Category Archives for Food, drinks and health
Christmas
Christmas is around the corner, can you believe it…. Why not treat yourself or someone you know to a beautiful gift, something that no one else has. This is a perfect, individual gift that will be a wonderful treat for everyone in your life…. You can choose between a small bag or a large bag of cookies. The packs include the following:
Pack 1: – £15
12 cookies in a bag
1 x cauldron (choice of 3, as long as stock lasts)
1 x soy tealight candle
1 x finger knitted bracelet (choose your 2 colours)
Pack 2: – £12
3 cookies in a bag
1 x cauldron (choice of 3, as long as stock lasts)
1 x soy tealight candle
1 x finger knitted bracelet (choose your 2 colours)
If you only want to buy cookies, that is no problem! You can either buy a large bag of 12 cookies for £5.20 or you can have the 12 cookies packed into 3 small bags (4 cookies per bags) for the same price, £5.20. If you want to treat someone, you can add a bracelet to your order, they are only £1 each…
If you are in England, you can order yours now. Send us a message or visit our eBay page. Delivery will be through a courier and will be £3 extra. If you order through eBay the delivery will be £3.40… Order 2 and pay for only 1 postage.
If you want to bake your own treats, have a look at our Amazon page…
Cookies for SALE
As you already know, we are selling our home made cookies through eBay… If you want to order directly from us, just send us a message. You can pay via PayPal or Direct transfer. All cookies will be baked to order and dispatched within 2 working days. Orders will be send via courier in the UK at a cost of R3.
We have just added our newest line. This is ideal for parties at home or school. It includes our lovely home made Romany Creams and you will also get a finger knitted bracelet for every bag. Your order will include 4 x individual bags with 3 cookies each as well as 4 x finger knitted bracelets (2 colours of your choice). The cost of this will be £9.20. If you would like to buy 2 or more (8 bags and 8 bracelets) you will get your order for £9 each instead of £9.20.
Other cookies available for sale includes:
12 x Home made chocolate and coconut cookies (Romany Cream style) – £5.40 (2 or more at £5.10 each)
12 x Home made custard cookies – £5.40 (2 or more at £5.10 each)
12 x Home made coffee cookies – £5.40 (2 or more at £5.10 each)
4 x Individual bags with chocolate and coconut cookies and 4 x finger knitted bracelets – £9.20 (2 or more £9)
Send us a message if you are interested to purchase our lovely home made cookies!
Romany Creams
Brighten up someone’s day by sending them a bag of these beautiful Home made Romany Creams. Place your order today. Bags are £5.40 each (12 per bag) and you can order as much as you like! We will get a quote for postage once your order is placed. Otherwise send your own courier or collect yourself. We are based in Chesterton, UK.
You can now also order nationwide via eBay. All cookies are baked fresh to order and dispatched within 3 days of placing your order. A courier will be used to send the items. Please visit our eBay listing and have a look at what else we sell…
These are the most beautiful home baked Romany Creams, fresh and crunchy made with chocolate and coconut. Please note that none of the ingredients used contain gluten, wheat, milk, egg or nuts, but because it is produced in a kitchen that handles all the above, the cookies may contain gluten, wheat, milk, egg as well as nuts…
Home Made Romany Creams
It is almost Christmas again, can you believe it… Feels like yesterday we all got together as a family and had so much fun. This year is a bit different. Lots of things happened but at least we are still able to keep in touch through technology… This year we are running a special for Christmas. Show the person that means the most to you that you are thinking of them.
If you live in the UK, you can order Home made Romany Creams, specially baked with love xxx We are selling little bags of cookies, 12 in a pack. It will be packaged in a beautiful bag and delivered to your door via courier… We are taking orders now and all orders will be dispatched within 3 working days.
You can buy them now through eBay:
1 x 12 pack of Home made Romany creams – £5.40 + R2.90 for delivery. If you buy 2 or more packs you will save 5%…
This is an ideal way of showing the South African, or anyone else, that you are thinking of them. These are beautiful cookies made with chocolate and coconut, so don’t miss out. If you want to place an order please contact me via our blog or visit eBay. You can also contact me via facebook….
Looking forward to your orders and speaking soon 🙂
Christmas Time :)
Christmas time… Feels like it comes around so quickly every year. Kids are so excited, we all are taking things slowly. And here we are another year later. We have family over from South Africa and it is VERY cold and wet at the moment, but why not bake and enjoy!!!
Enjoy your Christmas everyone !!!! Will post a recipe again soon.
Braai is tops!
Who needs electric to cook with if you have charcoal and a braai? Our most favourite past time… When we were told we would not have electric the other day between 8 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon, my husband decided it is time to braai chicken over the coals. The smell while it was cooking was wonderful. Chicken, stir fry style veggies, mielies (corn on the cob) and a wonderful sauce with the most beautiful fresh herbs…..
Braai
It was a wonderful dinner, completed just before the electric went back on…
Die lekkerste lekker hiervan is jy kan nou net mooi enige iets in die pan gooi om gaan te maak. Laat dit stadig oor die kole braai terwyl jy terugsit en ontspan. Wag tot die kos reg is en siedaar, geniet met ‘n lekker bord rys.
Smoothies
In this day and age where eating healthy has become so important, so many people do not like to eat fruit and vegetables. Even though they know it is good for them, they still prefer not to eat it. It can be very difficult getting used to a healthy lifestyle if all you are used to, is take away fast food. The first change is having to get home and cook. Immediately you loose about halve an hour of your “alone” time.
What is important thought, is to think of this as an opportunity to spend this time with your children and husband/wife. Make it fun and interesting. Don’t loose your smile when you think that you will have to eat more fruits during the day and evening. There is a very easy solution that will be fun for the whole family.
I think smoothies are one of the greatest inventions of our time. I know you get a lot of fruit juices and they are truly great, but some of the manufacturers do add a lot of sugar. Try to keep the sugar intake low by making your own. All you need is a blender, or smoothie maker and fruit. It is that simple. Try to play with the flavours. You can add whatever you like. If you do not try it, how will you know if you like it or not?
My husband and I played around with some flavours the past weekend and I can tell you, it tasted great. You can get recipe books for how to make smoothies, but as I said, make it up as you go along. First we tried mixing banana, strawberries, kiwi fruit, grapes and plain yoghurt. It tasted LOVELY. This is not a sweet combination, so if you have a sweet tooth, maybe you should try our second recipe.
The next one we tried, we used a mango, banana, yellow melon and yoghurt. This was ‘n sweeter option, but the banana was a little strong. Maybe you should try to use only halve a banana or replace it with some other fruit. We thought that next time we will try to replace it with a strawberry or two. Don’t know how it will taste, but we will definitely try.
Making smoothies is a great time to spend together, learning to listen to each other and compromise on what fruit you want to try and just have GREAT fun! It will definitely tickle your laughing muscles, believe me.
Go on, try to make your own smoothie and have a great time!
Vitamienes
Vitamienes en minerale speel ‘n ongelooflik belangrike rol in ons alledaagse lewens en dit is noodsaaklik om ‘n gebalanseerde dieët te volg. Vitamienes is ‘n natuurlike bron wat aangetref word in alle diere en plante. Hierdie vitamienes word in twee groepe ingedeel naamlik wateroplosbaar en vetoplosbaar.
Wateroplosbare vitamienes word maklik in jou liggaam opgeneem en geabsorbeer en word nie te lank gestoor nie. Die akstra wateroplosbare vitamienes wat jou liggaam nie nodig het nie, word elke dag deur jou niere afgeskei en verlaat jou liggaam deur uriene. Om hierdie rede moet jy al hierdie vitamienes daagliks inneem.
Wateroplosbare vitamienes bestaan uit die volgende:
Vitamiene B1 (tiamien): Hierdie vitamien help jou liggaam om koolidrate te verbrand wanneer energie benodig word.
Bronne: Beesvleis, vark, lewer en volgraankosse.
Vitamiene B2 (ribovlafien): Help jou liggaam om protiëne, koolidrate en vette te prosesseer. Hierdie vitamien is help ook om jou vel gesond te hou.
Bronne: Beesvleis, vark, lewer, kaas, eiers, melk, neute en volgraankosse.
Vitamiene B3 (niasien): Prosesseer vette en protiëne en bou ‘n gesonde senuweestelsel.
Bronne: Lewer, kalkoen, vis, boontjies, neute en volgraanprodukte.
Vitamiene B5: Help met die produsering van rooibloedselle.
Bronne: Orgaan vleise, hoender, melk, eiers, neute, boontjies, ertjies, en graanontbyt.
Vitamiene B6: Help jou liggaam om protiëne en vette te verbruik sowel as om suurstof in jou bloed deur jou liggaam te vervoer.
Bronne: Vark, beesvleis, hoender, vis, orgaan vleise, eiers, neute, piesangs, wortels en graanontbyt.
Vitamiene B7 (Biotien): Help met die groei van selle, vorming van rooibloedselle, stabileseer bloedsuiker vlakke en vorm sterk hare, vel en naels.
Bronne: Eiergeel, lewer, niertjies, oats, neute melk, boontjies, ertjies, neute en tamatie.
Vitamiene B9 (“folic acid”): Help jou liggaam om nuwe selle te vervaardige. Dit help ook by swanger vrouens met die vorming van jou ongebore baba.
Bronne: Donker groen groentes, boontjies, ertjies, lemoene en graanprodukte.
Vitamiene B12: Handhaaf ‘n gesonde senuweestelsel en help om genetiese materiaal te vervaardig.
Bronne: Lewer, sardientjies, eiers, melk en bloukaas,
Vitamiene C: Tree op as adti-oksedant, help met die vorming van bene en die handhawing van jou immuunsisteem.
Bronne: Groen soetrissie, spinasie, sitrus vrugte, tamaties, aartappels en arbeie.
Vetoplosbare vitamienes word nie so maklik deur jou liggaam geabsorbeer nie. Jou liggaam benodig sekere ander vitamienes om dit te absorbeer en word dan in jou liggaamsvet gestoor. Wanneer jy die vitamienes benodig, gebruik jou liggaam dit wat reeds gestoor is in jou vet. Jy het nie nodig om hierdie vitamienes elke dag in te neem nie.
Vetoplosbare vitamienes bestaan uit die volgende:
Vitamiene A: Help met jou visie, handhaaf ‘n gesonde vel en immuunsisteem, helstel beskadigde weefsels en tree op as anti-oksidant vir jou liggaam.
Bronne: Lewer, vis, suiwelprodukte, eiergeel, wortels, patats, tamaties en volgraan produkte.
Vitamiene D: Vitamiene D is nodig om kalsium en fosfor in die liggaam te absorbeer en beskerm jou liggaam teen beensiektes.
Bronne: Soutwater vis, melkprodukte, graanprodukte en sonlig.
Vitamiene E: Dien as Antioksedant vir jou liggaam, help jou bloed vloei en bou ‘n sterk immuunsisteem.
Bronne: Vis melk, eiergeel, groente-olies, vrugte, boontjies, ertjies, spinasie en “broccoli”.
Vitamiene K: Help met die vorming van bene en verhoed dat jou bloed klonte maak.
Bronne: Kaas, spinasie, “broccoli”, kool, tamaties en margerine.
Vitamins, an overview
Vitamins are vital for our every day life and the prevention of serious diseases like beriberi, scurvy, rickets and night blindness. Different organisms need different trace organic substances in their diet. Most mammals need the same vitamins as human, with only a few exceptions. One difference is the production of ascorbic acid. Animals synthesise this themselves, but humans can not do so. Plants can synthesise all the organic substances they need.
Vitamins are essential to life as well as good health and it assists in the formation of hormones, blood cells and our nervous systems. It releases energy from food that has been digested and regulates our metabolism. Nothing happens without the assistance of vitamins in our bodies. If we do not have enough vitamins in our bodies, it can lead to a deficiency.
Although organisms can survive for some time without vitamins, prolonged deficiency in any of the vitamins can lead to serious illness and can be potentially deadly. Sometimes the symptoms will not be seen until about a year later (deficiency in vitamin B12 for example), but with vitamins like B1, you will see the symptoms within a couple of weeks.
There are 13 well-identified vitamins that our bodies need and they are divided into 2 groups. Vitamin A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble and can be stored in body fat. You do not need to take these vitamins every single day. Vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12) and vitamin C are all water-soluble. They are not stored in the body, with the exception of vitamin B12 that is stored in the liver. These vitamins need to be taken every single day, because they are lost through urine. Vitamin D is the only vitamin that can be produced by our bodies, the rest need to be taken in through our diet.
Something important you have to remember when eating foods that contain these vitamins we need, is that light, heat and processing of the food, are all enemies of vitamins and can destroy them. People that smoke and drink alcohol will need to take a vitamin supplement. When you consume a lot of alcohol, it dehydrates your body, preventing absorption of vitamins.
Remember, all the water-soluble vitamins are lost through urine. Smokers have a deficiency specifically in vitamin C, but also others. Remember when you take a supplement, to take the fat-soluble vitamins before meals and the water-soluble vitamins after meals. Most importantly, always ask your doctor or pharmacist before you use any vitamin supplements.
SA Seasonal food
South Africans live from season to season, eating what the earth gives them. A variation in latitude and height above sea level as well as the effect of ocean currents causes a great variety of climatic conditions throughout the country. There are three main rainfall-regions, divided into a winter rainfall in the south western part of the country including the Western Cape, rain all year round along the southern coastal belt and a summer rainfall in the rest of the country.
Rainfall varies between around 125 mm per year along the arid western coast and 1 000 mm a year on the eastern coast. Rainfall is irregular with less than 10% of the country receiving around 750 mm of rain per year. The other 90% receive less than this. The summers in South Africa are very hot with mostly cloudless days, but in the winter, only a few areas are frost-free.
If you travel to South Africa during October to May (mainly) you can go to farms and pick your own fruit. Make sure you check what times they are open so you won’t be disappointed. During November you can watch out for Strawberries. December is the correct month for strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries, cherries and peaches. In January you can pick black currents, apricots, cherries, raspberries and strawberries. February is the month for raspberries, strawberries, apricots, nectarines, peaches and apples.
During the fall you can pick raspberries, strawberries, nectarines, peaches and apples and during April you can still pick some strawberries, apples and even grapes.
So when can you expect to buy certain fruits? Don’t be caught out, just take a look at which fruit is in season during the year. Nectarines and plums can be bought from November through to April, while you can enjoy Apricots and Litchis between November and February. Other fruits you can enjoy during the summer months include peaches from October to February, grapes during the months of December to May, melons between January and March and mangoes from December to April.
If you travel to South Africa during the colder months, you can sink your teeth into apples from March to September, oranges during the winter and spring months of April to November and grapefruit between April and September. If you are looking for something more sour, lemons is just the thing for you to get during the months of March to November. Easy peelers are available between April and September and my favourite, avocados, can be enjoyed from March to October of each year.
Guavas can be bought in May while prickly pears are available during January and February. Pears you find most of the year, with the season running from January to October, while pineapples grow in South Africa all year round. If you love cherries, make sure you keep your eyes open. If you close it for too long, you will miss it! Cherry season is a short 6 weeks, between the months of December and the beginning of January.
You can find pretty much most vegetables throughout the year. These include baby marrow, butternut squash, various types of pumpkin, green beans, various other beans, carrots, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, cassava, cabbage, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, spinach, sweet peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, mealies (white mealies and sweet corn, which is yellow) and many more. Potatoes are grown all over the country, so when one part has a winter rainfall and the other a summer rainfall, they transport the produce to the necessary area.
Mealies are planted during November and harvested during the month of March. As this finishes, the sunflowers and wheat are planted.
Make sure you know which fruits are in season so you know what to look forward to when you travel. All fruit and vegetables are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals, so make sure you eat lots and lots of it. Enjoy!