Maboneng, again
After our Morning Tea at the Westcliff Hotel, I took my two friends on a bit of an inner-city adventure. We visited the Fashion District (see here) and the Maboneng precinct (see here and here). It was fun to take out the camera and play a bit.
Morning tea at the Westcliff Hotel
Set on a cliffside in a beautiful garden estate, with views stretching over the Johannesburg Zoo in the direction of Pretoria, is The Westcliff, one of Johannesburg’s fanciest hotels. I visited with two friends on a perfect clear sky morning. We arrived at the peach coloured gates, parked our car and were quickly taken on a golf cart to the top of the hill and were delivered in front of the Polo Terrace, the venue of our Morning Tea.
We were treated to not one, but two 3-tier stands of delectable treats, everything from sandwiches, savoury finger bites, scones with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious mini cakes. Sipping our tea and nibbling on the delicacies, the glorious view over the terrace pool was a perfect setting for three friends to chat non-stop and to lose track of time.
We were treated to not one, but two 3-tier stands of delectable treats, everything from sandwiches, savoury finger bites, scones with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious mini cakes. Sipping our tea and nibbling on the delicacies, the glorious view over the terrace pool was a perfect setting for three friends to chat non-stop and to lose track of time.
The return of the lesser spotted blogger
Wow. Where did February go? I know I spent a lot of working hours getting ready for my shop’s year end, but still, my previous post was weeks ago! I did have some fun in between the stock counts and the filing, especially last weekend when my husband and Daniel left me all alone for a Dads & Kids camping weekend. A friend our ours started this little tradition a few years ago by taking the kids away to a campsite not too far from Johannesburg for a weekend of swimming, bicycle riding and sleeping in tents. It has grown in popularity (not least because of enthusiastic mom support – see below) to the point where this year they were 11 dads and 31 kids, the youngest of which was 18 months old!! One of the dads sums up the weekend by saying that dads just have to make sure they adhere to two simple rules: 1. Return with the same amount of kids you left with. 2. You can come back and say the child broke his arm falling of his bike, but heaven help you if the child has sunburn… J
And let me tell you, the moms were as excited as the children! I ended up having a gorgeous weekend, spending Saturday morning at the Westcliff hotel for a Morning Tea, taking my friends on a bit of an inner-city discovery and ending the day with a lovely baby shower that my girlfriends threw for me. So, I will share all of this with you in the next week. In the meantime, have a fantastic Monday!
And let me tell you, the moms were as excited as the children! I ended up having a gorgeous weekend, spending Saturday morning at the Westcliff hotel for a Morning Tea, taking my friends on a bit of an inner-city discovery and ending the day with a lovely baby shower that my girlfriends threw for me. So, I will share all of this with you in the next week. In the meantime, have a fantastic Monday!
Happy Valentine's Day
This cute heart tin filled with sweets is from Woollies. Although Daniel ate all the strawberry flavoured hearts and arrows that were inside, the smile on my husband’s face was truly mischievous! Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.
Petits Fours
A week or two ago, I met my friend Marita for coffee at the recently renovated Petits Fours Patisserie and decor shop, located in the Verdi centre, Northcliff. If you like pastries, cakes, tarts, quiches, cupcakes, muffins or macarons, be warned – their cake boutique’s beautiful display means the end of any form of discipline regarding those “cut-back-on-sugar” intentions. Temptation comes in the most beautiful form at Petits Fours.
The new coffee shop is decorated in bright pinks and turquoise, interesting wallpapers and bright table settings. It has a bit of a retro flair and makes you think of candy floss!
The shop also boasts a lovely French-inspired décor/gift shop. They stock beautiful linen, tableware and glassware.
Petits Fours
Cnr of Beyers Naude & Vincent Road
The new coffee shop is decorated in bright pinks and turquoise, interesting wallpapers and bright table settings. It has a bit of a retro flair and makes you think of candy floss!
The shop also boasts a lovely French-inspired décor/gift shop. They stock beautiful linen, tableware and glassware.
Cnr of Beyers Naude & Vincent Road
Verdi Centre
Blackheath
You can like their Facebook page here.
Rivers of Chocolate
I am still in a chocolate mood –this is the second post about chocolate in a row! Perhaps it is time to just call it a pregnancy craving and be done with it. Truth be told though, it is less about food cravings and more the “nesting phase” at this stage. I am physically exhausted, but I find myself, totally out of character, unpacking and repacking cupboards, “recycling” stuff still in boxes from our move four years ago, and making lists of foods that I can prepare in advance to freeze. If you know me well, you will worry about the hormonal imbalance so evidently on display in that last sentence!!
So, let me finish this blog so that I can do some filing and cleaning. I want to show you another innovative animation today. It is a stop frame edit done by South African photographer Russell Smith and food stylist Nikki Werner. I love the quirky music. Chocolate cake freezes well, does it not?
So, let me finish this blog so that I can do some filing and cleaning. I want to show you another innovative animation today. It is a stop frame edit done by South African photographer Russell Smith and food stylist Nikki Werner. I love the quirky music. Chocolate cake freezes well, does it not?
A very clever brownie trick
Today’s blog is very chocolaty! Yesterday, we were lucky enough to be treated to high tea at the Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton – a reward for some charity fundraising my husband did recently - see here. We took our little boy along for his first experience of a chocolate fountain, and the amount of joy it gave him was priceless. He dipped strawberries and marshmallows in the fountain, but my theory is that anything you dip into a chocolate fountain just tastes great! The sugar rush afterwards was something to behold – like having that pink mechanical rabbit from the Duracell TV ads in the back of the car, but on steroids!
Incidentally, the term ‘high tea’ originates from Victorian England and originally referred to the meal we now call dinner, eaten between 5 and 7pm. Traditionally, high tea was eaten by middle to upper class children (whose parents would have a more formal dinner later) or by labourers, miners and the like when they came home from work. The ‘high’ in the name refers to the time of day – as in high noon – to distinguish it from afternoon tea, which was taken at about 3pm. Somewhere along the line ‘high tea’ must have gradually moved earlier in the day, but no one knows how!
Talking about sugar rushes, I want to share with you this clever trick that I saw on the TV show, Barefoot Contessa. If you want to make your chocolate brownies even better, spoon smooth peanut butter on the batter just before you put it in the oven. With a knife, swirl it around the brownie batter. Do not be to overzealous or your butter will disappear into the batter – you want to see it on top of the brownies. They look pretty and are very decadent!
Incidentally, the term ‘high tea’ originates from Victorian England and originally referred to the meal we now call dinner, eaten between 5 and 7pm. Traditionally, high tea was eaten by middle to upper class children (whose parents would have a more formal dinner later) or by labourers, miners and the like when they came home from work. The ‘high’ in the name refers to the time of day – as in high noon – to distinguish it from afternoon tea, which was taken at about 3pm. Somewhere along the line ‘high tea’ must have gradually moved earlier in the day, but no one knows how!
Talking about sugar rushes, I want to share with you this clever trick that I saw on the TV show, Barefoot Contessa. If you want to make your chocolate brownies even better, spoon smooth peanut butter on the batter just before you put it in the oven. With a knife, swirl it around the brownie batter. Do not be to overzealous or your butter will disappear into the batter – you want to see it on top of the brownies. They look pretty and are very decadent!
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