friday links

Loquats are bursting forth from trees all around my neighbourhood. Pete has named them bush lollies enticing River and Sol with them for breakfast each morning. Not that they need much enticing, this fruit is so sweet and drip with sticky juice as we munch into them to start the day.

Here is the Friday list of books, blogs and stories that have caught my eye this week:

Some people either have more hours in their day, never sleep or are just supremely efficient, Melbourne chef, restauranteur and author Shannon Bennett is one of those people. Shannon has just released his fifth book, 28 days in Provence. Shannon took his wife and three children to stay in a farmhouse in Provence for a month with the mission to eat only non-processed food from local producers. Mission accomplished and another beautiful book produced. Just like that. Journalist Jane Holroyd writes in her review of this book, "...Bennett explains that the trip was inspired partly by a desire to save his children ''from the capitalist manipulation of food for profit''. He says he would become irritated by the year-round availability of produce in Melbourne. ''Even my parents were giving the kids strawberries from the Vic Market in July. Someone from Provence would never ever eat strawberries in winter. Why would you?'' Love your work Shannon!

And while we're talking cookbooks, Kris Carr's latest book Crazy Sexy Kitchen is on my wishlist too.

More on the French theme...if you love a produce market live vicariously through Michelle Shoeps, an Aussie food lover who blogs about eating organic ...Michelle was recently in Paris and snapped up these swoon worthy market images.

Thanks Luna for leaving your comments this week and leading me to the following two links...

This is such a beautiful life story of a man called Stamitis Moraitis, his veggie garden and new found health and vitality. It is worth clicking here just for the delightful photo of 96 year old Moratai.

All you crafty mamas who are sewing for Christmas consider stitching a toy and sending it along to Softies for Mirabel this is a cause close to my heart as I had the pleasure of working and volunteering with the formidable Mirabel team many years ago.

Well that is a bit of a mixed bag of things to read.
Life is rich. Enjoy how you spend it :)
Happy weekending x