Annie's Farmhouse Kitchen is a window on the world of acclaimed Australian chef Annie Smithers. A handsome, gifty package, it includes a best-of selection of three and four-course menus collected by Annie over the first three years of her restaurant, du Fermier, in Trentham, Central Victoria. Annie's food is classic French-Provincial, presented with a distinct pared back, accessible aesthetic, and determined very much by whatever is thriving in her rambling home vegetable garden. As well as the menus, Annie includes timelines that talk the reader through the process of recreating her feasts. Annie's distinct voice features throughout – both guiding readers with advice about getting the best results from her recipes, and via occasional entertaining vignettes that tell the story of the daily challenges and victories inevitably associated with running a successful small restaurant in a country town – solo.

Recipe for a Kinder Life is like getting a big hug from your nanna. It's wholesome, comforting and nourishing. Our yearning to rekindle a deeper connection with the land and each other is stronger now than ever. Where to start the journey lies within these pages.' Indira Naidoo 'The anti-celebrity chef Annie Smithers brings a cook's palate, a grower's heart and a poet's soul to bear in the moving, practical, inspiring story of her life. It's the how-to (and how-to-not!) book I wish I'd read before starting my own kitchen garden, complete with hothouse tips, philosophy and all the recipes you may ever need.' Matthew Evans 'This is a deeply honest and personal story of a love of the land and food. Annie takes us, warts and all, on her sustainable journey of cultivation and cooking. Her respect for the land is evident by the barrowload.' Paul Bangay OAM In this generous account of life on the land and in the kitchen, trailblazing cook Annie Smithers chronicles her quest for a more sustainable existence, in harmony with the environment and the self. Part meditation, part memoir, the book offers practical advice and wisdom gleaned from a life dedicated to seasonal food and living lightly on the ground beneath her feet. Annie's story spans thirty years of productive gardens and kitchens across country Victoria. Now settled on a plot of land in Lyonville, which she farms for her family and her restaurant, du Fermier, she shares her hard-won lessons: setting up du Fermier, the gardens and the buildings on the farm; working with the weather, water and resident animals; and seeking the emotional stability so often elusive amid the crushing pressures of the restaurant industry. Recipes that celebrate the harvested produce and local environs accompany each step of the journey. Recipe for a Kinder Life offers a guiding hand for anyone, from the city to the regions, who yearns to live more gently. It is about caring for land and reaping the bounty. But at its heart, it reveals that the key to living a sustainable life is finding the best way to sustain yourself.

Everyone loves to crochet Mandalas! These stunning afghans are works of art and are sure to take center stage no matter you display them. Designs include both squared-up and round versions. Four throws are made using dk weight, 1 bulky weight, and all remaining throws use worsted weight yarn.

As colder weather sets in and the garden is harvested, countless quilters are inspired to create. Images of fresh pumpkins and falling leaves beg to be turned into warm and cozy quilts for every room of the home. Beautiful table runners adorn our family gatherings as we give thanks for what we have. This is an ideal time to decorate with rich colors and plan projects for our loved ones.In Quilts for Autumn you will find 11 creative projects that embody this special season. Whether you are a new or experienced quilter, you will be sure to love stitching the traditional and contemporary designs within these pages. For a stunning table runner to show off at Thanksgiving, check out Come Little Leaves. Dig out your favorite fall palette scraps to make a lap or throw quilt, or even a welcoming wall hanging. If modern is more your style, Farmhouse Comfort is a stylish, yet whimsical, quilt that would make a great addition to almost any decor. From kitchen projects to wall hangings to full-size quilts, this collection will spark your creativity for many seasons to come.

A young girl shares pleasures and disappointments with the other members of a large Wisconsin farm family in the early twentieth century.

Annabelle Aster doesn't bow to convention—not even that of space and time—which makes the 1890s Kansas wheat field that has appeared in her modern-day San Francisco garden easy to accept. Even more peculiar is Elsbeth, the truculent schoolmarm who sends Annie letters through the mysterious brass mailbox perched on the picket fence that now divides their two worlds. Annie and Elsbeth's search for an explanation to the hiccup in the universe linking their homes leads to an unsettling discovery—and potential disaster for both of them. Together they must solve the mystery of what connects them before one of them is convicted of a murder that has yet to happen...and yet somehow already did.

Practical yet pretty, a mug rug is one of the latest home trends. Mug rugs are extra-large drink coasters, or smaller versions of place mats, that are the perfect size to hold your favorite beverage, with room for a treat. They make the perfect gift when you wrap them with a cute mug and a packet of cocoa! You will find 12 charming little mats all stitched with farmhouse colors and themes. Designs include sheep, rooster, pig, bee, kitty, rustic fall truck, and more. All are made using Scheepjes® Softfun DK-weight yarn.

I'm not quite sure what possessed me to start a kitchen garden, but there is no doubt that my cooking has developed a real spring in its step since then. . . Annie Smithers is a great believer in using fresh organic produce with minimal food miles. In most cases, this means just a few steps, for Annie has an acre of garden from which she sources the majority of the produce for her highly successful restaurant in Kyneton, Victoria. Writing in a diary format, Annie shares the ups and downs of setting up her garden, interspersed with simple, seasonal recipes that allow her star crops to shine.

An evocative, gorgeous four-season look at cooking in Maine, with 100 recipes No one can bring small-town America to life better than a native. Erin French grew up in Freedom, Maine (population 719), helping her father at the griddle in his diner. An entirely self-taught cook who used cookbooks to form her culinary education, she now helms her restaurant, The Lost Kitchen, in a historic mill in the same town, creating meals that draw locals and visitors from around the world to a dining room that feels like an extension of her home kitchen. The food has been called “brilliant in its simplicity and honesty” by Food & Wine, and it is exactly this pure approach that makes Erin’s cooking so appealing—and so easy to embrace at home. This stunning giftable package features a vellum jacket over a printed cover.

Pierre Koffmann's Memories of Gascony is the story of how one of the most influential chefs of our time first learned to love food. With recipes and reminiscences from his grandparents' home in rural Gascony, this is an intimate account of school holidays spent on the farm helping his grandfather to harvest and hunt, and learning to treasure seasonality, simplicity and the best ingredients at his grandmother's side. The finest of Gascony produce is here, with a focus on simplicity. The recipes stand the test of time and speak to the food tastes and trends of today. While you read the charming stories of everyday life on the farm, you'll devour the cuisine as you go along - dandelion salad with bacon and poached egg, grilled chicken with shallots and vinaigrette, and greengages in Armagnac in Spring; chicken liver pate with capers, Bayonne ham tart with garlic, oeufs a la neige in Summer; roast hare with mustard and beetroot, salt cod cassoulet and quince jelly in Autumn; and fried eggs with foie gras, potato and bacon pie and tarte aux pruneaux in Winter. This is a book to learn, love and live from. "One of the great works on regional French food, by one of the greatest of all French chefs." Tom Parker Bowles "Pierre Koffmann is a giant of the kitchen, and his shadow looms larger than anyone else's. Almost every decent chef I can think of learned most of what he knows from Pierre." Giles Coren "If you do not own a copy of Pierre Koffmann's glorious Memories of Gascony your cookbook collection is not complete. Brilliant to read; even better to cook from." Jay Rayner "No words can describe how delicious his food is. He is the Chef's Chef." Michel Roux Jr