Reviews

Kaldi’s Coffee Shop, Newtown, is my latest addiction in the last 14 hours – super excited to have such a place so close to where I stay for some vegan delights and African food!

I have had pasta with red, green and yellow bell peppers, soy mince, carrots and some spices, African style yellow rice with brown lentils in a tomato and onion gravy and some sautéed beetroot leaves, 2 (YES TWO) nutty banana smoothies (SUPER SUPER AWESOME, made from muesli, soy milk and bananas), beetroot, carrot and ginger juice, and apple, carrot and lemon juice (addictive!). On top of all this I decided to order a chocolate cake with peanut frosting and waited for it to be baked. Everything was freshly made.

Thanks a lot to Mmabatho Mokwena, the creative mind and owner of Kaldi’s Coffee. Mmabatho is a mother of 4 kids who she and her husband (who is also vegan) have raised their kids as vegans from pregnancy to birth to date! She is 33 years old but does not look older than 20! She is a short, bubbly, friendly, welcoming and spirited lady who has been vegan for about 12 years. She is from the Limpopo province and is Northern Sotho speaking and is actually an actress by profession.

Though her cafe has non vegan items, she is looking forward to slowly transitioning it to healthy vegan meal options. They currently do not have a set menu and prepare something different for lunch and dinner every day.

So my friends, if you stay or work around Newtown or simply want to enjoy a meal or have a snack or drink smoothie in a relaxing environment, please go to Kaldi’s; refer me if you wish and try some of their vegan goodies. It is situated at 30 Jeppe Street, right opposite Museum Africa. If you would like a variety of food for a group of friends/family, arrangements can be made with prior notice. Mmabatho also runs an events and entertainment company: Matlombe.

For further information please visit their Facebook page or contact her directly on 083 757 0277 or by email: mokwenammabatho@gmail.com

Satya Bhat, 7 January 2012

Visit Vegan SA for more vegan-friendly restaurants in Jo’burg.

Tembisa Run

I had an awesome day (1 December 2012). I was so keen on the Tembisa race, that I planned to go 1 month in advance and bought 2 race tickets as a friend was also going to join me. Well a few days before the race he found out he had to go to a friend’s funeral which was on the race day. Just 2 days ago my back up partner also cancelled on me and I was looking for an alternative plan, I thought taxi 5 am, I’ll wake up and go for it. I was all powered for it; I was not going to be stopped. I managed to find someone a day before the race that was glad to take the place of as a running buddy. It was his 1st time going for a running event and he was ecstatic about it.

I completed the 8 km run in 58 minutes. Running in Tembisa was a different experience. I mean look at what some had to say to me as I was doing one of my rest walks: “You look like the perfect woman for me”, I told myself it’s time to run again…lol. A taxi driver screaming “Hey white lady”… WHITE? LOL. There were little kids running behind me calling me “Umloongu …umloongu” LOL. It was Tembisa’s 1st running event and well it was not bad, though they need to do more for the runners on the road as we were basically running among the cars, and taxis/cars would come over the pavement forcing runners on the road. I saw chickens in cages, donkey carts, and people cheering for us.

It would be great to start a Vegans Athletics support group. I have already gotten like 4/5 people interested in the races and at least 2 of them have joined me. I have attended 8, 5 km races thus far in 2012 with this one 8 km race, and most of the time I have gone on my own. I fell in love with running, I guess running with everyone, the support one receives, the feeling when completing the task is just exhilarating, and off course a medal received for completion. “I am a winner”, and you know everyone who finishes is a winner, that feeling is just priceless for me.

Tomorrow morning will be my 10th and final race for the year, 10 km. I have not been training for these races, I simply happen to walk/run 3.6 km a day between work and home and I never seem to be walking slowly. My meal before a race: 3 glasses of water, 2 hours before the race, 1-2 bananas, 1 date and about 6 almonds, or just cucumbers and dates and this should be eaten latest 30 minutes before the race.

I seem to run well on this, of course I am just am amateur runner for the moment. It just happens also that I run with my camera, my phone and keys. I take photos of the race, so I have the potential to be faster if I don’t stop to take photos but for now I love doing that.

Vegan Picnic Potluck

We left the race venue after prize giving. I just got in time for the Picnic Potluck. A superb turnout, about 16 people attended with LOTS of food, more like each person brought 15 portions of everything! We were more than happy to take some of each other’s food home too. 11 am till 4 pm, 5 hours! Glad to meet some new faces as well as the familiar ones.

Thanks to Kim and Dani for loaning us their home yet again, thanks to Joelle for organising the event, thanks to everyone for attending it and making it a success: Jessica, Jason, Cate, Paul, Joelle, Ruby, Gideon, Filitsia, Jack, Chanel, Peter, Zayd and Alex. Oops almost forgot there was Aiden, little chap just 4 years old wanted me to watch cartoons with him, gave me a flower, wanted me to jump on the trampoline with him and asked me to stay over! This was my dream come true…:P.

I am so looking forward for more events and people to join us. NB: Next super awesome event in Johannesburg is on Sat 26 Jan 2012 hosted by Dani and Melanie, for more information please visit the FaceBook events page: VEGAN – healthy, earth friendly and compassionate living and if you’re certain of attending please RSVP Dani at happychimney@gmail.com. You can also find more Veg/Vegan Social events on the Johannesburg meetup group: Veg Village.

Written by Satya Bhat

African Organics is an affordable natural hair and body care range. Products are vegan and endorsed as cruelty-free and Fair Trade.

Claims/ Description: Honeybush contains potent natural antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, leaving tired skin refreshed and invigorated. It comes from the rugged terrain of South Africa’s Western Cape and also makes a refreshing tea.

Review: Generally I don’t like using soaps in my shower, because it leaves my skin dry; I usually prefer using Body Wash. After using this product, I first noticed it left my skin moisturized, not dry or tight. The body wash is not foamy but it does the job and leaves you feeling efreshed.

Recommended Retail Price: R 45

Available at: Dischem and health stores

Review by Marjorie Marino, October 2012

Visit Vegan SA for more vegan body care products.

When I received the Esse Limited Edition 10 Year Celebration Pack for review, I was so excited because I never heard of this range before. It’s a 100% vegan range and endorsed as cruelty-free by Beauty Without Cruelty. I liked how the package looks and it’s very convenient for using as a travel kit. I like the idea of using bottles too – very environmentally friendly.

The first thing I noticed with all the products is that they have an oily feeling to the touch. I have very dry skin but they still left my skin smooth and moist for the whole day. I also noticed the scent is quite strong but after few more days using the products my nose got used to it.

I was happy to note that all the ingredients are natural and organic. That’s what I’m looking for before, not just because I’m vegan but because I don’t want to use more chemicals on my body.

Overall, I really love the products and I’m very glad to have discovered Esse for myself. I will definitely highly recommend them to my friends.

The products contained in the pack are:

Gel Cleanser Esse Organic Skincare

Description/claims: A foaming, tingling wash that deep cleanses without drying. Peppermint and spearmint oils refresh and improve microcirculation to aid in the elimination of toxins. African Aloe extract exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and regulates immune function.

Recommended retail price: R 200 (200 ml).

Review: This foamy, brownish gel cleanser works well and gives me a breezy feeling after I wash my face. I love the feeling of mint on my face as it’s really refreshing. Apart from the scent being too strong for me, I had nothing to complain about this lovely gel cleanser.

Cocoa Exfoliator

Description/claims: Fine cocoa particles polish and remove dead skin cells leaving the skin refined, soft and smooth. Wild sourced African oils ensure skin is not dry but nourished and protected.

Recommended retail price: R180 (50 ml).

Review: When I first try this exfoliator I noticed the wonderful cocoa scent. The cocoa granules are very fine so they didn’t damage my skin, but they are coarse enough to loosen the dead skin cells on the surface of my skin; it really removes it! After use, my skin felt smooth, soft and moisturized. I felt like my face was glowing afterwards.

Toner

Description/claims: The Esse Toner completes the cleansing process to revitalize, protect and improve skin texture. Rooibos extract provides potent antioxidant activity. Extract from olive leaves combats the negative effects of pollution and reduces sun damage. The toner can also be sprayed over make-up to freshen and re-hydrate throughout the day.

Recommended retail price: R135 (100 ml). 10 ml sample size only included in this pack.

Review: When I opened the package and pulled out this little toner bottle, it made me smile because it looks so cute. And when I opened the bottle it the scent was so mild and gave me a relaxed feeling. After I used it, my skin was very smooth and moisturised, I even didn’t need to use moisturizer anymore. It works very well and, what’s more, there’s no added fragrance, just the scent of the natural ingredients.

Eye & Lip Cream

Description/claims: A treatment with high levels of hyaluronic acid which hydrates and reduces the sub-clinical inflammation that leads to long term damage.

Recommended retail price: R210 (20 ml).

Review: I used the eye & lip cream every morning for a week and I noticed my eyes and lips feel instantly moisturized after application. My eye area feels more supple and refreshed. And my lips stopped cracking; it really does its job. It has very mild scent, non-sticky, very easily absorbed and only a tiny amount is needed each time. Love the packaging – no messy pots to put my fingers in – and very easy to get the right amount out.

Cream Mask

Description/claims: A mask to feed and nourish the most dehydrated skins.

Recommended retail price: R300 (50 ml). 10 ml sample size only included in this pack.

Review: I’m not that familiar with using face masks but this product smells great, went on my skin smoothly. It’s not the same the other face masks that leave you looking like a monster afterwards; just a thin layer is applied. After I washed my face with warm water my skin was very smooth, soft and felt fresh.

Note: the Esse Limited Edition 10 Year Celebration Pack RRP is R 490, and contains products worth R 590.

Esse products are available at spas, salons and health shops nationwide.

Review by Marjorie Marino, October 2012

Visit Vegan SA for more vegan beauty products.

Ethical Living is a magazine designed to inform the buyer of their buying power and it also enlightens the reader to what is really going on.

Information that you would not normally encounter without an extensive Google search is gathered and given without any corporate or government interest or intervention.

I found the magazine very easy to read and really quite interesting. As far as informing the public, I give Ethical Living the thumbs up. The articles are well researched and Mariette Liefferink writes beautifully, with quite a list of credentials including CEO of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, Member of the board of the National Nuclear Regulator, Member of Human Rights Commission’s Section 5 Advisory Committee on Mining and Water and awarded the Enviropedia Eco-warrior award 2011, to name a few. Mariette’s dedication to promoting a sustainable and ethical future is apparent in her articles and also by her credentials.

Most of the public is regrettably ill informed and we often do not realise what is actually going on in our world. Ethical Living is a magazine that you could take to your family and friends as confirmation of the reality of capitalism and the suffering of, not only our planet, but its inhabitants too. The magazine is very easy to use and understand and should probably be on every doctor’s or dentist’s waiting room table … well, maybe homeopaths.

Each issue extensively covers a chosen industry or item, like for example chocolate or dentistry. In the articles you will learn about the process and environmental, social and animal welfare implications of that industry or product. At the end of the highly informative well written articles you get a diagram of different business names with their main company and brand. The company/brand is rated in 4 main categories as well as sub-categories. The 4 main categories are the Environment, Animals, People and Politics. These are marked on the diagram with 3 ratings – worst, middle and best – represented by a red square, a red circle and a green tick. A detailed explanation of the rating system comes with each issue for easy reference.

Other content also includes but is not limited to the ethical traveller’s annual report on the top 10 ethical destinations based on a country or island’s social welfare, environmental and human rights status – quite in depth stuff and information on current boycotts which got me boycotting China again; hopefully this time I can get it to last.

All that said, sceptics would have a field day with some of the content. There was a very biased article about Moammar Gaddafi, representing him as a good man and that the USA was responsible for the uprising. It mentioned one bombing which they said was orchestrated by the Americans and did not go into too much detail about any other accused events. This article really got me thinking and wanting to actually research the subject of Libya and its residents and also what actually caused the uprising.

This again is not such a bad thing as at least the article resulted in me thinking as opposed to the drone-like commercial media articles usually churned out for the masses. Now don’t get me wrong, I love conspiracy theories and do not doubt the power which the USA holds over the world. However, I felt that with this article a lot was left out and maybe more research could have been done on the views of the people of Libya and how they feel about their deceased dictator.

I also didn’t like the quality of the paper used by the magazine. For a ‘green’ magazine, the paper is your typical gloss paper, not recyclable but it is apparently sustainably sourced. This isn’t too bad provided you keep the magazine for further reference, and this is something I would recommend considering the vast amount of information provided and the ridiculousness of disposing of a non-recyclable magazine with so much ethical content. There is also a more environment-friendly electronic version of the magazine available if you prefer.

Another great thing about Ethical living is that you can request that they research a company/product which you may be interested in, at a charge. This I feel is brilliant as it gives consumers some power again – for so long we have purchased “in the dark”, relying on internet boycotts to ascertain the viability of a company or product. Now we have a local media source that can really put it to the corporations!

I recommend Ethical Living to any conscious buyer. It is really quite informative and helpful – from which computer manufacturer is greener, to whether or not you should support the porn industry – the magazine offers a variety of different viewpoints and ideas. The electronic version of the magazine is priced around R20 per issue and R200 per annum. If you really need a hard copy you will pay R287 for 12 months supply, delivered to your door.

Ethical Living is available at CNA, Exclusive Books and Spar. You can subscribe on the Ethical Living website.

Review by Lesleigh Harnwell, June 2012

Last week, my friend and I visited Hoogland Hydro near Pretoria on a 2-night midweek voucher. It is certainly a place for cleansing, rest and relaxation.

From the moment we entered the premises, we were struck by the beauty and serenity that encircled us. Our stay was filled with guided walks and exercise classes but also with opportunities for quiet rest. There were warm pools and Jacuzzis as well as a gym, saunas and steam facilities. Our health was monitored each day by an on-site nurse and there was an evening lecture on health.

The food was almost entirely vegetarian but contained options for every diet preference. With the meals, vegan options included:

Day 1:
(Lunch) tomato soup, sliced and pineapple salad, green salad, herb and avocado salad, beetroot salad and spinach salad.
(Dinner) potato soup, freshly made hummus and veggies, vegetable curry, couscous and green salad.

Day 2:
(Breakfast) oats, fruit and nut muesli, stewed dried fruit, fried mushrooms and tomatoes, stewed prunes and freshly-made juices.
(Lunch) butternut soup, grilled corn, cottage pie, avocado and apple salad, red cabbage salad.
(Dinner) vegetable soup, basmati rice, vegetable stir-fry, baby corn and nut salad and avocado mixed salad.

Day 3:
(Breakfast) same as day 2 but with an added option of fruit salad (which on day 2 contained dairy).
(Lunch) potato soup, brown rice and lentil salad, spinach salad and mixed salad.

With each buffet, there was also table with bread and a number of seeds. In addition, there was a 24-hour cold buffet with fresh fruits and vegetables.

On the most part, the food was impressive in that it included variety and was made with care. The soups were made with vegetable stock instead of salt which provided richness in taste while keeping it healthy. The salads were surprisingly substantial and filling due to the use of avocado, seeds and nuts. The chefs also usually approached us to ensure we are satisfied.

A limitation that caught my attention was that the breakfast buffet did not include any soymilk. However, the chef offered to look for some that day and we have requested that they add it as an option in future.

In sum, I recommend Hoogland Health Hydro as a vegan-friendly retreat of good calibre.

Review by Antonia Dlagnekova, May 2012

In her excellent book which covers over 140 recipes of delicious meat/dairy-free meals, Melissa Bushby has created a sumptuous, easy to follow book with excellent photographs by Ryno. Food stylist Brita du Plessis has added a range of plates, bowls, dishes that enhance all the prepared meals.

Challenged by her lactose intolerant husband, Melissa has created a veritable visual cornucopia, from how to purchase ingredients, their storing and preparation while the recipes are broken down into 10 categories. These range from light meals and side dishes, salads and soups all the way through to the home herbalist.

In her introduction Melissa explains that many of her ingredients are home grown and encourages us to source locally. One of the dishes I tried was the Sweet Potato and Courgette Fritters. Easy to make, her recipe instructions are brief and follow a logical sequence, which is often not the case in many cookbooks! I would recommend the Mushroom Pie from the main meal section and the Upside Down Apple Tart from the dessert. In her home herbalist I used her bath salts remedy. They work!!! I cant wait to try to Herbal Tea with a Slimming Twist…..he he he!

This book is value for money and will add to anyone’s library of well-used cookbooks. Melissa’s pen and ink illustrations add worth to this overall quality publication.

The Vegetarian Kitchen by Melissa Bushby published by Struik Lifestyle.

Reviewed by Antoinette Maake – Vegan SA

By Satya Bhat, 23 February 2011

I was invited by a friend to attend a talk by Sarah Rutherford-Smith who is a PHD law student and a lecturer at UNISA. She is conducting a research on taking a different approach to animal rights so that society can view it differently.

The event was hosted by the Vegan Society at a small cafe called Love and Revolution, which is in Melville. It is a homely place that offers hot and cold drinks, various sandwiches, yummy vegan cake and a variety of books to read. It is a social hub for people who have respect for others, even if their views are different.

As I entered the cafe the place was full of people chit chatting. I met a few of my friends there but my taste buds were calling me to the dessert or was it the dessert calling my taste buds? I was told that there were vegan chocolate brownies and I just had to pamper myself, so I made my way to the till and was welcomed by the lovely Ishtar and Jasmyn who are partners and co-owners of the cafe. They know by now about my sweet tooth and cravings for desserts.

Sarah’s talk began just 10 minutes after I arrived. 26 people attended the talk and there were some heated discussions which lasted an hour. Sarah started off explaining how the case of the Ukweshwama-Zulu bull-killing ritual was brought to court by Animal Rights Africa (ARA) to stop the killing of the innocent animals, but the case was rejected on grounds of “freedom of worship and religion”. She went on to talk about Rastafari lawyer Gareth Prince who challenged the court for the use of cannabis in accordance to his Rastafarian religion. The South African government disagreed stating that “any religious practises must be conducted within the framework of the law and must, if necessary, be adapted to comply with the law, as a failure to do so will result in anarchy”. The point of these examples was to express how the court and society find rituals and culture to be of great value and influence but also seem to consider the law. It made me wonder that the law seems to take the use of dagga to be more of a crime than killing of an animal.

Sarah mentioned how society views vegans as activists or protesters, often portraying a negative image. So the idea was to consider veganism as a form of culture rather than an animal rights movement. Cultural rights brings more focus on oneself and society which some people may find easier to relate to. It seems that society is more about oneself; same cause just a different approach to get what we want. Our approach must not be aggressive but we could rather plant a thought in a person’s mind. Veganism should be seen more as a way of life.

So how can we get society to see what we are all about and bring some sort of understanding? Let us think about branding. Sarah mentioned that when people have to decide where they should put a donation: breast cancer or animal rights, most often the answer is breast cancer, not that people may think that breast cancer is more important than animal rights, it’s just that the awareness of breast cancer is greater. So when we try and portray animal rights we should consider slogans, symbols and brand equity: “What do people want to be associated with?”

After a 20 minute talk the floor was open for discussion. Some people were open to Sarah’s idea, while others were very sceptical. So the main question that was raised: When and how do we start this religion? We could try by being positively visible to others to bring more awareness to all. A great start would be by marketing at schools, universities and colleges, after all, the younger generation are the future of our country.

Allow people to take their own steps to veganism: remember a small step can lead to a giant leap. For some it’s easy – it can all happen in a day but for most it takes some time, for example starting with the programme of Meat Free Mondays which Fry’s and Vegan SA supports. People can be educated in increments rather than being overwhelmed by it.

Open people’s minds to look at animals differently: we find many people who adore their animal companions and would never want any harm to them, so use what people can relate too, to follow a good cause. Try and make animal activism socially acceptable by involving celebrities and talking about it without bringing any judgements on others.

A man who has started a vegan catering company mentioned that most of his customers come there because the food is tasty, healthy and quite affordable, not because of animal rights. Yet when you look at it, tackling what people want (like healthy living), in turn we can tackle what we want (like animal rights). More people read the newspaper, a glamour magazine or a “you” magazine than they would a vegan one, so why not put a vegan/animal rights article where the public can easily view the information?

There were also people who absolutely disagreed with everything above. They did not feel that we should be branded or labelled and that people should naturally from their hearts know what is the right thing to do. But off course, everyone is different and if we want to influence everyone we should think as if we are the other person.

The discussion ended off with the Vegan Society mentioning that there would be more events and picnics yet to come with the next one at Leafy Greens in Muldersdrift around the 13 March 2011.

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