Ideasの January 2016 の目次

The takes place every Sunday from 10am to 3pm on Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. With more than 70 stalls you’ll find fresh produce, international cuisine and lots of handmade goodies. Feast on seared tuna, Lebanese delicacies, cheesecake and Italian-style ice cream then shop for items like handcrafted leather bags and jewellery, and artworks. There’s plenty of top-quality entertainment too. For more information, go to lfhm.co.za or facebook.com/ lfharvestmarket. The is an artisan food and wine night market that takes place from 5pm to 9pm on the last Thursday of every month at Southdowns Shopping Centre in Centurion. The market has 30 stalls offering quality food to people of all ages. There’s live entertainment too. For more information, go to facebook.com/thestallmarket. Until 12 January The Myth Buster holiday programme…

AND BREATHE The Little Book of Calm Colouring by David Sinden and Victoria Kay (R133, Pan Macmillan) offers portable relaxation. Little beats the meditative quality of colouring to alleviate stress and anxiety. It relaxes the fear centre of the brain, allowing us to unwind and have a bit of fun. With this pocket-size book you can now take colouring art therapy with you wherever you go. SUMMER STYLE Look what’s just washed up on our shores! Salt Water Sandals, from the USA, are crafted from soft leather and mould more to your feet with every wear. Water will help this process so don’t be afraid to wear them to the beach. Simply throw them in the washing machine when they need cleaning. Best of all: there are also styles available…

These are delicate, pretty and the best tasting ice-cream cones ever . . . Makes 6-8 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time about an hour YOU WILL NEED • 2 large eggs • 1 large egg white • 105g (125ml) sugar • 60ml melted butter, cooled • 45ml milk • 45g (80ml) cake flour, sifted • sunflower oil, for frying • ice cream, to serve YOU WILL ALSO NEED • piece of thick cardboard • adhesive tape • clean tea towel • small shooter glasses 1 Whisk the eggs, egg white and sugar together. 2 Add the melted butter and the milk. 3 Add in the flour and a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth. 4 Cut the cardboard into a circle and roll it to make a cone…

YOU WILL NEED • espresso machine • metal jug • thermometer 1 Stretching Foam the milk and check the temperature – the milk should be 45o C when you froth it. The temperature will rise to at least 60o C. Take care not to go any hotter as it will not only burn your mouth but scald the milk as well. 2 Splitting Split the frothed milk by pouring it from one jug to another. This will texturise the milk and give you an equal ratio of froth to milk per cup. Pour it down the side of the jug when splitting to prevent bubbles forming. 3 Grooming Pop the bubbles on the surface by lifting the jug and dropping it on the counter. ‘Groom’ the milk by lightly swirling…

Hang these bottles against a wall or use them as table decorations. YOU WILL NEED • old cake tin lid • glass bottles • wire that bends easily • long-nose pliers • wire cutter • metal scissors Cut two pieces of wire of about 40-50cm and twist them together. Wind one end around the neck of the bottle and then bend it over the wire with the long-nose pliers. Bend the length of wire over the bottle and twist the end around the the wire on the opposite side. Cut the piece of wire that you’re going to hang the heart from. Bend the end and hook it over the twisted wire around the neck of the bottle. Choose a section of the cake tin lid that appeals to you…

Give an old chair a new lease of life with a two-tone seat. YOU WILL NEED chair with open seat (approximately 40 x 30cm) 30m dark blue synthetic cord 10m light blue synthetic cord cotton twine large sacking needle Tie the end of the dark blue cord to the frame of the seat at the front. The knot is made by wrapping the short end of the cord over and under the long end, and then twice around the section below the first twist. Tighten the knot. Do not trim the short end at this stage. Tie a double length of cotton twine across the top and bottom ends of the frame, as seen in step 3. Position the blue cord 1,5cm from the inside edge of the seat frame.…

It’s a good idea to invest in a set of travel bottles with screw caps (available from most pharmacies), especially the ones that come in cabin approved sizes. Decant your shampoo and conditioner into the smaller bottles and then place them in a sealable plastic bag. Or try this clever trick: place a piece of plastic under the cap of your shampoo and conditioner bottles to seal them. TRY ONE OF THESE SIMPLE CRAFT IDEAS TO KEEP THEIR BOREDOM IN CHECK: Let them decorate smooth, clean rocks with acrylic craft paint and then use the rocks as doorstops or paperweights. Make an ‘I spy’ bottle for road trips by filling a glass jar three quarters to the top with rice and hiding several small toys in it. Take a photo…

Send your letter by email to ideased@media24.com with ‘Ideas/You said it’ in the subject line, or by fax to 021 408 3046. Remember to include your address and telephone number. The writer of this month’s winning letter will receive a Healing Earth Pinotage facial care hamper worth R1 795. The Pinotage facial care range utilises the natural qualities of the vitamin C and E, antioxidants, omegas and polyphenols found in the pinotage grape. With an abundance of natural skin-repairing botanicals in the seeds, skin and leaves of the grape, these products enhance the protective function of the skin. For more details, go to healingearth.co.za.…

Amelia House looks enormous on the website – large, open spaces, a high ceiling, dramatic chandelier and the most gorgeous spiral staircase. The front door is three metres tall and when the double patio doors are slid wide open the family can braai outside on an attractive large patio while chatting to the people who are sitting inside. Once you’re actually there, you see that it is a masterpiece of space utilisation. Everything is just as lovely, but on a much smaller scale than you would have imagined. With the clever use of a small plot of land, there is a spacious living area that seems much bigger because the ceiling is so open and high. With her work for the United Nations as regional flight operations inspector and project…

TECHNIQUES A great way to master the different techniques is to practise on some wax paper first. That way you can reuse the icing over and over. See what works best for you in terms of holding the piping bag, going around clockwise or anti-clockwise, how to apply pressure and also where to release pressure. Turn to page 54 for a butter icing recipe. THE FOUR BASIC NOZZLES THE BIG SQUEEZE  1 Hold the piping bag at a 90-degree angle about 1cm above the cupcake. Start squeezing the icing gently. 2 Increase the pressure as you slowly pull up, allowing the icing to ‘fill’ from the inside. The star and French nozzles will create more of a frill with increased pressure. 3 Once the icing is the desired size, pull…

Serves 10 Preparation time 30 minutes, plus cooling time Baking time 1 hour, 20 minutes Oven temperature 110o C • 250g digestive biscuits, crushed • 70g butter, melted FILLING 500g Lancewood Full Fat Plain Cream Cheese, at room temperature • 150g castor sugar • grated zest of one lemon • 50ml cornflour • 375g Lancewood Cultured Cream • 3 large eggs • 5ml vanilla extract • extra lemon zest 1 Mix the crushed biscuits and melted butter together and place in a greased and lined 22cm spring-form tin. Press down to cover the base well. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up. 2 Filling Beat the cream cheese until smooth.…

1 The bobble is made into the same stitch. To do this, bring the yarn from back to front so that there are two loops on the hook. Insert the hook into the next stitch from front to back, yarn around hook, draw the yarn through so there are three loops on the hook, yarn around the hook and draw the hook through the first two loops on the hook together. Two loops are now left on the hook. You have just completed one stitch. 2 Make another stitch in the same way. This time you will have three loops on the hook when the stitch is completed. Continue in this way making another stitch until you have five loops on the hook. 3 Bring the yarn from front to…

PIN-UP GLAM Nothing shouts 50s summer wear more than a high-waisted front-button pair of shorts. Team yours with a lacy top that exposes the shoulders. BRIGHT AND BREEZY White always looks fresh and cool on a hot day. Play with textures and pops of colour for a fun summery effect. KEEP IT COOL Wear your tie front denim shirt with a full skirt for a style that will flatter most body types. NAUTICAL NOTE Play around with different patterns. Oversized stripes and a small gingham print make a great team. tip We love wide-brimmed hats for sun protection but don’t forget to apply a good layer of sunscreen as well before leaving the house.…

martphones, tablets and phablets might be ruling our worlds, but the good old-fashioned paper notebook is being widely used again – and not as a traditional diary. Everyone from creatives to business executives is writing, doodling and sketching away. There are travel and dream journals; some fill their journals with personal goals, recipes, inspirational ideas or pictures while others document a renovation or journey into minimalism. For some it’s a scrapbook while others practise their longhand writing skills. A journal can be a very handy tool for those who want to start a new business. Creative people might use it as a mood board for, say, their own fashion or interior design business, while entrepreneurs might want to jot down their ideas before the inspiration slips their busy minds. ‘Spending…

absolutelybeautifulthings. blogspot.com Anna Spiro started this blog in 2006 so she could record her inspirations, thoughts and work as an interior designer. Based in Brisbane, her store Black & Spiro is filled with interesting things that she scours the globe to find. She says she is passionate about ‘tradition, collecting, flowers, fabric, gardening, colour and quality’ and she strives to be creative in everything she does. ‘I hope I can inspire you to live a bright and colourful life surrounded by the things you love.’ apt2bbakingco.com This blog celebrates food and film photography ‘through seasonally inspired baking, small batch preserves, and the imperfect beauty found in the kitchen, at the market, and in the fields’. Yossy Arefi, a baker from Brooklyn, left the restaurant business to focus on her photography…

ABBREVIATIONS YOU WILL NEED • 2 balls Vinnis Nikkim 100% cotton DK (50g balls) in Natural • 3,5mm crochet hook • fabric (according to size of window or bed) • matching machine thread STITCH USED TREBLE CLUSTER (TR-CL) Yo and insert hook into next st. Do not complete st, so that there are 2 loops on the hook. Work next st in the same way, so that there are 3 loops on the hook. Yo and pull through all the loops on the hook. TO CROCHET BLOCK STRIP (MAKE 8 BLOCKS) Using 3,5mm crochet hook and Natural, work 5 ch, sl st into 1st ch to form a ring. 1st rnd: 1 ch, 12 dc into ring, sl st into beg-ch. 2nd rnd: 5 ch, (1 tr, 1 ch) into…

White chocolate cupcakes Makes 12-16 Preparation time 15 minutes Baking time 15-18 minutes Oven temperature 175o C YOU WILL NEED • 80g slab white chocolate, chopped • 125g butter or baking margarine • 125g Huletts Castor Sugar • 2 large eggs • 10ml vanilla essence • 175g self-raising flour • 50ml milk 1 Melt the chocolate in the microwave on the defrost setting, stirring every few seconds until smooth. Set aside. 2 Cream the butter and castor sugar together with an electric beater until light. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and beat well. 3 Add the chocolate and use a wooden spoon to mix it quickly into the creamed mixture. Add the flour and mix until just combined, then add the milk and stir. Do not overmix. 4 Spoon…

Serves 4 Preparation time 45 minutes, plus chilling time Cooking time about 15 minutes Pork schnitzel • 600g thinly sliced pieces of pork, suitable for schnitzel (ask your butcher to cut these for you) • meat spice, to season • 300ml cake flour • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten • 250ml dried breadcrumbs • sunflower oil, to fry • 200ml sour cream • 2 spring onions, finely chopped • 30ml snipped chives • lemon wedges, to serve • salad and potato wedges, to serve 1 Place each slice of meat between two pieces of plastic wrap and hit gently with a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten out as thinly as possible. Season with meat spice, salt and pepper. 2 Put 250ml of the flour into a sealable bag…

YOU WILL NEED cardboard box with lid label template on page 71 linen fabric to cover the box printed cotton fabric for the lid and label matching embroidery thread embroidery needle quilting paper dressmaker’s marking pen measuring tape craft glue and brush TO MAKE 1 Place the box on the linen fabric and measure the height of the sides to work out how much linen you will need to cover the box – add an allowance at the top edge, to be able to fold the fabric over to the inside of the box. Use the dressmaker’s marking pen to trace the base of the box onto the fabric. 2 Cut out the fabric. On what will be the sides of the box, draw guiding lines from the edge of…

is equally at home on land and in the water. When this energetic Capetonian puts her mind to something she doesn’t hesitate to jump in at the deep end. This is evident in her Promenade Vintage Swimwear range, which she started just over a year ago. She was looking through vintage photos for her surf school for women, Moms on Board, when she fell in love with the elegant bathing costumes that women were wearing in the 1950s. This got her thinking: there’s no reason why women can’t still be wearing these styles and designs today. ‘I’m crazy about those old photos and the clothes and hairstyles of days gone by – when women looked so feminine.’ The idea to do a range of vintage swimwear came from a personal…

YOU WILL NEED old three-tiered wire vegetable rack 80-grit sandpaper Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in duck-egg blue paintbrush moss (soaked in a bucket of water) landscaping cloth scissors potting soil herbs and lettuce seedlings TO MAKE 1 Sand the vegetable rack lightly to get rid of rust and roughness. 2 Wash the rack with soapy water and leave it to dry. 3 Paint the tray with the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (no need for primer). Two to three light coats should be sufficient to cover the mesh completely. 4 Line each tray with the wet moss. 5 Cut the landscaping cloth using the scissors so it fits snugly into each tray. 6 Fill the lined trays with the potting soil. 7 Plant the herbs and lettuce, water them and leave…

ideased@media24.com LETTERS MUST BE ORIGINAL AND MUST NOT HAVE BEEN OFFERED FOR PUBLICATION ELSEWHERE. • WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, SHORTEN AND EDIT LETTERS. • WE WELCOME YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS AND WILL CONSIDER PUBLISHING THEM IF THEY ARE OF A SUITABLE QUALITY. • PHOTO OF PRIZE: ED O’RILEY A GROWING TO-DO LIST I have been a subscriber to your magazine for three years now and all I can say is . . . you and your entire team are absolutely brilliant! Even the opening two sentences when one searches for ‘Ideas magazine’ online are wonderfully inspiring and so very true: ‘Ideas is a practical guide to fresh, modern living for women with creative flair. Through our articles we help them turn the mundane into the extraordinary.’ The past three issues…

We’re back at JanHarmsgat se Agterplaas from Friday afternoon 19 February to Sunday afternoon 21 February for a weekend packed with creative inspiration and good company. And of course two completed stitchcraft projects to take home with you. Your getaway with accommodation in the lovely Destiny Lodge, all meals, a game farm outing, a picnic demonstration and a talk about upcycling old items by JanHarm Vorster and Pieter Vosloo, as well as the fabric for your projects, will cost you R2 250 for a single room or R2 070 per person sharing. Persuade your friend, sister or daughter to join you in the meantime – there’ll be more information and booking details in our February issue.…