Apparently, in 1475 a Turkish law was enacted that made it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he failed to provide her with her daily quota of coffee. If that law still applies, best no Turk ever proposes to me! But, maybe if he can bake, I will overlook a cup or two or three of coffee.
Would you believe it… After the 1970’s not-so-hipster green Ford escort broke down on our previous wine tasting excursion in Stellenbosch, and the ensuing treacherous doorless train experience, I went on yet ANOTHER rendezvous with my friend, Jenna, and her car, named, Bertha… and a train, again!
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Once in a while, I enjoy a glass of red wine with my current preference being either a dry rose or a Blanc de noir. Hardly able to call myself a quaffer or a sommelier, I felt apprehensive and somewhat intimidated when I was invited to go wine tasting with a friend, Kirsten, who is currently studying her Msc in WINE BUSINESS, in the heart of wine country, in Dijon France!
What do you do when you find yourself driving through the leafy town of Stellenbosch? You suddenly slam on breaks…and make sure you spend the entire day there. That’s my honest advice, right there. If possible…. never leave! What more could you possibly want than mountainous views, a rich diversity of fauna and flora and vineyards that give one the illusion of being in the heart of Tuscany?
I’ve discovered that coffee is as delicious served in a cup, as it is served in a cake! For some time now, I have been experimenting with coffee in my baking and I am loving the culinary qualities of coffee. It is also wonderfully versatile. With each recipe, I try out different brew methods, different roasts, different roasters and different origins.
Welcome to One Authentic Life!
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~E.E. Cummings.
What is this blog about? Well, exactly what Mr E.E Cummings says. The art of pursuing authentic living. At aged 25 I have started to discover that perfection is second place. Authenticity is first prize.
On most sunny Saturdays in South Africa I am up early in the mornings to work on projects, spend time with the family or do some shopping. However, on this particular Saturday I slept in. I’m not talking a little ‘lie in’ here. I’m referring to a leisurely and languishing slothful slumber! Anyway, when I finally woke up, I was in the mood for a continental experience.
If you enjoy a decadent, luscious cheesecake with the distinctive flavour of coffee, then you will definitely enjoy devouring a slice of this mocha and mandarin cheesecake for dessert or served with coffee. It also happens to be gluten free. Why mocha and mandarin, you may wonder? Well, I love the combination of coffee with most things, but more specifically, the combination of mandarin orange and Malawian coffee works magically.
Winter in South Africa is beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, it can get ‘vrek koud’ (said whilst shivering despite wearing layers of clothing). Although It doesn’t snow in the city of Port Elizabeth (where I reside) or usually in any of the other cities in South Africa, temperatures can become rather icy. Snow is often found higher up on some of the mountain ranges such as the Drakensberg Mountains in Natal (that’s where I first played in snow as a young child).
The road to recovery is paved with many experiences, some smooth and some rough!
One of these experiences took place on the 9th of July 2013, a year ago today. I remember it as a particularly difficult but victorious date. It was the day of sentencing in my hijack/rape trial. My family had already spent the whole morning at the High Court. I wasn’t going to go to court that day despite the Public Prosecutor’s strong encouragement to me to do so for the sake of closure. As far as I was concerned, I had already testified a year prior to that, with my attackers a few meters away from me, and had absolutely no intention of ever setting my diminutive feet anywhere near, let alone in, court again!