Last weekend I was knocked down by a cold (not the flu, as I had my flu shot this year), but despite that meaning lots of rest time was required we still got out a fair bit, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Thursday, 25 July 2019: Star Wars quizzing at Exclusive Books
Look at those happy faces! Mum had seen a sign for a Star Wars quiz at the Exclusive Books in Table Bay Mall, so Husband and Spec opted in as a team on Thursday evening. They did really well, coming second out of eight teams! Dad and I went along as their cheering team.Celebrating their quiz victory with some sushi at Best of Asia.
Last Friday, I started my work day at the latest Creative Mornings Cape Town event at AAA School. Click here to catch up if you missed my coverage of Kurt Minnaar’s talk.I was even snapped by the official Creative Mornings photographer, snapping a photo at the event!Say cheese! We had our much-awaited team lunch at the Fat Cactus last Friday, walking distance from the office. Even Rod was there!Deciding what to eat was tough. In the end I went for this, the Happy Hog quesadillas, with BBQ pulled pork, cheese and chilli pineapple salsa. Yum! Washed down with an espresso shake, of course.If all goes to plan for Husband, he gets to leave work a little early on a Friday afternoon. The stars aligned for him last Friday so he got home before me for once, and trotted down to the local pub with dad for a quick beer while waiting on my bus to arrive.
Saturday, 27 July 2019: 3D putt-putt, rugby and cake for Spec’s 37th birthday
All in the Kitchen deli was open Saturday morning with a limited menu, so we popped in for the bacon-egg croissant with flat white special.Seaside Village held a Lego expo of sorts on Saturday, so of course we went along to browse with great interest. The Guardians of the Galaxy set is adorable!As Saturday was Spec’s birthday, he stayed over at his parents house for the night. Husband treated him to a round of putt-putt at Glowing Rooms’ 3D blacklight mini golf in Milnerton, along with his parents. I wasn’t up for the adventure (and luckily had played before) so opted for a nap at home instead.I was feeling a little better later that afternoon so bundled up tight to accompany Husband, Spec and their dad to the local Unimil rugby match at Theo Marais Park.We all popped in at Husband’s parents that evening for some birthday singing. Love love love the pic of Husband and Bassie in her hoodied tracksuit top-right.
Sunday, 28 July 2019: Ou Meul breakfast, Reload coffee break
It was the ‘Winteriest’ day on Sunday so we sat inside at the new Ou Meul Bakkery in Melkbos (where the farmstall used to be). See Husband’s eggy toast and my toasted banana bread, as well as our coffees – a flat white and honey-nut latte, respectively.Husband decided I was in need of a Reload coffee treat early Sunday afternoon so we popped into the Parklands branch for a flat white and peppermint-choc latte. He was right, it was just what I needed!Trying to keep warm with the doglets in the lounge on Sunday afternoon.Strawberries, choc cake and ice cream with coffee for Sunday evening dessert at Mum’s.
Wednesday, 31 July and Thursday, 1 August 2019: CEM Africa Summit at CTICC
The 8th CEM (Customer Experience Management) Africa Summit took place on Wednesday and Thursday at the CTICC. See some of my favourite moments here (yes, that is Darth Vader bottom right), and click here for my overview of how government is reducing red tape in the experience economy.Always big smiles when I run into Chantel Botha of BrandLove at the CEM Africa Summit!
That’s all, folks! Husband has since caught my cold, so we’re going to take it easy again this weekend…
I was on leave for the start of this week, recovering from the usual mid-year work stresses, so there are few more pics to scroll through below than usual, even though Husband didn’t take any time off…
Friday, 28 June 2019: Creative Mornings, burny bunny chow and pastel sunsets
I made my way to AAA School of Advertising again last Friday, as it was time for the next Creative Mornings Cape Town event. See some of the sights, and click here for my overview of the event.Pinky-purple sky, as seen from home that evening.We opted for burny bunny chows from Tandoor Palace for dins last Friday, to end the week on a spicy note.
Saturday, 29 June 2019: Cocktails and taco bowls at El Barrio
We had a spot of mall admin to sort out first thing on Saturday, so breakfasted at Bica Cafe in Bayside Mall. See our cappuccinos as well as my early bird special with scrambled eggs and Husband’s croissant with chorizo and egg.We’d not been to El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for a long time, so that’s where we had our Saturday lupper. See my coco-pina frozen margarita and his ‘little mamasita’, as well as my carnita (pork) and his ‘carne con chile’ taco bowl.Proof we were both there.
Sunday, 30 June 2019: Pork and potatoes for Sunday lupper
We met Husband’s parents for breakfast at the Pink Olive in Stark Ayres nursery last Sunday as it’s walking distance from their home – Spec had slept over at their house the night before, so he joined us. See everyone except for Husband’s dad (he was off blowing his nose when these pics were snapped). Also see my French toast with cooked banana, syrup and cream cheese, as well as our flat whites.We stopped in at MIlky Lane in Table Bay Mall for our Sunday afternoon treat. See Husband’s Crunchie whizzer and my ‘Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup & Crunchie creamy coffee’ shake. Yes, really.The cold weather has really set in, so Mum’s roast pork, potatoes and zucchini was perfect for Sunday lupper!Bertie promptly hopped in when we put Bassie’s day bed in front of the fire on Sunday evening. Such sweeties.
Monday, 1 July 2019: Roadtrip to Stellenbosch, Doodles dins
On Monday, my parents and I took a little roadtrip to Fairview in Stellenbosch. If you look closely you’ll see a squirrel in the tree, top-right.Various shots of our Monday lunch at Fairview’s Goatshed.Mmm! We had a light lunch of gammon sandwiches and cured fish platters, with lovely cappuccinos. We left with full bellies.Of course we also stopped to look at all the goats before leaving. They slowly made their way up and down their tower and stopped for a snack.The goat tower, as seen from the Goatshed restaurant.Mum stopped to smell a rose in the garden on our way out.Husband wanted an adventure when he got home that evening so we headed off to Doodles on the beachfront, just in time for sunset. Also see my caramel shake and Husband’s snail starter. For mains, we had the chicken schnitzel Monday special and pork-bangers-and-mash winter special.Such a pretty sunset over Table Mountain, as seen from Doodles.
Tuesday, 2 July 2019: Rainy day pasta at 95 at Parks, waffles at Tasha’s
After a lazy start and attending Mum’s weekly Ageless Grace seated fitness class, Tuesday afternoon was rainy and cold, perfect pasta weather. We went to 95 at Parks for some of the ‘pasta ripiena’ Mum and I had sampled at chef Giorgio Nava’s masterclass the week before. See the rainy setting and lovely breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to start our lunch.Our pasta bowls. All was delicious and just what we had hoped for! See my butternut-filled ravioli, Dad’s seafoody spaghettoni and Mum’s gorgonzola-nutty gnocchi. Mmm!Pasta perfection – the cappuccino was also a win.Next stop, waffles! We needed something sweet to end the meal so went to Tasha’s Waffles in Constantia for waffles and coffee. Just the way to spend a Tuesday afternoon!Everything is so bright and beautiful that we wanted to add it all to our waffles. In the end we both had a scoop of caramel ice-cream, with a Smarties-Astros mix on mine and Turkish Delight for Dad.
Wednesday, 3 July 2019: Pie, chips and gravy at Limnos Bakery
On Wednesday, my last day of leave, we popped in at Limnos Bakery in Table Bay Mall for their ‘pie, chips, gravy and cappuccino’ lunchtime special.The doggies spent much of the week wrapped in blankets and getting snuggles, as seen here.
That’s all, folks! Stay warm and dry, we’ll see you same time, same place next week. 🙂
This past week has been busy but filled with delicious moments, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Tuesday, 4 June 2019: Terroir lunch at Kleine Zalze
On Tuesday, 4 June I was invited to celebrate Kleine Zalze’s second straight win as best New World Producer. Perfect way to prep for a media roadtrip – takeaway cappuccino from Tasha’s, then onto the shuttle!This view of the submerged windwill is visual proof that you’re almost in Stellenbosch.The wintery scene that met us at Terroir in Kleine Zalze, Stellenbosch.More pre-food moments at Terroir.The bread and antipasti on arrival, as well as stuffed chicken and Picanha steak. All the words are in my overview on Bizcommunity!Delicious desserts! A selection of petit fours, cheese board platters and a cappuccino just before the rain started up again.
Thursday, 6 June: Doggy burger-bun beds and Rocomama’s dins with Gords
Sweet Bassie finally using her burger-bun bed when I worked from home on Thursday.Speaking of burgers… Gords was in town for a few days of business so stayed with us on Thursday night. We treated him to dins at our nearest Rocomama’s.Two milkshake slurpers in action! Gords had strawberry, I went for espresso. Yum.
Friday, 7 June 2019: Pink, streaky sky over Woodstock
Pink, streaky sky over Woodstock as seen from work as the sun rose around 8am.Doglets warming themselves in front of the fire that evening.
Saturday, 8 June 2019: Woolworth’s breakfast repeat, lamb roast
We started our weekend with a dose of mall admin, so W Cafe in Woolworth’s, Table Bay Mall was our first stop. See my vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino and croissant French toast, as well as Husband’s chilli-egg omelette. Yes, this is a carbon copy of last Saturday’s breakfast!Husband far out to sea later that day. This is his “Winter? What Winter” pose.Husband’s parents invited us over for a lamb roast on the braai on Saturday night. See our happy faces.Husband and Bassie pre- and post-dins. Lol! Bertie was there too, but moved too fast for photos.
Sunday, 9 June 2019: Red velvet lattes and sweet moments with the doggies
We breakfasted at Ou Meul Bakery in Willowbridge Centre on Sunday morning. See my delicious red-velvet latte and Nutella-berry croissant French toast, as well as Husband’s hummus toast and flat white (unpictured).Sweet doggy moments later that day (some them literally sweet, with cake and doughnuts).
That’s all, folks! We hope you have a lovely long weekend and Father’s Day with your family.
*Disclaimer: My food and drink at Terroir in Kleine Zalze was 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 the weather was just gorgeous, as you’ll see from the snaps below, and the food – my goodness, the food…
Saturday, 9 February 2019: Burgers and shakes at Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers, V&A Waterfront
We were up and about early on Saturday so decided on breakfast at The Hart Bakery in Melkbos. See the pretty floral decor, also my single bacon benedict and Husband’s chorizo rosti.Bassie was very interested in my quick ‘coffee and cake treat’ later that morning – Husband’s parents dropped off the wedge of baked milktart from their roadtrip to Philadelphia. Now you have the Philadelphia song playing in your head, I’m sure… “The streets of Philadelphia, nah nah nah…” Sorry. It sure was good!Taking the scenic route meant it was all palm trees and sunny skies on the way into town.Beautiful blue skies and cloudy tops for Table Mountain on our way along the R27 that afternoon, as a table was waiting for us at Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers in the V&A Waterfront.Once seated with a view across the water, we browsed the immense flip-style menu to find just the concoctions that tickled our fancy. See Husband’s Amarula Colada and my chocolate-toffee-cashew shake. That spoon came in handy for scooping up all the cashews that had drifted to the bottom of the glass!And the food! There’s almost any combination of toppings available, which is why I ended up with the ‘onion blossom’ on mine – that’s a full fried onion, instead of a side of onion rings, accompanied by sweet potato fries, while Husband had the Philly Cheese Steak and accompanying baked potato – one of the best taters he’s ever eaten.Bellies full, we decided on a quick quayside stroll before heading back to the car. This was just before 7pm, the sun was nowhere near ready for setting…I almost blended in with the rhinos outside the Waterfront’s main quay, so bright and festive and rounded were we.
Sunday, 10 February 2019: Early morning doggy beach walks
The doglets were thrilled at the idea of beach walkies first thing on Sunday, before the humans had even had breakfast.See a very happy Bertie post-beach walkies, reflected in the rear-view mirror.Beach walkies done and doglets back at home, it was a Woolworths W Cafe breakfast on Sunday as we had mall admin to sort out. See my vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino, Husband’s regular flat white and Coke Zero, my croissant French Toast and his exotic tomato breakfast, all featuring lots of flaked almonds.A quick coffee pick-me-up break later in the day at Xpresso in Table View Mall meant a dirty chai latte for me and a double espresso con panna for Husband.One of Mum’s former work colleagues was in town last Sunday so we met up for a ‘team lunch’ with other friends at Panama Jack’s. See the Thai Fish Curry, which was ordered by most, and my starter portion of crispy sesame duck with peanut dressing.We were so full from lunch that it was just sweet treats for lupper at Mum’s later that afternoon – crumpets with syrup, jam and honey; juicy cherries, frozen yoghurt cups and coffee with biscuits. Yum!Precious doglets snapped in sleepy mode over the weekend.
That’s all, folks! Watch for my full review of Gibson’s on Bizcommunity soon…
*Disclaimer: Our meals at Gibson’s were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
This past week has been wonderful as we’re over the ‘eat eat eat’ Christmas week of the annual December-January break, yet we still had lots of fun times before we start the new work year next week…
Thursday, 27 December 2018: Rocomama’s ribs and shakes
We started last Thursday at The Daily in Big Bay. Queues were long so we just had a coffee to start the day – the condensed milky ‘tin cup’ for me, with the now off-menu tasting tray for Husband.And so, next stop was Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay for actual food – the three cinnamon-sugar pancakes at R20 for me, while Husband had the hashbrown-mushroom stack.Following a quiet day of rest, we met my parents at the new cashless Rocomama’s in Parklands for an early dins that afternoon. See the order sheets, chilli-cheese fries, BBQ pork ribs and current specials.Milkshake mouths! Mine was espresso, the boys each had a creme brulee, and Mum had a Sprite Zero instead.Dessert much, much later that evening – a fruit-mince pie and coffee in reindeer mug.Bassie thought the mince pie was for her. She had one of her Christmas biscuits instead.
Friday, 28 December 2018: Enormous burgers at the NOB, Tyger Falls waterfront
Various stages of home-cooked breakfast – French toast with bacon and coffee for me, full fry-up for Husband, and hopeful doglets as always.We saw on Facebook that The NOB (No Ordinary Burger) of food truck fame has opened a permanent eatery at the Tyger Falls waterfront, so headed that way for last Friday’s lunch. See the enormous burgers and views. Hand for size.We needed to walk off some of that food before making our way home. Luckily the Tyger Falls waterfront is beautiful and easy to walk all the way around. It’s also surrounded by birdies, like this duck on the pier.
Saturday, 29 December 2018: Breakfast toasties at Reload
Reload is a good breakfast choice as it’s close to home, surrounded by greenery and we enjoy their coffee.Our Saturday breakfast at Reload in Parklands comprised a ‘bacon-egg-cheese toasty’ on brown and flat white each. Coke Zero and Tabasco sauce for Husband.Bellies full, we spent quality time at home with the doglets last Saturday morning. Such cuties!We needed long, cool drinks after completing the Woodbridge Island-Lagoon Beach and back walk on Saturday afternoon. See Husband’s Bloody Mary and my Key Lime Pie shake at the Beach Tavern.Beautiful blue mountain and glassy sea rolling in, later that afternoon.
Sunday, 30 December 2018: Sea swims and summery lupper
Husband coming up for air during a rock pool explore after a home breakfast on Sunday morning.Mum put together delicious summery plates for our Sunday lupper.
Monday, 31 December 2018: New Year’s Eve in Langebaan
We so enjoyed our swim at Shark Bay in Langebaan last Christmas that we did so again with Husband’s family these holidays.Sea swimming! Shark Bay is a magical spot between the lagoon and the open sea, as you can walk out almost to the other end of the inlet before you’re beneath the ‘waves’. We had a wonderful morning splashing about.One of the best things I saw in Shark Bay – this doggie calmly going out for a paddle with his family.Swim done, we took a cool cruise through town in search of lunch.Pearly’s is a popular spot but they had a table for us, so that’s where we lunched. See Husband’s Thai fish curry top-right, the butter-chicken special bottom-left and my coffee shake bottom-right.Er’rybody eating at Pearly’s! See Husband with his Thai fish curry, Spec and Father-in-Law with the butter-chicken special, Mother-in-Law with her snoek quesidilla special and me with the toasted chicken, chips and coffee shake. Various beers and wines for the rest. We left for home soon after and had a quiet evening in, with the doggies.
Tuesday, 1 January 2019: Happy New Year!
Loved this on the wall of Seattle Coffee in Exclusive Books at Table Bay Mall, when we stopped in for Husband to have a New Year’s Day espresso con panna.We spent the day easing into the new year with a family braai at home with my parents, and more quality time with Bassie and Bertie. It was a scorcher, so they were happy to cool down under the fans.
Wednesday, 2 January 2019: Rocomama’s burgers and chilli-cheese fries
We had breakfast at Woolworth’s W Cafe in Table Bay Mall on Wednesday. See Husband’s flat white, Coke Zero and chorizo bowl, as well as my honey-nut latte and cakey coconut loaf with espresso cream.After some reading under the fan, we were ready for food again. We had so enjoyed our burgers at Rocomama’s the previous week that we were there again for an early dins on Wednesday, this week. Also see my Belgian chocolate shake and our shared portion of chilli-cheese fries. Yum!
That’s all, folks! We’ve had a lovely, lazy break and luckily there’s a full weekend to go before we hit the office. Here’s to a super successful 2019!
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.
We made sure this past week was once again filled with sunshine and delicious moments, as you’ll see below…
Friday, 23 November 2018: Cape Royale meetings, Doodles dins
Last Friday I had a midday meeting at the Cape Royale hotel in Green Point.The lobby is lovely! We sat at the outdoor cafe, which was just too sunny for photos.After work was done and dusted we treated ourselves to Friday dins at Doodles on the beachfront, from their ‘Spring specials chef’s test menu’. See my caramel shake – not pictured, my tikka chicken pizza. Also see Husband’s seafood platter special – linefish of the day was angelfish, his favourite.
Saturday, 24 November 2018: The Hart breakfast, Black Angus lupper
Saturday morning saw us breakfasting at The Hart in Melkbos. See Husband’s mackerel on rosti, my cappuccino and my single bacon egg(s) benedict.We stopped in at the Black Angus on Marine Drive for a late lunch/early supper once we’d popped in at Husband’s work for a few hours. The view is just what you’d expect.See my pepper-sauce burger and ‘don of chocolate’ – a dom pedro made with Frangelico and espresso liqueur, chocolate ice cream and flaked almonds. Also see the Kriek cherry beer Husband sampled, and his ‘Madagascan Green Pepper’ steak and veg.
Sunday, 25 November 2018: Cafeteria breakfast and Christmas comes to Table Bay Mall
We had our first breakfast at newly opened Cafeteria restaurant (where Melissa’s used to be) in the Table Bay Mall on Sunday morning.Husband tried the ‘low-carb benedict’, featuring gammon and spinach on brown mushroom, with mustard Hollandaise sauce. Also see our coffees and my banana-bread French toast with dollops of peanut butter- and raspberry-cream.You know Christmas is just a few weeks away when Christmas decorations pop up everywhere in Table Bay Mall.The beach is always beautiful, but Table Mountain seemed to have an extra sparkle last weekend…Sunday lupper at Mum’s – delicious roast pork with rice, gravy, veg and salad. Yum!You can’t go wrong with these post-lupper treats.
Monday, 26 November 2018: Day-off waffles and Duke coffee
I started my day off with some quiet time on the couch with the doglets and a few new books, then went to Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall for mid-morning waffles with Mum and Dad.See Dad’s banana-caramel-ice cream waffle top-left, my savoury bacon-banana waffle bottom-right, Mum’s traditional breakfast and our coffees.We also stopped in at the new Duke’s coffee roastery on the way home. See the rhino demonstrating what visiting doggies should do, as well as interesting ceiling , coffees and homemade rusks.Mum whipped up a saucy meatloaf, roast potatoes and veg for Tuesday evening dins at ours. We left not a crumb!
Wednesday, 28 November 2018: The Jive food-pairing taxi tour
My Wednesday afternoon was spent on a food pairing with a difference – Jive cooldrink transported a handful of Cape Town’s media and influencers in Jive-branded minibus taxis to Langa, Athlone, Observatory and back to the CBD for an experience we won’t forget. See the team here at the first activation for the day, in Langa.First stop – the New Hope Spaza in Langa, for vetkoek and mince paired with Jive Orange Krush. See some of the sights, and a sweet doggy we befriended.Our second stop of the day was Super Fisheries in Athlone. Home of the gatsby, we got to sample an authentic vienna-polony gatsby, paired with Mango Tango Jive.Next stop was Pie Creations in Observatory, for the burger pie-cream soda pairing. By now we were reaching popping point so many of us only ate half a pie and took the rest home for dins.Now see the pap en wors paired with Iron Brew at Cafe Delicious in Barack Street top-left, view of the leading taxi from our Jive-branded taxi top-right, a sneaky snap of me taking pics bottom-left and curious kiddies in Langa.A selection of the doggies’ sweetest moments over the past week. See them snuggled together on the couch, Bertie napping with both his dad and granny, and Bassie caught half-asleep (or half-awake, maybe).
That’s all, folks! Here’s to an adventure-filled weekend ahead 🙂
Last week was full of sunshine, good food and sweet doggie moments, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 17 November 2018: Afternoon naps and braais
We had mall admin to sort out at Table Bay Mall first thing, so it was a Mugg & Bean breakfast for us. See our samples of blood-orange gingerade (very nice), the bottomless coffee station, table decor and our food, which Husband called ‘un-characteristically underwhelming’.We shared a savoury waffle for Saturday lunch at the Big Bay Waffle Company in Eden on the Bay. Also see my frozen white chocolate latte (frappe) and Husband’s white chocolate shake.Sweet doglets trying to wake their dad from his Saturday afternoon nap.The beautiful, bubbling sea – it looks lovely from a distance but was actually quite murky and foamy up close. So much so that Husband skipped his weekly sea dip!We attended a later-than-usual braai at Husband’s parents that eve, to coincide with the SA vs Scotland rugby match aired on TV after 7pm. See some of the food we ate, and the dessert Bassie wanted to eat.More scenes from the braai – Bassie smelling the flowers and eyeing the braai meat, Bertie licking his dad’s nose and sunset setting in.Bertie loved sitting wedged between his mom and grampa while watching the rugby after the braai.
Sunday, 18 November 2018: Melkbos morning
Our ‘I Love Melkies’ breakfast on Sunday morning was a win. See our coffees and the setting, as well as my bacon-marscapone-strawberry waffle.Husband’s second flat white and ‘hash and pork’ bowl, so good he declared it delicious.A beautiful lilac double-Adirondack I spotted while we were walking in Melkbos. I must have!We stopped in at Catch 22 on Marine Drive for Sunday afternoon treats. See Husband’s jumbo oysters and Bloody Mary, as well as my Ferrero Rocher shake. Yum!Table Mountain, as seen from the powdery sands of Dolphin Beach. The sea was still too choppy for a dip, alas.Mum made a chocolate peanut-butter cake that had us all asking for more.
Tuesday, 20 November 2018: R59 Tuesday pizza special at Panarotti’s
Husband had to work late on Tuesday evening, when my parents usually come over with dins, so instead we met them at Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall for the R59 pizza special. All thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, from the pizza to the cherry cola and salted caramel shakes as sampled by me and dad. See Husband pretending to pour his glass of red into mum’s Sprite Zero.
Wednesday, 21 November 2018: Corinium’s Women in Digital and Data conference at The Forum, Embassy Hill
More scenes from in and around the venue.I’d never been to The Forum at Embassy Hill in Constantia, what a beautiful conference setting! The insights were also fantastic and will be featured on Bizcommunity over the coming weeks.
Thursday, 22 November 2018: HeavyChef’s ‘entrepreneurial grit’ masterclass at Workshop 17
One of the best cups of filter coffee I’ve ever had. Delicious and fresh, especially after dipping an arm elbow-deep into an ice bucket for almost 2 minutes for important lessons on mindset. Watch for my coverage of the masterclass on Bizcommunity, if you’re not sure what I mean by that!Some of the sights from inside Workshop 17. What a wonderful co-working space! Easy to see why so many work events are held at Workshop 17.
Last week was a real scorcher, with the temperature over 30’C for most of the week – it’s like we skipped Spring this year!
Friday, 19 October 2018: Galliova Awards at De Grendel Estate
Last Friday, I attended the 29th Galliova Awards for SA food and health writers. The De Grendel venue is just gorgeous. See our welcome flutes of bubbly, me with SA foodie Dorah Sitole and the view across to Table Mountain.Bright, sunny setting inside De Grendel.Delicious snacks as we networked, before the main event.This is what we were in for…De Grendel proved itself worthy as venue for an award honouring food writers. See the cheese-filled starter, main course mushrooms and lamb, and strawberry sorbet with lemon dessert. Lip-smackingly good. Click here if you missed my full overview on Bizcommunity earlier in the week.
Saturday, 20 October 2018: Roasting rugby braai
We went to Village Place Cafe in West Coast Village for our Saturday morning breakfast. See our cappuccinos, my breakfast pot of granola, yoghurt and fruit, and Husband’s mince (and egg) on toast.Husband needed to briefly pop in to work on Saturday morning, so I accompanied him. See him through the Jack Daniels bottle cut out, and various other interesting design things I saw in his office.See Husband about to take his weekly dip in the sea and our afternoon treats at Doodles – a Castle Lite draught for Husband and the caramel shake for me – with blobs of Caramel Treat swirled throughout, it’s a real treat! 😉Saturday afternoon meant braai time while watching the rugby at Husband’s parents. See the veggie sosatie sticks, homemade wors, pretty little flowers and doglets interested in the milk tart and chocolate mousse dessert.Bassie was very amusing, while the 100-minute-plus rugby match unfolded on screen. See her slumped on the couch taking a nap on Uncle Spec’s lap, sitting with me as I sipped a Four Cousins’ Fiver strawberry-litchi cooler, and giving her dad the side-eye when he snapped a family pic outside at the braai.
Sunday, 21 October 2018: Trecastelli and Daily Cafe coffee treats
We kept things local with breakfast at Trecastelli in Marine Circle on Sunday. Husband had the cooked breakfast (still not on the menu) and I had the R40 cappuccino+custard croissant.Pretty colour-changing light streamers and blue skies, as seen through the sun roof at Table Bay Mall.We decided on tin cups (condensed milk coffees) and the coffee tasting tray at the Daily Cafe in Seaside Village for our Sunday afternoon treat.Mum whipped up the perfect lupper for a hot day – cold roast chicken with salads, fruit and vegetables. It was just the thing!Also see Mum’s very pretty fresh flowers, and the chocolate cake she baked – just because.The precious doglets lay on and around the couches once we were back home that evening – anything to be closer to the ceiling fan!
Thursday, 25 October 2018: The Digital Agency Showcase at Red & Yellow School
On Thursday, Red & Yellow School held their first ever digital agency showcase, where we listened to insights from the country’s top six digital agencies (as per the IAB Bookmark Awards).See me sitting with various industry friends over the course of the day – my first overview of one of the talks is live on Bizcommunity.
Wednesday, 24 October 2018: Sunset cocktails at Doodles
Beautiful view of Table Mountain across Table Bay on Wednesday evening.We stopped in at Doodles after work on Wednesday, as cocktails were R38 each from 6pm to 8pm. See the setting sun, my Intergalactic Gargle Blaster and Husband’s Long Island Ice Tea.
That’s all, folks! Here’s to another sunny weekend…
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 