Monthend weekend in Kimwarer Valley

It was time again to replenish our dwindling stocks so this weekend, we went shopping in Eldoret. Above is a "mild" grid-lock on a Saturday morning in the CBD

The first time I visited Eldoret earlier this year, I noticed these signs. Of course, I wanted a photo. This weekend as we travelled through the above traffic, I leaned out of the car window and snapped it in passing. I love the bottom-most signpost: Moi University 32 kms!

On the return trip, while still on the main tarred road, I snapped a few of the many motorcyles and bicycles loaded with wood, charcoal or vegetables. This rider is transporting huge bags of charcoal

Grant says he'd struggle to peddle this bicycle for long distances but the local people do with with huge loads tied to the back.This load looked like wood and some type of green vegetable

Another huge load of charcoal on the back of a bicycle

A few kilometers further we rode through a violent thunderstorm. This is the order of the day during the wet season in Kenya. I 've had very little time at my laptop because of the electrical storms we've been having in the valley. I intend to post about our entire trip to Eldoret tomorrow (the road conditions, LOL, what we saw, what we did...)

On Sunday Johan came over for lunch. (Borrie's wife Theresa has flown into Kenya for another week's visit, so they spent the day alone at home).

I made roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and rice. For dessert we had a traditional South African pudding: Malva Pudding. I grew up with this baked pudding although it had various names. It originated in the Depression years, so it is often called Depressiepoeding (Depression Pudding). It has a tablespoon of vinegar in the batter, so it was also known as a Asynpoeding (Vinegar pudding). Another name for this decadent dessert is Bruinpoeding (Brown Pudding for obvious reasons!) The name which will produce a multitude of recipes on the Internet is Malvapoeding. It is thought that the woman who created this recipe was called Malva. It is also the name of a flower: a geranium. I cannot see the connection between the flower and this dessert!

Whatever the name, it is a really tasty dessert and always goes down well (pun intended!) with dinner guests  

Traditonal South African Malva Pudding (My mom's recipe)

Serves 4

Pudding

60ml butter or marge

250ml white sugar

2 extra-large eggs

2 tbs apricot jam

2 tsp bicarb

1 cup milk

2 cups cake flour

Pinch of salt

1 tbs vinegar

Cream butter and sugar

Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy

Mix in apricot jam

Dissolve bicarb in milk

Sift together flour and salt

Add to batter alternating with milk

Stir in the vinegar

Pour batter into greased 19cm ovenproof dish

Cover with tin foil and bake at 180◦ C for 1 hour

Sauce

250g marge

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cup fresh cream

10ml vanilla essence

Place all sauce ingredients in saucepan and bring to the boil

As you remove the dessert from the oven, carefully pour the hot sauce over the cake

Serve with custard and ice cream

At 4pm CAT it was time for the Wimbledon Single Men's finals. Djokovic vs Nadal. My money was on Djokovic and I wasn't disappointed.

And yes, Grant and I did some birding this weekend and yes, we saw many, many birds including a lifer for both of us. But more about that in tomorrow's post.

Happy 4th of July to all my friends in the USA.