Last week was an exceptionally busy one on the homefront as we had two visitors from Joburg: My aunty Jenny stayed with my parents for the week, while Gords stayed on our side of the property for a night, plus it was Mother’s Day…
Saturday, 11 May 2019: La Rocca breakfast, Petisco’s dins
We slept in quite late on Saturday as my One Show work only ended at 5am. First stop was La Rocca in Canal Walk for breakfast. See my tiramisu latte, toasted sandwich and chips drenched in hot prego sauce. Hubcap went for the rib egg benedict and a cream-topped cappuccino.Beautiful view across to Table Mountain from Blouberg beach that afternoon.On Saturday evening we went to Petisco’s for dins. They were completely fully booked but we were happy to eat at the bar. See Husband and Dad with their wine and catemba (wine + Coke) respectively, my coffee shake with Amarula, a well-peppered portion of chicken xai xai and the menfolk with their pre-meal Jagermeister shots.Sleepy doglets on the couch that evening.
Sunday, 12 May 2019: Mother’s Day breakfast at Village Place Cafe
We decided on Village Place in West Coast Village for Mother’s Day breakfast as it’s a fairly central meeting point for all except Spec, who drove through from Fish Hoek side to join us. See some of the lovely breakfast things we ate.Hubcapsicum with our mums.Proof that the others were all there, and see my dirty chai latte and low-carb banana-berry flapjack stack. Yum!Various snaps of Mother’s Day unfolding in Mum’s lounge that evening. Such sweet doglets.
Tuesday, 14 May 2019: Evening braai at home with all the parents, Aunty Jenny and Gords
Aunty Jenny arrived at my parents’ side of the house for the week (she’s just left, at the time of publishing this), while Gords headed over with Husband’s parents after work on Tuesday. T’was a simple braai of wors rolls and Mum’s legendary potato salad, with lots of laughs and our pretty coloured lights.More scenes from the braai. Was a lovely change of weeknight routine!Husband snapped everyone busy with post-braai coffee in our lounge that evening. I say ‘everyone’ but only my parents and I had coffee.Sweet little Bassie having a nap once Husband’s parents left and the others retired to their rooms.
Wednesday, 15 May 2019: Work-from-home treats
It was a treat to work from home on Wednesday, as I got to skip the commute and start from bed.Dad provided almond croissants as tea time treats from Limnos Bakery in Table Bay Mall when I worked from home on Wednesday.
Thursday, 16 May 2019: Digital Agency Showcase at Red & Yellow School
The sun was only just rising when I got off the MyCiti bus in Woodstock on Thursday morning.After a short stint in the office, I attended the second ever digital agency showcase at Red & Yellow School on Thursday, where work from some of SA’s top digital agencies was featured. Click here and here for my coverage so far.
That’s all, folks! We hope the weekend ahead is filled with all that makes you happy. 🙂
We’ve had many happy moments in our new home over the past week, as well as many lovely experiences out and about, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Thursday, 21 March 2019: Human Right’s Day movie and munchies
We slept in a little later than usual last Thursday, as it was the Human Right’s Day public holiday. Our tummies wanted feeding even though loadshedding had kicked in by then, so we made our way to our local Carlucci’s deli for my favourite combo – a dirty chai latte and almond croissant, while Husband had the salmon eggs benedict with a flat white.Next stop, the Captain Marvel movie at GrandWest Casino. It was packed but I found a quiet spot: The view from inside GrandWest Casino, looking out.There are new ‘Strike a Pose’ camera stations all around GrandWest, which take a few tries to get right, especially in terms of how far to stand from the camera booth. Lol!We were quite hungry by the time we got out of the movie, and exited only to find it was time for loadshedding at home. Luckily, Petisco’s in Parklands was fully operational on generator power so we could have our favourite chicken fillet xai-xai, with a pint of Super Bock beer for Husband (lol, he’s drinking a Super Bok in his Springboks tee) and a Lindt latte for me. Yum!The sky was having a pastel-magic moment over Table Mountain when we got home.
Friday, 22 March 2019: Chicken pie and fiery sunsets
Chicken pie, roast potatoes and veg for dinner at Mum’s.Gorgeous fiery sunset, as seen from home. Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight!
Saturday, 23 March 2019: Breakfast at The Hart Breadhouse
I just caught the sunrise from our kitchen window on Saturday morning. Also see the doggies exploring the front garden in sunshine.Melkbos was top of the list for Saturday morning excursion, and though they were being loadshed at the time, the queue outside The Hart Breadhouse wasn’t bad at all, and the food was delicious. See my banana-Nutella French toast, as well as Husband’s lip-smackingly good mackerel plate. Not seen: Our equally good coffees.Hubcap contemplating a swim in the deep blue sea. Table Mountain is to the left, this is a slight variation of the usual ‘Husband swimming in sea’ pic.We have lift-off! Here’s the one you were waiting for, Husband diving in for a refreshing dip.
Sunday, 24 March 2019: News Cafe breakfast and new balcony lights
We started our Sunday with super early errands at Willowbridge in Bellville, but first, coffee! See Husband’s flat white and my stirred honey-nut latte at Ou Meul.Our next stop was breakfast at our local News Cafe with Husband’s parents. We ordered before 10am so our the ‘full English’ was just R35, with Husband opting for the ‘chilli mince’ bowl and his mom trying the mint-apple super bowl.We had wors rolls topped with slap chips for lupper at Mum’s on Sunday afternoon.Husband finished his light work outside my parents’ balcony that evening, so beautiful – lots of twinkly purple and blue solar lights, so we can see where we are going even when there’s loadshedding.Various snaps of sleepy doggies taken over the last week.
That’s all, folks! See you in the same place, same time next week. 🙂
Last weekend we continued our ‘do something new’ mantra, going beyond just food to include Cape Town weekend activities over and above the expected beach visit…
Friday, 14 September 2018: End-of-week dins at Petiscos
We got the weekend started a little early by going out for dins at Petisco’s last Friday evening. We both had the chicken fillet xai-xai, while Husband opted for a glass of red and I went for the Lindt latte – you drop the chocolate discs into the coffee and drink the resulting hot mocha. Yum!
Saturday, 15 September 2018: Planetarium, museum and rugby
We decided on breakfast at Village Place Cafe on Saturday. See our various breakfast coffees, Husband had the salmon-and-egg rosti and I had a mini red-velvet cheesecake. Yum!Close-up of my mini red velvet-cheesecake at Village Place Cafe.And now, for something completely different, Husband suggested a visit to the Planetarium. It’s inside the Iziko SA Museum near Company’s Garden and we’d never been, so off we went! We attended the 1pm ‘The Sky Tonight’ show, which was wonderful.Your R60 Planetarium entry fee – R30 for pensioners and half-price on Heritage Day this coming Monday – means you can wander around the Iziko SA museum itself, too. We spent most of our time around dinosaur exhibits and the shark area, clearly.We also passed the ‘Arch for Arch’, built for Archbishop Desmond Tutu outside Company’s Garden.Next, we collected my parents and headed off to Theo Marais Park to watch Uni Mil’s next match later that afternoon.See the rugger folk on field and some of our snacks – lovely cheese-griller dogs on pretzel rolls, fresh hot chips with sauce and coffee out of my thermos. Was a wonderful 90-minutes of cheering on our winning team!Spending some quality time with my doglets later that evening.Love this look from Bassie as she snuggled on the couch under a blankie that evening. She looks smug and snug. Cue heart-eyes emoji.
Sunday, 16 September 2018: Bread & Butter eggs ben breakfasts
On Sunday, we breakfasted with Husband’s parents at Bread & Butter. We were thrilled to find they now offer half-portion benedicts, so each ordered this – except for Husband, who had a full Mexican eggs ben.Sweetheart Bertie patiently waiting to be let back in the house. He’d been out to run a few laps and soon discovered it was warmer – and drier – in than out.The view across Table Bay from Table View was just gorgeous that afternoon! Here are more of our beach visit photos for the week. See the pretty wild flowers blooming in the sand dunes, and Husband first contemplating then actually taking his dip (see if you can spot him in the pic below!)Gorgeous Table Bay.Later that afternoon, we stopped at Pakalolo’s on Marine Circle for an afternoon treat. See Husband’s pina colada and my raspberry daquiri.Precious doglets had a relaxing afternoon at their grandparents’ house that afternoon. Bertie napped in the sunshine and Bassie paid lots of attention to the humans’ treats.The ‘treats for humans’ I mentioned – cinnamon twists from Food Lover’s Market with coffee. Just the thing on a Sunday evening!
Tuesday, 18 September 2018: Mickey Mouse 90th birthday, sweet-and-sour pork
On Tuesday afternoon, I attended Disney Africa’s annual content showcase and Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday celebrations at the River Club. See my blackcurrant-scented temporary tattoo and lots of snacks fit for a mouse.Mum rustled up this delicious homemade sweet-and-sour pork with egg fried rice for dins that evening.Sweet doglets snuggled up together on the couch. They were soon under the blanket.
That’s all, folks! It’s Heritage Day on Monday so we are more than ready for a relaxing long weekend. Chat soon! 🙂
Last weekend was another sunny one, as you’ll see from the short sleeves in the pics below…
Wednesday, 18 July 2018: Unboxing diversity with Kantar Millward Brown
I attended an interesting morning presentation on ‘Unboxing stereotypes in advertising’ at Kantar Millward Brown’s offices on the Foreshore on Mandela Day. Make sure you read my overview if you missed it.
Friday, 20 July 2018: Joining the Tribe Coffee early birds, Wikimania Cape Sun conferencing
Last Friday I walked across the road to Tribe Coffee Roasters the moment I had put my bag at my desk, as a colleague told me about their earlybird special – any coffee ordered before 9am is R15. My large flat white was delicious and worked a charm!Later that morning I attended the Wikimania conference press briefing, on the 32nd floor of the Cape Sun Hotel, only to bump into my cousin Luke, who is a reporter for the Weekend Argus. Read my coverage of the event if you missed it.Almost birds-eye view of the Cape Town CBD hugged by Table Mountain on our way down the lift, once the event was over.
Saturday, 21 July 2018: Flapjacks and doughnuts at Table Bay Mall, Portuguese chicken Petiscos dins
Husband had to work on Saturday so we grabbed a quick breakfast together at Table Bay Mall’s Mugg & Bean before parting ways for the day. See my cappuccino with chocolate biscuit and stack of choc-chip flapjacks. Husband had a ‘serious cappuccino’ and the bacon and egg on toast.Soon after Husband left for the office, my parents arrived at the Mall – just in time for a teatime treat! See Mum and me mid-laugh with our chai lattes at Dunkin Donuts.Dad’s treat of cappuccino and doughnut topped with white frosting and sprinkles.The doglets were most curious about my leftover flapjack later that afternoon.We decided on Petiscos for dins that evening as we both adore their chicken fillet xai xai. I also had a Lindt choc flake shake, while Husband had a glass of the house red.
Sunday, 22 July 2018: Jason Bakery brekkie and spotting the Red Devil steam train
We woke to ‘road trip weather’ on Sunday, so off to Jason Bakery Bardough in Green Point we went. See the skull made of corks; dark charcoal-looking rolls; white chocolate, raspberry and almond croissants; and my flat white.See the interesting decor, pigs-ear type biscuit that accompanies the coffee and Husband’s rocket, mushroom, bacon, egg and cheese-filled ‘breakfast toastie’.Beautiful coastline on the winding route home!We stopped along the way to peer over the edge at the crashing waves below.We were in the Kloof Nek side of Cape Town that afternoon so stopped in for a very brief walk around one of the walking trails. It’s so green and gorgeous.Husband exploring Roundhouse, at the bottom edge of the walk we were on. Lovely hint of the sea in the distance.Eagle-eyed Husband noticed the Red Devil was on the train tracks in the Cape Town harbour when we passed, so of course we took a detour to have a closer look.Proof that it really is the Red Devil and not just any random red steam train.Husband had a dunk in the sea slightly further up the coast from his usual spot that afternoon.
Thursday, 26 July 2018: Sunrise in Woodstock
We left for work a little earlier than usual on Thursday so the sun was just beginning to rise when I reached the Woodstock MyCiti station.
That’s all, folks! Gasp, have just realised that while I glugged down copious cups of coffee, there was a severe lack of milkshakes on the menu. Just one! I will have to make amends 😉 May your weekend be restful and restorative.
T’was the Freedom Day long weekend in SA last weekend, so we had time to fit in lots of fun moments.
We were also lucky enough to be reviewing a mini version of the winter lifestyle package at Clos Malverne in Stellenbosch, so this week’s post is jampacked with mouth-watering food and breathtaking views. See for yourself…
Friday, 27 April 2018: Go-karting at Century Karting
We had a later-than-usual breakfast brunch on Friday as didn’t have to get up with an alarm. See my chai latte and enormous croissant with bacon, brie and blueberries, as well as side salad. Husband had the mince on toast topped with an egg. All this at the Foodlover’s Market on Sandown.Husband had spotted the Century Karting track when we made a miss-turn in the parking lot of Canal Walk, and as keen to give it ago with his dad, brother and father-in-law. They went zooming around the track so fast that the bottom right blurred pic is about the clearest ‘action shot’ I managed to snap.Team photo of the proud racers. The sons had more aches and pains the following day than the dads.We also spent some quality time with the puppers that eve. They’re such sweeties.We dined at Petisco’s with brother-in-law Spec that evening. Their creamy chicken xai-xai fillet is amazing!Pink sunset from the balcony at Petisco’s that evening.
Saturday, 28 April 2018: Massage, four-course lunch and ice-cream wine pairing at Clos Malverne
We had a quick earlybird breakfast with Spec at News Cafe first thing on Saturday, then it was time to set off for our grand adventure…Such pretty scenery on the road to Clos Malverne in Devon Valley, Stellenbosch.Blue skies, check. Green valleys, check. Chirpy birdsong, check. Before we knew it, we were at Clos Malverne in Stellenbosch’s Devon Valley.Our first stop – the spa! We were treated to back, neck and shoulder massages, as well as time in the steam room to unwind. There were Ferrero Rochers awaiting us on the massage table pillows. Such a lovely start.Feeling relaxed after our massages, we were ready for the four-course lunch that lay ahead. But first, where to sit? So many appealing options at the Clos Malverne restaurant…The bright, happy painting in the restaurant was so fitting for the Freedom Day long weekend in South Africa.We sat in a corner of the sun-dappled balcony with panoramic views of the vines and valley ahead.This is why it’s called a ‘meal with a view’ at Clos Malverne. See my starter butternut-goat’s cheese arancini and Husband’s half-shell mussells in Thai curry broth.Mmm. See Husband’s fillet steak topped with asparagus spears and springbok samosas on top, with my bacon-wrapped chicken fillet and pork belly below. Such beautiful plating, with tastes to match!Loved the mini apple rolled in poppyseeds that accompanied my pork belly (it tasted of pear). Also see our desserts – the ‘savoury sweet’ on top is a butternut-chilli-caramel cheesecake, with the ‘white dark chocolate’ mousse below.If you thought we would be full by then, you obviously haven’t heard of Clos Malverne’s ice cream-wine pairing. This is not part of the lifestyle package but definitely worth booking as part of your stay. Flavours range from the ‘lemongrass, chilli and litchi’ as paired with a flute of MCC to the orange, ‘gluhwein and star-anise’, paired with a sweet dessert wine. Full descriptions to follow on Bizcommunity!Next stop, nap time. The rooms are named after wine varietals, with views of the valley and amazing pool. Husband was clearly amused at the wonderful simplicity of the TV remote!Look. At. That. Pool! But it was too pretty to just lounge around and look at, despite the icy water…Proof of our pool time. We lounged beside it and also had a quick dip – t’was super chilly!A slight variation of our usual ‘gowns in luxurious spaces’ photo. These were super soft and fluffy.‘Clos’ means ‘walled vineyard’ and the vines sure are well protected on the farm. We went for a walk as desk set in and marvelled at the beauty of the setting sun over the mountains. See the rising moon in the last picture.
Sunday, 29 April 2018: Elevenses at Helena’s, Root 44 Market and the Stellenbosch Flying Club
This looks like a very good Sunday morning to me. See the sunrise, coffee on the balcony, fruit parfaits left in the fridge for our in-room breakfast, and fluffy brown cows grazing in the adjacent field. Then it was time to leave.We took the long road home, with quite a few stops along the way as the typical Cape country scenery is all the more beautiful in the heart of Stellenbosch.That included an explore of the sides of Stellenbosch we’d not yet seen, like this giant wheel.Helena’s Restaurant in the Coopmanhuijs Boutique Hotel was so charming that we had to stop in for ‘elevenses’ or second breakfast – just a cappuccino for me, while Husband had the salmon eggs benedict. Delicious.If you’re in Stellenbosch on a Sunday morning, chances are you’ll end up at the Root 44 Market, drooling over various crafts and foods. These looked amazing! Colourful confections at the market.A corn dog for everyone, no matter your tastes.The Stellenbosch Flying Club was our very last stop on our way out of town for a look around at the planes.
That’s all, folks! Click here for my full, wordy review on Bizcommunity…
This is what we came for – it’s wonderful!
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Clos Malverne were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
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!
In this latest update we finally get to my pics from Design Indaba, which began on the same day as Bertie’s birthday and took us to the end of last week.
There’s lots to look at below, so get your scrolling (and enlarging) fingers ready!
Wednesday, 1 to Friday, 3 March 2017: Design Indaba at the Artscape
There was just as much to see inside, with a Woolies coffee station that made delicious honey-nut lattes, food trucks, art installations, book passageways and more. Always a delight and more than a little overwhelming!Lots of creative oddities were on display before we even went into the main Artscape venue. Note the walk of fame, trees growing lips and eyes and more.If you’re wondering about our team, that’s a full shot below with me and Ilse from the first day on the top left, and me with Pasqua on the last day top right.Design Indaba done for me and Husband having rested all day from his week of working night shift, we decided on dins at Doodles on the beachfront. I tried their Bar-One shake and Husband had a draught with the chicken burger.
Saturday, 4 March 2017: Xai xai chicken at Petiscos
When Husband got home from work we set off for Petisco’s for their xai xai chicken fillet, which we barely finished. I also tried their iced mocha shake.
Sunday, 5 March 2017: Rocomamas ‘surprise me’ freak shake, Sunset Beach jumps and Bertie’s new collar
Rocomama’s is always a treat, especially if you’re brave enough to try the ‘Surprise me’ freak shake option. I ended up with a caramel-chocolate concoction bursting with bits of honeycomb! Click here for a reminder of our review on our last visit.What do you do on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Cape Town? You see who can jump higher on the beach, of course. We headed off to Sunset Beach as it has a lovely view of the mountain and soft, soft sand for jumping. Here is Husband’s attempt…I think mine was much, much higher (Husband says to notice his eyes are over the top of the mountain in his version, but also note how much taller he is than me!)On Sunday afternoon we explored the new ‘Leadville’ doggy park in Sunningdale and Bertie was gifted with his new birthday collar – look at that happy grin!
Wednesday 8 March 2017: Woodstock sunrise
I snapped the sun rising over the mountain and train tracks on my way into work on Wednesday, and needed a ‘coffee and mini choc’ treat come afternoon. What a long week!
Thursday, 9 March 2017: FoodLover’s breakfast and Catharina’s new lunch menu review
We both had the day off work on Thursday (yay), so after a much-needed lie-in we shared the halloumi stack breakfast at our nearest FoodLover’s Market. That’s also my cappuccino top left.After some general relaxing it was time to set off Catharina’s at Steenberg Estate, as we’d been invited to review their new lunch menu. We’ve taken a variation of this photo on both previous visits, see here and here.Beautiful purple blooms at Steenberg Estate.Presenting Catharina’s and the rest of the Steenberg Estate. Tis a wonderful place to walk around, with ducks and squirrels hopping about – you may see some in these pics!If you look closely you’ll see a squirrel atop one of those wooden chair backs.Husband sampling the Semillon.The official menu, with the story of Steenberg’s Catharina Ras. Also the bread board with golf balls of butter, the mushroom-parmesan risotto and the seafood linguini. Yum!The chicken confit Caesar salad, with croutons, parmesan and bacon.The 200g blackened sirloin with hand-cut chips.Behold the new lunch menu, the chocolate shake and cappuccino, the chicken confit Caesar salad, the rooibos creme brulee and the summer sorbet trio with wafer ‘spoon’.This squirrel sat on his tree perch and watched us eat our meal.
That’s all, folks! You can read up on this year’s Design Indaba highlights in our special section on Biz, and click here for my official review of the new lunch menu at Catharina’s!
*Disclaimer: Obviously our meals at Catharina’s were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
T’was my birthday on Wednesday and luckily Husband was off this week following his week of being ‘Marvin’, as his parents were in town…
Friday, 10 February 2017: Photoshop diploma and FUE date night
The first thing I did on getting home from work last Friday was go through the final lesson and quiz for my diploma in Photoshop through Shaw Academy. I squeaked by with 99%.To celebrate my diploma and Husband finally having a few days off work, we set off for the Festive Underground Eatery of FUE, where I had this monster shake on my last birthday, before ‘freak shakes’ were a thing. They have a Friday night date night special of two burgers, two fries and a shake to share for R199…The monster coffee shake that we ‘shared’ – Husband had a sip and no more as we were worried all that caffeine would affect his already shaky sleep patterns from working night shift.
Saturday, 11 February 2017: Airport collection and Petiscos dins
Bertie’s previous toy/TV-watching companion had become a grotty raggedy thing, so Husband presented him with a new friend – Monkey – first thing on Saturday. Bertie set about removing Monkey’s eyes, with a few licks as though to say sorry for hurting Monkey. Such a funny dog.We headed off to the nearest Wimpy for breakfast before our airport trip to collect the parents. I went for a toasted cheese and Wimpy coffee, Husband had a Coke and streaky bacon breakfast with extra cheese griller.Precious cargo safely collected from the airport, we headed back home to wait on an important delivery…A fish tank! We’d been buying accessories over the weeks and finally ordered this tank last weekend as a combined birthday present to ourselves, for delivery on Saturday. No fishies in there yet as the water is being filtered and chemically altered to be just right – another week and it should be ready.After a few more ‘Saturday things’ we were all feeling peckish and you can’t go wrong with a meal at Petiscos. Husband went for the hot chicken curry, the parents tried the hake and mussel combos, and I went for the can’t-miss chicken xai xai and Lindt Flake shake. Best!Lol. Excuse the red lighting from the plastic sun filter to the side of the balcony.We were done and dusted early enough to catch the sunset from Blouberg beachfront – note the males were brave enough to go knee-deep in the icy water.
Sunday, 12 February 2017: Braai with all the parents
If it’s Sunday and the Andrewses are around, it must be braai time. We braaied at ours on Sunday afternoon, with both sets of parents in attendance. All the food was delicious and there were lots of laughs.
Tuesday, 14 February 2017: BrandLove CX Trends talk, Woodbridge Island lunch and watering parents’ garden
Each time I attend an event held by BrandLove I feel there’s more and more to learn from them. Their latest customer experience trends event took place on Tuesday at the 360 Business Parks space in Paarden Eiland. This was the packed room in attendance.Conference complete and on leave for a few days, I met Husband and his dad at Ilha in Woodbridge Island for a snack while his mum was out meeting former colleagues. We shared a portion of their bacon-feta jalapeno poppers, with Father-in-law opting for an omelette (despite it being afternoon time), and Husband and I shared the chicken schnitzel and chips. Yes, that is yet another coffee shake you see before me 🙂Due to water restrictions in the Cape, we’re only allowed to water our gardens at certain times, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, using buckets not hoses. As the parents were here on a Saturday and a Tuesday, we popped in to water the garden and also give the doggies a tour before the official move in a month or so. There was lots of exploring!Bassie decided my lap was the best spot to sit and wait while the others did what they could to water the garden with buckets.
Wednesday, 15 February 2017: Birthday relaxing, family lunch and doggy beach walk
I’ve been taking my birthday off work for a good few years now. There’s nothing better than sleeping in, especially as the day flies by with all the calls and messages that come in. I also had the chance to read with my feet up and some caramel tea – of course Bassie wedged in beside me.Husband and father-in-law joined my dad and his weekly pool tournament with his neighbourhood friends. Here they all are at Poole in Parklands.I’d been chomping at the bit to try the deliciousness of All in the Kitchen for a while now. They recently moved from Boy de Goede circle to Marine Drive, but close at 6pm and don’t open on weekends. Seeing as we’d all be available we booked a table for lunch on my birthday. The meal of the day was roast beef with roast potatoes – see top left – the cappuccinos were strong and the coffee shakes were delicious. Everyone ordered the ‘meal of the day’ apart from me. That’s because…Look. at. that. CAKE! I’d seen a preview of the ‘cake of the day’ on All in the Kitchen’s Facebook page and just knew I’d be going for this, the Nutella chocolate cake. It came complete with birthday candle and singing – just delicious!After a brief nap it was time to walk off some of that food, and what better way to do so than at the beach with the doglets? You can make out Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Husband and Bertie in this shot from Kreeftebaai – Bassie stayed out of view with me.It was a treat having someone else along to take photos during our walkies. Love Bertie shaking himself after his swim in the sea and the contented looks on both doggies’ faces once back home again.Hehe. The annual ‘kiss on the cheek while wearing the birthday hat’ snap ❤ Click here for a reminder of last year’s version and here for the year before.
As we were both still on leave for the day, we decided on breakfast at Bread & Butter for the parents’ final meal with us before they returned home. I opted for the cheese and ham on sweet potato bread, Husband had the salmon eggs benedict and the parents each had the ‘hen’ breakfast.We ended up at Captain’s Kitchen at Eden on the Bay in Big Bay that afternoon. I tried the blue crush-topped, pineapple-y Captain’s Sunset cocktail while Husband went for his firm favourite, the Long Island Ice Tea. The perfect way to round out a few days of leave.
I am in quite a jolly mood today as I took a day’s leave, so instead of constantly checking emails, loading articles, drinking gallons of coffee and editing others’ writing I have been taking naps, (still drank gallons of coffee) and letting my brain reset itself after the madness of the last few weeks.
I’ve also put together a few of our most recent highlights for you below, scroll and click at your whim.
Saturday, 25 June 2016: Meet Bertie’s new dinosaur, celebratory dins at Petiscos
We returned to our local Daily Cafe for Saturday’s breakfast – I’d already had a coffee at home so kicked things off with a banoffee shake. Was delicious and went very well with my caramel-apple pancakes (ate them too fast for a snap, sorry).Husband’s breakfast wrap came with a portion of mini roast tomatoes and delicious chips. I helped him finish. So kind of me 😉The pic’s a little blurry but just look at that happy grin! Bertie’s last chew toy/TV viewing companion had finally bitten the dust so we presented him with a new fluffy dinosaur on Saturday afternoon. He loves it 🙂Later that evening we went to Petisco’s to celebrate my 96% final exam mark for Shaw Academy’s digital marketing course that I completed after hours in May/June. The eagled-eyed among you will note this was my second milkshake of the day – this time a ‘Lindt Flake shake’. Every bit as delicious as it sounds! Also note bread basket, perfect for dipping contents of into olive oil/balsamic vinegar swirls.Just look at Husband smiling at his food! He went for the chicken curry, I had the half-chicken xai xai, which is a delicious creamy sauce. Husband helped me finish. Lighting was quite dark so I stitched these two pics together so you could see both ends of the table. That’s not a disappearing man to the left of me 🙂
Sunday, 26 June 2016: Stunning suburban sunset
Just look at Husband smiling at his food again. This was his ‘Irish breakfast’ at McPherson’s on Sunday morning – your usual English breakfast with a side of potato wedges. I went for the banana-caramel pancakes. Again delicious, again eaten too fast for a photo. Oops.When we got to Mum’s for lupper that eve she had outdone herself with this steaming chilli con carne and side dishes of avo and cheese, with pitas to hold it all together. Amazing!Bertie was entertained by the music videos playing on the iPad. He bobs his little head around and sometimes whines in tune with the songs, and seems to be very curious about how animals get into those tiny screens.The wind was blowing and you could just tell it would be a magical sunset from the pink patches that started seeping across the sky…It sure was pretty! We all stood on the patio for a while gazing at the prettiness above us… before the cold become a bit much.
Tuesday, 28 June 2016: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Just some of the amazing ‘Mat Hatter’ themed eats and treats we surprised our big boss with on his birthday this week.You can just see my ‘mad hat’ perched on my head – tis a tiny sombrero that usually lives on a teddy bear.The Madly-Hatted Bizcommunity team. So much effort was put into this party by our entertainment committee and various in-house bakers, and the outcome was such a success. We had cake for days!
Friday, 1 July 2016: Breakfast and pastries with parents
After a brief lie-in, the parents popped in and treated me to breakfast at Raith deli in Gardens. This was dad’s sausagey double-cappuccino breakfastI went for the ‘coffee and pastry’ combo instead – R35 for a cappuccino AND mammoth almond croissant, with a tunnel of almond paste along the bottom.The fun didn’t end there… We also stopped in for an assortment of amazing Italian cream puffs at Forneria Italia on the way home. These are all so good it’s impossible to pick a favourite. Might as well try one of each 🙂
That’s all, folks! Tis set to be quite the chilly weekend here in the Cape so huddle up and keep warm.
Ramblings, rumblings and random ruminations, version ii. Also reviews, recommendations and alliteration. Based on living the good life in the fairest Cape. Eating is my favourite pastime. Updated weekly
Rambling Litchii 
