This week’s small pleasures #466

Thistles and Kiwis

It has been a busy week at work, and then I got a really sore throat, meaning I took to my bed on Friday afternoon for a two hour nap. This seemed to do the trick, what with that and a weekend of sunshine. I am counting the days until I finish up for the summer holidays…

Anyway, the days are definitely getting warmer, and there is more sunshine too. The photo below was taken early on Wednesday morning on my way to Pilates. I’m sure you’ve seen this view before of Post Office Square, but here it is again.

Shopping basket

We got a Wonky Box delivery this week, which included a giant cauliflower. There were a couple of bits I had to cut off, but it was still a massive beast of a cruciferous vegetable. I used it to make Peter Gordon’s recipe from Savour, a roast cauliflower dish with a tahini and yogurt dressing that is really very good and of course keeps for a few days. There was also a bunch of asparagus, two chioggia beetroot, a cucumber, a lettuce, two capsicum, 4 (!) red skinned potatoes and some very poor quality peas (almost nothing in the pods). I topped this up with more asparagus, broad beans, fennel, radishes (aren’t they beautiful?), two expensive but a treat heirloom tomatoes, burrata and lamb mince, strawberries and other bits and bobs.

Out and about

For lunch on Wednesday, I went to Glou Glou on Allen Street. Laura Greenfield, who used to run one of our favourite places in town, Field & Green, has recently taken over as chef, so I had to try the kedgeree croquettes which were an absolute delight and just a bit different.

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, so we drove over the hills to Martinborough, stopping first for lunch at Brac & Bow, the restaurant in The Royal Hotel in Featherston. I naturally had my favourite smoked fish chowder, and Karl a chicken burger. When we came out we spotted a tui having its lunch – you can just see it below. The other pictures…Karl in shorts for the first time this season, Martinborough, my lunch, and some things I picked up – a piece of superb brie, crackers and some chilli crisp to try bought in The Grocer.

In the garden

There are some delightfully messy nasturtiums about, and one of the parsley plants has turned to seed, as they do, but so pretty at this stage in my opinion.

Simple things

  • Getting my cooking mojo back again.
  • Picking up some homemade chocolate chip cookies from our local deli for a Saturday afternoon treat.
  • Chatting to a lovely woman on the bus about this and that.
  • Ordering pizza – on a Tuesday – because why not.
  • Loving the warmer weather.
  • Spotting these what I think is a type of lobelia, but happy to be corrected. They are just so pretty.

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. 

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.

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Published by Thistles and Kiwis

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

51 Comments

  2. A lovely post, and it’s great that you get to enjoy the local foods. It’s so important to enjoy the small pleasures in life.

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  5. I love the way you compose your Wonky Box shots. If I take a photo of veg they just look like boring veg… perhaps the love is missing. I’ve felt under the weather for a day or two, but the sunshine is back and there’s always good company on my walks. Many thanks for sharing, Barbara xx

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  14. Such a lovely joyful post Barbara! Love the flowers and the warm weather, we’re still in that nice one day, awful the next mode and it’s been freezing cold here with frosts and all!! Have a great week.

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  16. So many wonderful “small” pleasures. I woke up to the first snow of the season an hour ago, that has to be my small pleasure of the day. I love snow! I hope you are completely recovered from the sore throat and able to enjoy the warmer weather. Have a wonderful rest of your week. Thank you for the pingback.

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  17. A lovely post. I always plan to do one like it, then I forget and of course I never have any pictures.
    I love cauliflower, but being by myself some of those mutants just won’t work. A while ago I ordered two kohlrabis with my grocery delivery and they were so huge, I gave one to my neighbors, lol.

    Visiting from Weekend Traffic Jam
    Cat
    https://catswire.blogspot.com/

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  21. I love seeing your spring flowers and a variety of vegetables as we’re approaching winter over here. I hope you’re feeling much better. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.

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  24. Glad to hear that your sorethroat did not persist and you could enjoy the weekend and its sunshine.

    So delighted to view your wonky box again! The possibilities for the week ahead! Lovely.

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