Hello friendsies!
On todaysâ Episode 08 of Dinner Last Night, we have an absolute GEM Cat (Catarina Seixas).
I know we gush and fawn over every guest, but itâs not just because weâre a pair of bubbly twins. Weâve also been blessed with an all-star lineup for this first season, and Cat is no exception.
Iâve admired Cat from afar for some time. She came out with her book The Wild Craft, when I was deep in writing Seasonal Family Almanac. (Psst: weâre giving away a copy of bothâsee details below!đ).
At the time, there were very few books that incorporated ingredients holisticallyâfor food, medicine, and craftâas both our books do. And Cat is a living model of someone who is weaving homegrown, foraged, and collected ingredients into her kitchen, medicine cabinet, and art. Yes, that includes fiber from her beloved flock of sheep, for her incredible knit creations (like some of the sweaters in her pictures below). The Wild Craft is an authentic reflection of her life at home.
Cat lives in a stone cottage, that she and her partner hand-built in the hills of Western Iberia, in Portugal. She has many talents and gifts, ranging from bioregionalist, photographer, folk herbalist, recipe developer, expert knitter, gardener, forager, and of course, Mother.
In this episode, Cat shares her story of falling in love, finding home, planting roots, and raising her family at the pace of nature.
As part of her commitment to living on Earth-time, Cat left Instagram more than a year ago. You can still see some of her stunning photography showcased there, and on her blog and Substack.
By the end of this episode, you will fall in love with Catâs open-hearted joy, sincerity, integrity, warmth, and the sense of calm that comes from peering through the window into her life.
Dimity and I are dreaming about visiting Cat one day!
Cat shows us all that there is another way to liveââsuccessfullyââwhile feeling nurtured in our bodies, hearts, and souls.
Next week weâll be sharing one of Catâs gorgeous, seasonal crafts from her book - stay tuned!
đ With bellies full of apple crisp,
Emma & Dimity đŻââď¸
On how to accept that when you build and create things on your own, they take time
How Cat and her partner built their home from scratch, and slowly added amenities, including her âcute-ass black fridgeâ (they didnât have a fridge for ten years!)
Catâs ritual for making dinner (itâs so simple, yet so good)
On how to connect with a place wherever you are
Food and language in a multi-cultural home
Congrats to Ashley Z., who won last weekâs giveaway for Episode 7 with Sarah Copeland!
Cat and moi (Emma) are giving ONE lucky listener a copy of The Wild Craft and Seasonal Family Almanac! These books are perfect companions for cooking, crafting, and making medicine throughout the seasons.
For a chance to win, enter your email in this form or click the button to take you there đ
This was such a joy to be a part of! Here's to stepping out of our comfort zones... And having fun doing it! đ
Thank you for being such wonderful hosts!