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Disney’s Cookabout Recipe: Beef, Peppers and Broccoli Stir-fry

Inspired by Disney’s locally produced live action show Disney’s Cookabout – I thought I’d share a healthy recipe that was featured on the recent season of the show.

The cooking show sees kids learn where our food comes from, visiting farms around the country before heading back to the kitchen to learn to cook with the ingredients.

  • RECIPE: Christine Capendale
  • IMAGES: Anita Reed/Disney Channel

Beef, Peppers and Broccoli Stir-fry

Ingredients

  • STIR-FRY
  • 20 ml sunflower oil
  • 200 g rump or sirloin steak (at least 50% lean meat), cut into thin strips
  • ½ small onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 5 ml grated fresh ginger
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • ¼ small red pepper, cut into strips
  • ¼ yellow pepper, cut into strips
  • 100 g broccoli florets
  • 60 ml sliced celery
  • 100 g rice noodles

SAUCE

  • 40 ml soya sauce
  • 15 ml honey
  • 5 ml organic, free range chicken stock
  • powder

TO SERVE

  • 5 ml toasted sesame seeds
  • Fresh herbs (eg coriander, parsley or chives)
  • Beef, peppers and
  • broccoli stir-fry

METHOD

Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside. Pour 750 ml of boiling water over the rice noodles and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Drain very well and keep warm. Stir a little extra oil through the noodles to prevent them from sticking together. Add half of the oil to a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli until the onion is slightly browned. Stir all the time. Turn the heat up and add the meat. Stir-fry until it is cooked and starts to brown. Season with a little salt and remove the cooked meat and onions from the frying pan. Keep aside. Add the rest of the oil to the frying pan, turn down the heat to medium and add the peppers, broccoli and the celery. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp. Return the meat and onions to the vegetables in the frying pan and add the sauce. Cook whilst stirring for 2 minutes. Serve with rice noodles and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and some herbs.

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Newsletter 16 April 2020

Good morning

It is day 21 of lockdown in South Africa today – I hope you are staying safe! We’ve been in isolation since 15 March… you can read how I felt back on 16 March about our very first day.

Let me know what you and the family are getting up to – and if you want to have your activity photo featured on my Facebook page. Let’s make it fun, photos that make me smile will go into the draw to win a R100 Takealot voucher (I’ll publish details on my blog).

Supporting Local

This is my open invitation for local makers and businesses to advertise for mahala on my channels – because I support local. Please share these to your favourite businesses and makers.

If you don’t know about Graceland Eco Retreat yet… you simply have to find out more about them on www.gracelandeco.co.za. PS they have giraffes named Elvis, Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Tennessee, Nashville and Phoenix.

I can tell you that the views are spectacular, because I grew up in that valley you see down in the distance 🙂

UK + Scotland Candles & Diffusers on sale #ad

Travel: Beyond The Vine

Travel is not allowed right now, but it doesn’t mean we can’t dream about travelling.

In February I hopped on over to Cape Town to have a birthday weekend with my bestie and we went on a wine farm tour with Beyond the Vine. It was so much fun – it definitely beat doing a self-drive just to taste wine.

Matchless Candles up to 70% off sale #ad

This will make a great Mother’s Day gift!

Create that traditional candle glow effectively and efficiently with the flick of a switch. These can be used with any decor and even outside!

How are you keeping your kids busy at home while still working?

I’m tired of being bombarded by download this, do this… while in lockdown. I also get daily lessons from school. I still work full-time. How are you coping?

Remember my Roadmap to a Happier Me Challenge?

I think it is time we restarted the challenge…

Have you heard this about Placecol yet?

This proudly South African beauty brand just turned 40 and you can read all about it here. #PlacecolTurns40

Discover Viveca Jewellery

I don’t have a garden and all I can think about is being outside, hearing people, touching a real plant that isn’t a cactus. I’m just about ready to jump my balcony, scale a fence and make a break for the trees just 50m from my home. In the meantime… I’ve spotted these pieces from Viveca Jewellery on Facebook and thought they were really great pieces. Remember, support local and leave those made in C…. on the shelves.

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Unlock A Win

Let’s have some fun! Share your favourite pictures from your time in lockdown on this post. I will choose my favourites and do a random draw for a R100 Takealot voucher.

Snap a funny picture, a beautiful sunset or that amazing cake you’ve baked during lockdown. You can enter as many times as long as you add a new photo.

  • Like one of my Facebook pages or follow on Instagram
  • 1 winner will be drawn on 1 May 2020
  • Voucher will be emailed
  • The winner has to claim their prize within 24 hours or a new winner will be drawn
  • All entries have to be added on this Facebook post
  • The prize is a R100 online voucher
  • Winner will be announced on the blog
  • Competition open to residents of South Africa only
  • Competition closes 30 April 2020
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Slow clap for that country

How do I tell kids under 4 that mommy is too scared to go out because what’s out there could kill you – and it came from a country where human rights aren’t as important? How do I explain to 2 toddlers that someone ate a bat/other exotic animal, that there are disgusting markets and that the government of that country let the virus escape – infecting more than a million worldwide?

I’ve told the 3-year-old that there are sick people while showing her how to wear her mom-made facemask. I’ve shown the 1-year-old how cute she looks in her mask, but she tried to stick the food right through it.

How do I tell my kids’ pre-primary school that I still work fulltime and that paying for school, having no help (and still paying her as well) and getting a barrage of DIY school your children from home in my confined home with no garden is just too much? I’m thinking it would be better in jail than to be cooped up because some country couldn’t keep it clean. Like seriously, I sent the kids to school so I could work. I long to make a break from my third floor balcony, jump a fence and go hide in the trees just 50m from my home. I want to get the ^&&^& out of my house without fearing for my life! I want to hear South Africans talk – in all the languages we have. I want to see humans interacting, sharing a meal, having a moment with each other.

Mentally I’m fine. Dealing with 2 kids that are fed-up with staying indoors and trying to maintain my workload is going to make me jog through north Africa, swim an ocean and go kick that country’s ass. I am red hot angry.

While we are prisoners in our homes they are profiting from the pandemic. They are sending care parcels to Africa – but what will it cost us?

Maybe we should all go back to this…

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Thava Restaurant cooks for hundreds of hungry – and appeals for help

Thava Indian Restaurant is responding to the desperate need for food in disadvantaged communities during the COVID-19 Lockdown with hundreds of hearty, hot and nutritious meals on a daily basis.

Thava (which has branches in Norwood and Montecasino) joined forces with Chef Philippe Frydman and NGO Nosh Food Rescue (which distributes food to the needy) and converted the Norwood restaurant into a community kitchen to prepare the first batch of 300 meals delivered to hungry children on 6 April, and another 400 meals of vegetable biryani and chicken korma which were delivered to Zandspruit on 7 April. Thava is donating time, resources, facilities, and staff to the initiative.

Mathew Abrahams, Thava Restaurant owner, explained, “We felt we must do something to alleviate the hardships experienced by so many during the pandemic. Our staff were quick to volunteer their services and we joined forces with Chef Philippe and Nosh. It almost immediately became clear that we can do so much more – and feed so many more people.”

Now the Thava and Nosh team is appealing to corporates, small business, farmers, and the public, to add their support so that we can grow the reach of the initiative:

  • Farmers, producers, traders, businesses or people with an oversupply of stock are asked to donate. Specific items include meat, grain, lentils, vegetables, oil, fruit, bread, milk, packing material. “All donations will be accepted, and we will do our best to use them in our daily meal preparations.”
  • No cash donations will be accepted. Thava has a list of suppliers and specific needs; donors can select from the list and phone through and order items directly from suppliers for delivery to Thava, according to their budget. Invoices are being created by the suppliers and delivery is confirmed with the donor, once received.
  • To grow and be successful in this feeding initiative, the Thava and Nosh team needs an efficient distribution system which is run by volunteers who use their own vehicles to collect goods, deliver them to Thava, and then deliver prepared meals to the needy. Fuel costs need to be covered to ensure continuation of the project and funds can be paid directly into the local service station account – Engen Garage on the corner of Grant Avenue and Ivy Road in Norwood – and payment confirmation sent to Thava.

Frydman, who has been involved with Thava since 2010, adds his personal appeal: “To all the chefs of South Africa, please open your kitchens to provide meals for those people who need them. You will be doing what you are meant to be doing – and that is, feeding the people.”

Abrahams notes that the number of hungry is growing – the homeless, children who depended on school feeding schemes, daily workers who are now unemployed, and many others – and nourishing meals during lockdown will make a difference to their lives. He adds his thanks to all individuals, businesses, and farmers who are contributing to the massive undertaking.

To join the Thava and Nosh team in their efforts to feed those in real need during the pandemic, please contact the restaurant from Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm on 011 728 2826 or info@thava.co.za or Hanneke at Nosh Food Rescue on 082 338 4538.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/ThavaCuisine

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An urgent plea to help save our homeless over lockdown

Our homeless are in desperate need of urgent help during the national lockdown. Completely unable to eke out a living, they are now more vulnerable than ever. If we, as a nation, don’t act soon, there will be death and disaster that rivals the carnage being caused by the coronavirus.

For seven days now SDI Force has done an incredible job, harnessing the power of its uberised platforms to assist government by delivering food and hygiene products in a Covid-compliant manner. Operating off an existing logistics framework created for Supplier Development Initiatives (SDI), SDI Force functions as a non-profit, emergency relief programme during this national crisis. But the fund set up to finance this is running low, and without additional funding, these efforts can’t continue for much longer. What’s needed now is an urgent injection of cash from across South Africa, and in particular from the corporate environment. Businesses big and small need to come to the party and donate generously on the Unity Values website: https://www.unityvalues.com/sdi.

On a national level, there is a large amount of money being pumped into other Covid-19-related funds, and whilst this shows how big South African hearts are, it is taking far too long for this cash to be released and used in emergency efforts. Donations to the SDI Force fund, however, are released immediately to aid operational costs and, most importantly, buy food packs for these starving citizens. What goes in tonight is used tomorrow morning to help save lives. Every cent has an immediate, life-changing effect.

Johannesburg has 15 000 homeless who are in need of urgent attention. These people are scared, hungry and desperate, and this uncertainty has created a powder keg that could soon be out of control. The situation is critical, but we can still make a difference. Initially SDI Force looked at delivering R1000 food packs to help families over a length of time, but now the focus has shifted to creating smaller three-day relief packs. “If we can raise the funds to deliver these then we can keep the wolf from the door,” explains Andile Ramaphosa, SDI Force Co-Founder. “But time is running out and the situation is starting to look worrying. We can’t appeal loudly enough: we need help.”

“We are fortunate to have a tried-and-tested, world-class operating system in place,” says Brad Fisher, ADreach Managing Director and SDI Co-Founder. “As such, we have quickly turned SDI into an effective tool to help with relief efforts. But there is only so much we can do without further funding. “Both Ramaphosa and Fisher have committed their time for free, and whilst the primary focus is on providing food and sanitation, if more money is raised, then the plan is to re-train SDI micro-suppliers, like waste-pickers and Sweep South cleaners, and give them the skills to be deployed as sanitising personnel. Part of this extra funding will also be channelled into homeless shelters, protective gear and warm wear to keep out the cold.

Because of SDI Force’s national footprint, it is in a unique position to roll these efforts out across the country, and talks are already underway with the authorities to investigate ways for the initiative to provide real support to operations throughout South Africa. Every delivery is done according to very strict safety criteria, fully compliant with all measures and restrictions imposed during the national lockdown.

Time is running out. We all need to act, and we need to act now. The on-the-ground situation is critical, but SDI Force has the expertise and experience to make a difference and save lives. This is what they do best. As South Africans, we cannot stand by and watch as our fellow citizens die of starvation. If there’s one thing that this awful virus has taught us, it’s that we are connected on so many levels, and that an injury to one is an injury to all. So please, donate urgently, and help the homeless.

To contribute to Emergency Relief Items such as food packs, Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), shelter, sleeping bags or apparel, please make a donation through https://www.unityvalues.com/sdi

For corporates to support equipment provision or repurposing of existing equipment to be Covid-compliant for micro-suppliers to do their work, please contact Laura on 083 468 3867.

#pressrelease

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Beyond the Vine

Travel is not allowed right now, but it doesn’t mean we can’t dream about travelling. When this is over, we will need to help rebuild our country’s economy and one way to do that is to travel local.

In February I hopped on over to Cape Town to have a birthday weekend with my bestie and we went on a wine farm tour with Beyond the Vine. It was so much fun – it definitely beat doing a self-drive just to taste wine.

We left from a hostel in Cape Town on a very comfortable shuttle with a mix of South Africans and Americans onboard. Robbie, co-owner and tour leader, entertained us on the way to our first taste of the winelands.

Villiera Wines

At our first winery stop, Villiera Wines, tasted four of their wines and had a special tour within their cellar. The Villiera Wines cellar tour is not available through all wine tour operators.

Muratie

Sitting in this historic winery with its cobweb dating from the year voetsek! Was quite an experience. We were entertained with tales of the past and how the farm ended up in the hands of the first owner, saw the original farm owner document and tasted wine around old creaky tables.

Delheim

Our stop at Delheim included a lunch with a view.

Middelvlei

Last time I was at Middelvlei we tried the delicious braaibroodjies and wine pairing, but with Beyond the Vine we blended our own wine. During the wine blending experience you had to work out which percentages of different wines would offer you the best blend. I even got to cork my own wine!

I would really recommend joining Beyond the Vine on a tour – and I paid for the tour myself. They offer experiences beyond just wine tasting and that is what travel is about (don’t be a tourist, be an explorer). After my winelands tour with Beyond the Vine they’ve added quite a few other tours. You can read more about their tours on www.beyondthevine.co.za.

What else to do while in Cape Town

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Burt’s Bees® Classics Collection Time-Tested Originals

It’s simple – products that work become classics. Formulated with time-tested natural ingredients like Beeswax, Shea Butter, and botanical oils and extracts, the products in Burt’s Bees’ Classics Collection were instant cult favorites when they launched—and have remained classics ever since. Many of the products in the collection were first conceived more than 20 years ago in Burt and Roxanne’s kitchen, using what would become iconic Burt’s Bees ingredients like wax from Burt’s beehives. Years later, these original simple, effective products are still beloved because they’re just that—simple and effective. The products have truly stood the test of time, becoming essentials in countless fans’ routines because they work natural wonders. Some beauty products come and go—these came and stayed.

Key Ingredients:

  • Shea Butter
  • Botanical Oils, including Sesame, Borage, Macadamia, Rosehip and Sunflower

Key Claims:

  • Moisturizes and softens with Shea Butter and botanical oils
  • Gentle enough for everyday use
  • 100% Natural

Burt’s Bees® Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream is available through Takealot and DisChem.
Burt’s Bees® Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream is Priced from R 215.

Burt’s ­Bees® has been offering distinctive earth-friendly, natural health and beauty care products for 30 years. From a beekeeper’s backyard in Maine to the leading edge of natural, Burt’s Bees knows natural body care solutions from head-to-toe and operates with The Greater Good™ top of mind. No parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS and no animal testing.

Join the buzz on Instagram and Facebook : @BurtsBeesZA.

#PressRelease

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Burt’s Bees® Classics Collection – Coconut Foot Cream

It’s simple – products that work become classics. Formulated with time-tested natural ingredients like Beeswax, Shea Butter, and botanical oils and extracts, the products in Burt’s Bees’ Classics Collection were instant cult favorites when they launched—and have remained classics ever since. Many of the products in the collection were first conceived more than 20 years ago in Burt and Roxanne’s kitchen, using what would become iconic Burt’s Bees ingredients like wax from Burt’s beehives. Years later, these original simple, effective products are still beloved because they’re just that—simple and effective. The products have truly stood the test of time, becoming essentials in countless fans’ routines because they work natural wonders. Some beauty products come and go—these came and stayed.

Pamper and smooth even the driest feet with this deeply-penetrating foot cream.

nriched with a softening blend of Coconut Oil and nourishing botanicals, this cream will help prevent and protect dry, cracked and rough skin while daily providing a refreshing dose of Peppermint to tired, hard-working feet.

Key Claims:

  • Revives and rejuvenates dry feet with Coconut Oil
  • Refreshes with Rosemary and Peppermint Extracts
  • 99.4% Natural

Burt’s Bees® Coconut Foot Cream is available through Takealot and DisChem. Burt’s Bees® Coconut Foot Cream is Priced from R 250.

Join the buzz on Instagram and Facebook : @BurtsBeesZA.

Burt’s Bees® Classics Collection – Coconut Foot Cream

Burt’s ­Bees® has been offering distinctive earth-friendly, natural health and beauty care products for 30 years. From a beekeeper’s backyard in Maine to the leading edge of natural, Burt’s Bees knows natural body care solutions from head-to-toe and operates with The Greater Good™ top of mind. No parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS and no animal testing. 

#PressRelease

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Goddess’ Pinterest Guide to surviving home schooling: Exercise & Yoga for kids + teaching resources

Dear world, I wasn’t made to work full-time and look after the kids full-time. I am but one person. I need sleep time too!

Follow my Kids Learn Pinterest board if you have toddlers and you are in need of some material for home school.

I believe in the power of exercise. It is a discipline builder, gross motor and character builder – and of course helps to tire the kids out. This is also not just for kids, you may need the calm of yoga too by now!

Along with yoga you can also incorporate breathing exercises for kids – especially when they get a little too unhappy to share a roof with you…

If you’re not into yoga, there is still normal exercises to keep them busy.

Remember, your best is good enough. Good luck this week and stay safe!

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