My Christmas was pretty ordinary to be honest. We had the mother of all Griswald Christmases actually. But that is ok, we survived and are laughing about it now. The prognosis was that the family members concerned were a touch overloaded and that by the end of 2011 the work/ life balance was way out of wack.

I recently dug out my journal to show a friend and we both fell about laughing when I read out loud what I had intended for myself back in 2010. (see picture)

I genuinely intended with a 2yr old at my heels, two older children and my husband's new business to develop to:

Go to the gym three times a week.

Create a garden and 50 acres of paddocks that would cause envy among the classical Italians.

I would conquer my fear of bookwork.

Become a photographer of world renown after a brief educational trip to New Zealand.

I would find the time and the money for a weekend of indulgence at The Four Seasons with my husband.

I would provide many commissions to a rich variety of magazines that would be blown away by my natural photographic talent after one NZ photography course.

I would single handedly paint the outside of my house.

I would bask in the glory of my three children and husband at a coastal local for two weeks.

I would limit my time on Facebook to once a week weaning down to never. (This is where we really laughed)

And I would nurture my friendships by attending a girls weekend away.

Not too much to ask I thought?

So the reality for 2010.

None of the above!

Instead I did open a shop which I love in the heart of a retail meltdown, I did become obsessed with it to the point of waking up at 3am with crazy ideas then crouching over the computer till the household woke up. I did actually get to the gym but rewarded myself with cake and coffee so that kind of didn't work so well for me.

I had a rich and fulfilling year despite missing the mark on all my intentions.

But now as we start 2012 I finally feel ready and organised enough to achieve at least one of the dreams on my list. It is not an indulgence but a necessity to do so. Just one, not all!

So after much laughter at my expense, my friend and I opened a bottle of something soothing and toasted each other and our resolutions.

One of which is to update this poor neglected blog more often. And the other is to just stop every now and then and pause...

Happy New Year everyone.

We are looking forward to meeting you in the store or online via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Bendy-Street-Emporium which even has it's own little shopping facility and lots of information which is updated on a much more regular basis than this blog. We are also getting as much instore stock loaded onto this website as possible so you can get the full Bendy Street experience. Keep an eye on our FB page though for information on our instore events too.

Enjoy Kate

Fathers Day is a couple of weeks away and this year I am determined to get it right.

I have a tendency to get a little self righteous at Fathers Day as my Mothers Days in the past have been cause for great disappointment. We are still recovering from the great polar fleece jacket and scarf gift disaster after my third child was born. I lasted the morning before the tantrum hit. I had not long given birth, drug free I might add and felt that in itself deserved recognition beyond polar fleece.

The following year was equally glum but I then decided that Fathers Day would be equally so. Childish, yes but also satisfying as it fell on his birthday too. Luckily this year the Mothers Day stars aligned perfectly and we had the best day trying to catch yabbies beside the Lachlan river. So this year I am going to honour father's day with an appropriate gift and undivided attention.

Now comes the problem. What do you buy a man? Surely we can do better than socks, undies, DVD's and instant scratchies. Having said this you haven't met my husband. By far the worlds most difficult man to buy for. Here is a short history of the very thoughtful gifts I have given him that have failed to hit the mark:

Custom made leather stock whip (he is a livestock contractor nothing kinky to see here) - Not long enough.

Beautifully engraved knife - broke the tip off it using it as a screw driver within 24hours of receiving it.

Custom made oilskin and Ongaparinga wool lined dog coats for his Stud Kelpies with matching leather collars all made by our local Saddler Lyndsay Miller perfectly - liked them but weeks later I found them all in the dirt.

I ordered a Stetson hat from America then found a vintage Stetson hat box on ebay to go with it to make the ultimate statement. It was slightly snug so he set out to steam it himself. It now belongs to my son after shrinking further, hmmm.

A settlers verandah chair, again made to order. It fell apart as soon as he sat in it.

I took photos of his main Kelpies and took them to an artist to have portraits done. Didn't quite capture the likeness apparently. They now take pride of place in a dark cupboard somewhere.

I should have known. Before I even met him I was working in a clothes shop and his boss came in to buy a present for him. She said at the time, "He will no doubt return this". I said what an ungrateful sod he must be (famous last words) and sure enough in he came with the perfectly good rugby jumper that wasn't quite right for some unexplained reason.

So this year I have bought him a beautiful new briefcase/satchel. It is big, heavy and looks very manly. Maybe his receipts will find their way out of the ute and into the office for a change. This is my last stand, if I fail again he will be sent to the world of socks, undies and instant scratchies and my inner gift diva will have to be ok with that.

As far as gifts for more appreciative dads go, we have a few options here at Bendy Street.

Traditional knife sharpening stone suitable for knives, chisels, gouges, leather knives and other thin blades and cutleries used in woodworking,agriculture,gardening,stock raising and forestry.

Portable BBQ bucket by Sophie Conran for Burgon and Ball. This kit includes a portable BBQ, 0.5kg bag of charcoal, box of matches, soft-grip handled all purpose tongs and recipe booklet. Why not visit your local butcher and get him to cut you an obscenely big piece of prime steak to add to the gift and leave him to it in the back yard, bliss allround.

"Wine Journal" a companion for wine lovers by Brian St Pierre. The wine loving Dad can keep track of all his favourite tipples in this beautiful journal. We also have the authentic Laguiole waiters friend to start the wine journey. We have some great varieties made and grown here in Canowindra which would make a great partner for this gift.

The Dad who likes to cook is well looked after. We have pasta makers, potato ricers, kitchen gadgets and cookbooks and cupcakes on Fridays so he can eat while he cooks.

So I wish you luck in finding that great "Dad/Man" present. I will be spending Fathers Day either basking in the glory of finally getting it right or throwing my hands in the air and heading to the newsagents for a scratchie.

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads, we love you really.

Kate

Ok Winter, we have had a lovely time. Slow cooked meals, log fires, snuggling under doonas and lots of excuses for hot chocolates. But my friend it is time to move on.

As pretty as the frost is in the morning I am busting to see what the bulbs I planted earlier will look like and where I actually put them. With only four weeks left of Winter I am really getting ready for Spring. I am off to Melbourne next Friday to source lots of lovely new products to freshen up your home once the weather permits windows to be flung open again. I am looking at some wonderful florals, linens, candles, soaps, storage ideas, kitchen utensils and must haves. I am also going to be on the hunt for some fantastic one off vintage pieces that we can put the Bendy stamp on. We have two of these great finds in store at the moment. A pair of ottomans that I rescued and upcycled with some vintage French burlap I got in mixed with gorgeous florals and leather handles. I have some other great fabrics that I have collected along the way that are just waiting for the right piece of furniture.

With the warmer weather comes exciting in-store events. First event is the very exciting Floral Design Workshop to be held on Saturday 10th September. This will be hosted by Rachel Uys of Lavande Designs in Sydney. Here is a bit about Rachel, she is amazing...

Profile Rachel Uys - Lavande Designs

Lavande Designs is a boutique floral design company that creates lush, sophisticated floral compositions that are luxurious and undeniably chic. Floral designer and owner Rachel Uys began her career in New York City before returning to Sydney to establish Lavande Designs. Its philosophy of Stylish, Seasonal Beauty is reflective of Rachel's design style which blends elegance and modernity – using only the finest quality seasonal blooms available. During her time working at Chestnuts in the Tuileries and Studio Sweet Pea, two of New York's most distinguished floral design and event companies, Rachel designed flowers for Vera Wang, Beyonce, Anna Wintour, Kate Winslet, Mariah Carey, Martha Stewart and Renee Zellweger amongst others. Join us for a floral design workshop at Bendy Street Emporium and explore creative combinations of colour and texture to create a gorgeous spring flower arrangement for your home. Rachel will discuss the latest trends in wedding, event and party flowers and design styles. You will learn tips for dressing tables with beautiful blossoms, designing bouquets and ideas for using flowers in unexpected, yet memorable ways.

We will of course be closing the shop for this VIP event and dressing it up with lots of flowers and plenty of room for everyone to take part in this workshop. Champagne is a must and will be pink and included in the cost as well as dedicated driver friendly beveridges. We started taking bookings on Friday and as of today (Sunday) we are already half way to a full house so if you want to be a part of this fabulous day I would book early. Either email, phone or visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bendystreetemporium) to save your place.

The cost for the day is $100 which includes the following: 2 hours of tuition, an information pack, use of equipment and includes all materials. Each participant will take home a beautiful arrangement of spring blooms in a classic glass vase, which they themselves have designed under Rachel's instruction – plus many wedding trend ideas.

This will be a great girls day out.

We have also teamed up with the very clever girls from Park Life children's clothes. We will be officially launching Bendy Street as a stockist on the 22nd of October as part of the Wine Week celebrations which will include the Twilight Markets. The plan is to close off the street and allow everyone to enjoy the festive feel of a great food and craft market. We will be showcasing the Parklife Range and putting on a bit of a high tea to celebrate. We have a few pieces of their range in store and will be carrying more sizes as we get closer to October. Park Life clothes are all designed and made in Australia and celebrate classic yet functional kids styles. Beautiful florals, sturdy denims and quality trims make this perfect for any style of wardrobe.

And last but not least, some new products to share:

Floor rugs in natural and striped coirs, hall runners and large room size rugs.

Vegie crates. White timber stackable vegie or fruit crates. Perfect for keeping potatoes and onions fresh in the pantry.

Iron wall sconce. A beautiful provincial style iron wall sconce. Simply place a simple pillar candle in the glass holder and enjoy a glass of wine on the verandah by candle light.

For the upcoming racing season, designer headbands with a contemporary twist.

I have a huge shopping list for Melbourne and I will keep you posted when I get back as to what is coming to Bendy Street.

In the meantime, enjoy the last chilly days of Winter and we will see you in Spring.

Bendy Street has been a hive of activity lately. We have created a TV commercial, a Facebook page (look for Bendy Street Emporium and please oh please like us), held a coffee masterclass, introduced Cupcake Fridays, tweeted and networked and held an end of financial year sale and stocktake.

In amongst all of this I have been looking for new items to add to the already bulging shelves. I found this beautifully shiny bright red resin apple. It arrived in one piece last week and I instantly fell in love. It was put in the window to show off to the world my complete contempt for practicality when it comes to decorating the home.

I live with four others. One is six foot two, more often than not covered in dirt and not generally affected by colour, shape or mood. Rather more affected by stock numbers, horsepower and per acre yield. The other three range in size from small but powerfull with a crayon, followed by one who insists that everything must be purple finishing with awkward, messy pre-teen strange odour horder of all things small and painfull to step on. Not one of them would appreciate the value of a perfectly shiny red apple. Nor would I place it in their somewhat destructive path.

Having said that, I have planned in my head a small studio tucked away in our olive grove. It will have solar panels, a big north facing window, a water tank, small garden, pot belly stove, lanterns, polished concrete floor with rugs and salvaged furniture. My cat will lie happily in the sun while I play with the light and my camera capturing the fine art shots I plan in my head while cleaning up after the famous four. In this studio will be a home for a red apple.

So even though the idea of a bright red resin apple may seem ridiculous at the time there is always a place for art and whimsy in the home it is just about finding a place for it.

At Bendy Street at the moment you will find said red apple, paintings by local artists, tools for your garden (another place for beautiful things), cupcakes that look too good to eat, bags of freshly ground coffee, kids shoes by Mooky, inspiring books and new products arriving all the time.

Looking forward to seeing you soon and showing you the beautiful shiny red apple.

Come and escape the chill on Saturday 25th June and learn the art of a great coffee. Master roaster Adrian Capra of Art of Espresso fame will be showing us the do's and don'ts when selecting, grinding and making coffee.

Adrian has worked in the food industry for many years and provided his coffee to all the top foodies. Here is just a sample of those who love Art of Espresso:

William Inglis & Son Thoroughbred Donna Hay Fly Emirates Macquarie Bank Landcare Sony Music Jack Morton World Wide Events Delicious Magazine Sydney University CASE International Lexus Mercedes Australian Fashion Week

"He was born with espresso in his blood through his Italian heritage and the help of "Nonna" who used to top his morning cereal with espresso coffee."

As part of your afternoon at Bendy Street you will be able to take away a bag of certified organic Art of Espresso coffee. The other thing we are really excited about is the launch of our own Bendy Street Blend. Adrian is working on a coffee blend designed specifically for Bendy Street Customers which we will have available in store for you to enjoy.

To go with the coffee we are very excited to welcome Chesney and Green Cupcakes to Bendy Street. We met Gemma at a Girls Night In Fundraising Shopping night in Orange and fell in love with her amazing cupcakes. With flavours such as sticky date, almond and orange, pistacchio and rose water and the perennial favourite, chocolate mud it was evident that we needed them on a weekly basis at Bendy Street. We will be stocking mini and full size varieties from the June long weekend on available on Fridays. Gluten free available also.

For our coffee day Chesney and Green will be doing some special baking with lemon meringe varieties and cheese cake options for you to sample. We will have packs for sale too so you can take your whole experience home with you at the end of the day.

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Kate

I was hanging out the washing on Saturday...Sunday...Monday etc and muttering to myself, "I bet Kate Middleton won't have to do this ever again", then mutterings again when I was mowing the lawn, cleaning the bench, re-organising the pantry that had just been mouse, moth and hungry pre-teen proofed and picking up an endless stream of discarded clothing. I could feel the domestic bitterness and resentment rising in me to the levels of a mother of all housework tantrums.

Luckily, a delivery arrived for the store. A box full of hand made ostrich feather dusters from Germany. How on earth would that make me happy? Because, although I am not a princess (at least not in the Royal sense of the word), I can splash out on a few tools and products in store to make my chores at least slightly more enjoyable and regal.

For the endless supply of washing that seems to reproduce with the same enthusiasm as our current mouse plague, I have the following products:

French Linen Water, simply spray these delicately scented waters on your washing as you iron. The smell will at least trick your senses into believing you are in a lavender field in Provence. If that doesn't work watch a great movie set in Provence while you iron.

French washing detergent and fabric softener. I use these on my sheets and linen. Falling asleep on a pillowcase scented with orange blossom is a sweet reward for the not so romantic chore putting the washing on the line.

For getting rid of dust:

As mentioned before, beautifully handcrafted ostrich feather dusters on extra long wooden handles. I had to snaffle one for myself as over the years I have developed a severe allergy to dusting, not dust, dusting and this seems to have helped. If feathers are not your thing we also have super soft goats hair dusters in two colours. They look and feel too good to use but are so gentle on all surfaces and are easily cleaned naturally by putting them in a bag of oatmeal, give it a good shake then another shake outside to dislodge the oatmeal and they are good as new.

For the dishes:

This product has caused a bit of a stir. The lovely husbands that sometimes venture in often suffer sharp inhalations of breath when they see the price of our Durance essential oil washing up detergent. Granted, it does not stack up against Palmolive or other supermarket brands pricewise but this is how I see it. Picture this scene (I am not bitter at all), It is about 7.30pm, you have been busy all day and still managed to pull off a nutritious, tasty meal any masterchef would be proud of. All family members have been silent at the table in deep appreciation of your culinary talents. They all rise as one and make their way to the kitchen, you watch in a self satisfied glow loving your brood and thinking of the feet in the upright position on the couch and the cup of tea beside you as you recline while they tend to the dishes. However, this does not happen. Instead there is a symphony of clattering dishes all stacked on top of eachother, cutlery included so it becomes a precarious tower of muck. They all make a dash for the couch and remote and you are left with yet another pile of dishes. My remedy for this age old affliction is to go out and buy the beautiful french essential oil dishwashing detergent quietly. Fill the sink and squeeze as much as you like into the hot water and secretely smile to yourself next time you bring your husband into the store and he says..."who would pay that for dishwashing liquid?!" As the essential oils rise up and bathe you in their soothing aroma at least a small part of your evening routine is an indulgent experience.

Now that I have done a bit of dusting with my handmade german duster, washed the clothes with french washing liquid and done the dishes with detergent infused with essential oils I feel a bit closer to the Duchess of Cambridge if in name only.

To all the mothers, happy Mothers Day. We will be open on Mothers Day and would love to see you all. Enjoy breakfast in bed then make a hasty escape to Canowindra for some retail therapy and spoiling - you deserve it!

All the best Kate

I have a confession to make, beneath the Bendy Street veneer of beautiful domesticity there is a crazy woman rushing from dishevelled house to daycare to school, work and back to bombsite that is otherwise called home. The pace of life in the country as being laid back and slower than that of our city cousins is a myth. Yes, we have less traffic, but our commute is longer. With the technology available to us we work alongside our city workmates and have to meet the same deadlines and compete on the same platforms but with slower freight etc. This is not a complaint but I am leading up to why our Passata cooking school on the 27th of February was so important and so much fun.

February in Canowindra is hot, very hot and we all tend to retreat to the airconditioning. We are all busy getting back into the swing of school and work so we mean to catch up but often miss each other. I was discussing these thoughts with Caddy who had come into the shop towards the end of last year, heavily pregnant with twins. I was telling her how I would love to spend an afternoon bottling tomatoes, drinking wine and finishing off with a great pasta while being surrounded by great people all enjoying the last lazy days of summer. As it happened Caddy's partner Anthony was the man for the job. Italian by descent and winemaker by trade Anthony was the perfect teacher. Everything was in place all we had to do was get organised.

I had spent January and February backwards and forwards from Sydney at trade shows, meetings etc so was ready to hit the go slow button and wasn't sure if I had it in me to pull off a cooking school. Thankfully I am surrounded by very clever people. Anthony and Caddy had it all under control and provided me with running sheets and recipes while V in the midst of preparing for her upcoming exhibition still managed to pull off murals for the walls to create a sense of fun for the day. I have the Vespa and Leaning Tower of Pisa tacked to my office wall in memory of the day. On the day the weather was perfect and we set about transforming the shop. Pots, stoves, mixing bowls, spoons, knives, tea towels and boxes of lovely tomatoes from Gaskill Greens were all laid out. By 2.30pm everyone started to arrive and before long there was the smooth sound of Dean Martin interupted by shrieks of laughter and bubbling pots of tomatoes. This was what I needed! Laughter, mess, chaos, fresh produce and friendship. I forgot my horendous house and the endless battle with toys versus floor and dishes versus sink. I was in someone's house bottling tomatoes and I couldn't care less about the time, we were having too much fun.

After many refills of boiling water from the makeshift kitchen out the back we managed to bottle all the tomatoes. (I have had reports of exploding jars post school as a result of not quite enough time or attention paid to the task - blame the wine) We cleared the decks and lined up for a plate of the most amazing pasta made from the Passata and a glass of Windowrie Sangiovese. Perfect end to a pretty perfect day, but then the point is to be imperfect as that is where the fun is.

Here is the much anticipated recipe for the pasta sauce served on the day:

Ingredients 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. 3 Sliced garlic cloves. 1 Bay Leaf 1/4 Cup chopped parsley 2 Tablespoons dried oregano 2 Chopped chillies (optional--but highly recommended) 400grams pork rib bones (soup bones not spare ribs) 2 Beef shin (Osso Bucco) Salt and Pepper 1/2 Cup Shiraz 2 Litres Passata

1. Lightly fry off garlic and remove from pan when it begins to change colour. 2. Add remaining herbs to oil and cook over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes. 3. Add meats, salt and pepper and sear. Meat will immediately exude juices. Keep cooking and stirring frequently until the meat juices have evaporated. This should take 5 minutes. 4. Return garlic to pan. 5. Add wine and continue to cook, stirring frequently until wine evaporates. The meat should be much darker now. 6. Add Passata to cover meat and stir. Add salt to taste, general rule would be 1 teaspoon per litre of Passata. Simmer gently for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir every 15 minutes or so. Remember to stir down any sauce that will have condensed on the side of the pot just above its surface. When done the ragu will have a dark colour and thick consistency. 7. Let the sauce cool slightly, but strain out or pick our the meat while it is still warm. Check for salt and pepper by spooning a sample on a slice of crusty white bread. Add salt and pepper accordingly. 8. Serve the sauce on very hot pasta, freshly grated parmesan/basil/sliced chilli are a must. The meat can be served as a separate course with salad. The sauce will keep refrigerated for a week and can be frozen.

I would like to thank Anthony and Caddy for bringing a little bit of of Italy to Bendy Street. If you are in the district I highly recommend you pop into the Mill at Cowra to try the Windowrie Wines made by Anthony and the O'Dea family. You can visit them at www.windowrie.com.au

On the day we used some great products in store now. Moulies, paring knives, chopping boards, mixing spoons and preserving jars are all part of our ever growing kitchen department.

So if you are in need of some down time, grab some end of season produce, jars, music and friends and spend the afternoon preserving. You might even preserve your sanity.

Ciao

It is nearly the end of summer and time to bottle the last of the wonderful seasonal produce.

To do this we thought it would be a perfect time for a bit of Italian joy in store.

Luckily our district is full of wonderful producers, cooks and winemakers.

Putting this all together for us will be Anthony D'Onise (pictured), local winemaker from Windowrie Wines at Cowra. The plan for the day is to relax, get together and produce a traditional Passata that you can then use as a straight pasta sauce or take further in dishes as a base.

We only have 20 places available so we can all get the most out of the day. To finish we will enjoy a plate of fresh pasta and the fruits of our labours, and a glass of wine of course.

Book in early to avoid disappointment.

Ciao!

After a long pause over the crazy Christmas season, I am finally back up to date with the Blog.

Canowindra is enjoying a very tropical, mellow summer at the moment and we have dried out after our Christmas floods. The shop is full of sale items to make way for the new treasures I have been digging up. Our sale will last until the last week of January and there is 25% off on selected items.

February is going to be very busy. I am heading off to two trade shows to see what is what and we will be hosting two in store events.

The first will be a Tea Tasting with tea expert David Thompson of Larsen and Thompson Teas on Sunday 13th of Feb. David will be in store to give us the inside story on teas for all tastes, ranging from the classics such as English Breakfast to the more exotic chais and aromatic blends. We will be stocking a range of these teas plus the very beautiful accessories to complete your tea party.

On the last weekend of Feb we will be thinking of Rome and the rolling hills of Tuscany as we enjoy an authentic cooking class using local produce and inherited cooking techniques to make a classic tomato pasta sauce. Once we have made our sauces it will be time to sit down and enjoy the fruits of our labour with a glass of wine.

Only 20 places available and two of those have been snapped up before I had even finished organising it so be quick. Cost will be $50 inclusive and I will have more details soon. So keep that weekend free and get a group together for an afternoon of cooking, conversation and wine.

Enjoy the summer and we will see you in store soon. Our opening hours have changed as we are now open Wed - Sun or online anytime of course.

See you soon at Bendy Street Kate