Wow! What happened to the year!? It feels like it was only yesterday that 2015 started and now we only have two months to go before the end of the year. I guess you can say “time flies when you’re having fun!” There is always lots of fun to be had in the bush.
We had a little bit of rain during the month and the bush began transforming to its summer colours. Bright flowers are also starting to bloom on some of the trees. We had some very hot days during October and more rain will be very welcome, as it is almost time for baby season in the bush. During the next month, we will start to see newborn impala, wildebeest and zebra around every corner, as there are loads of expecting females, just waiting for the perfect time to introduce their precious little miracles to the African bush.
The lodge is looking amazing as the Bougainvillea’s are in bloom. The trees have bright green leaves and the gardens overall have taken on a fresh, summer look. With summer here, we also see a lot more caterpillars, butterflies, insects and reptile species around the lodge. One reptile species that we see more often now than a few weeks ago, would be snakes. I was very fortunate to see a Zambezi Garter snake one morning on my way to the Luxury Suites. While walking on the pathway, I came across a beautiful black and white snake. At only about 15cm long, his beautiful little body had me in awe! At first, we were unsure of the species, as it is not a common snake to our area. Our trusty snake guide pushed us in the right direction. What an amazing sighting. We learned that this little snake is non-venomous, not very common to our area and mostly moves around during the night. They will avoid contact with humans and hardly ever become aggressive.
The open area in front of the lodge has transformed into an elephant sanctuary! It feels like every day, 10 minutes after we beat the drum for lunch, the herds in our area start making their way towards the waterhole in front of the lodge. Our guests have been overwhelmed with their peace and grace, as they move past. Some just stop for a quick drink, while others submerge themselves in the fresh water to fight off the heat. With our resident hippo also in the water, there are some days where the two species do not get along very well, as Mr Hippo is not very open to sharing his waterhole. I have seen him chasing zebra and impala all around the waterhole, before grumpily moving off into the bush.
We had three staff birthdays at the lodge this month. A big happy birthday goes out to Tannie Margie, who celebrated her birthday on the 6th of this month. On the 8th Khanyisile celebrated her birthday. Khani is the short, friendly waiter, keeping our guests entertained during meals. The 10th day of the 10th month was a very special day for Hendrik, who celebrated his birthday on this day. Hendrik is our own DIY maintenance man, keeping the lodge and surrounds in tip-top condition. I do hope that you all got spoiled on the day, and hope that you will celebrate many more joyful birthdays at Elephant Plains. To all our readers who celebrated their birthdays during October, we hope you also had a fantastic day, filled with happiness and laughter.
This month we said goodbye to one of our staff, head chef Reimond. Reimond decided to make his way southwards, towards Citrusdal, a small town in the Cape area. We wish him all the best and I am sure he will have many joyful days in his new kitchen. We have a new head chef joining our team during November and we are all waiting to welcome him to our team.
This month, sous chef Henk is sharing a traditional South African recipe. The ever favourite Jan Ellis pudding. I still remember this warm baked pudding as a little girl in my grandmother’s kitchen. It is similar to Malva pudding, but this one has an interesting twist.
Pear Baked Jan Ellis Pudding
Ingredients
375ml Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Apricot Jam
2/4 Cup Milk
2/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tbsp Softened Butter
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
5 Pears Peeled and Cut into slices
Dissolve the baking soda in the milk. Mix all the other ingredients together, then add the milk and mix well until smooth. Place the cut pears in the baking dish. Pour the mixture on top of the pears and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180°C or until a skewer comes out clean.
For the Syrup
1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1/2 Cup Cream
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Grated Orange Zest
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
Caramelize the sugar in a pan and temper with cream to form caramel. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. Pour over the bakes pudding and serve with custard.
Serves 6
All the best till next month
Tersia Fouché