It’s International Coffee Day on 1 October, and to celebrate we are making our own coffee at home with these great tips. Your coffee will taste just as good as your take-away cup of coffee – and you’ll save some money in the process! 

These tips will help you make coffee that’s smooth, flavourful, and totally Instagram-worthy: 

Check your water temperature 

Did you know that you can ‘burn’ your coffee with boiled water. Don’t add the water to your mug after it has just boiled, giving it a bitter taste. To get the best result, leave your kettle to stand for about two minutes before adding the water to the coffee. Remember that coffee is majority water, so if you can, use filtered boiled water (especially in hard water areas) you’ll taste the difference! 

@gummeeteething #lifehacks #ilovecoffee #tiktokparents #coffeeloversonly ♬ Home Cover by Lukmco – mco

Add some flavour 

Craving a vanilla or mocha latte but not keen on whipping up syrups from scratch? No stress – you’ve got easy options! A splash of vanilla extract can instantly elevate your brew, while a teaspoon of drinking chocolate (or a couple of squares melted right in) turns your latte into a dreamy mocha. 

Perfect your frothing skills 

Frothing your milk not only elevates the taste of the milk but also looks just as good as your latte order from your favourite coffee shop. But how can you get the same level of skill with your frother at home? “When steaming your milk, listen out for the tearing noise. The more noise you make, the more foamy it’ll be, so you want to hear that noise for half the time you’re steaming the milk. After that, you should see a clear rolling of the milk, which will be popping large bubbles and enhancing the overall silky finish,” explains barista Simon Lewthwaite. Don’t have a frother? A simple trick is to warm the milk (not scalding hot), pour it into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake for about 30 to 60 seconds. Or take a whisk and work it vigorously in your mug for a foamy cup of delight.   

@fountainavenuekitchen Make foam without a fancy frother! More #kitchenhacks and recipes at fountainavenuekitchen.com. #fountainavenuekitchen #tiktokhacks #frothycoffee #coffeetiktok ♬ original sound – Fountain Avenue Kitchen

Photography: Pexels

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Nothing says ‘celebration’ quite like bubbles. Raise a glass of these Champagne cocktails with chamomile and berries at your next gathering.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
For the chamomile syrup
3 chamomile tea bags
2 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp lemon zest
For the champagne cocktails
½ cup chamomile syrup
1 L sparkling wine, chilled
¾ cup berries of your choice

METHOD
For the chamomile syrup
1. Add all the ingredients to a pot over medium-high heat and boil for 4–5 minutes.
2. Squeeze all the excess liquid from the tea bags before discarding them. Then, boil again until reduced and a syrup has formed.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
For the champagne cocktails
1. Add 2–3 teaspoons of chamomile syrup to the bottom of each Champagne glass and top up with sparkling wine. Mix gently.
2. Top with some berries and serve.

Recipe: Chiara Turilli
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za

For a slightly more casual shindig in the sun, try our summer bubbly ice lollies.

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A sweet treat to celebrate the weekend or any fun occasion! These granadilla and rum milkshakes make sweet and fruity adult treats.

MAKES 4 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
1 vanilla pod
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup granadilla pulp (¼ cup per serving)
3 bananas
¼ cup white rum (15 ml per serving)
1 cup ice
To serve
¼ cup granadilla pulp

METHOD
1. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add it to the ice cream.
2. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend to a thick smoothie consistency.
3. Serve with additional granadilla pulp in each glass.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

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The Lusito Land Festival started as a project to aid differently abled individuals in the Portuguese community in the Johannesburg area. This year it marks its 36th annual event with the celebration having grown to include the various diverse cultures mixed with the Portuguese heritage found in the surrounding areas of Gauteng. With a new venue and the classic Portuguese entertainment, this is sure to be one for the books.

By Jana du Plessis

Visitors will be spoilt for choice with traditional Portuguese cuisine being served by top restaurants. Loaves of freshly baked bread, juicy meat and salty sardines will entice the palate. Servings of prawns, caldo verde (a kale soup) will further fill your tummy. And then there’s the Portugese sausage chorizo that every festivalgoer has to try, litres of beer and delicious farturas (a Portugese-style koeksister) to end the day on a sweet note.

Proceeds from the Lusito Land Festival will go towards the Lusito Association which strives to assist the Lusito school in helping disabled children receive the education they deserve and in turn build a strong community.

THE DETAILS

Where: Cayman Road, Alewynspoort, Johannesburg
When: 26 April–1 May 2017
Price: R120, adults and teens; R50, children 6-12 years and senior Citizens
Tickets: Tickets available from Computicket.

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With the holiday season almost upon us, we have no doubt you’ll soon be popping many a bottle of your favourite bubbly. Here are a few fun facts you can share over your next glass of champers.

1. What’s in a name?
Champagne can only bear the name if it was made in the Champagne region of France. The proudly South African cousin is known as Méthode Cap Classique. Bubbly varieties that are not made in the traditional style are simply called sparkling wine.

2. Pop with caution
A bottle contains 49 million bubbles and packs more pressure than a car tyre!

3. Quality assurance
A sign of a good Méthode Cap Classique is the collerette (a collar of bubbles), which forms on the surface of the liquid.

4. Sweet endings
Bubbly is the perfect partner to pudding. Try a dry MCC with a sweet slice of cake or a generous scoop of ice cream.

5. From flat to fabulous
Bubbly looking a bit flat by the end of the night? Drop a raisin into the bottle to restore the effervescence.

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