A box of Goodness

On my mission to eat healthier, I have started to purchase boxes of organic vegetables from Wensleydale Organic Farm. It is 45km from Johannesburg. They deliver at various drop-off points and then we collect. The closest one for me is in Kensington.

I am still learning about organic food, but definitely understand the benefits.

“The word Organic means ‘living’, and in practical terms, this means natural food that is grown and processed without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Nothing unnatural is allowed so there are no growth hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, dyes, chemical coatings or irradiation allowed. There is no genetic engineering allowed in organic foods.

Organic food is nothing more than pure nutritional food – the way it used to be.”

The box is full of green goodness (and some colour too).

The box included: eggplant, butter lettuce, spring onion, beetroot, corn salad…

Naartjies, Broccoli, baby spinach…

Radishes – how good do these look?

After reading a post (eating our way to death, literally) on Think Simple Now, I have decided to gradually undergo a slow transition into becoming a vegetarian. I already only seldom eat red meat, so I don’t think it will be that difficult. I think the hardest will be to give up cheese, as I really do love cheese, but I now understand that it is just as dangerous as meat and the cruelty that the cows go through is enough to put me off.

What are your thoughts on vegetarianism? Do you know any great recipes?

My First Homemade Chicken Pie

Last week I made my first homemade chicken pie. I didn’t use a recipe and used pre-made pastry (a little shortcut I hope to correct with learning how to make my own pastry).

I’m not a gourmet cook at all, so I don’t own a rolling pin. Faced with the challenge I quickly looked for an alternative… Then I remembered reading on Emily’s blog “Inside a Black Apple”a few weeks ago and she used a wine bottle, so I proceeded to do the same.

I used a Durbanville Hills  Sauvignon Blanc wine that we bought when we went wine tasting on our honeymoon in 2007. And it worked really well!

We enjoyed the pie so much, David even had a second helping…

I put a special “D” & “K” pastry lettering on the top for David and Kerry – its silly I know…

The knife you see in the photo is from a little shop in Paris, (I should post that photo, when I find it) that I bought especially as a cake knife for your wedding, which was a little quirky.

The tea towel was a gift, not sure who made it, but I love the vibriant pink!