Author: Yvette

Amaryllis in Blueberry

Published by

Amaryllis in Blueberry ***** (excellent) by Christina Meldrum “In Meldrum’s intoxicating first adult novel (after 2010’s Madapple) a family undertakes West African missionary work only to find its members profoundly transformed. Polish-American pathologist Dick Slepy lives with his bohemian wife, Christina “Seena,” in Danish Landing, Mich. They have four daughters, each following the other by two years. There’s pretty Mary Grace, now 18. Mary Catherine is “always-obedient” and pious, whereas Mary Tessa is a “trouble-maker-in-training,” and the precocious Amaryllis, their youngest at 11, is an “emotional synesthete,” who tastes, smells, and otherwise “consumes” the pain, rage, love, or joy of others, and is suspiciously dark-featured. Fearing that his wife is having an affair, Dick seeks the council of his local priest, Father Amadi, who suggests the Slepys take a mission to West Africa to help his nephew, Mawuli, run an aid organization. They go, but the mission is anything but the salve Dick had hoped for, and one event after another…shove the family into deep crisis. With every chapter, Meldrum jumps viewpoints and shifts time …

Texture Tuesday – free & easy eDition

Published by

With every crack and chipped painted wall, (signs of a child, who hung posters on her wall), there’s something about returning to the four walls of a house, you call ‘home’. Reminiscing of many good times and sad ones, having the comforts at your fingertips and your Mum, home cooking and wanting do do everything for you, just as it was when you were a small child. I’m enjoying the Easter break holiday vacation time, relaxing with my camera and a couple of good books. (novels and a few inspirational cookbooks), writing up my next school programs and catching up with long time friends. Photographing the last of Mum’s flowering rose blooms, capturing them in the early morning stream of light from a window for a Texture Tuesday shot. Experimenting with composition, and light sources, and learning my new camera. Just a little time for me.(sigh!) I love the transparency of the rose petals… Beautiful roses,and just a little subtle texture. Free and Easy for this weeks Texture Tuesday. Linking to Kim Klassens Cafe. Have …

A kind of Beautiful

Published by

It’s time to face the music… self portrait It’s been a changing moment…or is it just one point that I’ve arrived at before, started and then found a different direction. Are we ever happy with the now? I’ll do that when…I’m feeling happy, when I’m ten kilo’s lighter, when I meet the right person, when! , when?, when. Let’s just start living the now. I’m at this point again, lift my head high and face the music, however this time I’m writing the music and my own lyrics. Start enjoying every little ‘moment’. Enjoy the company of family, the company of friends, but most importantly know who that person in the mirror really is, the reflective you. With all the extra lines of time, the freckles, the blemishes. My journey with Kim Klassen and Beyond Layers, ( Beyond Layers II registrations now open) has been just that a journey of peeling back so many emotions, so many feelings, grasping for air, a ray of sunshine or a falling tear. Beyond Layers is 52 weeks of …

A golden egg

Published by

My Easter parade has been full of chocolate eggs, chocolate and ooooh some more chocolate, so I thought I might take a break and do a couple (maybe one, as it’s Wednesday)  recipes away from the chocolate. I’m always on the look out of mix and matching some of my favourites together, or maybe and ‘old’ fashioned recipe given a little bit of a face lift and ‘new life’ on the plate. Here it is, the humble boiled egg. Side by side with one of my favourite salads.. Read on to see the recipe…

Easter Revisited #1

Published by

What better way to spend the afternoon with the warm sunlight reflecting off the windows, and surrounded by pastels, feathers, eggs, nests and mouth watering chocolate sweets. I found this old English china, not your usual fine, elegant designs and motifs. Plain, no designs, no gold trims, no embossing, just plain, hardly any markings.J EG. Meakin Glamour Celeste, Glamour Jade. But I couldn’t resist taking a few photos and making the cups and sauces, plates and bowls come alive with radiant pastel colours and charm. Perfect for an afternoon tea. What better way then to celebrate Easter with all these soft pastel colours. Egg Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Fairy Floss pink and Glamour jade. But to me they are all treasures, just because of their pastel colours. The plates and cups blend into a beautiful calm and playful group of colour – p a s t e l s. Another special treat for Easter, chocolate coated bunnies. This recipe is so much fun, just for the little ones. Another easy recipe for Mum to make and …

Chocolate Rocky Road Eggs

Published by

I know, aren’t they cute! And great fun to make for the children as a special Easter chickadee treat! Chocolate eggs filled with delicious home made rocky road.Chocolate,marshmallows,nuts and glazed cherries. Recipe: Chocolate Rocky Road Eggs 1 carton (14 eggs) chocolate hollow eggs 1 packet of glazed cherries (coarsely chopped) 1/2 packed of mini marshmallows 1/2 packet pistachios (coarsely chopped) 100g milk chocolate (melted) 2 cherry ripe bars 1/2 cup of shredded coconut 1 packet sugar coated Easter eggs Yellow and Black tubes of coloured icing Preparation: Firstly gently cut the chocolate Easter eggs in half. If eggs break put aside for the melting process. Melt 50g of milk chocolate, working quickly, place a dollop of chocolate on baking paper on a tray, place the half chocolate cup into the chocolate making a base for the chocolate cup. Refrigerate chocolate cups until mixture is ready. Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over boiling water on a medium heat, add the cherry ripe bars, and when melted stir in the rest of the ingredients: mini …

The Violets Of March

Published by

The Violets of March **** (Good Read) by Sarah Jio I’m linking to Jain at Food for Thought and Mary at Home is Where the Boat is, please go and check out their book review, and if you’re interested in reading and baking this is a diverse way to create..just email these lovely ladies for the years book list to join in. Now to this fabulous book… This book is a mix of romance, love, secrets and family history. A book that has you hooked from the beginning, and one that I read over a weekend. Soaking up the romance of young love, and intrigued by making my own endings, and hoping for the happy one.This book was captivating. This book is about Emily who is trying to find herself, and by visiting her  great Aunt, she falls under the magical spray on Bainbridge Island, to not only find new love but solve the secret mystery within her family. “Mix a love story, history and a mystery and what takes root? The Violets of March, …

Layered Macadamia White Chocolate Slice

Published by

This little slice looks divine, tastes not too sweet, but somehow takes a little longer in the time department, so set the morning free to spoon and swirl in the kitchen. Just to get it right! Because it’s a little winner… It’s full of all those ‘yummy’ ingredients,coconut, treacle, butter, chocolate and the decadence of nuts, the macadamia Follow me for the recipe…

Marshmallow Velvet Cake

Published by

Hello Lovelies, I’ve really missed these times of creating in the kitchen, and believe it, this is my first recipe of the year. A wonderful ‘fluffy’ start to the countdown to our most chocolaty time of the year – Easter. My mind is whirling with recipes and creative threads for Easter, and time allowing I hope to show you a few in the upcoming days and weeks…It’s not long so that means for us here in the southern hemisphere our first holiday break. And I’m so looking forward to it! Marshmallow red velvet cake, smothered in mascarpone frosting, half with coconut and the other with mini white marshmallows. Served with Arabic coffee. This truly is a luscious moist velvet cake recipe…