Cape Town South Africa – Quinoa Trail Mix

  (view of the Marina from our room)

Our last stop in Africa was to Cape Town South Africa.  Our travel from Rwanda to Cape Town was a total of 19 hours from the time we left the lodge in Rwanda, until arriving at Cape Grace Hotel.

Cape Grace was right on the water and surrounded by an outdoor shopping area, with numerous restaurants and even a mall.  It was a great place to unwind for the last part of our trip. 

We had planned to go shark diving the day after our arrival.  I was going to stay on the boat while my daughter went into the cages.  I figured I’d panic and rip off the helmet provided so opted to stay above water.  Unfortunately when we called the company to confirm everything, they notified us that Great White Shark viewing was at a minimum.  Apparently there were Killer Whales attacking the sharks for their liver, so the shark had fled the area.  I’d never heard of such a thing.  So we opted out of the tour since it required us to be gone for 8 hours.

Here’s a video I found showing a Killer Whale attacking a Great White and then feeding on its liver.  It’s fascinating to watch.

Instead of doing the shark dives we decided to spend the day driving along the coast.  It was beautiful!  We hiked up to an old light tower that had stunning views.

We went to visit a penguin habitat which was entertaining.  Everywhere in Africa throughout our entire trip was mating season, as it was for the penguins as well.  Quite entertaining to witness, for a minute!

We stopped for lunch that day then made it to the Botanical Gardens.  However, I’m pretty sure our guide had someplace to go that evening and basically walked us in, did a 10 minute walk, and said that was basically it.  That was a bit of a disappointment.  That said, since South Africa has basically run out of water they were unable to water much of the plants.  Most everything was brown and dried out.

Overall the day was enjoyable with lots to see.

The next day we decided to visit the wine country and a couple of vineyards.  We had a wonderful tour guide Frances M Harrison who went over and above showing us all the wonderful wineries that we had time to see.  She was informative and fun to chat with not just on the drive there, but also made sure everything was to our liking while at the vineyards.  I highly recommend her if you plan to visit Cape Town anytime soon.  You can find her on Facebook to connect and arrange a tour of wherever.  Our hotel arranged our tour with Frances.  I wish we had used her on our trip around the coast and gardens.

Cape Grace was a lovely hotel.  The food was amazing, the staff bent over backwards to make our stay a pleasant one, and we finalized our stay with a spa afternoon. The spa was well needed after our safari’s and gorilla trekking.  While waiting in the spa between treatments I sampled some of their Trail Mix.  It was amazing!  I asked for the recipe which they gladly shared with me.  I thought I’d share it with you – I think you’ll like it!

This Trail Mix is ideal to snack on, add to yogurt or cereals, and take on trips where energy may be needed.  Packed with protein and antioxidants with lots of crunch, it’s even fun to eat.  Plus it’s super easy to make and healthy.  What more could you ask for?  Of course, if you’re allergic to nuts then you definitely can’t eat it.  However, you can always substitute one nut for another if desired.

We headed back to the states the next day after spending a better part of the day walking the town and shopping nearby.  Our flight left at midnight.  We arrived the same day we left (even though we traveled 30 hours), in Minneapolis at 6:30 pm. I spent the night at my daughters and made it back home the next day.

A memorable trip that I recommend to anyone.  It was so great to spend that time with my daughter exploring a country neither of us had been to before. It was adventurous and eye-opening! I look forward to returning to Africa again someday.

It’s nice though, to be back home again!

Print Recipe

Quinoa Trail Mix

Yield: Serves 10+ depending on serving size

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This Quinoa Trail Mix is a powerhouse snack ideal for when you're on the go, to add to your breakfast yogurt, or as a midday pick me up.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Chia Seeds, plus 3 Tablespoons filtered water
• 2 tablespoons Raw Honey, melted
• ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted
• ½ cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup sliced almonds, raw and unsalted
• 1 cup Macadamia Nuts, raw and unsalted
• ½ cup Sunflower Seeds, raw and unsalted
• 1 cup Pepitas, raw and unsalted
• 1 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened
• ½ cup Sesame Seeds
• 1 cup large Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Directions:

1. Mix the chia seeds and water in a small cup and set aside for 15 minutes, until it becomes gel-like.
2. Rinse quinoa - place in a skillet and toast until fragrant not burnt. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a paper towel, generously grease a foil lined (heavy-duty) baking pan with coconut oil.
4. In a small bowl combine the honey, extracts, coconut oil and chia seed mixture.
5. In a large bowl combine the quinoa, nuts, berries, seeds and coconut flakes. Mix in the wet ingredients until well combined.
6. Spread over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and then bake for another 10 minutes until evenly golden.
7. Spread out trail mix on parchment, then top with another piece of parchment to absorb oils.  Allow to cool.  When cooled, serve or store in a glass jar.

Adapted from: Cape Grace Hotel Spa, Cape Town, South Africa

If you missed my previous posts on my African Adventures check these out.  Which was your favorite photo from our trip?

Part 1: African Safari – Northern Serengeti

Part 2: African Safari – Ngorongoro Crater

Part 3: Rwanda – Gorilla Trekking