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.
Last weekend we were treated to a winter stay at Abalone House, Paternoster. Reuben’s is no longer the on-site restaurant, but our meals were just as good – if not better – than on our last visit…
Friday, 31 May 2019: Creative Mornings Cape Town at AAA School
I started my Friday at the May 2019 edition of Creative Mornings Cape Town, featuring Ashley Dowds. See the delicious coffee and doughnut treat, and watch for my overview of his talk on Bizcommunity next week!
Saturday, 1 June 2019: Roadtrip to Abalone House, Paternoster
We started our weekend with breakfast at Woolworth’s in Table Bay Mall. See my croissant French toast and vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino, as well as Husband’s enormous chilli egg omelette.Our misty, 100-minute roadtrip was enjoyable, bar three ‘stop-go’ sections, but we were happy to see our destination at the curve of the road – the always-lovely Abalone House, Paternoster.Nothing warms the cockles of the heart more than sitting in a little bit of wintery sunshine, with welcome drinks on the deck. Lovely flutes of bubbly!Spot the husband amongst the Tretchikoffs! He’s printed a few of these over his career as it’s a popular choice in the local design industry, so had to snap a few pics.Abalone House just shouts ‘Winter comfort’ to me – probably because of all the fireplaces, well-stocked bookshelves and cute in-room rubber duckies! Also see the gorgeous but laughably cold pool – we’ll have to return in Summer to try it out.We noticed signs for the Crayfish Wharf for the first time on this visit to Paternoster, so drove down to explore. It’s a lovely spot when the mist lifts!To the beach! The weather seemed to be getting worse, so we took a chance in walking down to the beach. It was too misty for more than a few quick snaps, so we hurried back to Abalone House to jump into the Jacuzzi.Teehee! I call this ‘the cat of Paternoster’. This kitty in the window watched us on our way to and from the beach.Also meet the kitties of Abalone House! Chelsea rushed over to greet us and even Toffee gave a meow of remembrance once we entered our room – the exact same one as last time. The kitties loved the under-carpet heating!You’ll find me in the Jacuzzi… The rooftop Jacuzzi seemed to heat up much faster than on our previous visit, so we spent much of our afternoon there, gazing across the bay when the mist allowed. Also see Husband having a final steamy dip after dinner in the bottom-left pic.Dinner is served! See the excitement on my face at the delicious, fresh rolls that appeared while we were deciding on our orders from the menu. We each went with a starter and main from the menu for the night: The ‘three-cheese soup with bacon and red pepper’ for me, and crispy pork belly with spicy croquet and pineapple chutney, ginger-infused honey jus as my main, while Husband enjoyed the chili-salt squid starter with crisp paper vegetable salad, lime mayo and nuac cham starter followed by the char-grilled fillet mignon with cauliflower puree, baby carrots, potato fondant and green peppercorn emulsion. A truly delicious meal, my only disappointment was the firm shake of the head response when I asked about milkshakes, as I had a delicious strawberry one last time – oh well, the #MilkshakeQueen will return!The best of our ‘gown shots’ from this stay.
Sunday, 2 June 2019: Morning massages and breakfast buffets
Breakfast’s the best meal of the day, especially if you have yours at Abalone House! See the buffet table spread, Bloody Mary station, where guests are encouraged to fix their own, Terbodore cappuccinos and our Eggs Benedicts – parma ham for me, salmon for Husband. Yum!Husband heading off to the Spa building for his 30-minute Majestic Awakening head-neck-and-shoulders massage.Another gorgeous Tretchikoff inside the Spa building. I paged through magazines and enjoyed the citrussy scents while waiting for Husband as he enjoyed our complimentary massage. I’d been struggling with a pinched nerve in my shoulder that week so didn’t want to risk further pain – luckily, Husband said it was soothing and just what he needed to face the week ahead.Quality time with the sweet doglets that afternoon, once we were back home safe and sound. Both seen getting TLC from their Grandpa here.
That’s all, folks! We hope your weekend is warm and filled with good food. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our accommodation and meals at Abalone House 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!
Last weekend saw us in Stellenbosch, where we had the most wonderful time. I’ll let the pictures do the talking so you can see for yourself…
Saturday, 4 August 2018: Lunch at Majeka House’s M Bar, chocolate pairing at Waterford Estate
We had some weekend admin to sort out first thing, so Saturday’s breakfast was enjoyed at W Cafe in Woolworths, Table Bay Mall. See Husband’s eggs benedict and flat white, with my poached pear-topped French toast and vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino. Yum.What’s a road trip without caffeine? We ended up with a cafe mocha for me and a Coke Zero for Husband, and enjoyed watching the scenery become all woodsy the closer we got to Stellenbosch.What a welcome! When you see that tree in the middle of the road, you know you’re in whisper distance of Majeka House. Also see one of the quirky pig ornaments (they’re everywhere at Majeka House), and the herbal infusion from Majeka’s own herb garden, served in the prettiest floral cups.The M Bar at Majeka House is beautiful, with gold touches and pops of royal blue everywhere. There was a toasty fire blazing inside, but we opted to eat out in the elements, amongst the unusual cacti.Our lunch choices from the Majeka Menu. We opted for just a main each – the line fish for Husband and the pasta for me, with the vanilla creme brulee for dessert.There were no burgers in stock and the menu was quite seafood-heavy, so I the coriander-chilli-broccoli-bocconcini pasta was my best bet, especially when paired with a gingery rose martini. Also see husband’s asparagus and the linefish – Cape breem on the day, cooked to perfection, as well as the vanilla creme brulee topped with a cookie and paired with a cappuccino.Strong, rich coffee, a crisp breeze, bird song and blues and greens everywhere you look. That’s Majeka House!Bellies full, it was time to explore our room! We were in one of two with access to a private (very cold) pool. Also see the pretty pink and grey birdy theme, even on the glass doors on the bathroom.I won’t tell you how many takes we took at getting it to look like I was wrapped up in the flamingo birdy. 🙂See the beautiful but chilly pool. The base is striped and would be good for a few laps! I didn’t brave it much more than this, alas. The coffee was much needed, and even that didn’t do the trick so we decided it was time for a quick explore of the local wine farms. What a good idea!Waterford Estate is like something an artist imagined and brought to life with a magic paintbrush.You just can’t go wrong with visiting a wine farm in the Western Cape, but Waterford Estate has a special touch. From the game viewing vehicle to the pretty trees…To the classy country setting with lights and log fires everywhere you look…To the chocolate-wine pairing, which is complementary if you’re staying at Majeka House. Waterford Estate was actually the first local wine farm to offer a chocolate-wine pairing, and we can see why it’s been such a success. The chocolates are specially crafted and can only be bought at the Estate. We highly recommend this activity if you’re visiting Stellenbosch!But the best part, for us? The tiny fruit dotted on trees in rows and rows across the estate. They were sweet and seedless, and left our fingers orange-scented.Dornier is on the same road as Waterford Estate, so we stopped in for a quick visit – see why I say you can’t go wrong with visiting a wine farm in the Western Cape?Some of the things we saw while travelling those semi-rural roads of Stellenbosch.Juice and dessert! We’d just returned to our room when there was a knock on our door in the early evening, and we were presented with fresh, spicy juice and a yummy berry-chocolate panna cotta.Later that evening we made use of the fitness centre and the steam room, sauna, indoor pool and jacuzzi. This is bliss!This was the best option from our standard gown photo shoot. I promise. Not seen: Just how fluffy and soft and warm they were.Night time! See the sky at sunset and how the Majeka House archways light up once the moon rises.
Sunday, 5 August 2018: Breakfast buffet at Makaron
The moment Husband’s eyes were open on Sunday morning, it was time for breakfast in Makaron. See the hot breakfast menu, some of the treats to choose from the continental buffet, and tea equipment.This little piggy guarded the breakfast buffet.The seating arrangements at Makaron restaurant in Majeka House are quite something. Look at these fancy chairs!We had bowl after bowl of beautiful assortment of food. See our strong coffees served with hot milk, clusters of honeyed muesli with nuts and yoghurt, the American pancakes with hot, jammy blueberries and Husband’s full breakfast including tomato, mushrooms and sausages.Suspicious Bassie, once we were safely home again that afternoon.Bertie having a snuggle with his dad.
Monday, 6 August 2018: Sunrise in Woodstock
The most beautiful citrus-streaky sunrise when I got off the MyCiti bus at Woodstock Station on Monday morning.
That’s all, folks! We hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Majeka House and Waterford Estate were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
The past week was filled with delicious bites and happy moments in the sun…
Friday, 9 February 2018: New Friday lunch offering at 95 Keerom
What a wonderful place this is – I went to review the new Friday lunch option at 95 Keerom (yes, situated at 95 Keerom Street), long known as the place to go for a delicious Italian dinner in the Cape Town CBD. There’s a tree growing in the middle, large glass panels in all the walls, with pale wood everywhere you look and delicious starters like this – the asparagus salad and Caprese salad. Full descriptions in my review, coming to Bizcommunity soon!For mains, see the ’95 Carpacchio’ and the butternut ravioli.Dessert! Everything sounded wonderful, but I can personally vouch for the mango sorbet (middle-right) and duo fondant (top- and bottom-right) – excellent way to end a meal.See the lovely selection of breads (yes there was olive oil and balsamic to mop up with the softer hunks), also my cappuccino – typically a ‘morning coffee’ in Italy but it paired perfectly with the dessert.
Saturday, 10 February 2018: Early burger dins at Jerry’s
We started our Saturday at Canal Walk – see our reflections in the lift.The W Cafe in Woolworths was our first port of call. See my Nutella French toast, as well as honey-nut latte and Husband’s kale-haloumi bowl.For our Saturday afternoon treat we decided on Jerry’s Burger Bar as it’s just around the corner and we were suddenly quite hungry after all our weekend admin tasks – their burgers are enormous. See various shots of the decor/view and Husband with his Castle draught.See what I mean? That’s my pina colada shake and double cheese smash burger on the left, with Husband’s Thai chicken burger and fries on the right.
Sunday, 11 February 2018: Melkbos Kitchen breakfast
As we’d not had a braai with Husband’s parents on Saturday afternoon, we met them at Melkbos Kitchen for breakfast on Sunday. See my cappuccino with biscotti and apple-toffee crumpets with walnuts, as well as Mother’s ‘build-your-own’ breakfast and a group shot.More pics featuring foodie, such as the salmon eggs benedict both Husband and his dad opted for.A forkful of my apple-toffee crumpets. Yum!We all went for a long stroll along the beach to help digest our breakfast.I was allowed to nibble my ‘coffee in a cone’ purchased elsewhere while Husband polished off his salmon sashimi at The Orient in Eden on the Bay that afternoon. See our reflection in the middle mirror panel.Salmon sashimi for Husband’s Sunday lunch nibble.Bassie decided to hop in the back of the car and travel with her head out the window just like Bertie on the way to her grandparents’ house that evening.Voila! My hair is now an ombre purple/blue in some light – and quite a bit shorter (though still long), but most people only notice the colour change. Click here, here and here for reminders of my previous ‘purple hair’.Pretty pink-streaked sky at sunset that evening.
Tuesday, 13 February 2018: Rainy evening in Cape Town
The precious doglets were a bit chilly and confused as it finally rained, stormed and even hailed on Tuesday evening, here in Cape Town.The doggies on the couch and with their dad.
That’s all, folks! T’was my birthday yesterday, so expect pics of all the celebrations in my next update. 🙂 Happy weekend!
We’re finally on leave, woohoo! 🙂 It’s been a week of feasting, family and fun…
Friday, 22 December 2017: Annual Love Actually viewing
We kicked off the holidays once we were both officially on leave last Friday evening with this year’s viewing of the ultimate Christmas movie, Love Actually. complete with poinsettia, hot chocolate and popcorn.
Saturday, 23 December 2017: Rocomamas burgers and shakes
We sat outdoors at the Pink Olive for Saturday morning breakfast. It’s open before the Stark Ayres nursery officially opens its doors (if you know which door to enter through). See Husband’s bacon basket and my fresh scones with jam and cream.Clouds were scattered prettily across the sky that afternoon.We stopped in at the Rocomama’s at Willowbridge for treats after a day of Christmas shopping. See Husband’s chilli cheesebomb burger and creme brulee shake, as well as my Candyliscious freak shake, complete with bits of fizzer, white chocolate sauce and berry swirls.
Sunday, 24 December 2017: Christmas Eve dins at ours
We had our Christmas Eve breakfast at Bread and Butter.My breakfast smoothie bowl was amazing. Filled with nuts, peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream and bananas, it was healthy AND delicious!The beach was calling my name so we stopped in at Dolphin Beach for a few minutes, to dip our toes in the sand and sea, respectively.Proof that we enjoyed our time at the beach.We usually have Christmas lunch at our house (see here for a reminder of last year) but as Husband’s family is finally firmly located in the Cape too, we had a few extra festivities to factor in. So, everyone came to us on Christmas Eve…A few happy moments from the night.Bassie and Bertie got all dressed up for the occasion and had fun ripping open the wrapping on their presents, with help from their dad.Aww. The doggies loved all the gifts and Christmas affection.See the lovely tablecloth mum made for me, complete with my fluffy reindeer centrepiece. Also Christmas lights and various clever presents – adult colouring books, gingerbread and Christmas pudding-flavoured coffee, and slabs of caramel chocolate and biltong fudge.Husband Webered the turkey (much like he did in 2013), father-in-law brought cold gammon and mum made a selection of desserts, savoury and sweet. Was tricky not going back for more and more!
Monday, 25 December 2017: Christmas Day lunch at Mum’s
We had Christmas Day breakfast at W Cafe in the Woolworths at Table Bay Mall. See my vanilla-cinnamon latte and slice of banana bread topped with espresso cream-cheese and nuts on the left, with Husband’s poached egg on mushroom on the right.Happy faces at Mum’s house for lunch on Christmas Day.Chilled pink bubbly from Steenberg was lovely to kick things off.Our Christmas Day feasting included warm gammon, roast potatoes, colourful salad and roast veggies, with homemade Snickers-ginger biscuit ice cream.
Tuesday, 26 December 2017: Boxing Day leftovers at Mum-in-law’s
It had been a while since we last ate at Wimpy, so I had a regular Wimpy coffee and a sweet-treat waffle while Husband had the streaky bacon breakfast with an extra cheese griller.All at Mum-in-law’s house with Janet and Phil for leftovers on Boxing Day.Despite it being a ‘leftovers’ lunch there were many fresh new items, too.
Wednesday, 27 December 2017: Being touristy at the V&A Waterfront
We had intended to walk around the new Zeits Mocaa (Museum of Contemporary African Art) as it’s free entry on a Wednesday morning, but clearly the whole of Cape Town heard this, too. See the queues! We’ll come back another day…Being tourists. Sun, sea and happy faces.Various delicious eats and treats from the Waterfront – my Amarula Colada from Gibson’s far left and right, along with Husband’s very minty mojito, also his two extra-large oysters and my Woody’s burger from the food court. Yum!Teehee, we couldn’t resist posing in the fat suit outside Ripley’s Believe it or not – that’s how we feel after all the Christmas feasting!We couldn’t resist lunch with a view upstairs at MareSol – see various shots of the harbour, my pink shake with Husband’s carafe of white wine, and his fresh fishy platter.
Thursday, 28 December 2017: Star Wars movie at GrandWest Casino
On Thursday, we breakfasted at the Village Cafe in West Coast Village. See my latte and Husband’s large cappuccino, also my banting flapjacks topped with yoghurt and berries, Husband’s toastless brekkie and the sweet Christmassy reindeer at the door.T’was time for our second viewing of The Last Jedi, and the parents’ first (they’d caught up on all the previous movies in the past few weeks). Enjoyed it even more second time around!We took the customary ‘strike a pose’ snap at The District section of the casino.
Thankfully we still have a full week of rest ahead of us before we start the 2018 work year. Hope your Christmas was all you hoped for! 🙂
I had a mini-staycation at the start of this week. Perhaps all the sunshine we’ve seen this week was the reason for the relaxed mood that lasted even after I returned to my desk, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 25 November 2017: Irish nachos at Saints
We started our weekend with breakfast at our nearest Foodlover’s Market. See my crumpet-looking French toast and Husband’s halloumi toast stack.Ha. Not sure why I find this snap so funny, but I do. Makes me laugh.We had decided on an afternoon treat at Saint’s on Eden on the Bay, and soon decided to add the Irish Nachos (potato skins) topped with pork belly to our drinks as the platter is made for sharing. Note my Insomniac shake (chocolate, coffee, Amarula, Kahlua) and Husband’s Fat Mary (bloody mary topped with candied bacon, hence his skeptical look). All delicious and a wonderful way to spend a late-afternoon over the weekend.
Sunday, 26 November 2017: Tall cappuccinos and airport collections
We met Husband’s parents at the W Cafe in Woolworth’s at the Table Bay Mall on Sunday morning. Note Husband’s very tall cappuccino and my vanilla cinnamon latte top right.To eat, I went for the Nutella French toast, a favourite as the banana is rolled in peanut-butter brittle with hazelnuts adding crunch. The other three all went for the eggs benedict served on mushroom, with Husband adding a side of bacon to his.On Sunday afternoon we collected my parents from the airport – they had been in Umhlanga for a post-anniversary break. Various shots of the runway here – you can just see their green Kulula plane coming to a stop in some.As mum had been in the air most of the day we decided on a Steers drive-thru deal en route to their house – this box of four burgers with chips along the side went down a treat! Yes, my purple nails did match the box.
Monday, 27 November 2017: Breakfast at All In The Kitchen
I’d decided ahead of time that my days off were for relaxing and spending time doing what makes me happy. First up was breakfast with parents on Monday morning at All In The Kitchen as it’s not open on weekends so I rarely get to visit. See our happy faces and tasty coffees.The blue plates offset the bright, fresh food perfectly.Coffees top left, Dad’s granola with fresh fruit top right, Mum’s avo on toast bottom right, my nutty apple-cinnamon muffin topped with raspberries bottom left.I spent the rest of the day with two more of my favourite beings on the planet. The doggies were at their cutest, with Bassie napping under blankets and coming running for treats while Bertie did a few laps around the garden.
Tuesday, 28 November 2017: Love Sandwiches at The Kitchen
This striking graffiti adorns the wall just around the corner from The Kitchen in Woodstock, our destination for that morning’s adventure.The Kitchen is a charming fresh deli-style food stop that rose to fame when Michelle Obama’s taxi driver accidentally dropped her off there instead of at the more well-known The Test Kitchen. She decided to stay, loved it, and the rest is history. Little wonder when you see the ‘Love Sandwiches’ they’re famous for…See Mum and Dad’s entirely different Love Sandwiches, a cappuccino and my fruit-topped French toast – it had slivers of apple, pear, toasted pineapple and pomegranate seeds. One of the best!Various shots of the sky that day. Top right and bottom left were near Woodbridge Island and passing the MyCiti bus on the way to The Kitchen, top left and bottom right were at sunset.
Thursday, 30 November 2017: #DigitalMarketingLIVE at Red & Yellow
We’re already halfway through these sessions at Red & Yellow. This week was especially interesting, all about using the language of design to solve problems, brands talking to their ‘tribes’ not customers, and a jaw-dropping water-saving idea that might just be the answer the drought-stricken Cape is waiting for. Also, tasty biscuits and red-and-yellow themed things.
That’s all, folks! The DIY project I worked on during this staycation will be revealed in my next blog post…
I took a few days off from work this week and soaked up some much-needed me-time…
Friday, 27 October 2017: Greek working lunch at Maria’s in Dunkley Square
I had a working-lunch meeting last Friday afternoon. We walked down to Maria’s in Dunkley Square – loved how the foam heart remained long after the coffee was gone. You can just see the slice of kataifi I ate, too.
Saturday, 28 October 2017: The Daily Cafe’s birthday special
Last weekend was the second birthday of The Daily Cafe in Big Bay’s Seaside Village. They treated customers to a birthday special – R70 for eggs benedict or florentine, along with a flute of orange juice or bubbly, and a cappuccino. It was a very good deal!Orange-y scenes from our breakfast at The Daily.The colours were blindingly bright at Eden on the Bay that afternoon!We also did a few long-arm beach photos. Love the expressions on Husband’s face.We treated ourselves to a late-lunch at Moyo at Eden. See Husband sipping his Long Island Ice Tea and his lamb shank linguine, as well as my dukka-spiced burger and pina colada.We presented Bertie with his newest chew-toy as he’s a good dog. What a happy boy.
Sunday, 29 October 2017: Bread and Butter breakfast, ice creams at Eden on the Bay
We decided on breakfast at Bread and Butter on Sunday. I had a cappuccino while Husband had his customary Cola to begin…Husband asked for his salmon eggs benedict on a plate as things slide off of the usual breadboard. Also see my bacon-banana flapjack/crumpet stack.We stopped in at Eden again on Sunday, for an afternoon ice cream treat. My windswept hair should be a giveaway that this was not an easy task. Wind in hair, hair in ice cream. Oof. Lovely, though.You also pose here with your ice cream, if you’re anything like me. Tis a sad size comparison.
Monday, 30 October 2017: Cruffins at Black Forest Cafe
Ahhh. Coffee. Book. Couch. Dogs. That’s how I spent the bulk of my Monday and Tuesday, relaxing and activating my brain’s ‘screensaver’ mode.Little Bassie is just the cutest. Love that face! She’s showing off her balancing skills here, perched atop the back of the couch.Mum and dad treated me to morning tea at the Black Forest Cafe, just up the street. The cappuccino was strong, the coffee shake chocolate-y, and the mood happy.These are the cruffins (croissant + muffin) we chose from. Mmm.
Tuesday, 31 October 2017: Milky Lane waffles, W Cafe coffees, Halloween dins
If you’re ever at a loss for what to do on a Tuesday and have R36 standing by, take advantage of Milky Lane’s special – two plain waffles topped with ice cream blobs and all the syrups. For R36! We also shared a mint milkshake.After a spot of window shopping we stopped at the W Cafe in Woolers for a coffee pick-me-up. I had a short vanilla-cinnamon while the parents had regular cappuccinos.Mother-in-law loves a themed table, so invited us for dins on Tuesday evening. See various Halloween-y things.The doggies were eager to get involved in all the food activities. See the marshmallow ‘spiders’ atop my jelly-mousse dessert.
Wednesday, 1 November 2017: Team lunch at La Bottega
After a morning of playing catch-up at my desk on all I’d missed from two days of leave, it was time for our department team lunch. We Ubered to La Bottega on Sir Lowry’s Road. That’s my Nutella-banana shake you see.Milkshake up close, open views across Woodstock from the deck and my beef burger on sweet potato slice ‘bun’, with cheese and avo. Very yum!We put Angie’s selfie stick to good use. This was about the best of the various attempts. Crying-with-laughter face.
Thursday, 2 November 2017: Office birthday cake and orchids
My lovely colleague Clarina brought in an assortment of cakes to celebrate her recent birthday. She does not look 40! And look at the fake orchid on my desk, with Angie’s real one just visible behind it. Office things.
That’s all, folks! I’ll show you the DIY project I also completed during my days off in next week’s blog post. 🙂
It’s easy to see that last week’s #CuppaforCansa12A was a highlight. Just look at all those sweet treats. Read my full review of the worthy cause here, and scroll through the rest of the week’s magic moments below…
Thursday, 28 September 2017: CuppaforCansa event at 12 Apostles Hotel, Damhuis Winter burger special dins
The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa is a gorgeous venue. That’s where the Cuppa for Cansa high tea was held last Thursday. Look at those views of the sea, just a hop, skip and jump away!Pink bubbly, pink macarons, red cappuccino, pink juice – all blended perfectly with the theme of ‘pink high tea’.Just a sample of the pretty pink foodies. All tasted just as good as it looked!We also had fun playing dress up for the photo booth – which then gave us physical print outs, which I then photographed.When I got back to the office I had space for another cupcake – a homemade caramel-centred, purple glitter-topped one made by the recent birthday girl, Angie.Thursday was a very busy day as it was also Bassie’s last vet check-up for the year. Happy with her progress on arthritis meds, she was given a special biscuit treat by the vet.My parents had been to Damhuis in Melbos for their winter burger and beer special, and as it was the last night to taste the ‘Winter 2017’ version, we popped along, too…All four of us had the special. R60 got you a huge beef burger topped with cooked brown onions, egg and cheese slice, with side portion of chips AND 300ml craft beer. Amazing.
Friday, 29 October 2017: Friday work things
Last Friday I wore my reporter hat and interviewed the lovely people at YoungGun Films in the AdMakers building. Look at the warm welcome I received! Lunch at Burrata in the Old Biscuit Mill followed. I had a cappuccino and the gnocchi with gorgonzola cream, broccolini, toasted walnuts and pancetta. A wonderful meal.
Saturday, 30 October 2017: Windy braai at brother Spec’s
We started our Saturday with breakfast at Reload. That’s my honey-nut latte, Husband’s Mexican open omelette, and my ‘super scrumptious’ buttermilk waffle topped with banana, nuts, chocolate syrup and caramel lumps.The doggies soaked up a bit of sun inside as the wind was so chilly outdoors.With brother Spec newly settled in Fish Hoek, it was time for the first official family braai at his location. This is all of us. The wind was icy so we moved indoors once the food was ready.The food we ate. Salad and starter things top left, meat top right, charcoal nails matchy matchy with the braai coals and this week’s braai dessert. The cones are filled with chocolate, caramel and marshmallows that melt in the most satisfyingly gooey way 🙂
Sunday, 1 November 2017: Breakfast at W Cafe in Table Bay Mall
Table Bay Mall has officially opened, just 2.7km from home (as the crow flies). We popped into the W Cafe in Woolworths for breakfast. I had the Nutella French toast, Husband went for the salmon omelette.My Nutella French toast in all its glory. If you look closely you can see the fine peanut brittle crumb on the bananas. Very yummy!Mum whipped up a batch of apple pies when we popped in for lupper a little later in the day.It had been an early lupper so we had our Sunday treat after dropping off the doggies at home again. These are our sunset drinks at News Cafe on Marine Circle – the Giggle Juice for Husband, and a salted caramel fudge freezo drink for me.
Monday, 2 and Tuesday, 3 October 2017: Bizcommunity office visits
It was quite the week for visits to my office! See Graham Lang on the left, currently ranked the country’s sixth best chief creative officer, who brought me an exclusive interview opportunity, and Jana Leonard on the right, who left mini donuts and some exciting PR industry news. Click here to read my interview with Graham, who’s moving to Toronto at the end of November.
That’s all, folks! May this weekend be restful and recharging. 🙂
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 