eating out

When Fjord was diagnosed as being allergic to eggs, peanuts and tree nuts I was distraught.  Until you have an allergic child you simply don’t understand the minefield which your child will walk in every day.  It’s like them being able to pick up a loaded gun at any time.  From age 3 he knew to ask the ingredients in …

Returning from Cape Town in Jan, I made sure that we spent a night in Kimberley for the children to visit the big hole.  This man made wonder is at the heart of a place where past and present seem to co-exist.  The spirit of adventure rises from the dust.  My children (6 & 9) were less interested in the …

  As towns go, Knysna stands heads and shoulders above others, but it’s still a town, during peak season it is a crowded busy town.  Traffic jams can make visitors feel like they’re back in rush hour traffic.  In choosing Nieu Wherry Meadow as our accommodation, Cliff secured a space with access to forests, rivers and beaches without the mayhem of Knysna …

One of our favourite annual activities is visiting Ludwigs Rose Farm outside Pretoria.  The best time to go is for the first flush in early October.  It turned out that we were a week early as some rose varieties were still in bud form.  This weekend 8-9 Oct will be the best time to see all the roses in bloom.  …

After an idyllic day on Umdloti beach, Mum took us to the tea garden at Karibu Garden Centre (nursery) opposite Burndale for treats.  Apparently Burndale is really expensive these days.  When you’re a family party of 7, the last thing we wanted was a whopping bill. The lady managing the tea garden at Karibu is charming and hospitable.  The menu …

  The bloggers breakfast at Emoyeni Estate, hosted by Kids Emporium was a lovely extension of my birthday the day before.  The thoughtful, meticulous attention to every detail by Lauren and her team reflected an organization based on the right foundation. The 3 speakers inspired respect and admiration.  Lauren spoke of her vision and fulfilment in founding and leading Kids Emporium.  …

UPDATE Jan 2017- Sadly the Angela Day business is no more.  I’m devastated that the web page with recipes has also been shut down, there were so many that I wanted to try. Since baking Christmas Mince Pies using the online Angela Day recipe, I have wanted to visit the Angela Day Kitchen.  The ground almond topping, elevates those to …

  In 1999 my father married Charlotte at the Little Church in van Reenen. It seats 8 people and is the smallest consecrated church in the Southern Hemisphere. When the minister walked in to the full church with guest spilling out the back door, to conduct the wedding ceremony, he exclaimed “Hallelujah! It’s a revival”. Caught up in wedding festivities …

Discovering the Green Lantern Inn, in Van Reenen stirred unadulterated delight. This joy was marred by irritation and disappointment. How could we have missed this gem before?! We travel the Johannesburg / Durban route at least four times a year. I don’t even remember passing the Green Lantern signpost previously, so daft as the establishment has been around for well …

The date night concept is nothing more than a cutesie idea to us.  With potential babysitters far afield we simply stay home or go out with the children.  When a rare opportunity for couple time arose we grabbed it with both hands. In the mood for Indian food our first choice was Classic India, however the most ghastly loud music …