All Good Things Issue 18
Skincare Routines + Mulberries In Our Garden + Pecan Maple Banana Bread + Mulberry Bramble Cocktail
Good Morning ...
Can't believe that I started last Sunday's newsletter by gushing over the beautiful sunny 28°C almost-summer like weather in Sydney and here we are. A week later, with gentle snow in parts of NSW and me rugged up in a jumper writing my letter to you as I watch rain drizzle outside my window. I thought that only happened in Melbourne!
So, what do you do when it is too wet to lay on the grass that you freshly mowed in the garden or to have a picnic with all the fabulous cakes and salads you made? You bring the relaxation and self-care indoors and involve your whole family!
In recent months, I have slowly built up my arsenal of Sodashi products. If you haven't heard of them, they are a local Australian skincare/wellness brand founded on the base of aromatherapy, biochemistry and Ayurveda with a strong focus on clean living and environmental care. Sodashi products are exclusively stocked at some of the world's top luxury spas and resorts like Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, Qualia Hamilton Island, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London, Four Seasons Kyoto and Four Seasons Maldives. They are made with the best natural botanicals, mineral clays and cold-pressed oils and I can say that they have been a revelation.Â
All my life, I have used nothing more than good moisturizers and lipsticks (I use the natural Antipodes brand for my lip). Occasionally when going out or when entertaining, I use a tinted moisturizer. But that is it. If you can believe it, on my wedding day; a good moisturizer, lipstick and eyeliner were the only three items I used. As I get older, I want to get to a point where I don't feel the need to use the tinted moisturizer at all. Sodashi has managed to do that for me in just two months.Â
Circling back to that family self-care time I was talking about, I was blown away by Sodashi's Deep Conditioning Hair & Scalp Mud. You dampen your hair and work this mud through it, massaging the scalp and coating all of your hair with it. It looks and feels like a thick moisturizer cream. You then wet and squeeze a thin towel and pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes. You then carefully wrap this hot towel around your head and let it do its magic. I usually sit with a good book and a nice herbal tea and it feels like the weight of the world lifts from my shoulders. I then shower and rinse it off. My hair feels like silk after.
And so I did this same treatment for all my boys and they absolutely loved it. They love pampering (I often give them head and back massages with essential oils) and the hot towel treatment trumps everything else. My oldest is now in Year 12 and finding different relaxation techniques for him has been not only great for his mental wellbeing but an excellent bonding exercise for us. I also get them to do the hot towel Face Drop Treatment and they love that too. With a focus on deep breathing, it is like being in a spa but at home.
This week my kitchen was bright and cheery with sunflowers I bought online, more homegrown lemons and Mel's beautiful handmade vases. I am loving white, classical, sculptural pieces (like the Grecian white vintage double-armed vase in the first picture) and have discovered an Australian source of the most beautiful sculptural candles based on ancient mythology.
In the garden, the mulberry trees have gone nuts and we are having a gala time stuffing our faces and staining our hands crimson with all the sweet juicy fruit. My parrot friend continues to visit the Robinia tree and feast on the white blossoms. More pink blossoms and lavenders are lining the beds surrounding our lawn and it looks beautiful. One of my David Austen roses bloomed in all its spectacular glory and fragrance, oh how I wish you could've smelled the sweet heady scent of this stunning rose! (Don't know if I have shared this fact before but if I see a rose, I HAVE to smell it. I HAVE to stick my face in it and breathe in. It is perhaps a habit formed as a child in the huge rose gardens of my childhood home. We had about 50 varieties of rose bushes and for the first six years of my life before my brother was born, I would explore the grounds all on my own and the rose garden next to the mulberry cathedral was my favourite place to be).
And finally a throwback to the Spring Food & Photography Workshop that I hosted in my home and garden six years ago, where we all had a beautiful al fresco lunch of Nacho bowls and beautiful layer cakes.
It is amazing how we need to be reminded of small things to do for our physical and mental health. There aren't hard to do, but because we are bogged down by so much stuff (both tangible and conceptual) that we often forget to do them. When I find a piece of information that is profound and valuable, I file it in one place so I can access it whenever I need to. I also have a daily Manifesto, a mantra that I repeat to myself. It could be as simple as remembering to drink water throughout the day or to have a hot shower. But by telling myself that and being mindful of it, I remember to do it and it becomes a slow, steady, daily habit. This in turn has started making really positive changes in my physical and mental health. Â
Food For Thought »
" Now that the weather has warmed up generally, I end my showers with a blast of cold water. I only do 30 seconds max because that is all I can handle (I worked my way up from 5-10 seconds). But it is absolutely invigorating and electrifying. Did you know that cold water blasts wake you up, increase blood circulation, relieve aching and sore muscles, calm itchy skin and amazingly make your hair and skin glow with vitality?? You don't need to do a lot. Just 10-20 seconds after a hot shower maybe 3-4 times a week. It is pure magic in how energized and stress-free you feel!
Today »
I will remember to drink more water. I will watch how I am breathing and take long slow breaths every chance I get. I will read for 30 minutes and take a long 5km walk.
PECAN MAPLE BANANA BREAD
Pecan and Maple have to be one of the world’s best flavour combinations. And now it is in Banana Bread Form! This healthier, baked-with-spelt and very low unrefined natural sugar Pecan Maple Banana Bread rises high like the cafe versions and tastes amazing toasted!
A Healthier Banana Bread With A Beautiful Texture And Flavour Combination
I call this my Fool-Proof Banana Bread. If you look at my recipe notes, you will see that you can substitute a whole range of ingredients depending on what you have at hand. If you use baking soda, the exact quantities and temperatures given in the recipe; you are guaranteed to have perfect banana bread every single time.
I always end up using walnuts in my banana bread but ever since Esther (my lovely friend who lives down my street) started dropping off the occasional warm banana bread, freshly baked and studded with pecans at my doorstep, I decided to give pecans a go in my bread too. The Pecan and maple syrup combination has been a favourite of mine for decades and something I incorporate quite a lot in my granola, muffin and breakfast recipes. And it worked like a dream in a banana bread recipe. For this recipe, I use spelt flour, organic maple syrup, rice bran oil and beautiful local pecans grown on Hickson Farms by Annabelle Hickson and her husband.
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Baking A Banana Bread That Rises Like Cafe Versions
As someone who loves to cook and bake, you must’ve baked a thousand versions of banana bread over the years. It is one of the most basic and simple baking recipes and is made in millions of kitchens every single day. In fact, during the first set of worldwide lockdowns at the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2020, banana bread was not only the most googled recipe but also the most baked treat of the year.
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The secret to baking a banana bread that rises well and has a high top is bicarbonate of soda. Baking soda and not baking powder is what will make your banana bread light, fluffy, airy with a perfectly risen top. Even if you use denser flours like spelt and wholemeal, bicarb of soda will make sure your bread rises well.
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How To Get Rid Of The Metallic Baking Soda Taste In Banana Bread
But bicarbonate of soda comes with one problem. It is the metallic and slightly salty aftertaste you get when you are eating something baked with baking soda. With bread
An Italian Carrot Cake. What makes it different? The Mascarpone Icing of course!
The prettiest Spring Frittata With Asparagus & Tomato.
Spicy Chickpeas With Tomato & Kale.
Burrata With Warm Tomatoes & Olive. Get a good, crusty sourdough to scoop it up and Bob's your uncle! (And if you don't know what that means, that's your literary homework for today)
Harissa Crushed Carrots With Black Barley, Preserved Lemon & Yoghurt! This has Chef Tom Watson written all over it.
You must make Fermented Chilli! I live off this stuff. Its good for the good and just lifts up everything you add it to.
A Beetroot Feta And Thyme Tart. Cut into squares. Take it everywhere.
Caraway Seed Pound Cake! Looks solid, like a good pound cake. Goes well with Madeira, they say!
Today, I'd like to share some Australian brands that are full of colour and joy (big emphasis on joy and even bigger emphasis on Colour!) and ones that I shop from and wholeheartedly support. Great sources to bookmark if you want to start sorting out your Christmas shopping early.
Castle & Things
Sage & Clare
Gorman
Kip & Co
Greenhouse
Jumbled
I have recently been introduced to Outland Denim, an Australian business that started about a decade ago with one mission - to provide jobs/life opportunities to victims of sexual abuse. Along the way, they have worked issues of empowerment, sustainability, dignity and freedom into their ethos and their story is inspiring. They also make darned good jeans and denim products. Another good local business to support!
Newsletter I have subscribed to recently - Emiko Davies on Substack | Food Finds & Forays By Sally Frawley.
In my solo watching time, I have started The Chair on Netflix. Starring Sandra Oh as the first young, POC Chair of a failing English Department; it has been interesting and funny so far.
With Nick, I am watching Only Murders In The Building, a muted comedy true-crime parody starring an oddball but stellar cast of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
And with that, I sign off and wish you a good one! Until Next Weekend :)
Fresh Mulberry Bramble
6Â fresh mulberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup crushed ice
30ml (1 oz) lemon juice
45Â ml (1.5 oz) gin
Place mulberries in an old-fashioned glass (short tumbler). Crush them gently with a muddler. Add maple syrup.
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Top with crushed ice. Pour lemon juice and gin. Stir to mix well. Serve with a cocktail spoon.
If you don't have fresh mulberries, any seasonal berries will work in this recipe.Â
I have limited copies of my cookbook Tasty Express - a labour of love filled with over 100 of our family's most tried and tested and exciting 30-minute recipes inspired by street foods of the world. Mostly Vegetarian recipes that go from breakfast to quick dinners in a heartbeat. They make great gifts for you or a friend!