Sunday 10 April 2011

Making Hay

A patch of lush grass is a rare sight in the parched lands of Kenya.
The open air inner courtyard at the Happy House, bordered each side by the children's bedrooms, provides a green and airy tranquillity with grass, flowers and plam trees.
The grass was handplanted, blade by blade, and to keep it looking its best it has to be a "no-go" area for the kids.
But there will always be some will to test the boundaries .... and while mum Monica's back was briefly turned,  Stevie and Pendo leapt in to make hay while the sun was most definitely shining!
Happy House Come Back
We now have a new cook, a familiar and friendly face to many who have visited Watamu on holiday.
Habel, formerly chef/manager at Come Back Restaurant and prior to that at Ascot's, has now taken charge of our kitchen and what a fantastic job he is doing.
Habel, who was made redundant recently when Come Back became a night club, is now able to enjoy the best of both worlds - indulging his passion for food in our kitchens, whilst also having time to run his bicycle sales and repair shop.
He works lunchtime and teatime shifts with us, cooking up delicious and nutritious meals for the children. He came along just at the right time, cooking for so many children had become just too much  for his predecessor.
Habel's professional and managerial experience  ensures that stocktaking is impeccable and he works out the cost of every portion.
Habel has always been a great friend of Sue and Dave's and  always very suppportive of the Happy House so it is a pleasure to have him around.  He demands the very highest standards of cleanliness and safety from those working with him which makes him an excellent teacher too.
A father himself, he's happy to let the kids give a hand as well encouraging them to learn to cook.
The outdoor kitchen, now has the addition of a brick "chico" oven, where Habel cooks many of his dishes - including the occasional pizza (his are second to none!).
As the rainy season is imminent a covered walkway is under construction linking the Happy House kitchen with the outdoor kitchen so he can run between the two without gettting soaked!