About/Editorial Policy

EDITORIAL POLICY:

This blog is the personal blog of, and authored by, Colleen Grove. It was created with the intention of sharing recipes, advice, tips and ideas with like minded readers on the web. This is a family blog with family appropriate content.

There may sometimes be guest posts written by other bloggers with the same interests but these posts will be clearly defined as guest posts. The topics on this blog may sometimes be  home and family related but will mostly (at least 90% of the time) cover food related topics….anything that Colleen cooks or bakes in her home kitchen which she believes is of interest and worth sharing with readers on this blog.

Photographs will usually accompany all blog posts as the author believes that the eyes feast first! All photographs that appear on the blog will be taken by the author herself (unless otherwise stipulated) using a Canon Powershot SX20Is or Canon EOS 1100D. All recipes that appear on the blog will be tested and tried by the author and tasted by family and friends who share her food or baked goods in her home. Wherever possible all recipes are edited and checked for typing errors before posting.

The author may sometimes post restaurant, book, event or product reviews. The opinions stated are those of the author only. If products have been supplied free of charge to the author these will be declared in the relevant blog posts. The expressed opinion of said products, books, events or restaurants in relevant blog posts are, however, the honest and personal opinions and views of the author. She will not, under any circumstances, accept payment to write positively about products that she feels negatively about. These products will be discussed with the relevant companies or businesses and will not appear on the blog.

Comments written by readers in the comments sections are the opinions of others!

COLLEEN GROVE: 

This be me!

“I am just me, a South African living in the beautiful little seaside town of Fish Hoek which is situated on the False Bay coast (Indian Ocean) about 45km from the city centre of Cape Town. I blog about my home life and the goings on in my kitchen. I am 61 years old, an imperfect Christian with Jesus as  my role model and I try to glorify Him in what I do, I am fun-loving with a good sense of humour, fairly easy going, very loving & compassionate, a nurturer by nature, a nursing sister & midwife in a long ago career life, married to the man I love for almost 36 years now. We share 3 adult children, I am grandmama to gorgeous Tyler & Jayden, I love animals and currently have Tasha the hound sharing my living space and life, sometimes even my bed, especially when winter arrives!

I am a lover of anything food related, enjoying baking, preserving & cooking, trying out new recipes, I mostly never stick to a recipe but am always testing (I call it pimping) and tasting! At the grand old age that I am at now I am discovering new foods that I love, like prawns (sue me, I was never adventurous before!), sushi, squid just to name a few! I stop though at eating bugs of any kind (well…..I guess prawns COULD pass for bugs but I stop there!) and offal. I am a food blog addict, started reading and lurking on food blogs in 2002 and started my first blog, Kitchen Diary (which I still maintain now and again) on the South African blogging platform food24.com, in July 2008, never thinking of the far reaching effect it would have on my life.

At the end of 2009 I took the plunge and organized the first ever South African Food Bloggers Conference  which took place in Cape Town in March 2010 and which was a dizzy success. The South African Food and Wine Blogger Indaba followed that in February 2011, June 2012 and February 2014. God willing, more Indaba’s will follow. It is such an honor & privilege to be involved with a community of like minded, passionate and fabulous people. Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me and I am embracing it with wide open arms and eyes. Blogging led to me winning a couple of competitions with my recipes and this in turn led to me being given a contract with ClemenGold to do some product development for them during the latter half of 2011. Did I mention you are never too old to learn new things? It has become my mantra! And pushing the boundaries to your comfort zone can be quite thrilling and challenging!

My hobbies include knitting, reading, walking and photography (food, nature & of course my grandsons). I am an avid sunset chaser and love photographing sunsets and La Lune…that shining cool lady of the night! Moonbeams attract me….

I believe that a sense of humor is essential to living a happy life and this will show in my writing and I hope it will help you as much as it helps me. Feel free to interact with me. I welcome comments and constructive criticism!

Welcome to my world…….enjoying brownies is optional, tasting life is imperative!”

Colleen

69 Comment on “About/Editorial Policy”

  1. Marisa 19/04/2010 at 10:18 am

    Pimping nogal? 😉

    Great reading a little bit more about one of SA’s favourite food bloggers. The new blog looks great!

    Reply
    1. Colleen 19/04/2010 at 4:33 pm

      Hehe….you know me Marisa!! Thank you so much for your kind words. Much appreciated x

      Reply
  2. Madmom 20/04/2010 at 10:32 pm

    Found your new blog – love it, Colleen.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 20/04/2010 at 10:58 pm

      Hey MM good to see you this side. Thank you so much for popping in to look and I am very glad to hear that you like it. Thanx. xx

      Reply
  3. Jamie Who 21/04/2010 at 3:26 pm

    Hey Colleen,

    The site looks beautiful. I’m a big fan of clean design rather than cluttered. Kicking things off with Le Creuset definitely does both parties justice!

    Congrats.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 21/04/2010 at 4:06 pm

      Hi Jamie, good of you to pop in and take a look around. Thank you so much for your comment and encouragement. Much appreciated.

      Reply
  4. New Attitude 23/04/2010 at 10:27 am

    I love your look brownigirl..:-)

    Reply
    1. Colleen 23/04/2010 at 5:18 pm

      THank you so much sweetie. Good of you to visit. Take care and have a great weekend xx

      Reply
  5. Jo 30/04/2010 at 6:53 pm

    You are my food HERO, O Captain, my Captain! xxx

    Reply
    1. Colleen 03/05/2010 at 11:29 pm

      Welcome to my humble new abode groupie. Its lovely to see you here…thanx Jo xx

      Reply
  6. janice Tripepi 02/05/2010 at 8:06 am

    Wow – i am loving scouting around this Worldpress goodie!

    Reply
    1. Colleen 03/05/2010 at 11:31 pm

      Thanx Jan, it seems pretty OK to me…Im happy here and even more so seeing all my visitors popping in. Thanx so much for that xx

      Reply
  7. Cocoa 02/05/2010 at 6:35 pm

    I seeeee you 🙂

    Reply
    1. Colleen 03/05/2010 at 11:32 pm

      I see you too Taz….welcome :o) xx

      Reply
  8. Markella 06/05/2010 at 1:10 pm

    Hey Browniegirl. What a beautiful blog. You make me want to go home and cook!!! Well – I always want to go home and cook – but more so!

    Reply
    1. Colleen 08/05/2010 at 10:16 pm

      Haha welcome Markella to my new blog home. I do hope you will pop back and see whats up here. And enjoy that cooking. Hugs xxx

      Reply
  9. d1 18/05/2010 at 2:49 pm

    It is I- Psychic Cook – Remember me???? i still visits , as you can see and I have found you again!!! I will be a regular now.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 18/05/2010 at 3:59 pm

      EEEEEEEK!!! d1 how could I ever forget you sweetie??? Welcome to my new abode. I am thrilled out of my socks to see you!!! So glad to hear from you and know that you are still around…YAAAAY!!! 🙂 xxx

      Reply
  10. Lizanne 10/08/2010 at 4:19 pm

    i did not know you were once a midwife… so you are someone I can keep in mind for advice 😉 Love the blog…

    Reply
    1. Colleen 10/08/2010 at 6:16 pm

      Hehe, amazing what you get to know about someone if you go behind the scenes Lizanne….thanx so much for taking the time. And thank you for the compliment. I am here if you need me!! :o) xx

      Reply
  11. Claire 26/09/2010 at 2:47 pm

    Just discovered your site and will keep checking, I have duck at home and can’t wait to try your Mandarin Duck Breast Verlaque with Citrus Ginger Soy Glaze. I am also curious to find out of about the name Verlaque. My great aunt was married to a Verlaque in the Seychelles and then moved on to the UK.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 26/09/2010 at 3:58 pm

      Thank you Claire. Always good to welcome new visitors. Much appreciate your comment. If you would like to know more about the Verlaque name I could put you in touch with the lady who owns the company. Just drop me a line to my email address collywolly50(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk and give me yours then I can put you in touch with her. Thanx and let me know how the duck breasts turn out.

      Reply
  12. Natalie Glinister 03/10/2010 at 10:30 am

    So this is where you hide out in your “spare time”. Great recipe, i LOVE anything with Cheese yum xxx

    Reply
    1. Colleen 03/03/2011 at 10:10 pm

      Hey Natalie, good to see you visiting this side. Thanx so much for the pop in and the comment. Hope you come back again…xx

      Reply
  13. Caylee 20/04/2011 at 10:44 am

    Hi Colleen !

    I have been following you on Twitter for a while but have only met your blog now. It’s gorgeous. I have subscribed and will be having a proper look through the RSS feed for recipes to try. Right now my favourites seem to be the Mediterranean Stuffed Squid and the Lamb Kleftiko. Mmmmmmmmm. The lamb would be perfect for Easter… I might just give it a try.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 21/04/2011 at 1:36 am

      Hi there Caylee. Welcome to my blog! And thank you so much for your lovely comment. I truly appreciate the feedback and love interacting with my readers. So glad that you like what you see. I will be popping over to visit you as well now that I am finding more time to do a bit of blog browsing again. FBI has been taking up all of my time up to now! Enjoy the recipes. The Kleftiko is an awesome recipe for sure and perfect for easter. I am going to make it again with a whole leg for Easter Sunday xx

      Reply
  14. Cat 01/06/2011 at 4:01 am

    Hi Colleen–didn’t know where else to put this, so I stuck it on your About page. Thanks so much again for the Kleftike recipe! I am sorry you don’t have access to the giant couscous–I only learned of it a few years ago at a potluck and am absolutely addicted. If curiosity ever gets the best of you, I’d be willing to mail you a packet/box as a thank you..kleftiko recipes were kind of hard to find!

    Reply
    1. Colleen 03/06/2011 at 2:31 pm

      Hi Cat, how absolutely super of you to come back and do this. I so appreciate it and am so happy that you liked the Kleftiko recipe. I would absolutely love to try the giant couscous! Will send you an email. Have a great weekend xx

      Reply
  15. mustbewrite 18/07/2011 at 11:23 am

    Hi Colleen. I’ve been dipping in and out of Browniegirl, love it and all the delumcious recipes and photies. What is your new blog – I’d love to have a look. Go well and grow strong. Ciao

    Reply
    1. Colleen 18/07/2011 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Sandi, thank you so much for that lovely compliment. This (browniegirl) is my “new” blog. The original one where I started blogging 3 years ago is Kitchen Diary and you can find it at http://blogs.food24.com/kitchendiary Thank you for the good wishes. xx

      Reply
  16. sunsanddaughters 08/08/2011 at 11:42 pm

    hi just discovered your blog and it looks so great!!
    i see you like Nomu, check out a friend’s homemade video about the hot chocolate – but be warned, have some ready to make, as you’ll want some after watching!!
    please copy and paste into your browser
    http://vimeo.com/26963080
    thanks and keep up the great work!!

    Reply
    1. Colleen 28/08/2011 at 4:48 pm

      Thank you so much for the comment and the link. I had a look…its awesome! And yes, I love NoMu products. They are awesome, quality products xx

      Reply
  17. Shel 11/08/2011 at 11:50 am

    Such a lovely blog, glad to find more SA bloggers!
    Shel

    Reply
    1. Colleen 28/08/2011 at 4:49 pm

      Hi there Shel, thank you so much. Yes, I also do enjoying finding SA bloggers. Will pop over soon xx

      Reply
  18. Maureen 22/08/2011 at 10:50 am

    hi colleen, love ur blog!

    -maureen (a food blogger in Singapore, the sunny island in asia)

    Reply
    1. Colleen 28/08/2011 at 4:50 pm

      Hi Maureen and welcome, Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Hugs to you in Singapore xx

      Reply
  19. Ulanda 30/08/2011 at 12:43 pm

    Hi Colleen,

    I’m writing from a digital ad agency. We would love to get in touch with news and press releases on behalf of our clients, Robertson’s & Knorr.

    Would you kindly provide us with an email address we can use to get in touch?

    Kind Regards,
    Ulanda

    Reply
  20. Colleen 30/08/2011 at 8:09 pm

    Thank you for the visit Ulanda, I will email you!

    Reply
  21. Nancy Curteman 13/09/2011 at 9:26 pm

    Colleen,
    Great blog site!
    Thank you for your comments on Global Mysteries about Cape Town. I agree with you. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and certainly is one of the greatest tourist attractions, as well as a lovely place to live. I saw this first hand when we visited your city. However, like New Orleans, one of my favorite U.S. cities, it is named on most lists of the the 10 most dangerous cities in the world. Simply do a search for the most dangerous cities in the world and you will find it. I believe its beauty and culture trump its dangerous areas in the minds of tourists. In the Paris metro, I barely missed having my wallet stolen right out of my fanny pack. This unfortunate incident doesn’t even figure in my decision to revisit Paris. When visiting any cosmopolitan city (New York, Paris, London, Cape Town) tourists need to be alert.
    I look forward to visiting Cape Town again in the near future. I could never get enough of your wonderful city and its fascinating history. I’d love for you to share your personal views of Cape Town.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 19/12/2011 at 2:34 pm

      Thank you for your visit to my blog Nancy and for commenting. I know all the good and bad about my beautiful country. Just find it difficult to believe that it is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. We are in agreement though that it is one of the most beautiful and very glad to hear how much you enjoy it and look forward to visiting it again. Have a great Christmas!

      Reply
  22. Mary 15/12/2011 at 7:23 pm

    Hi Colleen,
    Congratulations and great to see you organized a blogging conference her in SA. I would love to attend the next one…if there is a next one…so please put me on the list. I am a Canadian living in Cape Town blogging about food and sustainability so would love to connect with food bloggers here…thank you and hope to meet up soon.

    Reply
  23. Colleen 19/12/2011 at 2:52 pm

    Hi there Mary, thank you so much for your visit and comment. Yes, there will definitely be more Indaba’s. The next is being planned for June 2012. I look forward to meeting you sometime. xx

    Reply
  24. Karin Vermeulen 08/02/2012 at 11:30 am

    Hi Colleen

    Please could you forward the next Food Bloggers Indaba details to me at Stellenbosch Slowmarket. We definately would like to participate this year.
    admin@slowmarket.co.za

    Thanks
    Karin Vermeulen

    Reply
    1. Colleen 08/02/2012 at 11:03 pm

      I certainly will Karin, thank you so much! Look forward very much! xx

      Reply
  25. John Conrad 27/03/2012 at 3:41 pm

    Hi There again Collen,

    I am contacting all food bloggers and other foodies in Cape Town to tell you about an exciting competition launched for our client – Rhodes Quality.

    Rhodes is looking for the top home chef, who can cook up a storm with stock from his/her pantry. If contestants make it past the first stage, they might be whisked to the Rand Show to show off their skills and could win their share of R100 000 in prizes. The South African Chef’s Association will be overseeing the cook-off, and will do all the chopping and preparing of your ingredients before you cook. REAL food magazine’s editor -Nandi Twala, will be right there by your side with her cooking tips.

    If you would like to promote the abovementioned competition to your readers, here is a link to the competition page: http://www.rhodesquality.com/competitions/we-are-looking-great-cooks

    Hope you will enter too!
    Let me know what you think about the competition and if you will be entering.

    Kind Regards
    Johann F. K. Conradie

    Reply
    1. Colleen 04/04/2012 at 10:27 pm

      Hi there Johan, I am sorry if you have contacted me previously I did not see any comment. Unfortunately this is not something that I can participate in but I am happy to promote it on twitter and facebook. Thank you!

      Reply
  26. Diana 01/04/2012 at 11:27 am

    Hi, I am doing a review of your awesome blog for our newspaper. Please can I have the best way to contact you for some comments to add to the article.

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    1. Colleen 01/04/2012 at 1:37 pm

      Thank you for that lovely compliment Diana. I have emailed you xx

      Reply
  27. Stephan Nell 06/04/2012 at 7:49 pm

    Hi Colleen

    Can I please have your email address?

    Reply
    1. Colleen 06/04/2012 at 9:10 pm

      I have replied via email Stephan thank you x

      Reply
  28. ohmegapb 16/04/2012 at 3:03 pm

    hey colleen! your blog was recommended by one of our enthusiastic customers and would love to chat about some recipe ideas. shoot me an email when you have a minute 🙂 thanks! cindy

    Reply
    1. Colleen 16/04/2012 at 3:30 pm

      Hi Cindy,
      I will email you now. Thank you!

      Reply
  29. Jakes (@j8kes) 17/04/2012 at 12:42 pm

    Hi Colleen, I’m putting together a food blogger list for Cape Town could you pop me your email to jakes@go4word.co.za and add your Twitter handle if you have a active account. You can find me @j8kes on Twitter if you want to get hold of me quickly.

    Reply
  30. Kelly 24/04/2012 at 1:25 pm

    Hi Colleen, Please could you send me your email address. Many thanks.

    Reply
  31. farmingfolk 16/06/2012 at 9:59 pm

    Hi Colleen, I’m brand new to blogging and still have ridiculous amounts to learn but I am delighted to have chanced upon your fascinating and inspirational blog – I am a South African farmer, avid kitchen gardener and am happiest preparing food for family and friends – I look forward to reading more….

    Reply
    1. Colleen 17/06/2012 at 1:42 am

      Hi there and let me welcome you to my humble blog and to the whole blogasphere where the world is your oyster. Thank you so much for your beautiful comment. I so appreciate it. 😉 Will be around to read your new blog asap. xx

      Reply
  32. Roger Norminton 12/07/2012 at 1:52 pm

    I knew a Lewis Verlaque (ex Seychelles) both in Kenya in the sixties, and later in the UK,
    Unfortunately I cannot recall the date but I know that Lewis died following a collapsed lung. He was an architect in Nairobi, also a Black belt at Judo, Private licence pilot, and Nairobi Go- Kart Champion, amongst other things. He had a pretty close likeness to Yul Brynner !,
    Regards, Roger Norminton

    Reply
  33. Phumela 24/07/2012 at 3:03 pm

    Hey Colleen I’m really interested in your blog and would love to discuss a few recipes and opportunities with you, could you please pop me a mail so that i can also have your email address. Thanks so much

    Reply
  34. Kevin 25/07/2012 at 10:54 am

    Hi Colleen, can you please drop me a mail with your details, id like to send you some information about a food show happening in Sept. kevin@darkhorsecommunications.co.za

    Reply
    1. Colleen 14/08/2012 at 12:20 am

      Thank you Kevin, have emailed you

      Reply
  35. Jildaz Beddiaf 26/08/2012 at 11:11 pm

    Hello Colleen,

    I have friends visiting South Africa from Vancouver for the first time this fall (your spring).
    They will probably spend most of their time in the Cape Town area. Do you have any recommendations for wineries to visit, braai BBQ place(s), and on the beach restaurant to offer? My friends are adventurous so the more local the experience the better.

    Thank you so much

    Reply
    1. Colleen 09/09/2012 at 3:19 pm

      Hi there, I sent you an email with some suggestions for your friends. Thank you for your enquiry!

      Reply
  36. Ilse van der Merwe - The Food Fox 01/10/2012 at 12:34 pm

    Your new site looks beautiful, Colleen! Congratulations! I especially love the calm colours. 🙂
    Cannot wait to see what you’ll be cooking up next. My favourite still remains your Bete Noir. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Colleen 01/01/2013 at 2:57 pm

      Ooooooh that Bete Noir!! Yes……that’s a fabulous cake 🙂 Thank you so much for your lovely comment Ilse, much appreciated. I have been a disappointment of late to my readers but I will remedy that now that its a new year….and a new me! Happy New Year to you 😉 xx

      Reply
  37. Ev Thomas 14/11/2012 at 1:47 pm

    Your new site looks amazing.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 01/01/2013 at 2:48 pm

      Thank you so much Ev, apologies for not replying sooner! Happy New Year xx

      Reply
  38. Anneke de Clerk 20/11/2013 at 7:33 pm

    Hi Colleen. I love your blog and all the beautiful photography. It has inspired me to start blogging again. Will certainly be dropping by on a regular basis and trying some of your mouth watering recipes.

    Reply
    1. Colleen 30/12/2013 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Anneke, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I am always so happy to get positive feedback. I haven’t blogged in a while (due to some circumstances beyond my control) but your comment has inspired ME to get back into it and now is a good time seeing as it’s the start of a new year. Happy 2014 to you! xx

      Reply

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