Katy's Palace Bar and Collective

I love discovering cool new places in Joburg. I often wish I could be living in Cape Town or just anywhere in nature but when I find another unique spot here in Joburg it just rekindles my love for this city.

Katy's Palace Bar is located on 6 Desmond Street, Kramerville, Sandton. It is basically a refurbished warehouse which can be hired for functions. It has a stunning rustic feel with amazing views over joburg.

On the first Sunday of every month Katy's Palace hosts a lunch which is open to the public. The vibe is great but come early as it gets really packed and they don't take bookings. Lunch is self serve (it opens at 12:00) and your plate then gets weighed (you pay R10 for 100g). The food is really amazing ranging from breads to salads to chicken or beef tagine. YUM! They also have a live band which adds to the great atmosphere. It does get quite noisy though so its not really the place for a romantic heart to heart conversation but do go for a relaxed Sunday afternoon out with friends. Like them on facebook to be updated on their events. I will definitely be back!

Next to Katy's Palace and also on the first Sunday of every month is Collective. This is a monthly pop-up market where I bought these beautiful goodies :) Also definitely worth a visit and a great place to get some Christmas shopping done ;) The next one is this Sunday, 1 December 2013, from 10:00 to 16:00. Check out their facebook page too!

Do you know of any interesting new places in Joburg? Please let me know :)

Love,

Ms. M

A chalkboard and a save the date

Wikipedia defines a save the date as "a notice stating the date of a significant event such as a wedding. It is typically sent to those likely to be interested or affected by the event and states the planned date of the occasion so that recipients who wish to attend know to keep that date free. For weddings, save the dates usually take the form of a card. "

We wanted to do something fun and different so I came up with the idea of a video. And since Sihle is pretty incredible at editing videos I presented my idea to him, we brainstormed a bit and then he put this together. I hope it makes you smile because its surely makes me happy! :)

Our ceremony is open to anyone who loves us and and would like to celebrate with us, so do indeed Save The Date! 

Love,
Ms. M

uMhlambiso - a colourful day of love

Since I'm in bed and high on painkillers (I had my wisdom teeth out on Friday) I figured it's a good chance to catch up on some blogging. There have been exciting developments in the "wedding" part of my life which I have really been wanting to write about.

On the 9 November we had a special pre-wedding celebration called uMhlambiso. As far as I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) this is a traditional Swati Ceremony and it is basically about presenting gifts and the 2 families getting to know each other. Let me describe the day and then it might make more sense to you:

It was supposed to start at 12am at the Maseko house (Sihle's family), but I, being influenced by African time and also being the 'bride', made my family wait and so the Volker's only arrived at like 12:15. We were welcomed by a colourful and singing crowd. Much of Sihle's family was there as well as many of our friends from church and elsewhere. Most people were wasdressed in their incredible traditional outfits. I was told to "lead the way" so I went in first to be greeted but as soon as my eyes caught hold of Sihle I ran to him. It was a very special moment. 

Joyful singing and dancing

Being welcomed

My handsome fiance

Love

With more singing and dancing the whole crowd was led to the back of the house where a tent had been set up in the garden. We were all formally greeted and the day was blessed with prayer. Next came introductions of significant members of the Maseko and Volker Families done by the dad’s (Meluccy and Jochen).

And then the giving of gifts started. Buhle Maseko (my skweeza aka future sister-in-law) did a stunning job as master of ceremonies and one by one members of my family were called up and showered with beautiful presents: jewelry, carpets, blankets, brooms and traditional clothes for the men and women. I think everyone felt extremely honored and blessed to be  welcomed in such a way. I, the umakoti (on the web its translated as 'wife' - this is what i was called all day long) was called up last to be presented with a beautiful dress, shoes, carpet, blanket and jewelry. WOW! Talk about being spoilt. I was then quickly ushered into the house by some ladies who helped me change into my new traditional outfit. And what a surprise to find that when I walked out the room Sihle was wearing a shirt to match my dress!! :D We were presented to the guests as a couple who cheered and sang. The singing and dancing basically didn't stop all day long...

Beautifully decorated tables

Sihle's dad and the MC

The dancing continues...

My cousins getting gifts

My (almost) 90 year old granny receiving a blanket as a gift

Lots of fun and laughter

Dad doing the mandela jive

Mom being showered with gifts

Learning the 'step'

Feeling like a princess

All dressed up

Joy

As a little extra my mom had organised some swiss aprons and swiss hats as gifts for Sihle’s family. So it was truly an exchange of cultures. 

Sihle receiving his swiss 'käppli"

A swiss apron

Happiness

3 of my bridesmaids

Love all around

My skweeza and my mom

The day continued to be celebrated with amazing traditional food, being introduced to various people, more dancing and good fellowship. It was one of the most memorable days of my life – so full of love, happiness and joy. I can proudly say, I love being a Swiss-African :)

Love,
Ms. M

Monday's Meal: Stuffed Peppers

This is an easy, delicious and unique recipe. It's hearty but has a light feel to it due to the fresh baby spinach and avo. Try it!

Stuffed Peppers (for 4 - 5 people)

Ingredients:

- 4 - 5 bell peppers

- 1 onion, chopped

- 400g mince meat

- 4 garlic cloves, crushed

- 1 jar salsa (I make my own out of a can 'tomato and onion mix', a dash of lemon juice, herbs and spices)

- 1 cup rice

- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

- baby spinach

- 1 avo

- sour cream 

- spices

- beef stock

1) Heat the oven to 200C. Boil the rice.

2) Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and stalk

3) In a large pan over medium heat fry the onion with the garlic, then add the mince. Spice with salt, pepper, barbecue spice, chilli powder (or anything else you like on mince) to taste

4) Add the salsa and cooked rice to the mince mixture

5) Place the cut peppers in an oven proof dish and divide the mince mixture among them. Top with the grated cheddar cheese and pour about 400ml of beef stock into the bottom of the dish. Bake for 30min.

6) Serve with baby spinach, slices of avo and a dollop of sour cream on top!

Have a blessed week!

Love,

Ms. V

A stop motion experiment

Stop motion videos have always fascinated me so I decided to try it out myself. I used my iPhone and an awesome free app called iMotion HD. This here is my first try. It literally took me 5 minutes but I am rather happy with the result! And it was so easy!!

And here is one of the first stop motion videos I ever saw. It's really amazing. I love it. So beautiful! 

I hope this put a smile on your face just as it did on mine.

Love,
Ms. V

No place like home?

Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of speed, snails have one big advantage in life - they can take their home with them. But there's hope for us humans! While reading one of my favourite blogs, My Scandinavian Home, I came across this: a house which can be transported on a truck and then placed almost anywhere! Moving has never been easier ;) 

Imagine living on a piece of land in the city the one day and then just moving your entire house to the woods or a field! 

And look at this beautifully designed interior....

Dream <3 For more houses with incredible interior design visit My Scandinavian Home. You wont regret it! Or maybe you will... ;) 

Love,

Ms. V "Dreaming of my own house"

Acoustic vibes

Something I'm really into right now is acoustic music - specifically acoustic worship. It just has such a unique and personal feel to it which I really love. I also think acoustic music emphasizes the essence of the musical instruments and it often has a somewhat unpolished sound. It's almost like its less perfect but more real and intimate.

We had our own little acoustic worship session in our garden last weekend. Sitting round the bonfire, grilling marshmallows, singing and jamming. My brother even tried out his new ukulele. It was a special evening and it will definitely be repeated.

Have a look at this video from Hillsong united for some awesome acoustic inspiration. They did a live session in a cafe....great vibe! They are also releasing an acoustic album soon....

Love,

Ms. V

P.s. Today is our -1 year anniversary! 1 year till our wedding and 1 year till I become a Mrs ;)