This week’s small pleasures: episode 13

It is the Queen’s Birthday holiday here in New Zealand today, and a lovely sunny day it was too, so time to think about the small pleasures of the week just past. Thanks to Mani at A New Life Wandering for the idea.

1 Monday holiday lunch

This week’s first small pleasure is a short trip we did to Martinborough today, enjoying the lovely weather as we drove over the Rimutaka Hills. We had lunch at The Village Cafe, with me opting for my usual Caeser Salad and Karl the excellent smoked salmon sandwich (where do they get the pickle that comes with it? It’s so good!). I toasted her majesty with a glass of local pinot gris, as one should on such occasions.

Monday lunch

2 Dairy free yoghurt

In my bid to drastically cut down dairy, small pleasure number 2 is this fantastic dairy-free coconut milk based yoghurt from Doctor’s Choice. It’s thick and creamy and full of coconut flavour, and just as good as any thick, Greek-style yoghurt.

Delicious and dairy free

3 Ducks

The other morning when I was walking to work, the ducks from the duck pond were gathering around one particular area, obviously having found a food source.

The ducks gather for breakfast

Not wanting to be left behind

4 Dinners

A roast pork dinner at friends on Sunday, a shepherd’s pie made with lamb mince seasoned as if it was moussaka and topped with mashed potato and feta and a slightly disappointing variation of a fish soup are memorable dishes this week, the last one for the slightly hard potatoes (why? they had cooked for ages…).

5 Acupuncture

Now, while having needles stuck into you may not sound exactly like a pleasure, I am happy to report that thanks to this and some specific exercises and Pilates, the pain in my forozen shoulder has dissipated to such a degree that I am now having odd twinges rather than near constant pain somewhere in my arm. This is wonderful.

6 Approaching trip

Hopefully, I’ll get one more blog post in before heading to Europe. It’s going to be a whistle stop trip around Sweden and Scotland, but looking forward to it anyway.