Level 4 Water Restrictions

If you are living in the Western Cape, you will know that the drought here is severe. In the spirit of a healthier environment, we all need to take water conservation more seriously and save even more water than we were saving before. The dam levels are at an all-time low and, while we are all waiting and wishing for rain, we must remember that even when it does start raining, it will take a long time for our dams to recover fully. We must continue to save water always, even when seeing the rain leads us to think that water is bountiful.

It doesn’t hurt to self-evaluate and see room for improvement. This is why we are pushing hard on water conservation. Every single drop that is being wasted or saved is making a difference to our dam levels, so let’s be as creative as possible to save water.

Level 4 restrictions will most probably be implemented on the 1st of June, and this is what they are:

ONLY 100 LITRES OF WATER WILL BE ALLOCATED PER PERSON PER DAY

This amounts to 4 large buckets that you will use for washing yourself, your clothes, drinking, cooking, washing your dishes and flushing your toilet. Say goodbye to bathing – it’s irresponsible to do that now. It is unwise to drink water from the tap now as it can cause you to get sick. People are turning to bottled water or boiling water for consumption.

ALL NON-ESSENTIAL USES OF MUNICIPAL WATER WILL BE BANNED

This means that you cannot use water to fill your swimming pool, wash your car, boat or other vehicles. You cannot water you garden and no new golf courses or sports fields may be built unless they are watered with non-potable water.
The level 3 restrictions allowed garden watering using a watering can for an hour on Tuesday and Saturday. However, if level 4 restrictions are passed, you will no longer be allowed this privilege. A city statement said to “use water only for drinking, cooking and essential washing”.

WE NEED TO LIMIT OURSELVES TO TWO-MINUTE SHOWERS

Showers use about 16 litres a minute. It’s time to speed up and streamline your washing routine. Not only will you save water, but also precious time for other therapeutic rituals. A great way to save water, is to shower the Navy way. Turn on the water, get wet, and turn the water off. Scrub down and then turn on the water to rinse.

OVERUSE OF MUNICIPAL WATER MAY RESULT IN FINES

The proposed fines for overuse must be approved by the council and Chief Magistrate, and they range between R1000 and R5000 for a spot fine.

SOME WATER SAVING TIPS

Collect grey water using a bucket from your washing machine, washing dishes, mopping the floor and showering in order to flush the toilet. Flush for faeces only or after a few urinations.
Divert your grey water into the garden and use biodegradable cleaning products. You can find an easy and effective way to do this in the May 2017 newsletter.
Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth and rinse your mouth and toothbrush in a small glass of water
Fix dripping taps
Turn off the water while lathering your hands
Always put full loads in the washing machine or dishwasher. It’s OK to wear clothes again. Wash what you really need to wash.
Collect rainwater: Collecting rainwater off your roof via the gutters can supply you with a large amount of water
Stop eating meat or reduce your intake
Showering for 2 minutes – We thought it would a great idea to give you a list of 2 minute songs to play while showering. When the song ends, your time is up. We suggest you make your own mixed CD to play while showering. Old songs tend to be shorter than more modern songs. By searching your music on your PC, select view by content and then sort them by length. It’s an easy way to find all the songs that are 2 minutes and shorter. You can listen to a new song each time you shower.
Blur – Song 2
Eddie Cochran – Summertime Blues
Elvis Presley – All Shook Up
Randy Newman – You’ve got a friend in me (Toy Story version)
David Bowie – Breaking Glass
Shirley Bassey – Big Spender
The Box Tops – The Letter
Tom Jones – It’s Not Unusual
The Beatles – From me to You
The Beach Boys – Surfin Safari
Joey Dee & The Starliters – Peppermint Twist
Frank Sinatra – Don’t Take Your Love From Me/ When You’re Smiling/ It All Depends On You/ My Blue Heaven/Almost Like Being In Love
The Black Keys – Yearnin
Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever
Bo Diddley – Crackin Up
Bill Withers – Aint No Sunshine When She’s Gone
Karen Zoid – Katherine Anne
Rodriguez – Forget It/HalfwayUp The Stairs
The Lumineers – Flowers In Your Hair
Buddy Holly – Dearest
Mumford & Sons – Babel
Bob Marley – No Water/Cheer Up/Soul Captive
Green Day – Brat
30 Seconds To Mars – 100 Suns
Clutch – One Eye Dollar/Animal Farm

Jun 2, 2017 by Aimee Hoppe

Newsletter, Product Information

Coconut Vinegar – What is so special about it?

Not only do we support a healthier planet, but also healthier inhabitants. That’s why we want you to know about this fantastic product.

Coconut Secret vinegar is made from the sap of coconut blossoms from trees that are grown in mineral rich volcanic soil along a coastline of a mineral rich ocean. This results in a product abundant in potassium, containing 192mg per tablespoon. Potassium is good for balancing electrolytes, regulating high blood pressure and metabolizing sugar. Other minerals present are iron, zinc, and calcium, as well as antioxidants. It also contains 17 health-promoting amino acids, including 9 essential amino acids which help build protein in the body, and 8 non-essential amino acids. These amino acids balance immune function, alleviate stomach problems, and aid digestion. In addition to this already impressive list of beneficial properties, it also contains broad-spectrum B vitamins, vitamin C, and a naturally occurring fructooligosaccharide. Fructoologosaccharides (FOS)are prebiotics that provide food for beneficial bacteria in the gut, and enhance magnesium and calcium absorption.

One of the most unique characteristics of coconut vinegar is that it forms its own mother culture as it naturally ages. This particular brand is aged for 8 months to a year and is an unheated, enzymatically alive product. Raw, unfiltered coconut vinegar is full of prebiotics and probiotics, making it extremely good for digestive health.

Compared to the taste of other vinegars, coconut vinegar is mild with a slightly sweet taste and no bitter aftertaste. It only makes sense to make your own salad dressing with this vinegar and benefit from the gifts of Mother Nature. Simply mix a little with olive oil and you have a basic dressing!

Unicorn Cafe newsletter subscribers will get a special discount when purchasing this product during the month of June. Coconut vinegar retails at R199, however if you respond to this newsletter with the word PROBIOTIC in the subject line, you can get your bottle for R179. This offer expires on the 1st of July 2017.

Jun 2, 2017 by Aimee Hoppe

Newsletter, Recipes

Nutty Buttermilk Rusks (Vegan)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

4 cups self raising flour
2½ cups of all bran cereal crushed
60ml mixed roasted nuts
10ml of sesame seeds
15ml of sunflower seeds
½ cup of pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup of raisins

Wet Ingredients

3 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon flax seeds (ground)
½ cup coconut oil melted
1 cup & 3 tablespoons of almond milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C
Line a small bread loaf tin with wax paper
Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl
Finely crush the bran flakes using your hands
Crush the mixed nuts in a bag using a rolling pin or something heavy
Mix in the bran flakes, nuts, seeds and the rest of the dry ingredients into the flour
Put the tablespoon of ground flax seeds into a small bowl and mix in the water. Stir well and leave for 5 minutes until it has thickened a bit
Measure out the almond milk and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside for a couple of minutes
Whisk together the flax mixture and the almond milk mixture with the melted coconut oil
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix well until fully combined
Put the mixture into the baking tin. It will be quite dry and you can push it down and even it out with your hands
Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutesUsing a large, sharp knife, carefully slice the dough into rectangles
Spread the rusks out on a larger baking tray, or two smaller trays, and return to the oven. Bake for 30 mins (checking regularly) until golden brown. If they’re browning too quickly, cover them with foil again. If they don’t look fully cooked, give them 10 more minutes. Then turn the oven right down to 50°C.

Leave the rusks to dry out for a minumum of 3 hours. You could also leave them in the oven overnight with the pilot light on.

Once finished drying out, remove the rusks from the oven
When the rusks are completely cool, store them in an airtight tin.

Jun 2, 2017 by Aimee Hoppe

Newsletter, Newsletter Introduction and Update

Unicorn Cafe Update June 2017

We hope you enjoyed our first newsletter! It’s with great pleasure that we are delivering the second one. We believe in a greener planet, a more sustainable way of living, and a harmonious approach to business. Through these beliefs, we hope to make a green lifestyle more easily attainable for you.

We’ve received a few enquires on whether our cafe is open yet, and we are as eager to create the space as you are to visit it. We are, however, adopting a prudent approach: we will open up when we are able to handle commercial rental rates without strain, so that when we open, we stay open.

During May, we’ve made dark chocolate available on the website. We have ordered in vegan marshmallows and we have some poetry CDs available. Click here to view our new products.

Camping and hiking are wonderful ways to spend time and energy. It’s a reminder of how beautiful nature can be without our buildings, roads, cars and traffic. The air is cleaner and the sounds of the birds and other wildlife put one’s mind in a state of serenity. Taking even a brief trip through the wild can feel like a real holiday, and we tend to overindulge a little bit on these adventures. One of the easiest breakfasts to pack (besides fruit or cereal) is rusks to dunk in your morning coffee or tea. Vegan rusks are hard to find, so we thought we would give you a rusk recipe. If you are looking for something healthier, you can find another recipe here

Jun 2, 2017 by Aimee Hoppe

Newsletter, Recommendations

Guerilla House

Guerrilla House holds workshops and facilitates spaces for volunteering and learning simultaneously. We have attended their workshops on low-tech mushroom growing and biodegradable soap making. They also offer workshops on permaculture, grey water systems, growing your own food and more. Their interactive approach to teaching makes the workshops fun and inspiring. We highly recommend them and you can find their Facebook page here

May 24, 2017 by Aimee Hoppe