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If today, 18th October, is your birthday - happy birthday; usuku olunandi lokuzalwa; felicitations; veels geluk; feliz aniversário; !Gâi!gâxa !naetses; joyeux anniversaire; janmadin kee shubhakaamanden; letsatsi le monate la tsolo! (Sincere apologies for leaving out other languages – space constraints…)
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Among the famous who share your Earth arrival day are: singer, Chuck Berry; actor, Jean-Claude van Damme; tennis legend, Martina Navratilova; assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald; and one time Governor–General of the Dutch East Indies, Abraham Van Riebeeck, son of the more famous Jan, who, some maintain, is to blame for all South Africa’s ills. But to give credit where it’s due, Jan’s the visionary who introduced grapes to the Cape and we all know how that has ended up. So, when celebrating your special day with a bottle or several of fine red, perhaps you might raise your glass and say Proost to Jan as well.
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In a neat coincidence for the birthday celebrators, 18th October has been decreed (by goodness knows whom) chocolate cupcake day. As most chocoholics will attest, chocolate is the 6th major food group. It’s also a nutrient powerhouse thanks to cocoa being rich in theobromine, antioxidants, and other convincing sciencey-sounding stuff. So, no excuse needed – even if it’s not your birthday ̶ to indulge in a wickedly rich chocolate cupcake (or better still, brownies because they’re bigger). In case you’d like a recipe with zing, try this one that's doing the local What'sApp group rounds.
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Chocolate chillie brownies with beetroot. (Don’t let the latter put you off.)
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240 cake flour; 325 ml sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarb; pinch salt; 25 ml instant coffee powder; 60 ml boiling water; 125 ml cocoa powder; 125 ml oil; 125 ml red wine, 2 finely mashed chillies; 5ml vanilla; 125 ml cooked beetroot, finely grated.
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- Sieve together the first five ingredients
- Dissolve coffee powder and cocoa in the boiling water
- Stir together oil, red wine, chillies, and vanilla and add to coffee and cocoa mixture along with the beetroot.
- Fold the dry into the wet mixture
- Pour into an oiled or lined cake tin and bake at 180C until a skewer comes out clean. Around 40 minutes, but check after about half an hour.
- Let it cool completely, ice it with a chocolate ganache if you want to go to that sort of trouble, and slice into rectangles or squares.
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You won’t know it contains beetroot and the chillies will subtly spice up your day.
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So too will this week’s rich serving of articles, pictures, and stories. From fiction to facts and photography to phantoms, there's something to appeal to all tastes. Best enjoyed with a brownie and excellent coffee.
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#safreacovershowcase: Larry Bentley
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Author: Helene vd Westhuizen
The #safreacovershowcase features the images of the #safreanphotographers who provide weekly photographs for the MediaHub's social media covers.
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Glass recycling in exchange for essential items
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Author: Denise Mhlanga
Established in 2013, the Enana Recycle Swop Shop rewards community members for collecting glass in exchange for much-needed items.
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Walking among the ghosts of Talana Hill
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Author: Andrea Abbott
Early on 20th October 1899, Boer soldiers stationed atop Talana Hill shelled British forces camped below at Dundee. Thus began the Anglo-Boer war of 1899 -1902.
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Heartbreak in the suburbs Part 2 - Fiction
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Author: Melody Emmett
Broken hearts, religious zealots, diamonds, dichotomies, disciples, powermongers, saints, sinners, love and hate in suburban Johannesburg
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How to master the art of networking
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Networking can be make or break for the small business entrepreneurs. These tips are easy to apply and put into practice.
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Sh*t out of ideas for content marketing?
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Author: Tiffany Markman
Sh*t out of ideas for content marketing? Sick of your usual methods? Unsure where to start to generate some fresh nuggets or new items of value?
Whichever it is, here are some methods that work for me (and sometimes I generate 40 ideas at a time, so I know what I’m talking about).
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Explosive denial about dynamite by former number 1
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Author: Blake Wilkins
Johannesburg's first dynamite factory.
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Social media is not about content
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Author: Delilah Nosworthy
By Michael Wood (Edited by Delilah Nosworthy)
The most focused and effective social media campaigns are informed by target market demographics, firmographics, and technographics. Effectiveness is primarily about the right channels. Objectives, positioning, and content are only relevant if your target market personas are appreciably present on the channels you select.
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