christmas tree...... this is where my passion for Christmas and German customs and traditions comes from.

And then I am always busy with something on the creative side. I was recently approached by a customer at the Bead shop for a pattern for a knitted bikini top. So I searched, and this is what I found...... I have knitted a couple to cover the nude busts at the shop, and maybe now I should knit one for myself!

 For some more knitting inspiration, have a look at The Knit Kid a wonderful site with garments created for those of us who enjoy  handmade goods. If only I could visit them in Berlin?

May I wish you all Love, life and happiness, tied up with a bow .....ready for the year ahead...... I send you positive thoughts and good wishes.

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.