Healthy Rusks

 

1 Kilo self saising flour
10ml salt
10ml baking powder
500ml muesli
250ml sunflower seeds
100g coconut
2 tsp sesame seeds
500ml bran flakes
350g brown sugar
2 eggs
250ml olive oil
250ml milk
500ml fruity yougurt

Mix all the dry ingeredients together adding the liqiuds last.
Spread into tray. Bake at 180 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
Remove from pan, cut into fingers while hot. Separate and leave in oven at 100 degrees until rusks have dried out.

Rusks is the anglicized term for beskuit and is a traditional Afrikaner breakfast meal or snack. They have been dried in South Africa since the late 1690s as a way of preserving bread, especially when travelling long distances without refrigeration. Their use continued through the Great Trek and the Boer Wars through to the modern day. Rusks are typically dunked in coffee or tea before being eaten.

Rusks are essentially double-baked bread dough. Round balls of dough are closely packed in pans and baked like bread, after which long chunks are cut or broken off and slowly rebaked to a dry consistency. Several modern-day, mass-produced versions are available, the most famous brand being Ouma Rusks. Many bakeries, delis and home industries sell commercial rusks, sometimes made from non-traditional ingredients, such as baking powder rather than sourdough. In addition to plain and buttermilk flavours, aniseed, wholewheat, condensed milk, muesli, and lemon poppyseed variations are also available.

Wrist Fashion

 

Plush Elephant Pattern

 

The wisdom of today

                                                                            

"We often wish for more, without realizing that life's most precious

treasures, are often within the palms of our hands.

It is not success, but rather the journey there,

that often makes our lives complete.

We are most at peace with the world, when we accept

the wonderful and amazing creature - that is - ourselves.

When we give our all TODAY; and look forward to giving tomorrow

the same, then there is no reason for regretting our yesterdays.

Despise not the past, for in it lies the wisdom of today,

and the hope of tomorrow.

- Eric Jordan -

Quick Raisin Scones

 

Perfect Date or Raisin scones

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons backing powder

3 oz butter (6 tablespoons)

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 egg

¾ cup chopped seeded raisins or stoned dates

cap vanilla essence

 

Work butter and dry ingredients till resembles breadcrumbs, add raisins or dates. Beat egg and milk add cap vanilla essence and pour slowly into dry mixture, leave a little to brush over scones. Do not over work the dough and its must not be too runny, when not sticking to fingers roll out dough cut out scones using a cup or scone cutter.  Brush with remaining milk and egg mix. Bake at 180 degrees for 17min.

Women over 50

 60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS)

“As I grow in age, I value women over 50 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 50 will never wake you in the middle of the night & ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 50 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She goes and does something, she wants to do, & it's usually more interesting.

Women over 50 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 50.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 50 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest.. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Candle wicking is a traditional form of embroidery based on the colonial knot.

 

This bedspread or comforter is made of candle wicking. Candle wicking is a traditional form of embroidery based on the colonial knot.

To get started with your Candle wicking, you will need:

Unbleached cotton muslin (heavier weight) My squares are 40X40cm
Candle wicking thread (substitute ecru six-strand embroidery floss or perle cotton)
A size 22 or 24 chenille needle or a large sharp embroidery needle
Washable fabric marker
Straight pins
A pattern

 

      How to do candle wicking

Cut a piece of the muslin large enough to accommodate your selected design.


Lay the muslin on top of the pattern. If you have a light-box to put under this to facilitate tracing, do so. If not, make sure you are under a strong light or darken the pattern beforehand.


Secure the fabric to the pattern with pins to keep it from sliding as you trace the pattern.


Use the washable marker to make small dots to indicate the placement of the colonial knots and any other embroidery stitches used in the design.


Check carefully that you have transferred the entire Candle wicking pattern to the muslin.


Check again to ensure that you have transferred the entire Candle wicking pattern to the muslin, then remove the pins and set the pattern aside.


Place the fabric in an embroidery hoop.


Thread the needle with 4 strands of Candle wicking thread or 6-12 strands of embroidery floss or perle cotton floss. The amount of floss you use depends on how large you want your colonial knots to be.


Tie a knot in the thread or floss and stitch your first colonial knot. If this is your first Candle wicking design, practice making colonial knots on a small piece of muslin before you begin. Practice makes perfect!


Work the design in a systematic method from left-to-right and top-to-bottom or however you choose. As you stitch, be sure to leave plenty of thread or floss to secure under the backs of stitches when you need to change threads or strands of floss.


When the design is complete, launder it to remove the marker residue. (Some shrinking may occur.) Lay the piece face down on a clean, prewashed white towel and iron. You may want to place an extra piece of muslin on top to use as a pressing cloth. Use an up- and-down motion when ironing to avoid damaging the colonial knots.