Embracing Sacred Spaces: A Kalahari Journey (and some pie)

We are back in the Kalahari after a blessed Easter weekend spent with our children. The season is slowing changing. Mornings arrive gently, unhurried, as soft rain clouds gather and drift across the green savannah on the Kalahari. The landscape seems to breathe more slowly now. Even time feels less insistent.

By late afternoon, the sky begins its quiet transformation — muted golds deepening into burnt orange and soft reds. Autumn reveals itself not in sudden change, but in layered colour: in the fading light across the grasslands, in the long shadows stretching over the earth, in the hush that settles before evening.

As I sit and watch a storm forming in the distance, slowly moving across the open landscape, I am reminded of something I read in a devotional by Lysa TerKeurst. Yes, I always want to fill in the blanks, have all the answers, and find solutions quickly. But without the blanks in my life, I leave Him no room to enter and write His answers.

He does not make mistakes. He purposes the gaps.

And this thought lingers with me — not as something fleeting, but something that settles deeply in my heart.

He allows sacred spaces. Blank places. He leaves room.

And perhaps that is what these Kalahari afternoons are teaching me too. There is a particular kind of stillness here — one that cannot be manufactured or rushed. The wind moves slowly across the open land, the horizon stretches endlessly, and even the rain seem to pause before it arrives.

In these pauses, life feels uncluttered. Honest. Spacious.Sacred.

It is here, in the quiet in-between, that I find myself drawn to simple rituals. A pot of tea. A well-worn plate. Something sweet from the oven, made not in haste, but in rhythm with the land.

So, make this quick coconut pie with me. Brew your cup of tea, grab your journal, and sit with me. Allow the gaps. It is sacred spaces.

– Aldalene

GREEK COCONUT PIE

This Greek-inspired coconut pie is one of those nostalgic, old-fashioned desserts that never goes out of style. Golden, sweet, and beautifully coconut-rich, it sits somewhere between a custard tart and a syrup-soaked cake — simple ingredients transformed into something truly special. It is the kind of dessert that feels like home — comforting, generous, and made to be shared. Perfect with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

For the tart:

• 125 g butter
• 250 ml sugar
• 3 eggs
• 500 ml desiccated coconut
• 250 ml cake flour
• 15 ml baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 250 ml lukewarm milk

For the syrup

• 250 ml sugar
• 250 ml water
• 5 ml vanilla essence

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 30 cm tart dish.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the coconut, flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the lukewarm milk. Mix until smooth.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared dish and bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

1. While the tart is baking, prepare the syrup:
2. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla essence.

As soon as the tart comes out of the oven, slowly pour the warm syrup over it while it is still hot.

Allow it to soak in completely — this is what gives the dessert its signature moist, sweet finish.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous spoon of whipped cream.

Even in the vast stillness of the land, sweetness finds its own slow rhythm.