Recently somebody asked me what I do for fun and I drew a blank. Seriously.
Not that long ago I could have answered that question pretty easily - hiking, photo taking, gardening, reading, taking a bath, road tripping, cooking. But running a business is all-consuming and I've found myself stuck on a cycle of eat (sometimes), sleep (not enough), work (like a dog), and repeat.
My introduction to essential oils was a practical one. I was about to open The Sweet Meadow in 2016 and was looking for a healthier peppermint flavouring to make our peppermint slice (if you're in the cake decorating aisle at the supermarket, have a look at the ingredients list in the 'peppermint essence'- it's alarming!).
I'd been admiring the work of former Echuca local Beth Morrison for a long time. I thought our first birthday would be the perfect time to approach Beth to create a short film for The Sweet Meadow.
A long time ago I was given the book “Starting A Restaurant For Dummies” (I’m sure there was no pun intended). One of the opening lines in the book is this: “This isn’t a venture for the faint of heart. If you want to own a restaurant to have a place to hang out with your friends and get free drinks, we say pay the bar bill and avoid the hassles.”
Orange and chocolate are a classic match (hello, Jaffas!), and this granola recipe delivers on both counts.
David LaChapelle was on to something. After a crazy busy and intense 18 months renovating/opening/running The Sweet Meadow I finally allowed myself (because let's be honest, no one else was stopping me) a few days off for a mini winter break. And it was glorious!
