Episode #5 Slow Living

After a distracted and busy summer, we’ve refocused our creative time. And the dames are back! Here’s how we live in our cloistered French way, moving seasonally and adapting to the heat to change our flow of work. 

Tamsin and Kate share our top tips for slow living, cooking from scratch, growing our own food, and how to shape our days and our lives. From not planning too far ahead, although creating a long-term vision, the essence is always faith and trust that we will arrive at a destination. Perhaps by letting go of productivity goals, we end up being more productive.

• What’s happening in our late summer gardens, what’s happening in our lives, and. of course, the cake we are eating!

• The practice of repetition of actions makes a life practice.

• Becoming open to what you are not used to is a way to experience a slower pace.

• Dropping the unnecessary habits that distract you in life.

• Time alone is the essential ingredient to maintaining your creative integrity.

• Keeping a sense of anticipation in life.

• Setting a rhythm of work based on sun cycles and the changing seasons

BOOKS

To Stand and Stare / Andrew Timothy O’Brien- observing the garden/life

Timeless Simplicity / John Lane

Tara Mohr / Playing it Big

Recipe: LEMON VERBENA CAKE

• INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons lemon Verbena dried leaves

  • 5 medium eggs

  • 75 grams (1/3 cup) softened butter or ghee

  • 100 gm Almond flour

  • 75 grams buckwheat or chestnut flour

  • 50 grams (2/3 cup) granulated sugar

  • Zest of one lemon

  • Juice of one lemon

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    
    
    DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease a  cake pan (24 x 8 centimeters (9 1/2-inch diameter with 3 1/4-inch-high sides) with butter and dust with flour or use a rubber muffin mold

  • Chop the lemon verbena leaves finely.

  • In an electric mixer, beat on medium speed the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest until a homogeneous mixture. Pour the lemon juice, chopped leaves, butter, and mix for 3 to 4 minutes until it’s nicely incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixed with the baking powder, and beat until a homogeneous and creamy mixture.

  • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes (the time depends on the oven).

  • Remove the cake from the oven and unmold it onto a plate. Let cool completely and serve. we served it with lemon verbena tea, of course!