memorablemeanders.blogspot.com

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Local Laundry Service and Home-made Apple Pie

If you click on the above photo to enlarge it, you will see me entering the laundry

Every evening my husband and I stand on our first-floor balcony and watch the world go by in the street below. Ever so often, we'd see someone come from the side street to our right carrying newly washed and ironed laundry. My husband deduced, correctly, that there was a laundry just beyond our vision. Together we decided that I should take a couple of his collared shirts to be laundered, in so doing, support the neighbourhood businesses.

Here I stride purposefully down the street from the laundry

On Monday I took the shirts across and while chatting to a debonair young gentleman, I asked whether I could take photos. He smiled broadly and said yes, but a second later, an elderly man shook his forefinger in my direction with a firm "la-la"/ no-no. OK, so no photos. I was quoted SDG2 / US$.80c for both items, and told to collect my laundry the next day.
Off to the spaza shop to buy fruit juice

When I went to collect the laundry on Tuesday afternoon, I waited while a young male - earphones in his ears - put the final touches to the shirts. He was using a coalfilled iron and bobbing to the music which only he could hear. Then he placed the crisp, still-warm shirts in my outstretched hand while I paid him with my other.

Crisp and beautifully laundered shirts
On Wednesday I discovered two Granny Smith apples in the vegetable crisper of my fridge. They looked as though they should be turned into apple pie and that's exactly what happened to them. The recipe for this easy and delicious apple pie comes from my dear young friend, Lynda of Tanzania. When I went back to find the recipe, I saw it was the second-ever post I did on this blog. (I had baked Lynda an apple pie! Crazy people: bloggers -ha-ha!) You can read about this here.

Above and below photos are of the apple pie I baked here at home yesterday. It was delicious.

Melt-in-the-mouth pastry filled with sweet baked apples, raisins and cinamon. Give the recipe a try - you'll be glad you did!

17 comments:

  1. How wonderful to find a good laundry service nearby, less housework. ;-)

    Hope you saved me a piece of pie. I'm not much of a baker. Sure looks good.

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  2. And they say apple pie is american... (One of the most annoying assumptions ever, by the way.) It looks like you have been busy. I wonder if I could talk you into sending me a slice... I wonder if it would survive the post...

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  3. Hi Gaelyn, I think we'll be in SA the same time as you (I am sincerely hoping so) and I'll bake you a whole apple pie!

    Hi Grant;) I've read that the Germans claim the fame of Apple Pie. I would love to send you a slice. I don't know what the North African postal service is like!

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  4. Looks delicious.What luch to find a laundry nearby.

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  5. I love the crisp shirts & the crisp apples, Jo. So glad that you like the recipe !
    xx

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  6. Yes, diane a real "find" although it was under our noses all the time!

    Hi Lynda, you're so clever, I missed that one: crisp shirts/apples. well done. Yes, the recipe is still my favorite.

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  7. Jo: Neat story of the laundry and the results of your trip. That pie just looks delicious. It is funny how people in different parts of the world are afraid of photos.

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  8. Thanks, Tom. In other African countries I've experienced just that: fear of being photographed. Thanks for popping in.

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  9. Hi Jo, They did a great job with the laundered shirts, didn't they???? AND--I love Granny Smith apples. I'll bet that pie was the BEST.... Yummy!!!!

    Have a great day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  10. Hi Betsy;) the shirts looked so neat when my hubby put them on. There is still half the pie in the fridge, if you care for slice! (((Hugs))) Jo

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  11. I have a mountain of ironing to do and would gladly take it to your laundry. Oh, and the pie? YUM!

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  12. LOL Loran send it over, it won't cost much either as you can see by what I was charged for two items...

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  13. Hi Jo, the shirts look as if they came out of their original bag!
    I like the virtual apple pie and have written down the recipe.
    I don't 'like' housework but do it because I have to and if I can find a good excuse (like gardening) I don't!
    "God sends rain so gardeners can catch up on the housework"

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  14. Yummy apple pie. I like to try baking really:).

    Looks like a wonderful adventure out there Jo.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Enjoy.
    Blessings.

    XO

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  15. Hi Jo!

    I am doing my washing today and while waiting to finish, I am here in front of my computer. That is so convenient for you having that laundry service close to you.

    My mouth waters looking at your apple pie. I love apple pie and just grab a piece from MacDonald. But I really like to try making it. Thanks for the link of the recipe. Love to try it if I can grab a chance.

    Happy Weekend!

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  16. The shirts look perfect. My ironing job would not look that good.
    I wouldn't mind trying a piece of that pie. It looks delicious!

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  17. Lovely that you found an excellent laundry nearby. I can't believe what a good job of ironing was accomplished with a coal filled iron. There is not a wrinkle in sight. My friends in the village in Kenya also iron this way.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Jo