Laager Rooibos and its ambassadors, Lebo and Tebo Ndala, from With Love from the Twins, want to honour mother figures this Mother’s Day. Because Laager Rooibos understands that it takes a village to raise a child, and in South Africa, many children are raised by someone other than their biological mother.
Wandile Ngubane, Laager Brand Manager who was raised by his grandmother, commented: “In the times we’re living in, many mothers work full time or have to commute or live out for work. As a result, many children are raised by their gogos, aunties, or other significant women in their lives. These women take on the role of mother so unselfishly, often giving up their own freedom or financial security to raise these kids. We want to honour these unsung heroes this Mother’s Day and remind South Africans that ‘mother’ is a broad term that covers the many women that help raise us.”
Laager ambassadors and twin chefs, Lebo and Tebo Ndala, believe that they are the women they are today because of the central role their mother and grandmother played in their lives.
“Mother’s Day is a very special occasion in the Ndala household because we absolutely adore our mom!” said Lebo. “She’s the strongest, most intelligent person we know. She taught us everything she knows about cooking – we definitely got our love for the hospitality industry from her!”
Lebo and Tebo’s beloved gogo, Anna Ndala, affectionately known as ‘Koko’, has also played a significant role in their upbringing. Commenting on Koko’s influence growing up, Tebo said: “She’s very strict and has shaped the way we are today. She has instilled strong morals and values in both of us. She likes order, she’s a hard worker and expects us to work hard as well. She has taught us how to make traditional South African dishes and helped us stay rooted to our culture, no matter where we are.”
Laager Rooibos, together with Lebo and Tebo, are asking South Africans to share stories of the amazing mother figures in their life on Facebook or Instagram using the tag @LaagerRooibosTea with #ICallHerMother. Three stories will be selected and the mother figures being honoured will win a Laager Rooibos hamper to the value of R500 each, including a copy of Lebo and Tebo’s cookbook, ‘Food Stories’.
Lebo and Tebo are also encouraging the South Africa public to bake something for the special women in their lives on Mother’s Day to show them how much they are loved and appreciated.
Tebo commented: “When we were young, our mom taught us how to bake scones – a dish you’ll typically be served whenever you visit any home in the township. It’s one of our fondest memories of time spent in the kitchen with mom. On Mother’s Day, apart from buying our mom a thoughtful gift, we always spoil her which a home-cooked dish!”
LAAGER ROOIBOS BLUEBERRY SCONES WITH YOGHURT GLAZE
Ingredients:
· 4 cups (500g) cake flour
· ⅔ cups (150g) salted butter, chilled
· ¼ cup plus a Tbsp (70g) caster sugar
· 1 Tbsp baking powder
· 3 large eggs
· ⅔ cup (160g) buttermilk
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· 2 Laager Rooibos Teabags, keep the tea leaves and discard the bags
· 1 ⅓ cup (200g) frozen blueberries dusted in flour
Yoghurt Glaze:
· 1 cup (125g) icing sugar, sifted
· 1 tbsp double thick yoghurt
· Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tsp juice
Method (Makes 10):
1. Sift the dry ingredients together.
2. Grate in the cold butter and rub it into the dry ingredients to form a rough, shaggy mixture with large crumbs.
3. Combine the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and tea and whisk.
4. Cut the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a butter knife until the dough just comes together (don’t overwork it). It should be a rough uneven dough. Add the frozen blueberries then flatten the dough onto a lightly floured surface using your hands, then cut it into 5cm rounds using a cookie cutter or a glass.
5. Place on a lined baking tray then brush with a little milk and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (or 160 fan-forced) for 45 minutes or until golden.
6. For the glaze; whisk all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Once the scones are fully baked through, serve with the yoghurt glaze.
For more recipe ideas, follow @withlovefromthetwins and @LaagerRooibosTea on Facebook and Instagram.
