Kitties, parties, and upset tummies - it's all just another week in Auckland

As you know, we miss our pets desperately.
So when we spotted a GORGEOUS kitten being chased by some kids after school the other day, we just had to rescue it. Said kitty was a Bengal Cat – very valuable, smart and friendly – so we knew it wasn’t just a stray, despite the fact that it had no collar and was covered in burrs.
No one knew who it belonged to, so we picked it up and brought it home for safekeeping before it was hit by a car or something.
Living close to the supermarket, I zipped across to pick up some cat food and kitty litter, while K. and the kids got him a drink of water. Poor thing was so hungry and thirsty.
Anyway, the kitty soon made himself at home. Within an hour, he’d cleaned his own fur, was fed, watered, had used his kitty toilet, and was enjoying plenty of love and attention. He followed us around the house, played fetch (told you Bengals are smart), and was basically the perfect houseguest.
It was all too soon before we found his very grateful owner, but we enjoyed having a pet around the place for a few days.
We won’t be rushing to get a permanent pet any time soon though. I’d forgotten how much extra work pets are, and even the kids agree that we’d hate leaving a pet home alone during our forays around New Zealand.
The kids are lucky that there is a resident rabbit at school called Lola May. She belongs to one of the teachers, who brings her to class each day. She’s gorgeous and very well-behaved.
And we’re lucky, that there are loads of pets in our neighbourhood to fuss over.
Speaking of which, it was a sunny Auckland morning today, so we walked to school.
Walking with kids always takes a little longer, since we have to stop to:
Smell the roses (literally)
Make wishes with Father Christmases
Talk to anyone walking a dog
Pat said dog
Pat any cats we come across (and there are quite a few)
Wave to drivers who stop for us
Pick wildflowers
Today was a little different, as, having set the alarm to get a start on work early, I was able to take some time out to attend school assembly.
It was really informal and fun. The kids walk into assembly to the sounds of RESPECT, which they all groove along to. Then during the assembly, the business side of things was interspersed by the whole school breaking into song. This week it was I Can Believe I Can Fly and We’re All In This Together (High School Musical), which sparked plenty of seated dance moves. Even C. got into the spirit of things.
Their enthusiasm was infectious, and I smiled all the way home.
In other news, we recently attended a fab birthday party at an indoor playground here. (Thanks G!)
The kids had a ball. But what was funny was seeing how all the little girls gathered around to try the make-up G. had received as one of her presents. The boys were too busy playing!
And in case you're wondering, here's how the mussels turned out the other night. I’d like to say they were a hit, but I was the only one who ate them – and I ended up with a really upset tummy. I’m not sure if it was the mussels or the rich sauce, but I won’t be repeating the experiment!
And finally, instead of the Wine of the Week, it’s the Sign of the Week (It's clucking good!):

Shopping, Starbucks and Cider

Everyone loved my blog about shopping, so I thought I’d take you to the supermarket with me again this week.
Here’s what a typical shopping visit ends up like here.

Please note the cup holder in the trolley – no need to wrestle coffee and wonky trolleys at the same time in NZ!

No, it's all very civilised, because they thoughtfully provide a place to rest your coffee while you shop.

I actually bought my first Starbucks coffee in Auckland, just so you could see the cup-holder in action.

Yep, there is a Starbucks at our local supermarket, and unlike in Australia, they do a roaring trade. Kiwis love their take-away coffee, and every day we see an army of office workers, parents and even school-kids, clutching their cappucinos and hot chocolates, as they make their way to school and work.
Normally, I prefer to make my own cappucino at home, but this time I splashed out on a dark cherry mocha (a nod to the pending arrival of the Fat Man In Red). There may have even been some coffee in there! It was cherry delicious actually, though at $NZ5.20 for the small one (though they call it Tall!), I won’t be rushing back for more.
Of course, I only went in to pick up a few bottles of soda water and some bread, but I ended up spending $NZ60. So what did that buy me?
Supposedly healthy mixed grain snacks for the kids (though they look suspiciously like chips to me), frozen vegies (a stir-fry mix of broccoli, carrots, baby corn, capsicum and, er, pinapple), bread, wine (oh well, it’s almost the weekend), mini scotch eggs for the kids to try, Manuka-smoked leg ham, cheese, fruit, real eggs, and some fresh green-tipped mussels.
I’ve never cooked them before, but I’m serving them tonight in a creamy wine and garlic sauce (see, I needed the wine to cook with!) A splash for the mussels and a splash for me …
The kids have grown quite adventurous with food since we arrived here, but I might do some pasta too, just in case.
Oh, I grabbed the paper as well, the New Zealand Herald. It’s not quite the Courier Mail, but I like to get it on Friday and the weekends so I know if anything interesting is going to be on.

Finally, the Wine Of The Week moves aside in a one-off tribute to Cider Of The Week. Cider is really popular here, and Husband, in particular, has taken a shine to it.
Out shopping, it’s fairly common to be offered tastes of wine, cider and beer as you browse the aisles, which is how we discovered this one. Apparently it comes from the Hawkes Bay region, and it’s dangerously lovely. K. actually prefers it to beer at the moment. And hey, it contains apples, so it’s got to be good for him.
The label says: “We took your Grandmother, stole her apples, and pinched her recipe. Now we give them back to you without shame!”
Love it!

Auckland supermarkets

Australia and New Zealand similar?

Sometimes when I'm grocery shopping, I'm not so sure.

Here of some of the staples stocked at our local supermarket (and yes, I'm sure the staff do think I'm a nutter, after my furtive photography efforts this morning) ...

Kiwis love their Kumara, and for convenience you can buy it as wedges, chips, rosti and hashbrowns.

Fresh cockles and mussels.

If, like me, you're not sure how to cook them, you can buy some ready to go...

Fancy a hangi, but don't have the facilities to DIY? Grab one in a box!

Or how about a TV dinner? There are a huge range of gourmet meals, cooked then vaccuum-sealed. This one's roast beef, vegies, gravy and Yorkshire Pudding. Just reheat in the microwave (It tastes better than it looks).