February is traditionally known as the month of love thanks to Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, which is celebrated annually on 14th February.  Valentine’s Day is said to have originated as a Christian feast day in honour of martyr Saint Valentine, however in more recent years it has become a commercial celebration of romance and love in many parts of the world, with exchanging of love tokens and gifts.

While Valentine’s Day is a day filled with excitement and romance for many, it can also be a day that many would rather skip – a reminder of failed relationships, hurts, unrequited love or unmet expectations. This Valentine’s Day, Laager Rooibos is celebrating love in all its forms as a reminder that, even in the absence of romantic love, love is all around us.

Whether it’s the love between parent and child, siblings, grandparent and grandchild, friends, neighbours or colleagues – love is worth celebrating in all its forms. To show how it’s done, South African twin chefs and Laager Rooibos ambassadors, @withlovefromthetwins Lebo and Tebo Ndala, have shared how significant their sisterly bond is in each of their lives.

When asked about whether their close connection started at a young age, Lebo commented: “We’ve always gotten along! We’ve always been very close because we were so shy so we’ve always been friends. It’s helped that we’ve always had the same interests and so working together and going through life’s journey together has just made us closer.”

Tebo agreed, saying that being twins meant there was always double the fun: “We figured out quickly that, when we got gifts or bought things, we would go for something different. That way, we would get to enjoy two experiences and have double the fun!”

Alongside their two younger siblings, these Mamelodi-born sisters were raised by their mother and grandmother, both of whom loved cooking. This was a love the family shared, and from experimenting with recipes at home, the twins eventually went on to establish their own catering company, With Love from the Twins.

Lebo said the sisters have managed to maintain a connection as business partners as well as family by catering to each other’s love languages: “That means lots of Laager Rooibos tea, restaurant dates, live matches, and self-care girly stuff! That’s how we truly bond.”

And, being identical twins means that there aren’t any secrets between the two – especially since they can open each other’s iPhones using biometric facial recognition!

Candice Sessions, Laager Rooibos Marketing Manager, said the twins’ strong bond and love for their family was a great example of what this month of love should be about: “While Valentine’s Day has traditionally focused on romantic love, love truly comes in many forms and each is worth celebrating. We’ve all been through a rough few years, and we need our loved ones now more than ever.”

Laager Rooibos competition

This Valentine’s Day, show your love for your friends, family, or partner in a way that’s special to you. This could be taking them out for a spontaneous meal, dropping off some homemade baked treats and their favourite tea, or simply a letter telling them how much you care.

Then enter yourself and your favourite person into the Laager Rooibos competition on the Laager Facebook or Instagram pages (@LaagerRooibosTea) or the twin’s social media pages (@Withlovefromthetwins) and stand a chance to win a great prize! This includes a fully kitted picnic basket, a grocery voucher valued at R1 000, and the Laager Rooibos range.

@withlovefromthetwins Laager Rooibos Recipes to Love!

Cranberry & Wild Cherry Rooibos Malibu Sunset

Ingredients:

• ½ Rooibos ice cubes (made using Laager Cranberry & Wild Cherry flavoured Laager Rooibos)
• ½ cup cranberry juice
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• ¼ cup Malibu coconut rum
• Grenadine, drizzled
• Maraschino cherries, for garnish
• Pomegranate rubies, for garnish

Method:

• To make ice cubes, brew your tea normally, cool it down completely and pouit r into ice cube moulds and freeze until ready to use.
• Add ice to the glass, add the juices and Malibu rum, and stir.
• Pour into glasses. Drizzle in the grenadine. Garnish.
• Serve immediately.

*Drink is intended for those who consume alcohol.

Rooibos-infused vanilla ice-cream

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup milk
• 5 Tbls Laager Rooibos loose tea leaves (cut open teabags and empty out leaves, discard bags)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup castor sugar
• 2 Tbls vanilla paste
• 2 cups cream

Method:

• In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil and turn off heat.
• Add the tea leaves and allow to infuse for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy, add the vanilla paste and beat till well combined.
• Add just one cup of the cooled milk tea to the egg mixture as well as the cream and briefly mix.
• Run mixture through an ice-cream maker according to instructions. IFf you don’t have an ice-cream maker, beat the cream until stiff, fold in the egg mixture and the milk. Make sure to not beat the air out.
• Pour mixture into a plastic freezer bowl and freeze for about 6-8 hours. Mix the ice-cream every 1 ½ hours.
• Enjoy!

For more competitions, as well as recipe ideas and health tips, follow @withlovefromthetwins and @LaagerRooibosTea on Facebook and Instagram.