Rocomama’s waffles and jam jar cocktails at Boardhouse

This past week was quite a busy one workwise so we didn’t get out much, but we enjoyed all the small moments of joy…

Friday, 18 January 2019: McDonald’s with a difference

We stopped in at our nearest McDonald’s after work last Friday and were surprised to see the decor is completely different, with a fully automated order system. Not a yellow arch in sight!

And to drink, with my chilli cheese medium McMeal? An iced coffee, further adding to the unexpectedness of the experience.

Saturday, 19 January 2019: Rocomama’s waffles

It was a Bread & Butter breakfast for us on Saturday. See our flat white and mochachino respectively, as well as my single bacon eggs benedict and Husband’s trout omelette.

We decided on Rocomama’s for our Saturday afternoon treat. Seen here: My half portion ‘Cookies and Scream’ waffle, Husband’s Franken-smash burger with chilli-cheese fries, and his G-shake with shot of Jack Daniels’ Jack Fire. Yum!

The burgers and fries were top-notch as always, and the waffle delicious. This is the half-portion of ‘Cookies and Scream’, which I polished off after my burger and creme brulee shake.

Sunday, 20 January 2019: Greens breakfast, Boardhouse cocktails

See how we started our Sunday: my caramelised pear, pecan and marscapone flapjack stack, Husband’s spinach and mushroom benedict, my moccachino and his flat white.

Sunday morning means quality time with the doglets!

We used a 2-for-1 Entertainer voucher that afternoon, for cocktails at the Boardhouse. See our cranberry-rose mojo jam jars – one each – and some of the lovely decor. Sadly, we did have work the next day!

Bright, sunny decor inside Boardhouse in Table View. We sat inside as it was quite a windy day.

Mmm, malva pudding after lupper at Mum’s on Sunday evening.

Wednesday, 23 January 2019: Awarding work at work and sweet evening dogs

I received a certificate of jury participation from the global Epica Awards at work on Wednesday. These are for advertising work, and are judged by journalists in the marketing industry. I judged 531 of the 4020 entries last year! You don’t vote on your own country’s work, of course. Click here for an overview of the winners.

Our happy little ray of sunshine, Bertie on the couch that evening.

This precious child of mine.

That’s all, folks! We hope you have a happy weekend ahead 🙂

Entertainer app value in Table View with CTFM, Pink Olive and Doodles

Most of our eating out last weekend was due to the 2-for-1 vouchers offered by the Entertainer App – plus, the usual R495 registration fee is free if you’re using FNB’s Banking App and earn eBucks! See some of the treats we sampled below…

Thursday, 10 January 2019: Mid-week dins at Doodles

Last Thursday evening we had just downloaded the Entertainer app for free through the FNB banking app, so decided to try it out on a local dins. We used a ‘2-for-1 mains’ voucher at Doodles – so we paid for Husband’s linefish – the angelfish served with veggies and tartare sauce – while my Cajun chicken pizza was free. Also see Husband’s glass of red, as well as his Orange Fanta and my caramel shake. A very good dins!

Friday, 11 January 2019: Work-from-home treats

I worked from home last Friday, so treated myself to the following mid-morning snack – a cup of ‘cinnamon bun’-flavoured Hug in a Mug instant cappuccino, and a pack of Hot Fudge Sundae-flavoured Pop Tarts. Yum!

Saturday, 12 January 2019: Artideli breakfast, El Barrio cocktails, CTFM family dins

We breakfasted at Artideli in Melkbosstrand on Saturday morning. See Husband’s mince-and-egg-on-toast and my caramel- and banana-filled pancake. Not pictured – our Peacocks cappuccinos, as they were already finished. Not on Entertainer app.

Pretty clouds in the sky looking across from Blouberg to Table Mountain that afternoon.

We stopped in at El Barrio for our Saturday afternoon treat. We shared a portion of the jalapeno poppers, with the margarita el muerte for me and the pink mask cocktail (El Jimador, strawberries, coconut water and Malibu) for Husband. Not on Entertainer app. (Yet).

The margarita la muerte (death) with Olmeca black, blackberry liqueur, tamarind and black salt rim. Just look at it. Very tasty and top marks for presentation, but taste-wise I think the pineapple-habanero version I sampled the week before is the clear winner! Click here for a reminder.

After a brief nap at home, it was time for dins with Husband’s parents. See the view from our table at CTFM in Seaside Village, Big Bay, just before sunset.

Husband had the East Coast potjie, presented as such.

See my chicken schnitzel with chips and pepper sauce, one of our free meals for using the Entertainer app again.

Lol! None of us have our ‘photo faces’ ready for this photo.

Sun setting over the mountain as we finished our dins. Beautiful!

We only noticed the pretty lights strung up outside CTFM on our way out.

Sunday, 13 January 2019: Pink Olive breakfast, Village Place mini cakes

We used the Entertainer app again on Sunday, this time on a 2-for-1 breakfast voucher at the Pink Olive in Stark Ayres Nursery. See the pretty decor as well as one of our flat whites, my French toast with cream cheese, bananas and syrup (free, as it was the cheaper of the two meals we ordered) as well as Husband’s standard weekend breakfast: the egg- and mince-topped toast.

A sunflower-themed long table outside the Pink Olive, waiting for its party to arrive.

Husband standing ankle-deep in the sea that afternoon.

I barely even dipped my toes as the sea was so cold, but that ‘beachy smell’ was amazing!

Our Sunday afternoon treat was a shared red velvet cheesecake (mini cake) and coffee shake at Village Place Cafe. Not on Entertainer app.

Little Miss Bassie decided to travel in the backseat with her brother for a change, while on our way to her grandparents. She seemed in awe of his big, lolling tongue.

Mum made a sunny pineapple mousse for dessert after lupper on Sunday.

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

Diving into 2019: Candyfloss skies, sea swims and end-of-summer holiday margaritas

We’ve been back at work for a week already so it seems very long ago that we were living the last week of our Summer staycation, even though it was just last week. Of course it whizzed by in a blur of sunshine, sea swims and sunset-gazing…

Thursday, 3 January 2019: Reload Flamingo Vlei breakfast, afternoon at Blouberg beach

We met my parents for breakfast at the Reload in Flamingo Vlei last Thursday morning. See our various-sized flat whites, Dad’s basic breakfast, Husband’s ‘trim’ omelette, and the avo bagels Mum and I enjoyed.

That afternoon, we set up a shady spot with beach umbrella, towels and books, then Husband headed off for his sea swim. His dad joined us a little later to test the water, too.

Husband diving into the deep blue sea at Bloubergstrand.

Candyfloss-coloured sky that night.

Friday, 4 January 2019: Doggy beach walks, Wimpy breakfast, Saint’s treats 

It had been quite windy the past few days so we couldn’t do a doggy beach walk, as Bassie hates having sand blown into her eyes. Conditions looked good when we woke up on Friday so we set off for a nice long doggy beach walk first thing at Kreeftebaai. Success!

Husband and boy dog in and around the ocean.

Post-doggy beach walk we’d worked up quite an appetite. We’d not been to our local Wimpy in a while, so that’s where we breakfasted last Friday. See our coffees as well as Husband’s streaky bacon breakfast with extra cheese griller, and my breakfast waffle. Yes, we finished it all.

Treats later that afternoon – a coconutty Cafe Capri and ‘Devil Wears Black’ cocktail at Saint’s in Eden on the Bay, followed by a shared, crispy-based Nikita takeaway pizza from Portalia. Just right!

Saturday, 5 January 2019: End-of-holiday meal at El Barrio

We met Husband’s mum at McPherson’s on Saturday morning, as his dad was out cycling. My plate of toast, bacon and eggs bottom-right cost just R25!

Our full table of breakfast things.

We decided on EL Barrio at Eden on the Bay as the place we’d celebrate the end of a Summer holiday well spent. See my delicious pineapple-habanero margarita and Husband’s ‘Mexican flag’ shooters. Ole!

The food was delicious, too. See our taco bowls – the chicken for Husband, pork for me.

Sunday. 6 January 2019: Village Place breakfast, make your own chicken burgers

Sunday morning saw us having our last breakfast of the holiday, at Village Place Cafe in West Coast Village. See our flat whites as well as Husband’s eggy breakfast and my muesli jar.

We made our own chicken burgers for lupper at Mum’s that afternoon. Yum!

The sweet doglets in sleepy mode. Yes, that’s Bertie watching the Christopher Robin/Winnie the Pooh movie bottom-left. He loved it.

That’s all, folks! We hope you have a delicious weekend ahead 🙂

NOB burgers, Rocomama’s ribs and new year swims at Shark Bay

This past week has been wonderful as we’re over the ‘eat eat eat’ Christmas week of the annual December-January break, yet we still had lots of fun times before we start the new work year next week…

Thursday, 27 December 2018: Rocomama’s ribs and shakes

We started last Thursday at The Daily in Big Bay. Queues were long so we just had a coffee to start the day – the condensed milky ‘tin cup’ for me, with the now off-menu tasting tray for Husband.

And so, next stop was Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay for actual food – the three cinnamon-sugar pancakes at R20 for me, while Husband had the hashbrown-mushroom stack.

Following a quiet day of rest, we met my parents at the new cashless Rocomama’s in Parklands for an early dins that afternoon. See the order sheets, chilli-cheese fries, BBQ pork ribs and current specials.

Milkshake mouths! Mine was espresso, the boys each had a creme brulee, and Mum had a Sprite Zero instead.

Dessert much, much later that evening – a fruit-mince pie and coffee in reindeer mug.

Bassie thought the mince pie was for her. She had one of her Christmas biscuits instead.

Friday, 28 December 2018: Enormous burgers at the NOB, Tyger Falls waterfront

Various stages of home-cooked breakfast – French toast with bacon and coffee for me, full fry-up for Husband, and hopeful doglets as always.

We saw on Facebook that The NOB (No Ordinary Burger) of food truck fame has opened a permanent eatery at the Tyger Falls waterfront, so headed that way for last Friday’s lunch. See the enormous burgers and views. Hand for size.

We needed to walk off some of that food before making our way home. Luckily the Tyger Falls waterfront is beautiful and easy to walk all the way around. It’s also surrounded by birdies, like this duck on the pier.

Saturday, 29 December 2018: Breakfast toasties at Reload

Reload is a good breakfast choice as it’s close to home, surrounded by greenery and we enjoy their coffee.

Our Saturday breakfast at Reload in Parklands comprised a ‘bacon-egg-cheese toasty’ on brown and flat white each. Coke Zero and Tabasco sauce for Husband.

Bellies full, we spent quality time at home with the doglets last Saturday morning. Such cuties!

We needed long, cool drinks after completing the Woodbridge Island-Lagoon Beach and back walk on Saturday afternoon. See Husband’s Bloody Mary and my Key Lime Pie shake at the Beach Tavern.

Beautiful blue mountain and glassy sea rolling in, later that afternoon.

Sunday, 30 December 2018: Sea swims and summery lupper

Husband coming up for air during a rock pool explore after a home breakfast on Sunday morning.

Mum put together delicious summery plates for our Sunday lupper.

Monday, 31 December 2018: New Year’s Eve in Langebaan

We so enjoyed our swim at Shark Bay in Langebaan last Christmas that we did so again with Husband’s family these holidays.

Sea swimming! Shark Bay is a magical spot between the lagoon and the open sea, as you can walk out almost to the other end of the inlet before you’re beneath the ‘waves’. We had a wonderful morning splashing about.

One of the best things I saw in Shark Bay – this doggie calmly going out for a paddle with his family.

Swim done, we took a cool cruise through town in search of lunch.

Pearly’s is a popular spot but they had a table for us, so that’s where we lunched. See Husband’s Thai fish curry top-right, the butter-chicken special bottom-left and my coffee shake bottom-right.

Er’rybody eating at Pearly’s! See Husband with his Thai fish curry, Spec and Father-in-Law with the butter-chicken special, Mother-in-Law with her snoek quesidilla special and me with the toasted chicken, chips and coffee shake. Various beers and wines for the rest. We left for home soon after and had a quiet evening in, with the doggies.

Tuesday, 1 January 2019: Happy New Year!

Loved this on the wall of Seattle Coffee in Exclusive Books at Table Bay Mall, when we stopped in for Husband to have a New Year’s Day espresso con panna.

We spent the day easing into the new year with a family braai at home with my parents, and more quality time with Bassie and Bertie. It was a scorcher, so they were happy to cool down under the fans.

Wednesday, 2 January 2019: Rocomama’s burgers and chilli-cheese fries

We had breakfast at Woolworth’s W Cafe in Table Bay Mall on Wednesday. See Husband’s flat white, Coke Zero and chorizo bowl, as well as my honey-nut latte and cakey coconut loaf with espresso cream.

After some reading under the fan, we were ready for food again. We had so enjoyed our burgers at Rocomama’s the previous week that we were there again for an early dins on Wednesday, this week. Also see my Belgian chocolate shake and our shared portion of chilli-cheese fries. Yum!

That’s all, folks! We’ve had a lovely, lazy break and luckily there’s a full weekend to go before we hit the office. Here’s to a super successful 2019!