Fresh air and friends

Our friends Angie and Dave visited us in Canberra at the end of a very emotional week. The afternoon they arrived had been a bit of a cry fest, brought on by exhaustion, shock and the kindness of the people around me.  By the end of their visit I felt a lot calmer and happy too. I am very lucky to have these three in my life (Tony has been endlessly patient and supportive and kind 😭).

We drove out to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve with bags full of bakery goods and went for a couple of different walks, spotting a bettong and a bandicoot in our travels. Winter days in Canberra can be clear and lovely when the sun is out. It helped to be outside with all of its sights and smells after three days of non-stop video meetings and phone calls.

I was a bit nervous about hanging out when things felt so out of control. But I shouldn't have been - I was people I love and trust and was in desperate need of distraction and perspective. Angie and Dave visit us every single year no matter whether we're living in Wagga Wagga (a good 6 hour drive from Sydney) or Canberra. They even let me move in with them once for a job stint in Sydney!

I really wanted to make something slow-cooked for dinner like a leg of lamb but instead we decided to make something low-key so we didn't feel like we had to be home at a particular time to prep. I made a Julia Ostro inspired cheese and prosciutto plate and Tony made fresh pasta for dinner.

At the start of the season I wrote a winter bucket list, inspired by Joy, and baking a lemon delicious was at the top of the list. It's such a sunny dessert and self-saucing :) I used a Ruth Reichl recipe and also recommend a Stephanie Alexander version, which my sister must've introduced me to. It was so lovely and warming.

Angie and Dave's parting gift was a black truffle which totally blew my mind because it's something I never would've bought for myself. We've been infusing eggs and plan to make a truffle pasta this weekend. Luckily, friends and food haven't been cancelled in 2020.

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Surprise birthday weekend

I turned 32 yesterday and had the best day - my friends Irini and Angie had organised a surprise visit so I spent the weekend doing all of my favourite things with some of my favourite people. Here's a little look:

Desktop - Rachel Viski & Kath Priest, Melahomies

Rachel Viski and Kath Priest are close friends and young mums with something surprising in common - both have survived melanoma. Together they run Melahomies, a Facebook page where they post their everyday approaches to sun safety and wellbeing. Today they share how surviving cancer has changed their lives, and what they hope people will get out of their personal posts.

The spare loaf

I've been getting back into bread making, it's fast becoming a favourite weekend ritual and because my recipe makes two loaves, I've started giving a loaf away to a different friend each week.

It's an idea that I've pinched from Kristy, who gave away so many homemade sourdoughs that when she moved to Perth, I ordered a special bread stamp to brand paper bags as her going away gift. Kristy would often give me a spare loaf on a Friday when she came into town, and I was always so grateful and excited to collect it. She's even sent me a loaf express post from Perth!

At home, we jokingly call the spare loaf the friendship loaf and this week Tony asked if he could give it to a friend at work. I have to say that giving something to someone, whether it's a card, a surprise parcel or homemade cookies, always fills me with a special kind of purpose and joy.

But back to the bread, I've dabbled in bread making before, and can highly recommend The Bread and Butter project cookbook, which comes from the people who set up Bourke Street Bakery. Kristy lent me her copy and it makes bread as good as I could buy. A jar of hand-me-down starter (thanks Amy!) makes for a good head start too.

A cool way to get stuff done

Last month I met a woman who had just been to a deadline party. A bunch of friends set a date three months out and everyone picked a creative project, big or small, to complete in time for a celebratory dinner.

At first I was confused - a deadline party sounds kind of stressful but she explained that the party was like an exhibition opening where everyone had made a work. The party was something to look forward to and a friendly prompt to start and finish something creative, whether it was writing a series of short stories or tackling a complicated woodwork project. And there was no pressure to show off your work on the night, it was just a celebration for everyone who took part.

I'd love to know what you'd pick as a mini creative project for a deadline party. Planting a cute flower box (and keeping it alive) has been on my list for a long time, along with learning how to use a DSLR on manual settings.

P.S You might also like 'A party for your thoughts' from my friend Vanessa.

Photo by Wattle + Lace.