For ninjas only

My uncle got married yesterday so I spent most of my weekend in Mpumalanga and didn't cook at all. I did, however, rediscover an old childhood favourite - Mayo.
It's name is deceiving and is nothing like mayonnaise. [in fact, ninjas pronouce it Maaah-yo] It's a drinking yoghurt and comes in 3 flavours. I really had forgotten how much I love the stuff and I wanted to buy it in bulk but got reprimanded by my food buddy. He gave a death stare and painfully pointed out its potential effects on my physique. [party pooper]

I've never seen this at my favourite chain food store and also don't know any non-ninjas who know about this delicacy. That leaves me to one conclusion - it's for ninjas only... :-)

Smoked fish and chicken

This is what boredom does to people. Very funny nonetheless :-)

Chocolate sandwich

I went jogging today after a very very VERY long break. So I decided to reward my body for all its hard work today by making the sweetest most decadent chocolate sandwich. Every corner, every crevice, every inch of my body clapped in appreciation :-)

Ingedients

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup creamed cottage cheese
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (softened)
• 1 bar of white and dark chocolate

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Sift the flour and cocoa in a bowl. Then add the sugar, canola oil, eggs and milk and mix well
• Pour mix into a greased baking tray and spread evenly. Bake for approximately 25 minutes
• In a separate bowl, mix the icing sugar, cottage cheese and butter
• Once the cake is baked, allow to cool, remove from baking tray and place onto a flat working surface 
• Cut cake in half, spoon filling onto the one half of the cake
• Top with the other half of the cake and cut into sandwich-sized triangles
• Place onto a plate and garnish with white and dark chocolate shavings
• Enjoy :-)

Sweetie pie

I wrote a love letter to my food buddy today. It was simple, sweet and short - and was made out of yummy flaky puff pastry. And it reads as follows...

:-)

Bite size yummies

These are super easy to make and you don't have to go out of your way to get the ingredients - just use whatever you have in your pantry from simple cheddar cheese and tomatoes to avo and balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup minced beef
• 1 quarter finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon chutney
• chili powder (as much as you can handle)
• half garlic clove (minced)
• chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 1 egg
• roasted red peppers(roughly chopped)
• loaf of sliced bread (I used whole wheat)

Method

• Mix the minced meat, egg, onion, garlic, herbs and spices  together in a bowl
• Roll into little balls, place inside a cookie cutter and flatten into small patties
• Heat a pan on the stove with olive oil and fry the meat until brown on both sides
• Use the same cookie cutter to shape the bread
• Top the bread with the patties, red peppers and garnish with parsley

Pretty as a picture

I've been struggling with skin imperfections for most of my life and I haven't really found the perfect skin products. I've tried some these natural remedies and they really work. The best part is that I have most of these ingredients in my kitchen cabinets!

Get rid of blemishes


Blemishes are usually temporary and can be caused by anything from strong sun and wind to an excess of alcohol. A light dab of either sandalwood or turmeric powder mixed in a little water should clear the problem. Both of these have unique antiseptic properties. Carrots, known for their high vitamin A content, also make a wonderful treatment. Simply grate a carrot, squeeze out a teaspoonful of fresh saffron-coloured juice and then wipe over the blemished areas. Rinse off after half an hour.

Improve the appearance of enlarged pores

Enlarged pores are caused mainly by the over-stretching of pores that then fill with excess oil. Any part of the body that stretches beyond its capacity may refuse to return perfectly to its original shape and size and pores are no exception. The problems can be resolved by temporarily by closing the pores with astringents, so that the skin looks toned. Buttermilk or watered-down yoghurt, a popular drink all over India known as chaas or lassi, works wonders, closing the pores to create the illusion of finely textured, perfect skin. Use it as a daily face wash and splash with cold water afterwards.

Get perfect foundation

If you want your make-up to last, there are two things you can do. First splash ice-cold water on your face and neck after you have applied foundation to set the base. Gently pat dry and continue your routine. Second, seal your look with a fine dusting of loose face powder. Use a soft, fat brush and blow away any excess before you start on your face. Blend well to eliminate any powdery patches.

Treat dark circles with Malti's under-eye remedy

My aunt Malti swears by the juice of mint although she can't explain exactly how it helps. The almond oil has gentle lubricating properties, which help to dispel fine lines and dark patches due to dry skin. Honey is an ideal energising food and according to Ayurveda has a tremendous healing effect on the body.

5 fresh mint leaves

1 tsp almond oil

1/2 tsp honey

Crush the mint with a little water in a mortar. Strain the juice and add to the almond oil and honey. Stir till completely mixed and apply a tiny amount under the eyes before going to bed.

Use a traditional skin polisher

This is used by women all over India. The turmeric acts as a natural cleanser and disinfectant and will not turn your skin yellow. The chickpea flour sloughs off dead skin to give unimagined silkiness and the milk will firm up the entire body. Even the tiniest of babies are massaged with this body polisher, but do be careful if you have a history of allergy to wheat or lentil flour - use rice flour instead.

1 tablespoon chickpea flour

Pinch of turmeric

About 2 tsp of milk

Mix all the ingredients together and rub on to wet skin instead of soap.

Treat skin with masks

For dry skin - This mask conditions dry skin and leaves it supple and radiant.

1 egg white

1 tsp honey

1 tsp full-fat cream

Mix together all the ingredients and pat on to the face and neck. Rinse off after 20 minutes.

For normal skin - The protein in milk powder leaves skin petal-soft and the rosewater tones and refreshes.

2tbsp milk powder

Rosewater to mix

Combine the ingredients into a thick paste and apply to the face and neck.



Excerpted from India’s Beauty Secrets by Monisha Bharadwaj, Kyle Cathie

Velo

I was on my way to the Neighbourgoods market [Yes, again] with a new recruit and stumbled across an awesome new gem - a cute little coffee shop called Velo.
It's situated in heart of Braamfontein, not too far from the market and has been opened since August last year. This revamped part of the city was buzzing with interesting arty-types in the latest arty-type outfits doing what arty-type people do. It definitely gave the area added appeal.

Anyway, the decor at Velo is very simple, clean and minimalistic and so is their food. I ordered a tuna mayo sandwich with fries on the side and my food buddy had a spicy prego roll. We noticed that they serve their sandwiches without cutlery - so we played along and ate with our hands. Absolutely loved it.

One of the owners, Stefania was very hospitable and came to chat to us. She asked where we were from [I guess we look exotic :-)] and told us a bit about their business. We even got a Velo-branded box of matches to take home...very cute

All in all, it was an awesome experience. The weather was great and the city has never looked better. This has definitely reinforced my love for this great city and has given me yet another reason to spend more time [and money] down town.