Craft Parkhurst

Known for their exceptional burgers and ribs, Craft Parkhurst has recently introduced a  mouth-watering extension of waffles and extreme milkshakes to their dessert menu alongside their Guilt-Free Cheesecake and Salted Caramel Panna Cotta to name a few...

On my recent trip to Johannesburg, a few friends and I were treated to a delectable array of desserts at Craft Parkhurst. The evening was rainy and cold and what better way to spend it with good friends and food. Thinking back to that night makes me want feel for their Peanut Butter milkshake. Our mission was to sample the new additions to the dessert menu beginning with the Guilt-Free Cheesecake which is carb and sugar free. It is Banting and diet-friendly. Served in a cute little cast-iron pot on a wooden serving board, the baseless cheesecake topped with almonds and berries is perfect for two. Sweet and creamy and totally guilt-free, this dessert is perfect for the health-conscious!

Next we tried out the Vanilla milkshake and the Peanut Butter milkshake. With the simple presentation, all the glory is in the shake. Sugary sweet and delicious is all I have to say. I'm going to jump to the pizza and mention that it was divine! A medium-base pizza with vegetables hit the spot on a cold night! 

Back to the desserts... The Salted Caramel Panna Cotta was my favourite of the night. It's not too sweet which is my preference since my days of sugar-loading are long gone. Served on a wooden serving board with a side of sugared pop corn and spun sugar as well as a generous drizzle of caramel. May I just add that the caramel was made to perfection. There was no trace of burnt sugar. 

By this time we all were nearing the point of 'Food Coma' but we continued, relentlessly. Next we gave the Roasted Marshmallow waffles a go. Home-made buttermilk waffles topped with an assortment of Marshmallows and Marshmallow fluff. This was a treat! I was too full to have more than a few bites however, I really enjoyed it!

The Piece de Resistance, the Cotton Candy,Candy Popping Extreme Milkshake. This was a feast for the eyes! Looking at the work of art milkshake was such a treat. Served on a wooden board as well, this milkshake was topped with whipped cream, cotton candy and m&m's. It was almost too good to try! Nevertheless, we each had our chance to devour it. It tastes like little fairies dancing on your tastebuds and fireworks going off in the distance leaving behind a trace of sparkles...

Our overall experience was delightful. From the time we arrived, we were treated with hospitality and friendliness from George Camara the Manager and Zee Inyoni our waiter. The atmosphere was lively buzzing with people. I definitely recommend this place for a fun girls night out or for a quick coffee!

*My apologies for the poor quality images. I didn't have a camera with me so I had to resort to phone pictures.

Detox Diaries: Glow Cleanse Week One

If you have been following me on Snapchat, this past week was full of food snaps. I started Glow Cleanse which is a detox meal plan by Rushda Moosajee - owner of Glow Studios in Cape Town. It aims to cleanse and reset the digestive system in order to develop and maintain a healthy eating habit.

Basically, in order to detox one needs to eliminate sugar, dairy and carbs from their diet - the three fundamental factors of my diet. Excited and ready for the challenge ahead I mentally prepared myself to embark on this journey towards a healthy lifestyle. I chose to follow this meal plan primarily because I suffer from breakouts which I believe is caused by an unhealthy diet so I am quite excited to see what my skin looks like after this cleanse. 

Day one of the cleanse and I was happy to drink green juice for breakfast. I was surprised at how good everything tasted. About an hour or two later I felt a minor headache coming on - I thought it cannot be the diet, it's only been a few hours. Breakfast for me comprised of toast (carbs), peanut butter (sugar) and tea (dairy) which is now substituted with fruits and vegetables. I endured the headache and carried on with my day. By the end of day one I felt good about myself, having willpower and resisting my sugar cravings. Three days later I was still lugging around that headache from day one and I was moody as F***. I felt like bingeing on anything sweet I could get my hands on but I managed to resist. 

On my fourth day, my sister brought back Krispy Kreme from her travels which I wanted to devour immediately. I tried my best to stay away but my willpower failed me. I had a piece of a donut but sadly, it did nothing for me except make me chase sugar. I subsequently felt disappointed with myself for giving in but more disappointed that I didn't get the satisfaction I was hoping for. That's when I realised that it really isn't worth it. 

I'm trying to change my mindset about food and eating. I used to feel that if I cheated once my whole diet was ruined which led me to make poor choices throughout the day. However, now, if I have one bad meal I try to be extra good for the rest of the day. I haven't followed the diet perfectly because I'm basically weaning myself off drugs and it's only natural to relapse! I do feel so much better than I did a week ago and I've lost some weight! 

Find more details about the Glow Cleanse at www.rushtush.co.za and follow Rushda on snapchat: rushtush for motivation and a few laughs.

Tweet me @zaida_omar and let me know if you follow any diet plan and how you're feeling about it.

'Til next week 

xxx

Onyx by Aneesa Solomon Winter Collection Preview

Hello lovely readers...

I trust you all are well. This week I had the opportunity to work with Aneesa Solomon for her label's winter collection. I'm no model, I'm actually really camera shy, however, working with Aneesa and the incredibly talented Sally Blackman ignites a spark from within, and my inner Sasha Fierce (Beyonce's alter ego) radiates. It is so important to have good rapport with colleagues in order produce sterling results. All in all, I think we pulled off the photoshoot quite successfully. Me being the eager beaver that I am, I arrived at the studio forty five minutes earlier than expected. Not that I minded though - Sally's studio is based in Shongweni - with view of the hilly terrain in the horizon, I don't know who would!

I got to meet the lovely Lindsay Nixon of Nixon Makeup, who worked her magic on my hair and makeup.We settled on an intense, sultry look which Lindsay brilliantly translated into a smokey eye for my makeup and voluptuous waves for my hair. By the time she was done with me I felt a little less girly and a lot more sensuous.

Think signature cuts with a cosier touch. This season, Onyx drew inspiration from every day essentials. The colours are muted and add a luxurious feel with the soft knit accents. In this season's collection we see a lot more of Aneesa's personality shining through, which is important as a designer. Personally, I like to connect with the person behind the label and get a feel for their personality - I feel this range communicates exactly that!

The hero piece of the collection is the belted-knit abaya which is a cloak with a knitted jersey, and a waist belt to complete the look. How often do you see abayas and knit wear paired together? I remember thinking "wow, I've never seen an abaya and a jersey look so good" at first glance of the range. However, the more classic side of me loved the simple turtle neck abaya, which was styled with various belts. My most favourable pairing was the classic black and white duo,  or the Chanel - inspired combination, which was the turtle neck abaya and a pearl belt. Simple. Classic. Elegant.

I haven't received any of the official images yet, but here's a few behind-the-scenes pictures and a couple selfies I took as the day progressed. I will post more pictures as soon as I receive them.

Sally Blackman Photography: 031 765 7362

Lindsay Nixon: 082 554 3006

Aneesa Solomon: www.aneesasolomon.com / Facebook: Onyx

Volo Pop - Up Boutique

Last week I attended the launch for the hottest new pop-up boutique to hit our shores, Volo, which means to desire in Latin, is the brainchild of the fashion - forward duo Nabila Rajab and Aadilah Kathrada, whom I happen to know personally (can I just say that there couldn't be a better team behind the brand). The brand hopes to provide fashionistas with the latest looks from the trendiest fashion houses starting with an exclusive range from River Island. Us gals were treated to the latest in fashion trends at the Hotel On The Park. I had such fun tasting all the delectable treats whilst looking for the perfect something to purchase.

The range was perfect for all types of girls, whether you're looking for a little black dress or a chic leather jacket to cover up this winter, they had it all. I picked up a fabulous white on white beaded jacket which I loved so much, I wore it out the store. I'm quite chuffed about this new boutique as they bring individual pieces so I never have to worry about clashing. 

If you missed the launch of the boutique, don't despair, there will another new exquisite range gracing our shores soon. Follow @voloboutique on Instagram for more updates. 

White Top: Mr price

Denims: Forever 21

Shoes: Zara

Hat: Mr Price

Bag: H&M

Beaded Jacket: River Island

Le Bebe Soiree

A friend of mine hosted a baby shower for her sister about a month back which I was fortunate enough to attend. The parisian theme was perfect for me because I am a lover of all things french and anyone who knows me knows that I go totally ham on the buffet table, I sample everything from starter to dessert and anything else I can try ( I taste, I do not finish everything). This is where my chef side reveals herself. I don't remember exactly what I ate but I ate everything, forcing me to unbutton a few buttons.  

I decided to clash my florals because it seemed like the parisian thing to do and because I rarely wear dresses or skirts I opted for a floral pants from Zara and matched it with a yellow floral top, also from Zara. I prefer having one main focus when putting an outfit together so I kept the focus on the florals and softened the look with a white blazer and black pointies. The loudness of the print meant that my accessories could kept to a minimum (or I was rushing and kind of forgot to put on jewellery) which worked in my favour because it would have been too much.

Dessert Time! Get in my Belly

Blazer: Zara

Top: Zara

Pants: Zara

Shoes: Zara