Baking - Far More Than Getting Food on the Table! - Annie West

Do you ever find yourself attracted to simple hands-on chores in the middle of particularly busy times? Strangely, often when I feel like I don't have enough time to get everything done is when I most often want to take time out to cook. By cook, I don't mean cook a meal - that's a job that just keeps coming around. I mean cook something extra - like a sweet treat.

I've been thinking about this recently as life in the West house has been pretty full and I've found myself thinking about taking time out to cook a treat. Years ago when there were more people in the house, including children and adolescents who could vacuum up snacks in no time, I did a lot more of that sort of cooking. Now it's an irregular thing, and I've discovered that I enjoy the making almost as much as I enjoy the results!

By the way, in the interests of honesty, I have to mention that this lovely mixed grain loaf was made by Mr West, not me. He's a whizz at nice bread!

I've come to the conclusion that baking can be therapeutic. There's something relaxing and reassuring about the down to earth, simple processes of measuring, mixing, kneading and baking. I'm sure the fact it involves using your hands is part of that, just like a little time gardening can be great for clearing the head and putting worries in perspective. Or painting, woodworking, sitting at a potter's wheel, sewing or, yes, maybe even tidying cupboards!

Sometimes I find myself wanting to cook comfort food I remember from years ago. Like this chocolate ring cake with coconut, which was a staple of my mother's when I was growing up, or the raspberry muffins - the first muffin recipe I ever made and still my favourite.

At other times it just seems the time of year to cook particular treats. Like German cinnamon stars for Christmas (and they always remind me of the German friend who gave me the recipe). Actually, quite often using favourite recipes, I think cooking is an act of love and connection, not just between you and the people you're cooking for, but you and the people from your past. 

Christmas means Christmas cake, made to an old family recipe.

It also means the joy of cooking with the family. In our house the Christmas shortbread is as likely to be in the form of pigs or rabbits as stars or bells. My kids still like to help make the Christmas goodies.

Or maybe it's just an excuse to smile and celebrate that it's the weekend and life is good. What could be better than raspberry sponge cake with a glass of bubbly with someone special?

Or individual birthday cup cakes?

Often as not the urge to bake comes upon me when the weather turns cool. I love the sighs of appreciation when I take a cheese souffle out of the oven, and the feeling of achievement that yes, it DID rise! Always makes me feel competent.

Or maybe the cooking is for a visit by a special friend. Something light to have with a cuppa.

 Contrary to what you might think, I don't bake very much these days. Too busy writing books and doing other things, but when I do it feels so good. Maybe because it means I'm getting together with some special friends or family, or just because the peaceful process of putting ingredients together is a satisfying way to spend a little down time. I feel pleased that I've accomplished something and more relaxed.

How about you? Are you a baker? Do you have any go-to activities to help you unwind?

When girls go wild -- well, on holiday, anyway...

I'm just back from a girls weekend away in Queensland with two of my besties. It's the first time in a long time I can remember getting a on a plane for totally non-work reasons.

One of my dear friends moved to Queensland a year or two ago. She used to live in the next suburb over. That was quite a loss. My other friend has lived interstate for many years now, so we've adapted to the distance thing. But getting the three of us together is rare and very special.

What did we do?

Not much, to be honest.

Even my feet got to relax.

There was a lot of talking. And eating. And some drinking too: cups of tea out in the backyard under the shade of a tree with books (or Kindles), then a late afternoon gin and tonic.

It seems that in any girls' gathering I'm involved in, I somehow end up adopting the role of bartender. I don't know why that would possibly be. ;) But I perfected two new drinks this trip. One, a refreshingly icy cocktail I'm definitely going to be making more of this summer. Mix roughly the same amounts of vodka (or gin), lime juice and elderflower cordial in a glass over ice. Top up with soda water. Drink. Yum!

Lest you begin to think it was a total booze fest, I also made a wonderful non-alcoholic fruit punch.

I can't be held responsible if someone "accidentally" tipped a little
gin into it while I wasn't looking, can I?

We did do a little sight-seeing too. There was plenty of beach and sea to look at, which is always wonderful. And an amazing array of other people's homes to view and discuss and critique and lust after. There were several waterfront properties that I'd quite happily call home, should Mr Tattersalls ever decide to bless me with a jackpot.

And, being Bundaberg, we of course had to visit its most famous export.

I think I'm meant to be tickling his tummy. That's
what polar bears like, isn't it?

Can't say I've ever been a fan of the stuff, but the marketing is out of this world. There was an entire shop of stuff that has this critter on it in some shape or form.

Now, the hardest part following a week of fun like this is getting back into the swing of things! Luckily Melbourne has decided to put on some warm weather, so I'm not having too much trouble adjusting. Although my out-of-control "to do" list might tell a different story!

Relax, don't do it....!

By Barbara DeLeo

Today's the day the eight of us set off on our three month trip away. The organisation, the planning, and the logistics of taking so many people so far from home has left me in a frazzled heap. I know  I'm going to have LOTS of time to relax in the coming weeks, though, and that's one of the things I'm looking forward to the most.

In the day-to-day bustle of jobs and school and afterschool activities and hobbies and friends and families, it's often hard to find time to relax. In fact sometimes I feel as though I've forgotten how. My husband meditates every morning and he swears by the quiet time

to get himself set for the day. I've tried it, but always end up thinking of shopping lists and working out whose turn it is to clean out the fish tank....

When our kids were really young —and when things weren't going to plan—we used "time out" A LOT. Mostly it was as much for our sanity as the kids'. Having some space from each other, even it was an enforced separation, usually resulted in a change in behaviour. A moment to take a breath and recalibrate can do wonders.

A little corner of my "breathing room"

As the kids have got older "time out" has lost it's magical powers.....so we've instituted a "breathing room". It's a place where any one of us can go when we feel cross, or frustrated or just need some "breathing room" and time to relax. The rule is that when someone goes into the breathing room (really just our spare room with a few little symbols of relaxation and a nice  chair in the sun) no one is allowed to disturb them. It might be just for a minute, or five, or twenty, but it's a great place to get centred, and to RELAX. It's defused many a temper tantrum and full scale battle in its time. (Confession: I still think about who should clean the fish tank but it's such a lovely place to do it in).

So are you like me and struggle to relax, or do you have some favourite techniques. Do you take a sceneted bath? Listen to some favourite music? Read a romance?

Something old, something New...

Noumea waterfront

Winter downunder means cold temps, runny noses and a hankering for heat. Around about July I get that Northern hemisphere need for sunshine (hey- it’s July so it must be warm- right?) so we often try to escape to warmer places. This year we decided we’d indulge ourselves with a week of rest and relaxation in New Caledonia. New Caledonia is a tiny collection of islands only a three hour flight from Auckland (I think it’s one of the closest Pacific Islands to Australia and New Zealand. Whilst it has a thriving tourist industry, it’s main income comes from nickel mining.)


We asked around- no-one knew much about it, no-one had ever been there. So, obviously, we had to go! Whilst I love to revisit familiar places (we go to the same camping spot each year)- we also adore exploring new countries and cultures. I'm one of those embarrassing mothers who talks to strangers, I love to hear peoples' stories- what makes them tick. 

John the tour guide and local ladies

I’m not sure what I was expecting- but we were very pleasantly surprised by the successful mix of european/ Kanak (indigenous)influences. After a lot of quite recent (1980s-90s) unrest things have settled down politically and there was a definite feeling of harmony. Colonised by France it has a real mix of French flair and pacific laissez-faire, all with a lovely French accent and gallic shrug.  

Award winning Tjibaou centre

I had two must-dos on my list: 1) No internet (for me) for the week so I could have total relaxation and read my too-large stash of books; and 2) I wanted to see turtles. The islands are surrounded by one of the world’s largest lagoons where, so I’d read, turtles happily laze away their days.

 at the museum

Item 1 was quickly thwarted by FREE Wi-fi in the hotel! I discovered that I have absolutely no willpower. By the end of the first day I was already uploading things to facebook!

So I decided to work on item 2. Turtles. The weather at the start of our holiday was gorgeous-a lovely thick heat that thawed our bodies and fed us great hope for a fabulous holiday.  We poured over our dive/snorkel brochures and planned our boat trip for the middle of the week.

cagou birds

By Day 3, however, the weather had closed in and we had cardigans and clouds for the rest of our stay- which put a downer on the idea of going snorkelling and seeing those lovely turtles! But the cooler weather meant lots of time to explore and learn more about this special place. 

We managed to fill our days. We took a tour out into the bush and ate a fabulous lunch of organic roasted venison with papaya salad at a restaurant owned by a woman with 24 kids!! (Some are adopted.) We met lots of friendly people, visited three museums, the amazing Tjibaou centre (designed by Renzo Piano who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the new Shard in London) and great zoological gardens where we saw the cagou- the New Caledonian flightless bird. 

the turtle!

Then! We found the aquarium. Coral…yeah. Fish….check. Sharks…yeah. TURTLES! Well- turtle. I saw one. One. But it was just too gorgeous for words.

music is a common language

In the end it didn’t matter that the sun didn’t shine, we laughed and ate our way around and spent some lovely quality time with each other. Don’t be surprised if my next hero’s french, or the setting’s in New Caledonia- it certainly left an impression! [If anyone’s interested- I’m not sure I’d take the kids again- they had a great time, and would have been in heaven if they could have swam or snorkelled- but the prices for other activities/food/tours meant that we were conscious always of how expensive everything is there.]

So-what do you like to do? Stick to holidaying in the familiar or trying places a little off the beaten track?