This week’s small pleasures 497

We’ve now been back in Wellington for just over a week, and slowly getting back into our normal routines such as Pilates and food shopping in Saturday morning, finding time for cooking on Sunday and…actually picking up a real book made of paper. Anyway, I also got my flu and Covid vaccinations, did a lot of laundry, and am slowly clearing clutter, one small space at a time, as getting home I realise that this is very necessary.

Sunday was of course the winter solstice and the shortest day and we were treated to some very heavy rain in the evening. Today though has been beautiful, and I went for a short walk by the waterfront at lunch time. Wellington you were looking good. Note the people swimming in the top picture.

Eating

A real pleasure and highlight of the week was meeting Joanne Tracey of Story Crumbs for cheese scones at Pravda. It was wonderful to meet up again, talk about this and that and of course enjoy the scones. I also tried the café at the newly reopened library (that I mentioned in the last post), and had a good smoked salmon bagel.

As part of Saturday’s celebration of Karl’s birthday, we enjoyed chocolate chip cookies from our local deli, made in their own kitchen. We had our tea in out new Moomin mugs we bought in Stockholm. The one on the right is the seasonal special. Our cupboard is well and truly filled with these now!

Stocking up

We got a Wonky Box delivery on Friday, for the first time in ages. There were potatoes, parsnips, yams (NZ ones), broccoli, a leek, two capsicum, some chioggia beetroot and a bag of baby spinach and a lettuce. We topped this up with pears, oranges, persimmon, ginger and rose harissa (yes cooked something from Ottolenghi…). I also picked up some satsumas, lamb mince, mint, coriander, feta and other bits and pieces. I made a salad for my work lunches with the beetroot, oranges, feta and mint and added some chickpeas for extra protein, and a pear and walnut crumble for our Sunday dinner treat.

A birthday

Saturday saw Karl’s birthday, and we headed over to Noble Rot Wine Bar for dinner. We enjoyed oysters (well I did…) and chicken liver parfait to start with a glass of something sparkling. I enjoyed venison with a kumara purée, oyster. mushrooms, Brussel sprouts and a blackcurrant jus. The birthday boy had Angus beef sirloin with “wilted silverbeet, parsnip purée, pickled charred onion and bordelaise jus”. A good glass of red washed our mains down. We had a side of the little rösti they do so nicely, which you can see in the ‘action shot’ below. We each had a black garlic and cacao nib dark chocolate truffle, with me enjoying a port and Karl a calvados. A perfect birthday celebration!

Simple things

• Going back to Pilates – gosh I felt it the next day!
• Celebrating The Hurricanes win the Super Rugby beating the Chiefs 60:5. There was dancing in the streets of Wellington…
• Finding a perfect pair of black ankle boots after a two year search.
• Enjoying fish and chips at our local pub with friends.
• Looking back at memories of the past three months.
• Enjoying these (rather expensive) tulips (see featured image too).

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.

• Carol Ann shares her weekly delights – always full of joy.
• Delighted to see that Fred in France is growing that Kiwi favourite, the feijoa.
• Jo continues a wonderful trip.
• Meanwhile Travels Through My Lens watches the world go by.
• Natalie continues on her Great Beaver Quest.
• And The Travel Sketcher is back in Paris.
• Mr Tootlepedal celebrates a sunny summer solstice.
• While Ilze shares her brother’s experiences in Sweden.
• And Maria offers us coffee (and celebrates Midsummer).
• Neal shares his five happy things on a Friday.
• And Laurie enjoys a night in June.
• Ju-Lyn finds a beautiful mural.
• And Jo of Story Crumbs shares her recent reading.
• And The Glasgow Gallivanter goes to Gozo.
• Finally….Mr Platypus gets close to an Oscar.
• ..…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 and good food. Thistles and Kiwis can be found on Facebook and Instagram @thistlesandkiwis

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer and good food. Thistles and Kiwis can be found on Facebook and Instagram @thistlesandkiwis