Julie and Julia

So this morning we planned to cycle to 'Nothing Ordinary' an antiques and art weekend hosted by Gina Brown at her stunning property 'Lion's Bush' at the entrance to the Hamlet of Fort Nottingham. Whiling away the hours in bed, re-designing my web store www.simplysam.co.za, put pay to that idea. Especially when my daughter announced that 'Julie and Julia', the wonderful cookery movie about the life of Julia Childs and Julie Powell was about to start on TV. Well that really re-organised the day as the whole family lazed around eating popcorn and just being a family!
Whilst watching I remembered the movie was the inspiration for this blog, but I've not written in ages. Call it lazy, bad time management or even lack of inspiration, but Julie and Julia has inspired me to put my 'blogging' hat on again!
I don't have anything quite as exciting as cooking loads of recipes, as Julie Powell did, but something you should know about me is I love cooking and taught basic cookery to men and women in Pretoria from my home. This had to be one of the most joyful times of my life. Some of these people, believe it or not, had never even eaten with a knife and fork before (in Africa one eats with your hands!), so I taught my students how to set a table and at the end of each session we would sit down to enjoy the food we'd made (usually a starter, main and desert) and get to know each other better. At that stage I was dreaming of living in the Midlands, so I kind of pretended I lived on a farm by growing my own herbs and keeping a couple of chickens. Well besides teaching the students cookery, I also taught them a bit about home grown herbs and  sometimes we would even charge through the garden trying to find the proverbial need in a haystack when we realised we were short of an egg or two for a recipe. Well have you ever .....
So after watching Julie and Julia, my eleven year old was inspired enough to dig out my old 'cookery school' files and after playing a game of squash in Nottingham Road, we had to purchase all the ingredients for Choc Chip Cookies and Chocolate Cheese Cake. It wasn't until we started making the Cheesecake that we realised there was no Gelatine in the house, so our fridge Cheesecake was quickly turned into a baked one and  and  very yummy it was too.

Your front door leads the eye to what lies beyond

In South Africa the front door to our home is not quite as visible as a rule to those in Europe and I wonder if that's why we pay so little attention to how attractive they look. The entrance to your home, says a lot about what lies ahead. Here are a few examples of ones I found whilst on my travels in the UK.

French Toast - Cape Town Restaurant

Property for sale Natal Midlands or Nottingham Road - looking to down-shift?

So you want to 'down-shift' to the Countryside ... The Nottingham Road area, in the Natal Midlands, has to be one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. It is located only an hour and a bit from Durban, an hour from the stunning Drakensberg and five hours from the hub of Johannesburg. Many families have moved to the Natal Midlands in search of a wonderful place to raise their children, with peace and tranquility, open spaces and fresh air, away from the madness that city living brings. Properties for sale in Nottingham Road, Natal Midlands, and surrounding areas are sought after especially due to the locality to some of the best schools in the country including St Annes, Clifton, Michaelhouse and Hilton College. If you are looking for excellent education for your children in stunning environments, you'll find it here in the wonderfully privilledged settings of the Natal Midlands.
If you are looking for Property for sale in Nottingham Road or property for sale in Natal Midlands there are various agents who deal specifically with this area.
http://www.simplysam.co.za/Properties-for-Sale-in-Natal-Midlands

The first of our workshops at Simply Sam Trading

Together with the launch of our new shop in the beautiful hamlet of Fort Nottingham, we launched the first of our stunning workshops today, in the form of a gorgeous soap making which included soap cupcakes adorned with little flowers, fizz bombs and leaf soaps, all smelling absolutely wonderful. Each attendee went home with a bag full of goodies, and judging by the smiles as each person left, lovely memories of an enjoyable day.
Workshops planned for the future will include, cup cakes, chocolate, recreational cooking, beading, art courses, etc. If you would like to be advised of future courses you can register on www.justboutique.co.za

Launching our new shop

We made the most of the voting day public holiday yesterday by having the first of our two day 'Open Day' at our new venue in Fort Nottingham. A number of merchants have joined forces with us, thanks to Lara Edmonds of www.justboutique.co.za and these include Natalie Foss Jewellery, Gilly's shortbread, Di of Munchies, Marlene of Indigo Frames, Just so Hats, Feebie and Floyd, Coffee table books and recipe books from Nuts about books.

Delicious eats have been provided as well as sherry from 'The Wine Cellar', Rosetta, and coffee compliments of   Hirsch's who are giving all donations received to 'Reach for a Dream'. 

If you're free today, join us from 10am-6pm at our new premises, Hamlet of Fort Nottingham, 15kms from Nottingham Road. See you there

From Nottingham Road to the Vendee

Holiday Cottage in France To Rent

Looking for a retreat in France? - aren't we all! One of the residents in Nottingham Road is lucky enough to own this beautiful cottage in the Vendee and all the details are below if you are planning a trip to France. 

Birdsong from the wooded commune and the sounds of water flowing along the River Vie in front of " Le Logis de Dolbeau" create a tranquil haven to return to after a day spent at bustling beaches, markets and villages.
A perfect combination of a secluded holiday cottage with plenty of activities nearby.
Ours is a simply furnished French country retreat, offering clean and comfortable accommodation for 4 people.
This year the stages 1,2 and 3 of the TOUR DE FRANCE ( 2nd, 3rd and 4th July) take place in the Vendee, and within easy access to the cottage.
Rate: R4500.00 per week.

For additional information please log ontowww.holidaylettings.co.uk
Home number 129110
Contact Lindy on 083 412 9503 or 033 263 153