Gauteng is rich with history and diversity in landscape, and we truly are blessed with some of the most beautiful attractions around. Sure, we may not have an ocean, but we do have the site of the oldest known man on earth.. Here are a few of our favourite places to road trip with the family around Gauteng
Author: Rebecca
Design A Friend Doll Review And Giveaway
Still wondering what gifts to get for the festive season? Well look no further for the perfect gift for little fashionistas 🙂
The girls were recently sent a “Design a Friend” Doll and they are besotted, to say the least. She goes everywhere with them.
I never thought I would have “girly girls”, being a boy mom for so long, I hardly even know how to plait hair, let alone have daughters that love dolls, tea parties and all things pink. Funny how life works because my daughters ask to wear pretty dresses everyday, and their toys of choice? Any doll or baby.
We got “Candy” – she’s a gamer, just like my daughters brothers 🙂 As her name suggests she’s as sweet as can be but when it comes to gaming she’s as competitive as they come. Each “Design a Friend” doll has their own special character, with a unique outfit and special charm bracelet.
Candy Girl measures 46cm tall, I love that she is so big, the girls “walk” with her and it really does make her feel like a “best friend”.
Candy wears the cutest pink ‘Gamer At Heart’ sweatshirt, a skater skirt, trainers with satin laces & super cute unicorn gamer headphones, can we make these in real life child sizes please?
She has blue eyes that close when lying down & super silky pink hair for styling in the latest trends. A super soft, huggable body for lots of cuddles, but can also raise her arms and legs in life like positions. Design A Friend dolls celebrate childhood, encourages imaginative play and inspires children to be themselves.
Designed for the love of fashion, every Design-a-Friend doll comes dressed in on-trend, fashion quality outfits so you can dress her, style her, change her outfits as you do every day. A little girl’s dream.
To find out more about the full range, check out more at www.designafriend.co.uk
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the Festive Season, I’ll be giving away 1 x Design A Friend Doll (Candy) and 1 x Design A Friend Doughnut Time Pyjamas.
To enter:
Drop a quick comment below (In the comment section)
Make sure you are following @inthesestilettos on Instagram, and like and comment on the Design A Friend post there too.
That’s it! Quick and easy and you could be wrapping one of these beauties up as a gift
This post was written in collaboration with Design A Friend
Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake
This baked cheesecake has a trio of decadent flavours. Deep, rich chocolate; smooth caramel and the warmth of roasted hazelnuts. I first made it over a decade ago, and from that moment it’s become my “famous” cheesecake, often requested at parties and events. It has a professional finish, yet it is so easy to make and it’s one of my most used recipes from the Hummingbird Bakery’s “Cake Days”.
The Instant Pot is one of the best ways to bake a cheescake, and using the waterbath method will ensure that your cheesecakes bake evenly and don’t crack.
For a quick video tutorial, you can check out my instagram here.
Recipe as follows:
yields aprrox 8-12 slices
equipment: 20cm/8 inch round cake tin (preferably springform pan), deep roasting tin, aluminium foil
Ingredients:
Base:
220gr digestive/tennis biscuits (for an extra decadent cheescake you could crush lotus biscuits)
100gr unsalted butter
Cheesecake:
700gr full-fat cream cheese
120gr caster sugar
3 eggs
50gr Nestle tinned caramel
50gr dark chocolate broken into pieces
Topping:
4 tbsp tinned caramel
50gr hazelnuts, roasted and chopped into halves
1. Line the base of the cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
3. Melt the butter, add to the biscuit crumbs in a bowl and stir together. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press it firmly in with a spoon. Place in the fridge and chill for 20-30 minutes.
4. If you are baking in an oven, preheat to 160C at this point (alternatively, Instant Pot requires no pre preperation) Preheat the oven to 160C.
5. Cream the cream cheese and sugar with an electric whisk until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time mixing at medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Make sure not to overmix, as this can cause cracks in the cheesecake when baked.
6. Set a third of the cheesecake mixture aside in a separate bowl. Stir the tinned caramel in the remaining two thirds and spoon into the cake tin onto the biscuit base.
7. Melt the chocolate, leave it to cool slightly and stir into the cheesecake mixture that you’ve set aside. Spoon this mixture onto the caramel cheesecake mixture in the tin and smooth over.
8. Wrap the cake tin in aluminium foil so that no water can enter the tin, folding it slightly over the sides of the tin. Place a cup of water at the bottom of your Instant Pot and close the lid and set valve to seal. Select pressure cook function and choose 40 minutes. Let it do a natural release for about 20 minutes and then open valve to venting. Once your metal popper has gone done, safely open up you lid and take your cheesecake out. It should have a slight wobble in the middle. (If Baking, fill a roasting tin until the water is about 5mm(1/4inch) from the top of the tin. Place the cheesecake in and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes).
9. Once baked, allow cheesecake to cool in the tin (to room temperature). Then place it in the fridge for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the spring-form tin, then top with the tinned caramel and sprinkle with hazelnuts.
Trust me, this cheesecake is well worth the wait, the flavour, and presentation, is amazing!
Flash Giveaway – Win tickets to the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premiere
Lockdown 2020 saw my boys being introduced to the world of Sonic (and gaming). They are obsessed, they LOVE the movie, they LOVE the game and they LOVE the character. We were sadly disappointed at the lack of Sonic merchandise available in South Africa and even considered shipping some in from the UK for birthdays last year. Retailers, could we get some more Sonic toys please?
The good news in our favourite little blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THEHEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when the villainous Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles (my son Yusuf always chooses to play this character), in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Giveaway
We get our first screening in South Africa this week, and the boys are SO EXCITED! To celebrate the launch of the new movie, i’ll be giving away 3 sets of tickets across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg for the first screening on Wednesday 30th March at 17h30.
To enter: Simply comment below with your email address, city of choice and the name of the villain from the Sonic movie. Please ensure the email you leave is one that is checked regularly, as I will be communicating the winners details through that.
Details are as follows:
Cape Town
30th of March at Cavendish 2 at 17h30
Johannesburg
30th of March at Rosebank the Zone 3 at 17h30
Durban
30th of March at Gateway 16 at 17h30
Each person will win 4 tickets to see the movie, including popcorn and drinks.
Giveaway will end on March 29th at 12 noon, winners will be announced through Instagram that evening.