Village Place Mother’s Day breakfast 2019, Aunty Jen and Gords’ visit braai

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. 🙂

Mother’s Day treats, Terra del Capo antipasti and sunset jacuzzis at The Peninsula

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.

Brunch at Damhuis and mid-week Mexican Redemption burgers

Last week went by in a blur as I’ve been a bit under the weather and Husband was on night shift again. Luckily we’re both on leave for a bit next week, to recharge our batteries a little.

See a selection of my favourite moment since my last blog update below, I lived up to my promise of posting quite a few ‘family pics’ of Husband with his brother…

Friday, 19 May 2017: Fish Hoek funeral and evening fires

Aunty Sybil’s funeral flowers were beautiful – fitting as she was on the flower decorating committee at the church where her memorial service was held.

Post-Home Affairs visit and funeral we stopped off at Muizenberg beach with Spec, who would be staying with us for the weekend. We weren’t really dressed for a dip in the sea but still soaked up some sunshine.

T’was chilly that evening so Husband lit a fire. Bassie and I spent hours warming ourselves in front of it.

Saturday, 20 May 2017: Melkbos morning with mum-in-law

As Husband worked the previous weekend, we didn’t get to see my mum-in-law for Mother’s Day. We therefore had a belated Mother’s Day breakfast at Damhuis in Melkbos on Saturday. This was my coffee shake.

Family in breakfast/brunch mode. Was delicious!

Look at the lovely decor and some of the food on offer.

We went on a long walk along the coastline to work off some of that food. See the full Andrews family trotting barefoot here.

Later that afternoon we took Spec to see the Hillside Quarry in Durbanville.

See? Proof we were there.

We stopped in at Saint’s, Eden on the Bay for dins a little later.

This is what we ended up with – two draught beers top left, a single latte bottom right, my ‘Irish nacho’ potato skins and the boys’ fancy burgers.

Sunday, 21 May 2017: Peanut-butter hot chocolate at News Cafe

Drinks at News Cafe were our Sunday afternoon highlight. See my peanut butter hot chocolate, Husband’s Long Island Ice Tea and another shot of the three of us together.

Mum made individual bobotie pots for dins. Delicious!

For dessert, milk tart. 10/10!

Wednesday, 24 May 2017: Work lunch at Redemption Burgers

Wednesday was the day of our next department lunch at work – we try have them every two months or so. This time we took a quick walk down the road to Redemption Burgers at the Old Biscuit Mill.

The Mexican burger, topped with cheddar, guacamole and salsa. Also, tin mug of chips and my wavy-looking cappuccino mug.

That’s all, folks! Stay well and be sure to check in again next week!

Stellenbosch conference views & Mother’s Day 2017

Greetings, loyal blog reader! 🙂

Husband worked last weekend so we weren’t out and about quite as much as normal but we still had a few delicious moments, as you’ll see below…

Wednesday, 10 May 2017: Good Food & Wine Show 2017 media launch

Loved this selection of pics the Good Food & Wine Show posted on Twitter (those are my pics of the non-Black Insomnia coffee at the start of the first row and the cake slices end of second row, eee). Really a lovely media experience, and you can read my event feedback here for more of what to expect from the show.

A handful of the prettiest moments I snapped at the Table Bay Hotel event, all linked to that amazing rainbow cake and world’s strongest Black Insomnia coffee.

Saturday, 13 May 2017: Reload latte and Saint’s burgers

On Saturday Husband left for work then I joined dad for a coffee at the nearest Reload as we were treating mum to a pre-Mother’s Day mani and pedi just down the road. Just look at his lovely mustard-y hot dog and the clever Table Mountain design in my choc-mint latte.

We set off for Saint’s in Eden on the Bay once Husband got home that eve. That’s my Pink Dragon cocktail and Husband’s TNT boozy shake (whisky and salted caramel, so good); as well as his ‘Free Bird’ chicken burger with onion rings and ‘green salad’; my ‘Smoke on the Water’ chorizo-and-pork burger with sweet potato fries and the beginning of the sunset. I still had a bit of work to do that evening so this was a welcome break.

That doesn’t mean we set off straight for home, though. Bellies full and smiles on faces as it was a gorgeous sunny afternoon.

Sunday, 14 May 2017: Mother’s Day breakfast at News Cafe, doggy TLC and beach walks

We had Mother’s Day breakfast bright and early on Sunday to beat the crowds at News Cafe (though Husband had already left for work, so it was just the three of us). Then later in the day we took pizzas along for lupper as moms shouldn’t cook on Mother’s Day.

Food and coffee down gullets we went for a quick ride along the beachfront before heading home. Love how peaceful it was!

Bertie was displaying his couch back-sitting skills on Sunday but also spent some quality time with his current bear, Tiger.

Bassie preferred to spend quality time with me as it was Mother’s Day. Aww, bless.

We went for a quick walk along the beach in Kleinbaai once Husband was done with work for the day.

Monday, 15 May 2017: Office cake and post-work half-price curry

Mmm. We had cake in the office this week as two birthdays were celebrated. This creamy choc cake with strawberry on top sure chased away the Monday blues!

While it doesn’t feel like it’s officially Winter yet in the Cape, winter specials have started popping up on all the menus again. This here is a forkful of the Monday half-price chicken curry special at Eden on the Bay’s Inside – I went for the butter chicken. We’ve been enjoying this special for years (click here for a reminder).

Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 May 2017: Samra conference at Protea Hotel, Stellenbosch

I was lucky enough to attend the annual two-day Samra (South African Marketing Research Association) conference in Stellenbosch earlier this week. Such a pretty town.

View directly out the window of the Protea Hotel’s conference room – little wonder they drew the curtains during sessions!

Conference food is always a treat. Note some of the fresh morning pastries top left, Thursday creme brulee dessert top right, Wednesday brownies dessert bottom left and pretty table settings bottom right.

My Thursday morning pre-conference cuppa was delightful, especially as I got to gaze at this view.

That’s all, folks. We attended the funeral of Husband’s aunt Sybil earlier today and have his brother Spec staying with us this weekend, so expect a few family-themed pics in the next update. Cheerio!