Right click here to download an eBook full of yummy Curry Recipes.

Not lucky in the SA Lotto? Why not take a chance on the UK Lotto? Minimum jackpot is Three million pounds (R45 million!) Click here for a chance to win BIG!

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. (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. 

BUTTERNUT & SWEET POTATO CURRY

oil for frying
10 ml black and yellow mustard seeds
3 ml chilli paste
5 ml minced ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
1 medium butternut cut into cubes
3 medium potatoes cut into cubes
1 large sweet potato cut into cubes
1 medium squash cut into cubes
410 g whole peeled tomatoes
400 g coconut milk or cream
5 ml heaped, vegetable or chicken stock powder
30 ml fish sauce
3 ml sugar
250 ml water
fresh coriander to serve

1. Heat oil in a deep pot. Add mustard seeds.
2. When they begin to pop, add chilli, ginger, garlic and onion and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add butternut, potato and squash and stir fry gently for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients (except coriander) cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with basmati or jasmine rice.

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

My favourites:
Bacon & avo – fresh white bread, spread mayo on the one slice, Mrs Balls chutney on the other, fry bacon until crispy, put on the chutney slice. Then add the chopped avo & put the mayo slice on top.

Roast beef, sweet & tangy gherkins (must be the sweet & tangy ones) & Philadelphia or kiri cream cheese (instead of butter) – put this on a Portuguese roll, it’s delicious
Regards
Nicky Nielsen(Fourways, Joburg)

Green Apricot Konfyt (Jam)

Prick the apricots all over and let them lie in salt and water for two days. Make the syrup weight for weight. When the syrup boils, put in the apricots and boil for an hour. Take them off and put them in a covered jar for two days. Then boil them again until quite clear.

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 Hyaena

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.

HAVE-SOME-MORE SHEEPNECK & VEGGIES POT
This saucy pot is not only tasty but also so colourful that your guests appetite will be whet before they’ve even tasted it. It’s enough for 6 people and a # 3 pot is recommended.

INGREDIENTS
30ml Butter
2.5ml Ground black pepper
12 Pieces of sheep neck
500g Baby carrots, peeled
4 Medium-sized onions, diced
15 Medium potatoes, quartered
250ml Water
500g Cauliflower
6 Black pepper-corns
500g Whole button mushrooms
4 Bay leaves
6 Baby marrow, sliced
3 Whole cloves
4 Tomatoes, cubed
15ml Salt
500g Mixed dried fruit, soaked in water for 1 hour
15ml Aromat
250ml Dry white wine
10ml Dried parsley
90ml Bisto in 125ml Water

Heat the pot and melt the butter. Then brown a few pieces of meat at a time and remove.
Brown the onions until soft.
Return the meat and add the water, pepper-corns, bay leaves and ‘naeltjies’ and 10ml of the salt.
Cover with the lid and allow the pot to simmer for about 1 hour.
Mix the aromat, parsley, pepper and the remaining salt and sprinkle in-between the layered vegetables (layer the veggies as they appear in the recipe).
Place the dried fruit on top and allow the pot to simmer for about 1.5 hours.
Sprinkle a little aromat over the pot, cover with the lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Finally, add the wine and the bisto solution 30 minutes before the pot is served.

An 85-year-old widow went on a blind date with a 90-year-old man. When she returned to her daughter's house later that night, she seemed upset.
'What happened, Mother?' the daughter asked.
'I had to slap his face three times!'
'You mean he got fresh?'
'No,' she answered, 'I thought he was dead.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A trucker who has been out on the road for two weeks stops at a brothel outside Atlanta. He walks straight up to the Madam, drops down $500 and says, 'I want your ugliest woman and a burned grilled cheese sandwich!' The Madam is astonished. 'But sir, for that kind of money you could have one of my finest ladies and a three-course meal.' The trucker replies, 'Listen Darlin, I ain't horny. I'm homesick.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Where can women over the age of 50 find young, sexy men who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore under fiction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done, you will have a place to live.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 50+ year old husband?
A: Tell him you're pregnant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: How can you avoid spotting a wrinkle every time you walk by a mirror?
A: The next time you're in front of a mirror, take off your glasses.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Why should 50+ year-old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Is it common for 50+ year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem; retrieving it is a problem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Where do 50+ year olds look for fashionable glasses?
A: On their foreheads.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: What is the most common remark made by 50+ year olds when they enter antique stores?
A: 'I remember these.'

11 People on a Rope
Eleven people were hanging on a rope, under a helicopter.
10 men and 1 woman.
The rope was not strong enough to carry them
all, so they decided that 1 had to leave,
or they were all going to fall.
They weren't able to choose that person,
until the woman gave a very touching speech.
She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope, because,
as a woman, she was used to giving up everything for her
husband and kids or for men in general, and was
used to always making sacrifices, with little in return.
As soon as she finished her speech, all the men started clapping .......

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

This is the regular newsletter from Cathy Buckle:

Early one afternoon this week a small town residential suburb grew suddenly quiet as the sound of 'the youths' filled the neighbourhood. The voices of perhaps thirty young men could be heard as they ran along local streets singing, chanting and repeating the threatening political slogans so familiar to us all. The neighbourhood was silenced, a few barking dogs the only challenge to the running mob. Later we heard one house was burnt down, one man had a broken arm, another was slashed on his head with a panga. Behind walls, fences and hedges the silence affords a tenuous measure of safety for urban Zimbabweans but for people in the rural areas nowhere is safe.

When the big trucks arrive in the villages there is nowhere to hide. A few burly men alight and they call loudly for the male youths to come. Door to door they go, gathering the youngsters who are out of school or waiting for exam results, unemployed young men, teenage boys - all are told to climb onto the vehicles. Those who refuse are immediately marked: accused of supporting the opposition. Their names are recorded on the now dreaded 'lists' - lists which determine who gets food, seed and fertilizer and who should be re-educated or punished for voting 'the wrong way' or supporting the 'wrong party.'

Once on the trucks the youths are transported to other villages, far away from home - to places where they are strangers. Hundreds of reports are now being documented of the events taking place in remote areas when these truck loads of youths arrive: reports of beating, burning, humiliation and threats.

Once the deeds are done the youths are sent back to their villages - they are paid, sometimes with money and sometimes with bags of food, blankets, new shoes.

Having been on the trucks once, the youths are trapped and know they'll be forced to go again. The youths are damned if they go and damned if they don't and for many the only choice is to run, to hide and to pray that they can stay safe until the 27th of June when Zimbabwe yet again goes to a Presidential election.

And will it work, all this violence, brutality and trauma? Will it force people to change the way they voted 2 months ago? One father, desperately trying to keep his teenage son away from the trucks said the way to catch a chicken was to throw grain for it so it comes to you, not to throw stones at it.

Despite all the horrors here in Zimbabwe, we are deeply saddened by the tragedies in China and in Burma this past fortnight and send our condolences. Until next week, thanks for reading, love cathy.

 Copyright cathy buckle 10th May 2008 www.cathybuckle.com

My books: "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available in South Africa from: books@clarkesbooks.co.za and in the UK from: orders@africabookcentre.com
To subscribe to this newsletter, please write to: cbuckle@mango.zw
 

This South Africa - interesting facts and information

The A to Z of South African culture (each newsletter features a letter of the alphabet) see archive

J is for Jukskei
A game in which the player throws a wooden pin - known in Afrikaans as a skei - at a peg in the ground, jukskei is as South African as you get. The game is said to date back to 1734, and grew out of bored transport riders passing the time by plant a stick in the ground and see who could hit it from a distance with one of the pins from the oxen yokes.
Out of this developed a complicated game of skill, still played by hundreds of South Africans today. During the apartheid era the game was closely associated with the cultural identity drive of the government and actively revived and encouraged by Afrikaner nationalists - doing the game more harm than good in the long term.

In 2001 South Africa's new government launched the Indigenous Games Project, which identified jukskei as one of seven indigenous games that should be encouraged and developed.
 

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 .

All the inside info on Zimbabwe......
 

The Truth About Zimbabwe

The Recipes

Tomato bredie
Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced into rings
2 ml peppercorns
2 ml cloves
125 ml water
25 ml oil
2 cinnamon sticks
1 kg mutton thick rib, cut into uniform pieces
3 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cardamom pods
1 kg very ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
6 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and halved
salt
pepper
sugar

Method:
Place the onions, peppercorns, cloves and water in a fairly large saucepan and boil until most of the water has evaporated. Add the oil and cinnamon and braise until the onions are slightly brown. Add the meat, ginger and cardamom pods and stir well. Cover and leave the meat to simmer slowly for about 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chilli and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Then add the potatoes, salt, pepper and sugar to taste and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Serve with rice. Serves 6.

Cape pumpkin bredie
Ingredients
500 g breast of lamb, cut into portions
500 g flank of lamb, cut into portions
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cloves
5 ml salt
125 ml meat stock
1 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into pieces

Method:
1. Brown meat in a heavy-based saucepan without adding cooking oil. 2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent. 3. Add all the ingredients except pumpkin. Cover and simmer until meat is almost tender. 4. Place pumpkin on top of meat about 30 minutes before serving and simmer until tender.

Potato bredie
Ingredients
500 g onion
sunflower oil
5 ml salt
5 ml paprika
500 g stewing beef
250 ml hot beef stock
500 g potatoes
2 ml dried marjoram
50 ml chopped pickled gherkins

Method:
Peel and chop the onions roughly. Heat a little sunflower oil in a heavy-based pot and fry and onion without browning. Sprinkle salt and paprika over it and set the onion to one side. Cut the stewing beef into cubes. Stir-fry a couple of pieces of meat at a time in the same pot in a little hot oil until brown. When all the beef has been browned return all the pieces to the pot. Add the fried onion, pour in the beef stock and put the lid on. Let it stew slowly for about an hour. Peel and chop the potatoes into cubes. Add them to the bredie about 25 minutes before the cooking time has elapsed and sprinkle the marjoram on top. Allow the bredie to cook until the potato cubes are done. Stir in the pickled gherkins and just let them heat through before serving the bredie.

Cabbage bredie
Cooking time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients
1 head cabbage, shredded
oil
2 large onions, sliced into rings
10 ml cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
2 allspice seeds
1 kg mutton, cubed
meat stock or water
2 leeks, well rinsed and sliced into rings
1 stalk celery, sliced into rings
green chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)
8 baby potatoes, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 ml sugar

Method:
Blanch the cabbage in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside, Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onions along with the cumin seeds until glossy. Add the whole spices and meat. Brown the meat, add a little meat stock or water, cover and reduce the heat. Simmer until the meat is nearly tender. Add the potatoes, cabbage, leeks, celery and chilli and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add more water or meat stock as required. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle the sugar on top. Serve with rice and chutney. Serves 6.

Waterblommetjie bredie
Ingredients
500 g waterblommetjies
2 kg neck of lamb or mutton, cut into portions
15 ml cake flour
15 ml cooking oil
2 onions
300 g spinach, chopped
250 ml meat stock
10 ml salt
30 ml lemon juice

Method:
1. Wash the waterblommetjies thoroughly, and soak in salt water for 30 minutes. Remove stems. 2. Roll meat in cake flour, then brown in heated cooking oil. Add onions and sauté until transparent. 3. Add lemon juice, 200 g waterblommetjies, meat stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is almost tender. 4. Add rest of the waterblommetjies and the chopped spinach, and simmer for 30 minuets. Replenish with a little meat stock if necessary. A few small potatoes can be added as an extra.

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