Golden Oldie

It's April already!  I cannot believe that it has been five years since my first arrival in Cape Town this month and I was celebrating my 21st birthday downtown at a club where Prince Harry was spotted!  I will be 26 this month, wow!  When I was a kid, I remember playing house and thinking 26 was so OLD.  And yet, here I am.  Birthdays make one reflect on the years that have past, decisions made, accomplishments and failures, joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams for the future...

We are enjoying our last days of summer, as autumn is here!  The fall time in Cape Town reminds me of an Indian Summer in US, where you can feel the nights are getting cooler, but you are still blessed with warm lovely days, while the leaves are starting to change colors and drift to the ground.  I've decided to take advantage of these days and be outside as much as possible!

The best part of having a kid is you get to be a kid yourself.  Every stage comes with different forms of play and creative expression.  This toddler stage is all about discovering new textures, colors, cause and effect.  I decided to experiment with art with Sophiya and it was so entertaining for us both!  Finger paint and a big sheet of paper was all we needed for this project, and we had such a blast!  I didn't realize that we were going to experiment with body art as well, but that ended up being the highlight of the day!

 

 Sophiya is also in love with all animals, any shape or form.  We have adopted a pet tortoise from the previous owners of the house we live in, whom we've named Cera after the dinosaur from Land Before Time, who roams freely through our garden.  She often is hidden in the foliage, but every couple weeks she emerges and we run out to feed her some of her favorite foods, namely apples and cucumbers.  Sophiya thoroughly enjoyed snacking on her apple slices with her pet tortoise. 

 The end of summer also means the end of some of my herbs from my garden.  Since Sophiya is such a fan of picking plants from my garden, often not when I actually want her to, we worked together to get a large batch of basil collected to make some fresh pesto, one of her favorites!  She is starting to understand so much now when we ask her to do something like "help" with laundry, unloading the dishwasher, handing over an item or toy.  It's the asking her not to do something that she isn't quite getting yet, hopefully she'll catch on soon, but I think this will be a challenge for years to come...

She is learning so quickly, her little brain is a sponge.  Even though she has a couple words in her vocabulary so far, she is trying to communicate the best she can.  She knows parts of her body, eyes, nose, mouth, feet and most importantly SHOES.  She LOVES shoes, to Dad's dismay.  She can hold up one finger when you ask her how old she is too, so clever!  It's amazing how everyday she is capable of grasping a new concept, forming the words for language and the ability to interact.

Though I don't miss the harsh winters of Minnesota,  I am secretly delighted that much milder, rainy Cape Town winter is around the corner.  There is something charming about getting cozy with the ones you love by a fire and eating food that warms your soul.  One of my favorite winter dishes is risotto.  Risotto is a time consuming meal though, it's not something you can throw together after work quickly.  It takes patience and finesse, but the end product is scrumptious and well worth the extra energy.  Plus, you have to stir it so much you are more than likely going to get an arm workout, so a bonus for the cook!

Roast Butternut Squash, Spinach and Sage Risotto

 1.1 Liter Stock (homemade chicken stock preferrably!)
1 knob butter
2 tbls Olive Oil
1 Large Onion
2 clove garlic
1/2 head chopped celery
400g risotto
2 wineglass white wine
salt and pepper
parmesean
large handful spinach, stemmed and washed
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Sage

Optional additions: 
Pan-fried Pancetta/Bacon
Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola

Roast Butternut/sage in oven at 180C for 20-25 min, until squash is soft

Heat Stock
In a Separate pan heat oil, butter.
Add Onion, celery, garlic, fry slowly on low heat for 15 min
When soft, add risotto and turn up heat
Keep stirring rice, when translucent add wine
Once wine is cooked, add one ladle of stock at a time until absorbed, turn down heat to simmer
Stir, ladle, stir, ladle, repeat, repeat until arm feels like it's going to fall off!!
Cook until soft
Remove from heat, add butter, butternut, spinach (for extra flair: pancetta/bacon and/or blue cheese/gorg)  Let sit for 2 minutes before serving.  Risotto should be creamy and thick, not soupy.

Enjoy with glass of wine!