I think it is safe to say that we have plenty of mangoes at the moment. Lots and lots. And we just can't seem to get enough of it either.
Summer equals mangoes in this part of the world. And mostly we just like them as they are: Ripe and juicy, eaten sliced with the juice dripping down your arms. We really go through dozens in a season. And often that is what we will have for lunch on any given day.
But occasionally I get to safe a few and do something with it in the kitchen too, apart from slicing it and eating it myself.
It was my turn recently to take eats to an orchid meeting, which always seems to happen at times when time just does not seem to exist. I needed a cake and fast. I thought of a Nigella cake I once made with orange pulp and just knew that mango will be a good substitute. The beauty of using mango though is, that you need not boil anything beforehand as with the orange. Just slice (and don't eat) and process.
This is the kind of cake you can get your kids to make on a sunday for tea. Really simple, yet fruity and moist.
Today was a day of goodbyes and airport hugs. The kind that is always accompanied by a few teary sobs and a few weeks of heart ache. My sister and her kids went home to Canada today after spending six weeks here with us; never a happy event.
We spend the morning taking photographs and playing in the garden. Her son adored the space and freedom of spending time in a country with abundant sunshine. He wanted to be outside all-day, everyday, chasing the chickens, climbing trees, picking flowers and seeds and riding his bicycle. So that was what we did this morning before going to the airport.
My son, E was so sad to see his little cousin leave, heartbroken almost. They became as close as brothers and spend hours together. Distance is always harder for the little ones to grasp. He has no concept of the size of the earth and always asks inquisitive questions about geography. He wants to know if Canada is further than Johannesburg or Durban. He wants to know if you can drive here or have to fly there. He is trying to get to grips with the fact that his new best friend can suddenly disappear for years at a time. Little does he know that we adults struggle with the idea too.
I thought that a day like today needs a bit of colour and cheer and therefor made little cheery raspberry muffins for breakfast. The first batch was pretty standard with apple grated into the mixture. But then the mango on the counter looked too appealing and I made another batch with mango.
Muffins are the sort of thing that you can throw together on a busy morning in less than half an hour from start to finish. And it always surprise me that something that requires so little effort can yield so much reward. You have to try them, you know you want to.
