Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.

In this week’s newsletter I thought I would bring you 4 highlights of my weekend.

1 – Good friends

This weekend Krystie, Milly and I all headed up to meet some friends in Taupo. It was great catching up, something we don’t do often enough.

Laughter, hugs and high fives is what springs to mind when I think about friends. Friends both new and old, close and far they all hold a special place in our hearts. We value both the present and the history we have with them, the perspectives they bring, the support they offer, the interests shared and the stories they tell. We are better people and without a doubt happier people as a result. In fact there are a number of studies showing strong health benefits to having good friends. From cancer survival through to memory function preservation.

2 – Getting away and micro adventures

micro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our day to day lives we answer to schedules, routines, calendars and diaries. Sometimes it feels like we’re robots working all day. Getting away is a great way to recharge the batteries.

On Saturday we spent the day mooching around the Taupo market filling our bellies with coffee and raw delights.

And though it rained on Sunday we still managed to enjoy breakfast at the Storehouse www.facebook.com/storehousenz.  Eggs, bacon, sweet potato hash with pulled pork 🙂

On the subject of getting away I am currently reading a book called Micro Adventures by Alastair Humphreys. A British adventurer who spent 4 years cycling around the world through 60 countries. He has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, run the Marathon Des Sables 6 times (the world’s toughest foot race) and spent the last year doing little micro adventures. That’s the 5 to 9 adventure. Leave work, go hike a hill, camp out, morning swim, campfire breakfast and back to work for 9am

3 – Krystie’s Chocolate Coconut Ice Blocks

millyiceblock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krystie recently ordered a set of Onyx stainless steel popsicle molds which arrived on Friday. Fantastic news as it meant Ice Block taste testing 🙂 On Friday Krystie and I were still on the 7 day detox so Sunday was Ice Block time

4 – Pork Belly

slowroasted-pork-belly-24040_l

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday night Krystie, Yavanna, Steve and I cooked Pork Belly. Okay the girls did most (maybe all) of the cooking but we took charge of the wine.

Crispy pork belly with a side of roast kumara, yams, carrots, parsnip, beetroot, broccoli, silverbeet and spinach. And a bottle of delicious red wine!

So that’s my weekend summed up!

Paul ‘Weekend Warrior’ and Krystie ‘the crackling Queen’ Miller.