{"id":216,"date":"2008-09-09T05:46:19","date_gmt":"2008-09-09T09:46:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/?p=216"},"modified":"2008-12-27T13:04:39","modified_gmt":"2008-12-27T17:04:39","slug":"day-85-south-african-simplicity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/?p=216","title":{"rendered":"Day 85: South African Simplicity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our much needed \u2018vacation from our vacation\u2019 is over now and we\u2019ve settled back into simplicity here on the farm. Only now we\u2019re kickin\u2019 it at the Alpha Excelsior Farm versus the de Pakhuys Farm next door. <\/p>\n

And life couldn\u2019t be simpler in Liz and Connie\u2019s charming 2-person Weaver\u2019s Cottage. Like our previous accommodations in the de Pakhuy\u2019s Blokhuys, there is no TV, no radio, and no neighbors. The cottage is very private, set far back from the main farm area and cute as a button. Not only does the little structure keep the rain out with an authentic thatched roof, but also comes equipped with a cast iron cookstove! The stove is the cottage\u2019s only form of heat. <\/p>\n

Having grown up as a child with wood heat and dinners simmered on the cookstove, I was beside myself with excitement to try our\u2019s out….immediately. Majority vote (between Paul and myself) landed us on preparing chicken and dumplings on our next rest day.<\/p>\n

Typically, the simplicity of our rest days match that of the quaint cottage. We wake up when our eyelids open (not when an alarm goes off), leisurely prepare and enjoy a nice breakfast together (not quick-kiss one another goodbye and grab a yogurt to slurp up on the commute to work), maybe check our email or read our books for a couple hours, and perhaps, if we need groceries for example, head into Clanwilliam and spend an hour or two in one of the town\u2019s coffee shops. Then around early evening we usually start planning and preparing our rest day feast; always the highlight of every rest day that can last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.<\/p>\n

Up until now, most of our rest day feasts have been braais: meat and veggies or potatoes cooked over an outdoor fire. But now with our little cookstove, we were eager to try something new.<\/p>\n

Around 6pm or so, Paul gathered some wood and started up the stove. Luckily, the temps are still dropping quite cold in the evenings, so our wood stove served a duel purpose, both dinner and warmth. I pulled our little hen out of the fridge and got to work. <\/p>\n

After much waiting and simmering and waiting, around 8pm the chicken stew was just about ready for adding the dumplings. Having actually never made chicken and dumplings by myself (only helped, or usually just watched, my mother prepare the dish), I was a bit nervous of how the meal would turn out. All this waiting and simmering and waiting! Please get fluffy you little dumplings, PLEASE.<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes later, I lifted the cast iron lid and peered inside, giving one dumpling a firm little poke with a fork, prying it open just a tad to check it\u2019s fluffiness. Holy cow. I can\u2019t believe it. I did it! Absolute chicken and dumpling PERFECTION cooked over a cast iron cookstove just like my momma used to make. I might as well have sent a v10 that night, beaming from ear to ear, proud of my accomplishment. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

So, this is what it\u2019s like to live the simple life; my day\u2019s only crux being the task of preparing a delicious meal with my loved one. I think I could get used to this.<\/p>\n

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\nWeaver\u2019s Cottage, Alpha Farms<\/p>\n

\"\"\n<\/p>\n

\"\"\n<\/p>\n

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\nPreparing our rest day feast<\/p>\n

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\nChicken and Dumplings<\/p>\n

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\nPerfection!<\/p>\n

posted by arr<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our much needed \u2018vacation from our vacation\u2019 is over now and we\u2019ve settled back into simplicity here on the farm. Only now we\u2019re kickin\u2019 it at the Alpha Excelsior Farm versus the de Pakhuys Farm next door. And life couldn\u2019t be simpler in Liz and Connie\u2019s charming 2-person Weaver\u2019s Cottage. Like our previous accommodations in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apadventures.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}