Show notes, Series 2 Episode 1

Hello guys – we are back with a brand new series and it’s all very exciting. Especially as we have ourselves a sponsor this time around – the beautiful, beautiful Country Style magazine is supporting series two and we are so very grateful.

This episode, is JAM PACKED with good things including an interview with Country Style magazine’s editor in chief Victoria Carey, lovely Emily from Em and the Wild Things shares some tips on taking beautfiul photos and building an online community through pics, stories, hashtags and so on. And she’d know – her feed has over 35k followers and counting. We also eat brownies and share the recipe, bring you some fabulous top 5 recommendations and guess what – we also recorded the whole thing ‘on location’ at the Groundstone Cafe here in Orange.

Our new partnership with Country Style magazine really did seem like just the perfect fit, we love everything about this beautiful magazine, in fact many of our series 1 guests are regular contributors to its pages (you can go back and listen or re-listen to all of them chat with us over on i-tunes) and so we couldn’t be happier to announce this new collaboration. Over the next eight episodes we will meet and talk more with and about Country Style magazine’s writers, contributors and stories starting with tonight’s first interview with editor-in-chief Victoria Carey, pictured below.

We were so very lucky to have the use of new Orange cafe The Groundstone to record this episode – and to indulge in the beautiful mountain of Chocolate brownies the kitchen team made for this event. Thank you guys – we can all attest to how delicious they are and so appreciate now having the recipe!

The Groundstone’s chocolate brownies

125g butter
125g dark chocolate
3 eggs
115g plain flour
335g castor sugar
Pinch salt
30g cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 160 (fan forced) and grease and line a leamington tray. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl over simmering water. Remove and let cool for a few minutes, then add the eggs to the chocolate mixture, one at a time, stirring  between each addition. Fold chocolate mix into flour mix and stir until smooth then transfer to the baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until just cooked.

Em and the Wild things Interview

Emily Ellis, pictured with us above, is a Molong-based photographer and Instagram queen. We just love her take on the world around her and her stories of being a country Mum. She shares her tips on becoming a featured Instagram user, her favourite hashtags and just lots of good thoughts, ideas and tips. Thank you Emily!

Emily Ellis’ favourite hashtags;
#grass_stalkers
#WHP (from Instagram)
@rural_love (curated by Em herself)
@itsmyweek
#lovelydeadcrap

Sophie’s Top 5

1. Flow magazine
A magazine that takes its time! I love the magazine, a magazine that takes its time its about mindfulness, creativity, community, beautiful and imperfect things. And I love the Daily Moments app that sends you beautiful little images, ideas and thoughts every day and the paper book full of illustrations, patters, cards and little craft projects that Alice and I both jostle for.

2. If this then that app
Basically a little hub of ‘ap-lets’ collected into one app that let you automate various things on your phone. So for example the reason I use this most is because I like the way it lets you share instagram posts to Twitter in a far more seamless way. Also though, it helps you store receipts, you can set it up so everytime you take a screenshot you it will save them into a particular folder.

3. A playful day podcast and website
A really lovely podcast driven by creativity, fashion and family. Love what its creator Kate does and stands for. Check it out guys!

4. #yellowisitmeyourlookingfor
Yellow is my favourite colour so of course I love this cute little hashtag.

5. Me and Orla on Pinterest – or everywhere really!
This blogger and Instagram queen’s pinterest page is such a wealth of amazing resources, especially her blogging and Instagram advice pinterest boards. Be warned – you just need a spare couple of hours to dive in to this one because there is LOTS THERE.

Skye’s Top 5

1. On the recommendation of the fabulous Luisa Brimble, I am obsessively making my way through the podcast series After the Jump, by Grace Bonney. It’s as much an education as it is an inspiration. Tips for business, blogging and writing, content management, social media, looking after yourself and an interesting reflection on changes within the world of blogging and social media in the last two years.

2. Another independent publication from the bush is about to come out and I am so excited about Far West Living. A lifestyle blog turned mag put together by Ellie Russell, who’s a graphic designer from Cobar in western New South Wales, and grew up on a station at Tilpa in the far west of the state. It genuinely excites me that there is another publication coming out in this space. By the way, if you our lovely listeners know want to alert us to any other independent publications that are about to hit the shelves then please do, the space keeps growing and it greatly excites me – because it’s opening up rural life in Australia, in a way that has been a long time coming. Well done!

3. One_fat_emu, a moody account on Instagram. Full of pictures that find the beauty in our surrounds, twigs and window sills, garlands and ropes, florals and weeds – alive or dead.

4. Me and Orla by Sara Tasker. I am in love! A blog, IG feed and IG events and workshops creator based in the United Kingdom countryside. I spent a good many hours, discovering her website recently and her courses, even if you don’t end up doing them, are inspiring enough in themselves. It’s on the bucket list for sure. If you want to learn more about this inspiring lady here is a podcast profile done with Kat Molesworth of Blogtacular. 

5. A pencil a day on Instagram. Humorous yet genius! Small canvas oil paintings of a lead pencil in a different form auctioned off on Instagram each day of the year. A #365project. Definitely gave me a why didn’t I think of that kinda feeling.

Listener Top 5 

Natasha Morgan’s name has been mentioned many times since our call out for listerner top fives and yes I agree with you guys – we need to get this amazing lady on the podcast stat! Watch this space.

A Garden in the Valley nominated Natasha Morgan and Wooldays’ Megan Elizabeth – both such beautiful and unique storytellers.

Girragirra’s favourite thing right now is picking asparagus, broad beans and sugar snaps from her garden and sharing them with the family or guests to their stunning B&B.

The Life of a Food Teacher – Lulu wrote her top five right now are eating mangoes in salads, baking with gifted duck eggs, See Saw wines Prosecco (our neighbours!), harvesting Spring goodness from her new vegetable garden, her current book the Little Coffee shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriquez and listening ot old school blues and roots.

Fiona from Fresh Fodder is happy about warmer days and finally throwing open the doors and windows.

Anne of @balmoralparkgarden is loving cooking with all the spring produce from her farm and garden – fresh ricotta, labne from their goats milk, broad beans, asparagus, spinach and mulburrys. Best spring yet on their farm she says

Nik on IG nominated the beautiful book Wholefood from the Ground Up by Jude Blereau and Belinda Jeffries new salad book,

A Foragers Heart says we should all check out the Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown and Bruny Island Cheeses. also Heather Champ on Instagram and her herd of tarot card picking goats – sounds intriguing!

Thank you so much to everyone who came along and listened to this podcast – and thank YOU so much for your support. We hope you enjoy this episode and as always, finish it off with a beautiful song. This one is Song No.6 by Linda Manwarring at Rolling Wheel Studios.