Saturday, February 16, 2013

The neighbours

I have suddenly found myself with two little visitors each evening when I get home from work. Two little girls who adore animals and beg to come on my daily evening walk around the farm with the dogs. A broken home with a mother who is about to be remarried to a man they dislike, makes for a sad tale. And so they "kuier" each evening, escaping their world to run with Juno, brush the knots from Oscar's fur and cuddle Sage.



Sunday, February 3, 2013

Duvet Day and Biscotti

Yesterday I spent the day next to my fan. Today I am under the duvet enjoying the summer rain and mist outside as the dogs and cat vie for a space on my lap.





It's the perfect day to attempt my first batch of biscotti. Considering I had to improvise with some of the ingredients that I never had in the cupboard, I think they turned out pretty well. If you enjoy coconut, you will enjoy these.



Recipe
125 g Flour
115 g castor sugar
1tsp baking powder
1Tbsp Cocoa
50 g shredded coconut
50 g flaked almonds
1tsp ginger
2 eggs beaten

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Beat the eggs and add to the mixture. I used dough hooks to mix the dough but your hands are a good substitute if you don't have these.
Mix thoroughly.
Divide the dough into two portions, then roll each portion into a log about 4cm wide.
Place each log on a baking tray, leaving enough space between for expansion.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Reduce oven to 14o degrees.
Using a sharp knife, cut each log into thin slices. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning the biscotti halfway through cooking.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

2013 looks like a year for adventure. My new job, which I love, requires that I travel. A lot! This week I head to the Lesotho highlands for two weeks. March sees me making my way to Tete, Mozambique. I am not sure what April has in store for me but I am sure something exciting will come along. But, before I fill this blog with stories from 2013 I thought I would share a few photo's from 2012, a year full of change.