About

April 2014 – 2014 Eat Out Zonnebloem Best Local Food Blog of the Year

March 2013 – 2013 Eat Out DSTV Food Network Best Local Food Blog of the Year

January 2013 – Dinner Divas 1 Winner 2013 (Dinner Divas pitched 12 food bloggers against each other – SABC 2).

email: anelpot@telkomsa.net

I grew up with three elder brothers in a very small Free State town Wepener – there were no luxuries when it came to food, no restaurants or fancy bistros. We grew up on meat, rice and potatoes. But Sunday was cake day! People came to our house every Sunday after church to have some tea and cake – So my first memory of food and the kitchen started at the tender age of 8 when my mom told me I must bake a “dadelbrood” (date bread) for the next day. After that I had to do it every single Saturday. Later when I was 11 the ladies at the “kerkbasaar”(church fates) always asked me to taste the curry “right”. I had to stand on the chair lean over these “gasstofies” (gas stoves) and peep in the pots and shout out what they need to give me so we can “fix” the taste of the curry. And then I discovered zoo biscuits …

In 2012 … I was so depressed after my “Masterchef Rejection” episode (Made the Top 35), I started eating my favourite cookies – zoo biscuits – simply lots and lots of them! A few weeks later – still eating the cookies – I woke up one morning (12 th April 2012 to be exact) and decided enough is enough, I needed to write about food and so I started this blog… lifeisazoobiscuit.

Well, since then nothing has been the same. I have won the Dinner Divas Series 1 on national television and my blog has won the 2013 + 2014 Eat Out Best Local Food Blog of the Year award!! I am now writing the food page for the largest Afrikaans Sunday Newspaper and are freelancing for other magazines as well. Can you believe it? My heart has healed and the goddess of food has opened her arms to me. My life-is-a-zoo-biscuit … happy, colourful and full of joy and excitement.

Thank you!

Anél Potgieter

47 Responses »

Monica on November 24, 2016 at 10:50 am said:

Hallo daar,
Ek geniet jou artikel in die Rapport baie. Ek wou die resep hou vir die Cremora trifle maar tussen my en my man het dit in die asblik beland. Is daar ‘n kans dat jy dit vir my kan epos asb? Of laat weet my net as jy dit op jou webblad sit.
Sal dit baie waardeer.
Groete
Monica
anel potgieter on July 12, 2015 at 11:19 am said:

Ek het dit vir jou ge-epos. 🙂
Chris Mulder on August 28, 2014 at 10:46 am said:

Anel, jy het so ‘n paar maande gelede ‘n “scone” resep in die Rapport gehad (nie die “sprite” een nie). Dit is my vrou se gunsteling maar die koerant uitknipsel het ongelukkig verlore geraak. Kan jy ons dit dalk weer laat kry.
anel potgieter on May 26, 2014 at 3:40 am said:

Dankie Karen x
anel potgieter on May 26, 2014 at 3:39 am said:

Kry net n mooi koppie Christoph en jou vrou sal swymel 🙂
Christoph on May 23, 2014 at 9:23 pm said:

Hou baie van jou storie oor Kwela! Jou passie is aansteeklik. Baie geluk met jou sukses tot dusver en mag jy nog vele hê in toekoms. My vrou se grootste swakheid is melktert en ek gaan miljoene brownie points bymekaar maak met daai melktert in tee koppie en kaneel twirlies. Hoop dit gaan soos joune lyk
Christoph on May 23, 2014 at 9:22 pm said:

Hou baie van jou storie oor Kwela! Jou passie is aansteeklik. Baie geluk met jou sukses tot dusver en mag jy nog vele hê in toekoms. My vrou se grootste swakheid is melktert en ek gaan miljoene brownie points bymekaar maak met daai melktert in tee koppie en kaneel twirlies. Hoop dit gaan soos joune lyk
Karen Swiegers on May 22, 2014 at 2:48 pm said:

Ons is trots op jou !!!

Wepener se grondslag het baie sukses behaal!
anel potgieter on May 22, 2014 at 8:46 am said:

Dankie Sagie 🙂
anel potgieter on May 22, 2014 at 8:45 am said:

sent you an email
JOSEF STRAUSS on May 21, 2014 at 10:53 pm said:

Anel ek het die insetsel op kwela gesien dat jy die prys vir die beste blog gewen het. Baie geluk. Ek het nou vir die eerste keer na jou blog gekyk en is regtig verras en baie be-indruk met die blog. Gaan definitief van jou resepte gebruik om lekker slaai en andere te maak.

Sal jou blog dophou.
Ns.
My bynaam is Sagie al naam wat ek ken
Lexi Monzeglio on May 21, 2014 at 2:42 pm said:

Hi there! Is there any way I could contact you? I would like to talk to you about maybe doing a guest post… if you would be at all interested in that… 🙂
Diana Joffe on March 17, 2014 at 5:34 am said:

You are the BEST !!!
anel potgieter on March 14, 2014 at 8:42 am said:

Thanks Tjelanks! Great to hear from you x
Tjelanks on March 13, 2014 at 8:48 pm said:

Wow! Anel so happy for you my precious friend. You come a long way and always loved food and baking. Lovies Tjelanks
anel potgieter on March 11, 2014 at 3:59 pm said:

Hello Matt! I play with food not work with food 🙂
Matt on March 11, 2014 at 2:57 pm said:

Drooling for daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayzzzzz!!!! 😛
Why are you not catering for our opening? hmm?
anel potgieter on March 11, 2014 at 1:16 pm said:

Thank you Liandi! Thanks for popping in x
LiLi on March 11, 2014 at 12:05 pm said:

Love your extreme and different combination idea’s for Food Anel <3
anel potgieter on May 21, 2013 at 10:44 am said:

Thanks Verita!
Verita on May 21, 2013 at 10:40 am said:

I love your recipes…. and so easy…. Good luck for the future and yes I will keep using your blog.. 🙂
anel potgieter on May 18, 2013 at 1:58 pm said:

So goed om van jou te hoor. Ek het vir jou n epos gestuur 🙂
Anine Wessels Bleeker on May 17, 2013 at 5:34 pm said:

Liewe Anel…ek hoop jy onthou my uit laerskooldae??? My ma my vertel van jou en ek is so trots op jou!! Ek hoop jy sal nog hoogtes bereik en gaan defnitief jou resepte op die proef stel!! Groete…
anel potgieter on April 11, 2013 at 4:09 pm said:

Thank you so much!
Deborah Florentino on April 11, 2013 at 3:32 pm said:

Hello Anel,
Your blog is an absolute joy. Happy, happy days!
Warm regards,
Debs
anel potgieter on January 4, 2013 at 4:09 am said:

dankie Willa! jy is te dierbaar x
Ah,Willa! on December 24, 2012 at 2:30 pm said:

Hallo Anel

I’ve come to know about you via Dinner Divas – I think you are awesome!
Today I am quickly looking for a fun idea for something new to make for tomorrow – we don’t do the Christmas thing .. but thought since it is a holiday and we all are overworked and stress, will have a fun dinner!

I am a Potgieter too by birth and every time you girls cook, I hold thumbs that you come out tops!! Though all the Dinner Divas and Gentleman Rocks! You all have a lovely spirit!

Looking forward to next week to see who is no 1, but my vote is for YOU!

I write as Ah,Willa! but my real name is Willa (nee Potgieter) Truter 🙂
http://www.willa.co.za
lifeisazoobiscuit on October 5, 2012 at 8:41 am said:

Hi Usha
So glad you found me :-). Thank you for your lovely words. And thanks for the follow on facebook x
usha singh on October 4, 2012 at 3:20 pm said:

Hi Anel, (my head is hanging in shame as i write this message” till today i did not realize you had this blog–i aways just looked at what was on Food24. It is amazing and well done!!!
Susan Labuschagne on September 5, 2012 at 2:05 pm said:

Absolutely, we’d love to see you both. S
lifeisazoobiscuit on September 5, 2012 at 1:20 pm said:

Thanks Howard!
lifeisazoobiscuit on September 5, 2012 at 1:20 pm said:

What a surprise! Rick loved your message – so thank you for sending and thank you for the follow. We are going to Dublin in Dec – perhaps we can get together?
Love
A
Howard McCarthy on September 1, 2012 at 2:44 am said:

Great site
Susan Labuschagne on August 31, 2012 at 11:34 am said:

Hi Anel, As background I worked with Rick for a number of year’s at STWS. Just discovered your lovely food blog and have really enjoyed literally dipping into it this morning. Zoo biscuits are always on our SA grocery list (we now live in Dublin) – loved your story. I can’t wait to try your recipes and I was particularly interested to read about white peppers comeback. Best wishes and fond regards to Rick too. Susan
Salome on May 17, 2012 at 3:38 pm said:

You have my mouth watering and my feet are itchy to get up from my desk and rush over to the kitchen to get cooking!
lifeisazoobiscuit on May 3, 2012 at 6:04 pm said:

Thanks Tessa! Lovely meeting you too!! x
Girl With a Teacup on May 3, 2012 at 4:30 pm said:

Hello Anel 🙂
So lovely meeting you at lunch today!! And now that I know you are the lovely lady behind the ‘zoo biscuit blog’, I’ll be stopping by more regularly!!

All the best,
Tessa xxx
lifeisazoobiscuit on May 3, 2012 at 10:58 am said:

Dankie Nedine en Bertie! Lets Cook!
nedine en bertie blom on April 26, 2012 at 4:00 pm said:

Wow what an awesome blog!! I feel like cooking!!
Cathy Cooper on April 18, 2012 at 2:16 pm said:

Wonderful, somthing to look forward to and test drive, yum 🙂
lifeisazoobiscuit on April 13, 2012 at 8:13 am said:

Thanks Paula and Ang!
Angela Smith on April 12, 2012 at 9:17 pm said:

AWESOME stuff Anel <3
Paula Anne Van Heerden on April 12, 2012 at 3:07 pm said:

Love this Anel! Can’t wait for the weekly update!
lifeisazoobiscuit on April 12, 2012 at 11:59 am said:

Thanks Helen!
Helen May on April 12, 2012 at 11:54 am said:

Awesome Anel!! Look forward to more…
lifeisazoobiscuit on April 12, 2012 at 11:31 am said:

Its coming be patient! 🙂
Elton on April 12, 2012 at 11:25 am said:

What happened after you discovered Zoo Biscuits?

Anél Potgieter

loving food + travel my way

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