My emotions drive my eating, I eat when stressed, sad or overwhelmed. It took me many years to admit that I have a not so desired habit of reaching for “comfort food” when I am feeling down.
Through my journey of discovering I am an emotional eater, I realised that I have an emotional relationship with food. It’s part of my culture and how I was raised. Every life event, food was involved. If it’s a birthday, we celebrate with cake.If someone is sick, we nurse them with food, if someone passes away, we take food to their home. If we are celebrating a promotion, we go out to a restaurant, if anyone is having a bad day at work, we give them a chocolate and it goes on and on!
Albany Bakeries aims to feed 5 million hungry children in Mzansi!
I have always believed education is the answer to eradicating poverty and we as the present can empower and pave the path for the future of the children in our country.
I have partnered with Albany to raise awareness around this IMPORTANT initiative which is close and dear to my heart….Helping children become educated.
Albany – Share The Love
Committed to spreading the spirit of Ubuntu, Albany Bakeries, one of South Africa’s award-winning brands in the Sunday Times Top Brand Awards, is celebrating school children returning to the classroom with the “5 Million Meals” campaign, running up until 11 February 2018. In partnership with the Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchen, the campaign aims to deliver five million meals to underprivileged children across South Africa.
“We are committed to improving the lives of vulnerable school children and their communities by focusing on nutritional and educational enhancement,” says Albany Bakeries Marketing Manager Pondo Belot.
Hunger, poor quality food and education continue to plague South Africa’s children. Recently, the Annual South African Child Gauge reported that about 53 children under the age of five die in South Africa every day — and three-quarters of them do not live to see their first birthday. Malnutrition doesn’t only threaten children’s survival, it undermines their ability to thrive and achieve their full potential. In 2018, Albany Bakeries is reaching out to citizens across the country to join hands in making a difference.
Mzansi has the ability to help hungry children achieve their dreams, but it all starts with a nutritional meal to help them concentrate at school. For every loaf of Albany Superior and Everyday bread purchased during the campaign at SPAR, Shoprite Checkers, Pick n Pay and spaza shops, a child in need will be fed and given a fresh and healthy start. Added to this, consumers stand a chance to help a school win R10 000 in cash towards a nutritional and/or feeding scheme. In total 50 schools across South Africa will benefit from Albany Bakeries generosity.
True to the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”, apart from fulfilling the dream to deliver five million meals, Albany Bakeries is in partnership with LoveToGive, a non-for profit organisation that feeds 2300 malnourished and hungry children, while empowering unemployed women with skills training, mentorship and monthly food parcels.
Together with Albany, the NGO currently provides a nutritious filling meal every morning to disadvantaged children to ensure they don’t go to school hungry. To date, 63 699 learners from impoverished communities across the country have been provided with a hot, nutritious breakfast every day.
For the past three years, Albany Bakeries has also been involved in a feeding scheme with Shoprite’s Mobile Soup Kitchen providing a nutritional meal of soup and Albany bread to more than 300 000 South Africans in need every month.
With malnutrition a major underlying cause of death in 64% of South Africa’s children under the age of five, as reported by Unicef South Africa, food and nutrition are an essential element in the prevention of this growing epidemic. Bread is a staple food that provides carbohydrates, the energy provider that both fills a child’s stomach and keeps them fuelled for longer. Filled with nutritious benefits and fortified with vitamins and minerals, bread prevents energy ‘highs and lows’ and sustains energy for much longer.
Help improve a child’s wellbeing by purchasing a loaf of Albany bread at your local Spar, Shoprite Checkers, Pick n Pay and spaza shops.
There is nothing more satisfying than eating my mom’s curries. My mom is on holiday with us which means lots of cooking our favourite meals. Majority of her vegetable curries are vegan by nature. She prepared a delicious and flavourful traditionally Indian green bean curry for dinner last week.
Green bean curry
Most of you requested the green bean curry recipe and mom tried her best to write it down with measurements. In Indian homes, most curries are cooked by eye and smell. This is one of them, however I am sure the recipe below is a perfectly outlined guideline and you can play around with the salt and spice levels.
Green bean curry
2 tablespoon organic coconut oil
2 peeled and sliced garlic cloves ( optional)
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala ( found in Indian spice shops and some Checkers)
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
500 gram sliced fresh green beans
1/2 cup spring water
1/2 cup ripe beans ( gadhra) found in Indian stores else replace with frozen peas
If using ripe beans, boil in water for 15 minutes.
Heat oil, add onion and garlic and fry on low heat until translucent.
Add turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder and fry for about 30 seconds taking care not to burn masala.
Add green beans, ripe beans/peas, salt and water.
Cover pot with lid and cook on medium heat until water has been absorbed.
