Remarkable Women ~ Part Two: My Tuscan Experience

I have met so many remarkable women. This is a series about women that are not famous or infamous, but they are hidden gems of society and deserve attention. Some of them have gone through severe trials and hardships, and still do, but they have risen above their circumstances and still see and enjoy the beauty in life. In the previous post I visited my girl friend Silvia at her Tuscan style home in Naples, Florida, USA and decided to do another post on her because I knew you would enjoy another afternoon of cappuccino and tea at her beautiful home...

Silvia made some German flower cookies and we enjoyed it with fresh strawberry and berry jam that she made.

It was wonderful relaxing and enjoying each other's company at this beautiful table ...

She has the most beautiful tea cups and it was difficult to choose a cup to drink tea out of...

It felt like we were in Tuscany with this beautiful view...

Pepper enjoying the sunlight! She is one of the sweetest and friendliest cats I have ever met...

Room with a view...

We sat at this cozy fireplace in the hot Florida summer while she put the air conditioning on cold. It was quite an experience...!

All images taken by me

Remarkable Women ~ Part One: My Tuscan Experience

I have met so many remarkable women. This is a series about women that are not famous or infamous, but they are hidden gems of society and deserve attention. Some of them have gone through severe trials and hardships, and still do, but they have risen above their circumstances and still see and enjoy the beauty in life. It was with great excitement and anticipation that I drove to my girlfriend Silvia's Tuscan style home in Naples, Florida, USA to enjoy an afternoon of tea, cappuccino, sweet treats and good company.

When I walked through the large wooden doors of her beautiful Tuscan home I was received with so much warmth and love! I immediately felt at home and when I walked into her inviting kitchen with yellow sunflowers, rich golden-mustard faux walls, wooden cabinets, and beautiful architectural details, my senses were awakened and my soul fed.

In the oven were home-made croissants. On the island was a tray set with beautiful porcelain tea cups, a fine tea pot with hand painted butterflies and a silver milk jar and sugar bowl. I couldn't help to feel special when I saw all the preparation that went into it. What a memorable  occasion it was!

Cappuccino, home-made croissants and fresh cherry jam.

Silvia went to culinary school in Germany and baked this delicious cheesecake!

We relaxed by the poolside enjoying each others company, drinking cappuccino and hot tea. When we tasted the cheesecake with cream we did not even think about the calories. We just enjoyed the moment!

One of the most important things to me in life, is how you treat people! I feel we should all treat people with respect and love. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, what matters is whether you make someone feel special and important. Silvia went out of her way to make me feel special and loved, she treated me like a queen and therefore is a hidden gem of society. When there are days when life does not go the way I planned and things are tough, I will sit back, relax and remember this special afternoon I enjoyed at her beautiful home.

All images taken by me

Health Rusks

I just love rusks! Most of you probably won't know what a rusk is. The Wikipedia definition for a rusk is a hard, dry, biscuit or a twice baked bread. I would say it is very similar to a biscotti, but not as sweet!

We eat our rusks after we have dipped it in a cup of hot tea or coffee! Rusks can be eaten for breakfast as a late morning or afternoon snack, or even when traveling when you stop for a coffee or tea break. There are quite a selection of rusk recipes out there but this one is my favorite recipe. For years my parents bought these rusks at a home industry shop in South Africa. My dad tried his best to get the recipe from the owner but she never wanted to share the recipe with anybody. However, one day, she told my dad that she has sold her business and was leaving town. She said she would give him her recipe! Today, I have the recipe neatly filed and I treasure it. My dad has since passed away and I have such great memories of us dipping rusks in a cup of hot tea and enjoying the moment!

Ingredients:
6 cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups wheat bran
3 eggs
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup raisins
four 4-oz sticks (16 OZ or 1 LB of butter)
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups of sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 350*F.  Butter a 11 x 16 inch baking pan. Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the wheat bran, coconut flakes, and raisins and mix.

Melt the butter and add it slowly to the mixture. Beat the eggs, buttermilk and sugar together and add to the wheat bran mixture. Mix well. Put the mixture in the baking pan and press gently to level it.

Cut into pieces before you bake it.

Bake it for 35 to 45 minutes. It should be a golden brown on top. Let it cool down and cut again and take the pieces apart. Put the pieces into two baking pans and put it in a 200*F oven to dry out. After two hours turn all the pieces around and dry out for another two hours. Let it cool down. Make some hot tea or coffee and dip the rusks in the tea or coffee. Enjoy!

All images taken by me

Bees, Honey And Tea In Our Garden!

Spring is around the corner. I noticed this week when I looked through our kitchen window how busy the bees were collecting pollen from the blossoms on our lemon and orange trees.

Honey bees, what beautiful little creatures!

Hard at work...

Sweet and healthy honey...!

Relaxing in our garden with a delicious cup of hot tea and lemon...

A yellow jacket bee on a lemon tree blossom

A honey bee on a lemon tree blossom

All images taken by me

Scones With Spinach, Feta And Sun-dried Tomatoes

I love scones and decided to make something different this morning when I woke up. I normally make plain scones that we eat with strawberry jam and cream but I decided on savoury scones for today! It took a little bit longer to make because the spinach needed to be cooked, the sun-dried tomatoes chopped and the feta cheese crumbled. My dear husband loved it and to my surprise our fifteen year old son as well! Our twelve year old daughter didn't say anything because she has a sweet tooth like her mama! I liked it but have to admit that after the first one I cut an end piece with no savoury on it off of another scone, went to the refrigerator and got out the strawberry jam! If you tend to have a taste for more salty food you will love this! Enjoy...scones are a joy of life!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 extra-large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk

150 gram spinach, washed and stems removed
1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 450*F. Lightly dust a baking sheet with all-purpose flour. Cook the spinach until soft, transfer to a sieve and drain well by pressing out the water. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Lightly whisk the egg and add the buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and cut in with a knife to form a soft dough. Gently shape the dough into a ball and put it on a lightly floured surface. Flatten slightly so the dough is about one inch thick and cut out large scones using a glass or large biscuit cutter. Arrange the scones on the baking sheet, leaving enough space in between them for rising. Brush with a little milk. Mix the drained spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese. Make a hollow in each scone and spoon a little of the spinach mixture inside. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until nicely risen, done and golden brown on top. Serve hot with butter and extra feta or cheddar cheese if desired.

Scones with strawberry jam and cream above. I made the basic scone recipe and added half a cup of cheddar cheese.

Enjoy the scones with some hot tea!

All images taken by me.

Lemon Picking In Our Garden

We had some freezing temperatures this morning in Florida and by this afternoon I just had to get out into the sun. With a basket in the one hand and my camera in the other I went out into our lovely garden and picked some lemons. What a privilege and joy of life it was to pick some lemons in my own garden! I am so grateful that I could do that and would love to share some pictures with you...

An orange tree can be seen in the background...

I just love lemons and I have discussed the health benefits of lemons and extra virgin olive oil in one of my earlier posts in this blog at http://thejoysoflifeingrid.blogspot.com/2009/12/natural-anti-aging-and-health-remedies.html

May you have a wonderful and blessed 2011!

All images taken by me