Homemade Sausage!!!!

I decided to give it a go at making homemade sausage.  My husband is hosting a breakfast for the men in our church and I wanted  to have sausage and bacon but they don't sell the type of sausage that we eat.  So, I did what any desperate woman would do.  I looked up the recipe on Pinterest.   I tweaked the recipe that I found, added some things from another recipe so it's a hybrid sausage.  I'll have to update this post when the sausage is turned into patties and cooked.  Right now it is a seasoned blob of pork.  I didn't grind the pork myself, I need to order that attachment from KitchenAid.  I'm so grateful that the meat is so fresh here and ground in store, so that I don't have to worry about what's in it.  The ingredients listed below are for a pound of pork.


1 lb of ground pork
1/8 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp ground fennel


In a large bowl mix the seasoning together with the pork.  I recommend letting the seasoning do it's job and wait at least 24 hours before cooking.  I plan on making patties and then freezing them until I need them.

These are all of the seasonings that you will need.

Ever wonder what a pinch looks like in exact measurement?

I love kitchen gadgets.  I found this years ago at Big Lot, I could pinch it with my fingers but some people have larger fingers than other so the size of the pinch varies.  This works for me.

So, I'll be honest. It did not cross my mind to write this post until after I had mixed in all of the seasonings.  The ones above were measured out after the fact.  I did forget the marjoram so that is what's on the pork waiting to be belatedly mixed in.

I flattened the sausage out and used a medium sized cookie cutter to make patties.

I sealed them in an airtight container separated by wax paper.  I doubled the recipe and ended up with 67 patties.  They will reside in my freezer until Monday morning.

From South Africa With Love,

Not Feeling It

I am having one heck of a time trying to get into the Christmas spirit.  It is summer here and there are decorations but, it doesn't feel like Christmas.  I have my tree up but I haven't finished decorating it (it has been up since after Thanksgiving).  This is going to take some getting used to.  That ornament is one of my favorites, I got it from the World Market last Christmas.  I try to buy an ornament or two every year, I don't really have a theme my tree is pretty much a mash up of different styles of ornaments.  I learned early on that if you choose a certain color or theme then you'll have to change it every year and that can get to be pretty expensive.  

I have a thing for nutcrackers, I love them!!! I only have two on my tree though, I would love to do a nutcracker tree.  Not just nutcrackers though ballerinas and teddy bears, just like the ballet.  I need to get into the Christmas spirit.  I wonder if I can rent a snow machine……..

From South Africa With Love,

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

We decided to visit the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens during the day.  It was beautiful, because of my allergies from hell I couldn't smell anything but everything was beautiful.  This is the condensed version of the tour.

I adore birds of paradise.

Now here was an interesting fellow, not camera shy at all.

Most of the flora can be used for medicinal purposes.

So if I happen to be in the gardens and I have skin eruptions or indigestion, I can just pluck a plant and handle business right there.

Yep, they grow marijuana there too, for medicinal purposes.  I was waiting for the DEA to come and drag us all away, but we're in Africa and I don't know if  it's illegal here.

This tree split smack down the middle and they managed to keep it alive.

This was it in 2005, now it looks as if it is growing into the ground but it's alive!

There was a Bonsai exhibit.  There were so many different species of bonsai that I never knew existed. My friend Kim would have killed the entire exhibit, she is a plant assassin.  She killed a cactus, who kills cactus??????  They live in the desert, they are survivors (just not in her house).

The Protea, the national flower of South Africa.

Extremely cool cheetah sculptures

Poor antelope. The circle of life.

You can see the city from the top of the trail, Table Mountain is located behind the gardens you can hike there in 3-4 hours.

Our wonderful tour guide Trevor Solomons.  

*Side Note:  They actually have a braille trail, so that the blind can enjoy the experience also.  They can smell the flowers and read about them as well, how brilliant is that?  This allows everyone to share in the beauty of the gardens.

Visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens!!!!!

From South Africa With Love,

Cape Town Carols At Kirstenbosch

We were invited by one of our church members to attend a play/caroling at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.  If you are visiting Cape Town it is on the must see list, it was after park hours so we couldn't take the tour.  There was a designated area for the event but I did sneak off to take a picture of one of the memorials to Nelson Mandela.

A man who understood grace and redemption.  As Christians we say that we understand it and that we believe in both but we do so little to exhibit it.  He spent 20 plus years in prison,wrongfully imprisoned and he let it go.  He said that if he had not forgiven then he would have still been in prison.

After being found out, I was pointed in the right direction (they thought that I was lost, foolish American).  There were so many people there for the concert.

The best part was at sunset.

Glow sticks,  people!!!! Everyone was given a glow stick.

It looked like a million fireflies.

And crowd participation was encouraged.

I will be honest the play was a living nativity , with some dancing, singing and stuff thrown in but I really didn't pay a lot of attention to it.  Between the glow sticks  and the legion of children there,  it was impossible to stay focused.  All in all……...

We had a lovely evening…………..

From South Africa With Love,

Tis the Season to Bake Cookies

Today I embark on my journey to realms unknown, to a place where not many will venture a universe that is unparalleled.  My kitchen.  I will be making cookies,  I do practice runs and then I give the cookies that make the biggest impressions on my family away as gifts.  I started with (dum, dum, dum, dummmm..) White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. I found a recipe that swore that they taste like the ones from Subway.  These people are tellers of the truth, they were so good.  I find recipes and then read the comment sections to see how the public responds and let that be my guide.  Some people just can't bake though and nothing short of someone else coming in the kitchen and baking for them will change that.  I like to bake and cook, it's fun for me I try different methods and use the ones that work for me.  Thanksgiving was not a shining example of that method it will forever be known as Macaroni Gate.  My children are still talking about it, they may never eat macaroni and cheese again.  I didn't do a practice run though I just dove right in, sink or swim.  I sunk.  Getting back to the cookies…….  I was so happy with the way that they turned out.  Here is the recipe:



WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES
Subway Copycat Recipe

Makes about 4 Dozen

1 lb butter
1 2/3 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 1/4 cups all purpose white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (12 oz) bag white chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups macadamia nuts, chopped

Make sure the oven keeps the right temperature. The cookies may need a minute or two more or less than stated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper (no need to grease). Measure flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and blend together. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, preferably a heavy-duty mixer, and using the paddle or beater attachment, beat butter until creamy.

Add brown sugar and beat again. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, beat and scrape again. On low speed, add flour mixture 2 cups at a time, and mix well. Mix in white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Mix only until blended. Using a cookie scoop, place dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly to allow for spreading.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do NOT over bake these cookies. They continue to bake for a few minutes after they are removed from the oven. Transfer to cooling racks. Store in air tight container or plastic bag to stay soft and moist.

The black sheet you see them on comes in a roll and is supposed to last for up to a 1,000 bakes.  We shall see, I never back down from a challenge.  Unless sharks, crocodiles, or hippos are involved. I tried using parchment paper before with other cookies and almost died of smoke inhalation, I swear a dragon lives in my oven.   The cookies came out soft with crispy edges, you totally have to make these and let me know how they turned out for you.  I need to start posting step by step instructions, but why spoil all of the fun and my kitchen is war zone when I cook.  

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

From South Africa With Love,

Two Oceans Aquarium

We visited the Two Oceans Aquarium when my good friends the Baldwin's were here but I am just getting around to posting it.  This fish was my favorite, because of all of the different colors and prints.  

He is not a piece of fabric but he should be.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Nemo exhibit 

Some of us more than others……...

What you don't see in the picture is the line of small children waiting for their turn, but as Israel stated we paid the entrance fee just as they did and we get to have the entire experience too.

Moving along.

This is a rockfish, obviously.

A shark embryo, how cool is that?  Disgusting but cool.

Some kind of plant life with awesome hair.

A very uncooperative octopus.  I stood there for 10 minutes waiting for it to be still, just to take a picture of it glaring at me.

A seahorse!!!!!!!!

A south coast rock lobster.  It is the size of a small dog, not a tea cup dog but a normal non genetically engineered small sized dog.  It could eat a yorkie (sorry Rae). There is not enough butter in the world to get me to eat that thing.

A giant crab!!!! That is no puny rock that crab is near, it's a boulder!!!!

These things are in the ocean people!!!!!

Beautemous jelly fish!!!!!

Crazy frog.

This was actually located at the entrance, very nice use of whale bones! Up-cycled.

From South Africa With Love,