Life, Seasons and Muffins

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tiny white flowers with dried leaves

August in the Kalahari is not the most beautiful time of year. The savannah landscape is dry and dusty, the wind relentless, and the sunsets, while striking, are tinged with a haze. Yet, even in this raw, untamed season, there is life, movement, and anticipation.

Life is a lot like this August landscape. There are seasons that feel harsh, uncertain, or barren. But even then, we can hold fast to the promise that “there is a season for everything, and He makes everything beautiful in its time.” As the beautiful (and a family favourite) song by For King & Country (2024) reminds us:

“And You make everything, everything beautiful You make everything, everything new You make everything, everything beautiful In its time, in Your time, it’s beautiful.”

Just as the Kalahari is preparing to bloom again, so too do our lives unfold in God’s perfect timing. Each gust of wind, each swirling dust cloud, each fiery sunset is a reminder that beauty is coming—even if we can’t see it yet.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.- Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

In this season, I love to pause and savor the small joys that make life meaningful, even amid the dust and wind. There’s the delight of my daughters visiting home for a week, filling the house with laughter, stories, and warmth. The quiet evenings under the stars, when the vast Kalahari sky stretches endlessly above and the world feels still, are moments of peace and wonder. There’s the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread and muffins.

These small joys are gentle reminders that even in a season that is rugged and unpredictable, there is goodness, provision, and an expectation. Just as the Kalahari endures the wind and dust to bloom again in time, so too do our lives hold beauty in every season.

The Kalahari in August may not be the most beautiful, but it is a season worth embracing. And every season of life holds the promise that He will make all things beautiful in His time. (Recipe for Bran muffins on next page)

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My Weekend Plans Involve You ( and dessert)

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What a super relaxing weekend… the first summer rains fell and the girls and I were cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Sunday lunch with friends allowed for some must needed socializing. No Sunday lunch is complete in Southern Africa without Malva Pudding for dessert. Rain or sunshine, winter or summer, this dessert is a favorite in our Kalahari kitchen. Loved by family and friends, this old South African classic will soon become a regular dessert on your weekend menu.

Malva pudding, also called malvapoeding or marshmallow pudding, is a traditional South African dessert. It is a sweet pudding recipe with a yellow sponge drenched in a decadent sauce. Generally, it also contains apricot jam, which is a classic ingredient in South African cuisine.

With over 180 000 results in Google – this pudding is a South African legend – and can be found in nearly ALL South African cookbooks and on dessert menus countrywide. Every family has their special version of this recipe and no one’s Malva Pudding is as good as what your grandmother used to make!

Desserts are the fairytales of the kitchen; a happily-ever-after to supper.

Terri Guillemets

This Malva Pudding recipe is an age old version of the ever so popular ones that you can find anywhere online. Sweet, sticky and super easy to make, this dessert is easily made from your store cupboard basics. Yes, this is my grandmother’s recipe with a twist. A happily-ever-after for three generations.

I love to add another South African favorite by adding half a cup of Amarula Cream to the cream sauce that is poured over the dessert after baking. Amarula is a cream liqueur made from the nutritious marula fruit only found in the Sub-Saharan African countries of South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe. If you cannot find Amarula ( it is available on Amazon!) just add the same equivalent of cream to your sauce. I only pour half of the sauce over the baked dessert and then serve the rest of the sauce on the side.

This dessert is mouthwatering served with homemade custard or vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy this South African classic!

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