The past week-and-a-bit was filled with dashing around from work event to work event, a few arty moments – and coffee, of course…
Monday, 21 May 2018: Social media workshop at Southern Sun Newlands
I spent all of last Monday at the Southern Sun Newlands, soaking up knowledge from the Vivid Engage ‘understanding social media and using it to market your business’ workshop. Click here if you missed my overview on Biz!It was a wonderfully rainy day so we were happy to batten down the hatches, ask questions and take notes. There was a tempting foosball table right outside the conference room and also lovely conference food in the Newlands Cafe downstairs at lunch time.
Tuesday, 22 May 2018: Startupbootcamp FastTrack interview
Then on Tuesday I dashed off the Old Mutual Centre in Pinelands for a quick lunchtime interview with Phil Kiracofe, CEO of Startupbootcamp. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here to educate yourself!
Thursday, 24 May 2018: Afternoon at Southern Guild
I’d been to Southern Guild’s gallery space once before, when they were just up the road in Woodstock (that’s where we snapped this pic of me in a Porky Hefer original), but not since their move to the Silo side of the V&A Waterfront a year ago, so was only happy to attend their ‘announcement event’. The actual content shared is under wraps for another week still, but you can take in some of the scenes so long – that’s a glass of Krone in the bottom right…Some of the sights in and around Southern Guild. It was another much-needed rainy day, so my umbrella tagged along for the trip.Sweet little Bassie warming herself in front of the fire that evening.
Saturday, 26 May 2018: Golden lattes and ground-splattered ice creams
We had some mall admin to do so breakfasted at W Cafe at Woolworths in the new Table Bay Mall. See me smelling my ‘golden latte’ – turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. Also Husband’s flat white in the background, his exotic shroom bowl and my Nutella French toast. Yum!The weather had turned crisp yet sunny that afternoon, so Husband had his weekend plunge in the Atlantic.Isn’t this the saddest thing you’ve ever seen? Luckily not mine, but it was right outside our car when we returned from our beach visit.
Sunday, 27 May: Cup & Cake brunch, Jerry’s burger’s lunch and train station collection
We had brunch at Cup & Cake with Husband’s parents on Sunday. See my creamy spiced chai latte at Cup & Cake.Ah, pancakes! Cup & Cake’s current special is three cinnamon-sugar ones for R20. They’re fresh and tasty.We had early lupper at Jerry’s on the beachfront as we’d only be collecting my parents from the train station much later that eve. Husband told me to pose.The view at Jerry’s is quite something, as is the food. Husband went for a Bloody Jerry to drink and Drunken chicken burger to eat, while I opted for the peanut butter-banana shake and the ‘Heart attack’ burger with sweet potato fries. We ate it all.Finally! Husband managed to get us onto the exact platform at Cape Town station where the Rovos rail would eventually pull up, so we were there to film my parents and their new friends as they got off the train.
Monday, 28 May 2018: Almost-disastrous day-off dog walkies
After some bike admin first thing on Monday – the reason we’d taken a day’s leave – my parents treated us to breakfast at All in the Kitchen, which is only open on weekdays. I agree that coffee is always a good idea! See the pretty foamy flat whites, my ‘nutters’ granola bowl, the bacon-cheese croissant Husband and Mum went for, and Dad’s toasted bacon-and-egg.Such an attractive breakfast spread!We drove the doggies up to Kreeftebaai and due to the chilly weather with drizzle on-and-off, found it absolutely deserted. The doggies had a ball running to and fro.Sweet little Bassie running back towards me from all the way up the coast. You’ll notice her brother is nowhere in sight.See Bassie trotting sweetly beside her dad, only to realise brother Bertie is long gone chasing birdies up the coast. We drove two beaches further up before Husband found him gazing out at sea in ‘wild dog’ mode. Bassie won’t admit it but she was slightly concerned. All’s well, though!All tuckered out, Bertie was very content to just lie on the warm blankets that evening.
Thursday, 31 May 2018: Crystal Towers working breakfast
I met a PR colleague for our annual catch-up chat first thing on Thursday. It was yet another much-needed rainy day so the strong cappuccinos were just what we ordered.
That’s all, folks! May your weekend be happy and warm; and your ice-cream not go splat on the ground.
Last Friday’s weather was just the wintery perfection required to review the new winter menu at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, and we had the most wonderful night away at the Peninsula All-Suite Hotel in Sea Point…
Friday, 11 May 2018: Winter antipasti menu at Terra del Capo
After a quick few hours in the office it was time to Uber to the Radisson Blu Hotel at the Waterfront to meet the shuttle taking us to Anthonij Rupert Wyne in Franschhoek. We sipped flutes of bubbly amongst all the blue and green shades.The hour-plus trip out of the CBD into the winelands soothed us into a relaxed state of excitement, if there’s such a thing, and before we knew it, we were making our way down the driveway and into the tasting room area…Look at that loveliness! View of the wintery outside, bread board with porcini truffle butter, carrot arancini, and grapefruit salad.Just look at the way those colours sing – each bite was bursting with flavour, too. This is just a small sample of the four antipasti courses. Crisp veggies, creamy dips, salty meat and warm cheesy bites. Yum!And then, dessert. See various stages of devouring the chocolate cream tart with tiramisu macaron and capuccino, as well as bowl of citrus and the potent, fruity L’Ormarins digestif.Presented with bottles of the Pinot Grigiot and the Sangiovese wines we’d enjoyed over lunch, we happily posed outside the impressive doors before heading back onto the shuttle. Most of us were lulled to sleep by the slow rain that fell as we made our way back through the traffic. “Magies vol, ogies toe!”
Saturday, 12 May 2018: Pre-Mother’s Day breakfast and checking in to Sea Point’s Peninsula Hotel
We decided on a pre-Mother’s Day breakfast at News Cafe with both sets of parents. See all parties present and accounted for, as well as various forms of eggy breakfast.I also had some pre-Mother’s Day snuggles with the doglets as would only see them again the following day. Such cuties!Next stop, Sea Point! The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel towers above the Queens Beach corner of Sea Point, and is impressive from any angle.A quick explore of The Peninsula’s grounds revealed a pool out back, this one ‘slightly heated’; as well as classy navy decor; views of Lion’s Head; and the poolside dining options.Various snaps shot between the foyer and our room – see Husband attempting the ‘Star Wars mirror finger-click’ move, also the striped awning and Pacman-walled games room.And then! Our suite! The colour scheme was bright and just screamed ‘holiday’, while the complimentary bottle of MCC and view of the sea and the private jacuzzi instantly reset our buttons.We’re both Aquarian water babies, so after an intense sport massage carried out in our suite, we spent absolute hours in the jacuzzi – we had a dip at sunset, another after dinner, and one more before checkout the next morning. Bliss!Is there anything prettier than the sun setting over the sea? (No, there’s not.)View from our room of the sea-facing main (cold) pool below.Next stop, dins! This is the stylishly renovated Sunset Restaurant, warmly situated in the belly of the Peninsula Hotel. See the moreish farm-style bread, my ultra-chocolatey milkshake, Husband’s pan-seared Norwegian salmon mains and my chicken ballantine. This really hit the spot after all that soaking in the jacuzzi!Dessert! See my strong cappuccino and ‘death by chocolate’ ganache-y mousse bomb with espresso-creamy centre; as well as Husband’s lemon tart and Irish coffee. Perfect end to the meal.See the craft gin and brandy trolleys rolled out at dins, and the Faces Bar and Strolla restaurant outside areas, popular with walk-ins from the beach front. We took a quick stroll outside but it was cold and dark, so the warmth of our suite beckoned.This time, we posed the ‘hotel gown photo’ in the lounge. That carpet was so fluffy!
Sunday, 13 May 2018: Oreo sugarcones from the Dairy Den
The next morning, I opened the curtains and saw just what I’d been hoping for – a pastel pink, cloud-streaked sky over softly crashing waves. Insert heart-eyes emoji!View from our balcony after we’d woken enough to wish our moms happy Mother’s Day over the phone, then a quick coffee in room… and another at the jacuzzi. Best!And then, breakfast! We saw the buffet winding all around the extremities of the Sunset Restaurant and found ourselves drawn in again. See the sheet of honeycomb hiding various cold meats, cheese and fruits, as well as waffles with strawberries in syrup and super crispy bacon.More breakfast! Assorted juices; cold meats, fruits and cheeses; the egg and omelette station; and Husband’s plate, including kipper.And just like that, our time at the Peninsula was over. Keen to extend the ‘holiday’ feel of the weekend, you can just see Husband almost out at sea here on the right, exploring the rocks at the Sea Point Contact after our speedy check out.Then it was just a hop, skip and a jump to the Dairy Den on Main Road, where I’d heard about the wonderful ice cream specials and ‘Doh!’nuts. Still full from breakfast I didn’t have space to try a doh!nut too (sob), so will have to return! See various stages of eating my ice cream on the Sea Point promenade.The ice cream is worth the distance! After much deliberation I decided on the half-and-half – chocolate swirled with strawberry, served with a chocolatey biscuit in the hundreds-and-thousands-dipped Oreo sugarcone.Husband decided on fish and chips from Snoekies at Eden on the Bay for Mother’s Day lupper at my mum’s, all enjoyed (especially me with my vinegar-soaked chip roll).Mum and I had both just read the ‘Me Before You’ trilogy by Jojo Moyes, so we watched the movie with assorted snacks for Mother’s Day. Such a good idea!
Tuesday, 15 May 2018: 2OceansVibeRadio segment recording, family wors rolls
On Tuesday afternoon, my colleague Angie and I recorded our first-ever live monthly radio show segment on 2OceansVibeRadio.com, with host Nadia Hearn. Will add a link to the podcast of the show soon! Look at the cosy co-working office space they record from in Cartel House in Loop Street.Radio show bits done, we stopped in at the Cafe du Cap coffee shop downstairs in the Cartel House building for a quick treat while waiting out the traffic. The iced latte isn’t on the menu, but they will whip one up for you if you ask. T’was just what we needed!Our friend Gords was down from Joburg on business for a few days so we hosted the whole family for a wors-roll dins once all were done with work. Spec drove up from Fish Hoek, slept over and left before 6am the next morning for work. Lots of laughs were had!Precious doglets spent some quality time with their granny and grampa on the couch that evening.
That’s all, folks! Click here for my full wordy review of the Terra del Capo experience on Bizcommunity, and keep an eye out for the Peninsula All-Suite Hotel review, coming soon. Here’s to another relaxing weekend ahead…
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Anthonij Rupert’s Terra del Capo and The Peninsula were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Last week Tuesday was a public holiday – May Day is Worker’s Day in SA so we had a day off work to do as our hearts desired, as you’ll see below…
Tuesday, 1 May 2018: Worker’s Day dins at Italian Club
When we finally got up, we went for a Cup & Cake breakfast in Seaside Village. See Husband’s eggs benedict and my ‘Eggs-purtly done’ – health bread smeared with cream cheese, Marmite and avo paste, topped with eggs any way you like – I went for hard boiled. Also see Husband’s ‘Quortado’ (variation on cortado, espresso with milk.)We bumped into my parents when we stopped for a few chores at The Daily Cafe in Eden on the Bay, so the menfolk each had an espresso con panna.We stopped for a snap at the ‘Lekker by die see’ mosaic on our way out of Eden on the Bay.The palm trees and blue skies outside GrandWest Casino – we stopped in to watch the Avengers: Infinity War movie. Brother-in-law Spec joined us.We were starving by the time the movie ended so decided on the Italian Club for dins, as t’was a chilly Winter’s eve. We both went for the gnocchi bolognese, mmm!Ahh. Gorgeous sunset over Table Mountain on our way home.My precious model children. They didn’t mind being huddled up close for once, as it was a chilly night.
Friday, 4 May 2018: Sunrise from the office window
Early morning sunrise over Lion’s Head, as seen from our offices in Woodstock.
Saturday, 5 May 2018: Bread & Butter breakfast, Woodbridge Island walk, Panama Jacks lunch
We had a Bread & Butter breakfast – the setting is just so quaint and cosy, with lots of cakes to drool over while telling yourself to order something healthier.Husband succeeded in going for something healthier, with the salmon scrambled eggs, while I didn’t go so far as to have cake but had a chocolate-peanut butter smoothie bowl instead. Basically ice cream with nuts and bananas but hey, it was on the breakfast menu. Also see my cappuccino and Husband’s double flat-white.We hadn’t done our ‘Woodbridge Island to Lagoon Beach and back’ walk in a while, so when we realised we had enough time, we were wearing caps and the weather was on our side, so do the walk we did. Once complete, we stopped at Ilha at Woodbridge Island for a liquid treat – draught beer for Husband and coffee shake for me.We were meeting Husband’s parents for lunch at Panama Jack’s new location, inside the cruise passenger terminal at the harbour. It’s lovely.We recommend sitting at the outside tables as you get a clear view over the harbour if there aren’t any ships waiting to dock. The inside roof is still pinned with flags, as in Panama Jack’s former location.The food was fantastic. See the large house salad we shared top left, Husband’s angelfish Thai curry top right, Mother-in-Law’s fettuccini marinara bottom left and the duck with hoisin sauce bottom right – Father-in-Law and I both ordered this. We left not a speck of rice between us.
Sunday, 6 May 2018: Ice cream on the beach
For Sunday breakfast, we stopped in at Cafe Lacomia at our Builder’s Warehouse. See my tall cafe mocha, Husband’s cafe latte, his mince on toast and my toasted chicken mayo with chips. Hit the spot.Book + coffee + dog = happy despite the winter chill.The waves and clouds came together as the perfect ‘photo corner curliques’.Sunday afternoon. should be all about strawberry swirled flake-tipped ice cream on the beach, Table Mountain in the background and clouds perfectly fluffed to cotton wool. proportions.
That’s all, folks! Winter is definitely in the air so keep warm 🙂
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. 🙂
T’was a long weekend for us here in sunny SA, with Heritage Day taking place on Sunday so all and sundry celebrated on Monday. Here’s what we’ve been up to since returning home from Zanzibar…
Wednesday, 20 September 2017: News Cafe breakfast
As we only got home around midnight on the Tuesday, we had thought ahead and taken the Wednesday off work, too. This meant we could sleep in and spend some quality time with the doglets, before answering our tummies’ call for breakfast, stat! It was still fairly early so we made our way to News Cafe at Marine Circle. This was my much-needed cappuccino (to wash down the malaria pill)…And of course I went for the early bird breakfast special. Full English is just R35 if ordered before 10am. Well worth it!We also treated the doggies to beach walkies. They had a wonderful time. See Bertie barking away in contentment here and Bassie’s various faces of bliss.And later that day, after naps and some ‘back home but not yet at work’ admin, we stopped off for milkshakes at our nearest Wimpy. That’s my Milo shake and Husband went for the lumo yellow banana option.
Saturday, 23 September 2017: Melkbos Kitchen breakfast
Having survived a short but intense work week for us, we felt like a little road trip to start our weekend so travelled a whopping 15 minutes or so to Melkbos. This is the view of the mountain behind us.We stopped in at Melkbosstrand’s latest foodie addition, Melkbos Kitchen (where Ritzi’s used to be, between the Hart and I ❤ Melkies). It’s a warm, welcoming setting with pretty lighting. Husband enjoyed the salmon benedict doused in Tabasco sauce…Cappuccino with biscotti. Delicious!You guys. Just look at this dark chocolate-banana-nut flapjack stack with side jug of cream.It was my parents’ 39th wedding anniversary on the day, so we met them for a quick celebratory beer at the Driftwood once they had returned home from their night away in Wellington. Say cheese! 🙂Later that evening we popped in at Jerry’s on the beachfront – we keep meaning to phone ahead to book one of the booths overlooking the mountain as you see here, next time! I had the Lust Lucy burger (they stuff cheese into the patty, mmm) while Husband tried the Asian chicken burger. As delicious as always, especially if you swap out the standard fries for sweet potato fries. Also see my wild berry shake. Yummers!
Sunday, 24 September 2017: Reload cappuccino and strawberry salad
Breakfast at Reload usually means bagels, omelettes or waffles. On Sunday it meant the first two options – a bacon-bockwurst open omelette with triple cappuccino for Husband and the Copenhagen bagel (grated cheese, ham, mayo as you can see) for me, with choc-mint latte. Close up of that amazing hot drink below…Just gorgeous! No sugar needed as the peppermint-choc syrup is sweet enough.Mum made a beautiful bright salad as part of lupper that evening.
Monday, 25 September 2017: Nicci + Lu’s and ice cream on Fish Hoek beach
We’d been meaning to pop into Nicci + Lu’s (in the same centre as Reload at the Parklands SuperSpar) for a while now, and finally got around to it first thing on Monday. Were we in for a treat! There are gifts aplenty to browse and the food is just what we were looking for. See our cappuccinos here, as well as Husband’s breakfast wrap and my toasted avo, feta and bacon. They have other light meals and daily baked goods to choose from, so I’m sure we’ll be back!Following a quick visit to see brother-in-law Spec’s new place in Fish Hoek, we stopped off at the beach for an ice cream, despite the shivery weather. I was clearly delighted (and Husband had the camera far too close so I couldn’t help laughing nervously, teehee).Here’s a better shot of the ice cream cone, plus see Husband trotting off into the sea in the distance.
I think every August blog post I’ve ever published has mentioned that it’s been a very birthday-filled month. Add my Loeries work coverage to the mix and it’s almost impossible to fit in everything we want or need to do. Despite the craziness we did still get to see both our moms for their birthdays in the past few days, as you’ll see below…
Sunday, 13 August 2017: Mum’s birthday lunch at Moyo
My mom usually cooks Sunday lupper for us, so we decided having her NOT cook would be one of her gifts, especially as her birthday fell on a Sunday this year. We went to Moyo for something different, and as we’d let them know it was Mum’s birthday, she was presented with a special dish of ice cream and berry sauce, was sung to, made to wear a hat AND fed the first spoonful.To eat, we went with the sweet potato soup (me), the flame-grilled chermoula fish (Husband), the Maputo peri-peri chicken (Mum) and the oxtail with dumplings (Dad). We were all licking our fingers afterwards, so delicious!We tried the ‘Independence’ shooters to end the meal in style. They’re yummy Pina Colada-y concoctions!We took a photo of our Moyo-painted faces when we got home before the paint started flaking off.Sunset from my parents’ house later that evening.
Tuesday, 15 August 2017: Velvet Cake Co sneak peek
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of some of the Velvet Cake Co’s new treats – my parents came along. Click here for all the words, this is just proof I was there in front of the lovely cake-painted walls.Aren’t these the most gorgeous cakes? Really special.Probably the prettiest slice of cake I’ve ever seen.Little bites of all sorts of niceness. An enormous strawberry, caramel-popcorn-meringue topped cupcake, and red velvet cupcake.
Wednesday, 16 August 2017: Opening of CEM Africa Summit
Scenes from the first day of the CEM Africa Summit – gin stands, a packed panel session, interesting art work in the Century City Conference Centre and proof I was there covering it.
Saturday, 19 August 2017: Mum-in-law’s birthday breakfast at Steenberg’s Bistro 1682
My mum-in-law decided she wanted to host her 65th birthday breakfast at Steenberg’s Bistro 1682 all the way back when we first took her there in November last year, before they had officially moved down here from Johannesburg. The weather played along beautifully on the day.If you’ve been to Bistro 1682 for breakfast you’ll know the wonder of this surprise – the warm, sweet rolls with toffee sauce to dip in that are served while waiting for your meals to arrive. Drool!“Happy birthday to you!” Oysters were shucked, pork belly-bacon benedicts devoured, bubbly toasts were made and a special birthday plate of treats was presented to the birthday girl. All in all a lovely birthday experience.The other side of the table – an almost-well-from-his-cold Husband, a just-starting-to-suffer-the-symptoms dad and a smiling-happily brother-in-law.Bellies full, we trotted outside for some family photos. First up, Husband with his clan.Then it was our turn.,, ❤Now one with everyone, minus my father-in-law as photographer. On taking this pic we realised we had all dressed to a blue/green theme without realising. Stylish!Husband whisked me away to our nearest Spur with a view of the sea much, much later for a quick Saturday afternoon treat between batches of work. We ended up with a Pina Colada, hazelnut latte and chicken-bacon-avo salad to share.
Sunday, 18 August 2017: Coffee tasting tray at The Daily
We popped in at Seaside Village’s Daily Cafe for a quick breakfast bite before more work rolled in. Here is Husband with his coffee, the new menus and my Nutella-banana pancakes. Always start your day with chocolate, where you can!Of course I went for the coffee tasting tray when I saw it on the menu. It’s three tiny cups of plain espresso, espresso con panna (with cream) and their famous ‘tin cup’ with condensed milk. A must for coffee lovers like me. I’m trying their hot chocolate tasting tray next!Apologies for the lack of doggy pics this week, kids – here’s a pic of our little angel Freckles to make up for it.
That’s all, folks! Have a happy, sunny weekend and click here for more of our Velvet Cake Co experience.
It was another working weekend for Husband but the good news is, we’re about to see the last of them (and his stint as Marvin) as he’s back on normal shifts! Celebrate with us! But first, scroll through our latest favourite moments of the week below…
Friday, 14 July 2017: Christmas in July and the Quarterdeck buffet
Our Entertainment committee rustled up a very festive ‘Christmas in July’ table to enjoy after our monthly staff meeting on Friday. Look at all the food and drink, you’d swear it was snowing outside with jingle bells a-ringing.We even dressed to theme!How very ‘Western Christmassy’ – a mug of hot chocolate and choc-chip cookie.Remember I attended the IMC a few weeks ago? Well, I won a dinner for two at the Quarterdeck Restaurant in GrandWest Casino for my tweeting during the event (yay). That’s where we dined last Friday evening. It’s just like a buffet on a sea-going ship, so go prepared with an empty belly! The doors only open at 7pm but we were early eager beavers, clearly.Behold the colourful mini salad bowls. You could also create your own, but I went with one of these as a pre-starter.Many plates later, it was time for dessert! The choices take up a whole side of the ‘ship’ restaurant (that’s the one inside GrandWest Casino, not the pirate ship in the parking lot) – boy, was it hard to choose what to add to our plates. See the waffle station, the mini desserts, the ice cream counter with all sorts of toppings and Husband’s caramelly ice cream bowl.My first dessert plate – a red velvet waffle topped with toffee and chocolate sauce, mini Astros and tiny marshmallows; a fudgey chocolate cake slice; a profiterole; a soft pink coconut marshmallow; and mini tiramisu.
Saturday, 15 July 2017: Italian Club gnocchi
T’was a cold day. I spent much of it reading and sorting our taxes while Husband was at work. Note to self: A creamy coffee and salted caramel nuts make such a good snack while reading!As it was such a cold Saturday, the moment Husband was done with work we headed off to the Italian Club for bowls of gnocchi bolognese. Perfect winter comfort food, especially with a coffee shake or glass or red, depending on your preferences.
Sunday, 16 July 2017: More local Italian treats
I went for a quick treat with Mum and Dad at the newly opened Trescatelli on Blouberg beach front Sunday morning. It was packed! And no wonder, with the cannoli so fresh and crisp, the coffees strong and the cafe crema, a lovely coffee ice cream blend. Yum!Mum had also whipped up a batch of these chocolate-rose water delights when we went over for lupper. They had a lovely Turkish Delight taste.The doggies snuggled up under a blanket on the couch for most of the evening.
Tuesday, 18 July 2017: Mandela Day posing
Tuesday was Mandela Day, so a few of us dressed in Madiba-themed clothes at work and posed for a ‘Madiba shuffle’ Boomerang and pic. We also encouraged donations to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
Thursday, 20 July 2017: Yo Yoga Cape Town’s 21-day yoga challenge
My colleague Ilse joined me for Yo Yoga’s 21-day yoga challenge on Thursday morning, where I bumped into another conference friend, Jenna – read all about the challenge here. We survived 40 minutes of bikram yoga in 45’C heat!A few pics of our time in the studio. That’s me tweeting away before we got down to business.Post-yoga treats – Vita Coco coconut water and all sorts of Superfood snacks – even dark chocolate! Mmm.Weather on the way back to the office after the yoga session – cloudy and cold!
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.
Hello, you! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. We had a household chore-filled weekend last, but still managed a few snappable highlights, as you’ll see below…
Saturday, 3 September 2016: Belated anniversary brunch at Mondiall
You know we love Mondiall at the Waterfront – click here for a reminder of our review of their Winter specials, and here for my love of their chocolate sundae. That’s also where Mum and Dad treated us to a post-anniversary brunch this past weekend. Cuppa with Nespresso sugar while taking in the view from Mondiall = perfect start to a Saturday.Something I’ve failed to photograph on our previous visits to Mondiall. Champers and real books. Such a nice way to fill a bookshelf to the ceiling.Here’s Dad looking at the little train trundling past Mondiall. So cute.The anniversary couple. Teehee. This was the best attempt from a batch of about six attempts by my very patient mom. Husband is Very Serious. I’m not.Our Daddy’s Deal vouchers meant we got to have two brunches for R89. Two of us went for the Eggs Benedict with bacon, the other two had the Eggs Royale (with salmon).Bellies full, we wandered around the Waterfront, looking at all the touristy things we usually skip.How cute is this chess set? The little animals are very well made.Took a while deciding which direction to go…Unable to reach agreement on travel destination, in the end we compromised and went back home.Following an afternoon of mall-things, Husband had a sushi craving. Luckily, John Dory’s had a Saturday sushi special. Happy husband, happy wallet.And then, home again, it was time for those chores I mentioned, most of which involved gardening. Here’s Bertie trying out the new wheelbarrow.
Sunday, 4 September 2016: Early Summer beach visits
Husband made breakfast at home on Sunday, then we got stuck into more gardening. As it was such a hot day, Husband decided a dip in the icy ocean was a good idea… but he wasn’t in for long. You can just picture his squeals of pain in this pic..Beach blooms.Then we had ice cream cones while gazing at the sea. Mine was swirled with coffee cream sauce…Husband had caramel swirls with his.
Monday, 5 September 2016: Post-anniversary roses
Husband is not one to do things as expected. As such, he ordered this bouquet of roses and choccies to be delivered to my desk at work on Monday – a little over a week after our we had officially celebrated our anniversary. 🙂
That’s all for now, folks! Tune in next week for my next episode 🙂
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 