We holidayed! (Stuff we ate)

Best.  Mallowpuff.  Ever!  It had a lovely soft cakey biscuit with raspberry jam on top, then homemade marshmallow (I didn't check this, but I'd be staggered if it wasn't - it was divine!), real chocolate coating, and crushed freeze-fried raspberry on top. 

You need to see a close-up.  Officially the coolest thing we came across.

The mallowpuff was my food highlight, but these were the husband's.  He loves Lil' Orbits more than just about anything in this world and tucked away in The Warehouse carpark, there it was.  He was a very happy soul that morning.

This became our regular haunt in Gisborne.  Really good coffee, and a gorgeous wee boutique called The Aviary on the side of the building, where we did a little bit of shopping post-coffee.  I visited them 3 times (we drink a lot of coffee).  We were only there for 4 days.  Heh. 

We holidayed! (Stuff we did)

Just a small holiday, for the second week of school term break, but we loved it.  We've had a lot of challenges with holiday efforts in the past, but this one was really successful and we're feeling pretty great about that.  And planning another one or two or three!

Here're some of the highlights.

Arrived in Napier and parked the car, right next to this.  A brief stop before the husband and I fell into a cafe.  It was an immensely cool drain, apparently.

 

This was about what you'd expect, so ... we went here, and I'll spare you pictures (also, I didn't take any).

This was the moment when forgetting my togs became a really dumb thing.

A gorgeous view from the balcany of our motel room.

Yeah, you knew it.  What ocean?

Random Napier building coolness. 

Gisborne museum.  Not even kidding.  Only in Gisborne is the museum interchangeable with the supermarket.  Horrid photo, sorry.  I also probably could've come up with something better than a picture of a bunch of cans, but it was a good moment. 

The Bus Stop Cafe

The Bus Stop cafe closed down several months ago, and I really miss it.  It was a sad day turning up to see the gate shut, a 'closed indefinitely' sign hanging on the gate thanking everyone for their friendship and support over time, and nobody in the bus.  It was a friendly, fun place that served big laughs, made a pretty good coffee and had the best donuts ever. 

I love food carts and coffee vans, or any combination of the two ... I love markets and stalls, gala treats, crepes in paper bags, coffee in paper cups (things I know I shouldn't, but I really do) ... food and coffee in general ... I've had a thing about paper bags for as long as I can remember, and the food truck thing I think comes from either this Chip and Dale cartoon, All in a Nutshell, or one very like it.  I have the foggiest memory of the episode, it's one of my oldest memories, and a love that stems back as far as I can recall, so I'm calling that the origin.  I really miss that bus.

I read about the Bus Stop cafe in Good magazine, and was so excited that it was parked up at Te Horo beach, about 20 minutes drive up the Coast from home.  The kids loved it, and I've already dribbled about the donuts.  I really wish I'd been cheeky enough to ask for the recipe.

In contrast

I just took the dog for a walk. 

In related news, a neighbour gestured at the heavens and yelled "WHYYY?" at me from his front doorway as I walked past, and I can't feel my face anymore. 

Because it's this sort of day.   (and yes, the dog did just pee on that log in the corner of the shot)

NB It doesn't look like this today

Today, it's absolutely sodden.  But, it did about a week or so ago, and summer is coming. 

One of my favourite routes to the beach is to veer off up a side street, and then cut down another street off that, putting me on the beach slightly up from the main entrance.  This is why.   (Also, there is a newly installed coffee caravan on the way.  We'll talk more about that when it's sunny again and I can take pictures)

On the chair - Books by Victoria Beckham

Over the years, I've sincerely admired in the evolution of Victoria Beckham and if I could choose to meet any celebrity, she'd be my pick.  I missed the whole Spice Girls thing (by living under a rock, apparently) and picked up on Victoria Beckham as she was shedding Posh Spice, and becoming VB, so my admiration is not in a paying-attention-to-tabloid-noise kind of way, but rather of a hard working, family oriented, ambitious woman who has achieved a remarkable amount.

I love her designs and personal style, and she really interests me.   More so, now that I've read Learning to Fly.  Yes, it's 14 years old, but I honestly really enjoyed it.  It's the other side of the headlines and it's the story of an inspiring woman.  I loved her style of writing and her sense of humour and it felt every bit of what it is - that you're seeing the start of something incredible.  There was a lot about the Spice Girls, but then it was written around that time - now I wish she'd write another about her journey since and particularly her journey into fashion.

While I was filling up my cart on Book Depository, I also added That Extra Half Inch and really enjoyed that too.  It's a style guide that covers absolutely everything from special occasion to underwear to holiday bags, and made me really, really want a pair of VB jeans.  I'll definitely be holding onto this, and even if you're not a fan of her own style, you can't argue that VB knows style in general, has a solid foothold in fashion and knows what works.

Cake!

I've had this Petite Kitchen recipe for ages, and finally got around to making it the other day.  It's really good!  and you really could have it for breakfast because it's simple and has nothing but good stuff - ground almonds, honey, eggs, (baking soda and vanilla extract - I feel obliged to add those as ingredients), blueberries, coconut oil and coconut flakes.  Done!

Almond Blueberry Cake with Crispy Coconut Crumble - in the tin, because I forgot to take a photo after I turned it out, and we ate it all before I took a photo of a single piece to make up for the lack of turned-out-of-tin photo.  Our bad.

And on a totally different note, it's BATHROOM DAY!  It's a very exciting thing, getting new loos.  I had to share this before anything else though.  We pulled out the cabinet and remaining carpet underneath it in the main bathroom (and by 'we' I mean I had nothing to do with it), and found this hidden.  Whaaaaaaat?  Who does this to a floor?  At least they managed to contain it to one board (I think we could possibly consider this a miracle) so we'll be able to lift a board out of a wardrobe to replace it with.