A Taste of Ethiopia
A 2-night culinary escape and cooking class in nature. 28–30 August 2026. Ancient flavours, deep connection, plant-based throughout.
Read more →From Our Kitchen
Recipes, stories, and reflections from life in the Schoemanskloof Valley.
The Upgraded Library at Old Joe's Kaia
Our library has had a makeover. Tucked into a quiet corner of the main building, the reading nook now holds a growing collection of plant-based cookbooks, field guides, and well-loved novels.
Read more →Green Village Salad
This salad started as a way to use what the garden gives us — a handful of leaves here, a few herbs there. The secret is the dressing: a bright tahini-lemon combination that pulls everything together.
Read more →Heal Your Broken Heart
Grief doesn't follow a schedule. That's why we created these intimate weekend retreats — a safe space in the valley where small groups gather to breathe, walk, share, and begin to heal.
Read more →Chickpea Breyani
Our best-selling dehydrated meal, and for good reason. Layers of fragrant basmati rice, tender chickpeas, and aromatic spices — just add boiling water and wait twenty minutes.
Read more →Ddawg’s remarkable story
He is the sunshine in our lives, the carer who keeps the peace between the cats, the most compassionate soul we know…
Read more →Damian & The Crocodile
Rural life is truly bliss. Coming from Johannesburg more than 16 years ago to live here in the Middleveld took enormous conviction and courage, but every time I walk out onto the balcony at treetop l
Read more →Frangipanis
… and the gifts on the ground as I walk to open up the main building in the mornings are just so generous and welcoming. The flowers fall graciously from very high, hardly ever on their faces, and spr
Read more →Preparing Pulses Through Soaking
The role of non-nutrients – the reason why so many people don’t eat pulses
Read more →Paperbark Thorn Tree
Acacia sieberiana (paperbark thorn)
Read more →Lowveld Living – Summer 2018
What an awesome get together of Lowveld chefs it was with the shoot one morning at Magnolia Restaurant. I met really exciting people and we shared many experiences we’ve each had in our own kitchens.
Read more →Which SALT to use?
Gourmet chefs are pondering this question for very different reasons than environmentalists, yet waking up to the sustainability of the salts they are using.
Read more →Legumes on a Budget
We are blessed with such a wide variety of legumes available. Once you start exploring each legume’s characteristics it becomes a fantastic creative process to implement and use each one for a differe
Read more →Thulare Bunnies
Each one a special toy…
Read more →DIY Almond-Oats Milk
…also knowing exactly what is in it – no additives, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, colourants or thickners.
Read more →What is a Dairy Downer?
A ‘downer’ in the dairy industry is a cow that has served ‘her time’, one that cannot get up anymore, one that has probably given birth 4 or 5 times (after being artificially inseminated) without the
Read more →SOYA – a necessary evil?
The Asian and Eastern nations have proven over thousands of years that the soy bean as a staple protein is extremely efficient and healthy – their general wellness, which far outweighs that of western
Read more →Looking For Umami…
In every simple meal, grand celebration, restaurant dinner, you’ll be looking for it, expecting the thrill and pure bliss of palette ecstasy.
Read more →R.I.P Liesl – whereto from here?
Yesterday some of us said our final goodbyes to our friend, Liesl during a beautiful memorial service.
Read more →Celebrating more than 60 years!
The owners of Old Joe’s Kaia, Paul and Marian, have decided to move on to the next chapter of their lives after running the guesthouse for the past 12 years and will officially close the doors of the
Read more →Time To Plan Your Winter Getaway
The beauty of an autumn sunrise stimulates deep contemplation. The slowing down, the preparation of cocooning in winter, the planning of cozy nights in front of blazing fires.
Read more →Vegan Kitchen Adventures
…learning about, playing and experimenting with vegan food in groups not larger than ten participants. Throughout these workshops the emphasis has been to prepare simple yet delicious and healthy vega
Read more →CELEBRATIONS – the Art of Crochet
This may be a ‘dying’ hobby, as our lives become forever more rushed and pressurised, leaving very little time for perfecting industrious hand skills such as this.
Read more →Cocktails & Glass Straws
We have decided to stop using plastic drinking straws. There are many reasons that motivated us but consider the fact that it is a disposable item, a SINGLE-USE-PLASTIC! We have seen and heard too man
Read more →How do we make a difference…?
Today we wondered how and what we offer in a competitive world. We realised that as a small community our contribution stretches far beyond just hosting an accommodation facility and some meals. We be
Read more →Wine Tasting & Pairing with Rainbow’s End
We had international guests as well as local visitors at our table, all having a very exciting and memorable experience of our vegan food, while the wines were extremely well received with many inter
Read more →So much fun, so much learning!
ALTERNATIVE COOKING WORKSHOP
Read more →Living A Life Of Gratitude
This is a summary of what we consider being our blessings at Old Joe’s Kaia:
Read more →Bush Babies
… in broad daylight?
Read more →Cooking With The Sun
Here at THE SEEDLING restaurant we are constantly striving and exploring new and alternative ways of cooking and presenting our food.
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