This week’s small pleasures: episode 26

So here we are again with a round up of this week’s small pleasures.  Spring is officially here – the tuis are even more noisy than ever, the blackbirds are gathering stuff to make nests and daylight savings started on Sunday.  I should be feeling happy now spring is here, but the mostly grey, rainy days and stress at work are kind of depleting my energy. The need for lots of small pleasures is definitely needed!  Thanks to Mani over at A New Life Wandering for the idea – it’s really a good way to focus on what is good in life.

Oysters

When you are away from home, and in need of dinner, why not treat yourself – or so I thought  last week when I was up in Hamilton.  I took myself off to Palate, a really excellent restaurant set next to the river, where I had one of the best meals I have had in ages.  Complimentary bread, accompanied by the restaurant’s own smoked butter and olive oil was a perfect thing to nibble while waiting for the first course.  And what a starter it was – 6 freshly shucked Coromandel oysters served with freeze dried balsamic and lemon. They were superb, and the balsamic accompaniment was a great touch.  For my main course I had the market fish (lemon fish on the day I was there) with Anna potato, creamed sprouts, prawn tortellini and artichoke puree. Every mouthful was a delight, and the single tortellini an exquisite little parcel of prawn.  I had some chardonnay from  John Forest Collection to drink, and finished with an excellent espresso.

 Good wine, good bread, good butter…and those oysters

View from the aircraft

Mount Ruapehu peeping above the clouds, as seen flying back to Wellington

First asparagus of the season

I know there is a lot of food featuring this week, but seeing asparagus means that we are well and truly into spring.  There are loads of gold kiwi fruit, naval oranges and avocados around too.

Asparagus

WOW

The World of Wearable Art show I went to on Saturday was great fun as usual.  To find out more, check out my last post.

A new tea and a new biscuit

What better way to cheer up a wet Monday than a new tea and a new biscuit.  The tea from T2, Gorgeous Geisha, is a green tea flavoured with strawberry.  Lovely hot, it would be great cold in the summer.  The biscuits are oat based, flavoured with rosemary and T2’s Australian Wattle Breakfast brew, along with sultanas and a touch of rosemary. Oh and I can tell you, I didn’t just have one of those little tasty morsels.

A new tea and tasty little biscuits

Wedding anniversary

Not a small pleasure, but a big pleasure – our 12th wedding anniversary.  We celebrated last weekend in Napier, since this weekend was busy with other things (including Karl heading over to Sydney).

Also check out Holoholo Girls small pleasures (also involving flying!) as well as those of  flghtlssbrd.