The Perfect Pair{ing}

Ladies and gents, I’m not referring to shoes, chocolates or clothes. I talking about the best gourmet tasting-size soups created by Chef Reuben Riffel paired perfectly with the delightful vintages in Avondale Wine Estate’s collection of wines. Without a doubt – Winter is here!

Ham, yes ma'am!

It was only recently that I was introduced to the world of all the different types of Ham from Pick n Pay. Smoked, parma ham, lemon & herb ham, you name it! And...yes ma'am, I do like ham, I discovered. Cooked and ready to eat! That's what I call Living in Luxury. A beautiful meal that can be prepared and plated within less than 45 minutes! Ham, gammon and pork is normally associated with the festive season, dressed with pineapple and cherry. So for today's recipe I decided to try and incorporate fruit to stay true to the sweet & sour taste that goes so well with ham, by incorporating peaches and a honey & soy combination as a side dish. But the combinations didn't just stop there!

{Soup} Butter Chicken & Sweet Potato

I couldn't have chosen a better day to post this lovely winter warmer! On Sunday, for Mother's Day, I made a Sunday Starter to get our guests into winter-mode, get comfortable, but still have more than enough space left for the food that was to come. I didn't want to spend too much time in the kitchen, but I wanted to keep my food fresh, looking delicious and be able to enjoy the day without having to be overly concerned about rushing back and forth from the kitchen every now and again. So to you it might look like a pumpkin or butternut soup? Nope, guess again...

Here is my quick and easy mystery soup recipe, thick and saucy!

Sjoe Sjoe dis {Tiramisu}

Tiramisu*

Trek daardie ou resepte nader en ontdek die outydse Venesiaanse tert, ook meer bekend as Tiramisu.

Lig, vinnig en met 'n knertsie brandewyn én soetwyn is hiérdie tert een vir die boeke! Daar is eindelose opsies aan hierdie resep. Jy kan bylas en verander na eie smaak!

'n Mens kan eintlik hierdie tert 'n Venesiaanse 'cocktail' tert noem, want die geure wat in hierdie Tiramisu gemeng is, sal jou verseker opkikker!

{Mother's Day} Cookie Love

The 12th of May is Mother's Day, what a special day indeed! This year has definitely been the year for giving and receiving edible gifts, personal gifts and DIY gifts. To me mother's day is one of the days where I would like to show my appreciation and love by creating something, putting time and effort into making, baking or cooking something special for my mother.

When I think of my mother there are a few words that come to mind: soft. love. pure. lady. joy. My mother loves gardening, has a sweet tooth, where I get it from, has a pure heart, makes me smile every time I hear her voice, is a lady in every way and softens a situation in a life where things can so easily become cold and hard.

This is exactly what inspired me to do a dainty little cookie for mother's day, that not only resembles her love for flowers, roses and politely perfect pearls, but taste as sweet as her smile, is as comforting as her embrace and as ladylike as she always is. Mamsie this is for you... 

Creative Cheesecake Competition {WINNER}

WOW! Thank you to all the Pick n Pay & KoekiesEnCream Creative Cheesecake Competition entrants! We have a WINNER!

CAITLIN FENTON

Congratulation! Your R500 Pick n Pay gift voucher is on its way! Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you one of the most delicious cheesecake recipes that I have ever laid my eyes on...

Caitlin's Blue Cheese, Walnut & Fig Cheesecake Tart! {See Caitlin's story & recipe below}

{30 Seconds} to say CHEESE!

I wish I could start every Monday with a big smile on my face like the one I'm carrying around today! There's just nothing better than being in the company of great friends, amazing food, a perfect cheese platter and the amount of laughter that comes from one rule-adjusted game of 30 Seconds!

My husband and I made a quick trip to Cape Town last night for a late Sunday afternoon 'braai' - I must just mention that there was no fire, 'tjops' or 'braaisous' involved, oh no, this was much much better! Our hosts, Danni & Leroy had us vulture around a mouthwatering cheese platter - just look at the pictures below and you'll see why I just had to document this masterpiece! Little did we know that after what I call The Villet Cheese Platter was served there was a pork belly and an upside-down apple tart heading our way - they worked like 'vinkel en koljander' in their kitchen and in our slightly 'adjusted' game of 30 seconds! I blame our loss on the CHEESE, but it was worth it!

Enjoy! - as for me, I'll have to brush up on my 30 seconds skills in the meantime - even if it's just my general knowledge about...cheese!

What is your favourite cheese? Have you seen the Pick n Pay Cheese Bar, wow! So many to cheeses to choose from!

{Also view post on Food24/KoekiesEnCream}

Time for a Cup of...{Soup}

It’s time for a Cup of…soup! Yes, thick and creamy, but healthy! I played around with a few easy-to-find ingredients – some of them you might have in your kitchen, other you’ll quickly have to pop into Pick n Pay to get the necessary goodies!

I have two favourite soup recipes: Butternut soup and Peas soup. Last winter I think I overindulged a bit on the butternut side, so this winter I’ll start with a Peas Soup Recipe!