This week’s small pleasures #368

Thistles and Kiwis

So – here we are heading towards the end of the first day of 2024, which has been a sunny, warm day filled with enjoyable things from a walk in the Botanic Gardens to pottering in the kitchen to just relaxing. Hopefully, this good start continues! We have been on holiday all this week, and though the weather has been very mixed to say the least, we have really been able to relax and enjoy this peaceful time.

Zealandia

We went up to Zealandia on Thursday, the ecosanctuary in the city that has played no small part in bringing back native species to the region. Regular readers will know we come here a few times a year, sometimes seeing lots, sometimes not so much. We were at least treated to seeing kākā up close, as well as hearing them over the whole sanctuary, especially as we passed by some nests with young (they did not want us there!).

We also said hello to the takahē, a flightless swamphen, of which there are no only 500 left in the country. They are stunning birds to look at, with their iridescent blue feathers.

Below are other views over the valley where the sanctuary is set. If you are in the city, do take some time and go – you may be lucky and see lots of things, you may not, but you can still appreciate the work that is done.

Eating in

It is so difficult to pass by the colours and shapes of summer vegetables without picking things up: courgettes, bright, yellow scallopini (patty pan squash), aubergines, greengages, and heirloom tomatoes, I also picked up a couple or oranges and carrots. In the Wonky Box this week was a large cauliflower, half went into a salad and half cooked and frozen as otherwise we would be eating it for days and days, garlic, capsicum, some baby carrots, avocados, a cucumber and a lettuce (not pictured). I also picked up some sweet corn, asparagus and nectarines and some burrata and mozzarella for summer salads. We enjoyed some smoked salmon and cucumber canapés followed by roast beef, potato gratin and courgettes and baby carrots for dinner tonight – our New Year’s Day treat.

Eating out

For Hogmanay or New Year’s Eve we headed up to local restaurant Daisy’s for dinner. The days of partying are long gone, so these days we tend just to enjoy a good dinner and try to stay awake until midnight. The first course of snacks consisted of their own sour dough bread with a herbed olive oil dip, warmed olives, beef croquettes and pāua (a type of abalone) wonton. The last of these was quite special and came with a lovely dip. The next course also consisted of four small dishes – a smoked salmon cream with cucumber and nori, sweetcorn croquettes with a tumeric based dip, finely sliced beef with horseradish and kohlrabi and Samoan oka (a raw fish salad) and house made crisps. The salmon was particularly good, but all dishes were excellent.

The third course centre piece was a lamb ragu pasta, served with courgettes in pesto, sweetcorn with parmesan and butter and a tomato salad. Most of the vegetables, such as the courgettes, come from the restaurant’s owner’s allotment. Dessert consisted of a rich chocolate mousse and a pavlova with a strawberry sorbet, We had two glasses of wine: a Hamden Estate pinot gris and Casa Santos Confidencial red.

Simple things

  • Going to the cinema to see Wonka – what a joyous, music filled film with so many well known faces. Hugh Grant as an Oompaloompa is not to be missed.
  • Enjoying healthy boredom.
  • Spending time in the kitchen - one of my happy places.
  • Finding a silk t-shirt in an op shop for NZ$40.
  • Opening up new diaries and contemplating the year ahead.
  • Enjoying a lovely walk in the Botanic Gardens today, particularly the Rose Garden.

So those were my highlights of the week. What were your small pleasures this week?

Rather than list wonderful posts of the week, I would just like to say Happy New Year to all you bloggers out there. Thank you to all the blog party hosts, thanks to those who have stopped by to comment, and thanks for brightening up my days with so many diverse stories from all over the globe. Entered into the weekend coffee share hosted by Natalie.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2024!

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

44 Comments

  4. happy new year to you! it is a wet and very damp new year’s day here in queensland! And more rain expected. but we had a lovely walk out; we saw blue wrens, and lots of fruit on the date palms and 3 lovely water dragons. all very delightful as i don’t remember seeing blue wrens in brisbane before. cheers sherry
    https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/

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  6. It sounds like a great week. The eco sanctuary sounds like an amazing place. I don’t think I have ever seen a swamphen. Very unique. I cannot imagine Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa I will have to check that out. Ahhh fresh corn is a favorite of mine. I can’t wait until spring is here to get some. Thank you for sharing all of your posts I so enjoy them. I barely stayed awake until midnight. Happy New Year!!!!

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    1. The takehe are quite lovely and I got really close to them this time too. They make a very funny almost squeaking noise. I recommend ‘Wonka’ if you enjoyed the Paddington movies – same director and similar ‘feel’. Happy New Year and hope you have a great 2024.

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    1. It really was a lovely day I must say, ending with roast beef for dinner. Hope you have a wonderful year ahead – look forward to hearing about your adventures in 2024.

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  11. Happy New Year to you as well! You seem to have gotten a good start on it. I will make split pea soup with ham today and will sort of try to orient myself towards going back to work tomorrow after being off since the 22nd. Hopefully take a nice walk and play flute a bit.

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  12. That sanctuary looks wonderful! We haven’t partied or made it up to midnight to ring in the new year since we were in college. We did host a birthday party for my mom last night and had fun with the family but I was definitely in bed and asleep by 10. 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful new year.

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  15. Sounds pretty ideal. We had our quietest new year ever, as I was laid low with an evil flu bug, which is still shaking me about. So happy to have spent Christmas with my family, and not infected them. Have a great year!

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  17. Checking in a bit late, but I did enjoy this post. I especially like the term “healthy boredom.” I am never bored, but some of what I do others might consider boring. E.g. sitting on the porch and watching the hummingbirds (in summer). Happy 2024 to you!

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  18. I would love to experience your botanic garden one day! It look marvellous. The rose at the top is exquisite! All the green makes me dream about summer.

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  20. What a lovely first day of the new year. Thank you for your weekend coffee share and beautiful photos. I’d love to visit Zealandia and the botanical gardens. I stayed up past midnight to watch the fireworks display and had a relaxing New Year’s day. Have a wonderful week ahead!

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  21. What lovely food pictures. Your vegetables look so inviting. Your food looked better than the food from eating out! Your flowers are lovely, too. How wonderful to be nar botanical gardens. Have a wonderful 2024. 🙂

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