As we all know life changes and you need to move on. So… We are moving on, and hopefully slowing down, as we set about enjoying a new lifestyle in the country. We recently “sold-up” and left the city. We had no idea as to where we were going to live, and as such, spent several months scouring the internet and travelling throughout Victoria, in search of our new home. So here we are, slowly settling into our beautiful new home in the country town of Maffra, located in Central Gippsland..

I was very lucky to be brought up in the country. We ate what was in season and preserved the excess. While it was mostly the women who did the cooking, given that they were at home all day, it was not uncommon to see my father working just as hard in the kitchen when time permitted during the summer!

When I was young, food did not come in cans or cartons, and the only purchased frozen food was icecream which was a huge treat. All meals, soups, cakes, biscuits, desserts etc. were home cooked, and when we did finally get a freezer, the food that went into it was home grown or home cooked – it wasn’t bought from a supermarket freezer!

It is with these memories, that I aim to, as best I can, travel a similar path. If we can’t grow it, then I hope to be able to purchase it from the “farm gate”. We plan to grow as much as we can, once our vegetable garden is in place and our fruit trees are planted and established. Any seasonal excess will be preserved, and/or shared with family and friends. The pantry will be well stocked, as will the freezer.

One of the problems with preserving is that you either keep the produce for a special occasion and never use it, or you actually don’t know what to do with the produce once it has been squirreled away! I want to show you how to use your produce, whether it is fresh or preserved, to create beautiful food for yourself, your family and friends.

While I have a great deal of knowledge gleaned from my childhood, time with friends both in Australia and France, and travel to other cultures, I am always learning something new, which is something that really excites me, and I love to try this new knowledge out in the kitchen, wherever that kitchen may be!

I hope that you enjoy our journey and get to try some of the recipes and ideas that I share with you along the way.

Oh! Who / what is SBA?  She is a “Slightly Bent Aunt” a title earned when helping someone, who was very dear to me, during difficult times…

Also this SBA suffers Coeliac disease, so a great number of the recipes I share will be gluten free, but as I have been told, don’t taste gluten free!