This August in our Village

Time to pause and reflect

HELLO! I am so glad that you are here. How are you doing? I’m not sure how you’re feeling, but I can’t believe we’re over halfway through the year! It’s all happening a little bit too fast for my liking! I also feel now is a good time to take a little time to pause, reflect, and map out the next few months ahead.   Acknowledging and celebrating all that has occurred along the way is also important, as I sometimes find that we forget how much we actually do and achieve on a day-to-day basis. Do you find that you can be a bit self-critical and think you’re not doing enough? Or is it just me? A reality check is sometimes all that we need to remind and keep us positive and buoyant. I like to journal in the morning, this helps especially if my mind is getting too busy. The act of picking up my pencil, and journal and writing down the things I’m grateful for truly does help quieten the chatter and remind me to keep striving for those big goals. Read my recent experience here. We have just finished a very productive ‘behind the scenes’ month for Villagio - planning and conducting lifestyle and food photo shoots in Sydney and Melbourne and doing lots of filming for the new recipes that I hope will delight you in the months ahead. I can’t wait to share them with you. I certainly do like to be organised and have a plan to be executed! It’s satisfying. I also love surrounding myself with incredibly talented professionals (and flowers - like the ones above or my orchids at home!). It keeps me connected, grounded, focused and moving forward. We should always surround ourselves with people who inspire and motivate us.  Working solo all the time is too lonely and more difficult. For me, collaboration allows me to successfully juggle my portfolio of chosen interests surrounding life and professional endeavours including my family, friends, hobbies, Villagio and executive advisory and coaching work in the corporate arena. There is never a dull moment. Of course, things don’t always go smoothly all the time (the ups and downs are part of life — I’m sure you can relate). And I know that looking after myself is so important to continuing to do what I do. I look forward to sharing more of the work I do in my advisory and coaching work for women in future monthly issues. I hope you enjoy reading This August in our Village and have a wonderful month ahead. Stay well and very warm, This month in our Village Learning to say no to opportunities can be hard but sometimes is so important. I share my words of wisdom through a coaching meeting I had with a very tired and overwhelmed successful professional woman. I love keeping a collection of beautiful blank gift cards in my cupboard ready for those impromptu gifts. Read my story here. If there is one kitchen accessory that I use multiple times a day, it would be my trusted funnel. Read why here. My dear friend Nicola shared with me her easy Chinese chicken recipe on one of our weekly walks as I was running out of dinner inspiration. Get Nicola’s recipe. Follow Villagio’s Instagram for weekly inspiration on how to build your village. This month we are cooking Osso Buco Osso Buco is one of the Italian great cuts of meat! So delicious, hearty and meltingly tender. My slow cooked Osso Buco in sugo di pomodoro served alongside fettuccine and topped with pecorino cheese is a meal in one and tastes even better the next day. Reserving some of this luxurious meat to serve with a crispy green salad makes your investment go much further providing an extra meal reserved for another day. Get the recipe and watch me make it. Growing up as a child, Nonna’s Sicilian Calzone (see photo at the end of our newsletter) was always my absolute favourite dish. Watch my mum and I make this dish together - the competitive banter between us is quite funny! Get the recipe and watch Nonna and I cook together. Eat like an Italian and make crispy fried pasta. This is food for the soul. Get the recipe and watch me make it. This month we are reading “A House in Sicily”   The memoir, A House in Sicily, written by Englishwoman Daphne Phelps, begins in 1947 when at 34 years old Daphne arrives in Taormina to sell the ‘most beautiful house in Sicily’ which she had unexpectedly inherited. Daphne fell so in love with the house and way of life in Sicily that she decided to save Casa Cuseni from demolition and make it her home and a wondrous place to stay for artists and travellers visiting from all over Europe to write, paint or rest. Get the book or watch a video to see this wonderful place with the most breathtaking views of Sicily. Visit the Casa Cuseni website and book your stay. A must for your bucket list! This month we remember Giuseppe Acciarito Vale to my Godfather Giuseppe Acciarito.  He was born in Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy on October 5th, 1931. Known fondly as a quiet, humble man with a charming smile. When I was a little girl, he would hold my hand and walk me to the local milk bar to buy my favourite chocolate bar - a Kit Kat. As I grew older, I would watch him slowly sip espresso coffee with his adoring wife Maria and tend to his abundant vegetable garden in his backyard. He would make a delicious tomato salad and serve it with fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices - it was so good and you could taste his love in this dish. The magnificent red rose bush in his garden is a gift that keeps on giving. He will be missed.