Today (Monday) has been a glorious sunny day – if a little windy – perfect laundry drying weather. The bright blue skies certainly lift the spirit when sitting at home writing a report for work. It is hard to believe that it is only two weeks to Christmas. Other than lighting candles for Advent, we haven’t done anything else in terms of decoration as we don’t put our tree up normally until close to Christmas Eve. Anyway, let’s get onto this week’s small pleasures.
In the basket
In the Wonky Box delivery this week there was a good mix with a bag of baby spinach (not pictured), a unch of baby carrots, avocados, fine stemmed broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus and potatoes. I supplemented this with some green beans, purple asparagus and strawberrries. What a glorious time of year this is!
Eating
I was in Auckland this week for work, and for lunch on Thursday, our hosts ordered in hāngī . Hāngī is a traditional Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven. There are also commercial hangi cookers, and our lunch came from a hangi shop near the place I was visiting. I had the lamb and chicken with potatoes, kumara, pumpkin, cabbage and stuffing, with the stuffing being particularly good.
Friday’s sandwich was the pastrami on rye from Dough Bakery, which I pass on the way to work. They do make good sandwiches so I am lucky it is between home and the office.
Little things
I was walking to Pilates on Saturday, and had the plan to stop off at one of the stalls at the Hillside Market to buy some local honey to take to friends we were visiting for lunch. It was, as often in this city, a bit windy, and my hair was flying about, all over the place. I heard a voice call ‘would you like a scrunchie?’ and saw a lovely stall selling hand made hair scrunchies. I said ‘yes please!’ so popped over and bought two in perfect colours, and used one straight away. Such a little thing that brought a smile to my face.
Simple things
- Having a good work trip to Auckland, meeting so many interesting people.
- Feeling summer is really here when the cherry sellers appear (see featured image at the top of the post).
- Watching the Dr Who specials – great fun!
- Lying on the sofa with tea and a book on Sunday.
- Eating a lovely lunch at Vietnamese friends on Saturday (the beef was excellent!).
- Enjoying good strawberries
So those were my highlights of the week. What were your small pleasures this week? Here are some other blog posts from a few fellow bloggers looking at the good things in life. Also entered in the weekend coffee share hosted by the wonderful Natalie.
- There is lots of music making over at Tootlepedal’s Blog
- Ju Lyn over at Touring My Backyard shares some minimal images from Japan.
- Check out Popsicle Society’s Monday Motivation.
- Something Over Tea discusses rampant aliens.
- Wonderful colours of the season over at Deb’s World.
- Lisa over at Southern Patches shares a Wordless Wednesday.
- You know there is always a good cup of coffee over at Trent’s – and there is a cute picture of him at school!
- Natalie goes to The Gingerbread Way.
- Green Dreams bakes and watches an interesting documentary.
- Shirts or blouses? Check out Women Loving Well After 50.
- .…and all the other lovely bloggers out there. Sorry if I have missed anyone…..
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.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
This is a delightfully uplifting post 🙂 We enjoyed some light rain on Saturday, which has perked up the garden and … my son arrives from Scotland on Wednesday. Oh happy day!
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Oh how lovely that your son is on his way to see you!
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Such gorgeous produce! It really is a wonderful time of year.
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Always nice to see New Zealand’s fresh produce…we enjoyed our time in Wellington and Auckland.
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Hi, Barbara – That’s cool that you don’t usually put up your Christmas Tree until Christmas Eve? When do you take it down? We usually have our tree up early in December…but we then take it down by January 2. ❤
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We will put the tree up about the 21st or 22nd and take it down on Twelfth Night ie 6 January. We celebrate Christmas Eve in our family like they do in most of Europe (but not the UK).
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Cherries are so delicious at the moment Barbara! My husband was given a gift of rhubarb from his Bridge Club associates and as you say sometimes it’s the little things 🙂 Another lovely post!
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Oh rhubarb is so good too! And yes isn’t cherry season a delight?
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We try to leave Christmas decorations until Christmas Eve and take them done on Twelfth Night but sometimes they appear a day or two early. If all goes well, we will cut a self sown spruce tree off the hill this year as part of the scrub clearance on the nature reserve.
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Think this year we will put our tree up on the 20th – or 22nd! Your tree sounds delightful, being all fresh and ‘real’. No point having a real tree here, but we always did in Europe.
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As you know, I look forward to your vegetable tray each week; the Wonky Box sure does male it all the more interesting. And that purple asparagas! Absolutely beautiful. Does it taste very different from its green cousins? We use mostly pencil asparagas for stirfry.
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The purple asparagus tastes the same but looks pretty! I like it roasted.
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I don’t think I’ve ever had roasted asparagus – I must find some to try. I just received extremely skinny asparagus in my Rescue Grocer’s Surprise Bundle today … too thin to roast these, I think.
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Just season, a dollop of olive oil, and pop in the oven. Length of time varies though according to how thick they are.
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Ah, that sounds like it is within my capability!
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The vegetables in your box looks so delicious!
We do like to decorate for Christmas in our house, but we only have. a few very special items that we take out every year for Christmas, handmade ornaments made by people we love and special memories.
I actually bought a “Christmas cactus” (November cactus) yesterday. We haven’t had one of those since we moved back to Sweden, and we used to have one when my girl was little that bloomed so beautifully every year. The one I found yesterday is on the smaller side, but very beautiful, with red flowers. It’s one of the only plants with flowers that I am not allergic too (perhaps the only one.) We only have green plants insides besides this new beauty.
Have a wonderful week!
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Yes we are lucky with the veggie boxes.
We are watching the Lucia morning from my husband’s home town of Kalmar!
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It sure is wild that Christmas is around the corner. I’m trying some new recipes for our big dinner this year and I’m excited to go shopping for the ingredients.
I’m smiling at the scrunchies because I feel like scrunchies whisper secrets about my age. Haha. Great post, thanks for sharing.
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I know….I am working most of next week too and can’t imagine I will be ready. Aren’t scrunchies great?
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How good are cherries at the moment??
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Wonderful!
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I love those red cherries and strawberries. Your Wonky Box vegetables look beautiful. Thank you for the mention and for your weekend coffee share.
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We seem to have a fridge full of lovely veggies at the moment! Thanks for hosting the weekend coffee share.
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I’d love a bowl of cherries right now and to be sat in the sun!
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Today we actually have both after another wet and windy weekend. We are having a bit of a Scottish summer 🙂
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Wouldn’t wish that on anyone! At least you know how to cope with it!
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🙂
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