EGG CROISSANTS

This recipe is great if you are having people over for breakfast, as it is an English breakfast in one dish.

INGREDIENTS

3 – 5 croissants (cut in half lengthwise)

50gms cheddar cheese, grated

6 – 12 pieces bacon, cut and fried

6 eggs

250 mls milk

5mls nutmeg

Parsley

60 gms parmesan cheese

(Fried mushrooms and/or spring onions optional)

METHOD

Butter dish (size to fit croissants snugly – depending on how many you are using). 

Whisk eggs and milk and nutmeg.

Pour half eggs and milk mixture over croissants.

Add bacon and cheese (mushroom and onions if using)

Pour over rest of egg mixture.

Bake at 180 degrees for about 30 – 35 mins.

Top with parmesan and parsley and serve.

“I have been an agent for over 30 years and have an excellent track record in the Southern Suburbs area. I am professional, love what I do and put my heart and soul into every aspect of my work.”

Lyn Staples
Estate Agent
Cell: +27 (0)82 846 0739 | Office: +27 (0)21 674 1120 | Fax: +27 (0)21 774 4927
Email: lyn@norgarbproperties.co.za
Focus Areas: Kenilworth & Claremont Village

Personal Security

With robberies on the rise in Claremont sector 1 and 4, we are finding it more and more important for residents and visitors to be aware of the personal security and surroundings. If you follow just a few of the tips below, you have already decreased the chances of you becoming a target of crime!

• Personal Security Mindset:- Personal Security Space Concept (the understanding of where one's own personal space begins, and how to securely maintain this vital personal safety zone etc.)
• Awareness and Safe Planning:- Know how to safely plan your movements on a daily basis and to foster a strategic understanding of your existing vulnerabilities in your own daily routine
• Be Confident:- Showing confidence definitely alleviates you from being a soft target. Criminals like to prey on soft-targets, so you will reduce the risk of becoming a victim
• Protective Philosophy:- Protect your information, personal routine, and residential routine
• Basic Threat Assessment:- Understand your vulnerability. Think like a criminal to see what they see. When a household or routine is viewed in this way, it shows what is vulnerable and what should be changed in order to best prevent crime and threat.
• Being able to read warning signs, body language and intent of persons around you and increase your perception in terms of being able to see the possible concealment of any weapons etc. on any particular persons or suspects before they have reached you in order to circumvent any attacks against you
• Support System:-Who and what to reach out to for the correct support if you have become aware of a potential threat or have been harmed. Make allies along your route.

The most important point here is to KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS. They are your first line of defense as they are always the closest!

Keep safe, and remember to always be aware of your surroundings!

Princeton Armed Response

Considering your will and an executor

Many of us postpone the task of putting pen to paper to record our wishes regarding the distribution of assets when we die. Unwisely, as it is important to have a will to ensure that your estate devolves efficiently, cost effectively and with a minimum of delay upon your chosen beneficiaries. And to achieve the latter, you should ideally seek professional advice.

WHAT WILL MY WILL DEAL WITH?
Your will must take many things into consideration, the most obvious being the nomination of heirs and the appointment of an executor to administer your estate. A trust can be created to control any assets being awarded to a minor child and it is also possible to stipulate your choice of guardian to care for your minor children in the event of the untimely death of your spouse and yourself.

However, issues which are less apparent but also of paramount importance, should always be considered in conjunction with the drafting of your will. Consider the following questions:

• Will there be sufficient liquidity in your estate to pay your debts and at the same time provide for the financial security of your family?
• Do you have business interests which may be vulnerable?
• Can estate duty be minimised?
• Is your mortgage bond covered by insurance?
• If applicable, where will the funds come from to meet your obligations in terms of a divorce order?
• What are the capital gains tax implications?
• Is your will correctly structured to cover your offshore assets? 

If you have an existing trust, the trust deed may need to be reviewed, in particular with regard to the appointment of suitable trustees to manage the trust after your death.

Any or all of these aspects may have relevance for you, and by seeking the best possible professional assistance you will be able to identify problem areas, investigate solutions and achieve the peace of mind of knowing that you have done everything possible to streamline your financial affairs and to ensure that your will is a sound legal document.

SHOULD YOUR WILL BE REVIEWED REGULARLY?
Yes. Events which shape one’s life, such as marriage, the purchase of an additional property or a first property, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one or perhaps a divorce, all lead to a change in personal circumstances which may require the updating of your will.

CAN I DRAW UP MY OWN WILL WITHOUT SEEKING PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND IF I DO SO WILL MY WILL BE VALID?
The law does not prevent a lay person from drawing up his own will but there are many legal formalities which must be complied with for the will to be valid. Often these are overlooked by the inexperienced draftsman with the result that the will is rendered invalid, a situation which may only be capable of rectification by a costly application to the High Court. In addition there are many issues which may need to be dealt with in a person’s will which might not be considered unless professional advice is sought.

HOW IS A DECEASED ESTATE WOUND UP?
The Administration of Estates Act prescribes the formal procedure which must be followed insofar as the winding up of a deceased estate is concerned. The executor must generally attend to the following:

• Handling each asset forming part of the estate in an appropriate manner;
• Settling all liabilities;
• Obtaining all necessary tax clearances ie. estate duty, income tax, capital gains tax;
• Complying with the provisions of the Administration of Estates Act including the placing of statutory advertisements and formal accounting to the Master;
• Communication with the heirs and all other interested parties;
• Collection and investment of all cash forming part of the estate;
• Payment and transfer of inheritances to the heirs entitled to same.

WHAT ARE EXECUTOR’S FEES AND CAN IT BE NEGOTIATED?
The Administration of Estates Act prescribes a tariff equal to 3.5% of the value of the gross assets of the estate being administered as Executor’s remuneration as well as a commission of 6% on all income collected by the executor from date of death to date of finalisation of the administration process.

The executor’s fee can be negotiated in certain circumstances.

For assistance, contact Lauren Smith at laurens(at)stbb.co.za or 021 673-4700.

Are we putting enough consideration into the Quality of our Food?

If you look at the studies over the years, the strongest evidence still shows that calories do matter. One of the main reasons for the chronic disease of lifestyle is an overindulgence of foods. However, it seems that focusing on food quality is just as important for weight loss and weight maintenance.

  

High-quality foods

Foods that are unrefined and minimally processed foods

Examples include vegetables and fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and healthy, lean sources of protein

Lower-quality foods

Foods that are highly processed

Examples include snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined (white) grains, refined sugar, fried foods, and foods high in saturated and trans fats

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011 looked at whether some foods were more or less likely to promote weight gain. The researchers studied over 120 000 healthy men and women for about 20 years. They determined that weight was most likely to increase when foods such as potato chips, potatoes, sugar sweetened beverages and processed and unprocessed red meat were eaten, and the foods that were linked to weight loss were vegetables, whole grains fruits, nuts and yoghurt. The researcher’s conclusion from this was that eating foods higher in starches, refined grains, fats and sugars can increase weight gain. This does not mean that calories are not important, but choosing high quality foods mostly is an important factor to help people to eat less calories.

So how can you put this into practice when you are running around needing simple options for snacks or lunch? Choices that you should try to make include salads (choose those with no dressing or only oil as dressing), fruit (can be dried fruit too, but be careful of the portion), yoghurt (choose a yoghurt that has no added sugar), nuts or biltong (again, watch portion) or a whole wheat, seed or rye roll and a piece of chicken or tuna pack. This may seem like a lot more effort than running into a fast food place and ordering a hamburger, but is it really? Once you become familiar with your quick stop store you will be sure to find at least some good options.

Preparation is the key to success, so get into the habit of keeping some ‘back-up’ food on you at all times. For example, have a packet of high-fiber crackers and some peanut butter or tuna packs at your desk for those days you forgot to bring your lunch or are just hungrier and need an extra snack. This then eliminates the stress of having to go buy a quick meal or snack and decreases the chances of choosing lower-quality foods.

Also get into the habit of reading labels. The number of ingredients in a product as well as which ingredients are predominant in the product is a good indicator of whether the food is a high or low quality food. Remember that foods are listed in order of weight, so if sugar or fat is listed in the first three ingredients then the product is high in sugar or fat.

Bottom line is that that quality is very important in determining what we should eat to achieve and maintain a health as well as a healthy weight. So become more careful about choosing high-quality healthy foods for the best you!

Kim Hofmann - Dietitian 

Kennel Cough

We learnt in our article about ‘cat flu’that it is not only humans that suffer winter ailments.
So this month we are going to discuss kennel cough and how it affects your dog.

WHAT IS KENNEL COUGH?
Kennel cough is an infection that affects the upper respiratory tract of your dog causing inflammation and irritation to the mucus membrane which can lead to tracheobronchitis.

There are many different factors that can make your dog susceptible to kennel cough but most often it is exposure to a combination of viral infection and a bacterium called Bordetella bronchisepticam.

HOW IS IT CONTRACTED?

Dogs become infected with kennel cough when they inhale the bacteria into their respiratory tract in much the same way that we catch flu or a cold. Although the respiratory tract is designed to ward off attack , there are times when it is weakened or put under pressure leaving it vulnerable to infection. 

If your dog is:

- exposed to crowded or badly ventilated areas such as kennels or shelters ( this is where it derives the name ‘kennel cough’)
- comes into close contact with infected animals- is stressed - induced by travel, boarding kennels etc
- exposure to cigarette smoke or/and dust can cause inflammation to the respiratory tract
- exposure to cold temperatures

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S KENNEL COUGH?
Some of the classic symptoms are:
- persistent , honking cough , you may think your dog has something stuck in his throat.
- sneezing , runny nose or eyes
- occasional loss of appetite

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Kennel cough is highly contagious so if you think your dog may have this condition it is important that he/she is kept away from other dogs.

Contact your veterinarian - they will be able to prescribe medication that will minimise symptoms and optimise your dogs recovery. Prolonged infections can lead to pneumonia, so be sure to keep your check up appointments. Even when treated for kennel cough your dog may take 2-3 weeks to fully recover.

VACCINATE!
By vaccinating your dog you are helping to protect him/her against all the major diseases such as parvovirus, rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, contagious hepatitis but also against para influenza which is one of the viruses involved in kennel cough. However, there are also specific vaccines that can be given to your dog if you think he will be in a particularly vulnerable environment. Most boarding kennels will request that your dog is vaccinated with one of these vaccines.

Intra nasal vaccine – is administered directly into the nose. This is a highly efficient vaccine and needs only a few drops to be effective. So don’t worry if your dog sneezes after the administration!

Injectable vaccine is also available , both of these vaccines protect your dog from bordetella bronchiseptica.

It is important to remember that, like human flu, Vaccination against kennel cough is not foolproof and there is still a small chance your dog may contract the illness.

REMEMBER!
There are many be other serious illnesses that can cause your dog cough such as heart disease. Always get your pet examined by a veterinarian if you are concerned.

  

Kennel Cough Article by Kenilworth Vet