Tuesday 15 December 2015

Tennis biscuits and custard


We can officially say that the year is coming to an end because I got my Christmas food. 

Growing up my grandmother would always buy Tennis Biscuits and Cold Drink. It was our dessert and we loved it, I mean who wouldn't love such beautiful food? I mean... 

Anyway I want to tell you about this beautiful food I was introduced to by Nontsikelelo Nkombisa when we used to stay together theeeeeeere very far. She bought custard and tennis biscuits and she has some. There I was obviously wanting some. She game me... I have never been so taken far by food. She spread the custard on the tennis biscuits and there we were licking our lips and fingers. 

Today, I bought some and had some and there I was trying not to cry because it was just too nostalgic. I missed uMantsikiza, I know she probably doesn't have anymore because I'm not near her. 

We had this once, but this was the best thing to ever bring us together. Ruru, thanks for introducing me to this nice thing. This will be my Christmas meal. 

Onwards and Upwards :) 

#TheBurntVeggie

Thursday 10 December 2015

Roy's Loaded Potatoes... 

I wish I could leave this post without anything else because Roy's loaded potatoes are indescribable. The taste, the look, the overall beauty. Oh goodness. 

Roy is a beautiful and bubbly lady I love with all my heart. No, not because she makes me good food but because she is very cool, I mean very cool. She made me a salad once, the simple gesture of food touching my mouth became an adventure I did not want to end. Well because this salad was too nice. Anyway, she then made loaded potatoes that had sun dried tomatoes, cheese and well halved, soft and un-mashed potatoes and these were heavenly. I had a foodgasm and a half when I had the first bite, please keep in mind that I said bite, imagine the whole plate of food. The plate was filled with other things but these loaded potatoes were the star of the meal. 

She keeps bringing some and each time I have them I just cannot believe that these are the same potatoes. The taste is always different. I love that, a lot. We fall in and out of love with food from time to time and to this day I can honestly say that I haven't fallen in love with any meal like I did with Roy's Loaded Potatoes. 

Upwards and Onwards :)

#TheBurntVeggie 

Monday 30 November 2015

21 days of Kelebration (The celebration of Kele)

*disclaimer: not about my struggles or triumphs of being a BurntVeggie just Kelebrations

Tomorrow, the 1st of December is not only the first day of December, it is the beginning of the most busiest and nicest months of the year after well last December. It is also the first day of my birthday month. This is not only my favourite month of the year but the only month I feel extra special and important. So I decided that this year I will have 21 days of Kelebration. It is essentially a celebration of Kelebogile. On this post I will be giving you some pointers on why I think Kelebogile should or could be Kelebrated.

Here are some of the reasons: 

  1. Kele. cares. for. everyone. 
  2. Kele is cool with everyone, even those she doesn't like. 
  3. Kele has an infectious laughter 
  4. Kele's presence fills a room with genuine and pure aura
  5. Kele is very spiritual and is unapologetic about it. 
  6. Kele is loud, proud and opinionated. 
  7. Kele is just who she is, Kele, no artificial modifications 
  8. Kele is a vegetarian living it large.

 Some ideas for my gifts... or rather the gifts I would appreciate for the 21 days of Kelebration are: 
  • Book voucher
  • New CD's ( genres; hip hop, house, dub and jazz)
  • New BLACK sneakers 
  • New dresses
  • New sandals
  • Hugs
  • Love
  • Muffins
  • Cake 
  • Macrons
  • Laughter

If you have more reasons why to celebrate Kele then feel free to share. Also feel free to surprise Kele with any gift you want to during this time. 

#21DaysofKelebration. 

Onwards and Upwards

#TheBurntVeggie 

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Braai season is upon us... Ahhh Damn!!!


So like braai season right? right! 

It is that time of the year where one will be invited to braais. I would give out a list of things people should get for from me, but then again I think people will want me to talk anyway but since some people might not invite me I will just write everything. 

These are a few things you will have to check before inviting a vegetarian for a braai:
  1. There are vegetarian burgers, sausages and other cool stuff like that please get some. You will afford it phela you got meat and we all know it is expensive. 
  2. No CROSS- CONTAMINATION please I don't want to see your fork stabbing my food. use two forks if necessary. 
  3. The less starch the better. Do not force me to eat pap and potato salad seriously now! I am a vegetarian not a starchitarian. 
  4. Please make sure that your omnivore friends do not even try to eat the food you prepared for the herbivores. 
  5. Oh and please make sure that no one wants me to be the centre of attention. I am a vegetarian not a reality TV show. The less the questions the better. No questions would be great but then again we live in South Africa and people are inquisitive.
  6. If all else fails, make me a sandwich! 
I have only listed five things but as we all know there are more. You need to now make sure that the ones I have mentioned are there for all the vegetarians including me at your braai. Do not worry I can make my own sandwich at your house. 

Onwards and Upwards. 

#TheBurntVeggie :)

Tuesday 17 November 2015

I am a Vegetarian living it Large


We often do things online and then when questioned we claim 'Freedom of Expression' when it is actually 'Hate Speech'. 

This post is not like any other. My last blog was about mindfulness and I was mindful of my language on this one.

I am sad or rather saddened by somethings on the internet. 

I am a FAT person who has been living with this size for 20 years. I have been through a lot growing up. I have been taunted by people my age, those younger than me, those waaaaaay older than me, those who know me and even those who don't. As a fat girl I was always a target for taunts and jokes. I was always supposed to act like I don't hear anything. You can imagine how sore that would be, walking into a room and always waiting for a group of people to chuckle.

You wait for someone to comment about your size, your clothes and how different you are. You become very conscious about your surroundings and the people there. No matter how hard you try to fake confidence you always have to get used to the fact that you are bigger and therefore a target for silly jokes. I recently watched a Youtube video- a poem about being Too Big by a girl who, like myself, knows how it feels to get this statement from people, how hard it is to pretend not to feel ashamed and hearing two voices, one good and the other bad, how you can be your own best friend and worst enemy.

I tried so hard not to cry during that time because I related with the poem. I then checked another one out and this one was about how we, fat people, are never seen as people with eating disorders. Both poems can be found on YouTube, namely Beck Cooper- Too Big and Alone in the bathroom. Beck Cooper is just too good for my soul.

Anyway... I wasn't planning to praise Beck, I planned to stop people from being rude to FAT people. Some people will be like "You need to hear it, I mean you eat everyday and you just don't want to hear the truth." Don't you think that we hear the truth a little too much sometimes that it has formed a hate spot in our minds? Don't you think that when we eat the food you claim we do everyday we fight ourselves? Don't you think that sometimes we just sit there and eat to sooth the pain you guys force us in to? You don't know now do you?

When I decided to go vegetarian. I was asked if I am doing this to lose weight. I always answered and still surprisingly answer that if I lose weight then that's a bonus however, I am not doing it because of the weight loss. I am doing because well I stopped loving meat.

I love my FAT self and will always say I am a VEGETARIAN living it LARGE!

Onwards and Upwards :)

#TheBurntVeggie



Thursday 12 November 2015


Coffee, Tea, Veggies, Smiles, Books, Mindfulness. My Life!!!

We rarely ever sit down and look at how cool our lives are, we just go through every motion like we are cars on the highway when there is no traffic. 

I recently saw that my life, since being a vegetarian, has been cool. Not only am I in touch with the earth, I am in tune with myself. I love how I grew into loving the effortlessness that life is. In my 21 years of life, I am not counting last year, I never thought that I would be this happy. 

The food I eat, the coffee and tea I drink, the books I read and the smiles I get make me realise that life is not as hard as people claim it to be. I found that with the items I have mentioned I can conquer the world. I have also found peace that is not awarded by material things, I found eternal peace. Though it is still a journey I still found peace, I learnt to live a mindful life, hence this realisation of how beautiful life is. 

I am honestly not gonna talk about my veggies but how my life is good since being a BURNT VEGGIE. You have to understand that some decisions will help you spiritually. I know I am being deep at this moment but I am just saying that being a vegetarian helps you in your journey to having a mindful life. 

I hope my observation helps you be as mindful as possible. 

Onwards and Upwards :) 

#TheBurntVeggie 

Tuesday 22 September 2015

The struggle to get good food is hard... for a vegetarian.


Some struggles are harder than others. Some struggles are the toughest, while some struggles do not even match up to the other struggles.

I know that I started on a sad note and this is because this very post is a sad one. It is about the struggle to find delicious vegetarian food, you didn’t cook yourself, at a reasonable price. And I am not talking about pizza or any other take away one can get anywhere. I am talking about a wholesome almost home-cooked meal that will keep you full until your next meal.

These very meals are not found around the affordable places. I don’t use the word cheap because it just sounds wrong. Anyway, so like the food I want to have, you know the wholesome meals are really hard to find because well, they are the gems of this lifetime. These very gems are not made with the same oil as the meat component, they are not stirred with the same fork that stirs the stews or meaty salad. These meals are not salads. No, they are not.

These meals are made like you made them or someone else in your family did. However, finding these meals is like finding a black person in Oranja. It is not possible. This is a real struggle for a Burnt veggie who is economically unstable (I am not broke, the finances are not coming in a stable manner). The Burnt Veggie would also love to have a wholesome meal that she doesn’t have to cook or pay a lot of money for.

Hope to see more safe, healthy, affordable and delicious food served everywhere. I don't want to be struggling. 

The struggle should come to an end. 

Onwards and Upwards

#BurntVeggie J

Wednesday 16 September 2015


You are a Meatless Monday fan? No sorry you are not a vegetarian!


This is a delayed post of my frustrations because of my fellow people in the country who feel it is good for them to not eat meat on Mondays.

These people are the ones who will tweet and inbox me as a vegetarian, not asking for advice but giving their three cents advice (I do not want to hurt their pretty little egos shame that’s why I said 3 cents). They will act like they know my struggle to find good food fit for my lifestyle. As a Burnt Veggie I always take offence because these people think they are vegetarians, yes, vegetarians imagine only on Mondays. Once a week. Four or five times a month. Imagine. I am in awe of their ambition shame.

I love everyone, even the meat eaters who mock vegetarians, however these Monday vegetarians (I am giving them a nice title shame they deserve it), deserve all the bit of hate I have in my body. They are irritating. EXTREMELY irritating to be honest.

I am not a rude person when people ask or give advice, however, these Monday vegetarians are the last people who I will ever take advice from. They still eat meat for six days a week. That’s 24 days a month. That's 288 days a year. (Yes I did the math... I had time on my hands.) 

Anyway, I have been a vegetarian for a year and a month. This could’ve been my celebratory post but as you know Monday vegetarians happened.

Onwards and Upwards

#BurntVeggie

Monday 27 July 2015

This month has been too busy and I have been neglecting this beautiful place I call home, the spot for my complaints and general good vibes. However, I am here and I will still post stories about being a vegetarian. 11 months in.

So before, we go too far. This weekend I went to bury someone who was my friend, my real friend (Our mothers did not know each other until we became friends). Like any other funeral, one has to eat and act like the food is delicious. So I stood in the queue and I took the food then said "Ha ke je dijo tsa ko masong (I don't eat funeral food.)" and I offered them to someone.

With some people, me saying I don't eat funeral food means I am afraid of a runny stomach (which happens from time to time). However, when I explained that I am a vegetarian the expressions on the faces of the people I told about my lifestyle were priceless. They asked the usual question "why are you vegetarian" and for the first time I heard someone ask me if there was a butchery at home so that my vegetarianism made sense to them. One said that my family did not cook meat well that's why I hated it so suddenly.

I am approaching my ONE year anniversary as a vegetarian and would love to hear different questions than what I am currently hearing. I love meeting new people and keeping in touch with some people however, I hate having to explain the reason for me being a Burnt Veggie. It is irritating.

Not only did this happen at the funeral, it normally happens where black people gather (I am not pulling a race card it is just truth). With white people, they just ask why and how long then it is back to normal conversation. With black people, you then become the topic of discussion and you are generally not the main topic but because you said something, they don’t think a black person could be they just sit there and discuss your choices.
 
I love being a Burnt Veggie and I enjoy every minute of it. Now we prepare for my anniversary, hope you are ready for the festivities.

Onwards and Upwards

#TheBurntVeggie :) 

Tuesday 23 June 2015

SPINACH and TIENG(SOUR PAP) are not the only things that I will eat. My mom needs to understand that there are other things that she can make me.


Just because I like these food items doesn’t mean that I only want to eat these items. Mamasto(as she is affectionately known) should understand that I am not a spinachetarian but a vegetarian which means I eat all the veggies, and I mean ALL.

A day without the tieng and spinach combination would be so awesome. I love spinach but I could go a week without it. My mom however makes it for me as I said I only want to eat it and nothing else. A few months ago, it was chips and mash now she found something new. 

Not that I dont appreciate what she makes for me but it would be so awesome if she did not make me the same meal every day. I love my mom more than anything in the world and I would do anything for her, she knows it too.

I just don’t want to eat the same meal every day. :)

Onwards and Upwards

#TheBurntVeggie

Monday 15 June 2015

The Burnt Veggie would like to say that the vegetarian journey has become fun and tough. I would also like to apologise for not posting... LIFE

I recently visited my neighbour, an old woman who is more of my second mother than she is my grandmother. She made the most beautiful piece of food that I have ever had in my life. It was so delicious that as I write this now I get the taste of it.

It had corn bits, red speckled beans and a bunch of aromatics and spices. I had a taste while she was making it and I was somewhat reluctant of eating it however, after it was ready, I wanted the pot... and I mean the whole pot right next to me with the spoon she used to stir the meal. I didn’t want to lose any flavour. I wanted everything.

My taste buds went on a journey that was so beautiful. They do not want to come back. Mama (as I call her) did not know that I am vegetarian until that day when she made this wonder meal. I told her that I loved it and would eat it all day, every day.

This meal made me realise that protein is everywhere and people can stop asking me if I get enough. I’d like to think that I am. Everyone thinks that meat has protein, well vegetables do too, some more than meat. Eat your Broccoli :). 

Onwards and Upwards


#TheBurntVeggie 

Friday 22 May 2015

Hi, I am Kelebogile and I am a Burnt Veggie.  


16th of August 2014. This is not just another date on the calendar. It is the day I decided I will be a vegetarian. No, I did not do it because I wanted to be special or I wanted to seem weird. My family, friends and the society always ask me questions and here is a list of those silly and weird ones:

1. Why are you a vegetarian? 


Well, this question is not the best question one can answer. I can't honestly say that I openly answer with a smile. I can't explain why I went vegetarian without sounding rude. You can’t just ask me out of the blue, anywhere why I am a Burnt Veggie. I am not going to be all nice and sweet if you ask it with an undermining tone. I promise you, you will hate me.

2. Are you sure meat is not for you? 

WOW!!! Do you think I would just wake up and decide to stop doing something because I just felt like that. Yes, meat is not for me. I do not like how it tastes and smells.

3.  How long has it been? 

Unless I somehow say it to you then you do not have a right to ask me. I will tell you if you and I have known each other or it is a magazine interview. Do not come to me after I announce or say that I am a Burnt Veggie and ask me how long it has been. Please for the goodness of heaven don't.

4.  So you just eat salad? 

Well, salad is part of my diet but this doesn’t mean it is the only thing I eat. I eat a selection of food and I am happy to say that I eat pizza alone, unless I am with Cas, Hlompho or Lehlohonolo. They eat my food. 

5. Do you want a taste of my burger? 

Is it vegetarian? No? Then leave me alone I don’t want your burger. 

6. Don't you miss eating meat? 

I did for the first week, not now. I will not say I won’t cook it for someone I just won't eat or taste it. 

7. Now I can't invite you to my party?

Shame man, unless you don’t want me there, then don’t invite me bruh. The Burnt Veggie will stay happy and healthy. But if you feel that I should be there, please make sure that there is vegetarian food. I want to eat and not be the one eating snacks to get full and all that.

The question every black person asks me...

8.  Are you a rasta? 

No. Nooit. Never Bruh!!!

And just for clarity, 

9. Why the Burnt Veggie? 

I am the Burnt Veggie because I am black and very proud to be a vegetarian.

Now that we have established some ground rules (yes, that was me telling you what not to ask me, or any other vegetarian unless stated otherwise in the Vegetarian constitution.) we can now go forward and have fun together, maybe I will convert a few of you. 


Onwards and Upwards. 

#TheBurntVeggie