Dedicated to South Africans living abroad...and all lovers of Traditional South African food

A Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!, here is something about you for all the moms -to-be!

For those of you that are not moms yet……………LEARN THIS OFF BY HEART!!!!

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat healthy sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were all times. You’d think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing all the time. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labour Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds. Then, life was really tough! Mother would not let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalising others property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. We never got drunk, took up smoking, stayed out all night, or a million other things kids did.

Now that we all left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like mom was.

I think that is what’s wrong with the world today. It just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore.

I see this is letter #99! Wow, how time flies! I started this newsletter some years ago to get votes for the Culinary Top 100 competition I had entered. The site eventually made it to the Hall of Fame but doing the Newsletter was such fun that I continued with it. Over the years I have made many friends, so much so that I started a Yahoo Group with a small group of really great friends.

Hands up all who love cheesecake! I am featuring some mouthwatering cheesecake recipes in this newsletter. My mother-in-law used to love cheesecake and whenever there was some sort of family celebration she would makes sure that there was at least one cheesecake. For dieters and cholesterol watchers cheesecake is only for VERY special occasions!

Now after enjoying a slice (or more) of cheesecake one inevitably checks the scales to see what damage has been done. Here are some weighing tips!

How to Weigh Yourself

1. Weigh yourself with clothes on after dinner and without clothes in the morning before breakfast. It's nice to see how much weight you've lost overnight.
2. Never weigh yourself with wet hair.
3. When weighing, remove everything, including glasses.
Blurred vision is an asset. Don't forget the earrings, nose rings, nipple rings, belly button jewelry and any other things put into holes in your body - they can weigh at least a pound.
4. Use cheap scales only, never the medical kind, because cheap scales are always five pounds off ... to your advantage.
5. Always go to the bathroom first, get rid of ALL fluids, solids, and heavier than air gas!
6. Stand with arms raised, making pressure on the scale lighter.
7. Don't eat or drink in the morning until AFTER you've weighed yourself .
8. Weigh yourself after a haircut. This is good for at least half a pound of hair (hopefully).
9. Exhale with all your might BEFORE stepping onto the scale
(air has to weigh something, right?).
10. Start out with just one foot on the scale, then holding onto the towel rack in front of you, slowly edge your other foot on and slowly let off of the rack. Admittedly, this takes time, but it's worth it. You will weigh at least two pounds less than if you'd stepped on normally. Avoid the SHOCK of a high number that will scare you.

And still on the subject of eating and weighing......

MANAGE THE HUNGER HORMONE
by James J. Kenney, PhD, RD, FACN

Ghrelin is a recently discovered hormone produced by the stomach and other parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. High levels of this hormone are released by the GI tract into the blood and correlate with subjective feelings of hunger. When ghrelin is given to people intravenously, it increases their hunger level and causes them to eat significantly more calories at meal time than when given a placebo.

Ghrelin is one of the first hormones that has been shown to stimulate appetite. It seems to be involved in short-term satiety after a meal and in long-term hunger and food intake regulation as well. It is one of the most promising biomarkers yet discovered for hunger and food intake regulation.

When people lose weight on calorie-restricted diets, ghrelin levels increase and people report they are hungrier than before they lost the weight. In one study ghrelin levels rose 24% after subjects lost 17% of their initial body weight.


Eating food dramatically lowers ghrelin levels in the blood and eliminates hunger. But simply drinking water does not lower ghrelin levels and does not reduce hunger. Not all foods have the same impact on ghrelin levels.

* Ghrelin levels drop in proportion to the amount of carbohydrate in a meal or snack.

* The consumption of fat or a fat-rich meal does not suppress the release of ghrelin nearly as effectively as does a meal with more carbohydrate and little fat. This may explain why most people who lose body fat and keep it off do so on fat-restricted diets.

* Fructose, like fat, suppresses ghrelin less than glucose suggesting it too may contribute to overeating and weight gain.

BOTTOM LINE:
Research on ghrelin suggests that people are more likely to be able to control their appetites and lose weight and keep it off without having to deal with increased hunger if they consume less fat and fructose.

[Source Communicating Food for Health]

Senior Citizens Are Valuable

We are more valuable than any of the younger generations:
We have silver in our hair.
We have gold in our teeth.
We have stones in our kidneys.
We have lead in our feet and ....
We are loaded with natural gas.

Pets Corner

Any cat lovers out there? This was sent to me by a friend an is dedicated to Eric, Mig's cat!

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter;
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first that I'm mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey---
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames ;
Such as Plato, Amadeus, Electra, Demeter---
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified.
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Corocopat,
Such as Bombalureena , or else Jellyorum---
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess
The name that no human research will ever discover---.
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same .
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought,of the thought, of the thought of his name;
His ineffable, effable, effaneffanable,
Deep and inscrutable, singular Name.

T.S.Eliot

Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.-Henry Ford

From Rensch:

Think a litre of petrol is expensive?
This makes one think, and also puts things in perspective.
Diet Coke can 340ml R4.50 = R13.24 per litre
Lipton Ice Tea 200ml R2.50 = R12.50 per litre
Energade 250ml R3.50 = R14.00 per litre
Brake Fluid 100ml R6.00 = R60.00 per litre
Vick's Nasal Sprayl 50ml R9.00 = R180.00 per litre
And this is the REAL KICKER...
Evian water 500ml R13.00 = R26.00! R26.00 for WATER!
So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Coke, or Vick's Nasal Spray!!!

Just a little humour to help ease the pain of your next trip to the pump...

Is your middle ear causing you problems?

Ever feel dizzy and off balance, like the room's moving round you at different speeds?

Well, it could be because of your middle ear.

This is a section of the inner ear, which controls your sense of equilibrium and balance. And if you're suffering, it could be that your middle ear has a deficiency of key nutrients.

Try taking a daily course of multivitamins and minerals, containing 25 to 50mg of the B vitamins, 200mg of magnesium and 2 to 5mg of manganese.

But if it continues, it's best to see your doctor in case the dizziness is a symptom of something else.

For more handy info like this. click here to sign up for the free Newsletter.

My website highlights:

Add your sarmie to my Wacky Sarmies page
Check out the Animal Facts page
I have a Gallery with great pics!
Elephant Stew - add to the recipe
Add to my Cocktails collection
Visit my Afrikaans pages

Looking for a specific South African recipe? Email me and I will do my best to find it for you!

When you have had a look at the recipes below, click here to visit the main recipe page on my site. 

Any comments, positive or otherwise on this Newsletter will be appreciated!

That's it for now,
Take care,
Peter

The Recipes
See Links for Metric Converter

APRICOT CHEESECAKE

CRUST:
200g Marie biscuits                                        125ml butter melted

FILLING:
1 packet orange jelly powder                          410g apricot halves
250g smooth cottage cheese                           250ml fresh cream

DECORATION:
410g apricot halves                                         125ml whipped fresh cream
chopped nuts of your choice

Crush the Marie biscuits. Melt the margarine and mix with the crushed Marie biscuits. Line the base of a large dish with the mixture and chill in the refrigerator while you are preparing the filling. Drain the syrup from the apricot halves and make up to 150ml water if necessary. Bring the syrup to the boil and dissolve the jelly powder in the hot syrup. Set aside to cool at room temperature. Puree the apricots and stir into the jelly mixture. Whisk in the cottage cheese until the mixture is smooth and thick. Whip the fresh cream and fold gently into the mixture. Pour filling onto crust and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Decorate with apricot halves, whipped cream and chopped nuts.

CHEESECAKE TOPPED WITH ALMOND BRITTLE

BASE:
200g digestive biscuits, crushed                  50g ground almonds
80ml butter, melted

FILLING:
120ml butter, at room temperature               500g Creamed cottage cheese
4 large eggs, separated                               180g castor sugar
45ml corn flour                                           25ml lemon juice

TOPPING:
250g sugar                                                 125ml thick cream
100g unbleached almonds, toasted

BASE:
Mix together crushed biscuits, ground almonds and melted butter . Press into the base of a greased 22cm spring-form tin. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
FILLING:
Beat together the butter, 480g cottage cheese and egg yolks until smooth. Add the castor sugar, corn flour and 20ml lemon juice and beat well. Using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the cheese mixture. Spoon mixture into the tin and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until set. Switch oven off and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
TOPPING:
Place sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat over a low heat, stirring until sugar melts and starts turning a light caramel colour. Stir in the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking tray. Set aside until hard, then break into pieces. Just before serving, mix together the remaining 20g cottage cheese, thick cream and remaining lemon juice. Spread over cold cheesecake. Scatter with the brittle pieces and serve.

ORANGE CHEESECAKE

1 packet Tennis biscuits, crushed           125ml butter, melted
250g smooth cottage cheese                   397g condensed milk
10ml grated orange rind                         60ml orange juice
2 eggs, separated                                   125ml castor sugar

Combine crushed biscuits and melted butter. Press into the base and sides of a 20cm springform pan. Chill. Blend cottage cheese, condensed milk, orange rind and juice and egg yolks well. Pour into biscuit base and bake at 150C for 20 minutes. Whip egg whites stiffly, gradually add sugar. Spread over filling and return to oven for a further 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.

LUSCIOUS STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

½ packet Marie biscuits, crushed              80ml butter melted
1 packet (60g) strawberry jelly                5ml gelatine
125ml boiling water                                 410g Ideal Milk (light) well chilled
250g smooth cottage cheese

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press into a greased dish. Dissolve jelly and gelatine in boiling water and allow to cool and become syrupy. Whip ideal Milk until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled jelly, then the cottage cheese. Pour into the prepared biscuit crust. Chill for 2-3 hours, until well set. Decorate with fresh berries before serving. (optional)
Makes 8-10 servings.

TROPICAL CHEESECAKE

90ml butter, melted                             5ml cinnamon
1½ packets Marie biscuits, crushed      500g smooth cottage cheese
379g condensed milk                           440g crushed pineapple
110g can granadilla pulp                      12.5ml gelatine
250ml cream, whipped

Combine melted butter, biscuit crumbs and cinnamon. Press evenly over base and sides of a 30cm springform pan. Refrigerate until set. Beat together cottage cheese and condensed milk. Drain pineapple, reserving 37,5ml of juice. Fold pineapple and granadilla pulp into cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle gelatine over reserved pineapple juice. Dissolve over hot water. Fold into cottage cheese mixture along with half the whipped cream. Pour into biscuit base. Refrigerate until set. Decorate with remaining cream and fruit of your choice.
 

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