by Mara | Sep 5, 2025 | Harvests, In the Garden, In the kitchen
I love teaching so very much and I love teaching soap making & essential oil distillation. Soap making is a fascinating alchemy. A simple one, with only three ingredients needed: water, caustic soda, oil/fat. Caustic soda sounds very frightening, but it once...
by Mara | Aug 1, 2025 | Our home building journey
Come and stay with us, our cottage is gorgeous and I thrive on your visits and our property is trees, and birds and berries and wonder. My love (Ralf) built the ORTO cottage with straw and wood, lime and rich chocolate soil. We were so so so excited when we started...
by Mara | Apr 7, 2025 | Baking, In the kitchen
Winter arrives so suddenly, skips autumn, and throws us deeply into darker days. I welcome winter, the cold and the wind, but not the darkness. I welcome rain if only it too would arrive. (Photo shows Our Sourdough Bread Class: eating together as we wait for the bulk...
by Mara | Jan 3, 2025 | Gardeners & Farmers, In the Garden, In the kitchen, Preserving
The best gift is your listening, your attentive active listening. Your inquisitive questions, not rushing to interrupt. Your present presence, your engagement and your thoughtful gentle affirmations of what is being shared. The Best Gift – Holly, effervescent...
by Mara | Sep 2, 2024 | Design, Fauna & Flora, In the Garden
This article was first published in The Diggers Club Magazine I truly, deeply love my garden. I love it as much as I love people and that’s because gardens are powerful healers and essential to our wellbeing. In their absence urban & rural towns become...
