Our very own Cheffie has entered his Chocolate Studded Cape Malva Pudding into the UK Restaurant Magazine competition for their UK Best Dishes Awards 2006.

The very same Chocolate Studded Cape Malva Pudding recipe can be found on these forums

http://www.globalbuzz-sa.com/forums/show...hp?t=12158

Good luck Cheffie

:chef:

Happy Birthday Mijuli

:bday3:

may you have a splendid day

:am:

Good morning!

Another sunny day.... a bit cooler though.

Enjoy your day.... and may all the pider: keep away!

:jive:

Summer is upon us and now is the time that many of us are able to get away for a holiday. In the Old Days (before children) one didnÂ’t have to think further than oneself, but now that the family is larger, any sort of holidays is more complicated.

No matter what kind of holiday you take, make sure you plan it well. Make lists of all the things you have to do and then follow it!
Always be self-sufficient in caring for your family. Getting extra freebies from airlines or holiday operators are a boon, but the free offers vary from operator to operator, and one can find one in a difficult situation if not prepared.
Always remember to pack in a small first aid bag including any medicines you think youÂ’ll be likely to need on holiday. Things like paracetemol and plasters etc are essential to our first aid pack and I have been so thankful to have packed that many times!


Before your journey

• Choose a family-friendly destination. A beach can bring endless entertainment for children, but make sure the little ones are aware of the dangers of water. Look for hotels that let children stay free of charge in their parents' rooms and provide free meals for children or buffet-style breakfasts included in the price of the room. Ask about babysitting services, creches, kids' clubs and facilities for children, too.
• Don't forget that your child needs a passport. Since October 1998, separate passports are now required for all children under 16.
• Keep your itinerary simple and be flexible. Book direct flights. Travel at night so children can sleep through journeys.
• Try to get bulkhead seats on the airplane (the bulkhead is the partition that divides a plane into different sections, between business class and economy for example). Call the airline in advance or arrive extra early at check-in. British Airways has the facility where one can specify one’s seats online a day or two before departure.


During the journey

• Bring snacks and a water bottle. Children can get dehydrated during a flight and toddlers will not always wait for mealtimes. Pack apples, raisins, ricecakes, breadsticks, juice, dried fruit and small boxes of dry cereal. Bring along baby wipes for little spillages and a bib to keep clothes clean.
• If you are driving, break up your journey so your child has regular chances to stretch and run around. Make sure you bring along toys, blankets, and other familiar items from home to make your baby feel as secure as possible. Put some resealable plastic bags in your car boot or carrying bag. They are great for holding messy items like bibs, nappies, wet bathing suits, sea shells and half-eaten, lollipops.
• I like to give each child their own ‘travel bag’ with their snacks, some stickers and a magazine or two to keep them busy. A stereo walkman one can buy in the shops for under £10 can be very helpful in keeping them happy too.

On holiday

• Plan no more than one major activity a day. Try to leave a few days free to give you extra flexibility in case you need to cancel or postpone an activity.
• Bring along a basic child-proofing kit to use at your destination. If you are travelling by car, make sure your baby's car seat is properly installed. Use removable window shades to keep the sun off your child. Check out the room or apartment for safety. Bring hats and sunscreen for your toddler, and blankets and pillows for napping. Don't forget a first aid kit with paracetemol, plasters, medicated wipes for any cuts or aches and pains.
• Take along a goody bag with plenty of toys, snacks and drinks. Include favourite toys, games, books and some surprises. For toddlers, try a small pot of playdough; magnetic scribble pad, puzzles, dolls, action figures, puppets, brightly coloured paper for drawing, non-toxic crayons, stickers for the car windows, story tapes and books. For babies, possibilities include shiny new objects, baby-proof mirrors, rattles, musical toys, soft animals, pop-up toys, plastic keys or teething rings. Start building your toy stash a few weeks before the trip.
• If going to another country, research it beforehand, and make a project of all the places you are going to visit. Encourage your children to make a project page of each place you have visited using brochures, entrance tickets and suchlike from their day, and to write something about their day.
• Also take a copy of your repeat prescription if your child is on any medication, should you need more medication while away.
• On our last trip, I included a handful of balloons, and under my supervision, the children had great fun with them on days that things were a little quiet.( ages range from 3 til 11!)
• Remember you don’t have to pack your whole wardrobe of clothing – most people won’t remember you wore the same shirt 3 times in a holiday – I usually find 3 Tshirts, 4 trouser bottoms/ shorts, one long sleeve top, and a jumper each is enough per week while on holiday. Perhaps an extra dress or skirt for the girls, and of course socks and underwear. In summer it is easy to handwash and dry items quickly so they’re ready for the next day, should you need to.

Remember to take lots of photos, and once you're home again, haul each one out and discuss them at length with your friends. They will be so jealous! :haha:

A church leader who illegally shipped South African workers to the Isle of Man and paid them "slave wages" has been jailed for three months.
Pieter Van Rooyen admitted breaching immigration laws by providing false documents to help five building workers get through immigration controls.

The pastor claimed they were attending a business course when they were actually renovating his luxury home.

He was jailed by High Bailiff Michael Moyle who also imposed £1,500 costs.

The workers were paid as little as £1.36 an hour - described in court as slave wages.

The Isle of Man Government will continue to pursue breaches of immigration law with the utmost vigour

Immigration statement

Van Rooyen was the leader and founder of the Life Church in Douglas and a former offshore banking executive at Barclays.

Van Rooyen said he did not realise the workers were going to be paid so little and that he had budgeted with the builder to pay them a decent wage.

But Mr Moyle said the offences were committed out of greed.

Although he jailed Van Rooyen, the High Bailiff stopped short of deporting him.

A statement from the Island's Immigration Office said it was completely satisfied with the case's outcome.

"This case, which has been highly unusual for the Isle of Man, clearly demonstrates the need for vigilance and for the prompt and proper prosecution of anyone found to have committed such offences," it added.

"The Isle of Man Government will continue to pursue any breaches of immigration law with the utmost vigour, both to uphold the law and to prevent the exploitation of the vulnerable."

The building workers have all returned to South Africa.

:am:

Good morning and enjoy your day.

We had lovely rain overnight and it is much cooler today. :yes:

:jive:

:music: :hooray: Congratulations and enjoy your day! :hooray: :music:

It is so easy for us to be led by our minds, which are often fed by the thoughts of others through written or verbal communication. We can be led by our emotions which can easily be influenced by our anxieties, burdens, disappointments and the fear of other people's opinions.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live within us and He will lead us into all truth if we just ask Him (John 14:15-18, 26-27; 16:12-15). We must wait on Him and not move ahead according to our own thinking. (Psalm 27:14; 130:5-6; Isaiah 30:18)

We must keep our spirits built up so we can be led by His Spirit (Romans 8:14-18). Those who are led by His Spirit are sons and daughters of God. We must live by the Spirit and be led by His Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26).

How do we keep our spirits built up? This is what I do:

1. Speak out my love to God and to others.

2. Watch what goes into my eyes and ears and guard the attitudes of my heart (Romans 8:5b). Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires - v6(b) - the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

3. Have a heart of worship and gratefulness. I find myself having to stand against self pity when I'm tired; and I may even feel 'used.' Jesus said to me one day, you will not feel used if you are led by My Spirit. When I wake up, or when I'm in the car, I play worship CDs.

4. "Hang out" with people who love Jesus and want to reflect Him. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom (2Cor 3:17-18).

5. Read and meditate on the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to make it become real to me. I love that!

That's what I do; what do you do?

by Donna Jordan - Canada

Public transport scores R3bn boost for 2010


July 31, 2006

By Linda Daniels

A R3 billion cash injection for the improvement of the public transport system, preparations for the 2010 World Cup and the creation of a pool of land for housing were just a few of the key decisions taken at the cabinet lekgotla over the weekend.

President Thabo Mbeki briefed the media on some of the decisions reached during the strategy session yesterday. The session was attended by ministers, deputy ministers, provincial premiers
and department directors general.

Mbeki said: "We also have to look at the issue of public transport in all its elements - roads, rail, taxis, air - and the Department of Transport is in the process of completing a comprehensive presentation on this matter. But in the medium-term, we have allocated R3bn for transport to address this matter of improvement of the public transport system."

The presidency would also meet every month with the view of tracking the preparations for 2010.

Mbeki confirmed that the upgrading of infrastructure had already begun and a public transport fund had been set up in the Department of Transport to focus primarily on 2010 initiatives.

Other decisions taken at the mid-year lekgotla included the establishment of a special purpose vehicle to acquire and transfer land to speed up the delivery of houses.

Mbeki said the hold-up in housing delivery had to do with the availability of urban land.

The president said the Department of Housing was leading a process within the government to look at collecting a "pool of land that was known and owned commonly" for the purposes of housing delivery.

The president attributed the ever-growing housing backlog to the migration of rural people to urban centres and also the fact that families were getting smaller.


The lekgotla also endorsed a proposal to appoint consultants and contract workers to finalise outstanding applications for environmental impact assessments.

"They are necessary because all the developments that take place have to take into account the impact on the environment and therefore the environmental impact assessments are critical," said the president.

"But if you don't have the capacity to do them, they then delay development."

Mbeki said this intervention was agreed to since provinces did not have the capacity to respond "quickly and properly" to applications for environmental impact assessments.

In a bid to address the current skills shortage in the country, Mbeki said the Department of Home Affairs had been tasked with completing an immigrant "scarce skills list" by next month.

A national health information system is also on the cards to help people who move around the country to easily access their medical files from any hospital.

"Currently, only 20% of the 440 hospitals and only 5% of clinics have computerised health systems," said Mbeki.

The president said that a blueprint for the system would be available by November.

The current Middle East crisis, which has seen Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel engaged in a bloody conflict, also received attention at the weekend lekgotla.

Mbeki said the government would support the efforts of the secretary-general of the United Nations to achieve an immediate ceasefire "and the establishment of an international peacekeeping force".

July 31, 2006

By Dianne Hawker

After a day-long summit, roleplayers in the Western Province's 2010 Soccer World Cup bid have resolved to focus on building local soccer at grassroots level in the run-up to the event.

The Football Summit was organised by the departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport and Recreation, the City of Cape Town and the provincial government to discuss all the problems "that retard the development of soccer in the province".

About 220 delegates representing all six regions of the SA Football Association (Safa) attended.

They included CEOs of Cape Town-based PSL teams John Commitis of Ajax Cape Town and Goolam Allie of Santos and director of the 2010 Cape Town bid Teral Cullen. The event was also attended by Premier Ebrahim Rasool and mayor Helen Zille, and mayors and other representatives from district municipalities.

"The summit was focused on discussing the relationship between professional and amateur clubs, funding and sponsorship as well as the implications of 2010 for communities in the province," said Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation MEC Whitey Jacobs.

Regarding the 2010 Cup, the summit resolved that:


The Provincial Local Organising Committee be entrusted with the responsibility of developing a 2010 policy framework.


Any municipality must, as a prerequisite, ensure support for own local clubs and have standard facilities before being allowed to bid for hosting international teams in 2010.


A policy framework document be developed through a consultative process. A transformation programme for rural communities is to be finalised and implemented urgently.



Delegates at the summit will develop and implement a soccer development strategy for the Western Cape and an infrastructure is to be developed to help amateur football within the 2010 framework and beyond.

"This summit has really provided a platform for Safa to get its house in order and get ready to maximise on opportunities presented by 2010,"said Jacobs in a statement.

"The resolutions of the summit reinforce the need for a holistic approach for grassroots development on the ultimate success for a successful 2010.

"A new structure enhancing professional and amateur football relationship on a feeder system needs to be developed and professional clubs (will be) urged to look at local talent as opposed to importing foreign talent."

At a gala dinner, Rasool honoured soccer administrators Molefi Oliphant, Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza for their role in bringing the 2010 Soccer World Cup to South Africa.

The city also unveiled the the design for the 68 000-seater stadium that is to be built in Green Point.

The city has called for public comment on the rezoning of the proportions of the Green Point common to accommodate the stadium development.

The rezoning report will be available for inspection at the land use management counter on the 14th floor of the Civic Centre, at city libraries and on the city's website, http://www.capetown.gov.za, from tomorrow.