I was so hesitant to put together a birthday wish list lastyear for fear that I come across as a demanding person.  Instead, it helped friends wanting to buy me a gift by giving them ideas on what I would most appreciate as a birthday present. It also worked spectacularly for me – one of my favourite gifts was my Coricraft clock that now sits perfectly in my open plan living area. So here’s what I’m lusting after this year.



Le Creuset
Ever since the Le Creuset store opened up in Sandton City, it’s been one of my go-to stores for gifts for friends. I never bought anything for myself since it always seemed so splurgy. Recently, after picking up a casserole dish for a friend, I left with a brochure of all their products. I was surprised to find out that Le Creuset cast iron and stainless steel products all come with a lifetime guarantee! It made me want the entire range even more. The husband and I love cooking and entertaining. I love the cast iron classic buffet casserole. Not only is cast iron a great conductor on all sources of heat, this looks stunning brought to the table for guests to dig in. At R2100 for the 2.0 litre/26cm, it’s definitely a splurge item but browse through the Le Creuset website for tons of cheaper products that I love and I'm sure you will too. Just remember that my favourite Le Creuset colour is cherry.



A much needed hair treatment
The last time I cut my hair was before my wedding. It was nothing more than a cut and my simple hairdresser from back home did it for me for about R50. My hair now looks super long, shapeless and hides lots of greys while my hair is down. Since coming back from my epic European trip, it also needs some TLC to get back to a healthy shine. I’m a simple girl so it’s no wonder that I’ve never visited a proper hair salon and have never had any treatments. I’ve been thinking that now is the time. I assume I need a treatment but what do I need – Olaplex, Brazilian, Opti – it's all so confusing. Colour – yes please but should I just cover the greys or do I need highlights? I don’t even know where I should be going to so I would love a recommendation along with a voucher for what I should be doing.



Dermalogica products
I only use Dermalogica products on my face. I’ve even converted my husband so we’re no strangers to their range. My bathroom has the special cleansing gel, microfoliant, multi-vitamin power recovery masque, ultracalming mist, skin hydrating booster and an almost empty moisturiser. The one thing that I haven’t yet tried is the renewal lip complex. It’s a blend of avocado oil and shea and cocoa seed butters to moisturise lips to make them soft and kissable on my new baby’s skin. At R510, it’s pricey for a lip balm but given the wonders that Dermalogica does to my face, I think it’ll be worth it.


   
A mommy-to-be massage
I love how I haven’t gained much weight and although I have some pain, I’m not walking around like a massive whale. I’m hoping that by the time my birthday comes around that I’m not large and uncomfortable but if I am, I would love to get a mommy-to-be massage. I found that Renaissance Spa does preggy massages – a lot of spas steer clear of women about to pop. I love the sound of the Gorgeous Glow Pregnancy Massage Package but I’ll probably be bored of 4 and a half hours by myself so I’ll opt for the Mama Mio Pregnancy Massage. It’s R590 for a full body massage.



Great smells
Whenever I have people over to my house, I light up the baobab soy lite wax candle in my bathroom. I love the fragrance and the candle jar is so pretty – a little baobab tree lights up. I got them together with a matching hand wash and lotion from the Soil online store. At R220, it’s not badly priced. I’m looking to replace the baobab range with coconut. Doesn’t this uplifting coconut organic soy wax candle look gorgeous!




Mommy mobile
I've had my little car for nine years now! When The Unborn announced his impending arrival, things had to change and the biggest change has to be my little car that served me well as these years. I'm heartbroken to let Vomit go but oh so excited at all the new options. Top of my list is the Mazda CX-5. With a reverse camera, ISO fix points and space for my stroller, it offers the best value for money in it's segment. At R335 000, I think this is best as a gift I give to myself. 
 
We found out we were pregnant very early into the pregnancy. I was about 3 weeks pregnant and all you could see was a yolk sac in an ultrasound.

I had tons of cute ideas like this. I just became way too sick to even think about executing them.

I am an open book. I tweet about what is happening in my life. I write blog posts about how I wasn’t entirely happy in a phase of life when everyone is supposed to be. And I tell strangers whatever pops into my head. I don’t think I have any secrets.

And then I’m thrown into the first trimester, the hush-hush trimester, where you’re allowed to tell everyone that you’re trying to have a baby but can’t tell them you’re pregnant for fear of a miscarriage announcement ruining the whole experience.

I didn’t know what to do. Firstly, I didn’t want to tell anyone because I hadn’t even come to terms with my feelings. Secondly, society dictates that I’m not supposed to tell anyone. Thirdly, all I wanted to do was tweet about the fugitive I was harbouring that was trying to kill me!

Early pregnancy support
The husband had a lot more support than me. Everyone at his workplace knew immediately with all the hospital visits and running home to a sick wife during the work day. It was pretty awesome that they all knew. He had support when he needed to take time off or needed to vent about my moods. Everyone had some piece of advice to help him survive the first trimester.

I told the immediate family at about 6 weeks in, after our first gynae appointment when we heard a heartbeat. The husband didn’t want to say anything to them because he wanted to save them the heartache in case the worst happens. That was around the time my morning sickness from hell started but it helped having their support when I was hooked up to a drip in hospital from severe dehydration.

But all I wanted to do was tell everyone, in the moment, that I’m dying. It’s what I do. When someone asks me, what’s new – that’s what’s new. If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t keep my mouth shut. It’s not a big pregnancy announcement – it’s what’s going on in my life.

But what about the risk of miscarriage
What about it? Surely, if the worst happens, I’d want support. Imagine grieving all alone and not having the people I see every day not knowing what I’m going through. And not telling people is precisely why women take it so badly when they miscarry – wrongly believing it’s a fault of theirs. Because no one talks about it so we don’t know just how common this is.

Or maybe you want to keep things quiet because you’re a private person. It’s ok. Do whatever feels right for you. I cannot possibly imagine the pain of previous miscarriages and maybe if I went through something like that, I wouldn’t want to talk about it until I’m in the clear.

It’s ok to not tell everyone you know
The people who knew I was pregnant were excited when I started my second trimester. It was now time to make the big announcement. The only problem was that I no longer wanted to announce anything. Not only did I feel like one big liar for 3 months but I am not the flashy person that wants to show off my latest thing that I kept hidden for some time now. Really, I don’t know how those people with the big announcements do it – everyone must know. I suppose they had the excitement factor that I was also missing.

I wasn’t that excited. My life was coming to an end. And it just didn’t feel right to announce it to people. If it came up in casual conversation, I wouldn’t hide it from anyone. I’m sure there are tons of people who still don’t know I’m pregnant and you know what, I’m fine with that.


Ultimately, it’s your pregnancy. Do whatever you want. Shout it from the rooftops at 13 weeks if you want to. Playfully tell people when it feels right. Hand out prizes to people who spot the bump and come to the conclusion themselves. Who cares about everyone else – do what you feel is best for you.
We try to force nature to work with civilisation. So instead of popping babies from 12 years old, as if the human race is becoming extinct, we force our bodies to wait. To wait until we find Mr Right – the modern way. None of that pairing up with the boy from your village nonsense. Oh no. It has to be a perchance meeting in a coffee shop. Sparks must fly. Your heart has to race as your eyes meet and fall in love at first sight. This happens 10 times over in different romantic locations until the most recent Him ticks your long list of requirements. After a few years of on-off relationship-ing, you realise he’s The One.

Not quite my experience

If you were lucky enough to have found Baby Daddy while you’re at your most fertile, you probably realised that you hadn’t reached your peak in your career yet. You think, “that ladder is slippery, I’m underpaid, now is not the time.”  

Whatever your reason is, we defy nature with contraceptives until the day you decide to conceive. It’s supposed to be difficult. For years, you forced your body into not doing one of our most primitive functions for years – having babies. You’re older now and not as fertile anymore. You need to track your ovulation and be prepared for those two blue lines to not appear when you want them to.

It was time. I was supposed to try to conceive before it became too late. But I hadn’t lived life yet. I hadn’t travelled the world. I didn’t have enough sex. I didn’t have the money to swop out the carpets for laminate flooring. I hadn’t made a big salary jump. I didn’t restart after-works drinks with old colleagues. I’m not done sleeping in on weekends. All these things I won’t be able to do with kids. No one else is having kids. It was time. But I wasn’t ready.


And then the phone call that ended my life: “We have the results of your blood tests. Congratulations! You’re 3 weeks pregnant.” No! Conception was supposed to be difficult. I’m supposed to want it so badly so that I could be grateful when I fell pregnant. Instead, I had the odds of a teenager having sex for the first time in the back of a car. Pregnant…without even trying. 
So you’ve been invited to celebrate Diwali with some Hindu friends. How exciting! It probably also feels a bit daunting with all the different foods and traditions you’re used to. Fear not! I’m here to teach you some Diwali etiquette that’ll have you fitting in with the Hindus.

A photo posted by @sarah_velicitat on


Dress
There is religious significance for Diwali but it’s also a celebration of light and colour. It would be great if your dress reflects this. It’s a fun experience if you have an opportunity to dress up in Indian wear with all the accessories. Most Indians wouldn’t mind lending you an outfit for the occasion. But if you don’t have anything Indian to wear, dress up in your most bright and colourful clothing that isn’t revealing and put on lots of jingly jewellery. Stay away from black clothing – remember we’re celebrating the victory of light over darkness.


Food
With all the fun, over-indulgence and fireworks, it’s easy to forget that Diwali is actual a day of religious observance. With all prayer days, Hindus abstain for animal flesh and alcohol. So be aware that the food served will probably be vegetarian. I know that many cultures consider a meal incomplete without meat. I went to a friend’s house where guests loudly complained about the lack of meat. I think that is really rude but that’s why I’m writing this. It’s good to know about the differences in cultures upfront – especially if something is that important to you.

A photo posted by Poonam (@poonam_sharma) on

Bringing a gift for the host
It’s common Western etiquette for guests to bring a bottle of wine to someone’s house. That’s a big no-no for Diwali. Hindus will not be serving alcohol so if wine is your go-to “gift” when visiting someone it’s time to get creative with other ideas. Many Hindus bring along a plate of their homemade Diwali treats to share with the host’s family. But you’re more than welcome to bring along some shop bought goodies (that don’t include eggs), flowers or incense. It’s important as a guest to also be your authentic self so those aren’t your thing, bring along whatever gift you prefer as long as it’s respectful and appropriate for the occasion. Indians love giving and receiving gifts so you’ll probably leave with a decorated plate, tray or box of sweetmeats and biscuits for you to savour at home.

A photo posted by @o0_presh_o0 on

Aarti and Pooja
If you’re lucky enough to be invited when your host is performing their prayers and offerings to God, it’s important to be mindful of the session. Most people have different ways that they pray so take your cue from your host. Take off your shoes outside the room that the prayer is performed, ensure you appropriately dressed, quietly meditate if you do not know the bhajans that everyone is singing along to and ask for help if you want to perform aarti too. People will love showing you how.

A photo posted by The Wayfarer (@ank890) on


Fireworks
Depending on where your hosts live, they might be able to celebrate the evening with fireworks displays. If you want to bring your own fireworks, ask the hosts whether they are allowed to light fireworks in their neighbourhood. If they are, you’re in for such a treat. It’s magical to watch the sky light up in vibrant colours. And there are the playful sparklers that everyone will have fun twirling around. If you’re not used to fireworks, it’s best to be safe and let the experienced among you light them. 



Above all, it’s about celebrating the day with family and friends. Be mindful of the points I raised but don’t fret too much. Have fun and have a happy and blessed Diwali!
My mother was our household’s sole breadwinner earning a grand total of R300…on a good week. She had a standard 6 education with limited skills and therefore couldn’t get a better paying job. She slaved 7 days a week for us and her dream was to someday have the ability to stop bearing that financial burden of raising her family all on her own.

Credit: http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/27121/1/south-african-student-protests-against-fees-go-global

I call my schooling disadvantaged. All South African bursars clearly didn’t agree with me. But how can a school, who churns out pupils for jobs in a supermarket, not be considered disadvantaged? The entire community knew that once you finish matric (with standard grade passes), you found a job and then you were sorted for life. We didn’t have much exposure to any other ambitions, like becoming an engineer, purely because we couldn’t afford it. It’s just something poor people didn’t do.

But I had my head buried in books throughout my childhood and through that exposure, I knew I deserved better and I was convinced that I would go to university. I kept my standards low and didn’t apply to UCT. I needed to be close to home so I could help financially and didn’t have to incur additional travel and accommodation costs. I qualified for an NSFAS loan at the University of Natal. My fees were covered so it was pretty much free while I studied. But getting my R3000 deposit in my first year was a mission that I eventually overcame with another loan…and then spent years avoiding paying it back.

So my fees were virtually free but it wasn’t enough. The transition from high school to university brought with it many more costs. I had a weekend job where I earned R120 on Saturday and Sunday to pay my R120 transport costs to get to university. Our tutorial tests finished too late for me to catch the last taxi home so I would leave my tests early because I didn’t have anyone with a car to fetch me. My weekends were spent working and I left tests early so my grades suffered. My semester breaks were spent working as a cashier in order to afford textbooks. I couldn’t live the lives my friends did cos I didn’t have the money to go out and have fun – I was socially excluded. The worst part of it all is that no one understood my struggles. My varsity friends had cars and spending money. My entire extended family had never even set foot in a university. My neighbours thought it would be easier on my family to just get a job.

And then there’s the cost of not working immediately after school. My mother was burdened with paying for food and electricity on her meagre salary. Everything else was considered a luxury – we defaulted on rent and lived life minimally. With my mother’s health ailing, it was 3 more years of daily slaving before I could theoretically get a job and help her out.

After I graduated, I shattered my mother’s dreams yet again. The only job I could secure was in Johannesburg – a city that no one I knew had even been to. Again, it was begging and borrowing to get money for a R2000 deposit on a commune where I lived.

It took 4 years for me to pay off my student loans and I still support my family in Durban. I literally started from scratch to be able to afford my current lifestyle and bring up the quality of living for my family. I still have no one who understands my struggles. My friends from university think I’m shallow for chasing money all these years but those friends have also had their parents help them out throughout their studies, and assist them with buying a car and house.

Sharing my story is my way of saying that I believe in the #FeesMustFall revolution but it doesn’t solve everything. Even with free education, the other costs that only the poor have are enough to prevent students from studying or pull them out of university.

Where do we stop with this revolution? We got the 0% increase but that still excludes so many. We need free education. But we also need good quality secondary education to prepare kids for university and open their eyes to the possibilities. We need the poor to be able to afford the basics of life like food, housing and transport. We need university deposits to be affordable too. How far will this revolution go? Achieving free education will be a milestone but even that will still exclude many in the pursuit of education. 
I use travel agents quite a bit. I use them at work to book my business travels. I suppose I don’t really care about the cost of those but I still have to tell them about which flights are convenient. With all the information I provide to them, if I didn’t have so much work to do, I think it would be more efficient to do it myself…if I was allowed to.

Credit: http://eagleeyes.biz/copywriting-editing-specialties/

For my personal travels that don’t have anything to do with work, I use travel agents too. My Thailand trip was nicely packaged by a travel agent that a friend organised. It was less hassle for me. All our friends agreed to the price and paid. I didn’t once question the service.

I did tons of online research for my Maldives honeymoon and I finally settled on the resort that offered the best value for money for everything I was looking for. A travel agent managed to get that even cheaper for us. It’s probably because beachside holidays are popular. Travel agencies get good deals to promote certain resorts so we, the customers, also benefit.

I am currently planning an amazing European winter trip over December. I walked in to a travel agency and they actually gave me some really good options. Once I browsed through all the brochures and sent my request for quotation, I realised that I could actually get the whole package cheaper if I did it myself.

Confused, I realised that there are a lot of reasons why you should ditch the travel agent if you have some time to do your own research. Here are some of those reasons.

1. The internet gives you everything at your fingertips. Sometimes, its information overload but if you can filter through all of that, you have a variety of holiday options to choose from – to either plan it yourself or directly through tour suppliers. Once you find out what’s best for you, you can book it yourself. 

2. I’m not sure how competitive travel agencies are with holiday tours. It seems like they have a relationship with a third party who probably discounts tours so that the agency can make money for driving holiday makers to the suppliers’ products. In my recent experience, that discount isn’t passed on to the consumer so you’re no better off than just booking the holiday through the supplier yourself.

3. After I got my quotes back, I decided to look up flights myself. I used a number of websites that trawls the web for cheap flights. I also looked at specific airlines. I found out that my agent had given me a quote with a super long layover which was actually more expensive than a direct flight. Clearly, the agency gets rewarded for using specific airlines so that’s what she quoted that instead of suggesting what works best for me in terms of time and money. 

4. When I went back to the agent asking for quotes on direct flights where I was landing in one city and returning from another, she insisted that it would be more expensive getting two one way flights from different airlines as opposed to return flight through the same city. However when tried booking those flights with two different airlines, I realised that those two airlines were actually partner airlines and it wasn’t any more expensive at all. 

5. My sister-in-law and her friends just got back from their American vacation and also weren’t impressed with the same travel agent’s service. The travel agent hadn’t confirmed one of their airport transfers. They also realised that their first hotel could have been used for their entire Orlando trip. The agent hadn’t even advised them that the two hotels were about 20 minutes away from each other and that it would have been cheaper and less hassle to remain at the first hotel and commute. Then there was an epic New York trip to which they only realised while in New York that they only had a day and a half in the city. They would have appreciated if the travel agent advised them that it may have been too short of a duration to see that city. 

6. And then there are the unsolicited emails. I contacted the agent for the sole purpose of getting some quotes and to book my travel with them – not to be inundated with their marketing emails. I didn’t sign up for that.

Maybe I just had a bad experience or I haven’t found the right travel agent yet. So unless, you don’t have the time or want to be bothered with the details of your trip, these are my reasons why you could just book your trip yourself. Do you agree?
The Gujaratis just finished their holy month of Shravan. I’m sure all of them are feeling purer, closer to God and no doubt healthier with their vegetarian diet. While I was on a vegetarian fast this month, people kept complementing me on how well I was taking it. Apparently, I hadn’t complained about my lack of meat the way some people were already not looking forward to meat-less fast of Purtassi. The reason I did so well was because I had tasty meals. I think veg meals tend to be bland and tasteless so here’s a list of meals you can make if you’re just started Purtassi or you’re planning on giving your body a break from the meat for a while.

A photo posted by McGill SHHS (@mcgillshhs) on


1. Vegetarian pizza
You can’t go wrong with a crispy pizza base. Just about any topping will taste nice. If you really need to mask your vegetables, try this for supper.

2. Vegetarian burgers
You can find way of making a vegetarian burger patty. Make it out of potatoes, lentils or even a mix of courgettes and carrots. Put it in a bun with the usual burger relishes and it’s an ideal dish for your burger fix.

3. Gram dhall and brinjal curry
I once ran out of inspiration on what to cook so I called my mother and she gave me this idea - a delicious curry that I grew up and totally forgot about. I was so focused on vegetables that I forgot all about the tasty things you can make with different types of lentils and dried beans.

4. Butter beans curry
Another favourite coming out of Durban is beans curry. The dried variety takes a long time to cook but a can of butter beans is the perfect substitute. Eat this with roti and you’ll be licking your fingers clean.

5. Dal makhani
Dal makhani is one of my go-to vegetarian meals whenever I dine at an Indian restaurant. I love the creaminess and smoky taste of this dish. I decided to perfect it at home and made some naan to go with. My guests loved it!

6. Polenta lasagne
If you’re looking for a low carb alternative to the usual lasagne sheets, try substituting the lasagne layers with polenta. I think it’s a pretty acquired taste but if you’ve got other saucy layers, this will be a hit with the family.

7. Vegetable lasagne
I think kids are the ones that miss meat the most. Why not take their favourite meals and veg it up. For my meat-free lasagne, I made a three bean ragout which was a perfect substitute for the mince layer.

8. Rice stir fry
I like stir fries. I usually add noodles to the dish but sometimes rice is a really refreshing take on it. Think egg-fried rice and add your ingredients to a wok. The wok transmits a flavour of smokiness that other pots and pans just don’t give.

9. Aloo gobi with peas
Now that my fast is over, I realised that I did really well by not relying on potatoes. After all, that is most people’s saving grace when fasting. Potatoes never taste bad. Add them to a cauliflower and peas curry and you’re got a delicious Indian curry ready in no time.

10. Bean enchiladas
Wraps are a pantry staple in our house. We use it when we run out of bread for lunch and for Mexican style dinners like this. Make a bean ragout, add it to your wraps and spoon the ragout all over the dish. Top with cheese and slices of jalapeno. Mexican supper sorted!

11. Chickpeas curry
I ate this curry at a North Indian restaurant but its super easy to make at home too especially if you’re using the canned chickpeas. It also makes a great lunch idea if you have any leftovers. Serve it on rice and pack it in a lunchbox with a spoon for a great sandwich alternative.

12. Mushroom and spinach mac and cheese
I seem to always do mac and cheese wrong. It’s either I overcook it or I just don’t like it. Maybe this version was tastier because I added in vegetables that I like. As a friend once said, when fasting, mushroom it up!

13. Baked beans pasta
A can of baked beans is a staple that I have in my pantry all the time. It’s not just a breakfast item when whipping up an English breakfast, it can also be used as a quick pasta sauce. Chuck it in the oven to heat up and dinner is served effortlessly.

14. Mushrooms on toast
I love serving creamy sautéed mushrooms on slices of toasted ciabatta as finger foods when entertaining. It doesn’t mean you can’t have that for supper. We just used ordinary whole wheat bread for the toast.

15. Melanzane alla parmigiana
The husband does not like aubergines but he could eat this dish as a main. I find the layers of aubergines and tomato sauce quite rich so I have it with a side salad when chicken is not an option.

16. Kadhi kitchri
This is a gujarati favourite. I don’t really enjoy this dish but that’s why there are fried potatoes to mask the yogurty taste. 

17. Paneer matter
Another curry. This time with peas and cubes of paneer cheese in a tomato-based gravy. It’s pretty easy to make cook up a few naans and that’s definitely what you should eat this curry with.



18. Falafels in pitas
Making falafels is a bit touch and go for my husband and I. Sometimes they are perfect and other times they crumble up. We tried a baked version that seems to have held its shape really well. At Woolworths you can pick up tsatsiki, hummus and mini pita breads. Assemble and enjoy.

19. Butternut soup topped with croutons
We usually make soup as a starter but this is a simple meal that doesn’t require much work or supervision. Pop butternut in the oven, blitz when cooked and season over a slow simmer. Serve with crunchy croutons for texture. 

20. Mushroom tart
Oh how I love puff pastry. You can do anything with it. It’s perfect for jam turnovers or a cheat pot pie. Top sautéed mushrooms, rocket and feta on this flaky pastry and you’ve got a light weekday meal.

21. Veg breyani
Durban style veg breyani is so dear to my heart. Drown it in dhall and you’ll absolutely love the creamy dish that’s healthy for you with the veggies and spices.

22. Spaghetti and quorn meatballs
I must be honest here. The quorn meatballs did not taste too good – possibly because I’m not too much of a fan soya. If you like soya, you might enjoy this. Add the meatballs to a tomato sauce and toss in some cooked spaghetti. I transformed the meatballs in tomato sauce into lunch by adding it in a French baguette. I topped it with cheese and chucked it under the grill. Take that Subway!

23. Mushroom risotto
Mushroom risotto is not as hard as it seems. Swop out the chicken stock and wine for vegetable stock and don’t forget to add in lots of parmesan. It takes about an hour to cook but tucking into a comforting bowl of mushroom risotto is so worth it.

24. Panzanella salad
This salad was a hit at the last braai we had. See…carbs are awesome in anything.

25. Dhall, rice and aloo fry
A pauper’s meal but I love it. If you are really craving meat at this stage and the food doesn’t taste too good, that’s what Indian condiments are for.

26. Quesadillas with mixed vegetables
I sometimes take quesadillas for lunch. The crunchy wrap with a delicious layer of some softened veggies is a nice change when you’re bored on the usual cheese and tomato sandwich.

27. Toasted cheese sandwich
I learnt about this little sandwich from a friend. Spread Nandos sauce on a slice of bread, add creamed style sweetcorn, cover it with cheese and top it with another slice of bread. Cook it like you would any grilled cheese sandwich and you have a delicious mess that is so fun to eat.

28. Baked beans and soya sausage
A favourite weekend breakfast is sausage and baked beans. You can serve this with soya instead and serve it any time of the day. I enjoy it with plain white bread.

29. Mugh
Another lentil based dish. This soupy meal goes really well with roti or rice. Ask for green mugh at any Indian grocery store and half of cup of this moong dhal is enough for two people.

30. Burritos
Burritos are awesome because you just need a wrap and some leftovers. I rolled my burritos in foil so the wrap didn’t fall apart while I ate it.


A photo posted by Hippie Lane (@talinegabriel) on


Good luck! I you’d like me to hit you up with a recipe for any of these, just let me know. 
Shravan started this weekend and as much as we cook at home, there are times when we just want to go out for a meal. When you’re doing a vegetarian fast, it automatically seems like your eating out options are limited. Well, fear not! I am here to share with you my favourite places to find delicious vegetarian meals.

No meat!


I know there are many definitions of vegetarian but when I say vegetarian, I am referring to the Hindu definition. After all, Hindus have been vegetarian for millennia so technically we should trust their definition of the word. Vegetarian for Hindus means not harming any animal life, therefore no meat, poultry, fish, eggs and animal products where you had to harm the animal to get it - like gelatin and lard. So milk is fine.

That’s my definition and it's ok if your definition of vegetarian is different to mine. But regardless of where you are on the scale of vegetarian, you will probably enjoy my list of places to eat at where your veg meals are tasty and not just a salad or meat dish side.

And yes, judging from the title, one of these restaurants have something tasty to give away. Can you guess which one without immediately scrolling all the way down to the bottom? 

Simply Asia
I had a moment in my life when I realised that I actually loved Thai food. I just hated the common stuff like the Thai curries that are loaded with my least favourite ingredient – coconut milk. Simply Asia was the restaurant that made me realise this. Since then, my husband has to restrain me from wanting to eat there every week. I love this restaurant when I’m fasting because their entire menu can be practically made vegetarian. Most of their dishes come standard with chicken or beef. Just ask them to replace it with tofu or soya and you’ve got yourself a meat-free dish. All the ingredients are listed so if you can watch out for dishes which contain oyster sauce or fish sauce.  Whatever you order, don’t forget to have the Chocolate Spring Rolls dessert.

You can find this Thai deliciousness at Kyalami on Main Shopping Centre.

A photo posted by Lutfiya♡ (@lutfiya_shaik) on




Nu Health Food Cafe
I wrote about Nu when they first landed in Johannesburg. They made tasty healthy food accessible. I eat here a lot – whether I’m fasting or not. Their menu caters for vegans, vegetarians and those just wanting to eat healthily. I most like that their ingredients are responsibly sourced and they make healthy eating taste nice. I definitely recommend  a multi-grain wrap called The Fixer made with broccoli, lentils, feta, flaked almonds, radish, chia seeds, pea shoots, lemon and olive oil dressing. The ingredients may not sound appetising but I assure you that it is absolutely delicious.

The only place you can find Nu Health Food Cafe in Johannesburg is the Waterfall Corner Mall.

A photo posted by nü (@nuhealthfood) on



Piza e Vino
I started my fast with the Black on White pizza from Piza eVino. From their range of vegetarian pizzas, this one is my favourite with black mushrooms, olives, garlic, feta and cheese. Then again, anything on their crispy thin wood fired oven base would taste great. 

The Piza e Vino that I frequent the most is at Carlswald Decor Centre.

A photo posted by Piza e Vino (@piza_e_vino) on



Rocomamas
Rocomamas doesn’t just make good burgers, they also have an amazing vibe making it a great place to join friends for lunch. Just because you’re going veggie, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that vibe. All their burgers come in a vegetarian option with the same delicious toppings (minus the bacon).   

I go to all the Rocomamas but the one I prefer is at Pineslopes Boulevard.

A photo posted by RocoMamas® (@rocomamas) on



Shayona
If you’re serious about your fasting where you won’t dare step into a restaurant that serves meat, then Shayona is definitely for you. Their entire menu is pure vegetarian meaning my Hindu definition of vegetarian plus they don’t use onion or garlic in their food. The Indian buffet menu changes every day. They have an extensive a la carte menu that offers Western-style dishes but I recommend the curries and you have to order a paratha to go with it. No other restaurant makes parathas like they do. I’ve also tried and failed miserably. 

Shayona is quite a drive for most people living in the Northern suburbs but every Guji will tell you that the drive to Mayfair will be worth it. 

There you have it: some of my favourite restaurants when I’m giving meat a miss. Now some exciting news: whether you're on a vegetarian diet or not, Simply Asia in Kyalami has offered me 4 meal vouchers valued at R100 each to give away to 4 of my readers. I'll select a winner from each of my social media: Facebook, Twitter, Blog Subscription list and blog comments. Winners must be able to redeem their vouchers via the Kyalami branch of Simply Asia.

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget. Goodluck!
  
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For a women’s day event, Barclay and Clegg were offering free bra fittings. I thought this would be great to try out. With my small boobies, I’ve always worn a 32A bra. My whole life, I thought that my breasts are small, therefore I’m an A cup. Here’s a huge misconception that everyone is made to think about cup sizes.


With me getting fatter and bulging out of the A cups, I’ve resorted to a 32B which I was still sceptical of cos my 32B’s didn’t sit quite right. After I was whisked away to a private fitting room, the lovely lady who examined me claimed that I am actually a 32C. What!!! I cannot believe that it’s true that most women walk around wearing the incorrect bra size and I was one of them. She very quickly brought in a bra in my size and my God was I impressed with how well it fitted. She explained to me just what a bra should be covering, i.e. my cup size, and why I thought the B cups were too big.

This pic clearly explains why cup sizes are not independent of band sizes. The same cup can be very different boobs when you take into account different band sizes. 




After being all proud of my C cups (which I probably had all along and just squeezed them into A cups), I decided to do some bra shopping. While I was choosing the bras I wanted, I overheard a woman trying to figure out her size with her friend. Her friend’s advice was to take her pants size and then estimated that she was a D cup by looking at her. That’s how people out there are buying bras!


A photo posted by @julianalondonuk on

So my good deed for women everywhere this Women’s Month is to spread some awareness on this and some tips on how you can check whether you are indeed wearing the correct sized bra. If you don’t feel like going to a store to get fitted, check out this really good video that I found that explains how to measure yourself at home.

  

If you can't watch the video, there's a great website you can use to read more on how to measure yourself. And if you enter your measurements, the tool on the website will calculate your bra size for you. Hop on over here http://brasizecalculator.tk/.

I feel so empowered knowing and wearing my correct bra size. Not only do I feel great but my I think my clothes fit better too. Have you ever had a bra fitting? What did you think of the experience? Were you also surprised by the outcome? 
When it comes to choosing food to eat, Indian is no doubt my favourite cuisine. I just love the addition of spices prepared in so many ways to transform simple ingredients into delicious meals that you cannot get enough of. I love the deep fried snacks, the softness of rotis and other breads. It amazes me how many people share my love of Indian food and yet know so little about the etiquette that comes with eating it. Western table manners seem to be common knowledge. We all know how to set a table, which utensils to eat with what, how to pair different food items and when to eat certain foods. So here’s my guide to getting people up to speed with Indian table manners.

Everyone knows the Western formal table setting

Hows this for an Indian "table" setting

Eating with your hands
I eat almost all my food with my hands. I am met with surprise and disbelief at how I do it. It’s pretty easy when you were raised eating with the cutlery you were born with – your hands. People think that eating rice with your hands is just not possible. My response is that Indians farmed rice long before the concept of cutlery was introduced to them so they’ve mastered the art. When eating with your hands, it is restricted to your right hand only. Your left hand is kept clean so that you can dish more food from the clean spoons in the serving dishes or to grab your drink with. Indian food is soft enough to break food into small morsels and scoop it together with your fingertips only. This is super important! Even though you’re eating with your hands, only your fingertips ever get stained with food. Eating with roti or any other bread is even easier. Break off a small piece of the bread and use it to pick up some curry with your roti. You shouldn’t even get your hands messed with the curry when you eat roti.

Cleaning your hands
Because you’re eating with your hands, you want to make sure that your hands are clean. All Indian restaurants and households are very accommodating for anyone wishing to use the bathroom to wash their hands before food arrives. In some restaurants, I actually ask for a finger bowl before eat. After your meal, the Western concept of just wiping your hands on a serviette is considered unclean. And to be honest, it’s a lot more hygienic to wash your hands afterwards too.



Courses
Indians usually serve one course. It could be a variety of curries, rice and breads. Eat to your heart’s desire. Sometimes, dessert will be informally served. So all those starters you see at an Indian restaurant’s menu is more of our snack list. In an Indian household, those starter dishes will be served at tea time and not as an appetiser from the Western concept of a 3 course meal.

A photo posted by Julie Bahn (@juliefeliz) on


The only deviation to this is the Gujarati meals. I love this more so in a formal setting. My husband’s family serve a sweet appetiser to waken the taste buds. It’s then on to a roti course where whatever bread served is eaten with a curry – generally a dish that is more dry-ish than gravy-ish. On to my favourite course – the rice course served with a gravy-ish curry. To end the meal: dessert.



Some Indian households will serve a number of curry dishes. Again, it’s not really the Western concept of tasting everything that’s on the table. You’d probably be fine eating a maximum of 2 or 3 curries. Just be sure that you dish a little so that you can finish everything on your plate. If you like more food, dish a little more on to your plate. (See why you need to keep that left hand clean now.) It is rather rude to waste food. Even if you’re in a restaurant, dish from the main serving dish on to your plate. If you really can’t finish everything, DO NOT put food from your plate back into the main serving dish. That’s when jutha comes into play.



Jutha
This is the concept of touching a utensil or food to one’s mouth or saliva. It’s considering unhygienic to drink from a glass or bite into an apple and then it with someone else. So if you’re eating with your hands or even a spoon, it’s touched your mouth and putting it back into your food is contaminating your meal. This is fine if you’re the only one eating but if you can’t finish your food someone else might not be too keen on wanting to eat your contaminated remnants. Keep the food that you are not eating clean.

A photo posted by Fafa (@retro_afro_food) on


Mixing your food
There are a lot of Western meals where you would mix your food together before eating – like pasta and sauce. There’s no need to do that with Western food. Just eat from one corner mixing a little bit of curry with your rice. If you’ve got a number of curries on your plate, it’s nice to keep them separate so you can taste each one.

A photo posted by Mae RodC (@lapetitedame17) on


A predominantly vegetarian cuisine
A lot of Indians are vegetarian and the ones that aren’t restrict themselves to vegetarian meals on religious and celebratory occasions. As such, if you’re invited to an Indian household for a feast don’t be that rude ignorant person that asks for the meat and looks on disapprovingly at the delicious beans curry served. Learn from this and be an informed person and decline the invitation if you really can’t handle a meal with no meat, poultry, eggs or fish.



A guest’s respect
When visiting an Indian home, you can be guaranteed that a host will go out of their way to prepare a meal for you even if you pitch up unannounced. However, it is considered rude for a guest to just assume they will be getting a meal. So when visiting, be sure to bring something with you – even if it’s just a packet of biscuits. The host will greatly appreciate it if they don’t have something that they easily offer for welcoming snacks to go with tea.

A photo posted by ChristieSuh (@chhristiee) on


A host’s hospitality
Hosts want to have people over for a meal even if it’s modest food that is prepared. Respect that by eating enough and compliment the chef. Don’t be surprised if the host forcibly dishes more food for you or packs a container of leftover food for you to take home. The host just wants to make sure that you are well fed and enjoying yourself. If you don’t wish to eat more or take any food home, politely decline. 

A photo posted by Shwetha (@shwethashetty3) on


The social side to it
Remember that dining is a social activity. Eat slowly and savour your food. Talk to your fellow diners. And if you’re done first, don’t be in a rush to leave the table. Wait for everyone else.

I was hoping to find a video online showing how to eat with your hands but I found this instead that I thought was quite funny about why Indians eat with their hands.


And with that, I think you are sufficiently armed with enough information to enjoy an Indian meal the way it was intended. And if you’re ever invited to an Indian’s home, you’ll do great to impress and not offend them.