This November in our Village

1 Nov

Written By Silvia Regos

Moment captured by the talented Sally Frawley at Silvia’s home

HELLO!

I am so glad that you are here. How are you doing? The pace is beginning to pick up a little now with the festive season knocking on our door. Can you feel it yet? I can. Read my thoughts on staying balanced during this time.

I have been knee deep in preparing for my first public performance with my ukelele group at the 155th Agricultural Show in Kingston, Victoria in late November. Nerissa, our ukulele community convener, entered our group with the intention of scaring the living daylights out of us all so we had something to keep us motivated and learning in the second half of this year. Well it worked! I have been strumming and singing the chosen songs almost daily. This first public performance is very ‘low key’ (which is just perfect) as there will be more sheep, horses and working dogs roaming around than people to entertain!

On the home front I have been making a couple of fruit cakes for gift giving and have tried Belinda Jeffrey’’s Last Minute Christmas Cake (even though it’s definitely not last minute). And, you will be pleased to know that my weeds are finally under control (for now) and my roses are abundant and smelling incredible. My ornamental vine leaves are about to go wild and I will be in search of some recipe ideas for using these too!

Professionally, it will be a busy end to the year. My work in the business world as an Executive Advisor, Coach, Facilitator and Professional Speaker aims to empower senior leaders to elevate business and leadership performance whilst designing a career and life that is fulfilling, sustainable and connected. Please take a moment to have a look at what I do as part of my professional portfolio of work and follow me on LinkedIn to receive my thought leadership series which is launching next week.

I do hope you enjoy reading This November in our Village. Stay balanced and feeling incredibly wonderful.

This month our cookbook club book is Ela! Ela!’

Photo by Sophie Hansen at the iconic

Woollahra Bookshop in Sydney.

Last month’s cookbook club zoom chat discussing Stephanie Alexander’s Cooks Companion was wonderful. Thank you to the women from all over Australia who joined us including Rosanna from Rome in Italy.

Ela! Ela! written by cook and food writer Ella Mittas is a wonderful collection of homestyle recipes and heartfelt stories inspired by Ella’s time working in a village in the mountains of Crete and the hot, loud streets of Istanbul. This book represents a journey of food, culture and belonging.

Join us as we jump into the Villagio Community Forum to share what we love about this cookbook, recipes we’ve enjoyed cooking and how we may have adapted them to suit our season, tastes and family.

Our November live Cookbook Club Zoom chat is scheduled for Wednesday 13th November at 8pm AEST. Click on this Zoom link five minutes before we go live.

Please join our Villagio Community Forum here. We would love to welcome you.

This month in our Village

Memories taken at a farmhouse in Vizzini, Sicily with Silvia’s friends.

Do you need more or less in life? I do wonder sometimes what more we need. Read my thoughts.

Designing your own happiness program is an essential part of feeling well. One size does not fit all though. Read my thoughts.

There is just something really handy about having beautiful wrapping paper at home ready to adorn a gift. I love the B otanicals Wrapping Paper Book designed by Edith Rewa.

I adore old fashioned tins. See my favourite one and read my thoughts.

I started feeding my indoor plants and was amazed by the results. See what I used.

Follow Villagio’s Instagram for weekly inspiration on how to build your village.

This month we are cooking Almond Biscotti

Photo: Sally Frawley

These delicate almond biscotti are inspired by my personal voyage to the Sicilian hilltop town of Erice and are delicious served with an espresso. Get the recipe and watch me make it.

I was gifted a bundt tin a while ago and no matter how hard I tried to make sure that the cake didn’t stick to the tin, I always had trouble. So here is the perfect bundt paste recipe! It works every time. Get the recipe.

I love parmigiano or pecorino cheese and use it often in my cooking. A good tip is to grate it fresh and then pop it in a jar and store it in the fridge. Watch me do this.

This month we we are reading “Spring in Sicily”

Spring in Sicily published by food and travel writer Manuela Darling-Gansser and lavishly illustrated through the incredible photography of Simon Griffiths is a book that I have had in my collection for a very long time.

Manuela and Simon explore the island of Sicily in springtime with recipes from the very best of Sicilian cuisine whilst painting beautiful memories of their journey.

Manuela Darling-Gansser is a keen traveller, passionate cook and talented writer of food and travel. Follow Manuela on instagram and visit her bookshop for an enviable collection of food and travel cookbooks (yes, I have them all!).

This month we we are meeting my friend Merilyn Hill

Portrait captured at Heronswood Garden & Nursery Cafe in Victoria.

I have a beautiful friend in my inner circle of women called Merilyn. I met her over 20 years ago when I ‘caught her’ lugging our rubbish bins down the driveway for rubbish collection day coming home from work one day. I never knew who did that for us. What a weekly gift!

This friendship began with cups of tea, snacks and conversation at each other's houses, supportive gestures of kindness and deliveries of leftover goodies when I was running my cooking school.

Now that Merilyn has moved out of the neighbourhood, our weekly phone calls are an anchor for me and our in person catch ups are very special (and not as often as just walking across the road!). Hear more stories and see more photos of Merilyn here.

Photo: Sally Frawley

Silvia Regos https://villagio.au

Almond Biscotti

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