tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75348443917919977552025-10-29T10:34:00.108+03:00A blog about my life on a remote farm in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, East Africa. With lots of East & South African recipes & talk about Tanzanian life, farm life, pets & gardening.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger715125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-22471150257857472622021-03-06T01:09:00.000+03:002021-10-15T02:01:08.903+03:00

These scones make a delicious breakfast or tea time treat I’ve been using this scone recipe for 17 years now. (Gosh, that makes me feel so OLD !) It came from my Mum’s cousin, Felicity. When I was a student in Durban (South Africa) I used to sometimes go and spend weekends with Felicity, her husband and her daughter as they lived in a suburb of Durban at the time. I loved the break from dorm

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-25824908761679210892021-02-24T16:36:00.001+03:002023-09-02T12:53:22.277+03:00

View of Kilimanjaro from my old homeIt has been just over 10 years since I left my life in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro & the beautiful country of Tanzania & relocated to South Africa. During this time, I turned my blog off, for personal reasons. I have had so many requests over the years to make it public again & for my old recipes to be made available - so, here it

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-28746459320119896542010-12-25T13:08:00.002+03:002010-12-25T13:21:01.640+03:00

Wishing all those of you who celebrate it, a wonderful Christmas day today ! Thanks, too, to everyone for all the emails that have been coming in since yesterday - I'll get around to replying soon ;)I have a special message today for all those of you who are spending Christmas alone, or without their loved ones - I know how hard it is for you, and I will be thinking of you especially today -

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-91073292872762593952010-12-17T19:50:00.004+03:002010-12-17T20:01:47.870+03:00

I'm sorry that I have been so slack with updating the blog lately !- I'm in Johannesburg at the moment, my son had his operation on Tuesday & is now at home recovering. The past 2 days have been up and down with him ... a few hiccups and another Dr's visit this morning, possible post-op problems but we hope & pray that there won't be - only time will tell as the next week unfolds.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-81254881900157395232010-12-05T14:09:00.003+03:002010-12-05T14:27:54.784+03:00

I've arrived in South Africa ! Got here a week ago after an uneventful trip (quite rare that - this being Africa !) .... 3 countries, 3 flights alone with the 2 kids & around 100 kg's of checked & hand luggage ..... but we made it here okay ;) The scenes in these photos were taken on the beach in front of my parent's house on the Eastern Cape coast where we are now ............ To all of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-59618646356824446562010-11-19T22:14:00.007+03:002010-11-19T23:16:13.885+03:00

Kilimanjaro's snow covered peak - as viewed from my front garden Yes, I'm still here ! (And yes - I know that I've been a Really Bad Blogger lately !) Thanks to everyone for still reading, commenting, following and emailing - I appreciate it !I am heading off to South Africa next weekend (those of you who have read me for a long time will know that my son is due to have an operation there in mid

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-54390883230717107792010-11-12T11:00:00.003+03:002021-10-15T02:01:17.157+03:00

This easy white bread recipe has a soft texture & was great when used a day or two later to make sandwiches An old friend of mine (aren't old friends always the best type of friends ?!) forwarded me the link to this easy bread recipe the other day, and I decided to try it over the weekend as we were having guests to stay.It turned out really well and I will definitely be making it again.The

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-67769023993297885012010-11-10T11:00:00.001+03:002010-11-10T11:00:05.567+03:00

We've been having so much rain on the farm at the moment - and suddenly everything is turning a lush green again. The Jacaranda trees (above) are in full bloom, too ..........Our garden is like an oasis for the surrounding bird and insect life, I usually have to make sure that our bird bath (above) is topped up once a day - but not when it rains every day as it has been lately.We have an amazing

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-62387869864607156852010-11-06T11:30:00.003+03:002010-11-06T12:46:45.152+03:00

This Pork Sausage, Pea & Pepper Casserole is great served over mashed potatoThis is really easy midweek supper which you can throw together using ingredients from your freezer and store cupboard. Sausage casseroles are usually a hit with the whole family – you can also try my Tangy Sausage Casserole over here or my vegetable packed Lazy Sausage Casserole over here.I always have a few packets

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-78353636363646141202010-10-29T21:09:00.005+03:002010-10-29T22:26:27.524+03:00

A trip to the city revealed Mt. Meru out in all her glory (above) ..... her snow capped peak just visible amongst the clouds .......The jacaranda's are in bloom again ........... leaving a soft lilac carpet in their dappled shade ..... Lunch with friends in a majestic old homestead ................With summery views out over manicured lawns & clear blue water .............The shady veranda a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-39109086436540091202010-10-19T20:06:00.003+03:002021-10-15T02:01:17.063+03:00

These mini sponge puddings take just 5 minutes to cook in the microwave, and are best served hot with custard (Jam pudding pictured above, & Syrup pudding pictured below) Here is a quick & easy recipe for mini jam (or syrup) sponges, which are an ideal Winter dessert. These are cooked in the microwave, and can be thrown together at the last minute – taking just 5 minutes to cook, they

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-72144888998067180162010-10-09T09:33:00.007+03:002010-10-09T10:46:35.362+03:00

Shall we catch a Tanzanian bus, & go on an exciting journey somewhere together today ?! Buses are one of the main modes of transport here for people wishing to travel from one city to the next You can catch a bus to Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique or Malawi So .... which city would you like to visit today ?!Where would you like to go today ? Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-65379854636271232172010-10-05T22:44:00.007+03:002010-10-05T23:43:38.450+03:00

This giraffe cake was perfect for my son's first birthday ! He was a very happy giraffe - and tasted nice, too !My son turned 1 in June when we were in South Africa visiting my parents, and my Mum & I made him a giraffe birthday cake together, which I’ve been meaning to post on the blog for a while now !We used the ‘standard’ basic cake batter recipe which is a ‘fool proof’ one I got from my

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-38317878407636118982010-09-30T09:45:00.006+03:002010-09-30T10:38:31.087+03:00

As regular readers know, I've been quite busy lately with lots of new projects on the horizon - building a house on the land we've just bought, refurbishing our guest cottage, school runs .... not to mention catching up with old friends (from sedate morning tea's to boozy barbecues !) and .... shopping trips to the city. So, I decided to post a few photo's of the roads I've travelled this past

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-28797201985431850042010-09-27T20:01:00.005+03:002010-09-27T20:32:42.519+03:00

My husband can't really cook but can, on occasion, throw together a decent breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages etc - or the odd steak (either inside on the stove, or outside on the barbecue). So when he suddenly gets inspired 'to cook' I am always cautiously optimistic ;)The other Sunday he was 'inspired' to make potato cakes .... and before I could so much as open a recipe book for him, he had

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-15402133173859793392010-09-20T18:16:00.006+03:002010-09-20T19:40:50.256+03:00

The land has views of Mt Meru (above) - Africa's 5th highest mountain The land is currently a banana, maize and bean subsistence 'shamba' (farm) The land is lush and green, with over 100 trees on it We have also bought the existing house which is on the land - this will be used as a building store/for locking building supplies in, and we may eventually turn it into a lock-up garage or outside

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-58036991116710969022010-09-18T22:30:00.003+03:002010-09-18T22:33:50.897+03:00

Two photo's taken of my garden (as seen from our front veranda) this morning ...... just to let you all know that yes, I'm still here ! Will be back soon with a nice newsy post and photos ..... thanks for all the comments & emails this week .... sorry for my absence - I've missed you all !

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-25576168638633915532010-09-12T11:04:00.001+03:002010-09-12T11:04:00.463+03:00

Phew ! I've had a hectic week .... and another busy one ahead - but as promised, I'm just popping in to say hello and to touch base with you all (and will then be off again). I'm not trying to be mysterious (honest !) ... it's just that there is so much going on right now, that I want to be able to sit down and tell you everything in detail at once - all good stuff, I assure you ;)Thanks for all

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-8028730994760404192010-09-05T22:45:00.003+03:002010-09-05T22:56:35.592+03:00

A traditional kokatene (wooden hand drawn cart) seen everywhere here in Tanzania. I so admire the people who operate these, as it is a really tough job. (Photo credit - my Mum ! When my parent's were visiting a couple of years ago my Mum snapped this photo - thanks, Mum ! xx) I am typing this post in haste after being off the farm all day today ..... with another early morning tomorrow as I am

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-32617331282936525522010-09-04T11:00:00.000+03:002010-09-04T11:00:04.393+03:00

The end of a long, busy day in the city …. leaving the slick tarred roads and the hustle and bustle of city traffic behind …. the noise, the people …. the chaos.Bumping along on the corrugated dirt road – small stones scattering underneath the tyres as dust swirls in the air above us …. approaching the farm now – the sound of cowbells rich & mellow upon the air as the sun begins to sink.A

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-66013442091367599892010-09-02T11:00:00.003+03:002021-10-15T02:01:17.340+03:00

Crisp & crunchy, these Oatmeal Cereal Cookies are a hit every time ! These Oatmeal Cereal Cookies are delightfully crisp and crunchy & are always a hit with our entire family ! They’re great with tea and make a nice lunchbox filler, too.The recipe states that it makes 14 cookies, but I always manage to get 30 decent sized cookies (rolling walnut sized balls before flattening). These

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-30680878360066864902010-08-31T11:00:00.001+03:002010-08-31T11:00:01.308+03:00

So much to see along the road into the city ..... I thought I'd share some of it with you today ..... homes along the roadside (above) with a young girl laughing as she carries 2 buckets (probably to fetch water in - few people have water on tap in these rural villages) .... with washing hanging on the line behind her (click on any photo to enlarge for more detail).Early morning time, and many

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-14071998178020498572010-08-29T11:00:00.002+03:002021-10-15T02:01:16.785+03:00

This quick & easy pasta dish is an easy, filling lunch - perfect for those days when a sandwich is simply not enough ! This is not so much a recipe, but rather an idea of how to put together a quick and easy pasta lunch – this is ideal for those days when you’re feeling a little hungry, and when a sandwich, soup or salad just won’t cut it for you !I always have a large bowl of cooked pasta in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-58365611826401156102010-08-27T11:00:00.002+03:002010-08-27T11:00:01.144+03:00

There's not much colour in my garden during the Winter months .... The lawn is quite dry and not the lush emerald green colour it is during the Summer months This flower bed is usually ablaze with colour during Summer .....You can see our banana trees to the left of this photo (& various fruit/nut trees beyond). The bed in the foreground is a fish pond I filled in - too dangerous with young

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534844391791997755.post-6267773931138984182010-08-25T11:00:00.003+03:002010-08-25T11:00:01.085+03:00

Traditionally made with cream, I opted to use vanilla yogurt in my version of an Eton Mess insteadI had some leftover meringues from the recipe I posted the other day (you can see that over here) so decided to make an ‘Eton Mess’ inspired dessert with them.Eton Mess is an English dessert which has been known by this name since the 19th century, and which is traditionally served at Eton College’s

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com