Happy Halloween

With Halloween around the corner, we're having a fun day in the kitchen making these gorgeous Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes.

Ingredients (makes 22 cupcakes)
1 pumpkin (680 g)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup pecans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 x 200 g packages almond paste
Food colour -orange, brown and green

Cream cheese frosting

Method
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.  Line two muffin tins with paper liners.  Grate pumpkin in a food processor or on the large holes of a box grater (you should have about 2 1/2 cups). Transfer to a medium bowl, add pumpkin puree and pecans.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.  Pulse to combine.  With machine running, add oil and eggs; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed.  Add pumpkin mixture; pulse to combine.

Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake liner.  bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Make the marzipan pumpkins:  Tint two-thirds almond paste orange, adding food colour a dab at a time until desired colour is reached.  Tint a quarter of remaining paste brown and the rest green.  using a small rolling pin, roll out green almond paste about 1/8 thick; use a leaf cutter to cut out leaf shapes.  Roll brown into small ropes; cut and shape into stems.  Using the palm of your hand, shape orange paste into three-quarter-inch gloves.  Use a toothpick to poke holes in tops of pumpkins and to press creases from top to bottom.  Attach leaves and stems to tops with a bit of frosting.

Decorate cupcakes with frosting and marzipan pumpkins.  

What C3 Employees need to know about Employment Equity

What is the purpose of the Act?

The purpose of the Act is to remove unfair discrimination and to promote equity in the workplace.

How will it help workers and managers?

As a worker, the law will help remove discriminatory barriers of the apartheid past.  It will ensure access to training, new opportunities and promotion.

How can the Act prevent discrimination at work?

The law says that nobody may be discriminated against at work or when applying for a job.  Employers may not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religious belief, political opinion, language or HIV status.

The law also says that all employment policies and practices, such as recruitment procedures, advertising and selection criteria, job classification and grading, training and development, promotion, tranfer and disciplinary measure must not be discriminatory.

What happens if you are unfairly discriminated against in the workplace?

You should report the matter to your employer through the dispute procedure contained in C3's Employment Equity Plan.  In the unlikely event of a dispute arising, the following steps will be followed to resolve the dispute:

Step 1

Dispute to be raised with the current Employment Equity Official (Kerry Hedderwick) in writing, giving details of the nature of the dispute and the desired resolution.

The Employment Equity Official should attempt to resolve the dispute in a manner acceptable to all parties within 14 days of the details of the dispute being received.

Step 2

If the dispute remains unresolved, the Employment Equity Official must, as soon as possible, call a meeting of the Employment Equity Consultative Committee to attempt to resolve the dispute in a manner acceptable to all parties.

Step 3

If the dispute is still not resolved, it may be referred in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Equity Act.

For more information, refer to the Employment Equity Act 1998 poster in your place of work or visit the website of the Department of Labour at www.labour.gov.za  You can also contact the CCMA helpline at 086 161616 or the nearest office of the Department of Labour.

Braai Time

Add some fun to your Heritage Day with these fun additions to the braai!

Chilli Mielies

4 mielies

• 4 Tbsp butter, soft
• 2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
• 2 limes, halved
• salt and black pepper

1. Mix the butter with chillies.  Brush the mielies with the butter then put them onto a braai grid over medium-hot coals.

2. Allow to cook, turning every 5 minutes until the mielies are cooked through and have started to char.

3. To serve, squeeze the lime juice over the mielies and add the chopped chillies.

4. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper and servve with the remaining butter. Serve immediately.

Spring Sangria:

6 cups assorted fruits (pineapple, melon, naartjie, plums, pears, peaches etc.) sliced 

1 thumb of ginger, peeled and crushed

1 1/2 cups basil and mint leaves 

1/2 cup Cointreau (Orange Liqueur)

1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc

Juice 1 small lemon 

Lots of Ice

1.  In a large jug or bowl, place all the fruits, ginger and herbs in the jar.  

2.  Pour over the orange liqueur, wine and lemon juice.  Place in the fridge until ready to use. 

3.  Add ice just before serving.  

Fun at Work....Celebrating Casual Day!

How much Coffee is in your Coffee?

Mandela Day

Just a few pics of C3 trying to do their little bit in support of Madiba.  

The people we chose to feed with soup & bread rolls were so appreciative of the meal.  

Thanks so to all involved and for taking the time out of your day in honour of Madiba.  

How to make the perfect chocolate truffle

680g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
226g milk chocolate finely chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, scraped
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cocoa powder
(mixtures makes 117 truffles)

Directions
Line a 24cm rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap; set aside.
In a heatproof bowl, set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt 230g bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate together.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat; heat until cream just comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Let cream mixture cool; remove vanilla bean and discard.
Remove chocolate mixture from heat and add to cream mixture.  Using a spatula, mix together, starting from centre of the saucepan and working your way to the outer edges until mixture is emulsified.  Add butter and mix until well combined.  Pour mixture into prepared baking sheet, evenly spreading mixture with a spatula.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down gently on chocolate mixture to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Line the back of another 24cm baking sheet with parchment paper.  Uncover chocolate and invert onto parchment paper; remove plastic wrap.  Using a pizza cutter or sharp knive, cut chocolate into 3cm squares.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  Roll each square of chocolate between your hands to form a smooth ball.  Transfer chocolate balls to baking sheet; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Melt remaining 450g bittersweet chocolate in heatproof bowl,set over (but not touching) simmering water.  Place cocoa powder in a shallow dish.  Place some of the melted chocolate in the palm of your hand and roll chocolate ball in the melted chocolate to coat, then roll in cocoa powder.  Repeat process with remaining chocolate balls.  Transfer truffles to an airtight container.  Bring truffles to room temperature just before serving.