Autumn is always beautiful in Ireland. Trees covered in different shades of yellow, orange, copper, red…. really magnificent. The seasons take their time to change here on the green isle, unlike how it happens almost overnight in South Africa. And if the days are crisp with clear blue skies then it is even better. I […]
Who doesn’t like ice cream and hot chocolate sauce? So simple, but effective and delicious. You get many different recipes for this, including using cream, using real chocolate, using different sugars and syrups, which I am sure are all very delicious indeed. The choice is overwhelming when googling for a recipe for hot chocolate sauce. […]
Migration to other countries has always been part of our lives. Just think about the different nomadic tribes who seem to constantly move from place to place. Likewise people who go and settle in another country for a variety of reasons including better career prospects, more opportunities, better education, retirement opportunities or a change […]
During and since lockdown houseplants have definitely gained popularity. Maybe during lockdown we wanted to do something other than watch Netflix, or maybe it’s this idea of nurturing something or trying to get the outside in. Whatever the idea plants in your house have become even more popular over the last few years. Some say […]
Yes, I know. Another apple-story and another recipe for an apple tart. But hey, who doesn’t love apple tart and with it being autumn here, it is apple season. Also this one has a French twist with frangipane added. I found the recipe for this apple tarte fine in the magazine part of a recent […]
Every now and then my cupboards, wardrobes and all those kind of spaces need some clearing out and some organising. Well, mostly organising. To organise literally means ‘to put in order’ or ‘to arrange’ or ‘to group together’. So, when this kind of job seems overwhelming, just think about the end product and how it […]
Growing up in South Africa with Dutch parents meant we were accustom to Dutch cuisine as well. The Dutch side included boterham met kaas or pindekaas, (bread with cheese or peanut butter) stamppot (vegetable and potato mash), erwtensoep (pea soup) but also treats such as speculaas, hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles), kruidkoek and then off course appeltaart, […]
This year was another ‘staycation’-year for us! As, I’m sure, for many of you who’ve just had summer holidays. And if you’re living on the green isle you’ll know by now that long stretches of sunshine during the summer is not the usual pattern. It is usually interspersed with rain. That is why so many […]
Tired of making banana bread and looking for an alternative? Well, what about a spice cake or kruidkoek? It’s also made in a bread tin and you eat it with some butter spread on top. In the Netherlands this is a breakfast alternative which is a treat in itself, so I’ll include a recipe for […]
In Ireland we haven’t had as much sun as we’ve hoped for by now, mid-June. That means many flowers only started blooming a little bit later. This includes the flowers on the Elder tree. And this is important because elderflower cordial is part of our summer. Luckily the flowers are in full bloom now and […]