Truths revealed at the Spier Secret Festival

The Secret Festival is a weekend event at Spier Wine Estate exploring the latest in food and wine trends. Secrets of all kind will be revealed – from secret ingredients and family recipes to South Africa’s best-kept wine secret, Chenin Blanc. The festival includes art installations, talks, presentations, workshops, tastings, unforgettable meals, Secret Home Dinners, a Saturday food and wine market, mini cookbook fair and Sunday braai-off.*

When: 28 – 29 October

Where: Spier Wine Farm

Visit www.spiersecretfestival.co.za for more info.

*This blurb was snatched from an article on the Spier website: www.spier.co.za. 

Get more than just a good drink at Robertson Wine on the River

More than an experience. It’s a Lifestyle! That’s what they say about Robertson Wine on the River and it looks like they’re right. With a line-up that includes a Dire Straits tribute, cheese and chocolate tastings and BIG SCREEN RUGBY it’s no surprise that this open-air wine festival is one highly anticipated event in the Robertson Wine Valley.

A weekend event, the festival will take place 19 - 21 October 2012 on the banks of the Breede River at the Goudmyn Farm between Robertson and Bonnievale. 

For more info or to book your ticket, click here and visit the Robertson Wine on the River website. 

Wild @ Heart Spring Open Day

Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival: 02 – 07 October 2012

In its 15^th year the Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival continues to bring its visitors the very best in South African and Afrikaans culture. The programme is packed with more than 70 productions and includes everything from opera to theatre to dance and more. And let’s not forget performances by Sandra Prinsloo, Steve Hofmeyer and Chris Chameleon.

So, take some time off work and make your way to Potchefstroom for a week of cultural bliss and brilliant entertainment.

When: 02 – 07 October 2012

Where: Potchefstroom

Book your tickets via Computicket or visit www.cloveraardklop.co.za for more info. 

Measuring the HOLE nine yards

The Hole Measuring Tape is so simple and innovative that it’ll leave you asking “Now why didn’t I think of that?” A 2012 iF Design Talents entry, the tape comes to us from the mind of designer Sunghoon Jung. Simple in design and function it allows you to not only make precise measurements, but draw perfect circles too. 

Durban HOMEMAKERS Expo: 04 – 07 October 2012

“It’s not about keeping up with the Jones’ anymore; it’s all about creating your home a unique identity.”

Find the inspiration you need to create a home that reflects your own unique style and personality at this year’s Durban HOMEMAKERS Expo. All the latest décor trends and home improvement ideas will be on display, with exhibits over 300 leaders in interior and exterior design on display. And that’s just the start…  

The ‘What’s It Worth’ Antique Show, hosted by the Durban HOMEMAKERS Expo will provide visitors with the opportunity to have their antiques and valuables assessed by an exceptional and experienced panel of experts from Thunder Auctioneers. Thunder Auctioneers will also be hosting a silent auction featuring Royal Doulton figurines, miniature furniture and more.

Then there’s the opportunity to WIN A HOME MAKEOVER WORTH R100 000!

Definitely plenty to do and inspire at this year’s Durban HOMEMAKERS Expo.

When: 04 – 07 October 2012 | Thurs – Sat: 10am – 12pm and Sun: 10am – 6pm

Where: Durban Exhibition Centre

How much: R 45 for adults | R 25 for pensioners | Children under 12 FREE

For more info contact HOMEMAKERS SA on 031 764 5270 or dbn.expo@homemakers-sa.co.za. 

Two Oceans Hermanus Whale Festival 2012

The Hermanus Whale Festival 2012 is celebrating its 21st year as the only Enviro-Arts festival in South Africa and puts the creatures of the deep on stage and under the spotlight alongside top performers and musicians from the 28th September to 1st October .The festival will continue with more activities during the following weekend 5th to 7th October.

Join in the springtime celebrations at the best land-based whale watching destination in the world. A feast for the senses the festival offers visitors quality crafters, sport events, kids entertainment, a full music programme, the Checkers Food Emporium and a chance to see the stars of the show – the whales!

A full programme of events is available on www.whalefestival.co.za. Otherwise contact festival organisers on 028 313 0928 or festival@hermanus.co.za.

Tutorial: Turning a Watermelon into a Drink Dispenser.

Here’s another great tutorial from Brit + Co. Perfect for those summer shindigs.

Ingredients:
- 1 watermelon
- 1 spigot kit
- Punch

Note: It's probably good to find a watermelon that can stand up on its own. This isn't essential as you can use a bowl as a stand, but it helps.

Instructions:

Cut off the top of the watermelon. This will serve as your lid.

Scoop all the watermelon out and set aside in a bowl. Pour out any excess liquid left in the watermelon.

Grab your spigot! Hold it up to the watermelon to measure the size hole you'll need. Use a knife to cut a hole that's slightly smaller than the spigot and then press it into your watermelon to test the size. Next, add a rubber ring. Place the spigot in and fasten it with a metal ring on the other side. Most of these pieces should come in a standard spigot kit, but any employee at a hardware store will know what you need. Test your new drink dispenser by filling it with water.

Pour your punch into the watermelon, and voila! A delicious new way to serve a yummy summer cocktail. 

What are you doing tomorrow?

Apart from being National Heritage Day and a public holiday tomorrow is National Braai Day! Join the revolution to unite 50 million people by heating that charcoal and cooking that wors.

You’re not alone… check out the National Braai Day Braai Map and all the braais that are on the go. 

More than just a typo, these chairs make a real statement.

French furniture design company Tabisso has developed a range of chairs that are perfect for those who mind their P’s and Q’s. The Typographia Lounge Chairs include the letters A to Z and numbers 0 to 9.

What’s more is that they are fully customisable. Customers can choose the fabric, shell and footing and corporate clients can even create customised models using different fonts, alphabets, pictograms and ideograms. 

Wild @ Heart Spring Open Day

Stanford Stretton’s Bird Fair: 28 – 30 September 2012

Visit the Stranford Birding website for more info. 

Glade Scents of Style Competition

Visit the Glade Inspirational Fragrances website for more info.

Flourish: A jewellery exhibition at Artisan Gallery

Artisan Gallery invites you to Flourish, a delightful exhibition of jewellery by jewellers in the many different stages of their creative walks. Apart from viweing fresh new work by established jewellers who you may have seen at Artisan before, you will also have the opportunity to meet some of the new faces on the jewellery scene.

A new generation of jewellery designers from the DUT will be exhibiting their work which integrates their rich cultural backgrounds and is based on, among other sources, Traditional weaving, Mehndi, Nursery rhymes, Gardening, Graffiti and Filigree.

When: Wednesday 19th September | 18h00 for 18h30
Where: Artisan Gallery | 344 Florida Road, Morningside, Durban

Montagu Makiti Family Heritage Festival

Montagu, the dried fruit pantry of South Africa, will be celebrating its rich heritage with the town’s first ever Family Heritage Festival. The Montagu Makiti runs from 21 to 24 September and promises to be unforgettable fun for the whole family.

“First up is a sort of travelling road show. Cape Town experts from the company Stephen Weltz, will be in attendance at the Montagu Country Hotel on Friday afternoon. For R25 Rand (by appointment) people can have an expert opinion on pieces of art, bric a brac, even furniture.

In the evening Barry and Hilton Preston will be presenting a Mime Time show for adults at the Montagu Junior School Hall. It is a show format that has proved very popular. Local personalities will be on stage for various and hilarious skits. Next day the show will be on again with different content for family viewing.

Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, and probably well into the night, things will be hectic at the Kaap Agri yard, where floats will be busy being assembled for the Saturday morning carnival. Yes, carnival. The word Makiti means ‘jollification’, and the carnival parade through town should be the very essence of that, with costumed dancers, bands, drum majorettes and even some famous people, dead and alive, turning up in the shape of life sized carnival puppets made by pupils of Montagu High School.

The parade starts at 10 o’clock at Kaap Agri, and makes its way through town to end at the rugby field, but that is far from the end of that. The field will also be alive with entertainment. There will be Jukskei, Rugby and Heritage Sports events as well as a Pikkie Potjie competition to fill up the afternoon.

At Avalon Springs and Montagu Springs big things will be happening too. From Friday afternoon to Monday there will be live music. The Avalon Car Park will be a giant tent arena for pretty much non-stop entertainment. There will be stalls, puppet shows and much else. In the gardens next door at Montagu Springs, local artists will be showing off their work. From the Springs end of town there will be a shuttle trailer service to Cabrieres a few kilometres away. Cabrieres is the venue for “LOVE OLIVE PITSTOP”, more music, wine tasting and Showcase of Langeberg product stalls.

On Saturday and Sunday Montagu Dried Fruit are sponsoring two days of golf with fabulous prizes at the Montagu Club. Golfers from all over the Western Cape are expected, and if you have a handicap, this is not to be missed.

And finally, on Monday morning the WSPCA’s annual ‘Mutts March’ at the Nature Garden should bring out a fine parade of furry friends. All in all it is a packed programme, far too full to be covered here in detail.”*

*Taken from the official Montagu Makiti website. 

Cape Town Highway Memorial dedicated to Rhino’s killed by rampant poaching.

Situated along the N2 near Cape Town Airport, the Green Renaissance Highway Memorial reminds us of what we’ve lost… 312 Rhinos, killed by poachers during the first seven months of 2012.

Using reverse graffiti, members of the Green Renaissance, a film production and media agency dedicated to promoting environmental awareness, created a unique and evolving reminder of the plight of Rhinos. The Highway Memorial shows 312 crosses, one for each Rhino killed, scrubbed along the side of the N2 highway using steel wire scrubbing brushes and cut out stencils. This art form involves removes dust or dirt from the canvas and ensures that no paint is added to the environment.

Click here to view a video clip of the memorial. 

Tulbagh Horse & Wild Flower Show

Often described as one of the best in the country, the Tulbagh Horse & Wild Flower Shower is the longest event of its kind in South Africa. It combines the beauty of Wild Flowers with dazzling equestrian performances from more than 300 horses and their riders. Topping the bill this year are the SA Friesian Championships and the WP Saddle Horse Trials. But that’s just the tip of the ice berg. There’s also the very popular poultry section and the flower hall which showcases the flowers of Cape veld in their natural state. Natural state indeed, ha ha.

When: 26 – 29 September 2012

Where: Tulbagh Show Grounds

For more information on the event contact Elsa Rix on 023 230 0189.

Ice: so much more than frozen H20

Spring has sprung, which means that things will be starting to heat up. To help you cope with the rising temperature with found you some ice cube fun from Brit + Co that will keep you cool and your cocktails stylish under the summer sun.

These recipes are as simple as finding your favourite flavour combination, chopping up the ingredients and dropping them and some water in an ice tray. 

Fig & Rosemary

Raspberries & Blackberries

Lemon and Honey

Mint & Lime

Cucumber & Basil

Lemon-crumbed Chicken Schnitzels

They’re quick, they’re easy and most of the ingredients are already in your store cupboard. We take the pain out of weeknight cooking.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breast fillets
• about 50ml seasoned flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• about 250ml fresh white breadcrumbs
• finely shaved zest of 1 large lemon
• 50ml each butter and oil for frying
• vegetables and lemon slices, to serve

1. Cut the chicken fillets in half horizontally and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten each piece out evenly.
2. Put the flour, eggs and crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Mix the lemon zest into the crumbs. Coat one piece of chicken at a time in flour and then in egg. Put the chicken into the crumbs and press lightly. Place onto a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
3. Heat half the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add some of the chicken and fry for two to three minutes per side, or until golden brown. Add more butter and oil as necessary. Serve immediately with vegetables and lemon slices.

For this and other yummy recipes visit Ideas.

Growing a wall garden

“I live in an apartment with a fairly large balcony that gets lots of sun. I love the idea of vertical gardening, but am not sure it would work in my case? Please help.”

House & Leisure put the question to Tarryn Rice, who started Wall Gardens in 2011.

‘I have always had a love of plants and derived great pleasure from the time and energy that was put into the garden in our home in Johannesburg. When faced with the prospect of moving to a house in Cape Town with no garden, we started exploring alternate ways to keep plants as part of my life. Here I discovered the potential of wall space as a blank canvas and was able to combine my passion for gardening and art.

A sunny balcony is an ideal space for a vertical garden, as they are perfectly suited for urban living and people with limited garden space.

Types of Vertical Gardens

There are many different forms of vertical garden systems, with varying degrees of complexity and cost. At the top end of the scale you get large installations that use an artificial growing medium and have fully integrated irrigation systems. You also get smaller, simpler gardens like the ones we make at Wall Gardens, which don’t cost an arm and a leg. They are compact, self-contained, and can be installed in a matter of minutes and moved around if needed.

What you choose will depend ultimately on your space, budget and appetite for doing things yourself.

Choice of Plants

Your choice of plants is largely determined by your local climate and how much sun your wall gets. Great plants to use for vertical gardens that get lots of sun are South Africa’s wide variety of succulents. These come in many shapes, colours and textures, and I find that they are ideal for creating beautiful living artworks. These water-wise, hardy plants are also easy to maintain.

You can also add herbs to your vertical garden to add a delicious, fresh dimension to your kitchen. Hardy perennial, sun-loving herbs, such as oregano, thyme, marjoram and chives, work really well. Annuals, like basil and parsley are also an option, but these need to be watered more often.

Care & Maintenance

Because your plants are growing in a contained system, periodically they will need a nutrient boost. If you have an artificial growing medium, you will need to add nutrients to the water that cycles through your irrigation system as per the supplier’s instructions. For soil based gardens, these nutrients can come in the form of worm leachate or tea, or any commercially available organic liquid fertilizer. Be careful though- usually these products need diluting and only a small amount needs to be mixed into water and fed to the plants. This can be done once a month.

Your plants are also living, breathing organisms. Be nice to them and they will reward you with their bounties. Check them for pests and disease regularly, and remove dead or damaged leaves. If you see any bugs or insects eating your plants, remove them.

If you’re interested in a Wall Garden or would like to find out more about Wall Garden’s products and what they do, go to wallgardens.co.za or find them on Facebook.

*This article appeared in the Ask Us category of House and Leisure website and can be viewed here. 

Jurgen Schadeberg & Andrew Barker @ Kalk Bay Modern

Winkel ini Woud 2012

This year the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) is once again challenging exhibitors at “Winkel ini Woud” to think out of the box. So, keep on creating unique products, improving on what you’re already doing or make that piece that has always niggled at the back of your creative mind. All products displayed at the market stand a chance of winning a prize from the CCDI that includes a weekend visit to Design Indaba 2013. Closing Date for applications is 14 September 2012. Contact Manja de Wall on manjadewaal@telkomsa.net or 082 883 4811 or visit www.winkleiniwoud.co.za for more details.  

The Witness Hilton Arts Festival: 21 – 23 September

When: 21 – 23 September 2012

Where: Hilton College

Enquiries: 033 383 0126 | theatre@hiltoncollege.com | www.hiltonfestival.co.za

Johannesburg Good Food and Wine Show

See MasterChef Australia Judge George Calombaris at the Good Food and Wine Show!

From the 21st to the 24th of September the Coca-Cola Dome will become the sight of one of the world’s finest gourmet events. The Good Food and Wine Show finishes off a delicious 2012 in Gauteng where it welcomes the best the culinary world has to offer including MasterChef Australia Judge George Calombaris, MasterChef Australia Winner Adam Liaw, Reggae Chef Levi Roots, Celebrity Chef Anjum Ananda and MasterChef South Africa Judge Benny Masekwameng.

Find out what’s on the menu by visiting www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za and get ready to tantilize those tastebuds.

When: 21 – 24 September 2012
Where: Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg

Book your tickets now via Computicket.

New bronzes from David Tomlinson at Elizabeth Gordon Gallery

Blomme uit die hart van Darling: The Darling Wildflower Show

The Pocket Tie

Turn an average everyday tie into a wearable wallet thanks to this helpful instructable from Brit Morin of Brit + Co.

You’ll need:
- a tie
- a small piece of fabric (for the pockets)
- needle and thread
- sewing pins
- snap button
- optional: sewing machine

Instructions:

Use scissors or a seam ripper to unstitch the back of the tie. Take your pocket fabric and cut a piece that will serve as the iPhone pocket and base pocket layer.

Iron the fabric. Pin it, lay it in the tie to make sure you’re all good. Sew!

Repeat with the next pocket, using a credit card to measure the size. Sew the card pocket to the iPhone pocket.

Now, you need to attach it to the tie. Pin it to the tie so that it doesn’t go through the front. Turn the tie inside out and hand sew the pocket to the inside layer of fabric in the tie.

Lastly, add a simple snap button to keep the pocket closed.