NEW YEARS EVE SPARKLYNESS

This year I think we will stay in with our 7 year old - make some snacks rent a cool DVD and spend some time chatting about the new year. Then when it is very late for a 7 year old to be up :) we will send her to bed with a million kisses and tell her all about how it will be a new year when she wakes up. but before she does we'll fit in some ice cream before bed and some fizzy juice in "champagne" glasses... maybe some sparkly cupcakes and light some sparklers while listening to some Frank Sinatra :) then tuck her in.

Once the little one has drifted off to sleep the husband and I will sit outside under the stars as we do every year and talk, eat and wrap ourselves in blankets to keep warm... of course there will be yawning and joking and then just after 12 a kiss and off to bed for a snooze.

There WILL BE food -  Im already contemplating the snacks. Maybe some cheese on biscuits with cherry tomatoes and basil. Also some yummy berries and home made custard ... ooo .. I know custard cold with chocolate grated into it YUM!

I can also make use of the cherries I steeped in vodka to make a nice fizzy champagne cocktail for me and the husband. 

mmmm - Who knows? maybe we will invite some friends over

OOOOOOR go out...

I am never sure exactly how it will go, but I do know I want it to be relaxing and stress free.

hope your New Years is as fun and as nice as you anticipated and FULL of sparkly-ness



Love and thanks for reading my blog over this year

Hope you will come back and read some more in 2012

See you then

Happiness and love


 


PS WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR NEW YEARS- ANYTHING FUN?

One & Only Nut Cracker themed High Tea

I attended the Press Launch for THE ONE & ONLY CHRISTMAS HIGH TEA in August for Christmas. Yes they are that organised!

The Christmas theme at The One & Only is sure to be cute and special this year with a high tea spread that I found really pretty with a festive nut cracker theme. There were cute little nut crackers everywhere .

If my stomach was bigger and could have handled more food I would have tried one of every single thing on the table.... I wish! So choose wisely if you are not a big eater!

I personally loved the tiny canille and the creamy and smooth mini cheese cakes not to mention the florentines! I tried many more things too ... mmmm

Canille on the right - a giant bowl of yumminess!

Tea is R145 per person and includes teas and coffees. Early booking is advised.



Seeing as Christmas is a few days away - run off and go try it before its over and gone!


*photos are all my own*

MISS K's IN GREEN POINT

A little while back I was invited to lunch with a few bloggers and media at Miss K's. It was a small intimate lunch with the owner herself - and what a lovely lunch it was.

 Miss K herself - so friendly and warm. And an array of deliciousness that is in her eatery.

I was fortunate enough to have a generous and delicious salad all to myself as I have been avoiding meat lately and everyone else was having a seared tuna salad - which looked so good. But wanting to avoid the seafood and meat aspect I had a veggie salad. It was a show stopper of a salad!!! Filled with delicious veggies, fruit and salad ingredients. I think I will need to return for another one :) It was huge so next time I'll share some of my salad with the husband ;) as I couldn't finish the one they served me.

 The delicious salad I had / outdoor seating / painted wall mural / fresh flowers.

The vibe and layout is quite nice with an open kitchen counter where you can see the cooks and kitchen staff cooking. The outside area has tables, chairs and umbrellas for the sun and fresh air seekers. 

The event was lovely with a delicious lunch followed by very nice chocolate brownies (they were as fudgy as they were chocolatey). *note return again for brownies*

A kind thank you to Kirsten and her PR team for inviting me.

To see their menu and other details visit their website here

SIGNAL RESTUARANT AT THE CAPE GRACE AND PAUL CLUVER WINES

On Thursday night I was invited to attend the Food and Wine Dinner at the Cape Grace Hotel in their Signal Restaurant paired with Paul Cluver wines - All compliments of The Cape Grace Hotel (thank you!)

View from the library window

We started out in the library  at 7pm with canape's and white wine and some chatting. I had the lovely husband with me to talk to (phew) as I'm not so good at meet and greets.


After half an hour we were led through to the restaurant for dinner. To my great surprise we were seated at our own table of 2 and each party of people had their own table depending on the amount of guests they had booked for. It was like any usual night in a restaurant seating wise. I really liked this as I didn't have to make small talk with other diners but just enjoy the evening with my husband. I sounds like I hate talking to people - I don't I promise! but it was nice having the husband all to myself :)

After a brief talk by the chef Malika van Reenen explaining the menu and then a talk by Andries Burger from Paul Cluver wines about the wines that would be paired with our food. Both were interesting. Andries made me want to visit Burgundy in France from his stories. It sounded so beautiful and amazing.

Starter
green gazpacho toasted cumin flat bread, homemade blueberry yoghurt cheese paired with Paul Cluver Close Encounter Riesling 2011 - I have to say I really loved this wine and drank it through out the night - it paired well with everything! I have added it to my list of must buy wines.

Main
twice-cooked crispy duck leg with wild mushroom and lentil ragout, beetroot gastrique paired with Paul Cluver Pinot Noir 2009 - The duck was lovely and the mash very creamy. The wine wasn't to my taste - then again I'm no wine buff.

Dessert
summer strawberries, rose and litchi paired with Paul Cluver Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2010 - The summer strawberries was served in the form of a sorbet which was very light and refreshing, it was lovely. The wine was very sweet - being a dessert wine and lovely.


PRIOR TO THE EVENING:
I had let the hotel know that my husband is allergic to nuts a few days prior to the function and The Cape Grace were really good at making sure that he didn't have any food containing ANY nuts!
They really were very thorough. I felt that they had taken the time to prepare their staff and several of the waiters and staff were aware of the allergy and made sure that everything was nut free.


*Thank you to Leah De Klerk who helped organize everything