Cupcakes and Weekends

I love birthdays, it makes no difference if it's mine or a complete stranger's - I can't help being happy when someone says "Birthday"!

February is a big birthday month for our family - my sister and my Mom are both February babies. This weekend we went to Stilbaai to celebrate my Mom's special day. It was so good to have 4 days of family, lots of sun and good fun.


We started the weekend with the Noordkapper hike along the coast from Jongensfontein (The Fountain of Youth) to Stilbaai (Still Bay), where we were met by my father who had laid on a beach fish braai (BBQ) and picnic - talk about living!


The simple things in life are really the best, especially when you can share them with the people you love the most.

Of course, no birthday is complete without cake and as the official family baker I decided a plate of "Over the Top" cupcakes would fill the spot, after an afternoon of hiking and picnicking. I used Lady Raven's recipe as my base, with a few changes to suit the ingredients I had on hand. They were totally fantastic thank you Raven.

Raven's Cupcakes
Adapted by Rose and Thorn

1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
½ Cup Soft Butter
2 Eggs
1¼ Cup Self-Raising Flour
¼ Cup Cocoa (replace with self-raising and a teaspoon of vanilla for plain cupcakes)
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
½ Cup Buttermilk

Set oven to 180°C.
Line a 18 muffin tray with cupcake paper.
Cream to the sugar and butter, until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, mixing well after each addition.
Sift in the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Add the butter milk and mix until smooth.
Spoon into the batter into the cupcake papers (¾ full - don't overfill them)
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Leave to cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Once completely cooled, decorate with lots of butter icing, a finely chopped peppermint crisp and for added sparkle some edible fairy dust!

Heros

Oosterzee- the original Starck family home.

Yesterday, I spent one of the most enjoyable afternoons ever in the company of a lady I am privileged to call my friend. This lady is 88 years old, and has more energy than this 36 year old "girl" (as she calls me). Here I am bragging about 40km hikes and 10km personal best times and there she is so full of energy I could hardly keep up!

Carol took us (my mother- in- law Pat and I) on a guided tour of The George and Annie Starck Home. When I say guided tour, I mean we saw everything, met every person and got the full history of how this home came to being.

Before beginning the 2 hour tour, we had tea with Carol's house-mates. Sitting and drinking tea, talking to people in their 80's and 90's is a privilege I wish more young people took advantage of - however trite that might sound. These are people who have seen it all. Where age is not a number, it's a badge of honour! As one lady said "Getting old is hard work and definitely not for babies!"!

I have not verified the history, though I did Google, "George Henry Starck", but it would seem we have an un-sung hero. So I thought I would share the little I know, and give you the opportunity to see how one man through insight and generosity became the answer to pray to a part of our community that is so often forgotten.

George Henry Starck was born in the England and due to the economic pressures of the day (post WW1?), found himself in South Africa. Things didn't seem to go so well at first, so he decided to travel back home and try again. While he was at the train station, the news came over the radio that WW2 had ended. As a man of obvious foresight, he realised that this would mean many soldiers returning home and all needing furniture.

George then made lots of furniture and money and travelled extensively, collecting beautiful pieces all around the world. When he died in 1958, he left a very large piece of land, a legacy and the family home "to serve those in need". The George and Annie Starck Home is now a beautiful place of refuge for many elderly.

Some of the Starck collection pieces

I have been to many "old age homes" and have always left feeling depressed and sick to my stomach, but yesterday I left thinking, "I can't wait to get old!". The care and love in this place is an example of how our elderly should be honoured in their last years. Even the frailest, living in what is affectionately called "God's waiting room" , look genuinely happy, well cared for and clearly loved. The frail care centre is called "Mary Port", which was the last port of call for ships leaving England.

At 5pm the diner bell rang and I can give you this warning when visiting an old age home, when you hear the bell, STAND BACK, those old people take getting to the dining room pretty seriously!

The bell was our cue that the tour was over and we went home with a warm feeling in our hearts that there are still places where those brave soldiers can find rest.

A view from the Main house,

overlooking a few of the group homes,
which house 10 residents,
together with a house mother and father.

I hope you enjoy these photos, I could not decide which to show, so I apologise for going "mad" and showing you too many!

Pat, Me and Carol

Hiking Food - Part 1

Many of you may be wondering why on earth would a reasonably sane woman (generally speaking) want to walk 40 kms in the blazing hot sun? Perhaps she lost her car in a high stake poker game or her mind in cyberspace?

I have shared that we are doing the Fish River Canyon Hike in May this year(Deo Volente) . This hike is 85kms (58miles) long and we plan to do it in 5 days. No facilities are available and hikers sleep outdoors for the entire trip as well as carry all food provisions! The terrain consists of rocks, boulders, sand and a number of river crossings. Temperatures can go down below zero at night, but quickly pick up during the day to a moderate 20 to 28 °C . Mad or brave ? - you decide.

Because you have to carry everything you eat and then have to carry all your trash out again, planning meals is a very important part of the preparation. Everything you take has to weigh as little as possible, but still provide enough energy to hike approximately 20kms per day.

I have decided to try to prepare meals that we can look forward to in the evening, rather than just concentrate on loading calories. This is the first in a series for the next two months in which I will share my meals.

Tuna and Smash Fish Cakes
Serves 2

1 Sachet John West Tuna (Tins are wasted weight)
1 85g Sachet Smash
1 Tablespoon Dried Onion Flakes
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
Water - room temperature

Mix all the ingredients together, except the water.
Slowly add enough water until you have a mixture that you can form into patties.
Fry in a little hot oil until golden brown.
Do not move them around to much and work gently while they are frying, as they will fall apart very easily.
Serve hot or cooled.

These are very nice little fish cakes and work very well indoors too. When making them at home I would roll them in breadcrumbs first and then fry them.
The total uncooked weight is less than 200g.

Llandudno, Sandy Bay and Karbonkelberg

Here are the photos from our Saturday hike from Llandudno along the Karbonkelberg trail.

Broken Promises

I usually don't try to break my promises. I like this old Chinese Proverb, "A broken promise - is worse than a broken bone" . A promise which is kept is simply the fulfilment of an obligation. It takes many kept promises to build up trust and one broken promise to destroy it. The value of a promise depends entirely upon how highly you value the integrity of the promiser.

So with that said, I am not going to give you the bread roll recipe I promised yesterday, but have to delay it for a few days - sorry to those who came especially to see it.

Speaking of the Chinese, they really make good soup. They don't make great cars, beer or clothing but they sure do know how to make good food and present one of a kind Olympic Games! You also have to admire their "We'll do it our way"attitude, that would make even Frank Sinatra proud.

A must have at any Chinese diner is chicken and sweetcorn soup, made so hot it burns your mouth and everything north of the knees. Recreating the authentic Chinese restaurant chicken and sweet corn soup has been one of my long term projects, and while I still can't get it to be that hot, I have the taste just right.

The secret is in the simplicity of the ingredients, this is a KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) recipe.
I do apologise for the photograph, I can't seem to get the soup shot right yet (another work in progress).


Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup
Makes for 8

400g Skinless, boneless Chicken Fillets
4 Sweetcorn on the cob (remove the leaves and hair)
Salt and White Pepper
1 Chicken Stock cube
1 pinch of Sugar
10ml Peanut Oil
10ml Sesame Oil
30ml Corn Flour mixed with cold water (use more if the soup is not thick enough for your taste)
2 Medium Eggs beaten


Boil the chicken and the sweetcorn, in about 2.5 litres of water on the cob for about 20 minutes until soft.
Drain (and keep) through muslin (or a clean tea towel) the cooking liquid into a clean pot.
Replace the cooking liquid back on the stove.
Shred the chicken and remove the corn from the cob.
Place the chicken and corn back into the pot and all al the ingredients, except the cornflour and the eggs.
Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes and then add the cornflour and keep stirring while the mixture thickens and turns white - another 3-5 minutes.
Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the soup and keep stirring to break up and make threads.
You do not want lumps of egg.
Continue to boil for another 2 -3 minutes and serve HOT!