Cape Times 2024-12-23

As modern consumers increasingly turn to olive oil for its numerous health benefits, a culinary revolution is quietly unfolding in home kitchens across the world. While many have embraced olive oil for sautéing and salad dressings, few recognise its potential as a game-changer in the world of baking. This versatile oil not only enhances the nutritional profile of baked goods but also preserves the rich, satisfying flavours that make our favourite treats enjoyable. At the heart of this olive oil phenomenon lies its impressive composition. Rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, olive oil emerges as a wiser choice than butter. Beyond its health benefits, it offers remarkable advantages for bakers: keeping cakes moist, ensuring cookies are delightfully crunchy and adding tenderness to bread. The adoption of olive oil in baking…

ThIS year was one of the best in terms of beauty. We witnessed many skincare trends emerge, and most beauty enthusiasts were quick to embrace them. Some of the top five skincare trends that were booming this year included: Skinimalism: This trend continues to dominate and will likely be a in-thing in 2025 and possibly beyond. People embraced simpler routines with fewer, high-quality products. The focus was on understanding what their skin truly needed and sticking to it. Vitaderm’s Multi-Vitamin Treatment Cream is perfect for this trend, offering a nourishing blend of Vitamins A, B3, B5, C and E to restore skin health with minimal fuss. Hormonal skincare: Most people now understand that hormones affect their skin, and to address skin woes like hormonal acne, they need to balance…

In recent years, the phrase “sex work is work” has become a rallying cry for progressive activists advocating for the decriminalisation and destigmatization of the adult entertainment industry. While this perspective highlights the autonomy and rights of sex workers, it also raises important questions about the physical, mental and emotional toll that certain aspects of the profession can take on individuals. One of the most extreme and controversial examples of this is Lily Phillips, a 23-year-old OnlyFans creator from Derbyshire, UK, who recently made headlines for sleeping with 100 men in a single day as part of content creation for her platform. While the stunt garnered immense attention and was chronicled in a YouTube documentary by Goon Squad Productions, it also revealed the darker side of pushing boundaries in the…

The festive season in South Africa is a time for joy, togetherness and indulgent feasts. From family braais to carefully crafted Christmas spreads, food takes centre stage in our celebrations. However, behind the joy of shared meals lies an uncomfortable truth: South Africa faces a significant food waste crisis, even as millions of people experience hunger. As the holiday season approaches, it’s worth reflecting on our food habits and looking for ways to celebrate responsibly – both for our fellow South Africans and for the planet. The numbers are staggering. According to the Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DEFF), South Africa wastes around 10 million tonnes of food annually, with 500 000 tonnes coming from what is known as consumption waste – food discarded at the consumer level. This…

SPECULATION is rife that prominent EFF Member of Parliament (MP) Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is going to ditch the party amid his fallout with leader Julius Malema. The rift between Ndlozi and Malema has been deepening, leading to Ndlozi snubbing the Red Berets’ third National Peoples Assembly (NPA) (internal party elections) last week. Three EFF sources, independently of each other, told the Daily News, the Cape Times’ sister publication, that Ndlozi was already planning his exit from the party he joined when it was formed in 2013. Ndlozi is also the EFF former spokesperson. On Thursday, Ndlozi removed his EFF MP banner from his X account, further fuelling speculation that he was going to resign from the EFF. “We have known for a long time that Ndlozi is planning to dump the…

THE Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act represents the collective will and desire of the majority to transform South Africa’s basic education system from an apartheid design to a democratic, value-based system that ensures every child’s right to access quality public education. This was the sentiment expressed by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidential proclamation signing to bring the act into operation without amendments, announced at the weekend. “I have instructed the Minister of Basic Education to see to the full implementation of the Bela Act. I have also instructed the Minister to do what is necessary, as is customary with any law, to ensure that the time frame of implementation – particularly with regard to the preparedness of the system for universal Grade…