Resting and Creating

Resting and Creating

Winter is in the air this morning. With the sunrise came frosty winds hurtling around corners and through open windows we didn’t need to close yesterday, numbing our fingers and the tips of our noses. I hauled the heater out and am opening boxes of winter clothing to find cozy sweaters and flannel shirts and woolen socks. Winter is definitely on its way.

It’s been a rough month health-wise around here, with trips to hospitals and doctor’s offices, surgical procedures and innumerable tests. We’re both better now, the bad stuff has been fixed and is healing, but we’re tired. So instead of throwing ourselves back into the normal swing of things, we’re taking things slow and steady, making sure our bodies have the rest and nutrition they need to recover well.

This recovery time has been quite lovely, especially with the arrival of the cold weather. Snuggling under the covers for naps is even better when the wind is howling around the eaves. Nourishing soups and hot cups of tea are just the ticket for restoring our spirits and keeping us warm. And it’s been so good to have time to watch beloved movies, read books, and just sit quietly in a puddle of sunshine with a cuddly puppy in my lap.

We were able to take our first medieval camping trip of the season, thanks to the efforts of our Blackwolf crew who did the heavy lifting and made sure our roles were mostly supervisory. I’ve never had such a relaxing time at an event, and cherished every bit of it.

I loved getting up early and starting the fire, putting a pot of water on to boil for those oh-so-vital cuppas first thing in the morning. Fezzik sat beside me as the flames crackled and snapped, and wagged his tail happily as one friend after another wandered in, pulled up a chair, made a brew, and stayed to visit until well after the sun came up.

Evenings were the best when the work of the day was done and old friends and new gathered round bearing bottles of smooth whiskey and homemade mead. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages as I did those nights, wiping the tears from my eyes as those lovely people told outrageous stories and groan-worthy jokes. Sometimes I’d leave the fire just so I could look in at that circle of faces that are so dear to me, watching them throw their heads back in laughter or reach over to pat a shoulder as talk turned to the nitty-gritty stuff of life. Friendship can be such a hard thing to find as an adult, and I’m so grateful for these moments that fill my heart and keep me going.

medieval breakfast idea

We got home on Monday, and settled in just in time for much-needed rain to fall. It perked up our gardens and orchards and made the air smell so fresh and clean.

After some good rest I got back to work, interviewing inspiring people and writing their stories for Highlife magazine, a wonderful Australian publication that shares real stories of the people who live and work in Southern Queensland. It is such a delight to me to meet so many different people and write about their lives and passions and quirks and hopes.

I also did a photoshoot for a client and friend who makes fabulous reusable beeswax wraps that can be used in place of plastic wrap, plastic baggies, that sort of thing. It’s always fun to work with people whose work I love, and these wraps are wonderful. She’s perfected her recipe so the wraps stick well and mold beautifully around any container. Click here if you’d like to get a few of your own.

beeswax wraps

I’m doing wood-working and wood-burning this week and I love that so much. A client hired me to design and make a sign for her shop, and I’m so excited about it. I’ve picked out the wood and marked out the shape, and soon I’ll be surrounded by sawdust as I cut and sand and get it ready for burning.

I’m working on some new designs for my Etsy shop as well, including some medieval-style implements that make me happy just looking at them. Can’t wait to share them with you.

wood-burned wooden spoons

Now I’m heading down to the granny flat to get cozy under a blanket and do some personal writing and drawing. These are the things that calm and settle me and help me heal and focus. There’s nothing like a bit of solitude and silence to get rid of the clutter in my thoughts and help me figure out what to let go of, what to work through, and what to embrace with courage and resolve. xo

Do you have a place you go to for sorting through things? I’d love to hear about it.

 

Tastes of Summer and An Un-holiday Holiday

Tastes of Summer and An Un-holiday Holiday

I know I’m supposed to write about Christmas-y and holiday-ish things, but the truth is I haven’t been able to get to them. We have no tree up, there is no baking done, not a single present has been wrapped, and there’s no sign of our Christmas trousers that we usually hang in lieu of stockings.

And that’s OK.

Sometimes life happens (aka – glandular fever) and you have to decide what’s truly important. This year, as much as I love our fun little traditions, I have to accept that I simply don’t have the strength or energy for them.

Instead we’re making time for naps and sleeping in, watching movies from the library, reading through Harry Potter again, and, when we’re up for it, taking day trips to visit good friends and soak up the beauties of the ocean and the mountains.

Instead of our favorite holiday foods we’re keeping things simple, making the most of whatever is growing in the gardens, and treating ourselves to delicious things someone else has already made: fluffy bread rolls, dark chocolate, and plum wine.

It’s enough.

My favorite dish this week was new potatoes from my garden, boiled and tossed with parsley, butter, and sea salt.

new potatoes with butter and parsley

My most exciting find in my gardens was kohlrabi. Kohlrabi was one of my favorite vegetables as a child, and my Mum grew heaps of it. We’d eat them raw cut into crudites or grated into salads.

I’ve been trying to grow kohlrabi for four years, experimenting with different seeds and varieties, switching the seedlings from garden plot to garden plot, but they just never took. All I got were lots of leaves but no kohlrabi bulbs.

Until this year. I finally found the right seed company and the seedlings flourished into strong, sturdy plants. This week was my first harvest and they were delicious.

purple Vienna kohlrabi

I prepared them three different ways so we could taste test and see which way we liked best.

I roasted some until they were soft with crispy brown edges. They were scrumptious and will make an excellent addition to a roast chicken dinner.

Others I grated for a coleslaw type salad, tossed with dill weed, sliced asparagus, and a mustard vinaigrette.

grated kohlrabi

The last recipe was kohlrabi soup, and that was hands down my favorite. Smooth and creamy with a hint of onion, it is true comfort in a bowl.

kohlrabi soup

Today I finished up the last of my wood-burning orders before Christmas and shipped them off to new owners around the world. I loved doing the order below, a collection of children’s mixing spoons personalized for a group of little girls in California.

children's wooden spoons

Whether you’re partying or resting this holiday, I wish you a beautiful, soul-nourishing time.  xo

Christmas Art and Community Carols

Christmas Art and Community Carols

Christmas is the busiest time of year for me and my wood-burning shoppe on Etsy. I look forward to it so much. I collect audio books from the library to keep me entertained, position the fan to keep me cool, and potter along burning all sorts of items for Christmas pressies around the world.

wood-burned spoons

This week I’m burning more than usual because on Saturday is the second annual Creekside Carols Under the Stars in my home village of Allora.

It’s held in the tree-filled Dalrymple Park by the creek and is such a jolly event. This year it’s bigger than ever with over 30 market stalls including jewelry by my friend Leah, seedlings from my friend Kathy, organic skincare by my friend Leanne, and wood-burned items by yours truly.

After wandering through the market stalls, there’s delicious food available – including fantastic Indian food made by my friend Hazel.

wood-burned cheese board

Once you’ve shopped and eaten, had your face painted and petted cute little animals, you can settle in for a great concert, singing along as local performers, like my friends Sarah and Stacey, lead in beloved Christmas classics.

If you’re in the neighborhood on Saturday, I hope you’ll join us in ringing in the holiday season.

Now it’s time for a good breakfast and and some more wood-burning.

fried eggs on greens

What events are you looking forward to this Christmas? xo

Autumn Treasures and Free Shipping for Wood-Burning

Autumn Treasures and Free Shipping for Wood-Burning

It’s a quiet Saturday morning, no wind, the sky bright blue with feathery clouds, baby goats sleeping soundly after their bottles.

Last night we worked late bucking bales, filling the barn with hay before Winter arrives. I’ve always loved the smell of fresh hay. It calms me somehow and brings back happy memories of sleepovers in a neighbors’ barn with my friends when we were little girls.

This morning I was up early, feeding all our ducks, chickens, and geese, filling their water troughs, and giving the dogs a cuddle. I checked on my gardens, happy to see several tree cuttings leafing out and my red cabbage seedlings getting bigger every day.

As I wander around the farm now, I see true signs of Autumn that make me smile. Like this leathery leaf in vivid sunset colors.

Autumn leaf

And these beautiful seedpods looking like a sculpture against the rough, rusty surface of an old trailer.

seed pods

To celebrate this gorgeous Autumn, I’m offering Free Shipping for any order over $50 from my wood-burning shoppe. Click here to choose from any of the items displayed, or request a special design or something personalized. Just enter FREESHIPPING as your coupon code and receive Free Shipping worldwide until May 1, 2015.

wood burned art

Now it’s time to settle in my coziest spot with coffee and a bowl of porridge with cranberries, salted butter, and cinnamon.

porridge with cranberries and butter

Wishing you a beautiful and restful weekend. xo

Little Happinesses and a Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Cream

Little Happinesses and a Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Cream

Autumn weather is here at last with stunning beauty. Chilly mornings where slippers and flannels are essential, followed by exquisite golden days of rich sunshine and cool breezes. I feel like I’ve come back to life and it is marvelous.

Bear and I have been working hard on the farm pruning trees, chopping wood, planting winter veggies, and using up the remains of last year’s bounty from the freezers so we can start filling them again with homemade sausages, frozen vegetables, and baking.

We’ve been bottle-feeding two orphaned baby goats and look forward to each feeding. They are the sweetest little girls and make us laugh every day.

Our geese, ducks, and chickens have slowed down their laying, ready to hunker down for the cold months. Each time we find a new egg is cause for celebration.

wooden bowl of eggs

In my downtime I’ve been making wood-burned necklaces for my Etsy shoppe, building up my stock for the medieval markets we’ll be attending in just a couple of months. It’s such a lovely break from hard labor, turning pieces of wood, beads, and stone into little works of art.

wood burned necklace

Today we took a break from our labors to wander through one of our favorite thrift stores to see what we could find. My treasures are this darling little pottery mug and a bag full of nearly-new cookbooks and gardening books to inspire me.

pottery mug

Our dessert this week has been a fresh strawberry tart with vanilla cream in a whole grain crust sweetened with dark brown sugar. Simple, delicious, and just the edible cheer we need to keep us going through our chores.

strawberry tart with vanilla cream

What keeps you plugging along when you have lots of work to do? xo

Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Cream

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries, washed and trimmed
1 tub sour cream
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Crust:

1 cup whole grain flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 375 F.
2.   Mix all crust ingredients, add a little flour if too soft. Press evenly into 9-inch tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
3.   Gently blend sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Do not whip or it will get too runny. Chill until crust is cooled.
4.   Let crust cool, remove from tart pan and set on serving tray. Spread sour cream mixture in the bottom of the tart shell, and top with strawberries.
5.   Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.