The shortest month of the year came and went in the blink of an eye. We had loads of wonderful game drive sightings, had some maintenance projects and also celebrated many staff birthdays. We experienced some strange weather patterns as well. We had very hot, humid days, some warm, windy days and ended the month with some cloudy days. It is noticeable during the evenings that the season is now slowly changing. The warm, humid nights are slowly being replaced by cooler, breezier temperatures. We can also notice the sunrise and sunset times changing a little more every day, as we slowly move towards autumn.

We received a very welcome downpour of rain around the 18^th. On the morning of 19^th of February we were welcomed by the all too familiar sound of flowing water. Yes, the magical Manyeleti river was flowing! Luckily, the majority of water from the catchment area came down through the night and we were not stuck on an island. After the lovely rain, the bush took on a lush green canvas. It is amazing what a huge influence rain has on the bush. We all know the expression ” the grass is always greener on the other side” Now, in our case, the grass is not only greener, but also much, much longer and the bush was bursting out of its seams! The herbivores are all in top shape with the abundance of food available and the animal sightings have been amazing. With the grass and trees growing so fast, our maintenance team, rangers and trackers spent some time keeping our roads clean from overhanging branches and grass. The rangers and trackers are out and about on the roads on game drive, so they know which roads need the most attention and where it is turning into a forest. It is essential to keep roads clear from overgrowth, in order to ensure a comfortable game drive for our guests. The last thing you would want to do when admiring the beauty of the African bush, is to duck and dive for branches along the road. Our maintenance team is also doing a great job maintaining our airstrip, clearing away any unwanted vegetation, which could prevent a smooth landing.

Out trapcam picture this month is kind of a family portrait. This picture shows a mother elephant with her two youngsters. Elephants are some of most social mammals. Older siblings will assist mom to raise younger brothers and sisters. The age gap between siblings are between four and six years and the females will stay together for life. During February the marula trees were dropping thousands of fruits, which was an absolute delight for these gentle giants.

February is a very busy birthday month at the lodge. Five of our staff members celebrated their birthdays this month. We started the month with our head ranger, Morné, who celebrated his birthday on the 1^st.  I am sure all of you are already familiar with him, reading his monthly Ranger’s Reports. On the 2^nd, our trusty tracker, Derrick, celebrated his birthday. Derrick has been part of our team for a few years now and he enjoys sharing stories of his childhood with us. Another gentleman who celebrated his birthday was Dion, on the 4^th.  Dion is also one or our trusty trackers, who always has a smile on his face! The fourth gentleman for the month was another of our trusted trackers, Chriswell, whose birthday was on the 14^th. Marlet celebrated her birthday on the 24^th. Although we do not see her every day as we used to, now that she is based in Nelspruit with the children, she still visits the lodge as often as she can and is still very involved with the day to day running of the lodge. Happy birthday to all of you! To all our readers who celebrated their birthdays during February, we hope you had a fantastic day, filled with happiness and laughter!

Each month our chefs spoil us with delicious new recipes from the EP kitchen. This month is no exception, with a delicious Camembert Phyllo pocket by head chef, Yolandi. The camembert can also be replaced with mozzarella cheese, if you prefer. These cheesy parcels are wonderful as a starter, or even an afternoon lunch snack.

Camembert Phyllo Parcels

Ingredients

3 Camembert Rounds
2 Phyllo Pastry Sheets
Melted Butter

Sauce

100ml Orange Juice
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 cup Sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cut the camembert round into halves.
Divide the phyllo pastry sheets into strips, a little wider than the cheese portions.
Place the camembert on the sheet and roll it, brushing it with butter at the end.
Place on a baking tray and brush with butter.
Bake for about 10min, or until golden brown.

For the sauce:

Add all ingredients together in a pot and boil until it thickens to a syrup type of sauce.
Serve your camembert parcels hot, smothered in sticky cranberry sauce.

Serve and enjoy!

All the best till next month,
Tersia Fouché

Like I always say: “Time flies, when you’re having fun!”   It feels like just a few days ago that we had our new year’s dinner and we are already going into the second month of 2018. By now, I am sure that most people are back home after the festive season. Some might be back at work and others at school. I wish everyone the best for 2018!

January was a very hot month overall and the rain we received was indeed a huge relief. One can almost hear the grass growing after the rain! We entered the new year with a bit of hail and ended this month with two very sudden and unexpected rain storms. Guests were still enjoying lunch outside on the deck and never expected to be caught completely off guard on game drive.   The rangers quickly made their way back to the lodge. Needles to say, it was a very wet return!

We saw loads of familiar faces around the lodge this month. It is always wonderful to know that guests enjoy their stay with us. What is even better, is when they return for a 2nd, 3rd or even a 4th time! I would like to thank each and every guest who returned, to visit us. It is great to build a relationship with our EP friends. If you visited our lodge in the past and would like to return for another amazing experience, please be sure to contact our reservation office. For those of you who have some short notice leave days, or an urge to come and relax in the bush, our live online availability tool will assist you to effortlessly make a last-minute booking.

Our maintenance team is making great progress with the current bush clearing project. Although we still have plenty of work to do, the current results are already making a great difference. We also have another project taking off soon. For this one, there is some renovating and exciting new developments happening. Although I would love to share the end result, we are rather keeping it as a surprise, to reveal once complete. Watch this space… it is coming soon!

This month we placed our trapcam on our delivery road, close to the lodge. I sometimes wonder if the animals know that they are being watched, because they seem to be on their best behaviour… Well, most of the time at least, as you can see. We often have baboons moving through our camp in search of the juicy marula fruits. They are extremely clever. The troop will sit under the marula tree and send two of the younger ones up to the fruit bearing branches. The youngsters in the tree will shake and jump on the branches, sending the fruit to below. The troop on the ground is then showered with the falling marula fruit. And there you have it – a fun, baboon picnic!

We celebrated only one birthday at the lodge this month. Happy celebrated his birthday on the first day of January. Happy is one of our tip top waiters and also assist in the bar from time to time. To all our readers who celebrated their birthdays during January, we hope you also had a fantastic day, filled with happiness and laughter.

Our recipe for the month is a mouth watering one! Chef Yolandi bakes the most amazing chocolate brownies. The great thing about these brownies is that they can be frozen for about 30 days after being baked. You can also add any topping of your choice, like almond flakes, nuts, cherries or even fresh fruit. For a kiddies’ birthday party, top with jelly beans for a fun, colourful treat.

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup Melted Butter
1 cup Cocoa
2 cups Sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
2 cups chocolate drops

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 15 cm x 30 cm baking tray with baking paper.
In an electric mixer, mix together the butter, cocoa and sugar till smooth and well combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure it is mixed in well. Then add the vanilla.
Mix the flour and salt together and add the flour to the wet mixture, making sure all the flour is mixed in, don’t over mix the batter.
Add the chocolate drops and mix just till combined.
Pour the batter into prepared baking tray and bake for 20-25 min.
Leave to cool down before you turn it out to cut.
Cut into square blocks.

For the Ganache Icing

Ingredients

1 cup cream
2 cups brown chocolate

Method

Add the cream and the chocolate together in a microwave bowl and put in the microwave for 6 min stirring it every 2 min.
Once the chocolate has melted, remove from microwave and let it cool down slightly.
Pour a spoon over each brownie and allow dripping off the sides.

Makes 12 brownies.
Serve and enjoy!

All the best till next month,
Tersia Fouché

December was a great month to end the year. We had lovely animal sightings, shared happiness and laughter over the festivities of Christmas and New Year and just before we said our last goodbyes to 2017, we received a heavy downpour of rain and hail.  Our New Year’s dinner was almost served on ice!

The rain we received was just enough to turn the dry Manyeleti river into a little trickle. Luckily, the weather cleared up just in time and the river did not pick up. We were definitely not looking forward to entering the new year with a flood.  After the rain, we were entertained by a choir of frogs singing the most amazing songs around the ponds and fountains. The sounds they make are so powerful that some of our guests were looking around for a radio playing the sounds.   We definitely had a fresh start to the new year.

During December I also travelled down to Cape Town for a short visit to Little Rock.  The guesthouse celebrated its first birthday during December and has truly transformed into a “house away from home”. Guests have been showering us with compliments on their stay.  Although the Cape area receive more seasonal travellers, we still often get enquiries for a relaxing stay during the quiet season.  If you are ever travelling on the garden route, be sure to visit the little piece of heaven next to the sea in Jongensfontein.  You will depart relaxed and refreshed; ready to take on the world.  For enquiries, contact Little Rock at [email protected], or visit the website to make a booking online www.littlerockguesthouse.com.

At the lodge things were buzzing as always.  Hendrik and the maintenance team are hard at work with a big bush clearing project.  They are spraying alien plants on our property, in order to prevent and control further spread during the wet season.  Our airstrip also received some TLC after the rain and is back in top condition, ready for the flights arriving with our guests.  After the baby boom last month, we have plenty of “oo’s” and “aa’s” and “it’s so cute” flying around camp.  The impala population has doubled and the little ones are truly super adorable when grouped together. It can almost pass as an impala day care centre around Elephant Plains.

On the 25th and 31st, our team did a wonderful job decorating the dining room for Christmas and New Year’s dinner.  The chefs once again went over the top with a wide selection of meats, salads and a heavenly dessert buffet. Thank you to each and every guest who chose our lodge to celebrate these specials days and a special thank you to each and every staff member who gave their 100% during the holiday season. We truly appreciate it!  For those of you who travelled during the festive season, near or far, I hope you had a wonderful time and a safe journey home. During December we also had a lot of children in camp.  Elephant Plains is one of only a few child friendly lodges in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin and we enjoy having the younger generation with us. If you would like to treat your family to an African bush experience in 2018, be sure to contact our reservations team for availability and rates at [email protected].

Our trapcam caught a small dazzle of zebra moving along the road close to the resident hyena den.  The picture truly shows the positive effect the rain had. The bush is lush and green and the animals are in a great condition. Now who would have expected to find a zebra crossing in the middle of the bush…?!

This month we celebrated only one birthday at the lodge. Little Martin Swart celebrated his birthday on the 11th. Martin is a busy body, but can melt your heart with his friendly smile.  We trust he enjoyed his special day! To all our readers who celebrated their birthdays during December, we hope you also had a fantastic day, filled with happiness and laughter!

Our recipe of the month will definitely knock you off your feet! Thank you head chef Mia for sharing this amazing recipe with us.  This decadent piece of happiness was one of the items on our Christmas dinner menu. I cannot imagine a better dessert to end off a warm African day.

Christmas Meringues

Ingredients

150 g Egg whites
150 g Castor sugar
150 g Icing sugar
5 ml Cream of Tartar

Method

Preheat oven to 120°C.
Cover a baking tray with foil and spray with Spray and Cook.  Draw circles on the foil to use as a piping guideline.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks.
Add the castor sugar to the egg mixture and continue to mix until the stiff peak stage. The mixture should have a glossy white colour.
Fold the icing sugar and cream of tartar into the egg mixture.
Pipe the mixture on the foil circles.
Bake in the oven for 25 min.  Switch off the oven but leave the meringues in the oven.  Do not open the door.  Leave in the closed oven for about 3 hours to gradually cool down.
Your meringues can now be filled with any topping of your choice.  We used a freshly whipped cream filling and topped with berries.
Makes 12 individual servings.

My wish for each and everyone for 2018 is a year full of peace and happiness. Let’s grab 2018 by the horns!

All the best till next month
Tersia Fouché

The final countdown has arrived… just one more month until we welcome the new year. With the bush now once again wearing its bright summer colours, we are looking forward to an eventful summer! Game viewing has been amazing and with all the new babies that were born during this month, there was never a dull moment. We also ended the month with a few very welcome cool days and rain. The forecast going into December shows some very hot days. If you are visiting us during the next few weeks, please be sure to pack your hat and sunscreen. Each year November, we have a “birding day” at the lodge where our staff members form a team to compete against our next-door neighbours, Arathusa Private Lodge. This has become a yearly tradition, with the winning team being awarded a birding trophy. This is always great fun! The competition does not have a lot of rules and the main goal is to identify as many different bird species as possible, between 05:00am and 07:00pm. So, between these hours, if you see or hear it, you can claim it! Last year, Elephant Plains won the competition. This year, we were unfortunately defeated by 4 species, but we accepted our second place with great pride. With the birding trophy displayed in our reception area, we are already looking forward to next year, when we can hopefully once again engrave our own name on the plaque, as the 2018 winners.

This month we started a big maintenance project at the lodge, behind the scenes and a few feet above the ground… We are giving our thatched roofs a little makeover. What does this all include, one would ask. Well, think of it as going to the hair salon for a cut, colour and blow-dry. As thatch roofs age over the years, the top layers of grass start to rot and they take on a pale, black appearance. Sometimes a roof can also develop a small leak, due to our resident vervet monkeys sometimes pulling out blades of grass, while playing on their self-discovered jungle gyms. Firstly, a special brush is used to remove all the rotten pieces and straighten the grass back into place. Just like brushing your hair. On some of the places, bundles of grass are also replaced where needed, to cover the thinning spots. Lastly, the edges are neatly pushed back into place, leaving the roof looking brand new. It is quite amazing to see the contractors in action. What a big difference a good brush can make! We are done with the main lodge area and the majority of the rooms. Just a few more strokes and all the roofs will be good as new again.

With the active hyena den on our property, it is hard to resist the temptation to spy on them. The trapcam was placed at the den and in a very short period of just 4 days, the memory card was completely filled up with 2700 pictures. We now have a very good idea of what their daily activities are: eat, play, sleep, repeat. This month we had only one birthday at the lodge. Helen celebrated her special day on the 29th. Helen is part of our lovely team of housekeepers, keeping our lodge in tip top condition. Happy birthday Helen, I am sure there will be many more to come! To all our readers who celebrated their birthdays during November, we hope you also had a fantastic day, filled with happiness and laughter! This month, sous chef Yolandi, shares a mouth-watering recipe. Red Velvet Cupcakes are perfect for that special afternoon tea with family and friends.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

160 ml Cake flour 100 ml Castor sugar 1.25 ml Salt 5 ml Cocoa 1.25 ml Bicarbonate of Soda 100 ml Sunflower oil 60 ml Buttermilk 1 Egg 15 ml Red food colouring 1.25 ml White vinegar 1.25 ml Vanilla 

Icing

50 g Soft butter 60 g Cream cheese 250 ml Icing sugar 2.25 ml Lemon juice/ a little squeeze of a lemon to taste and/or 2.5ml vanilla

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Prepare your muffin tin by lining each hollow with a paper case. In a bowl, sieve together the dry ingredients (flour, castor sugar, salt, cocoa and bicarb) and set aside. In another larger bowl, mix all the wet ingredients (oil, buttermilk, eggs, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine. Spoon into your cupcake cases, filling each to 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. In the meantime, prepare your icing by beating the butter and cream cheese together with a wooden spoon until well combined (about 3 minutes).   Gradually add the icing sugar, beating all the while, until it forms a smooth icing.  Adjust the consistency by adding a little more icing sugar if required. Then add the lemon juice and/or the vanilla to taste. Makes 6 Large Cupcakes. Serve and enjoy! As our next report will only be sent out in early January, I would like to wish each and every one of our readers a joyful Christmas and only the best for 2018. Whether you have a holiday planned, or are just relaxing at home with the family, do make the best of every second and travel safe! All the best till next month Tersia Fouché