Rebecca's Traveling Thread

Rebecca Vizard and friend elbow bump amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on Lake Bruin near St. Joseph, LA

South African Kuba cloths collected by Rebecca Vizard on The Wine and Design Tour hang between Cypress Trees in Lake Bruin near St. Joseph, LA

Welcome to our new website!

Welcome to our new website. In this section I hope to periodically share some of my favorite tidbits with you from travels and adventures this life of textiles has provided. Sometimes I think the remoteness of where I live and design contrasts so vividly with the places I travel, it makes each experience feel richer or as if it's been seared into my soul.

With our world turned upside down during the Coronavirus pandemic, we have come to realize how vital technology is for business and sustaining human contact. For the first time ever you will be able to shop our website directly - which has been expanded to include some of my favorite picks from our boutiques in St. Joseph and New Orleans - as well as engage with our team better using social media.

As I look forward to the future, I'm excited to be able to see what this new phase brings as well as share some stories, images, recipes and tips from my treks around the globe.

Dispatch from South Africa

For my first morsel, I want to share the recipe from South Africa that I have been making nonstop during the “lockdown.” I think the procedure for creating these seed crackers is responsible for the calmness I’ve felt throughout this uncertainty. Whenever I feel my anxiety level start to rise, I venture over to the kitchen where I begin to spread the cracker mixture in a pan like a child making mud pies. It's more effective than Xanax and much more satisfying.

This tale begins on a fabulous trip to South Africa with the Wine and Design Tour (hosted by Adam Japko, Mally Skok, and her sister Julia of African Leisure Tours), when we rambled off the beaten path to the most perfectly imperfect place I’ve ever been.

About an hour’s drive from Cape Town in a region called Swartland - which to me sounded like something from a Dr. Seuss book - two cousins (Thing One & Thing Two) Hein and Adi Badenhorst have created a most magical winery called A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines.

At A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines in Swartland near Cape Town, South Africa

Rebecca Vizard ready to tour South Africa with The Wine and Design Tour

Touring the gardens at A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines in Swartland near Cape Town, South Africa

Adi Badenhorst of A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines in Swartland near Cape Town, South Africa

Scroll through to see more pictures from the trip!

A selection of wines available at A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines in Swartland near Cape Town, South Africa.

Rebecca and Michael Vizard touring South Africa with The Wine and Design Tour

NUTTY CRACKERS aka B. Viz Nerve Calming Seed Crackers

Makes 16 crackers:
*Make double quantities while you are at it. In a secure air-tight container. These keep & freeze well.

Ingredients
-1 ½ cups sunflower seeds
-¾ cup sesame seeds
-⅓ cup flax seeds
-2 Tablespoons psyllium husks (available at health food stores)
-1 teaspoon salt
-2 cups water
*I add a handful of dried green pumpkin seeds

BViz note : I like toasted or roasted sesame seeds and flax seeds. I've also experimented with adding various seeds like caraway and chia.

Preheat the oven to 325

Combine all the ingredients in a largish bowl & leave to stand for about 10-12 minutes 'til it's thick & gloopy!

Spread the mixture onto a silicone mat or baking paper lined baking tray….maybe two depending on the size of your tray. Do not leave holes in the mixture, spread evenly.

Bake for an hour… turn the trays if necessary to get an even bake.

After an hour and a few turns it should take another 15-20 minutes until they are seriously crispy.

Remove from the oven & either mark into oblong crackers with a knife & break when cool or just cool and break into any size.

Great with avocado, any pâté or smoked salmon & cream cheese, etc.

On our tour of the vineyard, Adi charmingly downplayed his extensive knowledge of winemaking, chalking it all up to gut instinct. The wine and the understated chic vibe of the place was so refreshing.

When we finished touring, we puttered around tasting the various types of Badenhorst wine and enjoying the funky decor and delightful gardens. Just as marvelous scents began wafting from the kitchen, we made our way over toward the source and discovered the most beautiful heartfelt, handmade delicacies, including the divine Nerve Calming Seed Crackers.

There were SO many wonderful wineries we visited, but this experience stood out from the pack because it was so earthy and real. You could feel the struggles and successes from the hearts of the family. Maybe a wrinkle here or there, but the warmest smiles, twinkles in their eyes, and the effervescence of kindness and sharing. It still warms my soul to recall spending time there.

South Africa is a very special place. I felt a kindred spirit in many ways as I found so many striking similarities to my native Louisiana; both have beautiful flora and fauna, grittiness and elegance side-by-side, artisans with creativity bursting from the seams, exceptional food and wonderful people with a genuine joie de vie. And of course I brought back incredible handmade textiles!

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our South Africa trip. I could live in Capetown. The wine region is incredibly beautiful. Plettenberg was like the South Hampton of South Africa. And of course the Safari was beyond mind blowing.