Autumn favourites list (and just checking in!)

Hello! I hope you had a wonderful Easter long weekend. I also wanted to pop in here with an Autumn favourites list, and to say that I am sorry it’s been a bit quiet and uninteresting here in Local is Lovely-land recently. The reason I haven’t been posting much is…. My Open Kitchen – that darn that side-project that’s fast becoming my obsession and all-consuming fledgling business.

Round one of the My Open Kitchen e-course is starting on May 1, and I’m spending every spare work-minute writing lessons and editing course exclusive videos and podcasts (ps while round one is full, there are still spots for future rounds – you can sign up for news and dates here). Plus it’s school holidays, plus Orange F.O.O.D Week was BUSY, plus…the dog ate my homework.

There are some great posts in the pipeline and they’ll pop up very soon  (once the e-course is off and running), but for now I just wanted to pop in with a few photos from life here of late, and some things I’ve been loving recently.

Autumn favourites list

Reading (or read…)

Bird by Bird – instructions on life and writing.

Valli Little’s My Kind of Food – Valli’s kind of food is totally my kind. I want to cook everything in this beautiful book.

Happy and Whole by Magdalena Roze – Some super tasty, healthy family food in here.

Felicity loughrey’s weekly newsletter Head Ovary Heels (also check out her podcast of the same name – all about women with ambition, you might find an episode with me in there too!)

Listening to (or listened to…)

Audiobooks

I listen to lots of ‘talking books’. They are great for the long car trips, hours on my own in the kitchen and to make folding the washing bearable. But I find because I’m always doing something else at the same time as listening, the audio books I like best are fairly fast past ones telling a ripping yarn. The three listed below are all firmly in that category and highly recommended.

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – I listened to this as an audiobook, it was scary, brilliant and completely compelling. Will be looking out for the TV series soon to be released too.

The Beast’s Garden by Kate Forsyth – A juicy, gripping and excellently read and written tale. Kept me company through many hours of cooking for recent events.

Small Great Things, Jodi Picoult – Brilliantly read story from a wonderful storyteller.

Podcasts

The Daily podcast by the New York Times – such a great way to keep up to date with all the news and scary things happening Stateside.

Books and Arts Daily from the ABC – because I feel like I’ve lost touch completely with anything cultural these days (it’s been a loooooong while since I went to a play, saw an exhibition etc – this is keeping me somewhat connected with that world)

Kids’ podcasts – Short and Curly and This Kids Life. Both fantastic, though mine love the former best.

Explore your enthusiasm with Tara Swiger – all about running a creative business online. Lots of great social media and general small business advice in here.

Cooking (or planning t0…)

Apple and rhubarb pandowdy. I’d never heard the word pandowdy before reading this post but now know that it’s just another name for a pie without the bottom crust.

We are coming into soup season and I really want to kick off with this one.

Granola bark. Yup.

Baked goat’s cheese cigars with honey and thyme. 

All of these Autumn salads by Ottolenghi.

You had me at slow cooker. Oh. And butter chicken….this recipe is going straight to the pool room

These smashed roast potatoes with feta and lemon. Tick.

Coveting

This outfit. Oh my wowsers. So out of my budget but so amazing.

This cashmere jumper.

Quin Candy’s new book Candy is Magic.

Watching

Is anyone else sad that Girls is ending? If so – lets re-cap together with 11 times our fab four really nailed it.

Orange F.O.O.D Week was, as always, a really terrific couple of weeks. We were there flying the flag for our Mandagery Creek Venison at the annual Country Style Producers’ lunch organised by Cath Thompson with gorgeous flowers by Botanica Flora, and also our now semi-regular ‘pop up in the paddock’ lunch.

Here below are a few pics from that day – we set up one long table on top of a hill right out the back of the farm, crossed our fingers and toes that the weather would hold and the wind would stay away and served up a four-course lunch of local goodness to our 32 guests. The tables and flowers were gorgeous thanks to Jaye Allen of Stable Door Design and the wine and bubbles as good and local as you could get thanks to our neighbours at See Saw Wines.

Once F.O.O.D week wrapped up we headed to Sydney for a few days, stopping off as always, at one of my favourite places in the world; Sublime Point in the Blue Mountains.

And then it was Easter. We had a houseful of visitors for the long weekend and had them outside most of the time – bushwalking, picnicking, bonfire-ing. It was busy, delicious and FUN.