Category Archives: Lets Picnic…

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Big boy’s Birthday surprise!

This blog is not only about recipes and photography, it is about ideas i like and inspirational people in my life. Evelyn is one of those creative, inspirational, artistic friends….. when she plans a party, it will be different and as we can see in this “Big boy’s Birthday surprise” post, a great idea does not always have to cost a lot, it is the IDEA that counts, the different’ness from the rest….

About a year ago, Evelyn told me that she want’s to surprise her husband and his cycling friends with a picnic high up in the mountains… when Evie wants to do something, she makes it happen, and what better time to do it on the morning of Albert’s birthday. The friends who went cycling with Albert on his Birthday got more than what they bargained for, and Albert got a “new bike” from his friends and family about 5 minutes before the start of the ride.

I assume I don’t have to say how much fun me and Evie had, rushing up the mountain, getting the table ready before the first cyclists arrive at “the spot” we told them to cycle past…

Luckily we were very high up and could see them coming from far…

A quick stretch by the “Dr” on hand….

Let me tell you these guys could not believe their luck, i am sure they all thought that they also want a “birthday, cycle, picnic surprise” for their birthdays…. Evie, please keep these ideas coming, it is THAT DIFFERENT IDEA and the little bit of extra effort that makes memories forever like this one surely will be….

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Melon, Parma Ham and sweet balsamic sauce

Summer Picknicks at the dam, or snazzy party snacks….. these parma ham and melon parcels just works, time after time, such a pity the melon is seasonal, but papaya works as well as long as it is sweet and firm…

You will need:
One Melon, cut into small size slices
Thinly sliced parma ham, enough to have wrap around the melon
125ml white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup chopped mint

Make the sauce in advance by cooking the balsamic vinegar and castor sugar for about 10 minutes, until it’s thickened.
Let the sauce cool and place in a jar or container, ready to travel to your picknick destination. The sauce needs to cool down.

Cut the melon and wrap the parma ham around it, keep in fridge until needed, even better if you cut the melon in advance and wrap the parma ham while plating at your destination.

At the picknick spot, whip out your white platter, i always take my white platter with me, visual visual visual…. wrap the parma ham around the melon, sprinkle mint over and drizzle with sauce.

The sauce is a real winner, you won’t be able to keep your fingers off the platter….

Picknick at the dam…

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Decadent Caramel yumminess….

Ingredients:
250g margarine
1 tin caramel condencemilk
500g icing sugar
2 t instant coffee mixed with 2 t boiling water
1 t vanilla
2 packets crushed Marie biscuits.

Melt margarine and caramel, don’t boil. Add sifted icing sugar and mix.
Add coffee and vanilla and crushed Marie biscuits, don’t crush it too fine…..

Spread in flat tin, +/- 30 x 15 cm but any baking tin you can cut in.
Cut in SMALL blocks, 2 x 2 cm and place in fridge for 2 hrs till set.

Once set lift out with spatula and store in fridge.