Join me for a quiet day in my tiny garden shed in the English countryside. In this episode, I reflect on what it means to live slowly, share a few thoughts from my time alone, and give a small update on the progress of my van conversion.
If you love slow travel, off-grid living, and the folklore hidden in Europe’s landscapes, make sure to subscribe and join me on the journey! 🧡
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🧚♀️ ELDERFLOWER LEMON FAIRY CAKES RECIPE 🧁✨
Ingredients (makes 12 cakes):
2 cups plain flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
Zest of 2 lemons
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup melted butter
1 cup oat milk infused with elderflower
2 tbsp soy yoghurt
Pinch of salt
Edible flowers for garnish
Glaze:
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
A few elderflower blossoms
Splash of oat milk
How to Infuse Oat Milk:
Warm 1 cup oat milk gently (do not boil)
Add 1–2 elderflower heads (ideally just the blossoms)
Cover and steep 10–15 mins, then strain
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour a rimmed baking tray. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Combine wet and dry. Pour batter into tray, spread evenly (about 1–1.5 inches thick). Bake 15–20 mins until golden and springy. Cool fully in the tray. Use cookie cutters to shape into 12 fairy cakes. Glaze and decorate with flowers or mint.
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Chapters:
00:00 Waking Up in the Shed
01:54 A Walk in the English Countryside
04:08 Making Lemon and Elderflower Fairy Cakes
06:24 Working On My Van Build
06:59 A Quiet Evening in the Garden
#TinyHome #SlowLiving #EnglishCountryside #SeasonalLiving #TinyLiving
I spent many years dreaming of a simpler life.
Where time doesn’t feel like it’s rushing by and always just about escaping our grasp, and every
day feeling like we didn’t do it justice, like we didn’t do all the things we set out to do, always
rushing and saying “Next week I’ll slow down. Next month, things will finally settle down.” But
it never happened. So eventually, I realised that a slow life isn’t about managing time better.
It’s about saying no to what doesn’t serve you, and choosing to walk through life unhurried. If
you’re new here, hi i’m Jessica. Two years ago I left my old life behind for a simpler life in
nature. I quit my job, sold most of my belongings, and since then I’ve been slow traveling around
Europe with my partner Risi and my puppy Heidi, to reconnect with nature and grow roots in the
wild. Right now, we’re spending a few months in this tiny garden shed in my in-laws’ garden
while we’re converting my new van that I’m going to travel in solo. There is no bathroom in this
hut, and only a tiny outdoor kitchen. So life is very simple here. Before I started living
life at a slower pace, I was worried I would find myself with a lot of time on my hands that
I didn’t know what to do with. But in reality, a slow life and living with less means doing
things not necessary in the fastest or most convenient way, like handwashing your laundry,
writing things down instead of using countless apps to organise your life, or foraging wild
foods instead of a quick trip to the supermarket. A slow life for me means doing things
intentionally. I recently read that medieval peasants didn’t really perceive time as an entity
like we do, but rather as a sequence of tasks, which meant that their thinking was less
future-oriented and more focused on the present. And that sounds very peaceful to me. And in a way,
I’m trying to be more like a medieval peasant. This week I’m alone in the hut because the rest
of the family is away, which has been a nice opportunity to go inwards and reflect, because
Risi and I haven’t been apart for more than a couple of days in the last 2 years. And I’ve
been thoroughly enjoying this quiet solitude. It’s kind of funny how being in the same place
for a few months can make you feel uprooted in its own way. I find I’m much better at
sticking to routines when I’m traveling, because I have my van and all of my things
are with me. Ao I always feel a bit lost when I’m in a bigger space, like a house or even
the garden shed. I get a little more chaotic and I don’t always make the most of my days,
because the fields and the local woods will still be there tomorrow. But I try to welcome
those feelings, because they show me that my time on the road isn’t done yet and I definitely
made the right decision building out a new van. I actually managed to forage quite a bit of
elderflower today, which is really exciting. I wasn’t really expecting to find any because it’s
quite late in the season. We’ve had a really warm and sunny spring, so everything’s come up a little
bit early. So I think what I’m going to do is I’m going to infuse some oat milk with this, and
then make some elderflower and lemon fairy cakes. I’m making such a mess. I don’t actually have a
means of baking these here, so I’m going to bring them up to the
house and then pick them up again later. I just recovered from a long week of illness,
so I’m a little bit behind on the van building work. But we’re still hoping to finish the
conversion by the end of the month. So I’ve been chipping away at it a little bit every day
while I’m regaining my strength. At the moment I’m processing a lot of reclaimed pallet wood,
which we’re using for pretty much the whole build, from the walls to the ceiling and the furniture,
to keep the project as sustainable as possible. Thank you so much for watching. This video
was a little bit different from usual, but I hope you still enjoyed it. This episode
was made possible by the support of my wonderful patrons and channel members. And if you want
to support me in making more videos, head to the link in the description. Take good care of
yourselves and we’ll see you next time. Bye!
28 Comments
Thank you so much for watching, don’t forget to leave a thumbs up and subscribe if you enjoyed this video ❤️ P.S. the recipe for the fairy cakes is in the description 🧁🧚🏼♀️✨
Britain is so much more accepting of smaller or tiny homes that the U. S. is. I wish we could do the same since Trumpy's Tariffs are destroying our economy and our food availability. Trumpy's a dickhead.
Lovely. Well done. So pretty.
So serene. Thank you. 🌿😌💜🌱✨️🕊
For a long time I thought this would be Knossos for me.
It I think I finally figure out a way……. 😮😮😮😮❤
Lovely to see you in your tiny home, I live in a small house with a small garden and have been growing some edibles and slowing down , Knitting sewing and tending my garden.
So incredibly cozy. I love this little tiny house! I'd love to live there. Also, I love your dresses, they are beautiful. I have always been fascinated by medieval peasants, and I think it's neat you want to live like that!
💛 Heidi 👁️👁️ She s so happy
I think a lot of people need to live more like this for a better mental health
Sweet Video, I much Enjoyed it. I have Subbed : ) All the Best, Glad you're feeing better !!
There wasn't much about the tiny shed, which I was expecting based on the title
This is so adorable! Also I love your dresses ❤❤
I absolutely love this video and it was exactly what I needed. Thank you for sharing this bit of your life. You are inspiring
Very pleasant to watch. I feel many of us are tired of busy demanding lifes, and are making plans to make living more simple. This is inspirational. 😊💜🌹
You seem privileged & delusional.
Serenity, harmony, balance, beauty and love comes to mind purely by watching this wonderful short video…💚💥💚💥💚💥…💞💫💞💫💞
Honestly, this is my ultimate dream in life. It was my dad’s dream too. Truly a daddy’s girl at heart. Traveling the country and just solo living in a bus or van would be everything. Never staying in one place too long, and seeing as much of the country as I can. Meeting new people everywhere I go. Life has had other plans sadly but I haven’t given up on my dream just yet.
Good luck with finishing your van!! ❤
A visual and mental delight.
😍🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️
Can I not subscribe without paying?
This appears to be a comfortable setup.❤❤❤
Hi Jessica, i just stumbled on your vlog, what a breath of fresh air your are. Although im 70yrs young, I've always been interested in alternate living and connecting more with nature, so of course i must subscribe.💚
Yep l get it God bless❤
I read that Egyptian serfs had more days off that work days…their patrons or slave keepers understanding the need to look after family and rest. Very cool.
This is so beautiful and romantic. You introduce minimalism in a very different and unique way. Please make more content ❤❤❤
❤❤❤
I’d love a bestie like you 🏆
❤❤❤❤❤