What I did this weekend and the preceding two weeks

I've often wondered if my regular (and irregular) blog readers think that all I do is go birding. When I check up on my blog on the past year, I realize that I've done dozens of posts on birds and other wildlife seen where we live here in Tanzania.

However, I also know that those readers and followers with a kind disposition towards me will realize that I have had posts about my grandchildren and about cats (the Hedges Kitties; the two cats I babysat last year and sent off to their owner, Rina in South Africa and feral cats in and around town.) I've also posted about the School for the Blind and Albino children in the nearby town of Shinyanga, about the mine and various large machines. You've also been shown the pottery pieces I've learned to make over the past two years! 

Today I'll post about what I've done every afternoon since Wimbledon started two weeks ago;  and that's watching tennis. I think there are tennis fans who like to come in at the quarter and semi-finals and then watch the finals. I like to watch from the very first stroke played on Center Court and although I'm not able to watch every single match, I do tend to know what is going on throughout the tournament!

On Friday afternoon I watched Djokovic versus the feisty and athletic young player, Dimitrov. Oh, and what I meant to say: I love to support the new boys and girls on the block!

Congratulations to Canada with Raonic making it to the men's semi-finals and Eugenie Bouchard being the runner up in the women's finals.

Of course, when it came to the men's finals on Sunday, the Formula 1 started at exactly the same time as the tennis match! In between hearing about Jensen Button, Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, I managed to flick the alternative button on the remote to see how Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were faring! (It's a man's world in our house on Sundays! Tsk!)

Another thing I do on a regular basis is cook meals; mainly for Grant. My own meals are made in bulk by Chef Paulo in the Guest House. This is a lentil and vegetable casserole which, when Paulo sends it over in a huge saucepan, I decant into 200 gram containers and freeze.  I eat half a container of this every evening for dinner. Regina makes me a salad every day which I eat with my own homemade bread  for lunch. 

I cook dinner every evening or Grant; meat, potatoes and two veg. (Many days at lunch time, he eats in the Guest House dining room.)

Weekends he likes all his meals at home so I try to make something different. This weekend I decided to make a Corn Souffle for Sunday lunch and what a good choice this was. The dish turned out delicious and of course, I could eat along with my husband! 


It's not a difficult recipe; corn can be omitted and it can be made with grated cheddar cheese only or with tuna.

  Sweet corn kernels in baking dish; whipped egg and white sauce waiting to be added

The egg mixture added into the white sauce, while the grated cheese is to be added and then all folded into the corn mixture

Always treat a souffle with tenderness and it rewards you with a fluffy and lightly baked dish afterwards! 

Sweet Corn Souffle
2 x 400g tins of sweet corn whole kernel, drained
4 eggs seperated
3 tbs flour 
2 tbs butter
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp hot mustard powder
+/- 1 cup of milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Cayenne pepper for sprinkling

Set oven on 180 ° C

Place sweet corn in a baking dish

Beat eggs whites till stiff 
In separate dish, beat egg yolks well
On stove melt butter, add salt and  mustard powder
Quickly stir in the flour until smooth
Add milk until a white sauce is formed 
Remove from stove and add the egg yolks
Add the cheddar cheese
Fold in egg whites and add quickly to corn mixture
Mix in well and sprinkle cayenne pepper on top
Place dish in oven for about 35 minutes till risen and brown on top
Serve immediately with a mixed salad

 The baked souffle as it's removed from the oven

A delicious, light and browned souffle in one of my pottery creations! 

Tomorrow I'll post about another hobby which I've taken up since being in Tanzania. 

Here's wishing you all a great week ahead.



 

 

 

Delicious Fruit Scones

Baking with GranJo is fun!

Early last Saturday morning, my granddaughter and I were the only two people awake in the house. I told her that if she washed her hands, she could help me make scones. She dashed off to the bathroom and within minutes she was back in the kitchen.

Rub butter into dry ingredients until it resembles breadcumbs

She hoisted herself up onto a tall stool. I placed a bowl on the table in front of her. As I gave her each ingredient, I told her how many cups/teaspoons and units to place in the bowl.

Add the sultanas and currants

At 6 years old, she is able to count and she measured each item carefully before adding it to the bowl. I cut the butter into the flour and she rubbed it in until it resembled fine breadcrumbs. I explained everything as she worked which reminded me of my dear paternal grandmother who taught me so many skills in and around the house.

Gradually add liquid to breadcumb mixture to form a soft dough

A gentle hand ensures light and well-risen scones

Cut out scones with a cutter or wine glass and place on greased and floured baking tray

Brush egg wash over the scones before they go into the oven

A sprinkling of castor sugar adds that special taste

The fruit scones ready to be turned out of the baking tray

Imagine her delight and pride when the golden brown scones were set in front of the family for breakfast and everyone exclaimed how delicious they were...

Beautifully browned fruit scones set before the family for breakfast

Delicious Fruit Scones
(Makes 12 Scones)

Ingredients
500ml (280g) Cake flour
15 ml Baking powder
3 ml salt
3 ml cream of tartar
80ml (65g) sugar
125g margarine
125 ml (75g) currants or seedless raisins
1 extra large egg, separated
125 ml milk
15 ml castor sugar

Method
Set oven at 180°C/350°F.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar. Add sugar. Rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add currants.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolk and milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in liquid. Mix to form a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten gently to 2cm thick and cut out with a wine glass
Place scones on a greased baking tray.
Beat egg white until foamy and brush over top of scones. Sprinkle with castor sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Serve hot with butter and jam.

Note: I found this recipe on the flour packet. As I decant contents from packets to my Tupperware containers, I check the back and side panels for recipes and other interesting information. Many a dish has been baked, cooked and recreated right here in my kitchen in this way.

Down memory lane in the kitchen

Cheese puffs risen and baked to perfection

Cheese puffs are still a firm favourite with my husband

As a young girl while dating my boyfriend, (now my husband) I was allowed to visit him at his parent’s home on a Sunday afternoon. Apart from his younger brother, there were always at least three or four friends visiting at their house at the same time. Being the only female, I would normally be convinced to make something for the guys to snack on. Before I married, I was not a keen or very good cook. This particular day, though,to impress my boyfriend, I thought I’d try my hand at cheese puffs.

Asking permission from my boyfriend’s mother to use her handwritten recipe book and ingredients (and mess her kitchen!), I began to gather all the items I would need to bake cheese puffs. I also set the boys to task: one to sift the flour, another to grate the cheese and so on. I beat the eggs into a bowl, adding milk and flour alternatively. By this time I was feeling very grown-up amongst all these clumsy, but dear sweet boys. I added the baking powder and salt and then rescuing the bowl of grated cheese from under one lad’s elbow, I added this last. This was a big mistake. Even though I managed to drop blobs of batter into the patty pans (which my boyfriend greased and floured beautifully – he was the oldest and most mature, after all!) the consistency did not look as good as I imagined it should. Once in the oven, the puffs tried their best to rise but they were not a success. The texture was heavy and the puffs were stodgy and inedible.

Fortunately my boyfriend’s mum came into the kitchen (chased all the boys out!) and said she’d help me to make a new batch of cheese puffs. As I did that day and down the years after she became my mum-in-law, I watched carefully how she did it. (A while ago I did a post about learning to cook at my mum-in-law’s elbow – you can read about it here) She sifted the flour, salt and baking powder together. She added the grated cheese (oh, I seeee...) and then she added beaten egg and milk until the consistency of the batter was correct. Oh yes, she added half a teaspoon of mustard powder (to bring out the flavour of the cheese, she said) and sprinkled cayenne pepper over the dollops of batter in the patty pans.

Cheese Puffs
2 cups flour
½ cups grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs beaten into 1½ cups milk
2 tablespoon melted butter
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Cayenne pepper for sprinkling
Finely chopped spring onion (green part/leaf only)

Method
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder together in a bowl.
Add grated cheese
Blend in beaten egg/milk mixture
Drop spoonfuls into greased patty pans
Sprinkle with cayenne pepper
Bake at 240 ° C for about 10 minutes

Goodbye Is Never Easy

I've never had a flop baking these scones

using my traditional never-fail recipe

My older son, to the right of the photo, my husband on the left and my daughter-in-law at the end of the table - all enjoying a last family tea together

For the past five years our older son and his wife have lived around corner from us. The beauty of this is that I got to see my grandchildren, a girl aged 5 ½ and a two-year-old boy every day; often more than once a day! Now this has all changed. My son, like his father, works out of the country, and has not been at home with his family during the nine years of marriage. A few months ago, he decided to resign his job and take a Sabbatical. They sold their home here in town, stored their furniture and as from today, they're living in the mountainous Drakensberg area of Kwa-Zulu Natal. My son and daughter-in-law have signed up for a discipleship course at Youth with a Mission - YWAM (you can read all about it here, if you wish) Fortunately YWAM is only three hours’ drive from us.

As the heading suggests today, I've mixed feelings about their departure. I'll miss them very much (especially the precious grandchildren) but sent them off with God’s blessings. At least my son will be with his family and my poor, brave daughter-in-law, who has raised two children on her own, now has her husband to help her.

For the final family tea, I baked my traditional, never-fail scones. I discovered this recipe many years ago. In fact, when this particular lad of ours was as small as his son is today, someone gave it me. I can no longer remember who it was, but I’m very grateful to that person for this tried and tested recipe. I have used it regularly over the past thirty years and never had a flop.

To cheer me up, I decided to add the recipe to my rather sad post today.

Traditional Never-fail Scones
4 Cups Cake Flour
6 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese – For Cheese Scones *
1 Tablespoon Sugar – for Sweet Scones *
125 g (4 oz) Margarine
½ Cup milk/cold water
(* if you make Cheese Scones, omit the sugar and vice versa)

Method

Sift dry ingredients together
Cut margarine into blocks
Rub margarine into flour lifting mixture to aerate (will resemble breadcrumbs)
Add milk/water and work in gently with your hands (add more water until dough is soft but firm)
Turn out on lightly floured board
Press down gently with hands (do not roll or overwork dough)
Cut out with glass dipped in flour
Place on greased baking sheet and brush with egg wash
Bake at 220 °F for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown

A Gift for a Friend

An Apple Pie for you, Lynda!

A few months ago, I had guests for Sunday lunch and as my husband was home at the time, I decided to make his favourite dessert, Apple Pie. Having lost my easy pastry recipe, I looked on the Internet for a suitable recipe. Totally unsuccessful in my search, I decided to ask my dear friend, Lynda in Tanzania if she had a pastry recipe. And of course, Lynda being Lynda, a wonderful cook and baker to boot, sent me the perfect recipe .

Here is Lynda's recipe, ( from a book inherited from her great grandmother which dates back to the 1920's) exactly as she sent it to me.

Hot Water Pastry Recipe from Lynda, Tanzania

1½ cups Flour
½ cup Sugar
½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ cup Butter
¼ cup Boiling Water

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Lightly rub the butter in until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add enough of the boiling water to make a stiff paste - don't overwork the dough too much. Roll out on to a floured surface & use as desired. (For Apple Pie I usually do a solid pastry base and lattice work "strips" over the top instead of a solid top or 'shell' - glazed with some egg it turns out beautifully!)

To thank you, Lynda for the recipe and for being such a wonderful friend, I send you a [virtual] Apple Pie!