This week’s small pleasures #242

Thistles and Kiwis

I’m sitting here on Sunday afternoon, staring out at a damp (but not nearly as bad as yesterday) and grey world. The news is awful just now which ever way you turn, and conversation seems to only be about when we will get our vaccines and how we would love to travel to see loved ones. But then I stop and reconsider the world outside my window – everything is green, the bulbs are coming up, the clouds are clearing a bit (it did rain later), the kākā are calling raucously and there is a shepherd’s pie ready to go into the oven for dinner. Maybe things are not so bad after all. So let’s look at some other small pleasures of the week.

First up, I am still enjoying not working on Wednesdays, even if not a lot is accomplished other than reading and doing laundry – and having a nice lunch somewhere. I returned to Floriditas again this week, a real Wellington institution and a place it is so easy to sit in, enjoy a coffee and read a book. This week I chose a chicken roll with yuzu kosho mayonnaise, slaw and cucumber pickles which you can see below, bottom right. It was warm and tasty and just the thing for a chilly day.

Sticking with food, I made it to the Wednesday market this week where I picked up some grapefruit, orange and white carrots, onions and a cauliflower as you can see in the featured image at the top of the post. I was intending to make a curd with the grapefruit, but they are still sitting in the bowl, so I can see them being eaten for breakfast instead. I made a hearty minestrone style soup on Wednesday for dinner which you can see below, and on Thursday we ate at one of our local pubs, with me opting for fish and chips and Karl sausages and mash. On Saturday I made scones as with the dreadful weather, these were very necessary (see Saturday’s post). In the weekend shopping basket there was this gorgeous half cabbage, some of which will be eaten tonight, mushrooms, lemons, yams (oca) as it is the season, and sausages which went into a lentil and sausage dish from one of my favourite cook books, Diana Henry’s From the Oven to the Table. Real winter eats!

What with the bad weather, cosy days and nights are very much on the cards. I’ve been reading the latest Donna Leon, and we watched The Dig about the excavation of Sutton Hoo in England and the third series of Shtisel, both of which we really enjoyed on Netflix.

So those were my small pleasures this week – what were yours? As usual, I like to feature other bloggers who have made me smile, made me think or generally shared some interesting aspects of their lives.

Published by Thistles and Kiwis

21 Comments

  1. I know what you mean about the news being awful but as you say, there are always some little gems out there to lighten the load. I’m pleased my sunrise post was a pleasure in your week. many thanks for the support :).

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  3. Yes! Lentil and sausages sound perfect for our weather here in Canberra…..SO cold!
    I did make minestrone through the week, and it was lovely and warming. I get sick of cold rainy weather, but the silver lining is finding warm welcoming food.
    Have a happy cooking week!

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  4. Thankfully I have had both vaccinations now. I rather envy the rain you are already tired of and was very pleased to escape to the Mountain Zebra National Park this past week – even though we could not ignore the violence and widespread destruction taking place in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng at the time. Thank you for the pointer to the birds in my garden: they are the sanity in this upside down world at the moment 🙂

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  7. Is the Donna Leon book worth reading?
    The last few have been very slight.
    Also how to I add photos to the comments – My nasturtiums have grown well and I wanted to show you.

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    1. The Donna Leon – rather dark and not one of her best. I think the earlier books are much better. Re photos on comments – a very good question and one I will need to investigate!

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  8. Loved the pictures of your fruit and veggie haul. Interested in lentils and sausage. I need to find some lentil recipes, but haven’t gone looking yet. I think this is only the second time I have clicked on your blog. Glad that I visited. Hope things improve. Best and blessings, Michele

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  11. Pingback: The Weekly Smile Recap for 7/12 – 7/18/2021 #weeklysmile | Trent's World (the Blog)

  12. I feel ya on the news – it’s just so depressing but thank goodness for winter sunshine and blue skies which always put a smile on my dial. We’re currently loving Lucifer on Netflix but how good is Shtisel? I wish it never had to end!

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  13. Small pleasure for me – is that I can stay home and do whatever I want – and like today (Wed) dreary and then suddenly raining, damp/cold feeling – heatpump on …

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  14. Pingback: little surprises – Touring My Backyard

  15. Sorry about the foul weather; glad you made the best of it with indoor delights! Your food, as always, is droolicious! That minestrone looks wicked good!

    Also, thanks so much for linking me into your post!

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