The FunkyMunky Herb eBook is now available. 48 popular herbs, descriptions and uses with photos. Immediately available, will be emailed to you. Only R50 , send me an email for payment details.
I'm very impressed with what I've read so far. What I really like is that your book is a combination of medicinal and culinary advice, unlike many other herb books I've read.
And the format is great - thanks very much. I have an ambitious project to make a herb garden this year - so your section of herb gardens will come in very handy - Shelagh

Coffee, anyone? Right click here and download a whole lot of yummy coffee recipes.

This is going to be another regular feature......

TODAY'S DAILY TIP

You know you should be drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, but did you know you can get some of those recommended 8 to 12 (250mle) glasses per day from foods and beverages?
Certain foods have a high water content that can contribute to your daily fluid requirement. Also, they are low in calories, so they’ll help fill you up on less. Try these alternatives:

1. Jazz up a plain glass of water by adding a spritz of lemon or lime, or a splash of fruit juice, or add some energy with some Herbalife Thermojetics.

2. A whopping 90 percent of your morning orange juice or milk counts toward your daily fluid allowance. A glass of milk will also provide 1/3 of your daily calcium requirement -- orange juice offers 100 percent of your daily vitamin C.

3. Foods that melt at room temperature, such as gelatin or ice cream, contain a fair share of water. A 1/3 cup of JELL-O will provide 1/2 cup of water, while 1 cup of frozen yogurt or a ice pop will give you 1/3 cup of water.

4. A serving of soup provides 3/4 cup of fluid. But be sure to choose low-salt varieties (look for those with five percent or less sodium per serving). Or make your own soups using fresh veggies and broth.

5. Believe it or not, 70 percent of that 1 1/3 cup smoothie counts towards your fluid allowance (1 cup). Watch out for ready-made versions, which can be jammed with unwanted calories. Make your own, using fat-free milk and your favorite fruit for a refreshing, nutritious and low-calorie drink.

6. Most fruits and vegetables are 80 percent water, so they can contribute 3 to 4 cups of your fluid intake. Meet both your daily fluid requirement and your fruit and veggie recommendation of five a day. Here are some higher-water containing fruits and vegetables (over 90 percent water).

Watermelon (1/16th wedge) = 1 1/3 cups water
Strawberry halves (1 cup) = 3/4 cup water
Apple or apricot, or 1 1/2 cups grapes = 1/2 cup water
Squash (1 cup cooked) = 3/4 cup water
Broccoli or cauliflower (1 serving) = 2/3 cup water
Cabbage (1 cup shredded) = 1/2 cup water
Cucumbers, radishes or celery (1 cup sliced) = 1/2 cup water
Carrots (1 cup) = 2/3 cup water
Lettuce, shredded (1 cup) = 1/3cup water Green peppers (1 cup sliced) = 1/3 cup water
7. One cup of cooked pasta and rice will provide 2/3 cup of fluid and 1/2 cup of fluid, respectively. If you have additional vegetables then you can double your intake of fluid!

8. A portion of gravy counts as almost 90 percent fluid.

9. Avoid caffeinated beverages, such as tea, coffee and soft drinks as well as alcohol -- they can actually rob your body of water. Only 2/3 of a caffeinated drink counts toward your daily water intake and just 1 cup of that 1.5 cup diet soda.

10. Steer clear of foods with low-water content, such as dried meat and fruit, chocolate, cookies and cakes. For example, a small amount of raisins (42g) has the same calories as 1 1/2 cups grapes, but negligible water content.

The UK Lottery never pays less than £3 million every Wednesday and Saturday (± R43 million) with frequent rollovers. You can get your ticket securely by clicking here.

But that's nothing!! The Euromillions Jackpot has has been as high as £ 120 million !! That's roughly R1,740,000,000!!! You can't win it if you're not in it, so click here and get a ticket!

My Recipe CD has now been updated and now includes 50 Recipe eBooks as well as 8 Bonus eBooks (4 eBooks on making, marketing and selling crafts for profit) Click here to take a look and also download your free Low Fat recipe eBook (that works out to about R2 per recipe book! sheessshhh!)

Hello Peter,
Just to let you know that I received my recipe CD today in the mail and I'm over the moon about it.
I'm going to spread the word to others to order copies too. It's most certainly worth every cent..........
Thanks again,
LC

Glenacres Superspar sends out a really nice newsletter full of super recipes. To subscribe, click here and send the blank email. 

Hmmm, what can I say???

Luxury Garlic Bread

1 French loaf
2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
red pepper, diced
yellow pepper, diced
250 g bacon, cut into pieces
10 ml olive oil
4 rounds feta cheese, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice the bread as you would for ordinary garlic bread, not cutting the slices all the way through
2. Fry the onion, garlic and peppers in heated oil until tender
3. Add the bacon and fry until done
4. Add the feta cheese and mix, then season
5. Spoon the filling between the slices of bread and wrap the loaf in aluminium foil
6. Heat over the coals or in a medium-hot oven and serve hot

Go take a look at my Wacky Sarmies page, there are some great sarmie ideas!

Yesterday while out shopping we passed some labourers taking a break and having lunch. They each had ½ loaf of fresh white bread which they had hollowed out and filled with slap chips. (french fries, but only fried semi crisp ie. "slap")  The chips were doused in a mixture of vinegar and Worcestersauce and the aroma was mouthwatering! So what did we do? We went to our fav fish 'n' chip shop and bought a large packet of slap chips with lots of vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, then went next door to the supermarket and bought a loaf of bread so fresh that it was still hot. We then divided the loaf, hollowed it out and shared the chips and had a feast!!! Try it sometime!

Source: Sunday Times

1945:  Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler die, the UD drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, World War 2 ends, the UN is established, Anton van Wouw (artist) dies, "Coke" is registered as a trademark, Putco is established in South Africa 

This dates from the late 1800's

Welsh hats

Take 2 teacups flour, 1 teacup sugar, 3 oz. butter, 2 eggs, ½ teacup milk, 1 teaspoonful baking powder.
Mix well and pour intro cups to be steamed for 1 hour or may be baked as a cake in a hot oven.

Nature is wonderful. I envy the jobs of the game rangers and their wealth of bush knowledge. I have often wondered where one can read up on all the interesting facts. I would like to make this a regular feature of this newsletter, if you are able to contribute or would like to comment on the contribution below, please email me.

The Springbok (Afrikaans: spring = jump; bok = antelope, deer, or goat) (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a small brown and white gazelle that stands about 75 cm high. The males can weigh up to 50 kg and the females up to 37 kg. The Latin name marsupialis derives from a pocket-like skin flap which extends along the middle of the back on to the tail. The springbok can lift this flap, which makes the white hairs underneath stand up in a conspicuous 'fan'.

Springboks inhabit the dry inland areas of south and southwestern Africa. Springbok range includes south and southwestern Africa, mainly in the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Angola and the Republic of South Africa. They used to be very common, but numbers have recently diminished due to an increase in hunting and more land being fenced off as farm land.

They remain common on privately owned land and within national parks and game reserves.

Springboks often go into bouts of repeated high leaps (up to 4m - 12 feet) into the air in a practice known as "pronking" (Afrikaans: pronk = to show off) or "stotting". While pronking, the springbok leaps back into the air as soon as it comes down, with its back bowed and the white fan lifted. While the exact cause of this behaviour is unknown, springboks exhibit this activity when they are nervous or otherwise excited. One theory is that pronking is meant to indicate to predators that they have been spotted. Another is that springboks show off their individual strength and fitness so that the predator will go for another (presumably weaker) member of the group. Another opinion is that Springboks and other similar antelopes do this to spray a hormone that is secreted from a gland near the heel. When the chase from a predator is finished, the Springboks can find their ways back to that original grazing area where they started.

Do you have family and friends all over the world? Does it cost you a fortune to buy and mail gifts to all of them? Why not buy one Recipe eBook and email it to everyone! Just think about the savings on postage! For my selection of eBooks (and CD's) just click here.

Afrikaans Newsletter

Subscribe to my Afrikaans newsletter . Visit my Afrikaans website
 

Potjiekos recipe

Another new feature, from now on I will feature a potjie recipe with each newsletter. For those of you who are not familiar with a potjie (cast iron three legged pot) you may use a dutch oven.

Lamb is not my favourite, but I am sure a lot of you love it, so here goes:

Lamb shank potjie

2 kg lamb shanks, cut into long pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml butter
30 ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
30 ml cake flour
250 ml dry white wine (you may need more)
500 ml chicken stock
125 ml chopped fresh parsley
10 ml dried oregano
60 ml lemon juice
3 egg yolks

Season the shanks well with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter and oil in a cast-iron pot and brown the shanks.
Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the onions and celery until soft.
Add the cake flour and heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
Add 250 ml of the white wine, bring to the boil and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
Add the stock, parsley and oregano.
Return the meat to the pot, cover and simmer slowly for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender (add more white wine if the pot seems dry).
Remove the meat from the pot.
Beat the lemon juice and egg yolks with 125 ml of the meat sauce.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir the egg yolk mixture into the sauce.
Return the meat to the pot and mix.
Serve with mealie meal porridge.

15 PIECES OF ADVICE TO BE PASSED ON TO YOUR MUM, YOUR DAUGHTERS OR GRANDDAUGHTERS, NIECES, AUNTS, GIRLFRIENDS, ETC.

1. Don’t imagine you can change a man - unless he’s in nappies.
2. What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door.
3. If they put a man on the moon - they should be able to put them all up there.
4. Never let your man’s mind wander - it’s too little to be out alone.
5. Go for the younger man. You might as well, they never mature anyway.
6. Men are all the same - they just have different faces, so that you can tell them apart.
7. Definition of a bachelor: a man who has missed the opportunity to make some woman miserable.
8. Women don’t make fools of men - most of them are the do-it-yourself types.
9. Best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he is too old for it.
10. Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.
11. If you want a committed man, look in a mental hospital.
12. The children of Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years. Even in Biblical times, men wouldn’t ask for directions.
13. If he asks what sort of books you’re interested in, tell him cheque books.
14. Remember a sense of humour does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means that you laugh at his.
15. Sadly, all men are created equal.

CATNIP
Catnip, often called catmint, is thought to originate from the Roman town Nepeti, where it was extensively cultivated.
Catnip is a hardy herbaceous perennial, and will growing any soil in sun or partial shade. I suggest you cover your cuttings or small plants with mesh to keep the cat at bay, as they love to roll in the leaves. Catnip can be planted in containers, or hung in a basket, in full sun, on the patio. The leaves are picked when young, or else the whole plant can be preserved by drying.
Catnip attracts bees and butterflies, and of course cats, to your garden. It deters certain beetles, so is beneficial to vegetable gardens. It makes an ideal edging for roses, as aphids cannot stand the plant.

DOMESTIC USES
Catnip leaves can be dried, and stuffed into small toys for your cat.
The smell of catnip repels rats, and makes a superb insect repellent.

MEDICINAL USES
Catnip is used to combat varicose veins. Make a mild tea by pouring 2lt of boiling water over a cup of leaves and flowers, let stand for 15 minutes, then strain. Wring out cloths in this liquid and apply to your varicose veins for 30 minutes. Repeat for three consecutive days.
The leaf and flowering top are rich in vitamin C. A cup of boiling water poured over a quarter cup of leaves and flowers, strained, then sweeten with honey, relieves colds and fevers. The tea also induces sleep.
An infusion can be uses to treat restlessness, colic and bedwetting in children. Steep a sprig of catnip the size of your thumb together with a thumb-sized sprig of marjoram, in half a cup of boiling water, allow to stand for 5 minutes then strain. Sweeten with honey, and give a few small sips to the child before going to sleep.
Catnip tea can be used to relieve pain associated with menstruation and digestion. Take 1 - 3 tsp before meals, or sip 1/2 a cup twice a day.

CULINARY USES
Catnip leaves can be rubbed on meat to flavour it before cooking.
The young shoots can be used as a salad vegetable, but in small quantities only, as they have a very strong flavour.
 

Zimbabwe update

I used to have a regular feature on my website that I called the Zimbabwe Letters. sadly my contact "went silent" and I didn't have a source any more. I am looking for another source (any volunteers?). I received this in my email and am sharing it with you. My heart goes out to the poor Zimbabweans...

Mugabe's Enablers
By Arnold Tsunga
Thursday, April 5, 2007;
When the heads of state of the Southern African Development Community convened last week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss the political situation in Zimbabwe, hopes among the Zimbabwean people ran high. President Robert Mugabe had recently extended his brutal efforts to crush dissent from his political opponents to include ordinary Zimbabweans. His ruling party left a trail of fractured bodies and two dead in its most recent crackdown.

With the economy in shreds and the tense political situation posing a security threat not only to Zimbabwe but potentially to its neighbors, too, there was an expectation that African leaders would finally act. At the summit, however, the African leaders showed their indifference to the suffering that we ordinary people of Zimbabwe continue to endure. At the closing news conference, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete announced that he and his fellow heads of state were "in support of the government and people of Zimbabwe." "We got full backing; not even one [SADC leader] criticized our actions," Mugabe boasted after the summit. Zimbabweans were left to wonder how neighboring governments can continue claiming to support the brutalizer and the brutalized at the same time. As Mugabe's government continues its assault on the media, its political opponents, civil activists and human rights defenders, the danger to the population is growing. Nearly two years after the government's program of mass evictions and demolitions -- Operation Murambatsvina, or "Clear the Filth" -- hundreds of thousands continue to suffer catastrophic consequences. In hindsight, we can see that this scheme was just the beginning. Mugabe sought to destabilize the population by arbitrarily destroying people's homes and property without notice, process or compensation; and by displacing thousands into rural areas, where they lack basic services such as health care, schools and clean water. Today, HIV-AIDS is rampant in my country, and there are acute food shortages. Young Zimbabweans have no meaningful educational opportunities, and Mugabe has wrecked the country's economy through macroeconomic chaos, endemic corruption and political patronage. Millions of black Zimbabweans who love their country have been forced to migrate out of this insecurity and hopelessness to live as second-class citizens in foreign lands.

Last month, Human Rights Watch documented <http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/03/28/zimbab15578.htm> how police forces in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare have beaten Zimbabweans in the streets, in shopping malls and in bars. The terror has prompted many families in those areas to obey a self-imposed curfew after dark. Mugabe is stronger than ever, though removed from the fact that Zimbabweans want to be liberated from oppression. Of course, a weakened and terrified population cannot fight back.

With Mugabe poised to rig five more catastrophic years in office, it is time for regional leaders to recognize that his campaigns of oppression make apartheid Rhodesia and South Africa look like amateurs. As Bishop Desmond Tutu has said, we as Africans must hang our heads in shame at our failure to make a difference to the suffering men, women and children of Zimbabwe. When will Southern Africa's leaders decide they will no longer align themselves with tyranny? When will they abandon their failed strategy of "quiet diplomacy" and move to help the people of Zimbabwe?

African leaders and the international community must demand that the government of Zimbabwe stop its violence against political opponents; create a democratic environment through the repeal of repressive legislation; enact a democratic constitution; and hold free, fair elections that are supervised by the international community. If Southern Africa's leaders finally break their silence about the catastrophe in their neighborhood, this could be the year Mugabe leaves office and Zimbabwe reintegrates itself into the world. Or they could remain silent and complicit, and this year could mark the beginning of an even steeper decline into oppression. The writer is executive director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and secretary of the Law Society of Zimbabwe.
 

South African Languages

South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others - African, European, Asian and more - are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.
The country's Constitution guarantees equal status to 11 official languages to cater for the country's diverse peoples and their cultures. These are: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.

In each issue I will feature one of the languages.

This is the last of the nine official languages....

Xitsonga
The Tsonga people came to South Africa long after most other African people, settling in the Limpopo River valley. Their language, Xitsonga, is spoken in eastern Limpopo and Mumalanga, areas near the border of the country of Mozambique, as well as in southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe.
Distribution of Xitsonga speakers

Xitsonga is similar to Xishangana, the language of the Shangaan people, and also has some Nguni influences.
• Home language to: 4.4% of the population
• Family: Bantu Language Family
• Varieties: A number of varieties including Xinhlanganu and Xinkuna
 

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.  
 

Recipe Requests

Looking for a specific South African recipe? Email me and I will do my best to find it for you!

Add your suggestions to my Elephant Stew and Wacky Sarmies recipes.
 

Featured Website

Every issue I feature an interesting website with South African links.
 

The Recipes

Cheese dip

Ingredients
250 g smooth cottage cheese
150 ml milk
500 ml grated cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
12 gherkins, finely chopped
50 ml dry sherry

Method:
Beat the cottage cheese and milk together. Add the cheese and garlic and beat until smooth. Add the gherkins and sherry and mix. Serve with banana and apple slices.

Cream cheese dip

Ingredients
250 ml smooth cottage or creamed cottage cheese
60 ml milk
250 ml natural yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Pour cottage cheese, milk and yoghurt into food processor and blend until smooth. Add garlic and chopped gherkins. Blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Garlic potato dip

Ingredients
500 g potatoes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
100 ml olive oil
30 ml red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs thyme flowers

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes and garlic cloves in salt water until tender. Drain and peel potatoes, mash with the garlic. 2. Add olive oil gradually season well and mix in vinegar. 3. Place in small serving bowls and garnish with a swirl of olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme flowers. Serve with lots of warm pita bread on the side.

Garlic basting sauce

Ingredients
200 ml white wine
100 ml oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
5 ml dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
5 ml pepper
5 ml dried parsley

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together.

Herb basting sauce

Ingredients
150 ml olive or sunflower oil
100 ml apple vinegar
50 ml lemon juice
2 ml dried marjoram
2 ml dried thyme
100 ml chutney
25 ml Worcestershire sauce

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together.


Orange basting sauce - Ideal for pork
8 oranges, grated rind
250 ml fresh orange juice
60 ml orange marmalade
60 ml brown sugar
80 ml mandarin or orange liqueur

Mix all basting ingredients except liqueur in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and add liqueur. Baste meat with basting sauce during the last 30 to 40 minutes of the cooking period.

Honey mustard basting sauce

Ingredients
125 ml honey
15 ml mustard powder
30 ml whole grain mustard
1 lemon, juice
salt and milled black pepper

Method:
Mix all ingredients well. Use liberally during cooking, and baste food lightly as soon as it is removed from the heat.

Braai marinade

Ingredients
30 ml soy sauce
30 ml honey
100 ml dry white wine or white grape vinegar
5 ml Worcestershire sauce
5 ml tomato paste
5 ml lemon juice

Method:
Blend all the ingredients for marinade, pour over the meat and marinate for about 4 hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towelling before grilling, otherwise it will not brown evenly. Grill the meat over medium hot coals or under the oven grill for medium: 7-10 minute in total and for weell done: 10-12 minutes in total. Baste frequently with the remaining marinade.

Braaied leg of venison

Ingredients
MARINADE
250 ml olive Oil
250 ml lemon juice
30 ml flavour enhancer
5 ml chopped fresh rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
1 deboned leg of venison (springbok or ribbok), stuffed with pork lard or bacon

Method:
Mix the ingredients for the marinade. Place the leg in a non-metal container and add the marinade. Chill for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. Remove and braai over medium-hot coals, seasoning with salt just before cooked through. Serve with griddle cakes, apricot jam and a salad.

Chicken Marinade

125 ml soy sauce
15 ml honey
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 sticks lemon grass, white part only, thinly sliced
5 ml five-spice powder
10 ml sesame oil
125 ml olive oil
30 ml rice vinegar

Method:
Shake the marinade ingredients together in a screw-top jar. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 3 hours before cooking. Braai, grill or fry until cooked through.

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