Category Archives for My thoughts

Klopdisselboom

As ek eerlik moet wees is daar nie VREESLIK baie wat ek kan onthou van wat ek op Laerskool geleer het nie… My brein absorbeer Inligting, dit weet ek beslis, maar wat bly en wat nie is nogal ‘n interessante konsep. Daar is ook baie Inligting in my brein wat ek weet, maar kan vir jou glad nie vertel wanneer of waar ek dit geleer het nie.

Daar is egter iets wat in my brein vasgesteek het toe ek dit gehoor het. Op Laerskool het ons die wonderlikste skoolhoof gehad. Meneer van Zyl was ‘n lieflike man. Hy het altyd so sag met die kinders gewerk, baie geduldig maar tog ook streng en ferm en baie goed gesproke. Hy het altyd die wonderlikste woorde gebruik en die mooiste suiwerste Afrikaans gepraat…

Ek onthou nog die oggend toe ons op die aantrevlak aangetree het in die oggend voor skool begin het. Ons het soos altyd geopen met gebed en Meneer van Zyl het met ons gesels. Hy het vir ons vertel dat dit klopdisselboom met hom gaan. ‘n Groot woord wat ek nie verstaan het nie, maar hy het vir ons mooi verduidelik.

As dit so goed met jou gaan dat dit nie beter kan gaan nie, dan gaan dit klopdisselboom. Dink net… so goed dat dit nie beter kan gaan nie. Hierdie woord het van daardie oomblik af in my kop vasgesteek en ja, as ek aan die woord dink dan glimlag ek sommer breed van oor tot oor.

Elke oggend as mense my vra hoe dit gaan dan sê ek goed dankie, en omtrent 2 sekondes na my antwoord dink ek, ek moes gesê het klopdisselboom  So volgende keer as iemand vir jou vra hoe gaan dit, bly eers stil vir 2 sekondes, glimlag en vertel dat dit gaan klopdisselboom dankie. Dan kan jy ook verduidelik wat dit beteken.

Hierdie is ‘n wonderlike mondvol woord wat net heerlik lekker oor jou tong sal rol. Hoe gaan dit vandag met jou? Met my gaan dit sommer klopdisselboom baie dankie!!!!!

Organic Peanut butter

Do you also get angry when you walk down the isles of the supermarkets and all you can find is processed foods with colours, flavourings and additives? Most of the time you don’t even know what they are using or where it comes from. Is it bad for your health, how does it influence your children?

Since my husband has been diagnosed as a celiac, our choices of products to purchase has shrunk by more than 90%, so we have had to learn to read EVERY single label, find out what exactly goes into all these funny words they add to our foods. Living in South Africa is even HARDER because they do not have to indicate ingredients in products and even if they do, no one are checking up on the companies…

So we have had to go back to the beginning, the basics… Everything we buy is fresh. Fruits, vegetables, plain meats (nothing processed or with spices) and stocks we make ourselves. I know it is VERY inconvenient, but so much healthier for us. At least we know exactly what goes into our food, every single day…

So when I found this 100% natural organic peanut butter with coconut oil, we tried it and it is lovely. Tastes totally different from the peanut butter you purchase on the shelves of supermarkets.

We sell them as well, so if you are interested, please visit our site Natural Choices. The best part is that it is organic, gluten free and produced in South Africa 🙂

Cold, colder, coldest….

You won’t believe it if I tell you that 2 weekends ago we went to watch out little boy play a football match at 11:30 and we had sunburn, at the end of the autumn I have to add 🙂 And then this weekend just gone, we were so cold we could not warm up…

Friday it started raining, continuing right through Saturday and part of Sunday. We do not usually experience such soft rain throughout the day during the start of the winter here in Gauteng. We have a summer rainfall and the days get very cold if the sun doesn’t shine.

Our winters are lovely… It is VERY cold at night, at the moment it is about 1 degree Celcius (but winter is not here yet). At around 9 the sun is shining in it’s full power and the earth starts warming up. If you sit in the house in the sunshine, you can almost get away with wearing a summer’s shirt I tell you 🙂

It warms up to about 19 degrees Celcius in the daytime and then when the sun goes down around 5:30, you feel it. It becomes instantly cold and you have to go indoors. But this weekend with the rain, the sun did not come out (which does NOT happen often, I have to add). It was around 5 minimum and 8 degrees Celcius maximum. Not used to it. No double glazing or any kind of heating in homes, believe me, you feel it. We took out our blankets to keep warm.

Kiddies have the most beautiful warm water bags for their hands. They are lovely and warm and they take it to school in the mornings. They love it!!!!

Let us know your winter experiences, and don’t forget to bake PANCAKES!!!!!!!!! Click on the link to see the recipe…

What is a cup?

Sometimes when you read a recipe and they talk about cups, what do they mean? I grew up with cups, tablespoons and teaspoons. Everything from liquids to flour are measured in this way and that is why I wrote all my recipes in my recipe book like that.

Since I can remember my mother has had a cup in her cupboard. Pink on the outside and white on the inside with a little ear to pick the cup up with. I believe it used to be part of a tea set a loooooooong time ago 🙂 If you see the cup you will understand what I mean… It has a chip on the top and reminds me of little Chip in Beauty and the Beast… This cup must have experienced so much in it’s lifetime.

This is what everyone should have. A cup used for baking and cooking. Something you can grab that you know for certain is going to result in the correct measurement every single time. All you need to do is measure 250ml of water and add it to the cup. If the cup is full to the top, then this is the cup you should use for measuring. Even if you then have to measure 1 cup of flour, it will still be that specific cup (that holds 250ml of liquid) you need to use.

Go on, get yours today and keep it safe in your baking cupboard…

Flour vs self raising flour

When you read a recipe and see self raising flour, you can think to yourself…. But I don’t have any in my cupboard, what do I do now? It is actually an easy question to answer.

Self raising flour is nothing more than regular flour with a baking agent added already. If you live in America, the self raising flour also contains salt. So if you follow a recipe when baking in America, remember to leave the salt specified in the recipe out if you are substituting flour for self raising flour.

Self raising flour has a specific ration of flour to baking powder. There is about 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder for every cup (150gm) of plain flour. Many recipes require a different proportion of baking powder to flour in order to achieve the desired leavening. You may need 3 teaspoons of baking powder to 1 cup of flour in order for the recipe to rise as much as required….

For me personally it is better to use plain flour and then just add however much baking powder the recipe requires. The other reason why I prefer the plain flour and baking powder separately is because the baking powder added to the self raising flour does expire and the shelf life is short. For me it makes more sense to keep the flour and baking powder separate and use as you need.

This is just my opinion. Maybe you prefer baking with self raising flour and there is nothing wrong with it  Just remember if a recipe calls for self raising flour and you do not have any in the kitchen, just add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder per 1 cup of flour and off you go …
Let us know your thoughts.

Christmas gift…

How often do you treat yourself for Christmas? Not often I am sure… Why not this year treat yourself by getting our Recipes from South Africa cookbook.

It is real, you can hold it in your hands and keep it on your kitchen cupboard to see and find easily to make any recipe… Whether you are a South African that has settled down overseas and just miss home, someone who visited our beautiful country and want to have the wonderful recipes or even if you have never been here but just want to try something new, this is the book for you. You can purchase the real book at Amazon by clicking the link…

If you are more for new technology, no problem 🙂 Why not buy the e-book version and keep it safe on your i-pad or phone these days. Take your i-pad when you go shopping and have a look at recipe and what ingredients you need to get without having to first write down the information. You might even miss something out if you have to write it on a piece of paper. You will receive individual recipe cards when you purchase the downloadable version

You will find the most wonderful recipes in the Recipes from South Africa cookbook. Anything from our famous rusks to main courses including wonderful potjiekos, to snacks including biltong and droë wors. Why not have a look at our biscuit recipes and wonderful desserts.

There are a few sample recipes on our site. Just have a look at our English recipes and try them today. They are very easy to make and taste wonderful 🙂

Homemade Gifts…

Sometimes when you walk around in the shops and you look at what you can get for the price that you have to pay, you can feel very disappointed… What can you get the person you love, or what gift will say thank you so much for your hard work or your support? What can you get to say have a wonderful Christmas this year!!

I know what you are thinking…. Christmas is still a long way away, and you are very right, but the problem is if you don’t start looking at things and getting ideas, you will get stuck. You might feel rushed making a decision, feeling you did not put enough thought into a gift.

Why not stick to handmade or freshly baked goods? It always shows how much you care, how much thought went into the process of choosing the perfect gift. You know that freshly baked biscuits and cakes are always a winner and they will taste MUCH better than the produce you buy in the shops these days.

One lady who bought biscuits the other day said that in the shops on the boxes it says “melt in your mouth”, but how can something melt in your mouth if all you can taste is a floury biscuit? That was a wonderful observation and I agree 100%.

But with freshly homemade biscuits and cakes, you can’t go wrong…. and if you don’t feel like baking it yourself, why not order these wonderful South African recipe biscuits and fruit cakes from Ouma’s Cookies! Only the freshest ingredients are used and they are baked to order. Place your order today and make sure you don’t miss out this holiday… Ouma’s Cookies are based in Vereeniging, South Africa.

Ondersteuningsraamwerk

Ons woord vir vandag is ondersteuningsraamwerk. Weereens ‘n groot woord wat jou tweekeer daarna sal laat kyk en wonder, het ek dit reg gelees? Ondersteuningsraamwerk is ‘n woord met 6 lettergrepe en klink na ‘n mondvol, maar dit rol tog ook so maklik en lekker oor jou tong as jy dit hardop sê…

As jy na die eerste twee lettergrepe kyk maak dit sommer sy eie woord – onder. Dit wys duidelik daarop dat iets van onderaf gebeur  Dit maak ook totaal en al sin, want ondersteuning kom gewoonlik van onder af. Maak jou laste ligter deur dit van die af te neem, of dra jou as jou voete nie meer kan nie.

Almal het ondersteuning nodig anders sal ons nooit heel anderkant uitkom nie. Ondersteuning kom uit alle oorde en word aanvaar omdat ons nie altyd als self kan dra nie. ‘n Ondersteuningsraamwerk is ‘n raamwerk wat in plek gestel kan word deur jouself. Jou onmiddellike familie insluitende jou man, vrou en kinders, jou uitgebreide familie insluitende jou ouers, ooms, tannies en neefs en dan ook jou uitgebreide vriendekring.

Mense maak vriende tydens verskeie tye van jou lewe. In die Laerskool is jy maatjies met die eerste kind wat net so verlore lyk en voel soos jy, waarmee jy kan assosieer. Julle bly dalk nie altyd maatjies nie, maar julle kan op mekaar steun in hierdie moeilike tyd van julle lewe.

Dan is daar Hoërskool, wat nou gemaak in die middel van vreemdelinge, en hierdie keer is dit nog moeiliker want kinders is groter, het hulle eie opinies en aanvaar nie sommer enige persoon in hulle klein, persoonlike spasie nie. Jy moet harder werk en assosiasie tydens hierdie fase hou soms langer…
Jy gaan deur jou lewe met nuwe vriende maak tydens elke belangrike pad wat jy moet stap onder verskillende omstandighede. Maar ware vriende is altyd daar vir jou, sal nooit opgee nie en jou altyd dra en ondersteun, maak nie saak waardeur jy gaan nie.

Maak seker jy bou vir jouself ‘n baie sterk en hegte ondersteuningsraamwerk gedurende jou lewe, anders gaan jy ‘n baie eensame persoon wees tydens jou latere jare.

My man en kinders is my anker, my rots op hierdie aarde. Hulle hou my positief en herinner my elke dag aan die belangrigheid van liefde en ondersteuning…

Vertel my meer van jou ervaringe, jou ondersteuningsraamwerk en hoe jy moeilike omstandighede hanteer.

Konsternasie

Die Afrikaanse taal is ‘n wonderlike uitdrukkingstaal… Daar is geen emosie wat jy nie kan beskryf met die een of ander ongelooflike beskrywende woord nie. Ek kan die heeldag boeke lees en nuwe woorde ontdek, nuwe uitdrukkings en gesegdes lees, en ek is darem al ‘n hele paar jaar op hierdie aarde van ons.

Een van hierdie pragtige woorde wat ek graag gebruik is een van daardie Liewe Heksie oomblikke waar sy sê “Hi ooeee, ek het ‘n bietjie vergeet van daardie groot woord”. Ek praat van konsternasie… n Pragtige woord wat lekker op jou oor val en oor jou tong rol, en dan begin jy wonder. Watse woord is dit? Wat kan dit tog beteken? Dit klink mooi maar ook aardig. Hoe gebruik ek hierdie woord wat ek mal is oor, maar ook terselfdetyd nie regtig verstaan nie?

As jy by iemand is wat die woord in ‘n sin gebruik sal jy sommer dadelik verstaan wat dit beteken. Jy het nie eers nodig om vir ‘n verduideliking te vra nie, jy sal sommer net verstaan en dit sal jou terselfdetyd laat glimlag

Ek het ‘n pragtige voorbeeld van hoe hierdie woord gebruik kan word. Ek bak en brou graag in die kombuis en gewoonlik neem ek aan ons het die regte bestanddele wat ek benodig vir ENIGE resep in die yskas of kaste. Maar wat soms gebeur is ek kry my Resepte van Suid-Afrika kookboek uit en slaan die boek op een van my gunsteling resepte oop en begin sommer alles te meng.

Eers die botter en suiker (soos meeste resepte mos maar begin), dan die eiers en die sout en as ek by die meel kom, is daar ‘n koppie meel te min. Hi ooee wat nou gemaak!!!! Wat ‘n KONSTERNASIE!!! Ek neem aan als is daar vir die resep en dan is dit nie. Maar die ergste is ek besef dit nie altyd van die begin af nie, maar kom dit soms eers agter nadat ek die meeste van die bestanddele reeds gemeng het. Kan jy nou glo. En dit is ‘n baie goeie manier om hierdie lieflike woord, konsternasie, te gebruik in ons alledaagse lewe.

As jy ooit so ‘n konsternasie oomblik beleef, laat my weet. Dit is heerlik om ander mense se gedagte te lees en te weet ek is nie die enigste persoon wat sulke dom goed aanvang nie…

Soentjies, baking cookies from home

Baking from home can be daunting and when you see a wonderful recipe and want to try it, it can be overwhelming. Especially if you do not know where to start or what equipment to use. This is why my mother uses her Kenwood Chef. She bakes biscuits, cookies, rusks, cakes and cup cakes from home and her life is made much easier using her Kenwood. Having to use your hands to mix the dough, roll it out and cut it can be very intensive, but make your life easier this way…

We baked the most beautiful Gluten Free soentjies the other day. First you have to mix all the ingredients together. Then you have to let it rest for a while…

While the dough is resting, prepare the Kenwood Chef. You will have to feed the dough through the Kenwood once it is ready…

Then you have to feed the dough through the Kenwood. You need the mincer and the cookie attachment with the Kenwood. Then you can easily bake from this point on. When the dough comes through the attachment, you then cut the cookies into the same size. Bake in the oven and let the cookies cool down…

When the cookies have cooled down, use the mixture you made to stick 2 cookies together at a time. They taste absolutely heavenly…

If you love eating biscuits but can’t be bothered to go through the hassle of making it, feel free to order them… If you live in the Vaal you are lucky enough to order and collect. If you live anywhere else in South Africa, we are happy to send your order via courier (only biscuits and rusks). Check out Ouma’s Cookies and place your order today.