It really feels like we are now heading into proper autumnal days with dark and chilly evenings just making us want to cosy up on the sofa. The early mornings are crisp too, and after a grey, damp and miserable Thursday we had some glorious sunny weather at the weekend and today. The picture below of the moon in the morning was taken on Friday morning – everything looked so peaceful, positive and cheerful.
Lunches
On Wednesday, after Pilates, I grabbed a sandwich at a favourite cafe, Shelley Bay Baker on Leeds Street. This time I had the halloumi, salad and very good spicy pickle on a ciabatta. On Friday I treated myself to Floridita’s green eggs and ham (poached eggs, ham, sautéed spinach and a parsley hollandaise). This is rich, satisfying and always really good.
In the basket…and other things
The Wonky Box delivered some good things this week – a lovely curly lettuce, courgettes, parsnips, kumara, carrots, tomatoes, a bag of Brussels sprouts and a kholrabi (which I roasted with last week’s carrots and the sprouts for work lunches). I can’t believe we are already in persimmon season, but yes we are, so I picked up a couple mid week. I also got some soup mix, some crunchy almond butter and this choco chilli tea which I tasted in the shop and decided it would be great for the colder months ahead. I also picked up some spinach, another lovely bunch of cavolo nero, potatoes, lemons, apples and golden kiwi fruit.
I took Friday as an additional holiday, and popped into Good House Keeping, a lovely home goods and ‘eco store’ at the top of Cuba Street full of brushes, ecological products and piles of wooden spoons and other fun things. I picked up a bag of wooden pegs, another butter knife, some make-up removal pads and a little spatula, though I am not sure what I will use the last of these for (suggestions welcome!). I also visited The Nut Store, a wonderful little shop full of all sorts of nuts. On this visit, I picked up some hazlenuts and pecans.
A day trip
Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day, so we got out of the city and drove over the hills, stopping first in Greytown for lunch at Main Street Deli (where I had the Swedish shrimp open sandwich, served on proper rye bread) before driving to Martinborough for some wine shopping, browsing and looking at the Anzac crosses and poppies.
Simple things
- Revelling in autumn sunshine and autumn colours.
- Finding a lot more time for reading.
- Enjoying good food and wine – out of the house and at home.
- Getting a good stretch at Pilates.
- Spending time in the kitchen…think of a fish pie, the filling bubbling over the potato and kumara topping.
- Spotting fungi outside the house and on the lawn.
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.
- Green Dreams takes us on a tour of her wonderful allotment garden and all her seedlings – what a real small pleasure to see!
- Boondock Ramblings has an interrupted day (but makes up for it).
- Anne of Something Over Tea has been reading.
- Mr Tootlepedal has a less energetic day over at Tootlepedal’s Blog.
- Jude over at Cornwall in Colours shares a blue Monday on the beach.
- And Ju-Lyn gives us a round up of the changing seasons on Touring My Backyard.
- Deb of Deb’s World takes us to a wonderful miniature village – it is the little things that count!
- Sue over at Women Living Well After 50 reflects on what she learned from a recent challenge.
- Jo of And Anyways…wraps up a great looking April.
- Meanwhile Donna over at Retirement Reflections has has some month….
- .…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 lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
New Zealand is such a foodie place! Some of the foods you buy along the way (Grey Town and Martinborough) sound delicious …Enjoy!
PS we have had some lovely autumn weather too, but sadly today is dreary and raining.
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We are lucky with good produce. I think rain and dreary weather is on its way here.
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We are enjoying beautiful summery sunshine here with birds twittering in the garden. I enjoy this time of autumn when the days are warm and the nights start getting chilly.
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Me too – it is a nice time of year, before winter sets in.
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Lovely weather you’ve had Barbara, we’ve had much of the same and the colours are really starting to show in the trees here. I’ve put the fire on for the Mathematician’s return from Kokoda and it seems set to stay on now! A lovely collection of small things, so my post fits right in, thank you!
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Yes you can really feel that autumnal chill, and when you go outside in the evening you can smell people using their wood burners. And your post was just right too!
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The ANZAC crosses are very touching. I have several churchyards with war graves near me, including one of the largest ANZAC ware greave sites in the UK. They are beautifully cared for and not forgotten.
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I agree about the crosses – each one had a crocheted poppy on it. Quite moving.
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I’d love to try some of those tasty sounding dishes someday!
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Sausages with puy lentils is a very easy dish so give it a go!
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Lots of yummy food and the nut store sounds delicious. Sunday looked like a lot of fun. Have a wonderful week.
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It was a lovely day on Sunday – even just to get out of the city.
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Hi, Barbara – I watched a Netflix documentary last evening called Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut. Bad title, but thought-provoking film. The biggest takeaway was to count not calories but the number of different fruits and vegetables that you consume each day (20 – 30 different types being the goal). I remain jealous of your Wonky Box – it’s a perfect way to help achieve this goal!
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I’m trying to add more veggies to my diet in subtle ways, and the veggie box does help. There was a podcast I listened to on ZOE that also mentioned that goal – seeds and nuts count too which helps. And so much easier and enjoyable than counting calories.
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Lovely foods, the crisp feeling of Autumn’s beautiful veggies!
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Yes – I think autumn veggies are some of the best.
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Your food always looks so good! The weather does look lovely.
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The weather at the weekend was fantastic.
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I always start to feel hungry when I read you post and the wonderful descriptions of the things you’ve ate throughout the week. I jus thad diner, but still…
The day-outing and the lovely weather all sounds wonderful. It’s been windy here today but as I am getting ready for bed I noticed that the wind calmed down and the sun is shining. We are looking forward to warmer temperatures tomorrow and the next coming days.
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Oh thank you Maria! The day out was just the thing we needed. Hope you have some warmer days on the way.
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You always seem to be able to find something interesting to eat. I would like to live in a place offering more variety than we have here but it wouldn’t be so peaceful as Langholm.
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It is all about checks and balances 🙂
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Roasted kohlrabi? We eat it raw like a radish. I’ve cooked it a couple of times but never liked it. Will try again this year. Great lunches out and your day trip looks wonderful.
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I usually eat it raw too, but thought I would try roasting it. It was OK. Our lunches out were a whole lot better than my lunch box yesterday 🙂
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Lovely vegetable photos!
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Thank you!
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Fresh veggies! We are going on vacation to Europe in a few weeks and one of the things I am looking forward the most is the food and fresh fruits and vegetables!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
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