I don't know what it is about circus graphics that delight me so. I've had these circus and carousel tins for ages. And what better thing to fill them with than some home made...
Peanut Butter Cookies!
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon bicarb
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream sugars, butter or margarine, and peanut butter. Beat in egg, then stir in remaining ingredients. Shape dough into a small balls; place on lightly greased baking sheets then press the dough balls down with a fork to make ridges down the center.
Dip fork tines in flour the fork each time before pressing a cookie. Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes. (Bake for a little less time for chewier cookies.) Makes about 2 dozen peanut butter cookies.
This is the bag worn by Vanessa Hodgens (Gabrielle) in High School Musical 3. It was woven by Zanele this weekend just so that you could see a decent picture of it. Thanks so much, Zanele!
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So much has happened this week that I thought I'd end it off with a bumper technicolour splash - hope your bandwidth is coping!
Today started out in Khayelitsha to plan Mielie's food garden in earnest. The idea is to create an organic veggie patch for our crafters and by our crafters to combat the soaring food prices. Zanele has been negotiating with the local powers that be, and we have been given our piece of land. This tract of land is going to be an abundant organic veggie patch - can you see it? Our first important task is to fence the area, next comes soil preparation and arranging for water. Next Tuesday we are going to visit some successful veggie gardens in the area. We are all so fired up!
I was stunned that there were so many people who volunteered their time and experience to help us get established. Thank you Sakhile, Thembakazi, Richard and Vuyani - hopefully our crafters will soon be eating the fruits of your kindness!
And would you believe that Zanele recently became a granny and didn't tell us? Here is Zanele's son, Lubabalo, looking as pleased as punch with his daughter. They make a handsome pair, don't you think?
I just couldn't resist snapping this new double-story spaza shop, adorned with logos and branding of the most popular goods on sale. And don't you just love Fruit & Veg City, a la Khayelitsha?
This week the generous shoe-fairy must have flown over my head a couple of times, because I was given two exquisite pairs of shoes in one week! The tan leather pair are actually made of a single continuous piece of leather which is stitched together with a leather strip - truly inspiring... I have to try my hand at a pair! They were given to my by my wonderful friend Inge, who is moving to England next month... very sad.
The outrageously beautiful slippers were a gift from my friend Birgit who lives in Berlin, but she bought them in exotic Morocco. Thanks so much, both of you!
And finally, while the world is being so kind to me, may I ask for more? We are desperate to get our hands on some of these hooks to make our Mielie bags - can anyone point me in a direction?
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone - I'm going to soak up some sunrays!
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I snapped these happy mielie peeps on their way in to sebenza today. This week's prize for the glammest weaver goes to... Nomalizo with her brand new wet-look curls! Sorry about snapping you with your eyes shut, sisi!
Every weaver brings a little book with her in which her work in and new work out gets documented.
Remember the strelitzia flowers I mentioned on Monday? Well this strelitzia bag came in today.
... and the big news of the day is that this Mielie Daisy bag features in the soon-to-be-released High School Musical 3 in a big way... pretty cool, huh?! (Apologies for the poor pics.)
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No words necessary.
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This is Zanele's mom, Mandisa's home in Qamini, Peddie. I just love that colour turquoise that is so popular in this area. The room pictured at the bottom is a separate 8-cornered one-roomed house, which stands with its door wide open and is furnished with a bed and table – ready for any traveler who needs a place to rest her head. That's ubuntu in action, don't you think?
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I have really enjoyed the Strelitzias this winter/spring. Before the flowers open, they look so proud and ambitious... as if to say, "I'm headed for one place, and one place alone... the top."
And of course, it's easy to see why it's also called the bird of paradise once it's opened.
But my favourite thing about the strelitzia is the magical way in which it gets pollinated. See that blue piece that sticks out just above the "beak" of the bird? That's where the pollen is safely stored. When a sunbird lands on the blue "twig" to sip some nectar, its weight is just enough to to push it open, thereby exposing the pollen which clings to his feet, ready to pollinate the next flower on which he lands. Clever, huh?
(Hands compliments of Mzo - enkosi!)
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My hands were very busy while I was on holiday, and my brain was in idle mode - my version of bliss.
By the way, if you're interested in extracting exquisite colour from vegetables, have a look here.
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If ever there was a happiness factory, it's Charly's Bakery, home of the world's most beautiful cakes. It was my birthday on Saturday and I thought I would arrange some custom Mielie cupcakes to share with Mielie's weavers. Aren't they just the bomb? They have cool Xhosa words, handbags and mielies (corn) on them.
Pictured below are Cokile, Zanele (who looked so chic today, she could have been the CEO of some multinational company), Nomthunzi and Manyawusa. They are singing Happy Birthday to me in Xhosa.
Thanks to the awesome can-do team at Charlys!
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Some more pictures of our perfect day.
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The day after Noncedo's funeral was the day of our big celebration in Qhamini, Peddie, the home village of many of Mielie's weavers. Our family was welcomed by all the women and maidens dressed in their traditional finery, singing, chanting and ululating.
The women, maidens and boys of the village all had an opportunity to exhibit their dancing, singing and stick-fighting talents. There was also a traditional praise poet who welcomed us and the ancestors to the happy day. Finally, we enjoyed a meal of steamed bread and braaied (barbequed) meat and the elders enjoyed our gifts of brandy and gin.
Not many South Africans have had the opportunity to witness such an authentic cultural celebration, and we were delighted to be able to share it with our German boy, Gregor. Our family's thanks go to everyone who made the day so perfect, especially Zanele, who organised everything from Khayeltisha and joined us on the day, and her mother, pictured top right in red, who hosted the day at her beautiful home.
I will never forget it for as long as I live.
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