The Casa Labia Cultural Centre in Muizenberg has just launched ‘Picnics on the Lawn’, offering Saturday afternoon picnic hampers to couples and families who’d like to enjoy the beautiful view from the cultural centre’s lush lawns.

We’re excited to be giving away a hamper for four ( 2 adults and 2 children) with 2 bottles of Casa Labia’s house wine, Casa Bianco and Casa Rosso. 

Closing date:  Friday 25 November 2011 (midday).  First correct entry drawn, wins.  Prize valid until 31 March 2011.  Not transferable for cash.

UNFORTUNATELY - THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED!

Leading lights from the South African interior design scene have been commissioned by Decorex SA to create inspiration settings for beautiful objects and highly desirable items worth having. The show provides a platform for the highly talented Laurence Brick, co-founder of Loads of Living, whose installation ‘Rustic Roots’ takes pride of place in the Fine Finishes section. An impressive raw wooden structure, it integrates hanging gardens and roomsettings along with art, craft and furniture from local designers.

With the hand-made revolution heading for the stratosphere, new show features celebrate the ‘proudly self-made’ phenomenon with free demonstrations, expert advice on colour and new techniques guiding a new generation of ‘make-it-myself’ enthusiasts. Design-craft supporting creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit will also make its mark on the show.

I’m not hugely into interior decor, generally, but there are a few interesting elements that might tempt me out to have a looksee:

BOS Tea House curated by Koncept Design: Pair a young energetic brand with an extraordinary design mind and the result is ‘the restaurant’ of the future, where tea is perfectly paired with food and design rules are broken. This is trading-post meets tea room; art gallery meets library.

Neil Stemmet of Koncept Design, a leading light on the South African food and interior design scene, curates this restaurant space using furniture from the past, the present and the future; combining the old and rustic with sleek Italian design.  With its chic warehouse feel the emphasis is on re-cycling, re-using and re-inventing.  Both laid-back and sophisticated this trend-forward pop-up restaurant features a poster bed to recline on while having a cuppa.  The BOS Ice Tea brand with its funky pop art – and very local feel – inspired Stemmet to come up with a deliciously creative idea for pairing ice tea with food: think pairings like roasted prawns on ‘mosbrood’ toast with lumpfish crème fraiche served with BOS peach tea, or something lekker and local like a Cape Malayan bobotie and lemon salsa on jasmine rice served with BOS lemon tea.

Decadent Diner: The talented teams from Young Cherry’s Designing, Jose’s Craft Steel Interiors and Stucco Italiano bring glamour to diner days. This designer space is devoted to sweet delights and seductive treats. Sip on blush-pink bubbly and bite into French styled patisseries. A perfect rendezvous for show guests to catch up on industry gossip and take a breather.

District Delicious: Know your cumin from your cardamom? Your sumac from your smoked paprika? In line with the home-indulgence trend to prepare upmarket food at home, rather than dining out, the show boasts a new section ‘District Delicious’, flavoured with gourmet products and wine, kitchen accessories and must-haves for home entertaining.

All Things Green House by Inside Living: Visitors can step into an eco-house where everything – from flooring and linen to pamper products for the home get the green thumbs-up. Inspired by how natures does things, this inviting eco-space shows how easy ‘converting to green’ can be; and that free-range living can be effortless, affordable and simultaneously stylish.

The South African Handmade Collection:  A carefully selected group of items from South African Handmade Collection will be on display and on sale, ranging from baskets woven from grass or recycled plastic, high-design handmade ceramic gallery pieces to functional ware and fabrics. This project brings the crafter a step closer to becoming a successful local entrepreneur and exporter.

Cape Craft Design Institute: Explore handmade design by established and up and coming crafters from the Western Cape proudly showing their magnificent products in an exquisitely styled shop environment. A must-visit for the discerning buyer of world class design craft.

Event Details: Decorex Cape Town
Dates: 29 April – 2 May 2011
Venue: CTICC, Cape Town
Times: Doors are open from 10:00- 19:00 daily. The show closes at 18:00 on Monday, May 2^nd.
Entrance: R60. (Pensioners and scholars – R50; children under 12 –  R5)
Entrance is free for registered trade visitors on opening day.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.decorex.co.za /
Find us on Facebook or follow @decorexSA on twitter.

SORRY - THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED!

This awesome home beverage carbonation system transforms ordinary tap water into something a bit more… bubbly!

All you have to do to enter is fill in the form below, give a correct answer, and you’ll go into the draw. The competition closes next Friday 15 April 2011.

Good luck!

Sorry - this competition has now closed!

We are depleting our water resources faster than nature can replenish them, and if we don’t do something about it, the well could be dry sooner than we think.

In celebration of National Water Week (ended on Sunday), Global Carbon Exchange is currently running a competition giving away a 3 day Water Auditing Course to the value of R6,500.

GCX’s 3 day Water Auditing Level 1 course gives learners a good understanding of the importance of water, how to conduct a water audit and how to develop a water management strategy for a business or residential home.

Benefits of doing this course:

• Lead your company’s water reduction program.
• Learn a unique skill that every company needs and helps to differentiate you in the job market.
• Become a knowledge leader with your new found understanding of this critical resource.
• Begin a new career in water management and conservation.
• Learn how to manage and conserve water use in a home.

To enter:

Send an email to timeak@globalcarbonexchange.com with your details and the email addresses of 5 colleagues or friends who you feel would love to receive our monthly environmentally focused newsletter (view past newsletters).  Competition closes 15 April 2011.

Who is Global Carbon Exchange?

“GCX is a strategic environmental sustainability consultancy and training provider. We work closely with our customers to help them identify and build their Eco-Advantage; the opportunity for sustained growth and profitability while demonstrating reduced environmental and social impacts over time.” www.globalcarbonexchange.com

October is swinging around once again (as it has a habit of doing), and with it comes the annual celebration of life and spirit that is the Celebrate Life Festival.

This time, this holistic festival will be held at the River Club, in Observatory, and the focus will be on all things natural, organic, eco-friendly and healthy.  As always, there’s an all-day schedule of interesting speakers, and the chance to participate in or watch activities like drumming, Tai Chi and belly-dancing.  Find a new crystal for your collection (or start one), visit the ‘Heartspace’ tent, or meander through the labyrinth, reflecting on life,  love and everything else.

“This will be a weekend event for the whole family to enjoy, with funky stalls to browse through and delicious food stalls to eat at.  Listen to internationally acclaimed Tony Cox, take part in creating our “Heart of the Planet” collage.  Speakers include Rod Suskin, Natalia Baker, Don Brule, Bob Flynn, Dean Liprini Arthur Seltzer, Belinda Silbert, Suzanne Leighton and many more. ”

The food is great, and the atmosphere something a bit different from most Cape festivals… and I think the River Club is a good spot for it.

Event details:

What: Celebrate Life Festival 2010
Where: River Club, Observatory
When: 9-10th October 10:00 am to 5.00 pm.
How much: Entrance is R60.00 per person per day, children under 12 go free, Students, pensioners and disabled persons half price. Weekend pass R100.00 Book through Computicket or pay at the door. Talks and workshops free, film festival free, drumming hour, Nia and belly dance workshops.  A great day to explore ways to uplift body mind and soul!
Who to contact: Caroline Chaplin on 021 762 3965 or info@celebratelife.co.za

Full programme on www.celebratelife.co.za

Sorry - this competition has now closed!

You can watch the Chefs in Action, including big-name celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, or try some beer and food pairing, guided by screenwriter, brewer, food fanatic and ‘would-be astronaut’ Jim Davies.

There’ll be a ‘Slow Food Market‘, organised by the folks who run the Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market and Willowbridge Slowmarket, signed cookbooks, and of course all the hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their products.

I’ve got two sets of tickets to give away for this food extravaganza (Cape Town only).  If you’d like to win ‘em, fill in the form below and you’ll go into the draw.  First two correct entries drawn win tickets.

Sorry - this competition has closed!

Tickets are for general admission and valid for the Thursday (13 May 2010) only.

Hooray, I get to give tickets away to one of my favourite food festivals in the country.  Tickets normally cost R110, but between now and the 20th of April, ten readers stand the chance to win a ticket to this awesome cheesy feast.  All you have to do is read on, pick up a clue or two, answer some festival-related questions, and fill in the form below.  First ten correct entries drawn win tickets.

TASTE, EAT, DRINK AND PLAY AT THE 2010 SA CHEESE FESTIVAL

This year, SA Cheese Festival fans are invited to taste, eat, drink and play as they discover a world of tastes in one place. This gourmet gathering takes place from Saturday 24 until Tuesday 27 April 2010 at Bien Donné on the R45 between Paarl and Franschhoek.

Enjoy cheese in all its many glorious guises and meet the creators – from small artisanal outfits to the larger dairy dynasties. Discover an abundance of complementary delicacies…locally grown olives, home-made preserves, hand-crafted chocolates and award winning wines. Fancy yourself the Big Cheese when it comes to cooking up a storm? Then take part in the foodie fun in the interactive demonstration kitchen where the atmosphere is electric and the action non-stop.

The SA Cheese Festival offers a wide range of fun-filled activities for the entire family. While the adults relish the chance to soak up the laid back vibe and many opportunities to taste, eat and drink in the Cheese Emporium, Cheese Market, The Mall, Gourmet Lane or Dairy Square, kids have ample time to play in the Kiddies Corner, the Cheese Chiller or experience the magical Milk Factory.

A limited number of tickets are available at Computicket and Checkers stores (no tickets at the gates) at R110 for Saturday and Sunday and R90 for Monday and Tuesday. Senior citizens pay R70 and children 12 years and younger enter for free. The festival runs each day from 10:00 to 18:00 and closes at 17:00 on the last day.

For more information contact Agri-Expo on tel 021 975 4440 or cheese@agriexpo.co.za or visit www.cheesefestival.co.za

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Three of the country’s top magicians are coming together on Saturday the 20th of February to put on a one-night-only show to raise funds for the UPliftment Programme.

Established six years ago, the UPliftment Programme has trained more than 50 volunteer care clowns who share joy with over 3 500 children every month. Operating across the country, the NPO visits children in hospitals and homes, providing them with regular doses of fun and laughter.  All proceeds raised from the event will go towards uplifting a further 500 children every month.

But it’s not just about helping out – it looks likely to be a world-class performance. Le Sueur, Eland and Oudejans have all independently built international profiles for themselves, with regular invitations all over the world…

The Magicians:

• Jacques le Sueur, the only person to ever successfully steal (and return) former President Nelson Mandela’s wrist-watch (twice)
• Andrew “Magic Man” Eland, one of the most experienced and well-travelled magicians in the country
• Marcel Oudejans, recognised both locally and abroad as one of the busiest corporate event entertainment specialists in Africa.

The event takes place on 20 February 2010 (8-11pm) at the Grand West Casino.  Tickets cost R130, with all proceeds going directly to the UPliftment Programme.  Buy a ticket, or sponsor someone else to go at theup.org.za.

Massimo’s Pizza Club in Hout Bay is always innovating.  New flavours, new menu items, new Italian experiences – whether it’s an unusual combination of pizza toppings, or an offering of Bicerin, a traditional Torinese chocolat liquor (made from scratch by Massimo himself).  I’ve raved about them before, as have many others (with many more to come, I have no doubt).

Well, to go with the new year, Massimo’s has just introduced something special to their menu: the Piatto di Legno, and they’ve agreed to let me give away three of these delectable-looking platters!

So, what exactly is a Piatto di Legno? It’s a wooden platter full of home-made specialties, including Massimo’s breads, baked in the morning in the wood burning oven. Ideal to share as a starter, or for one person as a main. The ingredients will vary with season and availability, here are some of the good things you will find:

• Parma Ham and melon
• Salame or Coppa
• Giardiniera
• Melanzane alla Calabrese
• Zucchine in carpione
• Crostino with fresh goat cheese and salsa verde
• Fior di latte mozzarella with pesto
• Tuscan beans salad

Massimo’s breads are made with Eureka Mills (stone ground) flour, the same used for their pizza bases. The rye bread is raised for 48 hours, a process that give a unique taste and fragrance.  The Piatto di Legno platter costs R89 (R79 for vegetarian).

COMPETITION CLOSED

Massimo’s Pizza Club is located at Scarecrows, Oakhurst Farm Park, Main Rd, Hout Bay.  Contact details: 073 3901373 – 021 7907906. www.pizzaclub.co.za

Jaqui Daya in Newlands is one of my favourite coffee haunts. I’m not kidding when I say that I go there at least three out of every seven days of the week…

I work from home, not very far away, and nothing breaks up a day better than a short walk along the banks of the Liesbeeck, followed by a double-shot pretty-milk-pattern-topped ‘flat white’ and an animated chat with the friendly waiters.

Absolute bliss. And, how convenient: on Tuesdays my week’s allotment of organic CSA vegetables is dropped off at Jaqui Daya as well, providing the perfect excuse (not that I need one) to make every Tuesday a coffee day.

The secret to their success? The coffee is made from freshly roasted Origin beans, prepared by trained baristas who know how to froth milk perfectly… who love the art of coffee-making, and are darned good at it (ask if Nick’s behind the helm… he’s the maestro!).

Well, if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re in luck. Courtesy of Jaqui Daya, I get to give away coffee-for-two for 25 fans of the roasted bean…

All you have to do to enter is to fill in the form below, answer a really easy question, and that’s that. The prize is for any coffee on their list (be it a flat white, a latte, whatever) for two people (at one sitting), and it’s valid until 31 January 2010.  Competition closes at midnight on Monday 30 November 2009.  First 25 correct entries drawn win.  Good luck!

Jaqui Daya – Good Food Store is located at 205 Main Road, Newlands (opposite Westerford School). They are open 7 days a week from 7.30am to 8pm and serve delicious, reasonably priced meals and have a good selection of cakes (which go very well with coffee!). Right next door is Folio Books, another favourite haunt of mine.

Each double ticket gives you and your partner entrance to the Cape Town FNB Whisky Live Festival on the Thursday, 5 November 2009 (only). The prize includes entry into the Tasting Hall, a copy of the 2009 edition of the Whisky Handbook, a tasting glass as well as 12 whisky tasting coupons for the evening, a bottle of Valpre water, and discounted food and Picardi Rebels vouchers.

The competition ends at midday on the 30th of October, so be sure to get your entry in before then!

ENTER NOW

It’s time to get clued up on your whisky as the largest whisky festival in the world comes to town…  The Whisky Live Festival kicks off on the 4th of November, and runs for three days showcasing of all things whiskyfied – whisky cocktails, whisky tasting, food and whisky-pairing…the lot.

Discover a world of whisky at the FNB Whisky Live Festival

Now in its seventh year, The FNB Whisky Live Festival has grown into the largest whisky event of its kind, attracting more visitors and brands than any other whisky festival globally.  And organisers have promised that this year’s show – which runs from 4^th to 6^th November 2009 in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre – will be bigger and better with more to taste, see and do.

Education and providing an accessible forum for both the novice and connoisseur to sample and discover the mystery of whisky will continue to be the main focus of the event.

New interactive elements include the Schweppes Art of Cocktail Making Zone, where you whip up delicious whisky cocktails and the Macallan Maturation Zone, where you can learn what effect wood has on the taste, colour and flavour of whisky. Old favourites such as the Lexus Connoisseurs Experience, which offers a chauffeur drive, a personalised guided tour of the festival and ‘unique’ tastings followed by dinner in the Lexus Whisky Leisure Lounge, will be available.

The FNB Whisky Live Festival runs from 18h00 to 22h00. Tickets to the Tasting Hall cost R180, with a range of other ticketing options available through Webtickets(via the Whisky Live website), including new multi-day passes and group bookings.

The FNB Whisky Live Festival promotes responsible drinking. No persons under the age of 18 years old will be allowed into the Tasting Hall, and dedicated driver tickets are available. Discounted food vouchers and a bottle of Valpre mineral water are included in the ticket price, and taxis will be on hand to ensure that everyone in your party is able to have a good time.

Part of the proceeds will continue to be donated to The Foundation of Alcohol Related Research. For more information please visit the website - www.whiskylivefestival.co.za – or e-mail contact@whiskylivefestival.co.za .

Giveaway

The FNB Whisky Live Festival are giving away double tickets to three lucky readers to the Cape Town festival.  Each double ticket gives you and your partner entrance to the Cape Town FNB Whisky Live Festival on the Thursday, 5 November 2009 (only)

The prize includes entry into the Tasting Hall, a copy of the 2009 edition of the Whisky Handbook, a tasting glass as well as 12 whisky tasting coupons for the evening, a bottle of Valpre water, and discounted food and Picardi Rebels vouchers.

To enter the competition, all you have to do is answer two easy questions below, and send us your entry and contact details before 30 October 2009.

*** COMPETITION NOW CLOSED ***

THE FINE PRINT: The competition closes at midday on the 30th of October 2009. Prize is for Tasting Hall tickets for the opening VIP night of the CT festival on 5 November (cannot be changed for another night). Tickets can only be used by the person whose name is entered into the draw (ID will be required for collection) and can be collected on the evening of the 5th from just before 18h00. If we cannot get hold of any winner by midday on 2 November 2009, we will award the tickets to a runner-up. Oh, and you’d best be over 18, or you won’t be allowed into the Tasting Hall at all!