This week’s small pleasures #367

Thistles and Kiwis

This week’s small pleasures is coming to you earlier this week. Today – at least in New Zealand as I am posting this – is Christmas Eve or Julafton morning, and time for us to celebrate with a table full of food and good friends. Tomorrow is of course Christmas Day, which for us will mean more eating and being with friends. Yes a lot of eating, drinking and celebrating going on! It is that time of year of course…anyway…on with some of the small pleasures of the week gone by.

Decorating the tree

If you have been following the blog for a while, you may recognise some of the decorations on our little tree, including the little French drummer boy, given to me when I was 11 years old. The silver leaf was a gift from my niece Helen.

Eating out

On Thursday evening we treated ourselves to a gorgeous dinner at Rosella Wine Bar, a relatively new venture from the owners of Koji (a place we need to go back to soon). We opted for the ‘chef’s choice’ of eight selected dishes from the menu. This included the pickled mussels with wasabi aioli and black bean dressing (which was probably my favourite), a gorgeous potato flatbread with cumin salt and tuna crudo with bonito, grains and seeds.

The meal continued with lamb belly skewer with black garlic that was so full of flavour, nduja and taleggio empanada with agave and pickled fennel, steamed butterfish with Morrocan eggplant and fermented tomato. The two final dishes were asparagus with red tahini, turmeric, orange and sheep labneh and wagyu beef with smoked tomato and kampot black pepper jus. To say it was deliciuos is an understatement – a truly fantastic meal and pre Christmas treat.

In the basket

This week’s Wonky Box had a lovely big bunch of basil, potatoes, broccoli, a bright red capsicum, brocooli, a gorgeous bunch of baby carrots and (not shown) a bag of baby spinach. I added some tomatoes and radishes, and of course blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, it being the season for such things.

Simple things

  • Getting a lovely bag of special biscuits as my work Secret Santa gift and a pretty cruet set from a work colleague.
  • Finding a surprise bottle of sparkling wine in our delivery from Noble Rot Wine Bar – thank you!
  • Looking at the hydrangea in the back yard.
  • Enjoying a morning tea with food from round the globe made and brought by colleagues.
  • Listening to cicadas – the sound of summer.
  • Feeling in the festive sprit – finally!

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 weekly coffee share hosted by Natalie.

Wishing all my blogging friends a very merry Christmas!

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

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Published by Thistles and Kiwis

Loves summer, sunshine and cats. Beginner gardener, likes eating, cooking and reading about food

40 Comments

  1. I too am feeling the spirit of the festive season at last: tree decorated and presents wrapped; we have finished eating a Christmas cake I bought at a charity fundraiser and have been nibbling at mince pies. As a vegetarian (mostly), I probably would not have enjoyed your dinner options, but think it is marvellous that you go out – my curmudgeon prefers to remain at home. It is wonderful having my son here from Glasgow and to swim in the early mornings before the day gets too warm.

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  4. You had more interesting things in your seven course meal than I would eat in a year. I must try to up my eating adventurousness. The hydrangea looks lovely, you must be looking after it well.

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  14. They are super cute decorations so I can see the joy they must bring. I love our decorations – a life time of stuff the kids made plus purchased ones. I think that’s part of the joy of it. The memories wrapped up in it all. And the food looks sensational! What a great little bar. #WeekendCoffeeShare

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  15. I love your decorations for this wonderful time of the year. I’ve recently started buying a decoration from where we have travelled and picked up some lovely little ones in Delt, Speyer and Strasbourg on our recent trip. Thank you for reminding us to focus on small pleasures. #weekendcoffeeshare

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  17. Whaat a lovely post Barbara, reading your small pleasures each week has been a highlight for me. I bet they give you positive vibes too! All the best for 2024!

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  18. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. The Christmas ornaments are adorable. The food is making me hungry as I finish up my morning coffee. The hydrangea blooming at Christmas is beautiful. I wonder if anyone decorates them with lights & ornaments for Christmas like we do the outdoor shrubs here in the US.

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