Galliova Awards at De Grendel and Doodles’ sunset cocktails

Last week was a real scorcher, with the temperature over 30’C for most of the week – it’s like we skipped Spring this year!

Friday, 19 October 2018: Galliova Awards at De Grendel Estate

Last Friday, I attended the 29th Galliova Awards for SA food and health writers. The De Grendel venue is just gorgeous. See our welcome flutes of bubbly, me with SA foodie Dorah Sitole and the view across to Table Mountain.

Bright, sunny setting inside De Grendel.

Delicious snacks as we networked, before the main event.

This is what we were in for…

De Grendel proved itself worthy as venue for an award honouring food writers. See the cheese-filled starter, main course mushrooms and lamb, and strawberry sorbet with lemon dessert. Lip-smackingly good. Click here if you missed my full overview on Bizcommunity earlier in the week.

Saturday, 20 October 2018: Roasting rugby braai

We went to Village Place Cafe in West Coast Village for our Saturday morning breakfast. See our cappuccinos, my breakfast pot of granola, yoghurt and fruit, and Husband’s mince (and egg) on toast.

Husband needed to briefly pop in to work on Saturday morning, so I accompanied him. See him through the Jack Daniels bottle cut out, and various other interesting design things I saw in his office.

See Husband about to take his weekly dip in the sea and our afternoon treats at Doodles – a Castle Lite draught for Husband and the caramel shake for me – with blobs of Caramel Treat swirled throughout, it’s a real treat! 😉

Saturday afternoon meant braai time while watching the rugby at Husband’s parents. See the veggie sosatie sticks, homemade wors, pretty little flowers and doglets interested in the milk tart and chocolate mousse dessert.

Bassie was very amusing, while the 100-minute-plus rugby match unfolded on screen. See her slumped on the couch taking a nap on Uncle Spec’s lap, sitting with me as I sipped a Four Cousins’ Fiver strawberry-litchi cooler, and giving her dad the side-eye when he snapped a family pic outside at the braai.

Sunday, 21 October 2018: Trecastelli and Daily Cafe coffee treats

We kept things local with breakfast at Trecastelli in Marine Circle on Sunday. Husband had the cooked breakfast (still not on the menu) and I had the R40 cappuccino+custard croissant.

Pretty colour-changing light streamers and blue skies, as seen through the sun roof at Table Bay Mall.

We decided on tin cups (condensed milk coffees) and the coffee tasting tray at the Daily Cafe in Seaside Village for our Sunday afternoon treat.

Mum whipped up the perfect lupper for a hot day – cold roast chicken with salads, fruit and vegetables. It was just the thing!

Also see Mum’s very pretty fresh flowers, and the chocolate cake she baked – just because.

The precious doglets lay on and around the couches once we were back home that evening – anything to be closer to the ceiling fan!

Thursday, 25 October 2018: The Digital Agency Showcase at Red & Yellow School

On Thursday, Red & Yellow School held their first ever digital agency showcase, where we listened to insights from the country’s top six digital agencies (as per the IAB Bookmark Awards).

See me sitting with various industry friends over the course of the day – my first overview of one of the talks is live on Bizcommunity.

Wednesday, 24 October 2018: Sunset cocktails at Doodles

Beautiful view of Table Mountain across Table Bay on Wednesday evening.

We stopped in at Doodles after work on Wednesday, as cocktails were R38 each from 6pm to 8pm. See the setting sun, my Intergalactic Gargle Blaster and Husband’s Long Island Ice Tea.

That’s all, folks! Here’s to another sunny weekend…

Stunning sea sunsets, Saint’s burgers and hanging with Smile 90.4 FM

Streaked with clouds, pink pastels, fire ball orange – this past week I can’t believe the beautiful sunsets I’ve snapped, mostly near the sea. See for yourself below…

Saturday, 13 October 2018: Greens breakfast and sunset burgers from Saint’s

We started our Saturday with breakfast at Greens in Plattekloof Village with Husband’s parents. See our smiley faces and breakfasts.

See Husband’s Seaside haddock, hash brown and poached egg breakfast; his dad’s deluxe breakfast with beans, chips, bacon and mushrooms; my flapjacks with caramelised pear, pecan and marscapone cheese; and my coffee shake.

Spending quality time with the furkids later that afternoon.

We decided on Saint’s in Eden on the Bay for lupper as it’s one of the best spots (close to home) to sea-gaze. See my Cafe Capri – it’s a latte topped with chocolate and coconut, as well as Husband’s glass of red and Tom Yum shooter with chilli flakes on the rim, and our enormous burgers and sides.

Bellies full, it was almost time to catch the sunset. We posed all around the yellow National Geographic frame…

And then we hit the beach at ‘golden hour’ – I find the light to be just magical as sunset approaches. See how the mountain was outlined, and the sun as it set over the sea.

See folk on rocks with their dog in the distance.

Pretty girl, nibbling some leftovers.

Sunday, 14 October 2018: News Cafe breakfast and Pakololo sundowners

We popped into News Cafe in Marine Circle for an earlybird Sunday morning breakfast – we were there before 8am! See my cappuccino and earlybird English, as well as Husband’s ‘Mexican sunrise’ bowl.

The top row is lupper at Mum’s on Sunday – homemade bobotie with peach mousse dessert; while the bottom row is from dins at our house on Tuesday eve – Mum made meatballs, spicy rice and veg, while Dad captured the rainbow flower light in this coffee cup reflection.

Sundowners at Pakololo’s on the beachfront that evening. A Kahlua dom pedro for me, with a Bloody Mary for Husband.

Heart-eyes emoji for this pastel sunset, as captured in our back garden.

Wednesday, 17 October 2018: Smile 90.4FM new office meet and greet

I popped in to see Smile 90.4 FM’s new offices after work on Wednesday. They have gorgeous views across the CBD, with lots of greenery and lovely spaces to relax inside, too…

Hanging with the cool kids – I chatted to radio hosts Bobby, Bailey and Lindy from Smile FM, as well as Fatima from the Cape Town Ramadaan and Lifestyle Expo.

Another beautiful sunset, while passing Sunset Beach on my way home that evening.

That’s all, folks! May your weekend be filled with similarly beautiful sunsets. 🙂

Superette study buddy brownies and midweek sunset burgers at Jerry’s

This week, we got to see all the close Cape family members, as our Johannesburg friend Gords was in town on business…

Friday, 5 October 2018: Sunny office start

I started last Friday with a bright Smile 90.4FM mug of Douwe Egberts coffee in the office, yum.

Saturday, 6 October 2018: The Daily, Melkbos and El Barrio Springbok-viewing

A brand new branch of The Daily has opened in Melkbos, over looking the beachfront, so that’s where we headed for Saturday morning breakfast. See my condensed milk-topped tin cup coffee and ‘waffle pop’ topped with bananas and caramel, as well as Husband’s eggs Florentine.

View of Melkbos beachfront, from The Daily balcony.

Rugby-themed baked goods on display at our local Checkers when we did groceries that afternoon.

Husband had some 2-for-1 salmon sashimi from Best Asia Cape Town, the sushi restaurant in Bayside Mall for his early afternoon treat.

Scenes from our early Saturday evening dins at El Barrio – we watched the first-half of the Springboks-All Blacks rugby match and ate delicious taco bowls.

Husband had a glass of red, I tried the ‘Mexican coffee’ from the breakfast menu – Sierra Blanco, espresso, Kahlua and melted ice cream, with a cinnamon-rim.

Spending some quality time with the doglets that evening.

Sunday, 7 October 2018: Sleepy dogs and Pakalolo’s Bloody Mary

Various sleepy dogs as seen in and around the bedroom on Sunday morning.

We had breakfast at Village Place in West Coast Village on Sunday morning. I’d already had a coffee at home, so see my peanutbutter smoothie and Husband’s flat white.

To eat, Husband had the mince (and eggs) on toast, while I went for the banting flapjacks – the mix includes bananas, and they’re topped with berries and yoghurt. Yum!

Scenes from Husband having his customary weekend dip in the sea.

Husband looking pleased with his Bloody Mary at Pakalolo’s that afternoon.

Mum made a delicious potato-filled beef curry with rotis for lupper that evening.

Monday, 8 October 2018: Study buddy catch-up at Superette

After work on Monday, I caught up with my former study buddy from Red & Yellow School, Jaryd – he now runs Trusted Talent. We were thrilled to be at Superette in the Woodstock Exchange, as you can see.

It was super-hot that day so we were given chilled glasses of water with lemon. I also had a hot-cross-bun latte and we each ordered a chocolate brownie – see little lump of white chocolate inside, with berries and cream.

Wednesday, 10 October 2018: Ads24 event at Nasdak and family dins at Jerry’s

Gorgeous view from the ‘Nasdak’, where the Ads24 Food For Thought event was held on Wednesday. Click here and here if you’ve missed my coverage on Bizcommunity so far.

As the event was called ‘Food For Thought’, the food on display was a true delight! See the doughuts, asking to be topped or filled with the contents of the hanging tubes – padkos-nostalgia themed, with strawberry Steri-Stumpie, peanutbutter-and-jam, humbug, guava roll-cream or ‘biltong-and-Melrose’ to choose from. Also see superfood capsules and shakers to boost our morning coffee with cocoa, macha powder, turmeric, hemp seed or mushroom powder.

Gords was down from Joburg on business on Wednesday, so we gathered the family at Jerry’s on Marine Drive after work that eve.

We had booked a booth, so got to see the lights from Jerry’s reflecting out over the view of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head at sunset.

Group shot in front of the Jerry’s tattoo wallpaper before we left.

The doggies, caught napping together on the couch again that evening.

That’s all, folks! Have a relaxing weekend 🙂

Coffee French toast, Ayama wine farm and beach ice creams

Last weekend we finally felt that the seasons have changed in the Cape. We even went to the beach for ice cream! And while there have been a few very chilly days since then, today was a scorcher and this weekend is set to be sunny and bright…

Wednesday, 26 September 2018: Planting vines and sampling wines at Ayama Wines, Slent Farm

Last Wednesday, I was part of a media group to visit a wine farm run by Italians – my full review of the experience will be up on Bizcommunity next week. For now, look at the picture-postcard scenery on our way to Ayama Wines in the Voor Paardeberg region, through Paarl.

Soon enough, we were there. Ahh. You can just feel the peacefulness of the surroundings. There are 172 hectares in total, with the vines flown in from Italy and 95% of the output exported outside of SA, so no worries f you’ve not heard of Ayama Wines.

We took a tractor tour of the land – see the sweet family doggy trotting along behind us in the bottom left pic. Also see lillies growing wild and in pots, and the protective blue booties we wore, to keep our shoes clean and the soil uncontaminated.

See the new Ayama Wines tasting room, farm petrol pump and mill, some of the lovely eats we tried, and our take-home gift of artichoke (we also received a few bottles of wine, not pictured).

Friday, 28 September 2018: Creative Mornings event and end of #BI4Gov

My first stop last Friday – after a brief email check-in at the office – was taking part in a collaborative art experiment at the Creative Mornings Cape Town session for September, held at Friends of Design on Bree Street. Click here for my overview if you missed it.

Next stop, the CTICC for day two of the #BI4Gov Behavioural Insights conference. If you missed it, click through to my article based on a tea break chat with MC, Africa Melane.

Conference food at the CTICC is always welcome as it’s quite hunger-making work, frantically taking notes and chatting to people in the gaps.

Saturday, 29 September 2018: Coffee French toast, beach ice creams and family braais

For our ‘Yay, it’s the weekend’ breakfast, we went to Pulp Kitchen in Willowbridge Centre. See Husband’s Mexican chilli mince-filled ‘brekkie burrito’ topped with guac and salsa, our flat whites and the bicycle-themed decor.

For me, the coffee French toast with maple syrup and coffee cream. So yum!

Such lovely scenery, while riding through the Durbanville suburbs after breakfast.

Later that afternoon we went to Sea Breeze, the ice cream place next to Pakalolo on Blouberg beachfront, as they make the perfect beach ice cream. This time I asked for a sugar cone, with mixed choc and vanilla soft serve, and a Flake, of course.

Just as pretty in front of the spring flowers that cover the dunes! Delicious, too.

Saturday afternoon meant it was time for a braai at Husband’s parents’ house. See the fire, the meat, sweet Bassie grinning, and our large, fresh strawberries for dessert.

Sweet Bertie, all tuckered out on the couch that evening.

Sunday, 30 September 2018: Beach excursions in Melkbos and Blouberg

We decided on breakfast at The Hart in Melkbos on Sunday morning. I went for the single bacon benedict, Husband had the chorizo rosti and of course we each had a flat white, too.

Our breakfast table at The Hart.

Bellies full, we took ourselves for a little walk along the Melkbos beachfront. Husband went exploring for sea life out amongst the rocks, as he does, and showed me all sorts of mollusks and sea anemones.

Later that afternoon, we set up camp at Blouberg beachfront. It was our first proper beach day since the weather has perked up a little. See me holding up our beach umbrella – it decided to up and blow away while Husband was in the sea, so I had to chase after it and pin it down.

If you look closely, you’ll see Husband standing on the wall of rocks about in the middle of the ocean.

Mum made all sorts of lovely summery foods for lupper – these are just the salads and accompaniments to various sausages and rolls.

Mmm! And for dessert, we had both milktart and a chocolatey-lime mousse pudding. The doglets were Very Interested.

Tuesday, 2 October 2018: Delicious dins and drooling doglet

Mum outdid herself with a delicious gingery sweet-and-sour pork for lupper that evening, AND homemade Romany Cream-style biscuits! If you look closely at the picture of Bassie, you’ll see a bubble of drool. Teehee.

That’s all, folks! Enjoy the sunshine. 🙂