Thanks for eating for the Earth folks

Allow us to share with you one of our favourite things. With the month of June safely tucked into the fold of 2014’s happy memories, we get to sit back and share all the beautiful moments and initiatives that occurred while you folks all joined in Eat for the Earth in support of Soil for Life. So, thanks again everyone – you really know how to give us the warm fuzzies. Here is a show and tell and some special shout outs.

The following four entries for this year’s Eat for the Earth all struck a chord with us and are therefore each getting a R500 voucher for their special efforts. Nicely done, friends.

1. For the biggest Eat for the Earth sit down

We received several really lovely entries, but this particular story had us literally covered in goosebumps with joy. Prinita Naidoo, originally from Durban, now living in Berlin found out about our Eat for the Earth initiative via a trail of community members here in SA. Missing home and feeling moved and patriotic by the purpose behind this endeavour, Prinita took on the impossible:

“I thought this idea was fabulous, I love Yuppiechef and I find the concept of helping people to help themselves as Soil for Life does amazing (way to set a great example to others). On Tuesday I sent an email out to the staff here at Affinitas where I work, explaining the idea. I thought, nobody knows me here, I hope 20 people come for lunch and registered my meal with 20 people and an aim of 100Euros on the Yuppiechef website. Low and behold, I got 20 responses within the first hour and by the end of the day I had 37 RSVPS and today I served lunch to 50 people!!!! I have never in my life cooked so much food EVER! Because I’m new in Berlin, I’m still sleeping on a friend’s sofa so cooking at ‘home’ was not an option, so I brought all my good South African spices (all the way from Münster) along with big potsand good knives etc, and cooked at work last night until about 9.45pm with the help of six colleagues who were super stars! Today the 7 of us served up vegetable briyani, dhal and raita like pros to what looked like 50 people, we didn’t do a head count. Together we raised a massive 400Euros!!! That’s about R5800! It’s been a stressful but absolutely worthwhile project, I felt extremely overwhelmed at the idea of cooking for 50 people, but knowing I was doing it for a great cause and had wonderful support helped. Our director David Khalil loved the initiative so much that he offered to pay for all the ingredients I used. I flew the South African flag very proudly today and I was so happy to be able to support your organization. Keep up the incredible work and know that you have a friend in Berlin!”

Amazing Prinita! Please pass on our broad smiles and fist bumps to all your colleagues who helped you put this together. Although we don’t ship to Berlin, we hope you can either spoil someone here in SA or buy yourself an online cooking course with your prize voucher.

2. For the most patriotic meal

Fay van Eeden also deserves a special hooray for turning Eat for the Earth into a massive celebration of our countries food heritage. Fay and her team set up nine tables each representing a province, with finger foods inherent to that province for sale. They raised a whopping R5000. Nicely done!

3. For the most creative crockery

We loved this story from Hlonipha Ngcobo, who decided to hold a bake sale at her college, Vega School of Brand Leadership in Durban, and even made recycled seed paper plates from used paper plates from the Vega staff to serve her tasty goodies on. Those who bought from her bake sale could then go plant their plates at home. Magic. Hlonipha, you really won us over with that one.

“Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to allow us to do that which we have never done before – I had butterflies in my stomach on and off the entire weekend of preparation, but it was indeed all worth it, and would definitely do it all again.”

4. For the loveliest foodie pics

We wanted to give a special mention to Gemma Bluff, who took some especially lovely photos of her Eat for the Earth meal. She cooked up some mushroom risotto with grilled zucchini, roasted figs wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with Camembert and raw mushrooms stuffed with pecan nut and mascarpone stuffed figs. Delicious sounding and delicious looking, Gemma. Well done.

Thanks to everyone else for eating for the Earth

A huge virtual high five to everyone else who partook in this year’s Eat for the Earth campaign to raise funds for Soil for Life. We can’t tell you how much it means to us, but more importantly to the folks at Soil for Life and to those who benefit from their hard work. You are all rockstars. Here’s to happy gatherings:

And to the delicious dinners, beautiful banquets and the inspiring themes you all pulled together:

All round a huge thank you to Prinita Naidoo, Hloni Ngcobo, Petro Meiring, Candice Bresler, Linda Beatty, Gemma Bluff, Tandy Sinclair, Louisa Erasmus, Fay van Eeden, Julia & Angela Hattingh, Vickey Gibson, Kate Leigh Strachan and Jo & Dave for sending us in your wonderful contributions as well as to the many others who registered, hosted and raised some dosh for Soil for Life.

A little something something from us is zooming off to each of you who sent in your lovely Eat for the Earth meals. Enjoy it! See you next year, folks.