Pork belly-bacon benedict at Steenberg’s Bistro Sixteen82 and posing with Just Nuisance

Wowee. Second work week of the year done and dusted, and it feels like two months rather than two weeks since we were on leave. It’s a combination of intense heat, slow internet and sheer hard work. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have any highlights to share – view our latest batch below…

Saturday, 16 January 2016: Panama Jacks lunch, swimming in the icy Atlantic

We do love lunching at Panama Jacks in the harbour. Always a treat to be served rolls before the food arrives…

We each went with the fettuccini mains. Mine is the verde (green, R40) – asparagus, parmesan cheese, thin slivers of baby marrow. Husband had the marinara, (R50) with a mussel chowder starter (R25). He finished his, I had to bring mine home for dins!

You’re not to admire my shiny forehead in this photo but just how well I twirled the fettuccini on my fork. Teehee.

On the lazy ride home we had to stop at the beach. T’was like a postcard!

And of course, Husband wasn’t content just to look at it. Here he is, frollicking in the waves.

Much, much later, once the temperature had dropped a little, we took the doggies for a walk around the suburb. Bertie loves chasing things in the shrubs.

Sunday, 17 January 2016: Brunch at Steenberg’s Bistro Sixteen82

On Sunday we woke late and couldn’t decide on a suitable spot to break our 12-hour fast. We eventually ended up at Steenberg Wine Estate and decided to treat ourselves to brunch at Bistro Sixteen82, known for its pork belly-bacon.

This colourful chandelier is quite something to see in person.

Of course I started with a flat white. T’was delicious. Look at the gorgeous scenery behind me – all that green was very soothing on the eyes.

What a lovely surprise. While waiting for our pork belly-bacon eggs benedicts, we were served hot, fresh honey brioche.

Of course Husband had an oyster starter. For breakfast…

And then, the eggs benedict arrived. Oh. My. Goodness, was it delicious. The pork belly-bacon is amazing, the little tomatoes were steamy and the Hollandaise was just right. Plus they’re served on potato rosti instead of stodgy English muffins. At R72, that’s not bad at all!

As we were already pretty far from home we decided to revisit Simon’s Town. These are some of the dinky little boats right at the harbour’s edge.

Can’t visit Simon’s Town and miss taking a photo with the statue of Just Nuisance. Though he seems to have been moved somewhat since the last time we were there…

Husband is one of the little ‘people dots’ floating in the sea. I sat on the beach with my book and a sugar cone instead.

Bassie insisted on sitting on her Granny’s lap when we visited for lupper. Both grinned.

As it was so hot, we had Do-It-Yourself burgers for dins. Husband placed his onion slices in pleasingly concentric circles on his patty.

Wednesday, 20 January 2016: Midweek sunset

I caught the very end of the sunset – much more spectacular in real life!

That’s all, folks. Sounds like we’re in for a spot of rain this weekend, will bring welcome relief from the incessant heat!

Slurping JHB’s priciest dessert milkshakes & seeing CT from the sky

We started 2016 with a bang – a messy, salted-caramel-cheesecake dessert milkshake-shaped bang, that is. See it and other highlights of the first week of the year below…

Friday, 1 January 2016: Monopoly braai at the parents

As it had been ages since ‘the gang‘ was all in one space at the same time, mother-in-law arranged a braai at theirs on New Year’s Day. Husband and I caught up on some lazing around in the lounge before everyone arrived… look at those frown lines!

To celebrate, mother-in-law made sangria. It went, fast.

The gang, all in/around the pool!

Relaxing on the lawn between bouts of Monopoly and swimming.

Saturday, 2 January 2016: Joburg hail storm and dessert milkshakes

Our big task for Saturday was braving the sudden hail storm and travelling to 4th Ave, Parkhurst to meet up with my bestie for amazing-sounding milkshakes. The expected hail storm hit with full force and we stopped for shelter, but were soon on our way again.

Folk were photographing milkshakes left, right and centre – and little wonder. Just look at it. There were layers of creme brulee inside, that’s a ginormous chunk of cheesecake on top, Rolos around it and the caramel sauce dripped everywhere, but it was most delicious. We slurped up every last drop, as it cost an eye-watering R95.

Michelle and Daryn had the fancy R46 shakes – hers was a Ferrero Rocher, his had swirls of marshmallow fluff.

This year’s attempt at ‘the friend photo’ was one of our best yet. Seems the guy at the table behind us agreed. 🙂

We couldn’t just have a liquid lunch, so Husband and I also shared this cheese-and-bacon stuffed and wrapped hot dog with pink slaw. At R95 (yip, same as the shake) it’s one of the priciest, but also one of the best we’ve had.

Bellies full-to-bursting, we went for a stroll down the street. Parkhurst pups get special signs to read, teehee.

Later that afternoon we went on a quick sightseeing trip with father-in-law. We stopped to look at the Skybar bungee/rockclimbing effort that’s sprung up in the Fourways area.

That night we had a ‘family farewell’ dinner at Greek Sizzler in Banbury Cross, just up the street from the parents. Here’s a group shot the waiter took of us all.

Husband spoiled himself with the R150 ‘platter for one’. He finished every last morsel on his plate.

Sunday, 3 January 2015: Gramps visit and flying home

We started the day with breakfast at Vigour & Verve in the outdoor eating area at Silverstar Casino. The parents treated me to this enormous waffle topped with grilled bacon and banana, Husband went for a ‘full house’ omelette filled with chillies, cheese, mushrooms, bacon and more.

We were so, so full we had a quick walk around the water to stretch out legs after brekkie.

The reason we went to Silverstar? It’s walking distance from the retirement home Husband’s Grampa lives in. You can see the four of them in the upper right of this photo – I was impressed by the teatime spread. But too full to sample any. Sob.

Final swim at the parents. Husband dragged me in, as you can tell from my face. So glad he did!

After our final swim in their pool we bade the parents farewell at Lanseria and trotted off to our flight home – it was delayed 20 minutes as an unidentified bag was added to the hold and had to be placed on the correct plane before take-off. Here is Husband trotting across the tarmac.

A few minutes into the flight husband snapped this impressive anvil-shaped cloud.

Much, much later Husband woke me to this pretty sight – Cape Town at sunset. Home, sweet home!

Tuesday, 5 January 2016: Enjoying the pool

Monday was a day of adjusting back to the heat of Cape Town, so on Tuesday we spent much of the day in the pool. Mum and me having fun here.

Bassie showed off her latest ‘trick’ – balancing upright under Grampa’s chin. What a sweet little girl!

Wednesday, 6 January 2016: Colouring, baking and more

Husband and dad played pool on Wednesday morning with dad’s regular team so mum and me spent the morning reading, colouring-in and baking.

Poor Husband had a tummy bug much of this week – here he’s being comforted by Bassie.

Thursday, 7 January 2016: Local eggs ben and funny doggie poses

On Thursday Husband was well enough to stomach some eggs ben – with ham at our local Village Cafe in West Coast Village.

The doggies sprawled in the lounge with us under the fans for most of the day. Just like this.

Friday, 8 January 2015: Golf breakfast and windy beach

We celebrated our last day of leave with breakfast at Espana at the Burgundy Estate Golf Course, then mum and I chatted while the boys played a quick 9 holes.

Mum had this interesting flat bread breakfast option.

The rest of us had the prettily-painted Piquino/golfer’s breakfast – just enough to get you going for the day.

We went to the beach later in the day to dip our toes. Note all the kite surfers to the left of Husband.

That’s all, folks. It’s back to work for both of us this coming week so expect lots of relaxation to take place this weekend! 🙂

Breakfast with squirrels, Star Wars 7 premiere and year-end team lunch

What a busy week it’s been! The weather is hot and sunny and we’re finally both on leave, with lots of fun (and exciting) things planned for the next few weeks. Before that though, let’s look at our latest highlights…

Friday, 11 December 2015: Schwarma Express on Marine Circle

Husband felt for a schwarma, I felt for a sunset – perfect match.

The pretty sunset I saw from the beach front, before clouds started rolling in.

Saturday, 12 December 2015: Breakfast and mosaic-ing

On Saturday we tried out the new Village Square Cafe in West Coast Village for breakfast. My large cappuccino was strong and came with a shortbread biscuit (hiding in my spoon).

Husband tried the pesto breakfast, which came with perfectly poached eggs.

I went for the choc-chip flapjack breakfast with berry puree and two lumps of ice cream.

Finally done! I’d been working on this mosaic heart for a while, and finally got the grouting done on Saturday. Now, where to put it…

Bassie crawled under the pillows at her granny’s house that evening to escape from the heat.

The doggies (and Bertie’s bear) took up the whole couch when we got home so we had to make another plan for our TV viewing!

Sunday, 13 December 2015: Breakfast with squirrels

I’d been hearing good things about the new tea garden menu at Company’s Garden, so we ventured out to town on Sunday morning to have a looksie. Unfortunately their coffee machine was broken on the day, but I thoroughly enjoyed my tray of tea – that’s a biscotti on the side.

This is the banana bread French toast, with strawberries and bacon and marscapone. Very very good. Those are not real flies scampering over my tea cup in the background, it’s an interesting design!

Husband called his salmon eggs benedict ‘the best’. Strong praise!

Just a few metres from our table, pigeons and squirrels were scampering about, tamely asking for treats. You can just make out a little grey squirrel climbing down the tree trunk here…

He let me snap him from very close-up. Such a sweetie!

Tuesday, 15 December 2015: Final team lunch of 2015 at La Belle

With Wednesday being the Reconcilliation Day public holiday in SA, Tuesday was the last day of work of 2015 for many – also the day we sent out our last email newsletters for the year and the last day I’d be working with a colleague who relocated to Joburg that eve. That all came together to make it the perfect day for our final team lunch of the year. We settled on La Belle in Alphen, Constantia.

With so many amazing things on the menu, I teamed up with a colleague in splitting two mains between us. This was our first choice, the pork belly with greens and apple sauce, resting on corn fritters. Best ever.

Our second main – the La Belle beef burger, complete with mushrooms, cheese sauce and a metal bucket of shoestring fries. One of the tastiest I’ve ever had. (The burger, not the bucket).

Was I so full I had to skip dessert? No, of course not! I tried the ‘NY-style cheesecake’ and washed it down with a cappuccino. Enjoyed every bite.

Wednesday, 16 December 2015: Star Wars day

We started off the day with some coffees at the local McCafe. Husband had a cola, I had a caramel latte. So yummy.

With lots of time to spare before our showing of Star Wars at Grandwest Casino, we wandered around along with the rest of Cape Town – all and sundry were there! Of course I posed in the Snoopy movie cut-out…

Husband wore his Darth Vader shirt to watch the Star Wars movie, of course. We also got popcorn and Cola.

Wearing our 3D glasses before they told us to.

Thursday, 17 December 2015: Bagels and flat whites 

Thursday was my first day of leave! As Husband was sadly in office, Mum and dad treated me to a cream cheese bagel and flat white from New York Bagels. Was yummy!

My Thursday breakfast.

That’s all, folks! We’re both looking forward to some serious relaxing, starting now! 🙂

Rescuing tiny octopi, delicious brownies and advent calendars 2015

Wow, another week come and gone! We’re so close to the end of the year now, yet it feels so far off still. At least summer has finally arrived in Cape Town, with the doggies unsure whether it’s best to sit under the fan or run through the sprinkler outside in an attempt to stay cool. Here are a few of my most recent highlights…

Saturday, 28 November 2015: Primi breakfast, Pitmasters’ lunch

Last Saturday started off with an extra large latte for me. Just look at the size of it!

Husband had a Cola and this very filling breakfast bowl.

The weather was so gorgeous, we trotted across the road to dip our toes in the sea.

So gorgeous, in fact, that we headed home for some beach things and then returned to set up camp for a while. Here is Husband in his wet suit, about to pick mussels off the rocks. I stayed in safety under our umbrella and read with toes in the sand.

But it’s not just mussels that Husband hauled… he also got hold of a tiny octopus, hidden in an open mussel shell! He took it back to the deep blue after I’d met it.

By then we’d worked up an appetite so set off to try Pitmasters on Woodbridge Island. This is our ‘waiting patiently for our food’ selfie

Husband tried a ‘Striped Horse’ beer. Yes, that’s actually a zebra. Teehee.

And then the food came! This was Husband’s pulled pork burger, topped with coleslaw and sriracha sauce

For me, a Fanta and this delicious salted caramel brownie. Moist and warm and gooey, it was just perfect.

Sunday, 29 November 2015: Brekkie at home and pretty sunset

Husband had bought extra large eggs in our weekly shop and was delighted to find they held double yolks!

As it was another scorcher I opted for a caramel iced coffee instead of the regular steamy version from Reload. It was amazing.

Much later that afternoon we stopped in at the Driftwood. Here is one of the resident chickens, pottering around the tables.

I went for a Milo shake this time.

Husband had a Black Label draught in a Castle draught glass, as you do.

Sunset from the parents’ house much, much later that eve

Tuesday, 1 December: Hot doggies and advent calendars

The doggies were very hot this week. Here is Bertie lying on the cool tiled floor after a quick dash through the sprinklers outside.

Little Miss Bassie preferred to sit on the arm of the couch, directly under the ceiling fan. Such little characters, they are.

And as it was the first of December, I could open the first window of my advent calendar. Yes, I am 31-years-old… spot the hopeful doggie just behind me.

That’s all, folks – this weekend’s set to be another scorcher – keep cool! 🙂

Conference treats, final assignment submission milkshakes and pink skies

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! 🙂

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 I 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 menu

That’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.

That’s all, folks! 🙂