This past weekend we ate winter-warming food and tried to fit in a spot of relaxing, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 13 July 2019: Ou Meul Bakkery brekkie and Balducci lupper
We started our weekend with breakfast at Ou Meul Bakkery in Willowbridge last Saturday. See my red-velvet latte.See our breakfast bowls and happy faces.Bright bunches of wild flowers on display in the eating area of the Willowbridge market.Our sun-dappled garden that afternoon. Not seen: Bertie running around like a wild thing trying to bite the sprinklers and becoming sopping wet in the process!We were invited to review the new winter lunch specials at Balducci’s in the V&A Waterfront that afternoon. See my Amarula Colada shake and Husband’s salt-and-pepper squid starter.For mains, we went for the gnocchi carbonara and lamb shank respectively. Click here for my full, wordy review on Bizcommunity.We were full to the gills by then, but couldn’t pass on dessert. See my ‘white Lindt chocolate’ cheesecake slice, and Husband’s ‘white Nile chocolate martini’.As seen during our post-meal walkies around the Waterfront. Note Husband’s one-leg-up ‘pirate pose’ as we stood near the pirate ship.Palm trees at Woodbridge Island at sunset, as seen on our way home that evening, always make for a pretty photo.Table Mountain standing guard in the background.Low-flying birdies over the water at sunset, just past Dolphin Beach.
Sunday, 14 July 2019: Breakfast at Kauai, Eden on the Bay
We met Husband’s parents for breakfast at Kauai in Eden on the Bay on Sunday morning. Chilly air meant long sleeves and scarves all round…
Tuesday, 16 July 2019: R59 pizzas at Panarotti’s
When I got home from work on Tuesday, Mum quickly whipped up a batch of crumpets and served them piping hot, with syrup and coffee. Yum!On Tuesday night we ventured out to Panarotti’s at Table Bay Mall for their R59 pizza special. See our four different pizzas here as well as a Belgian waffle to end the meal.Dad and me, enjoying our Amarula hot chocolate and Nutella mikshake accordingly.
Wednesday, 17 July 2019: Briyani and doggy jerseys
Wednesday was another cold one, as you can see here, with Bassie wearing her jersey. It was a briyani dins night, with flavoured milk to ease some of the burn.
Thursday, 18 July 2019: Bizcommunity’s 67 minutes for Mandela Day CSI outreach at Manenberg Primary School
A bit of rain didn’t stop the team’s 67 Minutes for Mandela Day activities. We delivered sweet treats and bookmarks to all the kiddies of Manenberg Primary School, and read to 70 learners from the grade 1 and 2 classes. Also see the pretty birdie painted on one of the exterior classroom walls, and our quick team pizza lunch at Ashley’s Family Restaurant post-event. Team pics snapped by Gail and Bardo.
That’s all, folks! Click here to recap my Balducci review on Bizcommunity. We hope you have a warm, restful weekend ahead.
*Disclaimer: Our meal at Balducci was part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
I was on leave for the start of this week, recovering from the usual mid-year work stresses, so there are few more pics to scroll through below than usual, even though Husband didn’t take any time off…
Friday, 28 June 2019: Creative Mornings, burny bunny chow and pastel sunsets
I made my way to AAA School of Advertising again last Friday, as it was time for the next Creative Mornings Cape Town event. See some of the sights, and click here for my overview of the event.Pinky-purple sky, as seen from home that evening.We opted for burny bunny chows from Tandoor Palace for dins last Friday, to end the week on a spicy note.
Saturday, 29 June 2019: Cocktails and taco bowls at El Barrio
We had a spot of mall admin to sort out first thing on Saturday, so breakfasted at Bica Cafe in Bayside Mall. See our cappuccinos as well as my early bird special with scrambled eggs and Husband’s croissant with chorizo and egg.We’d not been to El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for a long time, so that’s where we had our Saturday lupper. See my coco-pina frozen margarita and his ‘little mamasita’, as well as my carnita (pork) and his ‘carne con chile’ taco bowl.Proof we were both there.
Sunday, 30 June 2019: Pork and potatoes for Sunday lupper
We met Husband’s parents for breakfast at the Pink Olive in Stark Ayres nursery last Sunday as it’s walking distance from their home – Spec had slept over at their house the night before, so he joined us. See everyone except for Husband’s dad (he was off blowing his nose when these pics were snapped). Also see my French toast with cooked banana, syrup and cream cheese, as well as our flat whites.We stopped in at MIlky Lane in Table Bay Mall for our Sunday afternoon treat. See Husband’s Crunchie whizzer and my ‘Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup & Crunchie creamy coffee’ shake. Yes, really.The cold weather has really set in, so Mum’s roast pork, potatoes and zucchini was perfect for Sunday lupper!Bertie promptly hopped in when we put Bassie’s day bed in front of the fire on Sunday evening. Such sweeties.
Monday, 1 July 2019: Roadtrip to Stellenbosch, Doodles dins
On Monday, my parents and I took a little roadtrip to Fairview in Stellenbosch. If you look closely you’ll see a squirrel in the tree, top-right.Various shots of our Monday lunch at Fairview’s Goatshed.Mmm! We had a light lunch of gammon sandwiches and cured fish platters, with lovely cappuccinos. We left with full bellies.Of course we also stopped to look at all the goats before leaving. They slowly made their way up and down their tower and stopped for a snack.The goat tower, as seen from the Goatshed restaurant.Mum stopped to smell a rose in the garden on our way out.Husband wanted an adventure when he got home that evening so we headed off to Doodles on the beachfront, just in time for sunset. Also see my caramel shake and Husband’s snail starter. For mains, we had the chicken schnitzel Monday special and pork-bangers-and-mash winter special.Such a pretty sunset over Table Mountain, as seen from Doodles.
Tuesday, 2 July 2019: Rainy day pasta at 95 at Parks, waffles at Tasha’s
After a lazy start and attending Mum’s weekly Ageless Grace seated fitness class, Tuesday afternoon was rainy and cold, perfect pasta weather. We went to 95 at Parks for some of the ‘pasta ripiena’ Mum and I had sampled at chef Giorgio Nava’s masterclass the week before. See the rainy setting and lovely breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to start our lunch.Our pasta bowls. All was delicious and just what we had hoped for! See my butternut-filled ravioli, Dad’s seafoody spaghettoni and Mum’s gorgonzola-nutty gnocchi. Mmm!Pasta perfection – the cappuccino was also a win.Next stop, waffles! We needed something sweet to end the meal so went to Tasha’s Waffles in Constantia for waffles and coffee. Just the way to spend a Tuesday afternoon!Everything is so bright and beautiful that we wanted to add it all to our waffles. In the end we both had a scoop of caramel ice-cream, with a Smarties-Astros mix on mine and Turkish Delight for Dad.
Wednesday, 3 July 2019: Pie, chips and gravy at Limnos Bakery
On Wednesday, my last day of leave, we popped in at Limnos Bakery in Table Bay Mall for their ‘pie, chips, gravy and cappuccino’ lunchtime special.The doggies spent much of the week wrapped in blankets and getting snuggles, as seen here.
That’s all, folks! Stay warm and dry, we’ll see you same time, same place next week. 🙂
You may remember I promised a longer post than usual this week – you’re in luck, here it is! Scroll through for highlights from our midweek break at the Blue Gum Country Estate in Stanford and more…
Friday, 24 May 2019: Commodore conferences and half-price cocktails
My Friday started with a first – while I’ve attended hundreds, this was my first time speaking at a conference! I popped into the office while it was still dark out, then went on to the Commodore Hotel at the Waterfront for the Content Marketing conference.We celebrated the start of the weekend and my much longed-for leave at Catch22 that evening. Bonus? Half-price cocktails before 6pm! See my colourful ‘Catch23’, as well as the seafood curry Husband and Dad both ordered, Mum’s sushi and my buccaneer beef burger.But first, cocktails! See Mum with her Bloody Mary, Dad with his Long Island Ice Tea, Husband with his Beeracuda (tequila, lime, sundried orange and a Corona beer). Cheers!
Saturday, 25 May 2019: Bean Authentic breakfast and bee stings
We had a long Saturday ahead as Husband needed to spend some time in the office, so we lined our tummies with breakfast at Bean Authentic in Monte Vista as we still had an Entertainer voucher to redeem. See the lovely strong flat white served in glass mugs, as well as my Ferrero Rocher mocha and Parmesan-crusted toastie filled with bacon, jalapenos, feta and spicy mayo. Husband had the bacon, cheese and sundried tomato egglets on avo.The whole family popped in for a braai later that afternoon – also see Bertie’s slightly swollen lip from a bee sting. The swelling went down soon after I snapped this.
Sunday, 26 May 2019: Kauai and Eden on the Bay beach walks
Spec had slept over on Saturday night so joined us for breakfast at Kauai at Eden on the Bay. The boys’ mom also popped in for a cuppa tea and avo on toast. Proof we were all there.We had a short post-breakfast stroll along Eden on the Bay, as Husband wanted to wet his feet.
Monday, 27 May 2019: Nutella hot chocolate and banoffee waffle at Panarotti’s
Husband went to work on Monday but I was already on leave, so joined my parents for a late breakfast at Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall. My Nutella hot chocolate and ‘Bellissima Banoffee Belgian waffle’ were lovely!
Tuesday, 28 May 2019: Roadtrip to Stanford, night at Blue Gum Country Estate
It was a real treat to sleep in late on Tuesday but still rise in time for the earlybird English breakfast special at News Cafe. Tomatoes were well cooked and flat whites strong, as you can see here.Roadtrip time! We made our customary stop at the Sir Lowry’s Pass lookout point. Husband was impressed with neither the elevation nor the gustiness of the wind. See a much more wind-swept version of this pic here, from when we visited Old Mac Daddy in Elgin.Some of the pretty sights we saw along the way. Sheep, various cows and even Carpaccio, the solo springbokkie. So cute!Looks like Husband is sharing a joke with this spotted horsey. Neigh!A few pics of the setting, at Blue Gum Country Estate, 10km from Stanford. It was peaceful, quiet and cold – too cold for a dip in the pool, alas.We felt we were well and truly out in the country while gazing at the view from our private balcony.Gorgeous view looking out from our balcony.Some of the pretty sights on our quick ride for supplies along Queen Victoria Street in the heart of Stanford.We stopped in at Raka Wine Farm for a quick winetasting, too, and stocked up on specialty snacks. Yum!Dinner is served! Not much is open in Stanford on a Tuesday night as Winter approaches, so we dined at Blue Gum’s own Barke restaurant. We had the place to ourselves.The Milkshake Queen in action! Couldn’t resist the ultra-chocolatey milkshake with my dins.See Husband enjoying a glass of red at the fireplace and his two-course dinner of fillet steak and creme caramel with sorbet. I went for the toasted chicken-mayo with stacks of chips. Just the thing when paired with a chocolate shake!The standard gownie shot – with our pre-bed milk treats purchased in town. Toffee Caramel for me, Banana for Husband.
Wednesday, 29 May 2019: Milkshakes in Hermanus
Good morning? It sure is! For me, it doesn’t get much better than a freshy brewed coffee with a view like this…Breakfast, my favourite meal of the day! See the fireplace – a different one to where we sat the previous evening – as well as the lovely continental buffet table and Husband’s hot breakfast order.Why did we go to Stanford? This picture, snapped by Husband just before we left Blue Gum Country Estate on Wednesday morning, says it all.We also rode out to see the lovely trails along the Stanford river before starting the long trip home. Next time we’ll stay longer, so we can fit in a river cruise.The MIlkshake Queen strikes again! We took a slight detour on the way home to take advantage of the sunny weather in Hermanus. See my coffee shake and Husband’s cappuccino at Burgundy’s.We also stopped at the Winelands 1-Stop once we were nearly home, to redeem our free Wimpy burger meal for the quarter – thanks eBucks! All this and we only paid for the drinks. This time the milkshake (banana) is Husband’s. The granadilla-mint slush is a must.
That’s all, folks! May your weekend be relaxing. 🙂 Looking for more?Click here for my full review of our stay at Blue Gum Country Estate on Bizcommunity, and tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our bed and breakfast at Blue Gum Country Estate in Stanford were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
We had yet another day off work this week as it was national voting day on Wednesday – the last public holiday for a while, so we made the most of the chance to relax…
Saturday, 4 May 2019: Braai at Husband’s parents
We decided on a little bit of a road trip for our Saturday breakfast, eventualy ending up at Melkbos Kitchen. The coffee was delicious, as was the food. See Husband’s salmon-eggs benedict, as well as my bacon-egg buttie.The doggies enjoyed running around and taking in their other granny’s garden, as their last visit was the day we moved – Bertie’s birthday, on 1 March.Results of all the braai-ing effort.
Sunday, 5 May 2019: Kauai breakfast and honeyed lupper
We wanted something on the healthier side of the street for Sunday breakfast, so went to Kauai at Eden on the Bay. See the lovely view as well as my almond oat pot and Husband’s Mexican egg bowl. Not pictured: Our strong flat white coffees.Mum made a delicious honey-mustard chicken meal for Sunday lupper, as we still have lots of honey from our bee hive removal. Click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about.Mini doughnuts for dessert!A beautiful sky at sunset, as seen from home.
Tuesday, 7 May 2019: French toast breakfast treat
I worked from home on Tuesday as I had a very late night of work the night before so opted to skip the commute into the office. Added bonus: homemade French toast with bacon, syrup and honey, made by Mum.
Wednesday, 8 May 2019: Voting day in South Africa
We slept in a little later than normal then headed to Wimpy at Bayside Mall for breakfast. See Husband winking without his streaky bacon breakfast (plus cheese griller), and me with my regular Wimpy coffee and Bar-one waffle.We kept an eye on the queues outside the voting stations all day, then decided on lunch at the Italian Club before making our mark. See the ribs and chips, red wine, gnocchi bolognaise and my coffee shake.A group ‘thumfie’ as proof that we all eventually made our mark that afternoon.Sweet, sleepy doglets as snapped throughout the week.
That’s all, folks! Tune in next week – same time, same place for my next update…
Last weekend was cold and rainy – perfect for a weekend away in Franschhoek! But first, we had some family celebrating to do…
Friday, 12 April 2019: Father-in-law’s birthday dins at Portalia
Saturday was Husband’s father’s 76th birthday, so we all joined him at Portalia last Friday evening to celebrate. See the fairy lights in the outside seating area, proof we were all there, the dads having a drink together, my dad’s flambeed chorizo meal and some of our pizzas, and my Amarula coffee.See the boys’ end-of-evening whisky dom pedros.The weather was quite wintery when we got home that evening so we snuggled with the little doggies and noticed a rainbow just after sunrise the next morning.
Saturday, 13 April 2019: Lunch at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, night stay at Akademie Street Boutique Hotel
We started our Saturday with breakfast at Mugg & Bean in Bayside Mall. See my peanut-butter latte and avo-rainbow slaw toast, as well as Husband’s egg-and-bacon toast, Coke Zero and cafe crema.Next stop, Husband treated us to a couple’s massage at Aiyara Thai Spa in Eden on the Bay. We were prodded and pummeled with Tiger Balm for a good 45-minutes, to ease the stresses of the first quarter of the year.Next, road trip! We stopped at Anthonij Rupert Wyne on the very outskirts of Franschhoek’s main road on our way into town for lunch. Once our appointment was ticked off at the gate we parked and made our way into the tasting area, all decked out for Easter.See Terra del Capo’s fresh-out-the-oven breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in upcycled Protea wine bottles, Husband’s Franschhoek trout and smoked salmon antipasti dishes, and the ‘digestifs’ trolley with cocktail options.Mmm. My sweet-potato gnocchi with hazelnuts, pancetta and Tallegio cheese was the highlight of the meal at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, as one of the handful of warm dishes on the summer menu.We’re yet to sample the high tea at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, but if the desserts are anything to go by, they’re a must! See my cappuccino – Terbodore’s hazelnut blend, with a sweet iced bunny biscuit, as well as the berry-topped chocolate torte and the mini ‘crossover cake’ – a mix of cheesecake and carrot cake. We just managed to finish these between the two of us.Cheers! There was a roaring fire blazing in the upstairs wine-tasting room, a quaint car waiting down below, and delicious wines to imbibe. Click here for my full review on Bizcommunity!Home for the night – Akademie Street Boutique Hotel in Franschhoek. Perfect for a winter stay, scroll through to see why!Some of the eye-catching things in and around Akademie Street Boutique Hotel. That’s Husband with a Bluetooth-activated gramophone, so you power your choice of songs from your phone. The ‘Africa’ art bottom right comprises booklike paper folds.Views of windows, from windows and the cute hand-drawn map from Akademie Street Boutique Hotel.The main pool – bottom-left – has a jacuzzi at one end. Also see the private pool and jacuzzi outside out cottage’s suites in the top-left and bottom-right. Consider us two waterbabies delighted!We stayed in Gelatenheid A. Some of the sections of our suite: See the wall of books and mirrors, freestanding bath tub and heated towel rails – not used, balcony as seen from the hot tub and bed at the centre of the suite.One of my favourite labels ever: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars.” This MCC Brut was a lovely welcome treat – thank you Akademie Street!There’s nothing nicer than hot-tubbing when it’s bucketing down outside. As the barrel-shaped hot tub is wood-fired, we were happy and toasty all afternoon.As sunset started to streak the sky, we reluctantly got out of the hot tub for a spot of exploring.The gardens are quiet and filled with pretty things, like these statues and wooden works of art. Take a stroll around the grounds, weather permitting!See Husband strolling down from our suite to the Orangerie area for pre-dinner drinks, snacks and games. He also played the piano for a while.For dins, we walked down to the Elephant & Barrel Village Pub on main road around 7pm. I had a delicious coffee shake, Husband had a Castle Lite draught, and as we were still so full from our lunch at Terra del Capo, we shared the potato wedges with sour cream, guacomole and curry mayo. Yum!Lol! This night’s stay featured straw sun hats in the standard gownie photo. See four of the numerous attempts at this photo.Our full bellies and the sound of rain outside meant we slept very well that night.
Sunday, 14 April 2019: Doggy beach walks at Kreeftebaai
Scenes from breakfast on Sunday morning. See the pastry selection, platter of fruits, granola, yoghurt, smoothies and honey on each table, as well as the Le Creuset coffee carafe and our hot orders – eggs benedict with bacon for Husband and pancakes with bacon and honey for me.Husband walking with an umbrella to our checkout on Sunday morning. See the nice sign at the empty bicycle rack – “I don’t ride a bike to add days to my life, I ride a bike to add life to my days.”Terbodore coffee’s Big Dog Cafe was closed as we made our way out of Franschhoek on Sunday, but the Terbo Truck looked inviting – will try stop in on our next visit!We took the doglets for nice long walkies at the beach that afternoon. See Bertie and his dad in the sea while Bassie steered me toward the safety of the dunes.More beach walkies at Kreeftebaai.
That’s all, folks! We hope you’re having a relaxing Easter long weekend. 🙂 Click here for my full review of our lunch experience at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo on Bizcommunity, with my review of Akademie Street Boutique Hotel to follow soon. Tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Anthonij Rupert’s Terra del Capo and Akademie Street Boutique Hotel were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
You’ll note I said breakfasts, plural – that’s no typo. In a rare occurrence, we had breakfast at Kauai both days last weekend, and felt surprisingly healthy as a result! Lol. See proof of this and other meals below…
Thursday, 4 April 2019: Mid-workday flapjack treats
I worked from home last Thursday, so joined my parents when they had a teatime treat at Mugg & Bean. See our shared flapjack stack and assorted coffees.
Saturday, 6 April 2019: Kauai breakfasts and home braais
Kauai breakfast, take 1. Spec had slept over on Friday night and was with us for the weekend, so joined us when we breakfasted at Kauai at Eden on the Bay on Saturday morning. See our strong flat whites, as well as the boys’ pesto bowl breakfasts and my hot almond-nutbutter-date oats pot.Husband’s parents came to braai on Saturday as Cynthia was visiting from Joburg. See various stages of braai unfolding under our big tree.The sweet doglets snapped at various stages during and after the braai. Note the leaf on Bertie’s nose in the bottom-left pic.
Sunday, 7 April 2019: Curious chameleons and homemade chicken burgers
Kauai breakfast, take 2. We’d enjoyed the previous day’s breakfast so much that we repeated the experience on Sunday, with slight variations – we stuck with the flat whites but the boys tried the protein-egg bowl this time, and I had the choc-protein smoothie bowl. Yum! We’ll be back, for sure.Husband found this sweet little chameleon while busy in the garden on Sunday.For Sunday lupper we made our own chicken burgers and ate them in the garden, followed by creme caramel for dessert. Just what Sunday tastes like!
Tuesday, 9 April 2019: Midweek Italian dins
Autumn has definitely hit the Cape, so Mum rustled up the perfect Italian dins on Tuesday evening. That’s linguine bolognaise with red wine (Tall Horse merlot).
Wednesday, 10 April 2019: Marianne Thamm lecture and Cannes Lions’ 42 Courses masterclass on storytelling
On Wednesday I attended Marianne Thamm’s lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School. Click here to read my overview.I also completed 42 Courses’ Cannes Lions masterclass on storytelling.
Thursday, 11 April 2019: Heavy Chef masterclass at Workshop 17
Workshop 17 served as my office on Thursday. Love this elephant/Africa mural.
That’s all for now, folks! The weekend ahead looks set to be cold and wet so stay warm and dry! 🙂
Last week we finally moved into our dream home here in Cape Town, along with the doggies and my parents. It’s a process that we started back in June, so we can’t quite believe it’s real!
As you’ll see from the pics below, all are now settled in and happy – especially as the move coincided with Bertie’s 9th birthday…
Friday, 1 March 2019: Moving day, Bertie’s 9th birthday
Bye bye, Bishops Bend! We’ve loved our four years here in the first house we’ve owned, but the time has come for something different. After everything was packed up, we said our final goodbyes last Friday evening.Hello, Giraffe House! So many things make us happy about our new home, as you’ll see from the pics below and more to come in the next few weeks – two separate houses, one enormous garden for the doggies…More of the pretty corners of our new home.There are beautiful blossoms and trees everywhere you look here, and the doglets love doing laps around the garden. It’s so tropical.Amongst all the unpacking that evening, we even managed to fit in a mini-birthday celebration for Bertie boy.Moving in celebrations! Some of Bertie’s birthday-party snacks, his new giraffe rope-toy, split shooters to celebrate the big move, as well as a beautiful vase of flowers and thoughtful muffin-and-coffee welcome gift from our new neighbours. We feel loved!Bertie receiving his ‘Giraffe House’ birthday present – we’ve had it hidden away since starting the house purchase process. He has pulled out most of the stuffing and now watches TV with it. So sweet!
Saturday, 2 March 2019: Celebratory cocktails and tacos at El Barrio
We were drenched in sweat from unpacking boxes on Saturday afternoon as it was such a hot day, so as soon as we had a gap we hit the beach. It was just what our aching feet needed. Husband said the water was less icy than usual so he had quite a long swim in the sea, too.We also stopped in at El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for a celebration of tacos and cocktails. See our tacos, Husband’s blueberry-filled ‘Mexican hipster’ and my strawberry, lime and mint frozen margarita. Yum!We all had a braai together that evening. Also see Husband testing out my hammock chair.Finally, a tree shady enough to swing from my hammock chair in peace!
Sunday, 3 March 2019: Blueberries breakfast
We stopped in at Blueberries in Table View Shopping Centre for a quick breakfast. See my banana-caramel pancake and Husband’s hash-brown plate.Beautiful star-shaped buds caught in a fine spider’s web in a hidden corner of our new garden.
Monday, 4 March 2019: Rocomama’s waffles
The doggies watching their Granny’s every move while adjusting to the novelty of living together. Such sweeties.Husband was back at work on Monday but I had one more day to unpack all those boxes, so unpack I did – then went for a treat at Rocomama’s once I was done. See Dad’s waffle sandwich, Mum’s Hey Joe saucy hot dog, and my espresso shake.My half-portion Cookies n Scream waffle was just what the doctor ordered. 🙂
Tuesday, 5 March 2019: Sunrise in Woodstock
We’ve had quite a few early starts to work this week, arriving at the office before 7am. See the sunrise as I walk towards my office from the MyCiti bus stop in Woodstock.
Wednesday, 6 March 2019: Interviewing CEOs at YPO
I popped into the CTICC on Wednesday, to interview a few of the members and speakers of YPO, the world’s largest gathering of CEOs. Click here if you missed my first overview.
That’s all for now, folks! 🙂 Check in next week for more pics.
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. 🙂
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.
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 🙂
This past week has been busy as always work-wise, so we did what we could to relax after hours…
Friday, 9 November 2018: Moyo sea-dip evening
Certain cocktails are R39 at Moyo on a Friday before 6pm, like the creamy pina colada.Given the above picture, you can see that we started that weekend feeling earlier than usual by popping out for a quick beach visit once we were done with work. See Husband’s draught (R25 before 6pm on a Friday!), as well as my Pina Colada and our shared pulled-pork linguine at Moyo in Eden on the Bay. Also see Husband’s splash in the sea.The sky was beautiful when we got home that evening.
Saturday, 10 November 2018: CTFM paella and shakes
We had some mall admin to tick off our weekend to-do list so we started the morning with cappuccinos and breakfast at Bayside’s Mugg & Bean. See Husband’s bean and bacon hash benedict, and my rainbow slaw-sweetcorn-avo toast.Lots of birds on the rocks next to Husband’s usual sea-swimming spot.It was so hot that I passed on hot drinks and instead tried the iced coffee slushy at Expresso in Table Bay Mall (delicious). Seen with a chocolate-cinnamon twist and Husband’s tiny con panna.We wanted ‘dinner with a view’ so headed out to CTFM in Seaside Village. See Husband’s seafood paella and my burger with chips and onion rings.See me with my Cookies and Cream shake jar, Husband’s delight at his pan of paella, and how he loved it so much that he licked the pan clean.I spent some quality time with my precious boy dog on the couch that evening.
Sunday, 11 November 2018: Baconville breakfast, Pakalolo cocktails and Dolphin Beach visit
You feel like you’re right in the countryside, travelling from Table View to the Durbanville and Tyger Valley side.We forgot to snap a shot of the attendees, but Baconville was the venue for our Sunday morning breakfast with Husband’s parents. See the heart in my chocolate latte and our various bacon-topped breakfast plates.Nothing says ‘sunny Sunday’ like a beach walk! See our brief visit to Dolphin Beach.View of Table Mountain across the snowy sands of Dolphin Beach.By then, the weather was shouting that it was time for a cocktail. Here is Husband with his Bloody Mary at Pakalolo’s.I went for the colourful Smoky something (seems Pakalolo’s online menus are out of date or else I would tell you the exact name). T’was delicious.Mum set out all the fixings for chicken fajitas for Sunday lupper, and later whipped up a batch of peanut-butter cookies, fresh and delicious with coffee.Bassie thought my cream-topped coffee smelled just as good as the cookies.
Wednesday, 13 to Thursday, 15 November 2018: AfricaCom at the CTICC
I covered sessions of AfricaCom from Tuesday to Thursday, with so much going on at the same time – 9 different conference tracks – that it was held across both the CTICC and new CTICC 2 venue, so you get to cross the ‘skybridge’ multiple times.View from the top floor of the CTICC 2. So much business conferencing going on!More scenes from AfricaCom. The Speculaas ice-cream in the Expo centre was yum, and it was fun to watch the live graffiti installation.Pretty colours in our dining room when Mum created a quick pasta bake for our Tuesday visit.On Wednesday, I quickly dashed out between AfricaCom sessions to catch a ‘bring your own lunch’ lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School, before dashing back to the CTICC.I’d brought the popcorn snack with me from the AfricaCom expo – also popped in a few chocolatey treats to munch on while taking notes!It was a beautiful evening and we both got home later than usual on Wednesday so decided on Jerry’s for dinner, as a mid-week treat. See Husband with his glass of red, me with my Pina Colada shake, our burgers and the sunset.
That’s all for now, folks! See you next week 🙂
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 