NEW YEAR, NEW ME PROJECT

17 Feb 2012
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As promised in our January issue, the ELLE team has commenced their new year’s evolution. Here is our sixth progress report.

WEEK SIX

SEIZE THE DAY

Copy editor Erla Rabe

Because it’s National Healthy Lifestyles Day and because I have decided to try and have more of work-life balance this year, I have taken the day off and am going up the mountain at Porterville for the weekend with my 70- and 80-something year old friends for a girls’ weekend. This does oddly enough somehow tie in with my New Year’s resolution to stop procrastinating. The things I tend to ‘procrastinate’ are the ‘me’ things and this is about putting me if not first, then at least higher up the food chain. And next week is going to be deadline week at ELLE again, which means no time for me for the next 10 days or so.

DANCING COMPETITIVELY

Fashion assistant Tarryn Oppel

As promised, because I missed training last week, I’d let you know what happened at Sunday’s training: Nothing much really, sorry for the anti-climax. The boys in the crew have one specific piece to do while the girls are ‘off stage.’ So the two hours involved a lot of waiting around while the boys perfected their intricate floor work and then we had to work out how the girls would then join in, which I am happy to report was achieved!

BECOME MONEYWISE

Jo’burg bureau chief Cheska Liackman

I am only human and have not been productive at all this week in saving money. I think my coming week’s challenge is to start bringing in lunch to work instead of buying from Rosebank (think take-aways from Tasha’s, Woolworths and Kauai), so that is the challenge I am giving myself and will no doubt help in the saving. I have requested a phone line to be installed into my flat so that I can get fast internet instead of spending a fortune on 3G each month. I am afraid that is it!

WRITE A BOOK

Features director Annelize Visser

ELLE’s Features Director is on leave, so fingers crossed she’s putting pen to paper and making headway with her book!

GIVE BACK

Online editor Jenna McArthur

A friend of mine, Cindy Taylor, is a photographer and happens to be in the same position as I am in – wanting to give her time and help children in any way. On Friday last week Cindy came with me to the unregistered crèches to hand over the things we had collected. On the drive there we chatted about the way people so often hear about underprivileged communities and children in need but it just seems so foreign, a thought that grants a moment of pity and then we carry on with our lives. Cindy shared with me her passion to photograph those in need to let others see the reality of the situation, to capture the moments that are ignored and through pictures evoke action. Her passion to photograph is one step towards creating awareness and exposing their realities. Cindy and I have big dreams, but for now we continue to help where we can. Last Friday we spent time with the teachers, praying for them and listening to their needs. Of course, they were delighted about the donations but the time we took to sit and talk with them is what made our visit special. I’ll let these pictures tell the story.

LEARN TO COOK

Senior designer Lucy Geel

This week I decided to go hot and spicy. I’ve never made a decent curry before, so thought I’d give this one a bash, but after reading the recipe I realised I’d be running into some trouble. 1: I hadn’t planned ahead so didn’t have time to let the lamb marinate for the day, 2: I was given strict instructions (by my expert curry-making husband) not to use too much tomato as his taste, acquired from his Lebanese heritage, didn’t allow for it. So I decided to compromise and went ahead following the recipe but limiting the amount of tomato. 3: I couldn’t resist adding some onion – it didn’t seem right not having onion in a curry. But despite my failure to stick to this recipe, the result was four hungry mouths being fed and not a drop left after the pot had been wiped clean with bread and fingers – the way a curry should be eaten! It was truly heavenly!

The recipe is from the book bitten. by Sarah Graham.

Photographed and rated by www.skew.co.za. Click here to see more.

Taste: 9/10

Appearance: 9/10

Follow recipe: 6/10

Our Ultimate Lamb Curry

750g lamb

2 cups plain yoghurt

2tsp each of tumeric, medium curry powder, ground coriander and ground cumin

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 x 410g can chopped peeled tomatoes

2-3 tbsp chutney

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Fresh coriander to garnish

What to do:

The night/morning before:

Roughly chop the lamb, add it to a large mixing bowl and coat with the yoghurt, half the spices and half the chilli. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate.

To cook:

Heat the olive oil in a pot and fry the garlic with the remaining spices and chilli, ginger and black pepper, allowing them to blend with the oil.

Add the lamb in a couple of batches so that the pot isn’t overwhelmed. Stir and bring to a simmer.

Add the tomatoes, chutney and lemon juice and simmer gently for about 1 hour, the longer the better. You will know you’re close when the colour starts to change to a delicious, rich, brick-red and the meat is really tender.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with couscous, basmati rice or naan bread and a minted tzatziki on the side.

GET FIT

Fashion editor Asanda Sizani gets active!

This week, I can’t say I have anything to report back about. I don’t. On Monday, I was just plain lazy. On Wednesday I was shooting Style For Less for the April issue. It was a very long day with many shots to get through.  We left the studio at 5:30, and that’s the time my class starts. So that’s a good excuse, I was shooting. I walk everyday though so that counts as moderate exercise, right?

Photographer: Cindy Taylor