I am mad about Amarula. I sip it like water, hehehe. This recipe eBook arrived in my inbox, right click here to download it and enjoy!

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mir ror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement g ecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 am and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50's & 60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.
Author Unknown

Older women

When I was married 30 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said, "Honey, 30 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25 year old blonde.

Now, we have a nice house, nice car, big bed and plasma screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 50 year old woman without the hot body.  It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25 year old blonde, and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa
bed, and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve your mid-life crisis...

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

Spice up your life with red peppers and you'll add plenty of vitamin C at the same time. Most varieties of orange juice have between 85 milligrams and 125 milligrams of vitamin C per cup, while red peppers have 283 milligrams per cup. Green peppers have about 120 milligrams.
Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen -- a protein building block that helps make and repair skin, ligaments, blood vessels, and other tissues. Yet more than 30% of us aren't getting enough vitamin C for optimum health. Women need 75 milligrams a day. Men should get 90 milligrams a day. Smokers need even more - an additional 35 milligrams a day -- because they metabolize vitamin C more quickly.

The UK Lottery never pays less than £3 million every Wednesday and Saturday (± R43 million) with frequent rollovers. Click here to play!

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. 

The following recipe sounds like a very interesting combination!

PORK SAUSAGES with PEACHES

500g Pork Sausages
Little Oil
20ml Worcester Sauce
1 x 410g Sliced Peaches
1 Large Onion, Chopped
25ml Tomato Sauce
25ml Chutney

1. Fry the sausages and onion in a little oil until cooked
2. Add tomato sauce, Worcester sauce and chutney
3. Add peach slices and juice, and simmer for 5-10 minutes
4. Serve with mashed potato and a green salad

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

The Americans seem to like beetroot on bread! The following from:

Kathy from Atlanta, GA, USA

Okay, I don’t think the beetroot contributions at all wacky, but they do look strange when they bleed into the bread – my friends at school always commented about my sandwiches until they actually tasted them, and beetroot and cheese is way up there with the best of them.
Also a winner is beetroot and egg, and cheese too.

Try this though: chop up mint, geranium and nasturtium leaves together, sprinkle with salt and apple cider vinegar and eat on buttered whole wheat bread. Even better with avo mixed in. This was my grandmother’s specialty, and tastes surprisingly good.

Also, peanut butter with sliced guavas on bread – yum.

A note on the cream cheese and jam recipe – needs to be on fresh soft white bread – like eating cake!

Then my all-time favorite: fried egg, cheddar cheese slices, HP sauce and tomato slices.

Source: Sunday Times

1950: The Group Areas Act, the Immorality Act and the Population Registration Act are passed. Jan Smuts dies. Springbok Radio is launched. Peanuts cartoon strips are launched. Bic ballpoint pens go on sale. Diners Club issues the first credit cards. 

This dates from the late 1800's

Bredasdorp pudding

Soak 1 oz. gelatine in cold water for an hour. When quite soft add 1 cup of boiling water, 1/2 lb. white sugar juice of 3 lemons, the beaten yolks of 6 eggs. Stir it over the fire till it begins to thicken. It must NOT boil. Remove it from the fire and have ready the well whisked whites of the eggs. Stir all together, pour into a mould and stand it in a cool place to set.

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.

For the next few issues I will be featuring the Small Five starting with the Elephant shrew, here is the second of the Small 5, the Leopard tortoise

The Leopard tortoise is a large and attractively marked tortoise which has a wide distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, including recorded localities in southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Eastern Africa (including Natal), Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and Southwest Africa. In this species males may attain a greater size than females, a characteristic shared with certain other members of the genus Geochelone, including Galapagos tortoises. Large examples may be 60 cm (over 2 feet) long and weigh over 35 kg (about 80 lbs.).

This tortoise favours semi-arid, thorny to grassland habitats. It is, however, also found in some regions featuring a higher level of precipitation. Not surprisingly, given its propensity for grassland habitats it grazes, extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favours the fruit and pads of the prickly pear (Opuntia sp.), succulents and thistles. It captivity it is a common error to feed too much 'wet' food such as lettuce, tomatoes and fruit; in reality this tortoise requires a coarse, high fibre diet. Feeding excessive fruit or 'soft' foods frequently leads to repeated flagellate and other gut problems such as colic, most probably as a result of increased gut motility. Leopard tortoises will graze happily on lawn grass if presented with the opportunity and this seems to prevent most such problems at source. Meat products should never be given to Leopard tortoises. They invariably lead to excessive growth, poor bone formation, dangerously high blood-urea levels, bladder 'stones' and liver problems. Due to their prodigious rate of growth, their demand for calcium and mineral trace elements is high. A calcium-D3 supplement should be provided daily.

From: www.tortoisetrust.org

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.

I was recently asked for a venison potjie recipe, this is the recipe I gave:

Yellow rice and chicken potjie

Ingredients
500 g chicken pieces (drumsticks and thighs)
30 ml oil
1 onion, chopped
20 ml mild curry powder
5 ml turmeric
5 ml finely chopped coriander
5 ml ground cumin (jeers)
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cardamom seeds (optional)
2 whole cloves
250 ml raw rice
750 ml lukewarm chicken stock
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Remove excess skin and fat from the chicken (all the skin can be removed if preferred). Brown the chicken, skin side down, in a little heated oil in a warm cast-iron pot until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Heat the rest of the oil in the pot and sauté the onion until soft. Add the spices and sauté for another minute. Add the rice and stir. Add the stock and chicken and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, then add the potatoes. Cover and simmer until soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add a little water if necessary and season to taste. Serve with salad and bread. Serves 4.  

A teacher noticed that a little boy at the back of the class was squirming around, scratching his crotch, and not paying attention. She went back to find out what was going on. He was quite embarrassed and whispered that he had just recently been circumcised and he was quite itchy. The teacher told him to go down to the principal's office. He was to telephone his mother and ask her what he should do about it. He did it and returned to his class.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the back of the room. She went back to investigate only to find him sitting at his desk with his weenie hanging out. "I thought I told you to call your mom!" she said.

" I did," he replied, "And she told me that if I could stick it out 'til noon, she'd come and pick me up from school."

Now here are the rules from the male side.
These are our rules!
Please note.… these are all numbered "1"
ON PURPOSE!
1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1 Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria 's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colours, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A colour. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as sports , cars,
or, sex.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this.Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;


But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Pass this to as many men as you can - to give them a laugh.

Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh

CUMIN
Cumin is one of the herbs mentioned in the Old Testament, in Matthew, as a tax payment.
'Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and dill and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law.'
Cumin was grown in medicinal gardens in ancient Egypt and in the Mediterranean area where it was used by the monks to treat the sick.
The ancient Chinese, Indians and Arabs grew protected fields of cumin to use as barter or trade and developed incredible recipes that were handed down from generation to generation.
Cumin grows well in well-dug, compost-enriched soil in the full sun. Sow the seeds between green peppers and chilies as these crops will protect them and give a little shade. Fine leaved and spindly, cumin is delicate, but well worth growing.
The leaves and flowers can be harvested as soon as the little plant is sturdy for curries, stir-fries and drinks. The seeds must be left to dry on the plant before reaping.

MEDICINAL USES
Cumin seeds and fresh leaves aid circulation and help to clear toxins from the body.
In a tea it is immediately soothing and unwinding, and wonderful for a stuffy nose and sore throat and to treat heartburn, flatulence, colic, bloating, digestive spasms, belching, incessant wind and as a stimulant for the whole digestive system. To make a tea, add 1 teaspoon of crushed seeds to 1 cup of boiling water, stir, and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Sip slowly and chew the seeds.
Indians use cumin tea to treat insomnia and to bring down a fever.
Cumin tea is traditionally given to nursing mothers to increase milk production and in so doing, it improves the baby's digestion, and you won't have a colicky baby if the mother takes a cup of cumin tea twice a day.

CULINARY USES
Cumin is one of the most important ingredients in curries, spicy pickles, sauces, marinades and dips.
In Europe cumin seeds are baked in breads, cakes and biscuits. In the Middle East, bread is dipped into olive oil, and then sprinkled with a few seeds of cumin.
A marinade of olive oil, cumin, peppercorns, mustard, fresh coriander leaves and lemon juice is superb for chicken, beef, mutton and fish, or for those huge flat brown mushrooms.

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 
 

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?).

Harare - Long fuel queues have resurfaced in Zimbabwe as filling stations ran out of petrol following a government directive to reduce prices by up to 60 percent, APA observed here. Only few filling stations in the capital, Harare, had fuel Sunday, resulting in long queues by desperate motorists. The government Thursday ordered oil companies to slash prices of petrol and diesel to Z$ 55 000 Zimdollars (or 46 US cents) and Z$ 60 000 Zimdollars (or 50 US cents), respectively, as part of a campaign to contain inflation. Before Friday, a litre of petrol cost Z$ 150 000 while diesel went for Z$ 160 000. The shortages are expected to worsen during the coming week after current supplies run out, fuel attendants warned Sunday. "We don’t know when we will get the next supplies because it is no longer viable to continue importing at the new prices," said an attendant at a Harare filling station. The bulk of Zimbabwe’s fuel needs are supplied by private companies which get their foreign currency on the illegal parallel market where each US dollar trades at between Z$ 120 000 and Z$ 160 000. The government price freeze directive assumes that all importers get foreign currency at the official exchange rate of Z$ 250 per US dollar.

Zimbabweans flock to SA as crisis intensifies

Zimbabweans are flocking to South Africa to stock up on basic commodities. Zimbabwean food shelves are empty as people rush to buy products in bulk after the government ordered businesses to freeze prices. Analysts say much of the commodities are finding their way on to the black market. Zimbabweans queuing at the Beitbridge border post say there are serious food shortages in their country, leaving them with no choice but to cross into South Africa to buy groceries. Earlier, Zimbabwean police said they have arrested over 1 500 people since the launch of Operation Reduce Prices. The crackdown is targeting retailers who defy government's directive to slash commodity prices by 50%. The government issued the order following a spate of price hikes that had seen prices of basic goods rising by more than 500% within three weeks. The price cuts have seen goods such as bread, cement and fuel vanishing from shop shelves only to resurface on the black market. Oliver Mandipaka, a police spokesperson, says they have also arrested some retailers who were smuggling commodities to rural areas.

Rise in border jumpers

Farmers, business owners and residents along the South African border with Zimbabwe report an increase in the number of people crossing the Limpopo River to find sanctuary in South Africa. According to a local farmers' group, crossings now take place the length of the river boundary and not only near the immigration gate at Beit Bridge and some estimates now put the numbers above 2000 per day, though official statements from the South African government deny that the influx has reached this level. Incidents of theft have also increased, but police say that local criminals may be using the Zimbabweans to carry out acts of robbery in exchange for the cash they need to continue their journey to Johannesburg. One farmer claimed to have in excess of 80 people crossing his lands every night.

From ZWNews, To subscribe, please email ironhorse@zwnews.net
 

This South Africa - interesting facts and information

South Africa's new national park

25 June 2007

South Africa's newly proclaimed Mokala National Park, situated south-west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape, offers visitors unspoilt views of the surrounding countryside, has an abundance of game and features a wide range of accommodation options and activities.

Proclaimed last week, the 19 611 hectare reserve replaces the Vaalbos National Park, which was de-proclaimed after a successful land claim by the Sidney on Vaal claimants.

According to South African National Parks (SANParks), the new park is similar to the old park in size, climate and vegetation, and is in an area that has been protected from mining and other industrial activity.

"Two independent studies were done to look for an alternative site", explains park manager Deon Joubert, "and both indicated that the Wintershoek area would be ideal for the new park in terms of SANParks biodiversity, conservation and tourism mandates".

Mokala National Park comprises Kalahari Thornveld, Savanna and Nama Karoo terrain interspersed with rocky outcrops, and with a wetland area that stretches for 18 kilometres.

The park features a wide range of accommodation, as well as restaurants and team-building facilities, while future developments include a day visitor's area and more rustic self-catering camps.

SANParks has also done a lot of work in establishing and maintaining a good road network.

Visitors to the park can enjoy activities such as mountain biking, day walks, sunset and night drives, bush braais and night stargazin.

"The park can already accommodate groups", says Mokala hospitality services manager Hein Grobler.

However, day visitors and overnight guests will have to be patient while the management and staff members ensure that the park and its facilities are fully operational.

'Unique operation'
A huge number of animals had to be moved to their new home, with the work beginning in early 2006. However, SANParks says, the pristine condition of the new park provided plenty of vegetation, enabling the animals to settle in quickly.

In the first phase, 234 animals were relocated to other national parks like the Tankwa Karoo National Park and Augrabies Falls National Park in the Northern Cape, Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape and Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo.

"This is to ensure that we spread the gene pool and maintain healthy animal populations in all of our parks", explained Mokala spokesperson Henriette Engelbrecht.

Phase two started in June 2006, and was scheduled specifically for the winter season to cater for heat-sensitive animals. During that period animals like red hartebeest, buffalo, gemsbok, springbok and white rhinoceros were moved.

Animals like the black rhinoceros were moved during the third phase, which started in October 2006.

Moving some 1 200 animals was a challenge for SANParks, who used capture teams consisting of two veterinary doctors, three assistants and 12 park rangers. They also used four large translocation trucks, two specialised containers for transporting rhinoceros, one crane truck and one helicopter.

According to the organisation, pregnant, old and sensitive animals like black rhinoceros are the hardest to move, but a state veterinarian was present during the entire operation to ensure that procedures and safety elements were adhered to.

"It is not just a case of pack up and go, but a very sensitive and unique operation to relocate a whole national park", said SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services' Dr David Zimmerman.

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

CREMORA FRIDGE TART

!pkt. Tennis biscuits
! tin condensed milk
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
250g-cremora powder
1cup ice, ice, ice cold water
jelly – any flavor depending on the decoration some ideas: orange jelly – peaches top, strawberry or raspberry jelly – strawberries, lemon jelly - granadilla pulp on top), Cream can also be use for decoration if you want to.

Method
Make jelly with 1 cup boiling water leave to coll. Mix ice water with cremora powder well. Add condensed milk mix well. Then add lemon juice mix well. Layer tennis biscuits in a fridge tart dish (long in length) and add mixture. Pour cooled jelly over mixture and add toppings (granadilla pulp or strawberry or peaches). Refrigerate try and make it the night before.


PEPPERMINT FRIDGE TART

1 tin caramel treat
tennis biscuits
1 box oley whip
1 slab peppermint chocolate
1 peppermint crisp

Method
Whip oley whip with hand mixture until stiff. Add caramel treat and mix. Then grate peppermint slab and mix. Layer tennis biscuits in fridge tart dish (long in length) and add mixture. Grate peppermint crisp chocolate on top. Refrigerate try and make it the night before.

BANANA FRIDGE TART

2 pkt Borchers biscuits – blue box
6 large bananas
1 pkt Oley whip
1 large flake
Ultra Mel custard

Method
Whip oley whip with hand mixture until stiff. Layer biscuits in fridge tart dish (long in length). Cut bananas in not to thick slice and make first layer of bananas on biscuits and then a layer of custard. Make a another layer biscuit and than layer bananas on biscuits and then a layer of custard. Lastly add oley whip on top and crumble flake for decoration. Refrigerate try and make it the night before.

STRAWBERRY MOUSE

1 pkt. Raspberry jelly
500ml strawberry yoghurt
ideal milk
Water

Method
Mix 1 cup boiling water and 1-cup tap water with jelly. Leave to cool. Whip ideal milk well and then add 500ml strawberry yoghurt. When jelly is cooled off add to ideal milk mixture. Refrigerate try and make it the night before

Caramel banana fridge tart
Ingredients
150 g Marie biscuits, crushed
125 ml butter, melted
380 g Nestlé Caramel Treat
3 large bananas

Method:
Spray a 19 cm pie dish with nonstick spray. Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter and press the mixture into the prepared pie dish. Beat the caramel condensed milk until smooth and spoon into the pie crust, spreading evenly. Set aside. Dip the unpeeled bananas in boiling water to prevent discolouration. Peel and slice thinly. Arrange the banana slices on top of the caramel. Place the tart in the fridge to set. Serve cold. Makes a medium tart.

Lemon fridge tart

Ingredients
200 g (1 packet) Tennis biscuits, crushed
100 ml melted butter or margarine
3 extra large eggs, separated
125 ml castor sugar
250 ml cream, chilled
1 lemon, grated rind
80 ml fresh lemon juice

Method:
Grease a 30 x 20 cm pie dish with butter.
Mix the biscuit crumbs with the butter or margarine and press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish.
Chill until needed.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and add the castor sugar a spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and shiny.
Beat the egg yolks well and fold into the egg white mixture.
Beat the cream until stiff and fold in together with the lemon rind and juice.
Pour over the crumb crust, cover with clingfilm or foil and freeze.

To subscribe to this newsletter and view previous newsletters, , click here, to subscribe to my Afrikaans newsletter, click here.

To unsubscribe, send me an email giving your name and the email address you want to unsubscribe from.