Tabla de contenidos para December 2015 en Ideas

When I made a high fat, low carbohydrate diet my new way of eating more than a year ago, there were two absolutely delicious highlights. The first was the regular guilt-free pleasure of crunching down on crisp roasted pork crackling; every time we ate it until our lips shone, I repeated with a happy smile: ‘Tomorrow we’re another kilo down’. And the second was the bowls of berries that are on display in my fridge these days – blueberries and raspberries to eat with almonds and yoghurt for breakfast, and strawberries with cream for dessert on special days. Needless to say, the two food articles in this issue made me blissfully happy. My main dish for our Christmas dinner is sorted out and, with a few small changes, the dessert…

Instead of a real tree, we stacked old cake tins on top of each other, from large to small, to create a tower. For the star we used a cookie cutter and spray painted it green. Use Prestik to hold the tree sections in place. Buy 15-20 Christmas cookie cutters and spray paint them in the colours of your choice after first spraying them with an undercoat. We used various shades of green to go with our table. Leave to dry and then tie them together in a circle with baker’s twine or thin ribbon in a matching colour. Tie the twine or ribbon securely in bows. The wreath works best placed flat on a table, but if you want to hang it up you will need to hammer in…

Bacon pâté This delicious pâté with its smoky bacon flavour is quick to prepare – and you can make it a day or two ahead of time, making it a time-saving festive snack or starter. Makes: about 500ml Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus soaking time Cooking time: about 20 minutes 250g chicken livers 100ml milk 125g butter 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 250g bacon, chopped 80ml dry sherry 125ml cream 5ml lemon juice fresh bay leaves about 60ml melted butter 50g chopped cranberries 50g finely chopped pistachios melba toast, to serve 1 Chop the livers into smaller pieces. Put them into a bowl and cover with milk. Allow to soak for an hour, then drain and discard the milk. 2 Warm the butter over a low heat and…

Dress up in softly flowing satin for a special occasion. Layer a feminine top over a shift dress to update this summer staple. Combine delicate textures for this look. An elegant clutch will take the outfit from day to night. Dainty gathers and a soft pashmina will add romance to any outfit.…

It takes just a few quick and easy steps to fold these star decorations. You will need 2 x A4 sheets of 170-180 gsm white paper (cut one square from each sheet of paper) double-sided tape glue gun and glue sticks pencil and ruler string upholstery needle Fold one of the paper squares in half and unfold it. Fold it in half again the other way and unfold it. Fold the square diagonally and unfold. Fold the square diagonally the other way and unfold again. Cut halfway along each of the four centre fold lines towards the middle of the paper. Fold the sides in towards the diagonal folding lines to create four points. Overlap the flaps of each point of the star and secure with double-sided tape. Thread string…

TIPS FESTIVE STORAGE Do you have any suggestions for storing holiday decorations? • Use a large box to store wreaths, but if you don’t have the shelving space for a box, another option is to wrap the wreath in plastic or cover it with a large garbage bag and hang it from a hook in an out-of-the-way place like the garage wall. • Keep strings of beads, fairy lights and garlands tangle-free by wrapping them around empty paper-towel tubes before packing them away. • Use a zipped garment bag to store rolls of wrapping paper and hang the bag out of the way. • Collect some empty boxes from the liquor store. The ones with cardboard dividers are perfect for storing ornaments. • Modify egg cartons, biscuit tins and shoe…

MISS ARTSY CRAFTSY I am 14 years old and an avid reader of your wonderful magazine. I love the fact that there is something for everyone to create and make, no matter what your age is or what your skill set is in crafts. Your magazine inspires me every month and I read it from front to back and then from back to front. I write a blog about my favourite recipes, DIY projects, food, restaurants, and interesting places I have visited. You can find my blog at missartsycrafty.wordpress.com. I always turn to Ideas for inspiration as your ideas spark off new projects in my head. Thank you producing a magazine ‘eye candy’ every month! Nabeela Parkar I have just received my latest Ideas magazine (the October issue) and I…

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designbyclaire.co.za Claire Norden from KwaZulu-Natal is a graphic designer by trade who has made a name for herself in the field of children’s book illustration with her bold, colourful artwork. She is also a crafter and traveller. Her blog is quite new but worth keeping an eye on. She lives a creative life and on her blog shares her book illustrations, her inspiration and some of the things that make her heart sing. She also designs digital paper and editable and printable party stationery. local-lovely.com Freelance food writer, home cook and photographer Sophie Hansen and her husband have a farm west of Sydney where they raise deer. They sell the venison at farmers’ markets and to some of Australia’s top restaurants. Her blog is a collection of recipes and resources…

Berry wreath with chocolate dipping sauce Soak a florist’s foam ring in cold water for a few minutes. Cover the whole ring with plastic wrap. Use toothpicks to stick strawberries, raspberries and blueberries onto the ring. Finish off with a few strawberry flowers and an anemone or two. Chocolate dipping sauce Place small bowls of chocolate dipping sauce next to the berry wreath so the guests can enjoy eating the berries as a dessert at the end of the meal. Heat 125ml cream in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Break a 150g slab of Rolo chocolate into pieces and add to the cream. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool and spoon into small bowls. Berry cheesecake trifle Serves: 10-12 Preparation time: 40 minutes plus setting time 1…

Sweet and sour Asian meatballs Serves: 4 Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes 500g pork mince 1 clove garlic, crushed 5ml grated fresh ginger 2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 large egg, lightly beaten 80ml fresh white breadcrumbs cake flour, for dusting peanut or sunflower oil, for frying fresh coriander and grilled pineapple slices, to serve Sauce 2 garlic cloves, crushed 8cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into julienne strips 30ml cornflour 40ml tomato sauce 250ml fresh pineapple juice 30ml rice vinegar 30ml brown sugar 15ml oyster sauce 15ml soy sauce 2 chillies, slit down the middle (optional) 4 spring onions, cut into julienne strips 2 lemon grass stalks, cut into julienne strips 1 Mix the mince, garlic, ginger, spring onions, egg and breadcrumbs together. Season…

As the year draws to a close it’s a good time to take stock of the products and procedures that have come out of the beauty industry over the past 12 months – the things that made our lives easier and our skin look more youthful and beautiful. Researchers at all the most advanced laboratories in the United States, Europe and South Africa aren’t sparing time, money or energy in coming up with revolutionary ingredients for the various beauty brands. The development of skincare products continues to gather pace so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of new developments. How do you choose one that really works? And what does your skin actually need? It’s important to understand that there isn’t a single wonder product to address every…

You will need • gingerbread (recipe on facing page) • rolling pin • sharp knife • ruler • glass jars • royal icing (recipe on facing page) • nr 1 piping nozzle • sugar • small sieve • icing sugar Measure the glass jars. Use the height and width to calculate the maximum size of the biscuit houses. Glass candy jars (from R199,95) from Kitchen Republic. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a sharp knife and ruler to cut out the houses, and use the ruler to ensure that the biscuits aren’t too big to fit in the jars. Bake until just starting to brown around the edges. Prepare the royal icing. The consistency should be stiff, but it should still flow just a little so…

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 Chocolat Frey hamper worth R1 500. Switzerland’s Number 1 and most loved chocolate, Chocolat Frey is now available in South Africa – at selected Makro, Pick n Pay, Checkers, SPAR and OK Foods nationwide. Their products range from Swiss Supreme Truffle Balls to Chocobloc Minis to Chocolate Slabs. For the festive season, they have chocolate reindeers, Prestige Finest Assorted Pralines, Prestige Selection Finest Assorted Biscuits and their beautifully decorated Freylini boxes. For more information, go to www.chocolatfrey.co.za.…

When these lovely pictures of Marion van der Vliet’s home appeared in our office, we all fell in love with her delicate and romantic touch. With gorgeous old furniture and decorations being her bread and butter through her Dutch webshop brocant-elle.nl, Christmas is merely a time when she adds some clever details to bring festive spirit to her home. Simple green branches become a garland above the kitchen door or a small embellishment on a chair. Other details like pink velvet ribbon give her home a fairytale look and feel. ‘I love old French furniture,’ Marion says. ‘I don’t mind if the items are torn and worn. Lace and faded colours are beautiful to decorate with. I spend every weekend travelling to flea markets with a friend to go treasure…

Cheesecake dessert with berries in lime syrup Makes: 8-10 Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus setting time 185ml fresh orange juice 20ml gelatine (1 sachet) 15ml lime or lemon juice 500g Lancewood Creamed Smooth Cottage Cheese 497g can condensed milk 250ml cream 125ml sugar 30ml fresh lime or lemon juice grated zest of one lime or small lemon 250ml mixed fresh berries 1 Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan. Add the gelatine and leave to soak for five minutes then heat gently until the gelatine has melted. Stir in the lime juice and remove from the heat to cool. 2 Beat the cottage cheese until smooth. Beat in the condensed milk and the orange juice mixture. Beat the cream until stiff and fold into the cheese mixture. 3 Pour…

The Ball brand of home preserving products is now available in South Africa. Use these attractive jars, kits and accessories to make your own preserves to give away as wonderful home-made gifts. Available nationwide. Go to freshpreserving.co.za for more information. GORGEOUS GLASSWARE Le Creuset has an elegant and stylish glassware collection available in five shapes. The glasses are produced in high-clarity, lead-free crystalline glass. They are durable and dishwasher safe. Priced from R650 per set of four. Look for the name of the variety of potato on the bag when you’re shopping and choose Avalanche potatoes for the best roast spuds. They’re also good all-rounders, suitable for all types of cooking. Peel and cut into chunks, then boil until almost tender. Heat a baking tray with duck or goose fat…

Paint a piece of fabric in a colour to match your theme and use it as a tablecloth. We used white bull denim that we pressed before painting. Choose a good quality PVA and paint it on roughly so you can still see the texture of the fabric underneath. We left a white border and cut off one end of the cloth so that we had a large and a small rectangle. Layer them together over a white muslin cloth. The paint-stiffened denim folds into beautifully crisp draped corners. Chair (price on request) from Chair Crazy. Glassware from Melissa’s. Light up your festive table with a contemporary DIY light fitting. You will need 9mm Supawood cut as follows: – two 1 100 x 91mm pieces (long sides) – two 82…

Whether you’re a child or an adult, snow globes are always fun. Here’s how to make your own: find a miniature Christmas decoration like a Santa, an Alpine house or a Christmas tree and glue it to the inside of the lid of a glass jar. Place a little white powder, flour or fake snow (available from craft stores and party shops) in the jar and tighten the lid. Give it a few shakes to create a ‘snowstorm’. We used a small conifer as our Christmas tree and decorated it with shiny and matt baubles, ribbons, fairy lights and a little bit of fake snow spray. TIP Real trees will stay looking fresher for longer if you place them in a cool spot out of direct sunshine. Miniature Christmas trees…

Makes: 20-30 biscuits, depending on size Preparation time: 1 hour, plus cooling time Baking time: 8-12 minutes Oven temperature: 200o C 125g butter 100g Huletts SunSweet Brown Sugar 130g Huletts Golden Syrup 20g blackstrap molasses 300g cake flour 5ml bicarbonate of soda 5-10ml ground ginger 2,5ml mixed spice 1 Melt the butter, Huletts Sunsweet Brown Sugar, Huletts Golden Syrup and molasses together in a small saucepan. 2 Sift the remaining ingredients together and make a well in the centre. Pour the melted butter mixture into the well and stir with a wooden spoon, slowly incorporating the dry ingredients until well combined. 3 Using your hands, knead the dough for about one minute. 4 Divide the dough into pieces and roll out on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp…