FOOD SURVIVAL KIT in your kitchen for French cooking by nadegecuisine.com

FRIDGE: eggs, butter, cream, chicken breasts, diced bacon, gruyere, camembert, crust and puff pastry, mustard, capers, gherkins, sun dried tomatoes, tapenade, anchovies, pesto, baby barrows, carrots, spinach and leeks

FREEZER: chives, basil, dill, parsley, red berries, hake fillets, salmon, rabbit and prawns

CUPBOARD: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, tarragon, bay leaves, olive oil and grapeseed oil, apple cider, rice, couscous, pastas, potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, lemon, peeled tomatoes, chickpeas, goose liver, white beans, dark chocolate, baking powder, yeast, flour, sugar, vanilla powder, coconut milk, bread, red and white wine.

Image credit by elle.fr

How to Clean your Yoga Mat?

Give communal mats a quick but thorough wipe-down before and after class using an all-natural disinfectant wipe or spray. To keep your own yoga mat clean and get rid of a slippery surface, give it a good scrub using a nontoxic cleaner, then rinse it off thoroughly and let it air dry completely.

online safety profiles for cosmetics and personal care products

EWG's Skin Deep database gives you practical solutions to protect yourself and your family from everyday exposures to chemicals.
Companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish. The U.S. government doesn't review the safety of products before they're sold. Scientists compare the ingredients on personal care product labels and websites to information in nearly 60 toxicity and regulatory databases.

So...

Do you know what's in your kids' products?
Are you sure about your make up?
Have you read your ingredients?

....
Please check:
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

homeopathic workshop in cape town 1st and 2nd June 2013

Basic Home Remedies for the family R1600/person

The teacher is a UK qualified Homeopath with 18 years experience in practice. 
Course content:
First aid (bangs, bites etc)
Coughs and Colds (lungs)
Fever
Childhood diseases
Vaccination
Ear problems
Throat complaints
Headaches
Digestive complaints
Emotional remedies
Women’s complaints…………and many, many other things.

This course is designed to teach you how to use Homoeopathy at home, to build your confidence in home prescribing and to keep your family healthy for low cost using Homoeopathy.
We will work through a comprehensive book, that I provide. This book contains an index for your ease of use after the course, we also focus on 10 remedies in more depth.

I encourage you to bring your own issues and questions. I will tell you about the many cases that I have treated.

Cost: R1600
A 50% deposit is required to confirm your place on the course

Maximum 7 people

The course will held in Oranjezicht - 7 Hilton Road, CPT

A first aid kit (containing 10 remedies) will be available to course participants for R400 (normally R500).

For reservation please email sandra@frenshionista.com

"The weekend was great.
Your hospitality was amazing.
I loved the table setting, teas AND biscuits.
It made the course even more enjoyable!
Thank-you
Warm regards
Maud"

from the 12th of november in somerset west....french artist jacques ridereau

the season of france in sa...

...will be running until November 2012 accross South Africa



For several years, France has been engaged in a series of reciprocal Seasons with its key international partners (China, Japan, India, Turkey, Russia and Brazil among others). 
With South Africa, this will be the first time that a sub-Saharan country is involved in the Seasons with France. The goal of these Seasons is to improve mutual understanding and contribute to the diversification of France's image in South Africa and South Africa's image in France by emphasizing the modernity and values that the two countries share.


The French Season in South Africa is both a festive period with a wide range of over 70 different projects, performances and initiatives planned across South Africa and an opportunity to reinforce a wide range of existing collaborations and to build a lasting legacy for both nations.


Cultural events will be combined with a wide array of events in other fields: innovation, science and technology, higher education, business, tourism, sport, and language with the involvement of many different actors.

For more info, visit http://www.france-southafrica.com/

a french guest house in cape town

French Guest House in Cape Town

Their love of nature and Beethoven convinced Sally & Gilles to call their home LA PASTORALE. Protected in the Constantia Valley, neighbouring five of the greatest wine estates of the country, four of the ten best restaurants of the Cape and close to three great golf courses, this very private guest house is a gateway to all the best attractions of the region. You get the personal touch with a blend of Gallic humour and South African charm. One tip though, do not let Gilles start his "stories", you might miss some of the numerous Cape attractions. French spoken, bien sur, hablamos un poco de español

La Pastorale, 1 Theomar Close, Constantia, 7806, Constantia Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
Contact: Gilles, Tel: +27 (0)21 794-0611, Fax: +27 (0)21 794-8836, Mobile: +27 (0)82 859-1722

Image credit by la Pastorale

culinary tour day 7 in Normandy (france) by nadege cuisine from cape town

7th day From le Prieure to la Hague

On Sunday, there is a market that nobody should be missed in Octeville.
It is a big one where we buy jerusalem artichokes, strawberries, rhubarb, baguette and 1   saucisson sec. We go to the rotisseurs alley we get our leg of lamb for dinner with a little pot filled up of meat juice...
Can't wait to have dinner!
Well...until tonight we still have lots to do and eat so it's ok! And, first stop is at Theo Capelle Cidrerie to learn about the process of making cider and calvados and of course, we also enjoy a glass of each!
We have lunch in a creperie which serves crepes with fresh scallops or with some andouille. Just divine!
During the afternoon, we explore one of the most beautiful part of Normandy: la Hague.  It is a picturesque place with dramatic cliffs, coves and small fields surrounded by hedges. Loads of artists are inspired by this region and we'll also be tonight when we'll create our meal: Stuffed squids with bacon and mushrooms, leg of lamb with sweet pommes
de terre nouvelles and rhubarb tart!

By Nadege from nadegecuisine

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

...&Banana exotic and south african jewels with a french touch!

May 2012,  by ...&Banana...

...&Banana ,formerly known as Dolce & Banana (we were recently sued by Dolce & Gabbana!) was established 13 years ago in Houtbay ,a picturesque fishermen village outside Cape Town. 
It started with a small shop where I (Mijou a french artist) created shell jewellery as we are in a seaside location and being on a famous tourist route I quickly gained a following . 
The business grew steadily and the jewellery evolved to sophisticated and glamorous but still using natural elements, abalone,gem stones ,wood,horn, feathers etc and incorporating African bead work, fabric bead making,polishing/shaping shells ,crocheting, dyeing beads etc . 
I have trained a team of ladies from the community , and during the busy season their whole families get involved in the creations . I am now looking at establishing a solid online trade which would allow a regular all year employment for all of us and hopefully more !
 
The jewellery appeals to a wide clientele ,from the very sophisticated visitors to the stylish South African ladies . The jewellery is beautifully crafted ,very original and reasonably priced ,I am also looking at introducing other fashion accessories . With an adequate marketing I am totally convinced of great potential of the ...&Banana brand !

Main Road – Houtbay – 7806 - Cape Town- Tel (021) 7900802 
website: www.andbanana.com email: mijou@andbanana.com

image credit by ...&Banana

  

images credit by ...&Banana

 

 

image credit by ...&Banana

 

saint laurent reveals new logo

By fashionunited.co.uk

Yves Saint Laurent officially released the new Saint Laurent Paris logo on their Facebook page today. Saint Laurent's creative director Hedi Slimane vowed to modernise the French fashion house, starting with an updated logo and new branding under which he will launch his collections.

The new Saint Laurent logo is pictured with two black boxes placed upon a marble tabletop. As previously reported, the font depicts clean, modern lines and is printed in white against a black background. The simplicity brings to the fore the font's beauty and is much more like the label's 1966 lettering than the swirly Yves Saint Laurent typography of recent years.

Despite Hedi Slimane's nod to the label's past, some Facebook commenters have responded to the new logo with hostility. Others, however, think the controversy is only good for the brand, and Slimane's modern touches will bring the house into a new era of relevance and profitability.

Extract from http://www.fashionunited.co.uk

images Yves Saint Laurent Paris

culinary tour day 6 in normandy (france) with nadege cuisine (from cape town)

6th day From le Prieure to Montaigu la Brisette

When I grew, every Saturday, we went to Cherbourg for the market and for general shopping. Cherbourg is a small town where we always met with friends or family along 
the way which made the shopping experience even more pleasant.

Let's carry on with tradition! Today, it's Saturday so let's go shopping to Cherbourg! 
There are many interesting shops where you can get kitchen gadget and equipment that you can't find in South Africa (cannele moulds, bain-marie pots...) 
We can even stop to a hat shop for the real French berets! 
After strolling around, we have a traditional tartar steak, a knuckle of pork roasted in beer, 
a norman salad and some tripes a la mode de Caen- in a typical brasserie.

After these few hours in a city, let's go back to nature and the beautiful and peaceful Norman country-side. We go to le Petit Gris des Moulins to see how they breed their snails and have a glass of organic apple juice with a platter of snails!

 We have some time in front of us so we go and admire the view on top of a hill first and then on top of a lighthouse (365 steps to walk up-perfect for digestion!). 
 

We finish the day walking in the countryside around my grand parents farm where I spent all my Sundays as a kid. My mum is busy preparing une blanquette de veau and the teurgoule that she has cooked 3 hours ago finishes cooking on the stove. We soon join my parents to enjoy this delicious meal together with a moque of cider!

by nadege from nadege cuisine

image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

winter specials at eatout.co.za top restaurants

image credits by eatout

culinary tour in normandy (france) day 4 by nadege cuisine from cape town

07:00- Cocoricoooo!!!...The roaster wakes us up early today as we have to hit the road to visit three beautiful places: la Baleine, Villedieu les Poeles and le Mont St Michel.

La Baleine is a small charming village in the depths of the  countryside...where the church and the chapel arises between trees and fields,  the river stone bridge is just wide enough to fit a tractor and where there is  a tiny shop called 'l'Andouillerie'. The mist is still covering the  peaceful lanscape but the smokey smell of the 'andouilles' tells you that some people are woken for a few hours...

Villedieu les Poeles is a village that you'll remember because it's very pretty and it's the French capital of copper! Saying that, it's compulsory to visit the Atelier du Cuivre when you come here as it's the main copper pots and pans supplier of the French chefs.

Le Mont St Michel, the Occident marvel...In prehistoric times the bay was land. As sea levels rose and with erosion, several blocks of granite emerged in the bay and gave birth to le Mont St Michel. We visit this monument and enjoy the 'show' given by the famous restaurant la mere Poulard while they are making their thick omelette. And we are lucky enough to watch a few vintage cars on a rallye and take this opportunity to make nice pictures!

Now, it's time to go back home for our cooking class...Tonight we gonna enjoy our homemade country style terrine, Normand tripes and an apple tart with a trou normand, of course!

by nadege from nadege cuisine 

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista