BLOG: White Enamel Pie Dish

'A Tree in the House' Nundle book launch

This week we hosted the most beautiful gathering of women from north west NSW on our Odgers and McClelland Exchange Stores verandah for the Nundle launch of 'A Tree in the House' by author, photographer and friend Annabelle Hickson. The beauty came from the patina of our 1891 building, Virginia Creeper covered verandah, and Fowlers preserving jars and enamel vessels, including jugs, mug, sugar bowl and Turkish coffee pot, filled with roses, dahlias, sedum, and wind flowers from the Tenterfield gardens of Annabelle, and Mandy Reid from White Cottage Flower Farm. We gathered every available table, chair, and bench at our shop and created spaces for conversations on our verandah, then spilled onto our neighbour Mark Delahunt's Jenkins Street Antiques and Fine China verandah, borrowing chairs from Jenkins Street Guest House. Beauty also radiated from the warmth and openness of the 40 women, who had travelled from Moree, Gunnedah, Scone, Tamworth and surrounds, and the supportive and inspiring atmosphere created by the possibility of imagination.

Burnt butter parsnip cake

Our boys are obsessed with asking if I've added vegetables to cakes ("Does this have vegetables in it?" they ask of any cake, regardless of appearance). So when I saw this recipe for Burnt butter parsnip cake by Helen Goh, I just had to make it so I could say, "Yes" when they asked. I made this cake on an incredibly hot day for a gathering of people who were an incredible support to us during a difficult 2018. It is worth making Burnt butter parsnip cake for the reaction (expect curious facial expressions) when you tell friends it's parsnip cake, but mostly for the delicious nutty texture and intriguing, delicate flavour layers from aniseed powder, and currants, to grated parsnip and white chocolate icing. It gives me great pleasure to share Helen Goh's recipe. I hope you enjoy making (and eating) it as the weather cools off. Meanwhile, my goal of making Burnt butter parsnip cake from homegrown parsnips wanes as grasshoppers devour seedlings emerging in continuing 35C days. It will be back to the grocer. 

Joining big conversations and Waste Warriors

Making beeswax wraps by Milkwood

The universe has been pushing me to make beeswax wraps. We have a bulk supply of beeswax from years ago when a friend had a honey business at Nundle, I've had two conversations giving me how-to tips from grating, to oils to mix with the beeswax, and when 'Milkwood, Real skills for down-to-earth living' arrived it had a instructions on 'Making Beeswax Wraps' (featured on their blog this week). I have been following the Milkwood blog for years and I was thrilled when Milkwood founders Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar announced they were writing a book. I love the chapter on Wild Food, being blackberry, apple, fig, mushroom and nettle foragers. 

Reversing climate change, reducing food waste

Christmas cake with the help of friends

It was a delight to mix the dried fruit, see the cake batter coming together blending the dark brown sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and fruit. Our nine-year-old came home from school as I was mixing the batter and he gave it a stir for good luck before it was spooned into the tin. Our kitchen smelt like Christmas as the cake baked for four hours. The recipe made a high sided, dense, dark Christmas cake. Once it was cooled I followed Mickey's advice, wrapping it in baking paper, foil and a tea towel and placing it in a cupboard. I look forward to opening the cupboard door and breathing the scent of anticipation.

Flowers steal the Nundle Art Show

Salted dark chocolate layer cake

This Salted dark chocolate layer cake is for our friend KG who lives in Sydney and says that if she lived around the corner she would be on our doorstep every time I posted a cake shot on Instagram. Well, she was in the neighbourhood recently and I made this cake for dessert. The recipe is in October Country Style, 'Pure decadence', an excerpt from Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Baking. It's all about the super rich chocolate ganache with this cake. Unfortunately our daughter suffered the pain of watching me make the cake and then had to leave before it was served. However, our sons were very happy to have left overs in their school lunch boxes the next day.

Yankee Jack - The Musical, homegrown country arts

John Fryz Tamworth Country Music Festival photo essay