New Book Smell

"Did you smell it?"  Nola asked me when I told her that I had been sent an advance copy of my book.  Did I smell my book I thought??....no I didn't.  Was I supposed to?  I didn't know that new book smelling was a thing.

I love the smell of old books, I know that's a thing.  I have piles of old books around the house, with their mostly red covers and aged yellowing paper, they smell of musty grass, faintly of vanilla, faded ink and of the many hands that have flipped the pages.  That's a smell I know and love.

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39 comments books, dreams, me, oh my giddy aunt, writing

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The things I love

Happy New Year to you!

No time for lazing around lately, but I've been doing the things I love.  Working on a big summer project, styling delicious food for a cookbook with some of my favourite people.  In the evenings, we've been scoffing peaches, spitting cherry pips and roasting plums in the oven.  There's been picnics in paddocks and trips to the farm in rattly old Percy.  Tents are pitched in the back yard and the house is full of props.

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26 comments books, family, good things, handmade, hooray, me

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Good mail...

Arriving home from Sydney on Monday, I was greeted by a two foot high lawn, three dozen eggs in the fridge and some very exciting mail.

Hot off the press, there was a copy of Little One Kids Annual, featuring a simply gorgeous article written by that clever wordsmith Jodi accompanied by photos by the talented Jen Rayner.  It's such a lovely article.  I'm so thrilled to be included in such a gorgeous magazine and I have a permanent reminder that yes, there was one day that the children's rooms were actually that tidy....

But I was even more thrilled about finally getting my hands on a copy of Rohan's book that he so generously sent me. Oh I love it.  We made pumpkin gnocchi that very night.  And it was delicious.

Whole Larder Love is a vibrant, colourful and practical guide to the admirable way Rohan feeds his family.  Grow, gather, hunt, cook :: it's not preachy, just friendly, welcoming and bursting with enthusiasm.  Just like Ro himself.

Now, another omelette before I'm off to tackle that lawn....

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12 comments elsa, friends, good things, home, hooray, me

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So long and thanks for all the cupcakes

After going through close to a thousand kilos of flour and sugar in the past four years, it's time to pack up the mixer and say good bye to our little cupcake business.   It's been such fun baking cakes, meeting so many lovely people and hearing wonderful feedback from our customers. But well, there's so many exciting things happening in our world that we had to cut something.  And the weekly cake stall was it.

So what are we doing you may ask?  Well, we are super excited to be working on a new book with Matthew, Ross and Nick, we're still doing cakes by request, we're catering for events using delicious, sustainable and local ingredients, we're writing about food, styling for food photo shoots, and well, there is one project that we are so over the moon about that I have to pinch myself to check that I'm awake and that it's real.  But you'll have to wait to hear more about that.

As they say, you have to close one door before another one opens and well, this week that proverb certainly rings true.  Hooray for cupcakes!  Those dear little treats have been so much fun.

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13 comments markets, me, tasmania

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The race is on...

Spring is here, the westerlies blow and the race is on in the garden.  There are seeds to sow, beds to mulch, trees to feed and weeding, weeding and more weeding, before the blighters get a foothold.

Like most things in my life, I'm kinda a last minute gal, and whilst most gardeners will have their summer seedlings already shooting forth, to allow maximum time to grow during the warmer months, my seeds and potatoes are still in the mail.   Except for my tomatoes, which I finally sowed today.  Unfortunately the problem with this last minute approach was made apparent during my mad dash to the hardware store today, with very slim pickings left in the tomato seed section.  I think I nabbed the last six packets of unheard of varieties like Thai pink egg, yellow pear, Wapsipinnicon peach, Ponderosa Pink, Burwood prize and Cerise.  Only one red tomato out of the lot of them.  It will be interesting to see how they fair, all pink, peach and yellow.  Next year I will be more organised. For sure.  But tonight at least, I can rest on my laurels, confident in the knowledge that we're in for a bumper summer tomato crop. Just as we open the last bottle of passata too.  And I make a note to myself to get organised earlier next year.

In other parts of the garden, the garlic is growing like crazy, but the asparagus is more Mary Celeste than Mary Washington, there's absolutely no sign of it.  Lucky the vigorous and tasty pick again broccoli is living up to its name to make up for the asparagus shortfall.  

Along with being a mad rush to sow seeds in time, it's also a constant battle, this gardening caper. It's me vs weeds, slugs and those pesky black birds, that pull up seedlings, dig holes in the beds and flick mulch all over the paths. It's no wonder they were made into pies.  What happened to that culinary trend I wonder?  But looking into the lemon tree today, I spied a brand new baby black bird, they seem so harmless with they're little.  Next to their charming speckled blue eggs.  This little one will no doubt grow up to torment me next spring, probably as I race around the garden in a mad last minute planting frenzy again, having paid no heed to my own advice at all.

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7 comments garden, me, seasons

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Hugo and me

I've been writing this blog for nearly four years now, and I love looking back through old posts and reminiscing about the days when I had the peeps at home full time.   How quickly things change.  Hugo is at school three days a week, Elsa five.  When they come home they run to the neighbour's and play on the street, with nary a glance back at their mama.

This year, as things get busier for me I have to remind myself to cherish those two days at home with Hugo and to be more mindful of his needs. I find I get swept up in lists and chores or doing work stuff.  Hugo gets bored, gets whiney and then I get grumpy.

To get the balance right, I've decided that one day a week is just for Hugo.  A Hugo and me day.  We might go to a cafe ( my favourite ahem, not his) the park, the bike track, a hike.  Anything really, so long as it's us time.

 At first I thought this would be hard. To drop everything and just go, but it's not.  It's easy and lots of fun.  Today was so warm and sunny we grabbed some lunch from the Yo Yo Bakery in Cygnet and hit the beach.  There was icy water to paddle in, fallen trees to climb, rocks and shells to collect and like most Tasmanian beaches, not a soul around.  It was perfect.

How silly am I that I need constant (daily!) reminding to be present with my children.  How sad I will be when they're all grown up and flown the coop.   The lists and chores and work stuff will still be there, but they won't.

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15 comments growing up, hugo, me

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Big

Cooking dinner for 100 people is a daunting task. And at midnight on Saturday, when it seemed there was no end in sight to getting those dishes washed, I wondered for a moment whether we'd bitten off more than we could chew.  Boom tish. 

Our school has a shiny new kitchen in an amazing new hall and we were lucky to be the first to use it on Saturday for the grand opening dinner. With a huge amount of help from some lovely talented folk we managed to cook a delicious meal for 107 people.  And proud to say that all the fresh produce was sourced from local and organic growers.  It was big.  It was hard yakka.  And I loved every minute. Well, okay, maybe by 12.30am when I thought we'd never finish the dishes, I did start to feel a bit weary.  But it was lots of fun.

It's taken two days to recover and now I've got a cold, so I'll keep sipping hot ginger tea and have a quiet week at home.   And even though there's a lot to do in the garden, I've still got 30 raspberry canes to plant, and my rather large fruit tree order to pick up and plant, I am hoping for a rainy day or two.  Because, our builder has pencilled us in for the next wet day.  He is coming to build a hearth in our kitchen.  For my new baby.  With which I will confidently say I shall not be tackling dinner for 100 any time soon. Maybe 20, 30, well okay 40 tops.  

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13 comments big, cooking, me

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Winter on the farm

Remember a while back I mentioned an exciting project I'd been working on?  It's finally out and it's totally lovely. A cookbook called Winter on the Farm.  It's such an amazing feeling to see a project that you've worked on appear in a real, live, actual book.  It's like there's a little bit of me in this book.  There's photos of all the cakes and biscuits and soups, pies, tarts and risotto that I cooked.  There's jam jars and spoons and cake plates from my very own cupboard.  And there's even a recipe credited to me.  That I'm quietly chuffed about. Yay me!

But what I love most about this book is the beautiful photographs that Alan Benson has taken of the valley throughout this book.  He's perfectly captured the chilling grey beauty of winter in my home. The fog, the frost, the mud, the cold and those wonderful bare winter trees.  But Matthew's food makes you feel so warm and cosy, wrapped up inside it's the perfect foil for these chilly winter days.

For me,  this book really is heartwarming food in the truest sense.  And if you want to read more about our valley, then you must read Steve's beautiful words here.

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20 comments good things, me, tasmania

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:: 20 questions...

Hooray! A new game over at Pip's place.  I should be hanging the washing out but, here is a welcome distraction.  Why don't you head over there and play along too?

1. Sweet or Savoury? Both! I like savoury in the morning and sweet in the afternoon.
2. Dresses or Jeans? Skirts actually.
3. House or Apartment? Oh a house please. Although an apartment in Paris would be nice!
4. Shop Online or Offline? I do a lot of shopping online, books, clothes, music and a weekly organic grocery shop that gets home delivered.
5. DVDs or Downloads? DVDs, haven't worked out how to download yet.
6. Cocktails or Juice? Juice, fresh orange is my favourite.
7. Chocolate or Strawberry? Probably chocolate
8. Laptop or PC? Laptop - I love my MacBook.
9. Magazines or Newspapers? Terrible magazine junkie, ever since I was teenager reading Smash Hits and No 1.  These days I love Inside Out, Gourmet Traveller and Organic Gardener. 
10. Facebook or Twitter? I use both, too much really.
11. CDs or MP3s? MP3s I love being able to buy an album immediately, don't know if my credit card does though!
12. Kids or Pets? I have both and wouldn't be without either.
13. Macaron or Cupcakes? I can't say no to a cupcake.
14. Walk or Run? Walking nowadays, I used to run a lot before children though.
15. Breakfast in Bed or Breakfast Out? Breakfast out, I don't have enough pillows to prop myself up to eat breakfast in bed.
16. Market or Supermarket? I try never to go the supermarket, I like markets and little grocery stores.
17. Sourdough or Grainy? Bread is my favourite food and I'll take either as long it's well made. 
18. Heels or Flats? I'll  be in flats until Blundstone start making heels. 
19. Late nights or Not? I would like to get to bed earlier than I do, but see number 10
20. Coffee or Tea? Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon.

Right, that laundry's not going to dry itself. Back to work. 

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1 comment game, me

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Cooking and shooting

I've been super busy these past few days.

Working. On a dream job.

Shopping, testing recipes and cooking food to be photographed.

For a book. About food.

Written by a certain farmer. A gourmet one.

Delicious recipes beautifully shot by an ace photographer.

I wish I had more time to watch and learn.

But I was too busy cooking. No matter.

I did manage to snap a few quick shots.

The whole project was super fun.

S.U.P.E.R. F.U.N

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13 comments books, good things, love, me, tasmania

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Introducing...

....our new logo, designed by the incredibly clever Alex Miles, just hours before giving birth to her son. True!

I really likey, yes I do.

And I would love to know what you think.

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14 comments cupcake, me

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Bittersweet

Just back from Sydney. Went to a funeral. Caught up with old friends, old house mates, old lovers, old colleagues and old bosses. Cried. Laughed. Hugged. Listened to beautiful, heartfelt words. Bittersweet that it takes a funeral to get so many old friends together, but get together we did. In the hundreds. To say goodbye.

A very short trip to Sydney, sans enfants. but we did get to have brunch at bills. Ricotta pancakes. That was sweet.

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Leave a Comment me, sad

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Nothing else matters

What is it about November that sees life turned up to eleven? Literally. Once that October page flips over, life suddenly becomes more manic as it hurtles towards the looming deadline of Christmas. Let's face it, midsummer is such a crap time for Christmas, it must be the busiest season of the year.

It makes much more sense, in the relative quiet of winter, to retreat indoors, make some gifts and gather family and friends around for a slap up feast (I know, I do say that often).

Alas, not here in the southern hemisphere. In the garden it's busy - planting, weeding watering, then there's end of school activities, excursions, fairs and concerts with costumes to sew. Throw a seventh birthday party to organise and a couple of market stalls into the mix, and I can feel a knot the size of a small car developing in the pit of my stomach.

And of course, as we're hosting the family for yuletide festivities, there's the house to get shipshape. According to the Inside Out magazine's 8-week Christmas Countdown plan, by now, that's week 7 - November 8, I should have;

::arranged tradespeople to finish off any small jobs,

::booked a professional house cleaner,

::made holiday arrangements for pets, (Where would you like to go this year chooks? Tahiti?)

::ordered now for any online christmas shopping,

::inspected outdoor lighting and adjusted or augmented as required,

::bought gift wrapping, ribbon, cards and tags,

::booked a session with a stylist for my own Christmas makeover, and

::sorted out bedding for visited relatives

O-kaay, now that knot is starting to feel like the battle ship Potemkin.

But then my little guy, how I cherish my children's ability to live in the moment and remind me to do the same. This morning, as I thought to tackle my list of chores, my little one asked for a hug. Then just one more. Then just one more. Then just one more. And I close my eyes, nuzzle his neck and breathe. Deeply.

And nothing else matters. I don't care about augmenting the outdoor lighting as required. I spend the day playing with Hugo. Building lego, racing cars, having tea parties. Because, today nothing else does matter. And then, thankfully, that battleship Potemkin feeling, just sails away.

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15 comments good things, hugo, me

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My place & yours::my secret weapon

My secret weapon. I can't tell you how many times I've used it. I take it with me everywhere, able to be used at moments notice in all manner of situations:: whenever I'm feeling nervous, anxious or sad. It can be used when dealing with a fractious toddler, meeting new people, awkward encounters with customer service people. It is an instant pick me up, a wonderful anit-ageing strategy, totally free, incredibly contagious and an all round feel good weapon. It is a smile. Cheesey I know, but try it sometime, it really does work!

This photo is a vintage one, (sadly, try as I might I cannot get it to rotate). It was taken some twenty years ago, I pulled it out recently for a friend's fortieth birthday party, the theme of which was "act half your age", and all guests were required to bring a photo of themselves half the age they are now. Great fun! It's me and an old friend Helen, using our secret weapons, behind the undercover veil of the Remo photo booth.

Head over to Pips to see more secret weapons, brought to you this week by mybricole. Thank you ladies!

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8 comments friends, game, me

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Eye Spy - my morning routine

It's breakfast that gets me out of bed every day to start my morning routine. But sadly, not my own.  It's that little guy next to me who wriggles, squirms and speaks, perhaps accompanied by a rude slap on the face, sometimes a sweet whisper, or sometimes a shout, that he is so hungry, his tummy is rumbling and it's time for breakfast.  I feel lucky if my little Hugo alarm goes off after 6am, usually it's the around the 5.30 mark.    After the smalls' breakfast is under way, I have my first coffee of the day.  Then it's usually a chaotic rush to get out the door on time. But after we return from the morning drop off, it's time for my breakfast.  Hugo's off playing and I like to sit amongst the breakfast dishes and linger over a second coffee and perhaps some toast with jam, maybe a boiled egg.  The morning sun shines in and I eat in peace, whilst reading a library book, a recipe, the mail, or perhaps writing a list for the day.  I sit for sometimes three, maybe, four minutes if I'm very lucky.  It's complete and utter blissful me time.   

Thanks to Cindy for hosting Eye Spy and Angie for this week's great theme. 

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7 comments eye spy, hugo, me, yum

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smashing pumpkins

One of the many stories I remember from reading Barbara Kingsolver's fabulous book, Animal Vegetable Miracle, was the tale of  traveling in Italy and discovering an ugly and warty but delicious pumpkin, Marina di Chioggia. An old Italian heirloom variety.  Always one to seek out tasty heirloom varieties for my garden, I sought some seeds for myself.  No easy task, but eventually I found a supplier of the warty ones.  

Ten seeds arrived and after sowing them all, five plants survived.  What an incredible sprawling plant the pumpkin is, with massive leaves, curly tendrils and hiding under those umbrella like foliage, the odd green globe treasure.  Rabbits, possums and weeds prevented us from a massive crop, but each plant gave us at least one, if not two pumpkins, of this type called a turban.  As an immature fruit they have a smooth lime green skin and I was concerned that they'd sent the wrong seeds as there was no sign of any wartiness.  But a quick google of the words "immature marina di chioggia image" came up trumps and allayed my fears:: we were on track for some warty goodness. Thank heavens for the internet. 

They are a delicious pumpkin with a sweet golden flesh.   I'm hoping to save the seeds and plant some more next year.  But I should have some spare seeds:: would you like some?  I can't promise they will be viable but let me know if you'd like a few seeds and I can share the warty goodness. 

I think we'll try to make pumpkin gnocchi on the weekend, with brown butter, crisp sage leaves and some pecorino. I'll let you know how we go, warts and all.   

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4 comments books, garden, me, yum

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Knitting wrecks

You know that great website Cake Wrecks?  How about a knitting version?  Here's my sock I started last week.  I thought I was doing okay.  Um. Well sort of.  Although my K1 P1 ribbing is a disgrace, they were taking on a sort of deconstructed sock shape. Considering I'm not accustomed to mouse knitting :: teeny tiny needles, four in fact, used for socks, thus eliminating a seam. 

But ack! Last night, my stitches seemed to have fallen off the third needle and are back on the traditional two.   Oh well, I reckon it's back to the drawing board for this pup ...

Feel free to join in knitting wrecks if you like - I can't be the only yarn challenged blogger out there...  

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6 comments making, me, um

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WIP - eek! And this week's theme...

Work in progress.  So far so good.  

Which gives me an idea for this week's Eye Spy theme...A Work In Progress.  Don't forget to head over to Cindy's and add your name so we can see a WIP at your place. 

(....please, please, please Mr Skylight guy, wont you break that ugly light fitting while you're up there....)

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9 comments eye spy, home, me, renovation

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Before shots - the dark

Our old girl goes under the knife tomorrow.  Tonight we pack up this room in prepartion for the big skylight installation. I feel very nervous. Not only because this feels like major surgery on the old girl, but because it's my idea. My first major renovating decision coming to fruition. The style of the skylight, the location, the flashing colour, everything. My choice.  We've made a few changes since we bought the place, but all cosmetic and all reversible.  Some people relish these major decorating decisions, but I'm not sure I do. Oh the anguish... Am I lacking confidence in my decision? Why yes I am as it happens. 

I wouldn't mind so much if it was a more contemporary dwelling. But our old girl is circa 100 years. She's withstood a century of fires, floods, dozens of housewives, untold handymen and at least one urban gay decorator and remains in pretty good shape. Fairly original and unspoilt by decorating fads.   So I can't help but feel that in owning such an old place, my role is more caretaker than owner. Yet it's our home and it has to suit our family.  The challenge lies in striking a balance between creating a warm, liveable modern family space whilst respecting the history of the house.  Does cutting a whopping great hole in the ceiling find that balance? Or spoil our modest Tasmanian farmhouse.  We'll find out tomorrow I guess.  I really hope this skylight decision is the right one.  Oh dear.  If you never see the after shots, you can assume it wasn't!  

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9 comments home, me, renovation, um

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Blooms

We've a big week next week,  Hugo's third birthday, (how the heck did that happen?), skylight installed (move entire contents of lounge room for two days to, um...?) Granny and Pa arriving from Sydney for two weeks, (a  LOT of tidying up to do!), the list goes on. 

However, some loveliness recently arrived in the post to distract me from feeling quite so overwhelmed.  Modeled by Miss Elsa who lost her second front tooth yesterday - blooming she is. Some soft and lovely organic handmade goodness from talented and sweet Tyler at Periwinkle Bloom. Have you seen her website?  Beautiful angelic photos. 

And this wonderful surprise - an upcycled bread bag from Angie at 3 red buttons, along with some super cool pants she made for Hugo.  I'll show you those next week modeled by the birthday boy himself.   The wattle blooms are a lovely touch, they are our favourite flower, as they always remind us of our spring wedding.

Back to the procrastination.

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4 comments elsa, family, friends, hugo, me, um

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