If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea…I would offer you a slice of upside-down pear and cardamom cake. You would say oh yes please, and I say well, say a big thank you to Ju-Lyn of Touring My Backyard for the recipe (an upside down cake which you can find here). It worked out so well, producing such a light and fluffy cake. You say, yes it is good and I say next time I would use more cardamom if I made it with pears.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea…. we would talk about the weather, about how it seems to be one day of sunshine and one day of rain. We agree it feels like autumn now.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea…we would talk about podcasts we have been listening to, and agree there are so many out there it is hard to decide what to pick. I say I have recently discovered The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine which seems fun, and you say that sounds good and have you listened the most recent episode of Articles of Interest about ballet shoes? And I say yes.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea…you would ask me what film you saw in the cinema this month and I saw the New Zealand film Red, White and Brass. The film is based on a true story about some Tongan fans who form a brass band so they can go to the Tonga v France match at the rugby world cup when it was held in New Zealand. I say it was fun to see a film filmed in Wellington for a change.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea…we would talk about what else we had been watching from Succession to The Diplomat to comedy quiz show Patriot Brains featuring comedians from New Zealand and Australia.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea…I would tell you about an exhibition I went to last week Information Experience of Furry Fanilies. It was based on PhD research looking into information sharing about and with, animals. There were several pictures of Charlie, which was nice but also made me feel quite sad that he was no longer with us. You say at least he is living on in the research, and I say you are right.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea, we would talk about Anzac Day (Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations”). I would tell you about the lights in the cable car tunnels, which go from the New Zealand flag, to poppies to the words ‘lest we forget’ to commemorate the day. You say that sounds incredible and you say yes it was quite something.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea….I would ask if you would like to stay to dinner? It is pasta again, but there are no courgettes involved for a change. You laugh and ask what have I made instead? I say it is pasta with chickpeas and za’atar from Ottolenghi’s Simple. You say that does sound good…so we sit down to a plateful of food…looking at the steam rising from the serving bowl…
I will be entering this post in the challenge that has been set by Donna, Jo, Deb and Sue – what’s been on your calendar? It is designed to be “a place to share share recent highs, lows, activities, hobbies, travel, resolutions, and challenges, and report on your word of the year if you have one.” It is also a good opportunity for a monthly wrap-up. The challenge will take place on the last Thursday of each month at 2 pm PST (3 pm during daylight savings time) or the last Friday of each month at 8 am AEST which for me means….I think from 10am on Friday at this time of year if you are in NZ.
I’m posting early as we have a big event on Thursday evening – more on that on Monday – and I don’t want to be editing the post at work on Friday 🙂
Also entered in Natalie the Explorer’s Weekend Coffee Share. You can find last week’s small pleasures post here.
Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com or lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.org
Thistles and Kiwis 
That cake looks so scrumptious that I would have gladly popped in for tea! It is definitely autumn in South Africa too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I notice the autumn particularly with cooler mornings and darker evenings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great post for our WBOYC Barbara! Glad to hear you’ve got some autumn weather happening too. Thanks for joining in with your fun activities over the past month.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely to read what you have been up to across the ditch. The shared memories of ANZAC Day are always something to remember. Denyse
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Anzac Day is something that unites both countries.
LikeLike
I would love to have had a coffee of cup of tea with you, especially if you offered me a slice of that gorgeous looking cake. Great to catch with what you’ve been up to again
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely would say yes to your pear and cardamon tart. Yum!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed our chat; it’s good to hear what you have been doing and I especially enjoyed that pear and cardamom cake!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why yes, I would like some cardamom-pear cake please! I understand how fun it is to see a movie filmed in a city with which you are familiar.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, that cake looks delicious! I’ve been wanting to start watching The Diplomat but have been waiting for my husband to be home so we can watch that one together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is slow to start with but stick with it.
LikeLike
Thank you for your weekend coffee share. That cake looks delicious and to have it with tea, yummy! I love the photo of Charlie at the exhibition. I understand how it made you feel sad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The cake was good I have to say, and yes it was sad to see our Charlie, but nice as well.
LikeLike
The cardamom pear cake looks delicious! We are also watching The Diplomat. Isn’t it fascinating how streaming means we’re all watching the same programmes, and those from different countries?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree – it is so strange somehow in today’s world we all watch the same thing in different parts of the world at the same time.
LikeLike
That cake looks incredible!
Is there a website for the Information Experience of Furry Families exhibition? I’d love to share it with my colleague, who’s a librarian for our College of Veterinary Medicine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
The exhibition was part of a PhD research so there isn’t a website but I do have a paper she wrote if you are interested.
LikeLike
Pear and Cardamom cake sounds yummy. Sometimes I get a Cardamom white mocha from our local coffee shop. It’s really good. I’ll have to look at the podcast you recommended. There truly are so many out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person