Life and Lemons

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brown plant and flowers

I cannot believe we are one third into 2021. It has been a whirlwind few months with many changes in our home… we are all still trying to adjust to a new normal. Children are far off at college, our house is quiet and we are adjusting to a so called new-normal. 2020 has shown us that nothing stays the same for long–rather, seasons come and go naturally with the predictable (and unpredictable) transformations that our world endures.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

– Alan W. Watts

The change of seasons excites me! Days are becoming shorter, evenings longer. I love autumn! As summer’s light dims and the leaves begin to fall, I like autumn’s reminder that a meaningful life isn’t only about productivity, but transition too.

Autumn is a time of beauty, of harvesting and of shedding the old. While autumn is a time of productivity, it is also a time of completion and transition.I love the quote that reads: If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.

Discerning the seasons of our lives isn’t always easy. The Book of Ecclesiastes says there’s ‘a season for every activity under heaven’ it is wonderful to know that our Lord is involved in all this too. God has tasks for us to do, seasons for us to do them in, and wants to guide us through each of them. I am reminded every day through this new season that it is all a choice- a choice to live expectantly. To live attentively. To live with significance. And embrace the seasons of life.

Breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit! And with all the beautiful lemons in season, I am tempted to bake these easy lemon bars. These are classic lemon bars featuring a soft butter shortbread crust and a tangy sweet lemon curd filling that’s baked to the perfect consistency. The lemon layer is thick and substantial, not thin or flimsy like most other lemon bar recipes.

Lemon bars are one of the EASIEST desserts to make but they’re guaranteed to bring a smile to your face; so bright and zingy with all the lemon flavour from the juice and zest, they’re simply irresistible! So Yes! When life gives you lemons- bake lemon bars!!

Recipe on page 2.

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The Earth Laughs in Flowers (and Hot Cross Buns)

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It is the most special week on our Christian calendar. Easter… a commemoration of Christ’s suffering , death and resurrection. How wonderful to be reminded of His love for us and that it wasn’t nails that held him to the cross but His love for you and me. And that He has risen. He lives!

I love the lyrics of the song “Because He Lives” written by Gloria and William J. Gaither.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives.

Easter is about family, faith and love. It is a time of togetherness and reflection. And wherever you find yourself this Easter weekend, chances are good there will be hot cross buns on your Easter menu!

The sanctity of hot cross buns, it seems, is bound up in our childhood memories: the innocent scent of yeasty, raisin-studded buns warming in the oven, redolent of butter, allspice and cinnamon filling the house. Growing up I could always count on my mom to bring home a fresh package of hot cross buns, the second they hit the shelves. Over time I followed her lead and toasted hot cross buns found their way into our Kalahari kitchen a week or two before Easter and vanish immediately after. (My kids are not too fond of raisins in their food but will endure and endulge in a hot cross bun at Easter!)


There isn’t one clear explanation for why hot cross buns make their way to our table around Easter. Some theories rest in Christian symbolism, though there are several stories (and even some tall tales) about their origins. Some talk about hot cross buns (which may have at one time been called Good Friday buns) being baked and eaten solely on Good Friday, while others mentioned them being eaten throughout Lent. But one thing is certain, over time they gained popularity, and eventually became a symbol of Easter weekend.

I know there are some great hot cross bun recipes out there, but as my two daughters and partners-in-crime-when-baking, are away at college, I will be resorting to store bought hot cross buns. And serve them with a twist. Hot Cross Buns French Toast. ( Recipe on page 2) Who can resist the smell of butter and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen on Easter weekend.

This is a quick and easy recipe and a crowd pleaser. And it is perfect for those left over buns, even long after the weekend. I wish you a blessed Easter. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow! – Aldalene

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The Best is yet to Come

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As I sit reflecting on 2020 on this last day of the year, I read Habakkuk 3:17-19 and my heart is encouraged.


“Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there is no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive fails
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
And there are no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;
I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army];
He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet
And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my [a]high places [of challenge and responsibility].”

Though 2020 was not the year we planned or dreamed about…

Though 2020 was a year with no hunters around my Kalahari Kitchen…

Though 2020 was a year of tears, disappointments, unrealised dreams and goals…

Yet, I will choose to rejoice in my Lord for

…a year of student children returning home for lockdown on the ranch

…early morning runs on the farm road

…late night bon fires under the starry Milky Way

…creating new recipes with my daughters in my Kalahari kitchen

…the opportunity for us as a family to reset, regather, refocus, grow.

Yes, 2020 was a challenging year but today as I reflect back, my heart is filled with joy, thankfulness and hope.

For the Lord is my strength, my source of courage

He makes my feet steady, even though the new year is uncertain and the future is unknown

He makes me walk with spiritual confidence on my high places of challenge and responsibility.

I am excited to journey with you as we face a new year with new possibilities, new opportunities, new friendships, new memories around my Kalahari Kitchen table.

Love Aldalene

Life’s not about expecting, hoping and wishing, it’s about doing, being and becoming.

Mike Dooley

Until you come home
I’m waiting for Christmas with you

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I cannot wait for this week! Lorene is writing her last school exam (ever!) and we are packing the car to head south… vacation time. After a year of restrictions, lockdowns,closed borders and not seeing loved ones, we are taking the dreaded Covid test and driving down to Cape Town for our summer and Christmas holiday.

I can already feel my mother’s hug and see my dad’s tears. I can already hear the bubbling excitement of cousins reunited, the crashing of waves outside my bedroom window…I can already feel the salty sea breeze on my face and the white sand under my toes. I am so ready!

Memories are made when gathered around the table.

The rusks are baked, the Rocky roads are made and the Christmas menu is planned. I am so excited to set my Christmas table and have my family gathered together on Christmas Eve. To set the stage for creating new memories, celebrating new and old traditions and honoring our Lord and Savior. I am looking forward to lighting the fairy lights and candles around the house and seeing the shadows dance on my children’s faces. To listen to Christmas carols ring out this special season. Because we are home…we belong.

I belong because I am loved….Yes! I have a Reason to celebrate life. He is my Reason. He is my Immanuel… despite these unprecedented. uncertain and unknown times… my God with us, now here in 2020.

So with much excitement and thankfulness, I am ready. Ready for Christmas and ready to create a home away from home this summer Ready to spoil my loved ones with a celebratory environment and an easy and delicious festive menu. Roast Lamb with some beautiful sides and then of course dessert.

My sides will be quick salads full of colour and flavor. It is summer and the days are long and warm, so what is better than a succulent roast lamb with this beautiful Cranberry and Spinach Salad. All the preparations are done beforehand and you toss the homemade dressing just before serving. I assure you it will be a great accompaniment to your Christmas table. A salad that balances sweet and sour with a good crunch from almonds and sesame seeds. Beautiful, easy and delicious.

Recipe page 2.

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What if, today, we were grateful for everything?

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Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away. I can imagine all my American friends are ready to slow down and take the time to gather with family and friends and reminisce on the months passed.

Yes, 2020 was a tough year. A year that challenged us as a family in more ways than one. But it was also a year of reflection, refocus, realigning priorities and rekindling family relationships. A year where we grew stronger together and where we were reminded to live attentively and thankfully.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

So take the time this Thanksgiving to STOP. LOOK. GO. Make a list of everything you can be thankful for…a Gratitude list. (Numerous studies have shown that the acknowledgement of gratitude is positively correlated to happiness.) Be intentional about thanking God and others for the blessings that come our way (daily!).

Eucharisteo-thanksgiving-always precedes the miracle.

Ann Voskamp

I know you are tired of lists, but I ensure you this gratitude list will be a list that puts a smile on your face. And then there are these super easy, gorgeous and delicious Cranberry Pecan Mini Goat Cheese Balls! Holiday entertaining has never been easier! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s! (Can be made in advance!) It will surely bring a smile to all your loved ones gathered together during this festive time.

One just has to love cheese balls. Sweet, savory…I love mixing and matching flavors and coming up with new and exciting combinations that will please friends and family.

This cheese ball is perfect as a party appetizer while you prepare the rest of your holiday feast! It’s completely low maintenance. Just fix it up, pull it from the fridge when you’re ready, and set it out with a bunch of yummy crackers for people to serve themselves.

For the festive season, the winning combination of cream cheese, goat cheese, white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, pecans, and chives come together for a pleasantly savory appetizer that is just as pretty as it is delicious.

Serve the mini cheese balls with a pretzel stick in them, as it makes them so easy to pick up and it looks cute too! I have covered the cheese balls in dried cranberries, chives, and pecans. I love how festive this looks! If you have an extra couple minutes, tie chives into bows around the pretzel sticks. Totally optional, but it gives such a Christmas feel to it!

I assure you your friends and family will go nuts for this make-ahead appetizer. And it will become a to-go-to recipe in your kitchen and a favorite on your gratitude ( and festive menu) list. Recipe page 2

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