Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Looking for something different for Thanksgiving dessert?
My friend Sandra Biehl made this dessert last year and I've been dreaming of it ever since!
In the true style of Sandra she didn't use Cool Whip, but real whipping cream. It looks beautiful layered in a clear glass trifle dish.
We were actually licking the bowl to get the last morsels it was so good !

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
Ingredients:
2 14-ounce packages gingerbread mix
1 5.1-ounce package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 30-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 12-ounce carton Cool Whip
1/2 cup gingersnaps (optional)
Directions:
Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, clear bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped cream. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a trifle or punch bowl.

Zambezi White Water Rafting

Our son Kristopher, and daughter in law Sarah came to visit us in South Africa. They are quite the thrill seekers! They wanted to jump off the second highest bridge in the world, fly across the Zambezi gorge and go white water rafting. No bungee jumping for me but count me in for the white water rafting! We navigated 23 class
3,4,& 5 rapids in 3/4 of a day. It was like the whole Colorado river in one day!
It was thrilling,exciting and scary. We flipped the raft completely over twice and I did some of the rapids by myself without the aid of the raft. Yes I did fall out!
I survived the experience to tell about it!

Chobe Game Park

We were also lucky enough to visit Chobe Game Park in Botswana. What a great adventure! The first morning we when out in a boat on the Chobe River . Talk about up close and personal!

We had hippos coming up next to the boat. Elephants crossing the river and frolicking in the water and rolling in mud. We even got to watch a new born elephant learning to walk! When the elephants crossed the river some were so small that all you could see was their trunk sticking out of the water! Too bad we missed that shot. That afternoon we went on a game drive and got to see these darling monkeys and the beautiful leopard. We saw lions staking a warthog and saw a lioness with her newly killed male kudo. It was just like we were watching the Discovery Channel or Planet Earth. We have been on several game drive now and I am amazed that it never gets boring.

Say Aahh
Cute family

This baby was only

couple of day old.

This is the way I look when I have to go to the bathroom!

And yes we saw the ever present crocodiles

just waiting for some animal to get too close to

the river!

Medikwe Slideshow

No these are not post cards from Africa. We actually took these pictures! Medikwe is a game park between South Africa and Botswana. We stayed at Mosetlha Bush Camp --kind of like going to girl's camp--No electricity, heat your water for a shower, and there was no fences between us and the animals! The animals roam free for hundreds of miles and you go out in open Land Rovers and try to find them. We spent 2 nights here and had a blast. The walkways were lighted with Keroscene lamps at night it was so magical and we had the delight of seeing the all the stars and the Southern Cross in it's full glory .Kris and Sarah came to visit us and I have to give them credit for helping me do the slide show and getting me inspired to Blog again! More to come!

Madagascar

Madagascar

Haven't seen the movie, but was actually there! We recently took a trip to Madagascar to visit the hospitals, clinics, and doctors. What a beautiful place! Madagascar is a large island off the eastern coast of Africa. It is French speaking as it used to a colony of France in the colonial days.

Antananarivo is the capitol city and built on hill. If you ever watched Amazing Race they had one spot here. The architecture is very French with cobble stone streets, beautiful ornate building, and small markets on every corner. Our Hotel was next a french patisserie and oh the great pastries, bread, and sandwiches. You would think we were is France.The country side is beautiful with terraced fields--they can grow anything here, and it is all organic. Road side stalls

Happy Birthday Doc!

Happy 57 th birthday to the Doctor!
Who would have thought that you'd be in Africa for your birthday? Oh maybe just about everyone that knows you and your lust for adventure.
It was a great day for the Doctor! He got two of the best presents he could think of.
Kris ( our oldest son) and mandolin player in the Bluegrass Band -- Fed Ex'd ( I'm sure at great expense) the recently released copy of Bluegrass Renaissance by the Red Mountain Bluegrass Band. For those of you that don't know, that was the band the doctor and his family played in before our departure to Africa.
Gavin our 4 year old grandson called -- Really Long Distant--to Grandpa and sang Happy Birthday to him over the phone. He also told him that he would get the shiniest coin out of his piggy bank and sent it to him for his birthday!
We sure love those Grand kids they just melt our hearts!

Interesting Names

Since being here in South Africa we have met a lot of wonderful people. The interesting thing is their names. The Malagasy ( those people from Madagascar) have the longest last names. Many have at least 28 letters in their last name. This is why you call them by their first names. ( Elder Sam or Sister Joan) The Elders and Sisters from Madagascar have to have a smaller font used on their name tags and in most cases Elder or Sister is the first line and their last name takes up the second line!
Here in South Africa they have very interesting first names--Here is my top ten unusual name we have run into---
Precious
Beauty
Zebulon
Ajax
Petunia
Queen
Princess
Prince--I guess Michael Jackson has used this one!
Gift
Blessing--this is a returned missionary who is the Young Men's Pres. in our Branch and is learning to play piano.
The next time we meet an Elder or Sister from Madagascar I am going to take a picture of their name tags!