calm and real food
So I'm working a few days a week at a new business called The Schoolhouse, a cheesemaking and tea processing place. Awesome. They've hired me to make real food, something they really believe in. Bread. Butter. Jams. Biscuits. Tarts. Perfect job? Could be.
Salted caramel macadamia shortbread.
Ninjabread men. Whose genius idea was that?!
Real food sometimes comes with travellers.
Cheesemakers! Jaden and Kirsten.
Kirst grows tea on her farm. It totally rocks, her Winter tea especially. Toasty. Mmmm.
It's a gift to be able to work at something you enjoy, isn't it. Do you?
We're winding up school over here, with school concerts and preschool parties and trying to get Christmas gifts under wraps, so to speak! Trying to be slow, and not rush the (tired) kids too much, and trying to remember that no one really cares particularly about presents but are more interested in everyone around being calm and happy and available.
It doesn't matter if I haven't soaked that fruit for a month (or at all yet), it doesn't matter if I short cut on some of the handmade gift plans I have (I do that every year!) I plan to roll into our precious one week Christmas holiday at my parents-in-law calm and happy and present.
How are you tracking? Can you find the calm?
xxx
Jo
December 6, 2012 at 6:58 amAll looks amazing Fi – good for you. Trying to remind myself too that it’s better to be a calm & happy mother/wife/friend/daughter/sister than to have umpteen perfect handmade gifts to give. Trying 😉
alison@thisbloominglife
December 6, 2012 at 8:57 amYummy, those shortbreads look amazing. Hope I make it to your part of the world to partake in the some of the goodies xxx
Claire
December 6, 2012 at 12:57 pmSuch an important part of the holidays. To be there and make memories. Yet it always seems one of the hardest bits to get right all the time. I find that I have to mental slap myself and say, stop cleaning the bathroom, when they are older they won’t remember if the floor was clean but they will remember making christmas decorations and christmas cards.
Your salted caramel shortbread look amazing 🙂
dixiebelle
December 7, 2012 at 11:04 amI want to move in. Love the ninjas!
Yvette
December 7, 2012 at 1:51 pmHi Fi
I read but barely comment – so glad to hear all is well down there.
you sound so happy and buzzy busy it brings tears to my eyes.
miss you! I really must plan a little visit one day soon.
xx
vetty
rhonda hetzel
December 7, 2012 at 4:54 pmWhat a great place! As usual, your food looks delicious.
Cassandra
December 7, 2012 at 5:21 pmWhat a gorgeous place to work, and a great philosophy for food – real food. Finding calm seems to get harder and harder at any time of year. The world seems to be shouting at us all the time, buy happiness, buy health, buy love from your family. Time to switch off and listen to the inner voices instead, the quiet ones that know what we really need.
Hedy King
January 27, 2013 at 5:47 amI want to have a job there, too. Lovely.