“Hello, I’m Rambling Litchi and I have a milkshake addiction.”
That’s probably no surprise if you’ve been following my blog over the past 4 years š And if you follow me on the social medias, you’ll likely have already seen the amazing milkshake my parents treated me to as a pre-birthday surpriseĀ earlier today. T’was such a monster that it came topped with its own ice-cream cone and donut fritter balanced on top. It’s definitely up in the top three of my ‘super large’ milkshake experiences – click here for a reminder of the salted caramel-cheesecake dessert version we tried at Craft in Parktown earlier this year, and here to see the chocolatey brownie deliciousness at My Sugar in Sea Point. As it’s my birthday weekend (yes, that’s why I’m on leave) I predict another sweet treat or two will make an appearance in next week’s blog.
But for now, here are the past week’s highlights…
Saturday, 6 February 2016: Sleepy doggies, Village Square brekkie
My littles looked so sleepy when we woke on Saturday morning I had to snap their sweetness.Awww. So cute we smooshed them together for hugs. They didn’t protest too much.I was fairly sleepy myself so needed to get coffee down my gullet, stat. One of the closest options was Village Place Cafe in West Coast Village – it’s technically walking distance but we went by car as had to do groceries and the like thereafter. This was a delicious cappuccino with toffee flavouring. And of course a little heart-shaped shortbread nugget in the saucer to make me smile.For Husband – the salmon eggs ben, and a large Cola. Kept him full for most of the day.For me, the granola, berry, banana jar – with a bowl to toss it all into and mix properly.Husband suspended the bike from the garage ceiling to get off the front wheel so we could replace the wheel bearings. Quite the mission!
Sunday, 7 February 2016: Wimpy brekkie, Catch 22 drinks and doggie photo fail
This was my Sunday breakfast – Wimpy mega coffee and toasted cheese on a stick. I think I ended up with more chips than toast on the plate!Yes yes, another milkshake. Shhh. This was the gingerbread version at Catch22, a treat for spending a good few hours on Husband’s web dev stuff earlier in the day.For Husband, a Long Island Ice Tea – they no longer make the Robben Island version that came with vanilla Coke/toffee liqueur flavour. Sob.The doggies were VERY excited to get to their Granny’s house later that evening. Bertie hardly ever climbs onto my lap like this and just look at Miss Bassie tilting her head out the window!The doggies were sitting so nicely on the couch when we got home, just like little bookends, so Husband tried to snap the three of us. Of course Bertie jumped up right then to look out the doggie door and Bassie decided to sneak away. Sigh…
Midweek work highlights
On Wednesday a colleague and I took a little road trip for a meeting. This is the pretty reception area at Primedia Broadcasting in Sea Point. Loved all the bright colours.Thursday was a busier day than usual as I knew I’d be off Friday and Monday. It was also the day my trusty box of oats ran empty, so I trotted downstairs to the coffee shop for this chocolatey croissant, stat as we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Dangerously good at just R12…
Friday, 12 February 2016: Monster milkshakes at Festive Underground Eatery (FUE) in Marine Circle
Finally, the day of my birthday long weekend leave had arrived! Unfortunately Husband had to head off to the office, but I was still most entertained – mainly by my funny doggies who sat on the back of the couch just like cats for a good half hour or so after Husband left. Look at them being all nonchalant as though they’re saying: “Yes mommy, this is what we do all day when you’re at work”.Soon thereafter the parents arrived with treats for the doggies and an early birthday present for me (a new computer connecty cord so I no longer have to delay the weekly blog update, lol!) We set off for the Festive Underground Eatery that’s only open during the week. Dad was most intrigued by the sound of a ‘cruffin’ (it’s a croissant-muffin, much like the doughsant/cronut I tried at Jason Bakery last Winter.) This one had lemon curd filling and was warm and fresh. We shared it between the three of us.They warned us. “It’s 1,3 litres”, said our waiter. “It costs R72”, said the chalkboard menu. And still we ordered them. This was Dad’s banana-peanut butter bomb version, topped with caramel popcorn, a fresh sweet fritter and a full icecream cone, filled with ice cream, upended on top. Look at how happy he is šMom was smart. She ordered the ‘small’ version – chocolate peppermint Aero flavour.You can see my cocopine version’s little ice cream cone hat here and piece of passion-fruity pie. Somehow we managed them. All delicious. All highly recommended. I will try their berry blast and coffee flavours at some stage…Yes yes, ice cream is a core component of milkshake, but this here is literally a full ice cream cone to pull out of the shake and eat before continuing with the milkshake slurping. What will they think of next?!This is Panda, the very friendly doggy one of FUE’s regulars brought with on his breakfast run.Mom loved Panda. Panda loved Mom. So much that he came and gazed adoringly at her – or at the milkshake/ice cream.Love that the mirrors on the wall mean you can see exactly where Dad stood to capture this snap.
I am still full. Probably no more milkshakes for me this weekend… but never say never.
If your memory is better than that of a goldfish, you’ll recall that last Friday was Husband’s 36th birthday. Here’s how we celebrated, all weekend long…
Friday, 29 January 2016: Husband’s birthday cocktails at Rafiki’s & free Table Mountain cable car trip
We presented Husband with his birthday present as soon as he opened his eyes. Bertie was very excited and wanted to help with the unwrapping process.Husband fetched me on the bike after what seemed like an endless day of work. We popped into Rafiki’s on Kloofnek to celebrate the start of the weekend – here is Husband with a Long Island ice tea. Rafiki’s is closing in a few weeks so we’re glad we had the chance to try them out.I tried the most pina colada-sounding drink on the menu, complete with coconut milk, orange juice and pineapple.Cocktails glugged, we set off up Kloofnek to Table Mountain. On presenting his ID, Husband’s return cable car ticket was printed for free – and as we waiting until after 6 for mine, I got it at half-price – R120 (the Sunset Special runs in Summer – we took advantage of the same deal on my 30th, click here for a reminder).Husband and Lion’s Head, two of my favourite things in the whole of the Cape, pictured while waiting at the lower cable station.Funny that the first thing you do once you reach the top of the mountain is look down! This was on the Camp’s Bay/Sea Point side. Lots of railings to ensure no-one slips down.Finally taller than Lion’s Head, between us…Lucky thing we saved on the cable car fare as the meals on top are certainly priced for tourists. Husband’s plate of curry came to R110 and his Castle Lite was R44. He loved it though and ate every grain of rice from the biodegradable plate…My super-large pizza slice was only R38, much more reasonable. One of the best spots to eat in the city, just looks at the pretty cloudy mountains behind me.Admiring the sunset is a must if you’ve bought a ‘Sunset special’ ticket!Me, the setting sun and the calmest sea.As we came down the cable car, the lights were turning on across the city below. T’was a magical sight.
Once Bassie’s had her breakfast each morning she slows sulks her way to supper. I caught her in action here.With such sunny weather we wanted to eat with a view of the sea so settled on News Cafe in Blouberg. As we’d ordered by 10am I got my muesli jar at the ‘early bird’ price of R25, saving us R30 on the usual R55 value. Worth getting up early for.For his first meal of the day, Husband decided on the ‘Big Ben’ at News Cafe – it’s your typical eggs benedict, surrounded by cherry tomatoes and atop mushrooms. The rest of the day was spent on weekend admin things that I didn’t capture, so let’s move along to Sunday…
Sunday, 31 January 2016: Doodles buffet breakfast, beach visit & cocktails at Saint’s
As Doodles only offers their buffet, triple-decker sandwiches and pizzas for weekend breakfast, we went for the buffet. I mixed all the cereal options with strawberry yoghurt for my first course……And filled a second plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, toast and flapjacks. Yummy. Husband’s plate looked similar and we were full until lupper at Mum’s that eve.As it was a super steamy day, a beach visit was definitely on the cards. Here is Husband, towelling off after a long swim in the Atlantic – that’s about the warmest I’ve felt the sea, our side, and it was still too cold for me to venture into more than knee-deep.Following some resting and housework Husband had his second Long Island ice tea of the weekend – this time at Saint’s, Eden on the Bay. I tried the Insomniac milkshake – chocolate, Nachtmusik and Amarula, very yummy but not pictured.Mum baked her famous carrot cake with pineapple chunks just for Husband. We all sang to him, again.
Mid-week office cake treats
On Monday, Husband started his highly-practical four-week web development course with Shaw Academy. He’s already completed three of the ten lessons and is soaking up the knowledge.T’was a busy week birthday-wise at work. On Thursday I was treated to this lovely chocolate cake, custard danish and assorted crispsToday I had this tiny but absolutely delicious red velvet cupcake from Woolies.
A delicious, heart-happy week all in all – here’s to another weekend that’s filled with good things!
Tomorrow is husband’s 36th birthday, so I am posting this now as shall surely be spending quality time with him at the usual ‘blog post creation’ time of the week.
Hard to believe it’s already the end of January, 1/12 of the year has flown by in the blink of an eye.
Here are highlights of the past week…
Saturday, 23 January 2016: Breakfast at Saint’s, pretending to be on the cover of National Geographic
Saturday was a hot, lazy day, Mine got off to a good start with this cappuccino at Saint’s in Big Bay.Husband had the salmon eggs ben and a Cola, of course. The logo next to his face proves we were at Saint’s. I had the feta-scrambled eggs with toast, unpictured.This photo frame is 10 steps from Saint’s so we walked across and Husband happily snapped away.Zoomed in, without the frame. Click here for a reminder of our Winter version of this photo.As Mum and Dad were off to Shelley Point on Sunday we visited for lupper on Saturday this week. Bassie loves being carried on her grampa’s shoulder like this, as she’s then technically the tallest person in the room.Bertie was happy to sit on a comfy chair and watch his sister parade around on grampa.
Sunday, 24 January 2016: Breakfast at On the Rocks, sightseeing along the coast
On Sunday morning we decided to breakfast at On the Rocks, right on the beachfront, where we had celebrated Dad’s birthday a few years ago. Note my slight sunburn from the day before.Here is my berry-and-ice cream French toast. Very yummy.Husband had the ‘breakfast pan’.It was set to be an adventure/explore day, so off we headed for Hout Bay and walked all the way from the one harbour to the other.A solitary gull at the greeny sea.Always most amusing to see the sea lions sprawled of their own accord on the ‘Seal Alert sea rescue’ boat.This guy looked – and smelled – like he needed a bit of a rescue…Continuing on our road trip, we had to stop and pat the camels at Imhoff Farm.Me doing the exact same thing.Then we repeated the process at Slangkop Lighthouse. Here is Husband’s version…And here is mine. Pretty as a picture!Look at this absolutely ridiculous sea colour near Scarborough. No photo filters, promise.Rounding out the trip we stopped at Dixies near Simon’s Town/Fish Hoek for a refreshment break. Here is Husband’s Amstel draught – I opted for a coffee shake.We shared this Mexicana – completely doused in Tabasco sauce, of course.
Tuesday, 26 January 2016: Punjab Express
On Tuesday we stopped at the recently opened Punjab Express after work to try their tikka chicken. Was very tasty, and I loved this chair.
That’s all, folks! Look forward to Husband’s birthday celebrations in my next update. š
Hello, one and all! When last I left you t’was the week before Christmas, and with some special effort I’m actually blogging today, the day of. We had a lovely lunch earlier and are all full-to-bursting – I’ve posted a few pics below, as well as other highlights from this magical week of holiday – despite lots of ‘new phone’ admin as Husband’s mysteriously vanished last Friday…
Saturday, 19 December 2015: Limnos brekkie, waffles for tea, dancing at Deco Dance
My moody cappuccino cup at Limnos Bakers, Canal Walk.Husband opted for the ‘baker’s breakfast’, which included a coffee for me and an orange juice for him.Research done we headed home for a nap, then headed out again for snacks at Eden on the Bay mid-afternoon. Husband opted for some sushi with a spot of news in the background.For me? A traditional waffle with lemon curd from the Big Bay Waffle Company. Yum.We were then ready for a ‘big night out’ – we walked across to the nearest myCiti bus stop, which took us all the way from just outside our doorstep to the heart of Sea Point, over three separate bus trips. Here is Husband peering worriedly out the back of the bus.The reason we were in Sea Point? To celebrate the 30th birthday of one of Husband’s former colleagues. Love that they both wore fancy Darth Vader shirts for their night of ‘squeaking tekkie’.Speaking of Star Wars, I meant to include this pic last week but forgot to – in all the movie hype we created our own ‘Star Wars profile pics’. Husband looks suitably wise/scary, I just couldn’t NOT smile, teehee.Back to Deco Dance in Sea Point. Er’rybody was there, even Bob Dylan (I think), who was looking over my shoulder and feeling a little blue…
Sunday, 20 December 2015: Breakfast at Greens
Despite only getting home in the early hours of Sunday (thanks to a very efficient Uber driver as the MyCiti only runs until 10pm or so), we were up bright and early on Sunday for a spot of brekkie and almost-last minute Christmas shopping. Husband started his day with the mushroom eggs benedict, as well as an extra portion of their creamy mushrooms (from the big green bowl he’s holding)For me, the crumpets with sliced banana and syrup drizzled atop went down a treat.
Tuesday, 22 December 2015: Doggie beach walk, I ā¤ Big Bay Christmas market
As Husband is the blog’s main photo-taker (but he insists he doesn’t feel like an ‘Instagram Husband’ – watch this if you don’t know what I’m taking about)… we missed a bit of action due to admin delays in getting his new phone. I woke up to the fact that photos were now my responsibility on Tuesday, when we took the doggies for a windless stroll along their beach. Here is a typical shot of Bertie pulling Husband towards the sea…The typical ‘happy Bassie post-beach walkies’ photo – more sand on my arm than her nose!Sandy girls, with Bertie just behind my sandy arm, showing off his long tongue.We took the happy doggies home then ventured off to Big Bay again, as the monthly market was taking place over two days this time around. This was my half of the Porky NOB burger, heaving with two cheeses and some streaky bacon.Who did we bump into at the market but Mum and Dad! Husband ran up to take this shot looking down into the Lifesavers’ Club. You can just see the rest of us sitting at a table up top. Mum is waving…Husband came down again for a closer shot of the three of us.This waffle. I was so full after my half-a-Porky but Dad insisted I try some, so try some I did. Amazing caramel-banana combination atop of crispy hot waffle.
Wednesday, 23 December 2015: Golfing, suburban walks and giant Christmas trees
On Wednesday morning, Husband had a breakfast/golf date with my dad, so me and mom went on a lovely 4km round trip walk around their neighbourhood, complete with morning tea at the Stark Ayres Nursery. This is one of the gardens along the route my parents walk daily.Mum opted for the orange-Rooibos tea infusion.I had a cappuccino, with a shortbread heart nestled in the saucer.We each ordered the ‘scones’ – hot and delicious!
Thursday, 24 December 2015: Omelettes, beaches and custard shakes
On Thursday, Husband concocted very large omelettes for breakfast. This was mine, bursting with bacon bits and cheese. Husband added mushroom to his.Bellies full, we headed out again. We stopped to snap the very pretty puffy clouds at Blouberg beach.Best colours.Much, much later, phone admin and last-minute Christmas shopping finally all sorted, we stopped off at the Driftwood for an afternoon treat. That’s my custard milkshake…Husband opted for a Black Label draught.
Friday, 25 December 2015: Christmas lunch at Mum’s
My parents had bought the doggies special outfits for Christmas lunch today. They tried them on before we left home. Here is Bertie, proud of his new ‘tie’, and Bassie wearing her lilac bow slightly off-centre.Posing with mommy at Granny’s house. Oh how I love these two!Family shot! All six of us with our ‘welcome drinks’. The doggies had water instead of champers, obvs.Sing it with me: ‘If you like Pina Coladas…’ Yes, we do! Also look at the gorgeous chocolate-coconut cookies Mum baked, with Reese’s Pieces melted in! Mmmm. We ate and we ate. Avo starters, pea and ham soup, gammon and roast beef with roast potatoes, individual trifles and a cheese board later. *Urp!
That’s all, folks! Hope you also ate, drank and were merry today. I’m growing rather attached to the idea of a daily afternoon nap…
What a week it’s been! Over and above the usual doggy-parenting, working and remembering to eat, this past week was the final one of the UCT GetSmarter part-time online SEO course I’ve been busy with for the past 10 weeks. As a result the assignments we had to complete were the most comprehensive yet and I only really finished on Sunday, so we have fewer pics than usual for you to peruse, but rest assured everything will be back to normal from this week! Yay! Relief! š
Friday, 6 November 2015: Reputation Matters conference treats
I should have mentioned I’d been out conferencing last Friday but my brain was frazzled so IĀ forgot to tell you anything about it! It’s hard work live-tweeting (especially if the Wi-Fi’s spotty and your phone’s 3G doesn’t play along), while also taking down notes, networking and taking in what’s being said, but someone has to do it! These teatime treats make up for it…
Saturday, 7 November 2015: Wimpy breakfast, Jerry’s burgers dins
We had lots of errands to run last Saturday morning so wanted a fast breakfast – Wimpy did the trick. That’s my toasted cheese (on a stick) with chips and a Mega coffee. You can just make out Husband’s streaky bacon breakfast at the other end of the table, by the Tabasco sauce bottle.We’d heard that a branch of Jerry’s ‘burgers, craft and shine’ (that’s craft beer and moonshine) had opened in our area so went to have a looksie once I’d done as much assignment-ing as possible that eve. Here is Husband, hiding behind the menuThat’s my apple-pie milkshake treat. Delicious and oh-so-sweet.We enjoyed munching on hot, salty crisps while awaiting our burgers (they didn’t take that long to arrive)Tadaah! Husband had the drunken chicken, which was ‘nice’, and had to help me finish my Jerry’s Original with Swiss cheese.
Sunday, 8 November 2015: Breakfast at Stodels, celebratory milkshake at Mike’s Kitchen
We wanted to do some garden nursery things on Sunday so started off with breakfast at Lisa’s in Stodels. Here is Husband with his double-lemon slice Cola.For me, a tall cappuccino. I was either at table 5 or table 27. Not sure how the waiters knew.One of the glossy chickens we’d seen huddled up on the doorstep the previous week came over to ask for some scraps. Alas, we were all done by the time he reached us.This is what we’d been to the nursery for – jasmine to grow along a trellis! Husband created this (it involved sawing the roof off of the unused doggy house) while I was sweating over my final assignment. I was pleased with the outcome, as was Bertie, as you can see.And much later that afternoon, I clicked ‘submit’ on my final assignment. Yay! We headed off to Mikes Kitchen where I tried the Oreo-caramel treat milkshake. It was goooood and I needed a long spoon to dig out all the bits of biscuit and caramel globs. Yummo.Later at mum’s, we had strawberries with ice-cream.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015: Lentil bobotie and pink skies
Mum created this wonderful lentil bobotie for our dins on Tuesday eve.The sky that evening was spectacular, with lots of our neighbours posting amazing photos of sunset over the sea. I snapped this quickly while looking out the bedroom window.
Ramblings, rumblings and random ruminations. Also reviews, recommendations and alliteration. Based on living the good life in the fairest Cape. This is not a food blog.
Rambling Litchi 