This past week was filled with work fun and lots of family time, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Thursday, 1 August 2019: Sampling Cavalli’s winter menu and Cremello white blend
I attended a media lunch to celebrate Cavalli’s Cremello white blend wine on Thursday afternoon. Views as seen from the deck at Cavalli. It’s gorgeous!Some of the delicious food. See my enormous bowl of cauliflower chive risotto topped with a parmesan crisp top-left, starter tortellini served with vichysoisse, pumpkin seeds and tomato ragu top-right, the springbok loin was another win, paired with fermented garlic mash, bok choi and celeriac puree with the Warlord red wine in the middle, and a selection of dessert friandes on the bottom. Yum!Liquid refreshment on offer at Cavalli…Some of the lovely sights at Cavalli, which means ‘horse’ in Italian.This is a cremello (blonde) horse. Fancy Boy lives in the stables at Cavalli and celebrated his 13th birthday on the day of our visit!
Friday, 2 August 2019: Silly sleepy dog
Teehee. Bertie sitting and sleeping in funny positions on Friday evening, after tiring himself out yapping and snapping at the garden sprinklers. See his completely vertical back leg and wide-open eyes yet fast-asleep face.
Saturday, 3 August 2019: Good Thyme Cafe brek, braai at Husband’s parents
We breakfasted at the new Good Thyme Cafe at Stodels in Milnerton on Saturday morning. See my apple-cinnamon oats and Husband’s spicy chorizo potato rosti with an extra egg, lots of rocket and Sriracha Hollandaise sauce.We’d not braaied at Husband’s parents house in a while, so that’s where we were on Saturday afternoon. See some of the food and Bassie exploring the garden in one of her warm jerseys.Precious doglets at their other Granny-Grampa’s house that evening.Tabasco was unimpressed that this bag of movie popcorn shared her name.
Sunday, 4 August 2019: News Cafe brek, Flamingo Vlei dog walkies
We breakfasted at News Cafe, Marine Circle on Sunday morning and were in time for the earlybird English breakfast special.We stopped at Bread and Butter for a quick cafe mocha while running weekend errands that afternoon.We also stopped at Driftwood Cafe for a late-lunch on Sunday. See my pink strawberry shake and toasted chicken mayo, as well as Husband’s Castle Lite draught with the chicken curry special.Scenes from our walkies with the doggies around Flamingo Vlei last Sunday afternoon. Love the one bottom-right of Bassie saying ‘Come Mom, it’s this way.”Picture perfect view of the Vlei, about 1.5km’s walk from home.Two exhausted doglets snuggled on various couches post-walkies.
Tuesday, 6 August 2019: Panarotti’s pizza special post-work
Tuesday night is the pasta and pizza special at Panarotti’s, so we ventured forth after work that evening. In addition to the pizzas, see all the milkshakes! That’s a Bar-One shake for me, lime for Dad, banana for Husband and a Sprite Zero for Mum.
Wednesday, 7 August 2019: SodaStream’s City Sightseeing red bus tour
After briefly checking in at the office on Wednesday morning, I dashed to Tasha’s at the V&A Waterfront, where I was meeting a media group for our morning excursion. See my steaming-hot blueberry muffin (they’re not on the menu, just ask!)City Sightseeing bus tour, anyone? This was another media event, for the launch of SodaStream’s new sustaianle bottles – we also sampled their non-alcoholic pina colada and pink mojito flavours. More on Bizcommunity soon!A bunch of the attendees posing on top of Signal Hill in the freezing wind.Signal Hill, as seen from the SodaStream Red Bus tour, for the launch of their new sustainable bottles.Look at that view! Cape Town, as seen from Signal Hill on the City Sightseeing red bus tour.
That’s all, folks! Click here to recap my full Cavalli review on Bizcommunity and watch for my SodaStream coverage soon. We hope you’re having a wonderfully restful long weekend. 🙂
*Disclaimer: My meal at Cavalli and City Sightseeing red bus tour were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
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.
Last weekend was longer than usual as it was the Easter weekend, and we took an extra day’s leave on the Thursday…
Monday, 15 April 2019: After-work book launch in Woodstock
I popped in at the Test Kitchen in the Old Biscut Mill after work last Monday, for the launch of Sandalene Dale-Roberts’ latest cookbook, The Inside Job. See some of the decor and food that we sampled from the book.Couldn’t resist snapping this wall art outside the Old Biscuit Mill, on my way home that evening.
Wednesday, 17 April 2019: Start-of-weekend dins at CTFM
Our gardener pointed out an enormous beehive in a corner of the garden, which we had removed. The bees were taken to safety, and we were left with lots of honeycomb!Bee rescue complete, we headed to CTFM in Seaside Village for a ‘welcome to the long weekend’ meal. See the parents’ prawns, my beef burger, Husband’s Teriyaki salmon and the top of my berry bomb gourmet shake.The whole family, enjoying our CTFM dins – especially as we used our Entertainer vouchers for added value!
Thuesday, 18 April 2019: Car service day, swing benching with Bassie
We had taken Thursday off from work as our car was booked in for a service, walking distance from home. That was our first stop on Thursday…Breakfast is much more satisfying if you’ve worked – made that walked – for it! See the lovely sun-dappled path, and our breakfast at Reload, Flamingo Vlei. Husband had the Turkish eggs and a double flat white, I had a peppermint-choc latte and the chicken-mayo bacon bagel. Just right, before the walk back home.Bassie loved sitting on the swing bench with me on Thursday evening.The tree is quite a sight when it’s all lit up! We ate outside that night.
Friday, 19 April 2019: Good Friday hot cross buns, Irish nachos and jalapeno poppers at Saint’s
We all breakfasted together at News Cafe on Friday morning. See my early bird full English breakfast.Sweet little Bassie was Very Interested in my chocolate hot cross bun, especially as I’d filled it with Caramel Treat. Caramel-chocolate hot cross buns were advertised anywhere, but none were in stock, so I made my own.We stopped in at Saint’s for a late-afternoon treat. See my cafe Capri – a latte with chocolate and coconut, as well as Husband’s spiked shake with black beer, Irish whiskey and Nutella, his ‘green hot’ jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon and my ‘Irish nachos’. Yum!It was cold enough that evening for us to put our new fireplace to use for the first time. Bassie enjoyed it but Bertie LOVED it. See various phases of his evening enjoyment here.
Saturday, 20 April 2019: Velvet Cake Co’s Easter slice
Makro was our first stop on Saturday, so we ate at the in-store restaurant, Cafe De La Fe. See my toasted chicken mayo and Husband’s full cooked breakfast, as well as his large cream-topped cappuccino – my latte is just out of sight.Sweet Bertie boy stretched out to fully enjoy the Saturday sunshine.We popped in at Husband’s parents for a quick pre-Easter visit on Saturday afternoon. See the delicious slice of ‘Easter cake’ from the Velvet Cake Co top right.Beautiful citrussy skies at night.
Sunday, 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday fondue fun at home
We had a mall admin morning on Sunday, so breakfasted at Woolworths Cafe. See my vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino and poached egg bowl, as well as Husband’s chilli omelette and double flat white.Husband made friends with what the Robben Island website tells us is a Cape Dwarf chameleon that had been exploring the garden. Much larger than the little guy from a few weeks ago, so it’s probably his dad or older brother. Click here if you’ve forgotten!Happy Easter! See our pretty pink roses, Dad with leafy ‘bunny ears’, and our lovely pork and veggies fondue.
Monday, 22 April 2019: Easter Monday breakfast at On the Rocks, lupper at Rocomama’s
It was a crisp but beautiful day on Monday, so we started ours with breakfast at On the Rocks. See our cappuccinos as well as Husband’s croque Madame and my French toast with berries and ice cream.After much lazing around, we had an ‘end-of-the-holiday’ treat visit at Rocomama’s that afternoon. See our smiles and my espresso shake. Not pictured – our delicious burgers and Husband’s draught beer.
Tuesday, 23 April 2019: Chocolate bunnies to get back into work mode
The return to work on Tuesday was sweetened by the Lindt bunny waiting on my laptop.
Wednesday, 24 April 2019: Pre-work coffee treat at Tribe
Husband had a work meeting in town first thing on Wednesday, so dropped me off at work on the way. But first, coffee! We love the blend at Tribe, which is over the road from my office, and all coffees are R15 if ordered before 9am. See our tall flat whites, the wall mural outside and some literal spilt milk on the steps outside. We didn’t cry over it.
That’s all, folks! We hope you have a restful weekend ahead 🙂
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. 🙂
Remember I shared last week’s blog post a whole day early? That’s because we were out of town on Friday – as a double-whammy 35th birthday and family destination wedding getaway…
Thursday, 14 February 2019: Valentine’s Day hot dogs and shakes at Rocomama’s
I’d taken a day’s leave on Valentine’s Day, so that I’d be well into the holiday spirit for our weekend away. See my lovely lunchtime treat at Rocomama’s with my parents – that’s a double BCG hot dog (topped with bacon, cheese and guacamole), as well as a Nutella-banana waffle and various cold drinks.
Friday, 15 February 2019: My 35th birthday – Hermanus waffles and dinner in Gansbaai
Happy birthday to me! Imagine balloons and such. We were both obviously on leave so we slept in until after the weekday alarm usually goes off, then decided on a New Cafe breakfast as we needed an early start for the first leg of our road trip up to Hermanus.Lunchtime! After a good few hours on the road, we met my parents at Belgian Waffles, Burgers and Beers in Hermanus. See some of the beers sampled, as well as my Speculaas waffle and ginger-white chocolate cappuccino. Happy happy!Husband and Dad off to dip their toes in the sea at Grotto Bay – it was quite a low tide so they didn’t venture in beyond their ankles.Benguela Lodge in De Kelders was our home base for the weekend. Lots of blue skies and the sound of water everywhere made for some happy Aquarians (and Leo parents).A spot of birthday cave exploring? Why not! It was so hot, we were happy to dip our feet in the sea again…Love how Husband captured Mum capturing this snap – the only ‘birthday hat’ photo we took. 🙂We decided on birthday dins at the Blue Goose, just up the road in Gansbaai.Scenes from my birthday dinner at Blue Goose restaurant in De Kelders. See the sunny dining area, bottle of Hermanuspieterfontein red, my chicken dish and the linefish, both with crispy baby potatoes.Beautiful sunset over Gansbaai on our way back to De Kelders that evening.
Saturday, 16 February 2019: My cousin Shelley’s wedding at Panorama Farm in Franskraal
T’was a cold, drizzly Saturday morning so we decided to pop in at the wedding venue for a quick recce. See the pretty pruned trees, main castle building and various dogs and horses we befriended.Next stop, we drove up to see where the shark cage-diving happens in Gansbaai. There were so many folk in wet suits! Not us, of course…By then we needed a treat so stopped at Giuseppe’s Pizza in Gansbaai for cocktails – their special is ‘buy any two beers, pay for both’. Lol! See my toffee-nut shake; Dad’s enormous Long Island Ice Tea, with a thick lemon wedge separating the white spirits from the sugarless Cola; Mum’s bloody Mary; and Husband’s orange Sex on the Beach. All were yum!Sights we saw at Panorama Farm in Franskraal, at Shelley and Richard’s wedding.Panorama Farm has a lovely forest ceremony area, which is where we witnessed the vows. See Shelley walking down the aisle with her brother and dad.Aww. Such a special moment, snapped between my cousin Darryl (brother of the bride) and his son, Dylan.Introducing Mr and Mrs Lothian! The joy and love was all around us.Wedding bubbles! See the sweet individual bubble blowers we used at the ceremony, with rose petals, as well as the enormous bubbles we created when it was time for ‘snacks and lawn games’. Also see Dad and Husband doing the same the next morning, at the post-wedding breakfast.Beautiful platters adorned the wedding reception tables.Sunflowers were clearly the theme, adding a sunny touch to the tables, with Shelley’s hair featuring daisies.See the individual cheese, cracker and spread platters that were waiting on the tables, as well as the dessert table, including the cake and cinnamon cookies Shelley baked herself. Yes, those are Groot and Deadpool cake-toppers! 🙂Teehee, happy faces at our table at the wedding reception at Panorama Farm.Various family dance floor shots – the newly married couple opening the floor to ‘Love to see you smile’ by Homer and Marge Simpson, posing with the rest of us, and the family on the dance floor.The sunset from the ‘Love’-lit pond was so beautiful.
Sunday, 17 February 2019: Post-wedding breakfast at Panorama Farm
We missed our doglets very much but made friends with Benguela Lodge’s sweet African bush cat, Oscar.After a speedy check-out, we started our Sunday with a brief explore of the walkway down to the deck overlooking the sea at De Kelders. It was just beautiful.Champagne sparkles on the glossy blue sea.Next stop, our third visit at beautiful Panorama Farm, where we all met up for a quick farewell ‘foodtruck’ brekkie, featuring coffee and bacon-egg rolls. Just the thing after all the dancing of the night before.We had worked up quite an appetite from our morning walk, so the bacon-and-egg buns and cups of coffee in the sunshine went down a treat.
That’s all, folks. Here’s to a relaxing weekend ahead! 🙂
This has been our most family-filled Christmas in a long time, as we got to celebrate with both sets of parents as well as extended family on both sides. We were also lucky enough to start our December holiday with a stay at La Petite Ferme in Franschhoek, what a magical place!
Our souls are happy and bellies full – you’ll see why from all the snaps below…
Friday, 22 December 2018: Holiday waffles and Blowfish dins
Mum and Dad treated me to a waffle at Milky Lane in Table Bay Mall to mark my first day of holiday last Friday. See my Crunchie waffle, Dad’s lemon meringue version and Mum’s churro ice cream cup that looked just like Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.By then, Husband was done with his morning of work so he joined us for a strong flat white at Limnos Bakery in the mall. Let the holidays begin!The colours at the beachfront were just gorgeous that afternoon. If you look closely, you’ll spot Husband waving from the waves.We started the weekend with an early lupper at the Blowfish restaurant in Dolphin Beach that afternoon. See Husband’s seafood pasta and my butternut-feta gnocchi.
Saturday, 22 December 2019: A stay at La Petite Ferme, Franschhoek
Bread & Butter in Sunningdale has extended its trading hours over the festive season, so that’s where we had our early Saturday morning breakfast. See our flat whites and single eggs benedicts – Mexican for Husband. bacon for me. Bellies full, we were ready for a road trip…We were excited to see a different side of Franschhoek that weekend, as we were reviewing a night at La Petite Ferme, set on the foot of the Oliphant’s Pass. See fields of lavender and the lush green maze of Terbidor’s Big Dog Cafe on our way into town.Views of the valley, vineyards and vino at La Petite Ferme – ‘the little farm’. It’s different from the typical ‘Main Road Franschhoek’ accommodation as you’re situated up above the town with a view of the mountain on the one side and on the other, twinkly lights of the valley below. Highly recommended!We were lucky to stay in the Provencale Vineyard Suite as the accommodation is pure luxury, complete with a view of the blue mountains and vineyards right from the bathtub, and delicious cookies at the in-suite coffee station.Some of the scenery around our private cottage suite – inviting shady tree-lined walkways, a welcome bowl of fruit, and of course our private pool.View of our private pool from the main living area of the suite. It was heavenly!Husband spent most of his afternoon in the pool. The dark green tiles made it feel like we had slipped into the background and were part of nature.I’ll drink to that! Husband enjoying a taste of La Petite Ferme’s oak-barreled Chardonnay.Guests are welcome to a private wine tasting and tour of the vines on the property. See the five wines we sampled, each paired with a specific savoury bite from the kitchen. Watch for my full wordy review on Bizcommunity in the new year!Mr and Mrs Andrews making their way from their suite to the restaurant – we couldn’t stop gazing at that beautiful view!Sunset signals supper time at La Petite Ferme. See the magical glow over the mountains and valley below – you can just spot me in the picture on the top-left.The food tasted as good as it looked. See our breadboard, including charcoal rolls with harissa paste, two views of our shared zucchini roll starter and our mains – the deboned whole trout for Husband, and the pulled lamb for me. Both were all so delicious we left our plates clean. Not pictured – the caramel milkshake I slurped to the last drop.A feast for the eyes before we’d even had a taste. See another view of our mains – lamb top-left and trout top-right, as well as our desserts – chocolate torte bottom-left and pumpkin doughnuts with peanut-butter ice-cream bottom-right.The ‘gownie shot’, once back in our suite that evening – this was the best option of about 20 takes, I promise.
Breakfast at La Petite Ferme is a treat, with so many delicious choices from the buffet table – see the pastries; fresh fruit and fish; my ‘first breakfast’ bowl of granola with berries, cranberry juice and cappuccino; and Husband’s beautiful plate of eggs Onassis – spinach, salmon and Hollandaise sauce.More of the buffet spread; along with my prettily plated hot breakfast order of French toast topped with bacon and cooked apple slivers; and my ‘third breakfast’ nutty pastry plait with cappuccino; as well as Husband enjoying his plate of eggs.I’d heard about the beautiful peacocks at La Petite Ferme and we spotted a few during our stay – they often leapt into the trees to sing their odd ‘mewling’ cry. But more impressive that this…Look! A little chick on the peahen’s back! Two eggs had just hatched during our stay.After checking out we made our way back home, then stopped in at Pakalolo’s on the beachfront with Spec for Christmas cocktails that afternoon. See Husband’s bloody mary, Spec’s mojito and my ‘champagne mojito’, complete with sparkly MCC.The celebrations kept coming! We had Peche Royale sparkling peach, as well as salad and toasted sandwiches to literally ‘toast’ the start of the holidays with Spec at Mum’s house that afternoon. Also see our coconut ice cream with caramel sauce and Bertie’s Christmas present from his granny-grampa – a soft blue monkey, his newest best friend.
Monday, 24 December 2018: Blaauwberg Beach Hotel breakfast and Christmas Eve family dins
The Blaauwberg Beach Hotel has finally opened its doors, so we had breakfast at their Waves restaurant on Monday morning. See my peanut-butter waffle, Husband’s eggs royale and Spec’s breakfast taco. Portions are generous, so go hungry!Of course we explored the rest of the hotel, too – just look at the views from one of three pools! We’ll definitely be back once their cocktail bar opens in the new year.Sweet little Bassie on Christmas Eve. She turned into a shy girl with so many family members saying hi at her grandparents’ house. The food was lovely, too – pre-ordered individual portions of chicken, gammon and ham with rice, roast potatoes, creamy cauliflower, carrots and butternut. Yum!Merry Christmas Eve! The full family enjoying our festive feast.
Tuesday, 25 December 2018: Christmas lunch in Big Bay
Woolworths Cafe was one of few places open for breakfast on Christmas Day, so that’s where we topped up our tummies again, this time on vanilla-cinnamon cappuccinos, flat whites, Labneh apple-toast and chorizo hash bowls. My parents also popped in for generous portions of scrambled eggs, bacon and avo on toast.Merry Christmas! We spent much of the rest of the day at the beautiful new Big Bay house of relations on Mum’s side. See the slide-cover pool and view across the ocean to Table Mountain.See some of the Christmas day laughs captured here.Full family (apart from Eleanor, taking the photo) at Christmas lunch at the Conradies’ newly built house. Also, Gillian presenting the beautiful Christmas tree starter Mum created.Did we eat and eat! See the cheese, fruit and crackers; roast potatoes; Christmas pies – steak, chicken and venison; pigs in ‘scarves’ (their bacon ‘blankets’ shrunk in the cook); and the beautiful cheesecake made by my cousin, Erin. There was also homemade malva pudding with custard and Uncle Al’s bread-and-butter pudding.No wonder some of us were very sleepy that evening, dreaming Christmassy dreams.
Wednesday, 26 December 2018: Day of Reconciliation (AKA: Christmas leftovers)
We filled our bellies (again) with the early bird English breakfast special at News Cafe on Marine Circle.Day of Reconciliation means lots of Christmas leftovers. We found ourselves back at Husband’s parents’ house with his extended relations for a final taste of Christmas. It was yummy but we are so done with cooked ham for a while!
That’s all, folks! We hope you had an equally delicious Christmas week. Excuse us while we try walk off some of those calories. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at La Petite Ferme were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Streaked with clouds, pink pastels, fire ball orange – this past week I can’t believe the beautiful sunsets I’ve snapped, mostly near the sea. See for yourself below…
Saturday, 13 October 2018: Greens breakfast and sunset burgers from Saint’s
We started our Saturday with breakfast at Greens in Plattekloof Village with Husband’s parents. See our smiley faces and breakfasts.See Husband’s Seaside haddock, hash brown and poached egg breakfast; his dad’s deluxe breakfast with beans, chips, bacon and mushrooms; my flapjacks with caramelised pear, pecan and marscapone cheese; and my coffee shake.Spending quality time with the furkids later that afternoon.We decided on Saint’s in Eden on the Bay for lupper as it’s one of the best spots (close to home) to sea-gaze. See my Cafe Capri – it’s a latte topped with chocolate and coconut, as well as Husband’s glass of red and Tom Yum shooter with chilli flakes on the rim, and our enormous burgers and sides.Bellies full, it was almost time to catch the sunset. We posed all around the yellow National Geographic frame…And then we hit the beach at ‘golden hour’ – I find the light to be just magical as sunset approaches. See how the mountain was outlined, and the sun as it set over the sea.See folk on rocks with their dog in the distance.Pretty girl, nibbling some leftovers.
Sunday, 14 October 2018: News Cafe breakfast and Pakololo sundowners
We popped into News Cafe in Marine Circle for an earlybird Sunday morning breakfast – we were there before 8am! See my cappuccino and earlybird English, as well as Husband’s ‘Mexican sunrise’ bowl.The top row is lupper at Mum’s on Sunday – homemade bobotie with peach mousse dessert; while the bottom row is from dins at our house on Tuesday eve – Mum made meatballs, spicy rice and veg, while Dad captured the rainbow flower light in this coffee cup reflection.Sundowners at Pakololo’s on the beachfront that evening. A Kahlua dom pedro for me, with a Bloody Mary for Husband.Heart-eyes emoji for this pastel sunset, as captured in our back garden.
Wednesday, 17 October 2018: Smile 90.4FM new office meet and greet
I popped in to see Smile 90.4 FM’s new offices after work on Wednesday. They have gorgeous views across the CBD, with lots of greenery and lovely spaces to relax inside, too…Hanging with the cool kids – I chatted to radio hosts Bobby, Bailey and Lindy from Smile FM, as well as Fatima from the Cape Town Ramadaan and Lifestyle Expo.Another beautiful sunset, while passing Sunset Beach on my way home that evening.
That’s all, folks! May your weekend be filled with similarly beautiful sunsets. 🙂
This past weekend was Father’s Day, and this week the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity award week in full, so it’s been a super busy time, as you’ll see from the snaps below.
We went car crazy with the dads and took in not just one car museum but two, visiting the Wijnland Auto Museum before our appointment at the Franschhoek Motor Museum, followed by lunch in Franschhoek town itself…
Friday, 15 June 2018: A work farewell
Friday was a dear colleague’s last day working with us so we went for an early team dins. See some of the snacks in office, my latte and shared slice of cheesecake at Derry’s on Carlyle in Vredehoek, and a group shot.
Saturday, 16 June 2018: News Cafe and Moyo eats and treats
It was a ‘News Cafe breakfast special’ kind of Saturday, see my early-bird English and cappuccino, as well as Husband’s flat white and bacon eggs benedict.It was very wintery weather so we decided on the Moyo pulled-lamb linguine for an early dins. I had a vanilla latte, Husband had a Castle draught and we also splurged on a set of the Chief of Greatness ‘communal shooters’ – Skyy infusions vanilla vodka, roasted hazelnut extracts and Cape Velvet chocolate liqueur.
Sunday, 17 June 2018: Father’s Day at the Franschhoek Motor Museum and Tuk-Tuk Microbrewery
Bertie boy waiting for his dad to open his eyes so he could welcome him to Father’s Day with a big lick.Oh, my heart! Little Miss Bass having a Father’s Day snuggle with her dad.For Sunday breakfast, we stopped in at Village Place Cafe. See Husband’s eggy mince-on-toast, my berry-banana banting flapjacks and large caramel cappuccino – also the sweet mini cakes we spied, will have to go with enough belly-room for one next time!The sun shone through the streaky clouds, making for the prettiest Sunday roadtrip sky.Our first stop in convoy was the Wijnland Auto Museum in Paarl, on the way to Franschhoek. We saw it all, from the delightfully old…To the very new! Not sure which road is wide-enough to accommodate this rocket-car, it’s quite something.Ahh, Franschhoek! It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the country, especially in winter when they skies are grey, mountains blue and grass finally green from the much-needed rains.We got to the Franshhoek Motor Museum bang on time, boarded the tram from the parking lot and were ready to take in even more motor vehicles in the greenest surrounds.The Franschhoek Motor Museum’s entry area features this bright, Chapman’s Peak-inspired artwork.Wine and art go well together, clearly. Some of the goods for sale in the Franschhoek Motor Museum’s main hall.We were told at reception to make the ‘Food truck hall’ our first stop, and we’re nothing if not good at following orders. See the queue for Terbodore coffee, a bowl of truffle-mayo fries and more.Next, we paused to watch a few cars go around the track. Some real beauts.Several cars were whizzed around the track at a leisurely pace, but the big halls are the main attraction. Just took at these old beauties!Each vehicle on display at the Franschhoek Motor Museum is worth a second look.A quaint, glass-cased collection of model cars.By then there was more then one rumbling tum, so we high-tailed it to Tuk-tuk Microbrewery in the heart of Franschhoek for some grub.Tucking into Tuk-tuk food. See the bowl of salty chips we shared, two of the ‘dogs’ on special – a Mexican and a chorizo, as well as my chicken chimichangas and the fish tostado.We also strolled along the main street and stopped in at Leeu House right beside Tuk-Tuk for the dads to take photos next to Madiba and Gandhi. Plus, chocolates!Precious doglets under a blanket on their Granny’s couch, much later that evening.
Wednesday, 20 June 2018: Family dins at Bossa with Gords
Cannes Lions is one of the busiest, most stressful work weeks of the year, so I was fortified by headphones, coffee, and Kit-Kats that magically appeared on my desk. 😉How beautiful! The dam at Mellish Welbeloond reflected the sunset sky when we drove past on Wednesday evening for family dinner at Bossa in Burgundy Estate.This is what (some of us) came for – Stone-baked base pizza, burgers, beer and shakes. Yum!Happy snaps of the family in eating mode. Gords was clearly down from Joburg for a visit, too.See my mochaccino, as well as assorted burgers and pizzas. We finished everything between us, not a jot needed to be taken home in a doggy bag.Gords’ view of the table. My happy Cape Town family! ❤
That’s all folks! Hope you have a restful, relaxing weekend ahead 🙂
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.
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.
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 