Most of our eating out last weekend was due to the 2-for-1 vouchers offered by the Entertainer App – plus, the usual R495 registration fee is free if you’re using FNB’s Banking App and earn eBucks! See some of the treats we sampled below…
Thursday, 10 January 2019: Mid-week dins at Doodles
Last Thursday evening we had just downloaded the Entertainer app for free through the FNB banking app, so decided to try it out on a local dins. We used a ‘2-for-1 mains’ voucher at Doodles – so we paid for Husband’s linefish – the angelfish served with veggies and tartare sauce – while my Cajun chicken pizza was free. Also see Husband’s glass of red, as well as his Orange Fanta and my caramel shake. A very good dins!
Friday, 11 January 2019: Work-from-home treats
I worked from home last Friday, so treated myself to the following mid-morning snack – a cup of ‘cinnamon bun’-flavoured Hug in a Mug instant cappuccino, and a pack of Hot Fudge Sundae-flavoured Pop Tarts. Yum!
Saturday, 12 January 2019: Artideli breakfast, El Barrio cocktails, CTFM family dins
We breakfasted at Artideli in Melkbosstrand on Saturday morning. See Husband’s mince-and-egg-on-toast and my caramel- and banana-filled pancake. Not pictured – our Peacocks cappuccinos, as they were already finished. Not on Entertainer app.Pretty clouds in the sky looking across from Blouberg to Table Mountain that afternoon.We stopped in at El Barrio for our Saturday afternoon treat. We shared a portion of the jalapeno poppers, with the margarita el muerte for me and the pink mask cocktail (El Jimador, strawberries, coconut water and Malibu) for Husband. Not on Entertainer app. (Yet).The margarita la muerte (death) with Olmeca black, blackberry liqueur, tamarind and black salt rim. Just look at it. Very tasty and top marks for presentation, but taste-wise I think the pineapple-habanero version I sampled the week before is the clear winner! Click here for a reminder.After a brief nap at home, it was time for dins with Husband’s parents. See the view from our table at CTFM in Seaside Village, Big Bay, just before sunset.Husband had the East Coast potjie, presented as such.See my chicken schnitzel with chips and pepper sauce, one of our free meals for using the Entertainer app again.Lol! None of us have our ‘photo faces’ ready for this photo.Sun setting over the mountain as we finished our dins. Beautiful!We only noticed the pretty lights strung up outside CTFM on our way out.
Sunday, 13 January 2019: Pink Olive breakfast, Village Place mini cakes
We used the Entertainer app again on Sunday, this time on a 2-for-1 breakfast voucher at the Pink Olive in Stark Ayres Nursery. See the pretty decor as well as one of our flat whites, my French toast with cream cheese, bananas and syrup (free, as it was the cheaper of the two meals we ordered) as well as Husband’s standard weekend breakfast: the egg- and mince-topped toast.A sunflower-themed long table outside the Pink Olive, waiting for its party to arrive.Husband standing ankle-deep in the sea that afternoon.I barely even dipped my toes as the sea was so cold, but that ‘beachy smell’ was amazing!Our Sunday afternoon treat was a shared red velvet cheesecake (mini cake) and coffee shake at Village Place Cafe. Not on Entertainer app.Little Miss Bassie decided to travel in the backseat with her brother for a change, while on our way to her grandparents. She seemed in awe of his big, lolling tongue.Mum made a sunny pineapple mousse for dessert after lupper on Sunday.
That’s all, folks! Have a delicious, relaxing weekend. 🙂
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…
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 🙂
It’s Freedom Day today in SA, so we’ve had a lovely day relaxing and spending time with family. But more of that in next week’s update.
Last week, you’d think I just sat and ate donuts (or doughnuts, depending on your spelling preference) from the pics you’re about to see. I promise I did lots of other things in between…
Thursday, 19 April 2018: SheSays CT launch at Red & Yellow
Last Thursday, I attended the launch of SheSays Cape Town with my colleague Clarina after work. It’s the largest global network of females working in the creative industries. Click here if you missed my coverage!Evening skies over Devil’s Peak.Cloud-flecked sky as seen when looking towards the harbour from the Red & Yellow School rooftop.
Friday, 20 April 2018: Dunkin Donuts while working from home
I worked from home last Friday as had a huge amount of work to do before Sunday evening so decided to save time on the commute. My parents popped in with a sweet teatime treat – Dunkin Donuts! The heart held a raspberry jammy filling and the smiley face was filled with a chocolate mousse. Delicious!
Saturday, 21 April 2018: Father-in-Law’s 75th birthday braai
We started our weekend at Driftwood Cafe as we were conveniently having our car washed next door. See the coffee and weekend breakfast special minus toast as they were in the middle of a power cut, so this was all cooked on gas.After a bit of weekend admin we stopped at The Daily Cafe in Big Bay’s Seaside Village for a mid-morning treat. See Husband’s con panna and my ‘waffle pop’ topped with caramel, banana and a cup of soft serve.Father-in-Law held his official 75th birthday braai on Saturday afternoon, with various friends and extended family members in attendance. See the train-topped birthday cake and lots of smiles.Bassie got lots of attention from her other Grampa and dad during the party.Bertie was all tuckered out after entertaining everyone at his Grampa’s party by running around and greeting animals on the TV screen. He curled up on the couch and rested for a bit once we got home.We see you, Bertie boy…
Sunday, 22 April 2018: Village Place breakfast, Milky Lane treat
We both had quite a bit of work to do so started off with a quick breakfast together at The Village Place Cafe last Sunday. See my vanilla cappuccino with heart-shaped biscuit, Husband’s mince, eggs and cheese on toast and my French toast with bacon, banana and nuts.Once we were both done with work for the day we stopped in at the Milky Lane at Table Bay Mall for a quick Sunday afternoon treat. See my ‘Bubbles crunch Sunnydae’, very similar to the promo pic and looks and just what I needed. Husband had an ice-cream sandwich, not pictured.
Monday, 23 April 2018: Belated birthday cake at work
My colleague Juanita had been on leave for a few days to celebrate her birthday and spoiled us with cake in the office on her return. I had a slice of the ganache-y chocolate, it was delicious! The caramel and Black Forest disappeared before I could even think of trying a slice. I’ll be faster next time 😉
Tuesday, 24 April 2018: AfricArena media launch at InvestSA
Cape Town time, front and centre at the InvestSA one-stop shop.Such a nice work environment at InvestSA – it’s a coworking space, so you’re encouraged to pop in if looking for government assistance with any aspect of your businesses!I was there to cover the press conference for the second AfricArena tech startup pitching competition and conference, taking place in Cape Town later in the year following a brief ‘world tour’. My overviews will go up over the next few weeks, as it’s Africa Month on Bizcommunity.Mum brought over delicious meatloaf with veggies for dins that evening. We ate up every last scrap!
Wednesday, 25 April 2018: Good Hope FM #donuttouchthatdial DJ line-up remix at Grand Life Cafe
It was time for even more donuts at Good Hope FM’s first trade media event in five years, their new DJ line-up reveal held at Grand Life Cafe at the V&A Waterfront on Thursday. Was a wonderfully sunny day with bright blue skies.Oh you know, just hanging with the Good Hope FM DJs.These vibrant purple flowers looked fake but were definitely the real deal. Also see the two ‘candy stations’ offering an assortment of red and blue sweeties.Beautiful pink and red and orange cascading blooms.There was a printing station so you could have your face printed on a donut if you so desired, and guests were free to sample as many as they liked. These were all absolutely amazing, glazed with caramel, chocolate, coffee and pretzels in all the right places.Lovely sushi and fishy eats too, if you weren’t a fan of sweet things (who are these people?!)This is what we came for – My Sugar created special donuts to go with each DJ’s personality.I got to take home my favourite – the DJ Ready D. It had a peanut butter-choc ganache topping, nuts and a mild milk chocolate centre that oozed out when you bit into it. Delicious!
That’s all, folks! We hope you’re having a wonderful long weekend so far.
Last week, our dear doggie boy Bertie turned 8. So despite us both having full plates of work, we made a plan to include delicious food and quality time with our furry children, too…
Thursday, 1 March 2018: Bertie’s 8th birthday
Aww! When we got home from work, I showed Bertie some of the birthday messages he’d received from friends and family on Facebook. He loved them, as you can see.Teehee. This was the best option from a number of ‘birthday hat’ poses, I promise.
Friday, 2 March 2018: Coffee meet at Red Sofa Cafe
Did someone say ‘Friday coffee meet at the Red Sofa Cafe’? I was there like a bear, mirrored sunnies and all.As it was breakfast time, I went for the flapjack stack. Brimming with blueberries, marscapone cheese and honey, it was delicious!I tried the cheeseburger with sweet potato fries from the Bread Cafe downstairs for Friday lunch, once back in the office.
Saturday, 3 March 2018: Cup & Cake buffet breakfast
Husband was working again on Saturday, so I had a breakfast date my my parents at Cup & Cake at Eden, which has just moved to new premises. See some of the cakes and views here.Also see my gingerbread latte, the sweet birdie sugar cup and more.Table shot of all our eats and drinks at Cup & Cake.We headed to Husband’s parents’ house for dins that eve, once he got home from work. Bassie was very affectionate with her dad.Bertie ripped open his presents with a little help from his dad, and was delighted to meet his new TV-viewing companion, Seal. Bassie was happy to share his fancy doggy biscuits, too.Bassie joined me while I had my post-dins coffee outside, just before the sun set. She wasn’t so sure about including Bertie in the photos, LOL.Bertie snuggled with his seal on the couch that evening.Teehee, he really loves his birthday seal!
Sunday, 4 March 2018: Breakfast at Village Place Cafe, Black Panther at GrandWest Casino
We all met at the Village Place Cafe for breakfast first thing on Sunday.My Sunday cappuccino at Village Place Cafe.Some of the food we ate. See Husband’s poached egg on a stack of sorts, as well as brother-in-law Spec’s more traditional plate of eggs, bacon, toast and tomato, with my banting flapjacks and mum-in-law’s mushroomy toast plate.Later that morning, Spec met us at GrandWest Casino as we’d booked tickets to watch the latest Marvel movie, Black Panther. All had a fun time, as you can see 😉
Monday, 5 March 2018: Doggy snuggles on the couch
Bassie having a snuggle with her dad on the couch after another tough day at work.It seems we interrupted an important conversation between the siblings when we snapped this photo of the doggies.
That’s all, folks! The weather looks quite chilly at the moment so perhaps we will give the beach a miss this weekend.
Last week I started attending the digital marketing live sessions at Red & Yellow, which run into early next year. Start scrolling below to see a few snaps from the first two classes below as well as other work-related moments and lots of snaps of the doggies…
Thursday, 9 November 2017: Futures Cape Town and Digital Marketing LIVE at Red & Yellow
Last Thursday was a very busy one for me. I started off in the office, then spent the first bit of the afternoon at the Inner City Ideas Cartel (ICIC), where I covered a bit of the WGSN Futures Cape Town session. Click here if you want to read my coverage on Biz.Talk over, I Ubered to Red & Yellow School in Salt River. The digital marketing LIVE lessons are streamed over the internet if you can’t be on campus on time – 15:30 to 17:30 on Thursdays. Snacks and study aids at the ready!Each week, a different digital marketing lecturer shares words of wisdom with us. Up first was Rob Stokes, who started Quirk agency (now Mirum). You can just see the back of my head on the left.
Saturday, 11 November 2017: Village Place breakfast and The World According to Bertie
“I moustache you a question,” teehee. Husband ordered a large cappuccino at the Village Place Cafe on Saturday morning, so his accompanying biscuit was suitably supersized, too.See my regular size cappuccino and biscuit on the left, banting flapjacks topped with yoghurt and berries on the right, and Husband’s mince on toast topped with eggs in the middle.We helped Husband’s dad get around the new Table Bay Mall in a wheelchair we lent from the mall security later that morning.I noticed the cappuccino-donut combo special while we were doing groceries at Checkers later that afternoon and had to give it a try. What I got didn’t look quite like what was in the poster (see difference in pics) but it was still delicious and very good value for money.We opted against the usual braai as Husband’s dad was limited in his movement, so started with veggie soup, followed by a shared peri-chicken gatsby and chocolate mousse tubs for dessert. Bassie and Bertie got to lick the tubs once we were done with them, as you can see.Husband and his dad went for walkies down the street later that afternoon. Bertie watched.Little Miss Bass enjoyed her visit, despite wearing her sad face in this photo.Look at the title of the book Husband’s mum was reading!
Sunday, 12 November 2017: Chocolate-pecan pie and pink clouds
We Sunday-breakfasted at Greens in Plattekloof Village. You can just see us in Husband’s snap of the interior of the restaurant, reflected in the mirror.To eat: Husband’s mushroom-spinach eggs benedict on the left, my toasted salami, mozzarella and olives on the right.We had ordered a slice of chocolate-pecan pie to take home from Greens, and I heated it and ate with cream for my early-afternoon treat.Pretty streaky pink clouds at Mum’s that evening.
Monday, 13 November 2017: Office birthday cake and evening doggie selfies
Monday was an office birthday cake day as it had been Cheryl’s birthday over the weekend. It looks like I took severely tiny slices of milk tart and carrot cake here!I snapped a selfie with Bertie while recuperating from the work day that evening.
Wednesday, 22 November 2017: MyUptopia yoga and food review
On Wednesday afternoon, My colleague Shan and I reviewed MyUtopia near the Waterfront’s Express Bikram yoga class followed by a late lunch at the in-studio Nourish Cafe. My full wordy review will be on Biz soon, but you can get an idea of the experience here. See the foresty heated room you stretch and sweat in, and two of the yummy smoothies…There’s fruit-flavoured water and the bathrooms are stocked with everything you may need – shampoo and body wash in the shower, cotton balls and deodorant and lockers to stash your clothes in, and even a ‘blow dry bar’ so you can have your ‘hair did’ before you venture back to the office. T’was a lovely experience.Our late lunch was also worth writing home about. See the foam art in our cappuccinos, my toasted bacon, brie and pepperdew and Shan’s chicken wrap – both with the best beetroot crisps we’ve tasted! Thanks to Shanny for the pics as my devices were otherwise occupied at the time.
Thursday, 16 November 2017: Another afternoon at Red & Yellow
The second lesson was presented by Rob Stokes’ wife, Nikki Cockcroft. You can just see her through the glass. She’s really amazing, having been CEO at Primedia Online, taken Woolworths digital and more.
That’s all, folks! Hope you have a restful weekend.
While we weren’t at work for the past week in full, it sure was a busy one as we sorted quite a bit of admin, had a mini vacation and still spent quite a few long hours in our offices…
Friday, 28 July 2017: Creative Mornings Cape Town on the Nasdak
Last Friday I attended the monthly #CreativeMorningsCT session, this time at the Nasdak. Click here to read my coverage on Biz.
Saturday, 29 July 2017: New Village Place Cafe menu, Uni Mil rugby and Orient sushi dins
We were intrigued by the new menu at Village Place Cafe on Saturday morning – note my cappuccino with heart-shaped biscuit and French toast topped with bacon, banana and nuts. Scrumdiddlyumptious, as the BFG would say.We collected Husband’s brother and dad to support the local rugby team, Uni Mil or ‘Millies’, at Theo Marais Park. The wind was blowing away but luckily the main team had enough bluster of their own to secure a win.We’d planned an Andrews family dinner that evening to celebrate Spec’s 35th birthday and new job, along with other things. We opted for The Orient at Seaside Village for sushi, and I had sweet-sour chicken with the chocolate spring rolls to start.
Sunday, 30 July 2017: Fancy French toast and sunny Sunday afternoons
We started our Sunday at Poplars at D’Aria in Durbanville. There was a chill in the air so we sat inside even though the outside setting looked very inviting. Note my amazing French toast.We had our traditional Sunday afternoon treat at the Driftwood Cafe – that’s a custard shake for me and a draught beer for Husband. See the pretty birdie flying overhead and sunset from Mum’s that eve.
Monday, 31 July 2017: One night’s stay at Old Mac Daddy
Following a lazy lie-in it was time to pack our bags as we’d booked a mid-week break at Old Mac Daddy in Elgin. Lol at this photo. The wind was so strong at the top of Sir Lowry’s Pass we decided to include this photo as proof. #Messyhairdontcare.Hidden in the Elgin Valley, Old Mac Daddy promises a getaway with a difference. Note the Airstream trailers, chilly pool and swing chairs on our porch.The trailers are highly detailed – we stayed in The Birdie and my parents were in The Dream, which comes complete with scary naked-lady pillow.Ahh. My favourite. Relaxing with a freshly brewed cuppa java in a peaceful setting. That’s just what we did after settling into our trailer.Introducing the beach at Old Mac Daddy! You can swing in hammocks, sip a cocktail, take a family photo or try your hand at Sup boarding.Next stop, off for an explore! Husband tried his hand at stand-up paddling or Supping at the Old Mac Daddy ‘beach’ – he took to it like a fish to water. Not meaning that he fell in, we’re Aquarians so natural water masters, remember?Husband started talking about ‘bucket lists’ after seeing these bucket lights in the main eating barn at Old Mac Daddy. That’s also where we watched the sunset and had cocktails and dins.This is the sunset I mentioned. Brittle and wintery.The dins I mentioned – I went for the jalapeno poppers top left and apple pie-cheesecake (yes, cheesecake topped with apple pie) bottom right, mom had the Mexican burger bottom left, Husband had the chicken-prawn jambalaya curry in the middle and dad had the pizza top right.
Tuesday, 1 August 2017: Rainy doggy beach walkies
It was back to the barn for breakfast first thing on Tuesday. We then spent some time relaxing in our trailer before check out time.It was a cold, rainy day – see the rainbow we snapped out of the Elgin Valley, and happy sandy doggies after a brief walk on the beach in the drizzle.
This has been a very long week for both of us as Husband was called on to do night shift again (after being Marvin just last week) as a colleague had taken ill and I had a number of late-night award shows to track and work on.
But we still made time to enjoy ourselves, as you’ll see below…
Thursday, 4 May and Friday, 5 May 2017: Dress-up days
Yes, I’m cheesy like that – if it’s a certain themed day and I have a relevant item of clothing, I’ll wear it. So last Thursday, Husband and I both wore Star Wars gear (#Maythefourthbewithyou) and on Friday I donned a Cinco de Mayo top. If only I could find an SA store that makes sugar cookies like this, my snacks would match…I love this pic of Bertie through the peep hole in our door. Just being a dog. ❤
We took our Saturday morning breakfast at the Sunningdale Village Place Cafe. Note my pretty cappuccino with spoonful of heart biscuits, Husband’s eggs benedict with bacon and my banana-granola-yoghurt-berry breakfast pot. All recommended if you’re ever in the area.We had a bit of time on our hands thereafter so Husband surprised me by stopping in at the windmill – you know the one, just to the left of the prettiest leafy main road in Cape Town, De Waal Drive AKA the M3? Well, it turns out it’s called Mostert’s Mill and is the only working windmill in the country (s’True.) You can buy a family ticket that grants you access for a year. You can then have a guided tour inside, see flour being milled by the wind power and even taste a bite of bread made with that milled flour. Stop in if you’ve not yet been, for sure.Our destination for the afternoon – Constantia Glen. I’ll let the pictures talk for themselves, but you can click here for my full review if you want more words. (Yes, those are tiny lambs frollicking in the field in the middle pic!)The simple-yet-pleasing menu at Constantia Glen.Doesn’t this pic just scream ‘perfect Winter meal’? We couldn’t decide on an individual flavour of soup so opted for the trio sampler instead, and were so glad we did. In case you can’t tell, that’s the beefy traditional Austrian goulash on the left, then a dark-brown French onion soup topped with slice of gruyere croute, and one of the best butternut soups ever.As you can see, we were also treated to the cheese and charcuterie platter. Teehee, I love how Husband ‘drank in the meal’ not just with his eyes and mouth but also with his nose.Snaps of some of my favourite flavours from our lunch – the creamy honey-roasted butternut-sage soup topped with coconut-milk swirl top left, a fresh caper berry top right, forkful of baguette topped with soft white cheese and Constantia Glen’s own delicate rosé grape jelly and the truly delicious cappuccino I chose to end the meal with. t’Was so good we told our waiter to compliment the barista.I mentioned the ‘selfie-worthy’ bathrooms in my review, so of course I took a few snaps. Just look at that pretty honeycomb-mosaicked floor and the beautiful birdied wallpaper.Later that evening we had the first official Andrews family braai at our house (here’s a reminder of the first version at Husband’s parents’ new house) – though I kept dashing back to the laptop for work. We still had a fun evening, as you can see, mainly from the glee on the brothers’ faces.
Sunday, 7 May 2017: Europa breakfast and Sunningdale sunset
We stopped off at Europa in Canal Walk – on the Pick n Pay end – for a breakfast bite on Sunday. Note my flat white, Husband’s eggs ben-on-bagel and my strawberry-topped tiramisu French Toast. Delicious but a tad expensive.Streaky clouds like this guarantee a stunning sunset. Especially on a Sunday evening.
That’s all, folks! Things may be a little chilly right now but I believe we’re in for a mini-heatwave after the weekend, so hold onto your hats! 🙂
*Disclaimer: Obviously our meals at Constantia Glen were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
We both had some time off work this past week so fun times weren’t limited to the weekend in this post…
Saturday, 25 March 2017: Village Place breakfast, Enchanted dinner
You simply can’t start the weekend without a cappuccino if your name rhymes with ‘Shmee Shmandrews’. Ahem. As you know, the toffee-flavoured version at our local Village Place Cafe got my ‘best of 2016‘ cappuccino title last year, and it still hits the spot as we near April 2017.Husband’s parents joined us so it was a table for four, please. That’s Mother-in-law’s ‘bird in a nest’ top left, Father-in-law’s Village breakfast bottom left, Husband’s sweetcorn fritters topped with poached egg and bacon top right and my S’mores waffle bottom right. SO YUM.My next shot of java was imbibed at the house of my parents-in-law, where we further assisted in unpacking their boxes (you saw the start of this last week here). But there’s still quite a way to go…Later that evening we dined at Enchanted Pizza in Parklands. I had the Enchanted shake (peanut butter, chocolate syrup and toasted peanuts, so good). Husband had the seafood-y Enchanted pasta, and I went with their recommendation of the butter chicken pizza. So good but really filling, we finished it off during the week.
Sunday, 26 March 2017: Melkbos breakfast, peppermint fridge tart
It’s not just a Saturday that deserves a good cappuccino start to the day, but everyday. This is the delightful version I swigged at Ritzi’s in Melkbos on Sunday morning.Coffee downed, we were ready for food. Husband had the baked eggs ‘cocotte’ topped with bacon, while I had a ‘build your own’ breakfast – sourdough bread, cream cheese and lots of bacon bits. Just what I wanted!Mum had created this SA favourite for dessert after lupper that evening – peppermint fridge tart! For the first time in about 20 years! I’ll admit I had more than one bowlful.
Monday, 27 March 2017: Early morning bus views
I’ve been leaving home earlier and earlier lately to get to work – so much so that I’m snapping more sun rises than the sunsets I used to. Sob. This was the view of Flamingo Vlei from the bus at around 6am on Monday morning.
Tuesday, 28 March 2017: Day off in Langebaan
I knew Husband would be off work this week so took the day off on Tuesday so we could join my parents on a day trip to the Langebaan side of the Cape. You should know one doesn’t just set off on a roadtrip without a coffee stop along the way. That would be very dangerous indeed. Here we are at the Vyge Vallei padstal last visited with brother Spec in December with a coffee each (Husband’s Cola is just in shot too as that’s his caffeine of choice).We were only 55km from Langebaan by then so it’s a good place to stop for a refill. All the animals gret Husband, too. Some grinned, some licked, some grunted. Teehee.The birdies were also very interested in Husband.Sticking with the ‘birdie’ theme, on the Mykonos side of Langebaan I met this here gull statue outside the Boerekombuis Restaurant. He’s rather large.Dad was rather amused at this sign!The menfolk dipped their toes in the icy Mykonos sea. Us lady folk didn’t.We lunched at Marc’s Beach Bar – the drinks were all delicious, from Bloody Mary to draught beer and Sol and pina colada and coffee shake. The food was all good, too – chicken schnitzel for mum, unphotographed toasted for Dad and mussel-haddock chowder for Husband, with my cheese burger, chips and fries on the bottom right.The beautiful, unspoilt views of Shark Bay on the Langebaan side.Nothing sharky about Shark Bay!
Wednesday, 29 March 2017: Husband and doggies help unpack
I was back at work on Wednesday but Husband was still off so he and the doggies went to help with more unpacking at his parents’ house. You can just see how proud Bertie is to be ‘helping’.
That’s all for now, folks! Keep cozy until next week’s update…
We celebrated Husband’s 37th birthday this past weekend, amongst other things on other days…
Monday, 23 January 2017: Spur’s Bar-One shake and chicken bacon salad
We popped into our nearest Spur after work last Monday and shared their chicken-bacon salad. Husband had a cappuccino and I slurped up their Bar-One shake.
Tuesday, 24 January 2017: Doggy beach walk
With my parents on a cruise for the week, we distracted the doggies with a nice long walk at Kreeftebaai after work. T’was remarkably empty.The doggies had a lovely time chasing the sea and shouting at the birdies.This is what it’s like for one person to walk both doggies – they veer off in opposite directions, with Bertie aiming at the sea and Bassie investigating the shells and dunes.For dins that night, Husband had rustled up the following deliciousness – roast chicken with gravy, bright peas and potatoes roasted in duck fat. My new favourite.
Wednesday, 25 January 2017: Evening at Cape Town Comedy Club
We were invited to the Cape Town Comedy Club at the V&A Waterfront after work for a social evening with the team from Popimedia. We got there early as we had to leave early (before any of the comedy line-up even) to catch my next Photoshop webinar at 9pm, but still had fun. We dressed to the ‘black and red’ theme for the night, and I highly recommend the chocolate shake – very moussey.Proof we were there. As it was previously known as Jou Ma Se Comedy Club, of course I tried the Jou Ma Se burger and Husband had the Jou Ma Se pulled lamb gatsby. Good dining fare.
Friday, 27 January 2017: Creative Mornings talk at Friends of Design
Tickets to the monthly Creative Morning talk go fast – so fast that this is the first time I’ve registered to attend in time. It’s held at Friends of Design on Bree Street, which is a working design lab and has lots of interesting things to see.Even better? It’s free to attend, and there are lovely snacks, coffees and Sir Juice smoothies to get your creative juices flowing. Will do my best to register in time for each monthly talk!
Saturday, 28 January 2017: Pre-birthday celebrations
We started our Saturday at Village Place Cafe. Husband had a cappuccino, Coke and salmon eggs benedict. I went for a toffee cappuccino and the bacon, banana and nut-topped French Toast.After a few weekend chores it was time for Husband’s pre-birthday dins, so we headed to the Ocean Sizzler at Eden on the Bay in Big Bay. He opted for the Sunset Screamer cocktail and seafood pasta, I went for a coffee milkshake and a cheese burger. Yummy.Bellies full, we wandered around Big Bay as there were interesting things to see.
Sunday, 29 January 2017: Husband’s birthday fun
Birthday breakfast! We woke up pretty late so headed off to Reload in Parklands. Look at my bokkie in front of the bokkie wall, and note his breakfast hot dog with extra egg, my smashed avo bagel and toffee latte.I had two free 2D movie tickets thanks to #AbsaRewards so we watched Passengers at Grand West Casino. Teehee at how I made Husband look all birthday-like with the added hat and balloons. 😉 We thoroughly enjoyed it.When we got to Mum’s house for lupper she had pulled out all the stops – spaghetti bolognese with grated parmesan, her magical carrot cake complete with pineapple and walnuts (click here for a reminder of last year’s version), and the birthday hat that’s served us well over the past few years.
Thursday, 2 February 2017: Farewell picnic in Kirstenbosch
I’ve been to Kirstenbosch a few times but there’s always something new to see, like this bench just calling you to take a break and gaze at the purple-and-greenery.Instead of cake and sad farewells in the office, we picnicked under a tree like this. The sky was very eerie and ominous, with someone saying, “If you try very hard, you can almost believe we’re in Jurassic World”. Ironic because…Top left is a family of interested ducks, but look at the dinos top right and bottom left! How have I never seen these before? Also, the natural spring that provides for the entire park.Cheese! (We ate some, too). Lol. Best bunch of people to spend eight hours a day with.Woollies’ Pom Royale is lovely – non-alcoholic pomegranate with a vanilla flavour. We ate cheese, snack platters and homemade salted caramel ice cream. Lovely picnic!
That’s all, folks! Have a relaxing 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 