They came, they cooked and they stole our hearts. The Angela Day Kitchen recently had the privilege of hosting a group of children undergoing cancer treatment or in remission.
They baked and decorated cupcakes and mixed up a batch of bread dough to make pizza and bread rolls.
Angela Day team members Jenny Kay, Sasha Zambetti, Lesley Hamlyn and Chriselda Khatola gave them a hand.
Their fun day at the kitchen was arranged by the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation. (CHOC is an acronym for the Children’s Haematology Oncology Clinics.)
Some kids being treated at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto were thrilled at having a day out. Barence Kaiko, a cancer patient from Namibia who is staying at a CHOC home while receiving treatment, was excited at the prospect of cooking.
Chriselda Khatola gave Nqobile Mulenje, Nthabiseng Tsamai and Xolani Msibi detailed instructions on how to knead bread dough which they mastered in minutes.
Issy Leal, who was quite apprehensive when she arrived, teamed up with Jessica van den Berg and the two were firm friends by the end of the day, having divided their cupcake dough precisely so they would each get the same number of cupcakes.
Matthew Towell endeared himself to Jordene Barbosa by being so helpful and caring in the way he held the mixing bowl so she could stir with greater ease and being the perfect gentleman by carrying her goodies to the car at the end.
The children left the kitchen laden with goodies to share with their friends and family.
CHOC is, for the 13th time, the beneficiary of The Lifestyle Garden Design Show 2012 being held at the Lifestyle Garden Centre in Randpark Ridge, Randburg, where our kitchen is located.
The show, which is on until May 27, features the latest in garden design by the students of the Lifestyle College.
See their innovative ideas for your backyards, and raise money at the same time for the fight against child cancers.
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DID YOU KNOW?
* Between 500 and 600 children in SA are diagnosed with cancer each year.
* A further 500 children die in SA each year of cancer before it is diagnosed and treated.
* The good news is that if diagnosed early and treated correctly, the majority of children (65 to 70 percent) can be cured.
what to look for
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WARNING SIGNS
There are early warning signs. Seek medical help early for persistent symptoms (not all symptoms are cancer – the emphasis is on persistent or out of the ordinary).
* Be aware if you see a white spot, new eye squint, blindness or a bulging eyeball.
* If there is a lump in the abdomen and pelvis, head and neck, limbs, testes or glands.
* Unexplained fever for two weeks, loss of weight and appetite, pallor, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding.
* Aching bones, joints and back, and easy fractures.
* Neurological signs like change or deterioration in walking, balance, speech or behaviour, regression of milestones, early morning vomiting and/or headache for more than a week or an enlarging head.
For more info, visit www.choc.org.za
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TRY THE RECIPES THE KIDS DID
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CUPCAKES
Makes 18
125g butter
250ml castor sugar
2 eggs
500ml flour
7ml baking powder
150-180ml milk
Icing
125g butter
500ml sifted icing sugar
30-40ml milk
5ml vanilla
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk to form a thick dropping consistency.
Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin cups and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
Remove and cool on a wire rack. Spread with butter icing and decorate with assorted sweets.
ICING: Cream the butter until soft. Add the icing sugar and enough milk to make a spreadable consistency. Add vanilla.
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PIZZA
Makes 4-6
750ml flour
10ml salt
15ml sugar
10g sachet instant yeast
45ml olive oil
300-400ml warm water
125ml ready prepared tomato pasta sauce
250g grated mozzarella cheese
Toppings of your choice e.g. ham, pineapple, salami, mushrooms, peppers
Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the yeast and mix well.
Add the oil and enough water to make a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Knead well until smooth.
Put the dough into an oiled plastic bag and leave to rise for 20 minutes. Take the dough out of the bag and knead it gently for a minute.
Divide the dough into 4-6 portions and roll them out into a circle on a floured surface. Prick the bases with a fork to prevent them puffing up.
Spread each base with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Top with grated cheese.
Put your desired topping on and bake at 220°C for 5-10 minutes until the base is golden and the cheese is melted.