tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63505088789439956312011-10-11T20:32:49.018+11:00Adventures of a South African appetiteAdelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.comBlogger691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-25476071654041094592011-03-02T14:34:00.000+11:002011-03-02T14:34:22.494+11:00

I remember when I was still in primary school, I used to watch a television show each afternoon with my grandmother called "Agter elke man" (Behind every man). It was called a drama, but looking back, it was really nothing more than a soap opera. There was backstabbing, saucy affairs, murder, and a lovely old lady called aunty Stienie. Aunty Stienie was the mother of the bad boy Bruce Beyers (

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-5900041556600395972011-02-10T21:48:00.000+11:002011-02-10T21:48:40.389+11:00

 Let me get right to the crux of the matter: There are several ways you can add chocolate to a dish to make it healthier. Impossible, you say? I'll show you how. Chocolate is a valuable source of dairy, magnesium, iron and anti-oxidants If you choose the fruit and nut - variety, it's one of your five serves for the day, plus some healthy fats from the nuts Choose a bar with orange for some

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-43610827184727977932011-02-08T10:08:00.000+11:002011-02-08T10:08:02.091+11:00

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert. I wish it was otherwise, but unfortunately this turned out a disaster for me. When I saw the challenge initially, I had fabulous plans for a whole range of beautiful little jocondes, filled with an array of

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-91124261424914137582011-01-27T00:29:00.000+11:002011-01-27T00:29:54.976+11:00

Yesterday The Fabulous Man and I had our third wedding anniversary. Great, isn't it? Sometimes I can't believe time is going by so quickly, and at other times it feels as if we've been together forever. It's true what they say: The married life is indeed the good life. We decided that for our anniversary we wanted to go to the Australian Open, the Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne each

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-75686484798789319622011-01-23T17:15:00.000+11:002011-01-23T17:15:25.616+11:00

Weekend to me used to mean sleeping late. The Fabulous Man and I, in our pre-Little Girl days, used to wake up around 9, have a cup of tea, a bit of a chat, and then what we called our morning sleep, until about noon. Those were what people fondly call "the good old days". When we got our puppies, we even trained them to sleep late on weekends, and I was very much impressed with our efforts. One

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-41756208269529726612011-01-20T14:43:00.000+11:002011-01-20T14:43:08.990+11:00

It's been more than a week now that I've written about Molly's Chocolate Cake. I've been at a bit of a loss since then, to be honest, because what on earth do you cook after a heavenly cake like that without being disappointed? It's like walking on the moon, or climbing Everest (both feats I am yet to accomplish, in case you wondered) - doesn't everything you do afterwards seem like a bit of an

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-8312910363540090892011-01-09T18:22:00.000+11:002011-01-09T18:22:47.670+11:00

Jeanne from Cookisister posted the loveliest poem on her blog the other day. Please go there and read it quickly. Are you back? Isn't it lovely? We all know that feeling of suddently catching sight of yourself in an unexpected moment. Unfortunately the last time it happened to me was not that great. I saw a picture of myself taken at Christmas, and I was absolutely shocked about the amount of

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-63448960306172598162010-12-25T18:19:00.000+11:002010-12-25T18:19:09.424+11:00

To all my family, friends, and all the readers who read my blog and leave lovely comments, I hope you have a happy festive season, and may the new year be everything you hope for and more.

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-65858199407184106572010-12-20T19:59:00.000+11:002010-12-20T19:59:36.728+11:00

Yes, it's all finished. Exactly two weeks after starting work on my 2010 Christmas Cookie List, it's done. I've made a few substitutions, some things went horribly wrong, and I had a few happy surprises. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I've enjoyed every minute of it - I most definitely did not. But it is very nice looking at the end product, and knowing (hoping, actually) that people

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-37606845159681766532010-12-19T17:02:00.000+11:002010-12-19T17:02:11.112+11:00

I didn't think it possible, but I'm a bit over cookies. The last 2 weeks have been filled with cookies morning, noon and night and all I really feel like at the moment is a chicken sandwich. You won't catch me baking a cookie for at least a week. Which is just as well, as Christmas is around the corner and I'm having 18 people over for lunch. Please excuse my two-in-one post. I am a bit tired

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-35610534357500834182010-12-17T01:33:00.000+11:002010-12-17T01:33:57.385+11:00

Oh my goodness, people! I think I've just had my best moment ever. Up to now I thought my best moment was my Hot Cross Bunnies with Chocolate in the Tummies, but these Candy Cane Cookies kick those cute bunnies' sugary little behinds. I wish I was a better photographer, because honestly, the photos don't do them justice. They are not the weird orange colour you see, which is what happens if you

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-69865248130872803512010-12-16T17:59:00.001+11:002010-12-18T11:05:09.876+11:00

When I came across these in the December issue of Good Taste magazine, I knew I had to make them, but that I won't like them. Yes, that's right. My name is Adele and I hate Fruit Mince. OK, maybe hate is too strong a word, because if I have to choose between tofu (which I really hate) and fruit mince, I'll take the fruit mince every time. Let's say I strongly dislike fruit mince, and anything

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-70835862127980442722010-12-14T13:29:00.000+11:002010-12-14T13:29:18.266+11:00

I am really sorry to admit that these wonderful little cookies weren't part of my original 2010 Christmas Cookies List. I liked the idea of having a cookie with polenta, to add a bit of texture, and were originally fancying these caramel polenta cookies. Don't they sound lovely? Crunchy polenta cookies with little pockets of melted caramel. Double yum. Except they turned out a disaster. They

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-19896499146559082002010-12-12T23:08:00.002+11:002010-12-13T08:39:36.827+11:00

I have to admit I chose these cookies because of the name. I really like cute names. To me the battle is half won if you can come up with a name that make people sit up and notice, like I discussed in an earlier post. These sassy ladies hail from the Better Homes and Gardens website, which is packed with many wonderful cookies. I had a great time browsing the site for candidates for my 2010

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-58343475083264071942010-12-11T23:25:00.000+11:002010-12-11T23:25:03.102+11:00

I know I say it all the time, but I really do love technology. Did you notice I was on holiday the whole of the week? No? Because of technology, in this case Blogger who lets you schedule your blog postings. Genius, if you ask me. The Little Girl and I went for a quick beach holiday while The Fabulous Man went to China on a business trip. Apart from the beach bit, we had a great time. It turned

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-5062658322028004272010-12-09T20:34:00.001+11:002010-12-09T20:34:00.258+11:00

I feel as if I'm saying this every month, but the Little Girl is at such a delightful age. She's really starting to use her words - some Afrikaans, some English - and it's great listening to her. One of her words is "star", and whenever Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is played, she sings along, with special emphasis every time "star" comes along. She is indeed a little star. Other words are daddy

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-39005156073462712392010-12-07T13:46:00.001+11:002010-12-07T13:46:00.336+11:00

This cookie was a result of a mummy brain mistake. For those of you who don't have any children, it is completely true that a woman loses her mind once she has children. I think nature tries to keep you at home with your babies, instead of getting grand ideas and venturing out into the world to pursue them. I haven't had a grand idea in years. My memory is gone (What is the capital of France

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-55667108723697724872010-12-06T22:29:00.000+11:002010-12-06T22:29:03.568+11:00

Last year I had the craziest plan ever. I decided to make gingerbread houses for all of our friends and family. Not crazy at all, you say? But wait, there's more, like they say on television. Not happy with plain old gingerbread houses, I decided to fill all of them with a selection of different Christmas cookies. While trying to raise a busy and active 5 month old. And looking after a husband,

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-36885483957371673092010-12-04T22:10:00.000+11:002010-12-04T22:10:17.700+11:00

Sometimes, if you make a mistake, it's best to just deny any knowledge of the situation alltogether, as proven by politicians all over the world on a daily basis. Except, if your name is in print as having made the original decision, unfortunately you just have to own up, apologise, and move on. Which is what I'm going to do right now. The October book choice for This Book Makes Me Cook was The

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-64771789952688570902010-12-04T22:09:00.000+11:002010-12-04T22:09:05.492+11:00

I have a theory: You can tell a great book by the first sentence. I'll give you a couple of examples: "I wish Giovanni would kiss me", Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. "When you are just the right age, as Mma Ramotswe was, and when you have seen a bit of life, as Mma Ramotswe certainly had, then there are certain things that you just know." Blue Shoes and Happiness, Alexander McCall Smith. "

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-34537334778797286102010-11-27T22:04:00.000+11:002010-11-27T22:04:59.876+11:00

I don't know about you guys, but to me, the sight of a patisserie with shelves full of fruit tarts is enough to make me swoon with pleasure, and want to jump on the first plane to Europe. Crisp tart shell, sweet pastry cream and fruit arranged beautifully on top. This month, thanks to the Daring Bakers, I learnt what the Italian  term is for this: Crostata di frutta fresca. How cool is that?

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-40400240825212829152010-11-25T15:40:00.000+11:002010-11-25T15:40:52.544+11:00

We've had the most wonderful weekend here at the cottage. Our wonderful friend Nick came to visit, and we had a grand old time catching up. He is the new head of some important business, and has been travelling all over the globe the last few weeks. Together with us living with other people and painting every spare moment until just recently, there wasn't a lot of socialising done. A lot to

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-25215825301505853262010-11-22T11:27:00.001+11:002010-12-12T08:27:06.395+11:00

I was about to apologise for my very long absence, and then remembered that my name is not Julie, and I don't delude myself into thinking people are having sleepless nights in front of their computers just to see what I'm up to next. Coming up is a story, then. Not an excuse. The Fabulous Man and I bought a house. At last. We looked for ages, and couldn't find exactly what we wanted where we

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-37863150431994099532010-08-29T20:51:00.000+10:002010-08-29T20:51:02.437+10:00

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alasa or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-19237944931008083722010-08-14T22:09:00.000+10:002010-08-14T22:09:41.909+10:00

The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale. In my case, that means I should have pierogi with either kangaroo, vegemite, or boerewors (South African farmer's sausage). As you can see, I

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-84607206019410635402010-08-09T11:47:00.000+10:002010-08-09T11:47:07.077+10:00

This month's Paper Chef is hosted by Alessio from Recipe Taster. If you are new to this fabulous food blog game, here are the basics: Each month, usually on a Wednesday and with appropriate fanfare, four ingredients, or three ingredients and a theme, is randomly chosen by the previous month's winner. All the participants scurry to their kitchens and start cooking up a storm, to have a fabulous

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-62256799339072013582010-08-07T23:42:00.000+10:002010-08-07T23:42:35.160+10:00

Did you notice the fabulous new badge I have? The one underneath the bit about who I am? I know, I couldn't believe it either when a lovely person called Emma emailed me and congratulated me on having a Top 50 blog, as voted by readers. I have no idea how this happened, especially as I haven't really been Miss Blogger around here lately. But I was so overcome with joy to be mentioned on the same

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-83400715650248795022010-08-05T12:09:00.000+10:002010-08-05T12:09:49.752+10:00

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home. Yay! Ice Cream! I realise that this makes me sound very, very grown-up, but I can explain. I've never really liked ice

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-71899329772160454492010-08-01T17:43:00.000+10:002010-08-01T17:43:56.467+10:00

Today's game of pretend is "Let's pretend it is the 14th of June, and I'm not months late with this Daring Cooks challenge." Exciting, isn't it? OK, I'll hand it to you. This reveal is hardly earth shattering. One can even go as far as saying it is SO two months ago! I'm sure everybody has already ooh'ed and aah'ed over everybody else's Tricolor Vegetable Pate's, but what can you do? Sometimes

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-61406656559943529042010-07-30T12:06:00.000+10:002010-07-30T12:06:06.425+10:00

You know the problem with blogs? People read it. And when I say people, I mean husbands. Remember my last post ages and ages ago? About my husband not liking my soup? Said husband read it. Which isn't a problem, really, except I didn't realise it's going to upset him as much as it did. To be honest, after writing it, I did worry about casting him in too harsh a light, but after rereading and

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-69018797033526748782010-06-20T19:52:00.000+10:002010-06-20T19:52:08.508+10:00

As it's a cold, wet day up on the mountain, I thought it appropriate to tell you about my relationship with soup. I'll cut to the chase and say that it's love/hate, to say the least. Let me explain. My mum is the best maker of soups that I know. She doesn't hold out - thick, hearty bowls that should be called stew rather than soup, with lots of meat, barley, vegetables and other goodies. She

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-69946775811543219842010-06-17T08:47:00.001+10:002010-06-17T08:47:00.202+10:00

There are some things in life you can't go wrong with. The little black dress, diamond earrings, fine bone china. Chocolate tart. Bubble baths. A good book. Fresh flowers. And prawns with garlic, chilli and white wine. I try to always have a bag of prawns in the freezer. Fresh from the market, preferably bought at 4am, is better, I know, but let's pretend I have a Little Girl, and I can't

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-4163598316918047912010-06-15T20:49:00.000+10:002010-06-15T20:49:36.131+10:00

I almost gave up today. I had defrosted beef mince to magically transform into dinner tonight, and I just couldn't be bothered to come up with something nice to do with it. Normally we do the nice but very, very boring tagliatelle bolognaise. Easy peasy. Defrost mince, fry with some onions, add sauce (from a bottle, we' re not into being virtuous these days), serve with some pasta. It's quick to

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-32965349522315465172010-06-12T14:37:00.000+10:002010-06-12T14:37:00.456+10:00

I was one of the very lucky girls who had more than one woman looking after me while growing up. My mum, of course, who also soldiered on all alone when my dad died, my grandmother, who kept us stocked up on the most delicious homemade fudge, and, for a while, Anna. For a few years, Anna was our housekeeper, and we all loved and adored her. She looked after us during the day while Mum was away

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-62885196373364386472010-06-10T14:30:00.000+10:002010-06-10T14:30:19.885+10:00

A few years ago I decided that going to England to work would be an adventure. I applied to an agency who organised everything for me: job, work permit, medical examination, and all the paraphernalia necessary to convince UK immigration you're a) not a terrorist, b) not going to deplete the national budget by claiming welfare and c) generally an all-round OK person with nothing illegal on/in my

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-49913506051103956842010-05-25T11:22:00.001+10:002010-06-15T08:58:32.358+10:00

Dear readers. I feel like I need to reintroduce myself. My good friend Anelle very tactfully enquired via email this morning why she's been looking at Zoo cookies for two weeks now. I thought I better come clean. Unfortunately I've been unwell for quite a few months now. Without going into too many gory details, I'll just casually mention that my poor gallbladder was the cause. When I was

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-5115056921420897042010-05-10T22:43:00.000+10:002010-05-10T22:43:21.231+10:00

When my mum was still a diplomat posted overseas, she used to send me a wish list from everybody in the embassy that was as long as my arm and took up half of my baggage allowance. I never understood this. Fanta Grape? Honestly? You want me to bring a sixpack of Fanta Grape? A BIG bottle of Mrs. Balls chutney? Are you sure the Hungarians don't have chutney? etc. etc. Since graduating and living

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-33823491329527875802010-04-30T11:17:00.000+10:002010-04-30T11:17:46.996+10:00

OK, so I lied, but somehow A confession of somebody who cooks dinner then write about it just doesn't have the same ring to it. But the confession is good, I promise. Are you sitting down? I don't like tomatoes. It's true. Forever I've been looking at beautiful photos of tomatoes, and trying, no, forcing myself to like them. Except I don't. It's not that I hate them. They're perfectly good as a

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-2710449090809429492010-04-27T22:16:00.000+10:002010-04-27T22:16:16.644+10:00

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet. Oooh, I love pudding! For ages I wondered what to make. The beauty of the steamed pudding (like ice cream), is that it's a blank canvas for whatever your heart desires, and the

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-19661298925450143822010-04-24T10:24:00.000+10:002010-04-24T10:24:25.263+10:00

Good morning everybody! I hope it's been a great week. Up on the mountain life is interesting. I got all excited last week with the cold and the rain, but this week it was summer again! Sun shining, warm weather. Very confusing. They say it's colder again next week (if you believe the weatherman), so maybe then we'll be able to light the fire and cook some lamb shanks. This week I also had the

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-22317957604804699712010-04-20T20:13:00.005+10:002010-04-23T09:45:23.424+10:00

You know how you always see those interviews and meme's going around, where whenever people are asked what they like most about blogging, they say it's the people you meet? For months I was a silent lurker on numerous blogs, but the moment I started my own blog, I realise how nice the feedback is, and I jumped in with both feet. And now I can also brag about the wonderful people I meet on a daily

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-19287809363200576732010-04-15T22:33:00.001+10:002010-04-15T22:34:20.541+10:00

No, your eyes are not misleading you: I am also now a Daring Cook (as well as a Daring Baker, but more about that later). Every month from now on, in a very daredevil way, I am going to take up the challenge and cook the chosen dish with grace, style and, unlike today, on time. I do realise that the reveal date was yesterday, only yesterday I spent the whole day with the Fabulous Man looking at

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-11653077510484521422010-04-09T11:16:00.000+10:002010-04-09T11:16:27.455+10:00

Good morning dear readers. Today I have a question: How do you measure the success of your recipes? Does it need to be cheap and easy? Better than the mother-in-law's? Contain chocolate? I'm really strict when it comes to my own, and have a long list of boxes to tick before considering a recipe worthy of being remembered and remade. First of all I have to like the sound of it. Either it has to

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-48550265312918623062010-04-07T19:00:00.000+10:002010-04-07T19:00:28.513+10:00

I was away in South Africa when the 50th Paper Chef winner was announced. This was the first Paper Chef I participated in, and was very excited about the whole thing. For the first time I could actually come up with a recipe, and made Ricotta, dill and honey crumpets. The Fabulous Man tasted the final product, and looking surprised, said he loved it (maybe it was the dill that scared him off

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-9505587130389405262010-04-03T11:03:00.001+11:002010-04-03T11:03:00.202+11:00

I don't think it's necessary to look pretty in life, but sometimes it helps. Dessert is the same. The main meal is done, the wine is finished. Any dessert at all is a bonus. In my house you will be served coffee definitely, dessert maybe. Pretty dessert? Unlikely. And yet, sometimes a pretty dessert is called for.  It may be the boss that's over for dinner, or some loved one you want to make

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-86237473902582255552010-04-01T16:05:00.001+11:002010-04-01T16:05:39.846+11:00

Dear readers. This was going to be my most beautiful post ever. I've been thinking about it for ages. The idea was to make hot cross buns, but in bunny shapes. I thought I'll make them look like the Lindt easter bunnies, complete with ribbon and bell. And to reproduce the photo, the one with the one bunny in front in focus, and all the others faded in the background (except I don't know how to do

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-86215142620339739792010-03-30T18:09:00.001+11:002010-06-16T09:10:39.525+10:00

I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again: One of the best things about blogging is all the wonderful events you get to participate in. It's also one of the main reasons I started my own blog. The excitement of the challenge, finding a recipe, and seeing what everybody else did is one of my favourite things. I'm a regular on Is My blog Burning, checking out any new interesting events.

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-71773216143590805432010-03-29T23:21:00.000+11:002010-03-29T23:21:05.071+11:00

Good evening darling readers. Do you know what you do when you travel halfway across the world and subsequently suffer from severe jet lag? And somehow, after being up all night, when you do feel like sleeping, your Little Girl is more interested in playing and practising her standing up? You bake, that's what you do. And may I suggest these absolutely delightful Puddle Cookies? I found them on

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-61676816408991607322010-03-27T09:18:00.000+11:002010-03-27T09:18:03.200+11:00

Dearest readers. Remember me? The girl who promised dozens and dozens of yummy South African recipes? Yup, that's me. Only all the catching up and sleeping in and showing the Little Girl off to all the family sort of got in the way of all the cooking. But I have all the recipes packed and will work my way through them once we're back home, promise. In the meantime I want to tell you a bit more

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-17296892817531249252010-03-18T05:45:00.000+11:002010-03-18T05:45:04.017+11:00

For some reason St Patrick's day was never a big thing when I grew up. I don't know if it was just my immediate circle, or our Afrikaans culture, but somehow it just completely passed me by. I knew there was an Irish holiday called St Patricks day, and it included some Guinness and a parade, but that was about it. I wouldn't be able to say when it was, or even who said St Patrick was. Then I

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-79846621660176096402010-03-17T05:48:00.000+11:002010-03-17T05:48:19.505+11:00

I've been looking at food blogs for a while now, and I love finding a blog that keeps me entertained for days while reading all the posts, bookmarking recipes, and sampling some of the dishes. I have a few ultimate favourites, and What's for lunch honey? is one of them. Not only does the lovely Meeta provide me with hours of reading entertainment, her recipes are truly delicious and her

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-87415508114384828362010-03-16T05:44:00.000+11:002010-03-16T05:44:19.067+11:00

Dear readers. The reason I've been quiet over the weekend is because we are all suffering a bit from jet-lag. I'll give you a hint: I'm eating biltong as we speak. Good biltong. Outside there's a braai (barbeque) going. Made with wood fire, not gas. Earlier I had a cup of tea with my mum. Not Rooibos, because I don't like it, but it could've been.  Little South African soccer chicken Yes, you're

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-81293403757813342632010-03-12T15:06:00.000+11:002010-03-12T15:06:34.119+11:00

Dearest readers. I'm in a very good mood and I'll tell you why. It's my friends, you see. The ones who are responsible for me being married to the Fabulous Man. The ones who at their wedding had the good sense to put me at the same table as said Fabulous Man. And who also (somehow) arranged for Mcnaught's comet to fill the entire sky that night, to make me feel that surely this was a sign of good

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-9101872580453515792010-03-10T12:03:00.000+11:002010-03-10T12:03:57.419+11:00

Good morning lovely readers. I want to tell you about the dinner we had last night. Previously, if I heard the words Chicken Pie I would just nod and smile and think maybe one day when I have all the time in the world. Isn't it fiddly? Doesn't it take ages? Surely the pastry will be a disaster? Not with this recipe. This recipe meets all my have-a-Little Girl cooking criteria: it's quick, it's

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-75396731679508361942010-03-09T18:59:00.000+11:002010-03-09T18:59:01.972+11:00

Do you know what the most important thing is you should ask a possible love interest? "Are you a morning person." Yup. True, Do you like chocolate? and Do you like dogs? are very much up there, but in my opinion, whether a couple's sleeping habits are compatible is one of the single most important indicators of how smoothly their days gel in the relationship. Me, I'm lucky. Not only did my

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-65233528800690920152010-03-06T11:30:00.000+11:002010-03-06T11:30:34.772+11:00

Hallo everybody. We're having a bit of a tough week up the mountain. The Little Girl has discovered Standing Up, and she can't get enough of it. Against the couch, against my legs, against book cases, up the stairs (which gave me a couple of extra grey hairs!), against the sliding door looking out. Which is great, if only the Coming Down bit was just as easy. She's still struggling with that.

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-61217173008889116092010-03-01T23:04:00.000+11:002010-03-01T23:04:05.234+11:00

I am in the enviable position of having a husband who works mostly from home. In practical terms this means sleeping in most mornings, having cups of tea in bed with the little girl in between us, and lunch together most days. Unfortunately this also means that he has to be in Brisbane most weeks for a day or two. This is hard. The Little Girl and I really miss him, and we're generally both just

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-12077716536927035922010-02-27T12:17:00.000+11:002010-02-27T12:17:21.217+11:00

When I was little my mum bought me a picture book of the world. Two pictures in this book impressed my young mind tremendously, and changed forever the course of my future. The first one was a picture of the Sydney opera house. I thought  this was the most beautiful building I've ever seen, and it remains my favourite even today. The other picture was of black swans. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-86063649132765280332010-02-26T22:51:00.000+11:002010-02-26T22:51:24.354+11:00

The Fabulous Man and I were sitting on the couch a couple of nights ago watching the Olympics, and he said: "I bet if we start practicing now, we can go to the Winter Olympics in 4 years. Let's take up curling." Now, I don't wish to offend anybody, but I agree that that sport looks way too easy. Fun, but easy. So we started to make plans, mainly looking around Google to see if anybody in

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-40109723494503304622010-02-24T12:23:00.001+11:002010-02-24T12:44:05.232+11:00

Do you know what is one of my favourite things about growing up? Apart from having chocolate for breakfast whenever you feel like it, drinking wine with dinner and going to bed past midnight on a schoolnight? It's getting to know your family as people, and not just as uncle/cousin/brother etc.  When you're looking forward to seeing them not because they have a trampoline, but because you actually

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-61593539439946734052010-02-23T21:40:00.000+11:002010-02-23T21:40:52.259+11:00

I had high hopes for these muffins. We had some watermelon left in the fridge which needed using up, and what do I find paging through the new Good Food? Watermelon and white chocolate chip muffins. Doesn't that sound lovely? I love recipes using what you have in the fridge, and turn out to be fabulous too. So out came the flour and my cute new babuschka measuring cups, and I started baking.

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-76414428977344184312010-02-21T11:43:00.001+11:002010-02-22T12:40:30.666+11:00

Today we're going to be serious, so make yourself a cup of tea and find a comfortable spot. Do you have a little girl or boy? Or a big one? Do you have a soulmate that means the world to you? Mum or dad? Beloved friend? May I suggest you go and hug them now and tell them you love them? Or phone them if they're far away, or write an e-mail. Because life is precious, and we never know when our

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-15536727948905334952010-02-20T21:36:00.000+11:002010-02-20T21:36:12.762+11:00

The Fabulous Man got me an ice cream maker for Christmas. Actually he only was aware of this after the fact, as he wasn't present when the purchase was made. I'll explain: my husband is one of those fabulous men (hence the name) who says whenever I point at something and say how nice it is, that I should get it. Be honest, isn't that just the nicest thing you've heard all day? Of course I very

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-72756569893626359712010-02-18T11:41:00.001+11:002010-09-18T10:29:08.996+10:00

I love gifts. I love looking for the perfect one, wrapping it beautifully, handing it over. I also love getting presents, unwrapping it, oohing and aahing about it, thanking whoever gave it to me. Some people are natural gift givers. I already told you about my friend Anelle. My sister-in-law, Simone, is another. My family does Kris Kringle for Christmas, a custom I cannot recommend highly

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-46996126151175213602010-02-16T19:25:00.001+11:002010-02-16T23:35:19.344+11:00

Now I know I'm not the first person to claim to have the recipe for The Best Chocolate Sauce in the World. According to our good friend Google, around 1,760,000 other people claim the exact same thing. Except mine really is the best. I promise. Let me introduce you. This recipe is from one of my favourite South African foodie magazines, Food & Home Entertaining. I love this magazine with all my

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-34148238958381353712010-02-14T09:09:00.000+11:002010-02-14T09:09:10.570+11:00

This lady is one of the main reasons I started my own blog. Not only does Meeta have beautiful photo's and delicious recipes, she also hosts the very popular Monthly Mingle. I used to look at the round-ups longing to join in the fun, and am so excited that I can now venture into the world of food blogging events myself. And I couldn't have picked a nicer theme to take the plunge: Bread and

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-71945430172390328642010-02-13T00:04:00.000+11:002010-02-13T00:04:58.722+11:00

You know how sometimes you come up with a really, really fabulous idea, and get all excited about it, then realise that somebody else already thought of it? When we got married, the Fabulous Man thought that it will be really special if we send our rings around the guests during the ceremony, so that everybody can bestow their good wishes on it. We discussed this with our celebrant, who said "Oh

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-37856076317636366302010-02-09T22:10:00.000+11:002010-02-09T22:10:35.358+11:00

I first heard about Jim Lahey's no-knead bread recipe through the lovely Luisa from Wednesday Chef, and was intrigued by the whole business: fermenting water, shaggy dough, crackling bread! I read as much as I could, and it seemed as if every blogger worth his/her salt made this with showstopping success and loved every minute of it. The recipe was copied and saved and added to my to-bake list.

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350508878943995631.post-5725860015168618242010-02-07T21:49:00.002+11:002010-02-07T23:00:52.964+11:00

Hallo! After spending many months and far too many hours reading about fabulous food, looking at beautiful photos, and meeting lovely new people, I've decided that this is something I'd like to get more involved with. Mind you, not that I'm particularly good at writing, or photography, or cooking, for that matter. In short, this blog will probably turn out to be one of those "What was I

Adelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08500147597453492169noreply@blogger.com2