How often do you fall into auto-mode? When speaking… when typing….? We go into this “zone” (and I’m no different) where we say what we want to say, and then we finish it all off with a good old spoonful of “Standard Business Talk” at the end…
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I read a brilliant article on the Business Insider this morning, where they speak about exactly this type of thing. Getting away from stiff office jargon and colloquial “buzzwords” that tend to annoy more than they impress. Words like creative, innovative, motivational, track record, problem-solving, being used in your business profile….
Focus is, and has always been on content that provides value. And at a point in time, these buzzwords also provided value. They were innovative. They were descriptive, and they sounded brilliant. However, if, like me, you find yourself slipping into bad habits once in a while, and you start signing your business emails off with the usual phrase, perhaps it’s time to re-think the purpose of your message, in the first place. What are you saying? To whom are you saying it? And most of all – remain true to your character.
What about a “I am excited about working with you” or event just a, “Just let me know if you have any questions”.
Or maybe even not!
If there are questions, they’ll contact you. They have your email address, for goodness sake! 🙂
This year, in support of the Buy Local that we’re involved in, we decided to purchase ALL (or as many as we could) of our gifts, from businesses in our community. Being someone who tends to shop online for most things (the age of electronics!), we headed out one chilly Saturday morning.
In all honesty, we didn’t expect to be very successful. The old stigmas of village-shopping still ringing in my head… too expensive, too “eclectic”, too small a collection etc etc etc.
Proud to report back that within an hour and a half – our ENTIRE Christmas list was completed – with the most unusual, yes even eclectic, gifts that were just perfect! Â Proud!
How wonderful it has been to get stuck in and involved in a local community with so much promise, so much potential, and most of all – a community that is passionate about promoting all that Beaminster has to offer.
2012 has been a somewhat topsy-turvy year for the little town of Beaminster. Located in West Dorset, Beaminster is nestled amongst the rolling hills and stretches of neon green that only a typical English Summertime provides. The torrential summer resulted in one of the main routes into and out of the village, being closed off. Relying not only on local support, but also largely on the passing trade by visitors who are en route to the Jurassic Coast, the businesses in Beaminster had to face a very stark reality.
It really was down to the community to stand together and fight to support the businesses. Not only to show support for the business community, but more important, to be a demonstration that we CAN go against the grain. The negative doom that is all-too-often portrayed in the media – didn’t have a match on the passion and enthusiasm of the people who are looking to flip the perception that the town is anything but dying!
Being a resident in Beaminster myself, how wonderful it was to be able to use what Fresh Brew does best and contribute to a wonderful campaign: Be a Local, Buy Local, Buy in Beaminster! Â Without any hope or agenda, the mission was purely to stand together in a time of challenge, relying on the expertise, abilities and skills that are so bountiful throughout the community, and build something that will continue for many years to come!
Keep an eye on our site… we’ll have an update on this soon!
We were recently invited to contribute to the Halloween edition of the Eat Balanced blog where they were looking to do a specific feature on healthy Halloween alternatives. We were honoured to be able to introduce an old South African favourite – Pumpkin Fritters – but with a healthy twist.
Below is the full version of the article written:
Since the moment I can remember, my mom has been a force in the kitchen. She has healed many a broken heart over a cup of tea and a slice of carrot cake, or resolved an argument with her peppermint crisp tart. She has worked late into the nights making sure my birthday cakes have been finished in time, and has single-handedly presented Parisian dinner-parties that Julia Child would be proud of.
So you would understand my love of food, and creating delicacies in the kitchen, as being an innate developmental process that I’ve learnt to love and appreciate.
I am a 33 year old South African, living and working in Dorset. Married to a wonderful Englishman, I revel in exploring the English countryside and the local producers of all things wonderful – cheeses, breads, wines, even Vodka – you would find it all in the South West. However, one thing you will also find, are the experimental aromas that sometimes lurk around the house – when I’m trying to recreate a traditional South African great, or try something new – without the guidance and assistance of my mom.
Pumpkin fritters are one of those things. Growing up in a healthy home meant that we all too often had to replace the naughtiness for suitable healthy alternatives – and as much as my siblings and I used to fight over the mixing bowl for mom’s amazing chocolate cake, the carrot cake that she produced for my 16th birthday, that was wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free , left most of my sugar-loving friends coming back for second helpings.
In South Africa, no traditional “reis, vleis en aartapels” meal (“rice, meat and potatoes”) is complete without a pot full of pumpkin that has been simmering away for a while. I can remember visiting my grandma’s house – she’d put on a meal that would have me thinking that 2 additional families would be joining us… and would have my grandfather snoring in his reclining chair while the kids had to keep themselves amused by playing pick-up sticks, or card games. Heaven-forbid anyone trying to pay the piano – they’d end up facing his wrath of an early snooze-wake up.
Pumpkin fritters – the food of the gods. Often made from leftover pumpkin, these were perfect for a rainy cold day – Mashed together with a bit of flour, bicarb, ground almond – to give it a nutty wholesomeness, some eggs to get them to stick together and a few other bits and pieces.
Looking at healthy alternatives, over time, the flour was replaced by gluten-free alternatives, honey instead of sugar, low-cal spray instead of oils and still continued to be the comfort memory of home that any foreigner abroad longs for.
As the clocks go back, and we prepare the garden for the icy winter ahead, it only makes sense to start a new week with an old faithful that is guaranteed to warm the cockles of your heart, give you a sense of home, regardless of where “home” is, and most of all provide a snacky delish without any guilt or regret!
What you’ll need:
Ingredients:
· 1 ½ cup of cooked pumpkin or squash
· 3 tablespoons of ground almonds
· 1.5 tablespoons of wheat-free flour
· ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
· Pinch of salt
· 2 eggs
· Low calorie cooking spray
· Cinnamon, honey, sweetener (for the toppings)
I’m usually quite forgiving with measurements – and cannot remember the last time I’ve actually used a measuring spoon correctly. I usually have an idea as to the consistency of “dough” that I’m looking for. Combining all ingredients in a kitchen mixer, except the toppings and the low-cal spray, get the stove on and a non-stick frying pan ready.
Spray a couple of squirts of the low calorie spray into the pan and allow to heat up. Every time I do this, I remember the time that my mom made the switch to non-stick sprays instead of butter to line the bread and cake pans – and the number of occasions that she’d flung the back door of the kitchen wide open as she’d realised she’d been slightly over zealous and needed immediate aeration!
So, yes, get the pan ready. When nice and hot, spoon dollops of the pumpkin mixture into the pan – making sure they’re not too thick. Leave for a few seconds – and when you see a few bubbles rising to the top, then remove the pan from the heat and leave it to rest for a few seconds. When ready, flip the fritter over and return to the heat until golden brown.
Put the kettle on in the meantime, and get your mug of your favourite favourite ready.
Enjoy the fritters to your own taste – whether you drizzle some honey over the top, or sweetener –be sure to sprinkle cinnamon generously for that special reminder of mulled wine, spicy biscuits and turkey roasts that lie ahead.
In a world that almost pushes us to conform and follow trends, and be where the action is, I’ve been paying rather close attention to some of the activity and behaviour on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn recently. Amongst all the usual Tweet trends and fads, RT this for a prize or Please help me spread the word etc etc (admittedly having followed the same trends and fads before), I almost become paranoid about the what to DO and the what NOT to do instructions. Caught up in the fan fair of ensuring you do things THIS way or THAT way, how refreshing it was to read a few articles that seem to have stuck out at me over the course of the past few weeks.