This week’s small pleasures #436

Thistles and Kiwis

It is Easter Monday, and of course a holiday here. The ex-tropical cyclone (those with Scottish connections will laugh at its name – Tam) which hit Northland and Auckland has just dumped lots of rain on us overnight. The skies remained grey all day but the rain reduced to a light drizzle.

Meanwhile, I’ve been ‘fungi spotting’ in the garden again. These pale, ghost like mushrooms pop up and fade away again like a will o’ the wisp, so I was lucky to catch this one. This little cluster of fungi were nestling in the grass this afternoon, hoping I didn’t stand on them by mistake. I also watched a spider build a large web between our shed and fence but my photos were just not good enough to show here.

In the basket

The Wonky Box delivered up broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, another leek, more courgettes, some lovely little red onions, a few kumara and I added limes and tomatoes. This was topped up with some Australian grapes, a bunch of rainbow chard, feta, lentils, coffee beans from local favourites The Immigrant’s Son, anchovies and some lamb mince for meatballs. We also picked up bread from Shelley Bay Baker – so nice to have them near to us now.

Eating

There were no fancy meals out for us this week, but we did enjoy cheese, ham and tomato toasties at our local library cafe on Good Friday (it was open at least), and of course hot cross buns for breakfast.

Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday, we were joined by friends for a long lunch with a table ‘inspired’ by Spain. I say inspired as not everything was exactly authentic. I made a salad of cannellini beans, tuna, tomato, red onions and a little parsley, devilled eggs topped with paprika and anchovies, a variety of little crostini topped with smoked sardines, tomato and anchovy, smoked salmon and some Spanish salami. There were potatoes roasted in the oven with rosemary, lamb albondigas with oloroso and piquillo peppers I first made back in November, some salt and pepper squid (I forgot to take the prawns out of the freezer, but at least these could be cooked from frozen), a roasted courgette salad, a green salad, and a tortilla made by our friend. We had two dry sherries to have at the start of the meal, and a sweet one to have with dessert, a lovely rhubarb cake also made by our friend Anne. There was cheese, and I found my grape bowl that I bought ages ago which I filled with the large bunch of grapes. A feast indeed!

Out and about, staying in

This afternoon we went to see the new Steve Coogan film, The Penguin Lessons, based on a true story of an English teacher in Buenos Aires in 1976 who adopts a penguin. It is a lovely film, with humour and poignant moments. One odd thing – no-one was smoking, which they surely would at the time?

At home we watched the Dutch hostage drama iHostage which was fine for an evening in on the sofa but not a lot else that sticks in the mind, except BBC topical show Have I Got News For You and some old comedy shows.

Simple things

  • Catching up with a friend for lunch on Thursday.
  • Seeing the physiotherapist and getting on with my exercises – slowly getting there bit by bit now my foot is out of the boot.
  • Enjoying a very lazy Friday, reading and resting. It was needed.
  • Speaking to my niece and brother this morning our time, still Easter Sunday in Washington DC.
  • Wearing ankle boots today instead of one (or since Wednesday) two trainers – exciting 🙂
  • Spotting this little bee enjoying the hebe.

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 shared over at the weekend coffee share hosted by Natalie.

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.

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Published by Thistles and Kiwis

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

41 Comments

  1. Barbara I just realised I did not have a Hot Cross Bun this year! I did however have a chocolate rabbit which the Easter Bunny delivered LOL 🙂 All the food you have included this week looks delicious. I made an anniversary dinner for us on Saturday night which was pretty yummy. Have a great week. Sue L x

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  8. What a feast! Glad to read you are doing well without the boot.

    As for fungi…We are watching the television series The Last of Us, and I will never again look at fungi the same way. 😉

    Thanks for the mention!

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      1. I thought I stop by to tell you that I had a cheese, tomato and ham toastie for lunch. Thank you for the idea!

        -Soma

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  13. Your Spanish inspired meal with friends looks great Barbara! A lovely gentle read. I had a few too many hot cross buns I must admit. Thanks for including my post.

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  15. Fun mushrooms! Amazing to think that I have a patch of these about as far away as I could be from you. I love them: Coprinellus disseminatus or trooping crumble cap, I suppose because they appear in waves, suddenly I will have a huge bunch of them, then they are gone, only to return another time.

    Great feast too! I am drooling about the rhubarb cake. My rhubarb is mostly leaf and no stalk just yet, but we have had slightly warmer temps and plenty of rain, so soon I will be enjoying rhubarb again!.

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  16. This is my third try for a comment on this post, forgive me if you can see the other ones, I can’t see them. I think you week sound wonderful, quiet weeks near home are underrated. In my world noticing the little things, like your mushroom, makes the world bigger and more beautiful. I hope all is well with you.

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  18. Hurray! bootless you! How does it feel to wearing both shoes again after so long?

    Your Sunday lunch looks fabulous (I see that fabulous pear cake was served)! as does your Wonky Box arrangement – very artistic!

    P/S I finally met up with my UglyFruit&Veg Grocer – bonus is finding out he is getting married next month.

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  20. All the food looks so good, especially the Easter feast. Glad to hear you’re out of the boot and back to wear trainers. Thank you for the mention and for your weekend coffee share.

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