I woke to howling wind very early this morning and heard the faint but undeniable sound of Daniel tending to the fire. I doubt there’s a more comforting sound in winter than a trusted fire-tender making sure the wood is stacked for maximum heat and reliability. It is such a good feeling to know that when everyone rouses first thing, the house will be toasty.
The Japanese maple is now a rich red; the final turn of colour before the leaves drop and the buds form to begin a new cycle. It’s almost winter but most days my kids still go to school with bare legs which proves it doesn’t take long for children to acclimatise. I’m well and truly wearing singlets and wool and thick socks. Gloves, too.
I’m feeling the urge to cull and purge which I find easy to do because I’m not an overly sentimental person. But…I dread the day that I’ll start looking for something and quickly realise that I passed it on months ago and then I have to live with that possible regret and discomfort. I hate that feeling.
I bought chicken frames from the butcher last week and made broth over 48 hours in the slow cooker; rich, golden broth to soothe all ails and add a nutritional punch to bolognaise, cottage pie and casseroles . If I’m feeling a bit under the weather I’ll heat a cup-full on the stove and add finely sliced garlic and black pepper. It’s the epitome of nutritional medicine.
The apples in crates at our local fruit + veg store are so juicy they spray when you bite into them. I buy about 40 a week at the moment which isn’t an exaggeration. One thing that constantly surprises me about being a mother is that as your children grow, their appetites follow suit and they don’t stop increasing; they just keep eating more and more and more. And especially at the turn of the season, when everyone is a bit older and hungrier, they take big leaps and it takes me ages to catch up. I think this is partly due to the fact that I don’t want to spend any more on groceries than I already am but on the flip side I buy 10 bananas one day and the fruit bowl is empty the next. Despite bulk cooking and making sure we have plenty of pantry staples, I’m currently in the in-between where they’re eating far more than I think we need so the kitchen and my head (and budget!) is out of whack.
apple cake best served with cream, and tea
If you’re in the season of motherhood where half-eaten apples are prolific, this apple cake recipe is just what you need. Leave the butter out to soften in the sun and you’re good to go. It’s a dense cake topped with oats and sugar and best served with thick cream. Perfect with tea, good for lunchboxes, too. This recipe came via my auntie Wendy many moons ago and is a firm family favourite.
You’ll need:
125 grams butter
2 medium apples (or 4 half-eaten), peeled and grated
1 cup sugar (I use brown or raw but use what you’ve got!)
1 egg
1 + 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice (omit if you don’t have it on hand)
pinch of salt
for the topping:
25 grams melted butter + 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon
I’m very laissez-faire when it comes to recipes but this tends to work every time:
mix the butter + sugar + egg and once mixed, add grated apple.
add dry ingredients and mix well, pour into round cake tin
mix topping ingredients in a saucepan on low heat and spread evenly over cake
bake for 45 mins in a 180degree oven until golden brown
Learning to ignore the mess + quitting social media
The power of turning your back to the mess and chaos can’t be underestimated. It is, in fact, a very practical way to get work done. And I think it’s wholly necessary for mothers, especially, to teach your kids that you’re not going to tidy up before you do what you really want or need to do. This may go against everything you believe in but for me, getting words on the page is more important than tackling the relentless pile of dishes. If I spent my days cleaning the house, I wouldn’t be a writer. It’s also a really important lesson to demonstrate to my kids; my art matters, my creativity matters and putting it first is putting me first. I won’t ever make excuses for that. One of my mother’s day cards may have said: my mum writes books because it makes her money which is true, but I also write books because it settles my soul.
I’m writing this from my new desk which sits against a window at the front of the house (I was taking over the kitchen table and it was nothing short of chaotic so now I have my own space with invisible walls). I have noise-cancelling headphones that do a brilliant job of blocking out the ruckus and once my writing soundtrack is playing, I’m in my own little world. I really like it there and look forward to getting back to it when I wake each morning.
Last week’s newsletter was for paid subscribers but I’ll repeat something I mentioned there: writing this newsletter and earning money from it means I can write without any connection to paying brands. It’s a beautiful opportunity for me to write honestly and without obligation and still support my family. Thanks for being here!
I have every intention of taking a planned hiatus from socials later this year so I can focus on writing my book without distraction. It feels like a vital part of the process, especially when I’m deep into the manuscript and threading together the common themes. Whenever I read about the writing process of other authors, it inevitably contains a discussion about the pitfalls of phone use and socials; the ultimate distractors. How easy it is to pick up the phone when you can’t find the words, when you get a hint of self-doubt, when you need the encouragement of friends you’ve never met. Of course, it has its place, it’s very useful and its ability to connect us in our triumphs and worries is a wonderful thing. But it is, at is heart, the thing we reach for when we feel any level of discomfort. And more often than not, we go there and compare our real life with the highlights of others; girls’ weekends away, new clothes, perfect homes, which can quickly make you feel less than. It takes some serious mental wrangling to remind yourself that it’s not the whole story.
I know that time away from instagram allows me to focus more intently, it frees up time and it helps me appreciate the good that already exists in my life. It also helps me tune into what I really need instead of getting caught up in the noise of the many voices and videos screaming their opinion with each scroll. Time off socials allows me to live more intuitively; following my mood, energy levels, cycle and the seasons.
I really enjoyed reading Philippa Moore’s observations since she quit social media in early 2022:
“Within a week, my screen time was down a whopping 81%. And it wasn’t just time I had regained. I felt as though I had my brain back. I had the ability to focus, to think clearly and deeply. I had more energy. I was sleeping better. I felt more creative and confident. My fear of missing out had vanished.”
Other things:
I know it’s really, truly winter when I need wool tights under my dresses. I’m very happy with these FUB rib tights from Woollykins although I’m a size 12-14 and wearing a large so they’re not exactly size inclusive.
I’m now officially a bestselling author! The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth has just had its third reprint and the latest editions feature a special “no. 1 bestseller” tag. If you’re planning to conceive, currently pregnant or you know someone who is, please direct them to it. And if you fancy buying a copy or two and donating them to your local women’s shelter or family charity organisation, you’ll find it for $22 at BigW, Kmart + Target.
I’m currently dipping in an out of the Miles Franklin longlisted Limberlost, Katherine May’s Wintering and Enchantment (perfect for a reading a few pages at a time) and about 20 non-fiction books as research for my next book. I’ve also heard very good things about Emboldened (gorgeous cover!) so that’s next on my list. I must admit that I’m having a hard time finishing a whole book lately but this is common for me when I’m deep in research mode. It’s a phase I know well. I also know that in a couple of months I’ll crave the feeling of sinking into one novel at a time and I’ll save it for bed (and will subsequently look forward to reading it all day).
I was at the end of my moisturiser tub so I ordered go-to’s new very luxe face cream and it’s heavenly; perfect for my dry, sensitive, almost-4o year old skin. A small amount goes a long way, too. I wear it day and night (always followed by ultra violette queen screen 50+ sunscreen).
if, like me, you currently have a child coughing at all hours, don’t forget to cut a brown onion in half and place it beside their bed at night. It works! The winter germs are here and it really is time to prioritise good food, conscious rest and minimal stress.
Till next time, take care x
Five ways to practise simplicity this week:
use what you’ve got : celery sticks with peanut butter for a quick snack or under a roast chicken where they become deliciously caramelised. Pita breads for pizza bases. Sad vegies into soup or grated into a bolognaise sauce. Half-eaten apples for…apple cake!
sit in the sun and soak it in : think of it as an opportunity to slow down, settle and boost your vitamin D levels; the perfect winter ritual for your mental and physical wellbeing. Low VitD is really common during winter in the southern states especially and it can lead to fatigue and low mood (among other things). If it’s warm enough, expose your limbs to make the most of the sunshine.
eat dinner early : if you find that you can’t get to bed early because of dinner, clean-up and bed time shenanigans with kids, schedule dinner an hour earlier. It minimises the snack requests, makes the witching hours a tad easier and creates the opportunity for you to go to bed and make the most of the hours before midnight (the best sleep there is).
place a hot water bottle on your womb : regardless of where you are in your cycle, lying down for ten minutes with a hot water bottle on your belly is a powerful way to settle your body and slow your thoughts. Warmth and grounding is essential in winter and this practice provides both.
switch off socials one day a week : it’s just one day but it’s a necessary reminder of how distracting social media really is; it effects your mood, energy levels, productivity, mindset, ability to focus and, perhaps most importantly, the way you see yourself in the world. I take a few days a week off instagram and I’m all the better for it. Also: it’s a highlight reel and it never tells the whole story.
Sunday evenings are my absolute favourite because of these newsletters Jodi 💗
Thank you again for your words, so true! And I love that you added the family recipe, I love family classics. Would love to see more of these (from time to time) in the future!