Donuts, doughnuts everywhere!

It’s Freedom Day today in SA, so we’ve had a lovely day relaxing and spending time with family. But more of that in next week’s update.

Last week, you’d think I just sat and ate donuts (or doughnuts, depending on your spelling preference) from the pics you’re about to see. I promise I did lots of other things in between…

Thursday, 19 April 2018: SheSays CT launch at Red & Yellow

Last Thursday, I attended the launch of SheSays Cape Town with my colleague Clarina after work. It’s the largest global network of females working in the creative industries. Click here if you missed my coverage!

Evening skies over Devil’s Peak.

Cloud-flecked sky as seen when looking towards the harbour from the Red & Yellow School rooftop.

Friday, 20 April 2018: Dunkin Donuts while working from home

I worked from home last Friday as had a huge amount of work to do before Sunday evening so decided to save time on the commute. My parents popped in with a sweet teatime treat – Dunkin Donuts! The heart held a raspberry jammy filling and the smiley face was filled with a chocolate mousse. Delicious!

Saturday, 21 April 2018: Father-in-Law’s 75th birthday braai

We started our weekend at Driftwood Cafe as we were conveniently having our car washed next door. See the coffee and weekend breakfast special minus toast as they were in the middle of a power cut, so this was all cooked on gas.

After a bit of weekend admin we stopped at The Daily Cafe in Big Bay’s Seaside Village for a mid-morning treat. See Husband’s con panna and my ‘waffle pop’ topped with caramel, banana and a cup of soft serve.

Father-in-Law held his official 75th birthday braai on Saturday afternoon, with various friends and extended family members in attendance. See the train-topped birthday cake and lots of smiles.

Bassie got lots of attention from her other Grampa and dad during the party.

Bertie was all tuckered out after entertaining everyone at his Grampa’s party by running around and greeting animals on the TV screen. He curled up on the couch and rested for a bit once we got home.

We see you, Bertie boy…

Sunday, 22 April 2018: Village Place breakfast, Milky Lane treat

We both had quite a bit of work to do so started off with a quick breakfast together at The Village Place Cafe last Sunday. See my vanilla cappuccino with heart-shaped biscuit, Husband’s mince, eggs and cheese on toast and my French toast with bacon, banana and nuts.

Once we were both done with work for the day we stopped in at the Milky Lane at Table Bay Mall for a quick Sunday afternoon treat. See my ‘Bubbles crunch Sunnydae’, very similar to the promo pic and looks and just what I needed. Husband had an ice-cream sandwich, not pictured.

Monday, 23 April 2018: Belated birthday cake at work

My colleague Juanita had been on leave for a few days to celebrate her birthday and spoiled us with cake in the office on her return. I had a slice of the ganache-y chocolate, it was delicious! The caramel and Black Forest disappeared before I could even think of trying a slice. I’ll be faster next time 😉

Tuesday, 24 April 2018: AfricArena media launch at InvestSA

Cape Town time, front and centre at the InvestSA one-stop shop.

Such a nice work environment at InvestSA – it’s a coworking space, so you’re encouraged to pop in if looking for government assistance with any aspect of your businesses!

I was there to cover the press conference for the second AfricArena tech startup pitching competition and conference, taking place in Cape Town later in the year following a brief ‘world tour’. My overviews will go up over the next few weeks, as it’s Africa Month on Bizcommunity.

Mum brought over delicious meatloaf with veggies for dins that evening. We ate up every last scrap!

Wednesday, 25 April 2018: Good Hope FM #donuttouchthatdial DJ line-up remix at Grand Life Cafe

It was time for even more donuts at Good Hope FM’s first trade media event in five years, their new DJ line-up reveal held at Grand Life Cafe at the V&A Waterfront on Thursday. Was a wonderfully sunny day with bright blue skies.

Oh you know, just hanging with the Good Hope FM DJs.

These vibrant purple flowers looked fake but were definitely the real deal. Also see the two ‘candy stations’ offering an assortment of red and blue sweeties.

Beautiful pink and red and orange cascading blooms.

There was a printing station so you could have your face printed on a donut if you so desired, and guests were free to sample as many as they liked. These were all absolutely amazing, glazed with caramel, chocolate, coffee and pretzels in all the right places.

Lovely sushi and fishy eats too, if you weren’t a fan of sweet things (who are these people?!)

This is what we came for – My Sugar created special donuts to go with each DJ’s personality.

I got to take home my favourite – the DJ Ready D. It had a peanut butter-choc ganache topping, nuts and a mild milk chocolate centre that oozed out when you bit into it. Delicious!

That’s all, folks! We hope you’re having a wonderful long weekend so far.

Autumn Risotto Pop-Up Experience at 95 Keerom and Gords’ visit

Last week was really busy and quite chilly but filled with happy, delicious moments, too…

Wednesday, 4 April 2018: Autumn Risotto Pop-Up Experience at 95 Keerom and Gords’ visit

I’d been invited to review the Autumn Risotto Pop-Up Experience at 95 Keerom on Wednesday afternoon, so of course I accepted the offer. Each bowl was delicious, especially accompanied by Steenberg Wines’ finest.

The food and the drink. Yes, I ate all this. Click through for details and full descriptions in my official review on Bizcommunity.

Gords, one of Husband’s oldest friends from our Joburg days, was in Cape Town on business on Wednesday so we jumped at the chance to see him at Husband’s parents’ house. See various happy moments below – yes, the doggies were there, too.

Husband’s Mum cooked up haggis, chilli con carne, potatoes and various veg in honour of Gords’ visit. See how thrilled Bertie was to greet Gords, also see my Mum with Bassie (my parents popped in for a quick visit, too).

Friday, 6 April 2018: Doggies warming themselves at the fire

The doggies warming themselves at the fire last Friday evening.

Sleepy sweethearts.

Precious little Bassie peeping out from under her blankie.

Saturday, 7 April 2018: Coffee-filled breakfast at The Daily

The Daily at Seaside Village in Big Bay had revamped its menu so we went for a quick taste. As it was first thing in the morning, we started with coffee! See various shots of Husband’s ‘con panna’ (espresso topped with cream) and my latte.

To eat we went with old favourites – toasted chicken mayo in white for me, eggs florentine for Husband. See shots of how they were served on the left and after we’d doctored them with sauces on the right.

After a fair deal of weekend admin we decided on an early dinner at The Orient in Eden on the Bay that evening. See various hand rolls, sashimi and maki consumed by Husband, and my cashew chicken dish bottom left.

Sunday, 8 April 2018: Coffee at Reload, breakfast at Tables at Nitida, liquid treats at Pakalolo

We were up earlier than necessary on Sunday so stopped for a fancy coffee treat first thing. The outside seating area at Reload in Parklands is inviting.

See my peppermint-chocolate latte and various weekend newspapers. Sunday morning bliss.

As we’d not seen them the day before, we met Husband’s parents at Tables at Nitida for breakfast. It’s such a pretty spot!

Love the mosaic tables at Tables (lol) – also see my Milo shake;, the general ‘bacon-eggs-mushrooms-tomato’ brekkie ordered by Husband’s parents; my brioche French toast with jar of scrumptious caramelised bananas and nuts; and Husband’s Italian-style chorizo-pepper-feta-spring onion open-faced omelette. No wonder their tagline is ‘For the love of food!’

Tables at Nitida always makes us feel welcome. “May all who enter as guests leave as friends.”

After we’d ‘left as friends’, we stopped in at Klein Rosboom for a look around. The entry table is just so pretty. Insert heart-eyes emoji.

Some of the lovely sights at Klein Roosboom. We found ‘die hang gat’, where you can sit in a swing chair while tasting wine. Such fun!

You can see us peeking into another of the tasting room ‘caves’ at Klein Roosboom in the mirror here.

Much later that afternoon, after lots of manual labour in the garden, we stopped in at Pakalolo on the beachfront for a liquid treat. It was a frosty Castle Light draught for Husband and raspberry virgin daquiri for me. Delicious!

You can just make out Husband behind my virgin raspberry daquiri here. Lol.

Ahh. That’s how you spend a Sunday afternoon. Sipping daquiris and staring at sea views.

Mum outdid herself with homemade gnocchi and a crunchy salad for lupper that eve.

Wednesday, 11 April 2018: Overcast fiery skies at night

Overcast sunset sky at night…

Thursday, 12 April 2018: ‘Feel better’ pastries from Trescatelli Bakery

Cloud-flecked sunrise sky in the morning.

There was a bus strike on Thursday and I wasn’t feeling 100% so worked from home that day. Day made when my parents popped in with delicious pastries! See huge mug of coffee with chocolate and vanilla-cream cannoli from Trescatelli Bakery here. Mmm.

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

Cloudy Cape Town skies and misty Chapman’s Peak

Hi everyone, we hope your Good Friday has been great! 🙂

Last weekend we took a misty trip along Chapman’s Peak drive for a change of scenery on the rather long trip to visit Brother-in-Law Spec in Fish Hoek…

Saturday, 24 March 2018: Extended family breakfast at On the Rocks, misty trip along Chapman’s Peak

Various non-Capetonian family members were visiting on Saturday so we met up for breakfast. Beautiful view of Table Mountain from On the Rocks, but the wind made it just a tad too chilly to eat outside.

Coffee and family, such a good way to start the weekend.

I had the French toast with berry coulis and ice cream; parents both had the Alaskan – scrambled eggs with salmon and mushrooms; Husband had the kassler breakfast. I even ate the strawberry slice once the rest of my plate was clean.

After a bit of weekend admin it was time to head to the other end of the Cape to see Husband’s family. It’s now R45 for a single car to travel along Chapman’s Peak drive, which we hadn’t done in ages so happily paid the price. We could just make out the sea from the scenery below.

You can just see the sea peeking through in the bottom right here. It was like something out of a horror movie!

The sea looked so inviting all along the coast, especially once it started raining gently. See various scenes of the resulting braai.

For dessert, braai cones! The marshamallow-chocolate-caramel filling melts on the fire – delicious.

There was still a chill in the air that eve so the doglets snuggled up on the couch.

Sunday, 25 March 2018: After-work dins at Moyo

Bassie had a sweet moment snuggling with her dad on Sunday morning, before he left for work.

Bertie was equally sweet, showing us various angles of his sleepy face.

Mmm, we had milktart as a treat that afternoon.

Sweet doggies again at their grandparents’ house that afternoon. So much love.

I just couldn’t get enough of the clouds this week! This was the view when we arrived at Eden on the Bay in Big Bay that evening, for dins at Moyo.

Teehee. I had a hazelnut latte and my face painted. Husband had a carafe of wine and we shared the pulled-lamb linguine, no pics as we had a ‘Lady and the Tramp’ fail. 😉

After dins the sky was still bright but the sun was leaving.

A surfer strolling along the sea sand.

Clouds, sea and sun.

Monday, 26 March 2018: Dins at Burgundy Bossa

The weather was lovely when we got home from work on Monday, so we dined at Bossa in Burgundy Estate. See my creme brulee shake and monkeygland burger with sweet potato fries (burgers are just R59 on Mondays) – also see Husband’s draught beer and pizza. Yum.

Wednesday, 28 March 2018: Streaky clouds at work, pink sky at night

See the streaky clouds from my office during the day and pink sky at home that night.

Thursday, 29 March 2018: Creative Mornings Cape Town at Friends of Design

On Thursday morning I attended the March 2018 version of the Creative Mornings Cape Town talk. Coverage will be on Bizcommunity next week!

Loved the decor at Friends of Design, so very student friendly – as are the coffee prices!

That’s all, folks! We hope you’re having a lovely Easter weekend, filled with chocolatey smiles.

Recommended by CapeTownInsider

Staycation 2017 cruffins, waffle specials and Halloween spiders

I took a few days off from work this week and soaked up some much-needed me-time…

Friday, 27 October 2017: Greek working lunch at Maria’s in Dunkley Square

I had a working-lunch meeting last Friday afternoon. We walked down to Maria’s in Dunkley Square – loved how the foam heart remained long after the coffee was gone. You can just see the slice of kataifi I ate, too.

Saturday, 28 October 2017: The Daily Cafe’s birthday special

Last weekend was the second birthday of The Daily Cafe in Big Bay’s Seaside Village. They treated customers to a birthday special – R70 for eggs benedict or florentine, along with a flute of orange juice or bubbly, and a cappuccino. It was a very good deal!

Orange-y scenes from our breakfast at The Daily.

The colours were blindingly bright at Eden on the Bay that afternoon!

We also did a few long-arm beach photos. Love the expressions on Husband’s face.

We treated ourselves to a late-lunch at Moyo at Eden. See Husband sipping his Long Island Ice Tea and his lamb shank linguine, as well as my dukka-spiced burger and pina colada.

We presented Bertie with his newest chew-toy as he’s a good dog. What a happy boy.

Sunday, 29 October 2017: Bread and Butter breakfast, ice creams at Eden on the Bay

We decided on breakfast at Bread and Butter on Sunday. I had a cappuccino while Husband had his customary Cola to begin…

Husband asked for his salmon eggs benedict on a plate as things slide off of the usual breadboard. Also see my bacon-banana flapjack/crumpet stack.

We stopped in at Eden again on Sunday, for an afternoon ice cream treat. My windswept hair should be a giveaway that this was not an easy task. Wind in hair, hair in ice cream. Oof. Lovely, though.

You also pose here with your ice cream, if you’re anything like me. Tis a sad size comparison.

Monday, 30 October 2017: Cruffins at Black Forest Cafe

Ahhh. Coffee. Book. Couch. Dogs. That’s how I spent the bulk of my Monday and Tuesday, relaxing and activating my brain’s ‘screensaver’ mode.

Little Bassie is just the cutest. Love that face! She’s showing off her balancing skills here, perched atop the back of the couch.

Mum and dad treated me to morning tea at the Black Forest Cafe, just up the street. The cappuccino was strong, the coffee shake chocolate-y, and the mood happy.

These are the cruffins (croissant + muffin) we chose from. Mmm.

Tuesday, 31 October 2017: Milky Lane waffles, W Cafe coffees, Halloween dins

If you’re ever at a loss for what to do on a Tuesday and have R36 standing by, take advantage of Milky Lane’s special – two plain waffles topped with ice cream blobs and all the syrups. For R36! We also shared a mint milkshake.

After a spot of window shopping we stopped at the W Cafe in Woolers for a coffee pick-me-up. I had a short vanilla-cinnamon while the parents had regular cappuccinos.

Mother-in-law loves a themed table, so invited us for dins on Tuesday evening. See various Halloween-y things.

The doggies were eager to get involved in all the food activities. See the marshmallow ‘spiders’ atop my jelly-mousse dessert.

Wednesday, 1 November 2017: Team lunch at La Bottega

After a morning of playing catch-up at my desk on all I’d missed from two days of leave, it was time for our department team lunch. We Ubered to La Bottega on Sir Lowry’s Road. That’s my Nutella-banana shake you see.

Milkshake up close, open views across Woodstock from the deck and my beef burger on sweet potato slice ‘bun’, with cheese and avo. Very yum!

We put Angie’s selfie stick to good use. This was about the best of the various attempts. Crying-with-laughter face.

Thursday, 2 November 2017: Office birthday cake and orchids

My lovely colleague Clarina brought in an assortment of cakes to celebrate her recent birthday. She does not look 40! And look at the fake orchid on my desk, with Angie’s real one just visible behind it. Office things.

That’s all, folks! I’ll show you the DIY project I also completed during my days off in next week’s blog post. 🙂

Ziplining at Acrobranch Constantia, Father’s Day flapjacks and high tea

What a busy week it’s been! In addition to Cannes Lions’ week of advertising awards kicking off with a bang, it was Father’s Day last weekend,  Husband’s turn to be Marvin again and last Friday was a public holiday so that meant doing five days of work in four – make that 3.25, as Thursday was also our office teambuilding day, which we spent swinging through the trees of Constantia. I’ll explain in pictures, so you can see exactly what I mean…

Thursday, 15 June 2017: Teambuilding at Acrobranch Constantia and Eagle’s Nest Wines

You really get a feel for the beautiful mountains and ancient trees of Constantia at Acrobranch. And while we didn’t rely on each other to complete the circuit in any way, it’s now a fun shared memory.

Some pre-circuit team jumping shots on the harness mat, the blue band shows we were doing the most complicated course (eep) and the medal-looking object in my hand in the orange-framed photo is actually the harness used for ziplining. We can pretend it’s a medal though.

Ha. I seem hesitant top left but persevered throughout (we didn’t touch solid ground for almost two hours after we started.) No wonder most of us were still complaining of stiff muscles and sore arms when we reconvened in the office on Monday. Sadly, this is the only proof I have of me ziplining. Some sections were much longer/higher off the ground/scarier than this!

Tummies rumbling from all that physical exertion we were more than ready for a late lunch at Eagle’s Nest, just up the road from Acrobranch. If you’ve never been, go go go! While the food menu is limited to platters and soups, they are truly amazing and worth every penny. Plus, gorgeous setting in the Constantia Valley hollow, surrounded by greenery and doggies and even heaters if you choose to sit outside – I’ll be back!

Friday, 16 June 2017: Youth Day French toast and Saint’s Winter menu

I’m not sure why I tend to think of Tables at Nitida in Durbanville when we want a late breakfast on a public holiday, but it’s yet to disappoint. A late breakfast it was as Husband got in from night shift at an hour most are getting up to start the day. We celebrated having some free time together with cappuccinos, the smoked salmon-cream cheese open omelette, the brioche French toast with bacon and caramelised banana and a soul-resetting view.

After a lazy day of napping we ventured out to Saint’s in Eden on the Bay to sample their new Winter menu. I ended up with their enormous serving of chili con carne-topped cheesy chips and Husband had the Comfortably Numb chicken burger with sides of sweet potato fries and salad.

All the food and drink fairly filled the table. That’s my empty latte mug and Husband’s non-ginny Rocknrolla Cola.

Perfect spot for viewing the sunset over the sea from Big Bay.

Taken just after sunset. I think we snap a similar photo each winter. You can see the pinky-red of my last-week hair quite clearly here. (If you’ve seen me since Sunday you’ll know this week it’s purple).

Saturday, 17 June 2017: Petiscos family brunch and Cannes Lions 2017 begins

My hair looks quite gingery red here but it’s just the lighting. We had time to pop out for a quick bite to eat before I’d need to take my seat in front of the laptop on Saturday morning. We got it all at our local Village Place Cafe – see my cappuccino with shortbread biscuit and the bacon eggs benedict we shared. Just right when you know you’re having a big lunch later. That’s just what happened…

Some Joburg rellies were down in Cape Town for a few days so mum arranged a family lunch at Petisco’s. I did a little bit of work right at the table. That’s my Lindt Flake shake top left, Dad’s full chicken a cafreal and mum’s peri-peri chicken xai xai (my favourite, but I order it lemon-herb to be safe). Also see skull of their own brand of hot sauce. I love it! (The bottle, not the sauce. It’s delicious but guarantees your tastebuds are singed for hours.)

Still chatting away after eating, you can see almost everyone left with takeaway boxes.

My in-laws were up in Joburg sorting out the last few house-sale items so we joined brother Spec for a braai later that evening – just the three of us (plus the doggies, of course). I was still so full from our Petiscos meal that I only ate what you see on the left – potato salad, pasta salad, a bacon-wrapped cherry skewer and garlic bread. Plus a third of the ‘caramel chocolate malva pudding’ you see on the right, because my dessert stomach was ready to roll. Teehee.

And so it begins… I marked the first late night of Cannes Lions week with this enormous mug of Milo. The tissue box is a permanent feature, am neither ill nor crying. Poor Husband has been very generous with hugs and hot drinks!

Sunday, 18 June 2017: Father’s Day breakfast at Stacked Diner, high tea at Mum’s

We fetched my parents bright and early on Sunday morning to treat them to Father’s Day breakfast at Stacked Diner. Dad ended up with the plain dog topped with gerkhins, Jalapenos and hot English mustard as well as a stack of blueberry flapjacks. Well-balanced tastes!

The rest of us ate the following: Banana caramel waffle top-left and bottom-right (me), the Parmesan French toast with ham top-right (Mum), and the hash brown stack with extra avo bottom left (Husband). Delicious!

Father’s Day ❤ Sadly I had to rush home after this to do still more urgent Cannes Lions work, but we saw dad again much later in the day, when Mum treated us to all sorts of delicious afternoon tea goodies instead of our usual lupper.

Mum whipped up ALL the goodies you see on the table, luckily brother Spec was invited to help us polish it off. See mini scone topped with jam and cream on the right. Yummy.

These pics were all taken in the space of an hour at Mum’s that evening. Pretty winter sky.

Work week coffee treats during all hours of Cannes Lions work

Two of my much-needed office treats during the week – warm croissant while unimpressed elk mug looks on (the jealous owlie mug was retired after it got chipped). And on the right, the lovely Angie who popped an unexpected coffee on my desk on Wednesday morning. Just what I needed to keep going this admin-intensive week!

That’s all, folks! Cannes Lions comes to an end on Saturday evening and Husband is working all of this coming weekend, so wish us luck!

Veggie garden reveal and food-and-wine flights at Catharina’s

It’s been a successful first week back at work and  part-time studies. That’s probably because we have a few exciting plans over the next few weekends to look forward to, and the thought of them keeps us going.

You’ll get to see those in due course, but for now you can scroll through how we marked the end of the festive season break. Key among those, Husband’s veggie garden reveal, as promised:

Tadaa! You can see the phases of progress here – first, beams went up above the veggie boxes he installed a while ago, then shade cloth was carefully stapled along to provide shade and wind protection. So far, so good!

The doggies ‘helped’ by watching the goings-on and offering advice (and suspicious looks).

Now, on with the daily highlights…

Thursday, 5 January 2017: Summery food-and-wine pairing flights

Our last Thursday of leave started with the early bird breakfast special at our local News Cafe.

I’d unknowingly picked just the right day for our review of the new summery food-and-wine pairings at Catharina’s in Steenberg Estate, one of our favourite wine farms. Just look at the sunny brightness! Click here for my official review and here for a reminder of our late-August version of this photo.

Decor at Catharina’s is classy and eye-catching. Note the reindeer that adorn that inside roof, along with the origami birdies I so enjoyed on our last visit; as well as the large ostrich eggs at the port decanters in the hotel lobby; and some of the rose bushes dotting the walkways.

We sat at a table much like this, hoping to spot the family of eagle owls that swoop around the old oak trees. Sadly they didn’t appear, but we still had a wonderful time.

Our pre- and post-pairing drinks – wonderfully chilled still water (bread board in the background), and a strong, flavoursome cappuccino. Colour me contented! (Don’t fret, am not sunburnt. The pinkness you see is from the sun reflecting through red umbrella).

The three ‘flights’ are beautifully explained in this menu – two savoury options and one sweet, each comprising a flute of bubbly, white and red with perfectly paired morsels.

I know the pic was hard to read, so luckily I took some photos. This was the first savoury flight. Everything positively popped with colour and flavour.

The second savoury flight: Same-same but different. And sadly I was so excited by the third flight – the sweet option – that I forgot to snap a pic of it. Luckily, there’s a professional pic of it in my review on Biz, along with detailed descriptions of all the wine and food. Click here to see it.

Friday, 6 January 2017: McPherson’s breakfast and Black Bull lupper

First thing on Friday we headed to McPherson’s for breakfast. I had a cappuccino and the club sandwich with wedges, Husband had a very filling wrap.

Following a day of staycation things we decided on an early dins at the Black Bull on Sandown Road to mark the end of the holiday (yes, there was still a weekend ahead before work kicked in, but you know what I mean). Husband opted for a draught, as he does.

I had a strawberry shake and the starter nachos you see in the middle – the top pic is how they arrived at the table, middle pic is once I’d had added all the side bits and bobs. Husband went for the pork bangers and mash. We’ll be back.

Saturday, 7 January 2017: Baconville breakfast and Bertie’s new chew-friend

If you wake up hungry on a Saturday, chances are you’ll decide on Baconville for breakfast. I went for the flapjacks topped with crispy, syrup-drenched bacon (mmm) while Husband had their Mexican-style ‘Hairy Biker’. Teehee. Both delightfully good.

All of Bertie’s former TV-viewing companions (stuffed toys that he’s unstuffed) were looking a little ratty so we snuck them into the bin and bought him a new monkey and doggie-that-looks-like-a-fox. The monkey is hiding in a cupboard until the doggie is ready to be discarded, too. Bassie remains very uninterested in all toys but gets lots of attention despite her sad face, promise.

Sunday, 8 January 2017: Breakfast, books and beachy ice-creams

For our ‘last breakfast before work’, Husband outdid himself with an exceptional (make that egg-ceptional, harhar) fry-up, included red pepper slices, properly cooked tomato and crispy bacon. Yum.

What better way to relax on a Sunday than by rereading a beloved book, and sipping on a Pina Colada-flavoured Krusher from KFC? No better way.

The beach at Big Bay, much later in the day. Just look at all the merrymakers, making their last bit of merry.

Despite it being so hot the sea was icy, so we contented ourselves with ice-cream cones from Met Eish at Eden on the Bay. Husband’s had caramel ripples and mine was plain chocolate, both with a hidden Flake.

That’s all, folks! I wish you a very happy weekend ahead. 🙂

*Disclaimer: Obviously our pairings at Catharina’s were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

Muizenberg delights and Gibson’s gourmet burgers & Freek shakes

It’s here, it’s here! 🙂 The end-of-year holidays are upon us, and we collected brother-in-law Spec from the airport this morning, so will have fun times with him well into 2017.

Until then, here’s our most recent batch of highlights…

Friday, 16 December 2016: Bar-One poppers at I Love Big Bay market

Last Friday was Day of Reconciliation, but Husband had to work. I had a lazy morning with the doggies then went with Mum and Dad to Eden on the Bay’s ‘I Love Big Bay’ market – usually held on the final Wednesday of the month, but a public-holiday Friday works, too. We tried various fresh and fried goods, like chilli bites and Bar-One ‘poppers’.

We also had some slightly healthier options, like a wholewheat shwarma with chilli, chicken and lots of veg.

Saturday, 17 December 2016: Muizenberg and Fish Hoek morning, Gibson’s burgers & shakes afternoon

We set off for Muizenberg first thing on Saturday, and were surprised to find a relatively empty beach.

Some of the lesser-known Muizenberg sights – colourful beach huts as usually seen in St James, and striking giraffe graffiti.

Of course we needed breakfast before further sightseeing. We stopped in at Empire Cafe and Husband opted for the ‘poached eggs on butternut rosti’ and I tried the bacon, lettuce, tomato or BLT croissant with balsamic glaze, both delicious.

Husband sat in front of the coffee machine but I’m the one who tried the cappuccino. Just perfect with the BLT croissant.

Bellies lined, we set off up the road to Fish Hoek. Husband swam in the sea right along the shark net, while I read in the shade.

Next stop was Boulders Beach, a little past Simon’s Town. We spotted lots of little penguins far down on the beach below but didn’t have time to go explore properly.

You can just see the penguins on the beach through the hollow in the trees.

By then it was lunchtime, and we had a date at Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers & Ribs at the V&A Waterfront. Husband gave Gibson’s own brand of craft beer a shot.

Just look at those choices! There are pages and pages to flip through, with over 40 burgers and 100 shakes to choose from. I went for the Governor burger, top left, and the peppermint caramel Freek shake, middle bottom. Both were huge and delicious.

Everything we sampled: A minty mojito, the Tex-mex burger with nachos and a baked potato, the cheesy Governor burger with sweet potato fries and the peppermint caramel Freek shake. Click here for my official review!

We were both so very full that the rest of the afternoon entailed spending quality time with the doggies.

Sunday, 18 December 2016: Bread & Butter breakfast, Sunningdale dog walkies

We started our Sunday at Bread & Butter. Husband had the salmon eggs benedict.

I had the ‘breakfast banana split’, filled with yoghurt, granola and berries.

We managed to fit in a quick beach visit early that afternoon.

We took the doggies’ walkies-gear along when we visited their grandparents later that afternoon. Bertie darted this way and that, exploring the bushes.

A few more snaps from the doggies’ walkies.

Lots of chicken and salad for lupper at Mum’s that eve.

And for dessert, a wonderfully fruity custard flan.

Monday, 19 to Thursday, 22 December 2016: Veggie gardening and final work week antics

Husband’s been doing quite a bit of gardening recently. See how his seedlings are taking off here…

He also built beautiful wooden planters for strawberries and tomatoes by taking apart a pallet. And the strawberry plants are already ripe! Nothing beats the taste of something from your own garden.

We had lots and lots of Christmas treats in the office this week.

The last work day of the year meant a braai for Husband and his colleagues at Clarion. See his lunch plate below the pic of him cheers-ing his colleague, and on the right my own ‘final work day’ lunch of chicken briyani, noodles and Coke.

That’s all, folks! We hope you have a wonderful Christmas week and that you have time to relax and recharge your batteries before 2017 kicks in.

*Disclaimer: Obviously our meals at Gibson’s were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.