From mug to mugnificence

It all started Saturday morning at the Hazel Food Market. The Rosemary Manor team was at our usual spot, next the north gate of the market, minding our mugs, so to speak. For those of you who do not know yet, Rosemary Manor has branched out and is now selling the food you love at the Hazel Food Market every Saturday from 8 to 2 o’clock

The question our customers kept asking was what do we do with the mugs after enjoying the scrumptious fare inside? For the creative mind the tempting tipsy tart or mouth watering tortilla stack in the enamel mugs we sell is only the beginning. It goes without saying that morning coffee and four o’clock tea can only taste better when served in such an original way, but why stop there?

 You can make a candle, sort your stationary or plant a lovely succulent in your mug. Buy six or eight and use them the next time you entertain. My family dinner tomorrow can only benefit from welcoming creamy tomato soup served in quaint enamel mugs. Is there a better way to serve French fries or a hot dog? Have a picnic in the garden and dish up all the food in different coloured mugs. Salad, pasta, jelly & custard and even spicy gluwein will thrill your guests when served in such an extraordinary way.

 

Use a mug as wrapping paper. Fill the mug with a Cappuccino stick or 2, add a teaspoon dipped in melted dark chocolate, a few marshmallows and /or a rusk and tie a ribbon around the ear of the mug and  voila! A choccacino as a gift.

A regular customer hangs her mugs in the lemon tree outside her kitchen door and an artist from Nelspruit creates breathtaking chandeliers with hers. Food like life is so much more than just the mundane and ordinary. When last did a serving of piping hot chicken pie bought at a Saturday morning market hold so much promise!

The Challenge:

Come up with a mugnificent use for a ordinary enamel mug. Post a comment on our blog and stand the chance of winning 4 mugs of culinary delight to be collected next Saturday at the Rosemary Manor stall at the Hazelwood Food Market. Please remember to include your contact details.



Rosemary Manor Market 3 June @ 345 Rosemary Street

Can you believe that a whole month has passed and it is market time again at Rosemary Manor! We will be open on Friday 3 June from 9 – 5 with the theme “My Grandma’s Kitchen”.

We have beautiful new stock including a fabulous new health and beauty range, delicious deli products and our regular artists' newest creations. In addition to that we will be cooking up a storm in the kitchen! Come and enjoy a “Rosemary Coffee” and chicken pie or bobotie in a mug – just like Grandma used to make, but with our Rosemary twist.

What memories are made of

Memories are strange things. Woven with fact is the golden thread of fantasy. Whether it is a memory that was generated by our past or a flight of fancy constructed on the whimsical tales of others. My parents often repeated home truth was that memories will be your fire wood for the winter.

My memories of my own grand parents are in the majority a colourful crochet blanket of such fantastical stories. These stories are as varied as they are sometimes far fetched but they work for me.

My maternal grandmother was one of 10 children growing up in a privileged family living in a picturesque coastal town, the Gatsby era was at its height. On the night of her sister’s wedding her flowing red locks, celestial voice and wicked sense of humour irrevocably attracted the tall, dark and handsome prince who won her heart. Tales of her feather light sponge cake and unequalled traditional cuisine was as legendary as her breathtaking rose garden hewn from the unforgiving earth of the Storm Berg. She was known for endless conversations in the drawing room and tea trays set with the finest porcelain. Musical soirees were the events where friendships were forged and life stories shared.

My grandmother would sing and laugh and remind people around her that one’s circumstances have nothing to do with your ability to live life with your arms and heart flung wide open and the breeze blowing through your hair. In reality her life was much different from the picture just painted but I have little recollection of her struggles and many years later I still celebrate her ability to experience joy no matter what. What a gift to leave behind, a spectacular kaleidoscope of colourful fragments and the jingle of laughter living on in the minds of those who loved you.

Friday 3 June from 9-5 the theme at the Rosemary Manor Market @ 345 Rosemary Street is "my Grandma's Kitchen'.The theme this month is so much more than enamel mugs and thick hand knitted jerseys.  It is a celebration of our grandmothers’ kitchen. Whether based on reality or fantasy does not change the fact that we can all, from time to time, use some firewood for the winter.

We should never stop repeating those well worn stories from the past. Who will ever know if some of the facts are replaced by the soft call of our fancy!   

Knit your mug a jersey

At Rosemary Manor we believe in going that extra mile. Not only do we indulge in delicious coffee and hot chocolate to keep us warm on those cold winter nights, we also make sure that our drinks stay warm!

Knit this quirky mug warmer as a Father’s Day gift or a quaint pressie for yourself and fill the cup with goodies. While you are at it, knit a pink one for your best friend as well!

If this sounds like too much trouble, buy one at our market on Friday 3 June for only R30. We will be open from 9 – 5 and our theme is “My Grandma’s Kitchen”. Be sure to order a “Rosemary Coffee” and enjoy home cooked cuisine  just like grandma used to make.

Instructions:

Cast on 37 stitches using chunky wool and nr 4.5 needles

Knit 20 rows one pearl one plain

Cast off

Join the to and bottom of the oppisite sides together with a few stitches and slip over any mug ( we always use our signature enamal mug)

When last did you have "mieiliebrood"?

In the nineties no braai was complete without a loaf of mieliebrood, but over time we became too sophisticated to make and enjoy this type of comfort food. Shame on us! Nigella might not include this recipe in one of her best sellers and it may be mere coincidence that my cousin who gave me the recipe emigrated to Canada  shortly thereafter. 

HOWEVER...

After our picnic last Sunday we at Rosemary Manor felt that it woukd be a crime against the braai tradition not to share this family recipe.



INGREDIENTS

1. 4 eggs
2. ½ cup milk
3. ¼  cup sugar
4. 30 ml cake flour
5. 1 cup mieliemeal
6. 1½ tsp baking powder
7.  pinch of salt
8. 1 can cream style sweet corn
9. 1 can corn kernels (drained)
10. 10 ml oil
11. 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

METHOD

Mix 1, 2 and 3.

Sift 4, 5, 6 and 7 and add

Mix 8, 9, 10 & 11 with the rest.

Pour into a well greased bread pan and bake at 180° C for 45 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden brown