FREE PATTERN for our Essential Linen Accessory
The ELA pattern can be used as a ruffled collar, a linen “necklace”, a belt or a wrap around head scarf.
It’s a great companion for any linen shirt or dress and a great way to use up linen scraps.
Our treehouse had such a creative and nourishing impact on our lives from May 1998 -Jan 2015. When we sold the house we had so many inquiries about the design of the house and requests from many people who stayed with us over the years for the floor plans. So I thought it fitting to write a little piece about what it meant to live there and how some of its unique design details created such a special sense of space.
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My grandfather (Papa) always had his meals at the same time every day and morning and afternoon tea were always the same combination. A mug of coffee and two of "Papas Biscuits".This recipe is a wonderful biscuit basic. You can add any filling or flavour to fancy it up a bit. I enjoy dividing the final mixture into three parts to create three different flavour variations.
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Wire coat hangers are one of those things, like odd socks, that multiply in your wardrobe surreptitiously over time. This is a great use for at least one of them!It's a 30 minutes exercise and delivers an instant Christmas wreath... simple and easy for kids to make too.You can tie the greenery or flowers to the wire or just twist it round and around, depending on how soft and bendy the flowers stalks are. It's also a wonderful way to used fresh picked herbs which are soft enough twist around and add a lovely fragrance to the room.And at the end of the post you'll find a Found Feather Wreath which is also just as quick and easy if you already have a feather collection.
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A vintage linen runner, simply stitched, which I recently purchased from Faded Emporium inspired this design for an "easy-as" DIY version.Just stitch together linen tea towels and voila! For instance, for a French country look you might like striped red and white linen or for a more Australian look just the raw linen perhaps with a faint little stripe.(as they are already hemmed you don't even need to own a sewing machine!)
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A walnut grower selling from a stall in a Canberra market last Saturday shared with me the "best ever" tip for opening walnuts in the shell. No more nut crackers needed when you follow these simple steps.And to celebrate the joy of walnuts we have a recipe for Fresh Apple and Walnut Clusters ... too chunky and full of apple, walnuts and raisins to be called a muffin !
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Following on from our focus to transition slowly (the 20% rule) to healthier alternatives for the traditional ingredients we love ... Here is a pastry-free crust for quiches or savoury tarts that really works a treat. You can prepare this sweet potato crust in the pie dish or tin and freeze it so you always have it on hand when you need a quick and tasty lunch or dinner. Especially good when you're wanting the whole family to eat just a little bit healthier. Enjoy!
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Last year I had the joy of a experiencing a real slow living creative retreat in the hinterland of Byron Bay organised by an incredible team from Australia and abroad. This Local Milk Retreat was a mindfully created and curated 3 days photographic, styling, cooking and collaborative experience which provided the opportunity and luxury of slowing down and reconnecting with your creative passions.It was such a treat to take time out to inhale the minutia of moments, the dappled light on a window, the texture of plate and linen, the color of fresh picked produce, the alchemy of a well crafted meal ... in order to "speed up" your craftsmanship.A highlight for me was learning branch weaving with Rebekah Seale from The Camellia Fiber Company in Tennessee. Follow the instructions and create your own.
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It's often the case that when come away from a retreat, a seminar or a book you are fired up to make major changes to our life. We approach the pantry and the fridge with evangelical zeal throwing out the bad food, restocking with new ingredients you've never used before. You then announce to the family the new regime only to find they are resentful, the change is confronting and ultimately we retreat feeling like a failure.Take a tip from the ancient philosophy of Ayurveda: The 25% rule - the secret to making changes to your lifestyle that “stick” and try this simple Ayurvedic recipe for the perfect rice and learn about "the 6 Tastes" to make every meal satisfying and nourishing.
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Our diets have changed a bit since the 1950's and one thing that strikes you is how much refined white sugar there is in these recipes. So I've begun to tweak the recipes and transition them to healthy versions of the ingredient. It's not a full abandonment of the original ingredients so there's not a big change in the chemistry or experience of the final cake or slice or dessert.Here is a delicious, chewy and easy-to-make Canadian Walnut Slice. Perfect for a cup of tea. It's just a transition recipe so we gradually get used to a warmer kind of sweetness not so sharp and we replace the grains with one that's a little better for our digestion.
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It's a big thing to move house, especially when you've been in the one place for a while. There are phases you go through as you move through the packing and moving process and there are levels you move through too, depending on how organized and energized you (or your friends) are.It's always a mystery to me that that there's always a bottom draw with crappy little things in it that you can't throw away and that don't really belong anywhere. And in that draw there always seems to be a single earring or two. That's because earrings are one of the most fiddly bits of jewellery to display. So here's my "easy-as" DIY solution to this problem, a Boho Earring Hanger.
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This simple no-bake Quick and Easy Raw Chocolate Bites recipe uses just three ingredients. Each ingredient has a traditional or healthier alternative depending on your lifestyle.
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Pesticides, antibiotics and hormones are used to make plant and animal farming more productive. Obviously then it's better to minimise your exposure to them. If you can't grow your own or buy organic here's a solution.
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This is so much fun. Try slow cooking tomatoes in the sun. It needs to be over 35˚C (which is pretty achievable in most parts of Australia in the height of summer)
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