Tag Archives: food

Waking up to…

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Mango trees and a squawking corella

The prospect of new friendship with the kind Karen

And Sunday pancakes with home grown mango ice cream!!

I cherish this ritual of pancakes on most Sundays, it’s a slow morning’s work and definately

disappears quickly! At home we set the table with vintage linens, napkins Lily sewed for us

and nice crockery and create this special atmosphere…

it is usually a delightful time of togetherness, story telling and planning.

Sunday is a great morning to visit us!

as soon as I get out the flour bag and the big bowl Cedar knows what is going on

and gets ready to stir for mama

Cedar is accomplished at mixing our pancake batter now

This was our first pancake day on this trip as I’d felt too stretched to go beyond porridge last week…

a new innovation the girls cam up with, with some success…

This last Sunday we were invited to the home of Karen and her children, whom we had serendipitously met on the

Saturday at Rockhampton Botanic Gardens.

It is always a joy for me to connect with people who  invite us to their homes

and give us a glimpse of other ways of living.

I am so grateful for their generous spontaneity

(and luxury of a hot shower)

The mutual exchange and inspiration usually leaves both parties refreshed.

Karen really inspired me with her passion for good wholesome eating, self sufficiency,

sprouting, green smoothies and home schooling.

I have stepped up my game this last week and included green smoothies into my mornings.

In honesty I need to refine the taste!

Am blessed with a great bootfull of coconuts now so that helps!

When we visit others

I enjoy the closeness of walls and the convenience of water on tap, furniture and ease of space,

socializing and stimulation, bookshelves and instruments

and then I love going out to my cosy home in their garden and seeing the stars

and each night I remember how much I love this life

how much I appreciate the simplicity of our days.

The gift of the night sky moves me and I feel connected to the greater…

Lily, Gracie and Sophie took over the cooking with more creativity!

Do you have a family or personal weekly ritual with the intent of connecting with each other/self?

 

Cookie cut pancakes, fresh fruits, organic maple syrup and home made pure mango ice-cream! Decadance!

Sunday Pancakes

1 cup flour per 3 people (I use unbleached white spelt flour from Kombu)

1 egg

¾ c milk (I like Cleopatra’s Bath milk)

Pop your flour into a wide bowl and make a well,

Crack in your egg and blend with a fork, slowly allow the flour to be picked up by

Your egg mix

Slowly pour in your milk until you get a thick runny mixture (adjust milk as needed)

(you probably already know all this but there you go!)

I have a little cast iron pan in which I cook the pancakes in a little olive oil one at a time, a slow meditation for Sunday morns…

Yum, decorate with all the yummies you can find…

Waking up to…

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as we travel, sometimes we are blessed with the generosity of people giving their home grown produce to us,

Such as Karen who not only spontaneously hosted us for the night but farewelled us with vibrant greegroans dried mango from her garden!

or at the close of a market Jesse can sometimes be laden with produce, like yesterday at the Rockhampton Market he came back with a bag of luscious herbs…

sometimes we find a neglected fruit tree dripping ripeness to the ground (like the above mandarins)

sometimes it’s fruit trees in a public area, more of a rarity, or overhanging a fence.

We check with the property owners and often come away with an abundance of good food for free.

Foraging has some particular reward that is unique, (I haven’t fully articulated it to satisfaction here)

sure it’s great to save some coins when we live on a small budget, but more than that I appreciate that the fruit will be nourishing someone rather than dropping to the ground rotting, and the sharing of abundance when one has it. The village concept of exchange and generosity.

I love to find community gardens, where often in exchange for some weeding we can harvest some fruit, veg or salad greens, usually organically and lovingly grown, this food has a specialness and connection, as I relate to the scents as we gathered it, the weather at the time, the people we connected with and how the children brought me flowers and herbs, observed nature and learnt about how and where our food comes from.

We all seem to relax in these big green spaces and find some retreat from the stimulation of travelling, communing with plants and critters fills our souls again.

In Bellingen where we have been based the last two years there is a fantastic community garden, actually two now!

Also a program of edible gardens in the town, my favorite stop is by the real eastate agents front yard full of salad greens and herbs!

and we often visit Mullumbimby Community Gardens which has a fantastic Food for All section.

I deeply appreciate the work of the committed folk who keep these places going.

We often joke about our bus roof garden complete with chickens and a milking goat…..

Market Mornings

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So many years and so many markets

and so much delight!

I am finding a rhythm of how to approach it with children

Jesse is usually busking so I am in the foray with my little friends

Aiming to meet abit of each one’s desires

Playground, food, fossicking, produce shopping, hello to dad, doll’s clothes, push toys, animals, watching buskers etc etc

Bustling, stimulating, stories to share, strangers to meet, everywhere an eye catcher, hungry, overwhelming!

Whether on grass or a carpark makes a difference,

shaded or not?

with food stalls or not?

with artisans or not?

With playground or not?

Buskers?

many important factors!

having been a stall holder previously I can see it from that side too…

I have so much enjoyment from visiting markets and the market community of friends

and revel in the way people interact in these spaces

it is something unto itself

I suppose over time an atmosphere is built up in the place

when it’s all packed down I can still perceive the fullness of what has been there

Be open to being inspired by what others are doing also

On Sunday at the Shalom markets I met Robyn Crosthwaite who sells beautiful wool crafts with her husband

to raise money for their granddaughter Ayla.

Their stall stood out as one of the only with handmade products.

We connected over patterns on Ravelry, pure wool supplies (I recommended Weave and Bilby Yarns) and just yarned about good old knitting, while her husband needle felted rainbow badges for the stall.

Have a look at their blog or shop!

Some things for me to remember to make marketing easier

Take a pram or a trolley to carry your goods or children so your hands are free for rummaging

Take a list of what you are looking for, it can be oh so distracting

and then allow yourself the spontaneity to get your finds of the day

Take snacks and water for all

Hats and maybe a brolly

Be prepared to go slow and make sure everyone gets time looking at what they want

Take time to look at old things and wonder what they where for and used by who

Ask stall holders about the stories of things

Be open to being surprised and learning something new and meeting a new friend

I am blessed to be able to retreat to the bus for a breather and a meal and then

refreshed we burst back in and feast on the beauty!

It’s often a fabulous full day which we discharge by going to the beach or into nature or best of all a swim in a cool creek…

Which market do you love and why?

What do you hunt for?

What tips would you share to make it an enjoyable experience?

The End of The Day

With happiness at the future sharings at markets, maybe I will see you there….