2016
October 26
Cheeseburger
pie – have you ever
seen these pies at the local petrol stations? It’s basically a burger
patty with tomato relish inside a pastry. Ever tried making them?
It really is DEAD EASY! You can bake or fry your burger patties till 2/3
done.
Roll out your puff pastry (one roll will serve 2, depending on size
of your patty) and cut in half. Put a patty on each half puff pastry, top
with tomato relish, ketchup, fried onions and definitely slices or grated
cheese. Carefully fold the pastry over to cover and seal the edges of
your ‘pie’ with a fork. Brush with a beaten egg and bake in oven (per the
pastry instructions). That is it!!!!!
Exercise:
If you don’t go to
gym but want to do something, pull on your sneakers and drive to a mall.
(I must say that a few of Joburg malls are excellent for this: Mall of
Africa, Northgate, Cresta, Sandton City). You then walk briskly from the
one side of the mall to the other – and back. Why? You’re
protected from the weather conditions ... you are among people ... there’s no
biting dogs ... you can do window shopping while you walk.
Earrings: I’m really going all out with
‘weird and wacky’ ideas at the moment. When I’ve compiled a portfolio, I
will give the link to the pictures. Planning to go to Kyalami
racetrack last week, I bought a packet of 6 plastic cars at Crazy Store.
4 of the little cars I tied to a cowboy hat with fish line (gut). The
other 2 I drilled holes in and made earrings.
I wore them today to
Northgate mall and got so many compliments.
People are asking if I
sell them, but sadly my creative juices are ‘weird’. I love making these
wild and wacky earrings for myself and my funky friend Cathy. But if I
HAVE TO make these for a market / stall / shop, I lose interest. Wanting
to drill holes in bottle caps for my niece Didi, I practiced on bottle caps and
found out ... my drill isn’t working on metal.
I figured out a way with a
nail, hammer and then my drill. Interesting times.
Impromptu
Cape Town trip:
Wednesday
12 October 2016
I was
browsing through this quaint little Dutch shop in Kya Sands (De Zoete Inval - http://www.desoeteinval.co.za/ ) when hubby phoned and said he had a business
meeting in Cape Town the next day. Do I want to tag along? First I
thought ... no. Cause usually I just have to sit around in coffee shops
and it ends up being boring. When he said he’s hiring a car, I said
okay.
Fish
tacos were on the
menu for Wednesday night, so we made it for lunch. Frozen fish nuggets
baked in oven. Taco shells (buy at Woolworths ... they are cheaper than
Pick ‘n Pay). With mayonnaise, chilli sauce and grated cucumber.
Deeeelicious!!!!!!!
Wednesday
night after 7pm we drove to Lanseria. Had a sandwich in the lounge.
Flight was delayed so we sat and wait. Opposite us was a group ...
speaking in a foreign language. 3 Ladies and 2 guys. Lets call them
the ‘foreign group’ for now ... (you’ll understand why later on.)
Eventually we arrived in Cape Town after 10pm, got our rental car and drove to
the Lagoon Beach Hotel, Milnerton (http://www.lagoonbeachhotel.co.za/ ). As we walked up to the
reception, there they were ... the ‘foreign group’! I mean, out of
all the hotels in Cape Town that we ended up in the same hotel. So we
joked a bit about who’s following who.
Room was
lovely and spacious, didn’t look out over the beach though. Patio through
sliding doors. Small bar fridge, empty but cold. I unpacked our
bags and we were in bed by midnight.
Thursday,
13 October 2016
Woke after
6 am. Walked onto the patio ... wowee ... although the sky was clear, the
wind was strong! I made Hein some instant coffee, but yeah .. I’m a
coffee snob ... decided to wait for filter coffee at the breakfast
downstairs. Although we didn’t manage to snag a table right next to the
doors overlooking the ocean, we could still see the mountain and sea.
Buffet was big and delightful! Quite a few different kinds of cereals,
yoghurt, whole fruits and then cut-up fruits.
Different
muffins, croissants, different bread slices, jam pastries, waffles (kept in a
bain-marie, so they weren’t crispy), marshmallows, sweeties, crushed sweets,
whipped cream and few jams.
My absolute favorite (and it was mind-blowing) was a big (about A4 size) piece of real
honeycomb!
I don’t mean the inside-of-a-Crunchie bar-honeycomb! I
mean the honeycomb that’s taken from a beehive!!! We’ve been to NUMEROUS
breakfasts all over South Africa ... and NEVER EVER in my life ... have I seen
honeycomb served!! It was absolutely divine!!!! I toasted some brown
bread and enjoyed the honeycomb. My Zomato review and picture of this
honeycomb (https://www.zomato.com/review/Yzemlr)
There were
cold hams, salmon (oh yeah!), salad ingredients, grated cheese, feta cheese,
cottage cheese and a cheese platter with a few different types of
cheeses. BUT NO KNIFE! How do you cut a chunk of cheese without a
knife? There were pork and beef sausages, scrambled eggs, pap, tomato
relish, bacon, baked beans and tomatoes. Hot filtered coffee is served at
the table.
After
breakfast, I took the rental car and drove to Durbanville, about 30 minutes
away from Milnerton and left Hein in a business meeting at the hotel
lounge. Later Hein told me that he again saw the ‘foreign group’.
I grew up
in the Cape and drove around these areas, so it was a breeze although the roads
have changed a lot. Although the wind was still blowing, it was a lovely
day and the scenery – priceless. My reason for driving to
Durbanville? A coffeeshop- XPresso in Wellington Road (the main
road of Durbanville) (http://www.xpressocafe.co.za/ ) – every single item on their menu
is R10! Yes, I’ve not forgotten a digit ... R10! When I read about
it, some people said the cups were small ... so I expected an espresso-sized
cup.
Drove back
to Milnerton, but on the way Hein phoned and said I must meet him at the Cape
Waterfront. Lunch at a Belgian restaurant, Den Anker (http://www.denanker.co.za/ )
It was heaven to sat outside on the patio under an umbrella,
with a light breeze, watching the boats in the harbour. I decided to have
a starter of fish soup. (Soupe de Poisson R60.00 Fish soup the
French way, with rouille, grated cheese and croutons - Vissoep op zijn Frans) OH MY GOODNESS!!! It was absolutely
amazing! A lovely bowl of smooth red-orange soup, almost like a creamy bisque
soup.
Hein had a Wagyu burger with chips and mayo sauce
... R105 ... a bit steep I think, although Hein said it was good. My Zomato
review: (https://www.zomato.com/capetown/den-anker-v-a-waterfront/reviews)
After lunch
Hein was working on his laptop at the restaurant table, so I quickly popped
over to the Watershed (craft market in a big shed). Interesting items and
the next moment ... there they were ... the foreign group ...
again!!!! So we chatted .. they were students from Tunisia and had a 10
day stay in Pretoria, talking to the University. They were only a few
days in Cape Town. Okay, so this is really getting weird...
We drove
back to the hotel, had a quick nap and then walked down to La Mizu (beach bar
at the Lagoon Beach hotel) for a drink. Wind was still blowing, so we sat
inside. A group of really brave people walked out, chose a table and sat
down. Later on they ordered a pizza to share. I had to laugh ...
the one lady had the slice of pizza in her hand, but she couldn’t get it into
her mouth ... she HAD TO TURN HER HEAD so that she could bite the pizza.
Maybe they were CIA and didn’t want anyone to overheard them talking
business... bwahahahaha. Hein always tell me I should write stories,
cause the scenarios I can weave around people...
As we
walked to the lift, going to our rooms, one of the foreign group ladies
was already in the lift!!!! It was just really ‘crazy’ bumping into them
like this!
Meeting
some friends later, we drove to Big Bay and thought we’ll pop into Blue Peter
for a drink ... yikes ... it was full! What a popular place. The
Brazen Head for dinner in Big Bay. (https://www.dining-out.co.za/md-menu/The-Brazen-Head-Restaurant-Big-Bay/7725) Hein and I shared a platter with
Samoosas, ribs, chicken wings, Halloumi and chips.
I ordered champ as a
side ... (Champ (brúitín in Irish) is an Irish
dish, made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped scallions with
butter and milk, and optionally, salt and pepper. It is simple and
inexpensive to produce. In some areas the dish is also called
"poundies".) It was deeeeeeeeeeelicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A guy was singing some old songs. Beers were cold and food was
good! When the waiters started to mop the floor, we left for the
night. My Zomato review: (https://www.zomato.com/capetown/the-brazen-head-blouberg/reviews)
We had a good night’s sleep.
Friday, 14 October 2016
Breakfast and coffee time!!! It was a splendid day! NO
WIND! Open skies.
Wow, at the buffet there was a new A4-sized honeycomb!!!! Yes
please, fill me up! Instead of pap and tomato relish, they had hash
browns. After a few coffees (and still not sitting next to the glass
doors), we walked out and what??? Yes, walked into the ‘foreign group’
again! They were on their way to the cable car at Table
Mountain. It was the perfect Cape Town day for a trip up the mountain.
Our goal for the day ... Babel Restaurant, Simondium. My Zomato
review: (https://www.zomato.com/review/BExDDG )
Okay, so are you ready for a really crazy story? This Babel is on
the farm Babylonstoren ... my dad was the farm manager on THIS farm for more
than 30 years! This was our house.
I think my younger sister was 6 (so I was 9) when we moved
there. After my parents left the farm, the owners sold it to Koos Bekker
(chairman of NASPERS) and the old farm was changed into this amazing place
... there’s a spa, a hotel, self-catering units, a fabulous new garden
area (it’s a huge area ... laid out brilliantly, with quirky touches), the main
restaurant Babel and then a coffee shop called The Greenhouse. Here are
the pictures I took (http://s216.photobucket.com/user/almapretorius/library/Babel%20Klapmuts?sort=2&page=1)
I’ve never seen the ‘new’ farm, so this Friday it was time!
Driving into Babylonstoren is just amazing. At the entrance, a very
friendly colored gentleman asked us to pay the entrance fee. Hein
said: no young man, we buried something here years ago and just want to
come and dig it up. The guy had a really good laugh. We still had
to pay.
Walking down the farm towards the restaurants, my head swiveled around,
telling Hein what I remembered from the ‘old’ farm, although Hein himself knew
some of it too. The gardens are really out of this world! The farm
tries to be self-sustained so veggies are planted and under some trees are beds
and beds of rosemary!!!! The pathways are topped with peach pips and some
areas have blue and white mosaic ‘floors’. The Greenhouse coffee shop is a
big glass structure with tables inside and outside. We chose to sit
outside under huge shady trees.
At the entrance, they ask you to wait ... while waiting, there was
a basket with home-grown Blood Oranges to take home. As you sit down at
your table, a bottle of Babylonstoren-labelled fountain water is given.
Also a glass jar with orange pieces. (Sticky fingers alert!)
Our waitress, Gabrieline, was friendly and really interested when I
told her I grew up on the farm. Hein was looking at the sandwich
option on the menu, but I vetoed him (in a really nice way of course) and said:
no. It’s tea time. Scones and dessert in a jar (choice between
malva pudding and a gluten-free chocolate pudding.) Hein chose the malva
pudding.
The treats are carried in a wooden tray, stenciled with
Babylonstoren. It’s called ‘jar dessert planter’. It’s served in a
short fat glass jar, topped with a scoop of ice cream and a sprig of green
(something edible, I suppose.)
The scones (2 of them) came in glass ‘plant pots’. They must have
been baked in them. On the side were glass jars with butter, whipped
cream, blueberry jam (it was a bit runny, so I ended up with more sticky
fingers.) and grated cheese. Also R55 ... presentation and taste ... out
of this world.
Your bill comes in a ‘Babylonstoren olive oil tin’.
I cannot tell
you how impressed both Hein and myself were ... I thought the new farm would be
real snobbish and terribly expensive (well, the overnight rooms are bit pricey)
- but the experience we had was just incredible! The staff all
seemed happy with the working conditions and the amazing details you encounter
– a real winner.
Not wanting to drive to Stellenbosch (where Hein and I met 25 years ago)
because of the student unrest, we drove to Wellington, thinking to visit the
Three Ships Whisky distillery. But they only open on appointment.
Off to Durbanville (no no ... not the R10 XPresso shop (Hein gently vetoed that
– heehee) ... we stayed outside of Durbanville 17 years ago.)
At Table view, we
found a little pub/restaurant Pakalolo. (http://www.pakalolo.co.za/)
On our way to the hotel, we stopped at Pick ‘n Pay and besides beer and flavored milk (for me), we bought some fresh buns, butter spread, crushed
garlic and small block of cheese for dinner in the hotel room. (Forgetting we
obviously don’t have utensils.) I can now inform you ... a teaspoon is a
real handy tool! With the side of the teaspoon handle, I ‘cut’ the
buns. With the underside of the teaspoon ‘bowl’, I smeared the butter and
garlic. With the side of the teaspoon handle I also managed to slice the
cheese. Hein watched a movie, I read a book and we munched on garlic
cheese buns ... yummo!
Saturday, 15 October 2016
Coffee time! And breakfast! Checking on the honeycomb ...
this time they had 2 smaller squares ... so yes, I again had some lovely toast
with honey. This morning there was also spaghetti with veggies at the
buffet ... noodles for breakfast! And we managed to snag a table at the
glass doors!!!!! Seagulls were in the swimming pool – bathing and
splashing around. Another stunning day for Cape Town, although there a
few clouds hanging over the mountain.
After breakfast, we walked to the lift to grab our suitcases ... AND
WALKED INTO THE ‘FOREIGN GROUP’ ... AGAIN!!!!! They were also
flying to Joburg the same day, but only at 3pm ... our flight was at
11am. They still had some shopping to do. And that was our
impromptu Cape Town trip.
Keep well and thanks for the lovely responses on my chattier emails.
Ciao.
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