🍩👩🏼‍🍳 Doughnut Day at the Watercolour Bakery | A Gentle Cozy Story to Relax and Sleep

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00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:07,610
Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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00:00:07,660 --> 00:00:12,070
narrate and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,830
cosy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,220
Each week I share an original
story.

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00:00:20,340 --> 00:00:25,370
Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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reading.
I also create micro experiences

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inspired by the stories you
hear.

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00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:40,920
These are short, gentle reading
moments designed to help you

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00:00:40,930 --> 00:00:45,790
slow down and rest in the
village for as long as you like.

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00:00:47,020 --> 00:00:52,230
They're available now to enjoy
on screen or on paper,

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00:00:52,380 --> 00:00:59,530
individually or in small bundles
through the slow life.ca under

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00:00:59,540 --> 00:01:05,560
the Shop tab.
Let's settle in with some easy

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00:01:05,570 --> 00:01:11,960
breathing at your own pace.
With each inhale, let fresh air

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00:01:11,970 --> 00:01:14,420
fill the space around your
heart.

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00:01:15,970 --> 00:01:21,860
With each exhale, feel the calm
air spread through your body and

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00:01:21,870 --> 00:01:28,630
flow out through your arms and
legs, gently in through your

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00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:36,720
heart.
Gently out through your body, in

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00:01:36,790 --> 00:01:42,470
through your heart, out through
your body.

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00:01:45,370 --> 00:01:54,640
And now let's begin.
This story is called Donut Day

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00:01:54,650 --> 00:02:00,300
at the Watercolor Bakery, and
it's about extra toppings,

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00:02:00,730 --> 00:02:06,070
working mostly without words,
and abundant creations.

22
00:02:09,590 --> 00:02:15,560
I wake earlier than I usually
do, but it feels natural, like

23
00:02:15,570 --> 00:02:20,460
my body remembers what I have
planned for this morning before

24
00:02:20,470 --> 00:02:26,880
my mind catches up.
It's Donut Day at the bakery, a

25
00:02:26,890 --> 00:02:31,690
day that people unabashedly look
forward to once a month.

26
00:02:33,020 --> 00:02:37,630
There are always Donuts, of
course, but today is different.

27
00:02:38,730 --> 00:02:47,460
Today is abundance, extra glaze,
extra toppings, extra fun and I

28
00:02:47,470 --> 00:02:54,260
am on my way to give my aunt
some extra help when I reached

29
00:02:54,270 --> 00:02:57,370
the square.
The village is still moving

30
00:02:57,380 --> 00:03:01,510
slowly.
I turn on to the street just

31
00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:06,410
past the library, which won't
open for a few hours yet.

32
00:03:08,110 --> 00:03:14,160
The striped awning comes into
view, ivory and antique rose

33
00:03:14,170 --> 00:03:20,530
pink stretching wide across the
front and above it the curved

34
00:03:20,540 --> 00:03:23,930
wooden sign painted in flowing
script.

35
00:03:24,850 --> 00:03:30,580
The water Colour Bakery.
The door is unlocked.

36
00:03:31,090 --> 00:03:34,490
It always is when my aunt knows
I'm coming.

37
00:03:36,060 --> 00:03:40,430
I step inside and let it close
softly behind me.

38
00:03:41,290 --> 00:03:46,860
The storefront is quiet, lit
just enough to see the familiar

39
00:03:46,870 --> 00:03:54,560
surroundings, the display cases
weighed empty and clean, and the

40
00:03:54,570 --> 00:04:00,190
round tables stand ready for
later, when people will sit with

41
00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,710
mugs and plates and
conversation.

42
00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:11,030
The walls carry the reason for
the bakeries name my aunts.

43
00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:17,370
Watercolor paintings, some
grouped together, some standing

44
00:04:17,380 --> 00:04:24,980
on their own pastries and warm
tones, village scenes dissolving

45
00:04:24,990 --> 00:04:30,100
into the edges, Teacups, hands,
shelves.

46
00:04:30,570 --> 00:04:37,790
Moments captured and framed, she
paints in her off hours when the

47
00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,100
bakery quiets and the day has
settled.

48
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:47,980
Growing up here, learning the
rhythms of a bakers life, she

49
00:04:47,990 --> 00:04:51,140
learned to sketch the things
that surrounded her.

50
00:04:52,310 --> 00:04:59,020
Pies cooling, bread rising,
people posing in a window seat.

51
00:05:00,380 --> 00:05:05,010
These paintings have become part
of the bakery itself.

52
00:05:06,130 --> 00:05:10,060
People come for the baking, but
they notice the art.

53
00:05:10,890 --> 00:05:16,390
They ask about it.
They take pieces home, paintings

54
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:22,310
appear, old ones stick around,
and the walls change magically

55
00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:28,390
over time.
I move past them, now noticing a

56
00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:33,670
new one, saving my looking for
later, and head through the

57
00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:40,600
swinging doors into the kitchen.
She's already here, of course.

58
00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:48,180
Her apron is tied on, sleeves
rolled up, her hands dusted

59
00:05:48,190 --> 00:05:53,690
lightly with flour.
The counters are set up with

60
00:05:53,700 --> 00:06:00,170
intention, bowls placed where
they'll be needed, trays stacked

61
00:06:00,180 --> 00:06:06,190
and ready, jars of toppings set
out along the fur table like a

62
00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:11,730
painter station.
She looks up and greets me as I

63
00:06:11,740 --> 00:06:18,280
come in, and the ease between us
is felt immediately, the way it

64
00:06:18,290 --> 00:06:21,740
always does when we work side by
side.

65
00:06:23,460 --> 00:06:27,070
Donut Day doesn't need much
discussion.

66
00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:33,810
We've done this together before.
She handles the timing, the

67
00:06:33,820 --> 00:06:39,260
heat, the things that require.
Instinct builds over years.

68
00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,910
I move naturally into the spaces
she leaves open for me,

69
00:06:46,830 --> 00:06:53,510
Measuring, rolling, lifting,
preparing, just the two of us in

70
00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,900
the back, moving in a rhythm
that doesn't feel rushed.

71
00:06:59,390 --> 00:07:05,790
The kitchen begins to fill with
layered scents, yeast and sugar,

72
00:07:05,930 --> 00:07:10,880
vanilla and citrus, warm dough
and melted chocolate.

73
00:07:12,330 --> 00:07:15,720
The oil sizzles while the dough
rests.

74
00:07:16,570 --> 00:07:21,670
Glaze is swirled and wide, bowls
smooth and glossy.

75
00:07:23,430 --> 00:07:29,140
I roll the dough out and cut
soft circles, lifting each one

76
00:07:29,150 --> 00:07:34,610
carefully so it keeps its shape,
setting them on to flowered

77
00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:39,340
trays.
She watches without hovering,

78
00:07:39,470 --> 00:07:44,540
stepping in only when needed,
which isn't often but

79
00:07:44,550 --> 00:07:51,300
appreciated each time.
We work mostly without words.

80
00:07:51,890 --> 00:07:55,040
Trees slide and racks are
filled.

81
00:07:55,590 --> 00:07:58,280
The sounds are constant but
subtle.

82
00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:04,850
The hum of equipment, the rustle
of parchment paper, the steady

83
00:08:04,860 --> 00:08:08,140
movement of work being done with
care.

84
00:08:10,030 --> 00:08:14,640
When the first batch is ready,
the pace changes a bit.

85
00:08:15,830 --> 00:08:22,200
Doughnuts move from fryer to
rack, golden and light steam

86
00:08:22,210 --> 00:08:28,550
rising briefly before fading.
From there, they're ready for

87
00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,840
colour and texture and
indulgence.

88
00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:39,450
Thick vanilla glaze coats one
tray, settling into a soft

89
00:08:39,460 --> 00:08:44,100
Sheen.
Dark chocolate flows over

90
00:08:44,110 --> 00:08:50,130
another, glossy and deep.
Some are rolled in cinnamon

91
00:08:50,140 --> 00:08:56,090
sugar until they sparkle, others
are topped generously.

92
00:08:56,580 --> 00:09:01,870
Caramel drizzled and ribbons.
Clouds of whipped frosting.

93
00:09:02,300 --> 00:09:08,610
Crushed cookies, toasted
coconut, sugared citrus peel,

94
00:09:09,060 --> 00:09:15,370
Jewel toned fruit glazes.
She'd also made tiny edible

95
00:09:15,380 --> 00:09:20,190
flowers that sit in shallow
dishes and replace them

96
00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:25,340
carefully, knowing people will
pause and smile when they see

97
00:09:25,350 --> 00:09:29,750
them.
The doughnuts are never subtle,

98
00:09:29,820 --> 00:09:36,710
and that's part of the joy.
As we work, I catch glimpses of

99
00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:42,600
her hands moving with certainty.
The same hands that once guided

100
00:09:42,610 --> 00:09:47,200
mine when I was small enough to
need a stool to reach the

101
00:09:47,210 --> 00:09:51,280
counter.
The same hands that taught me

102
00:09:51,290 --> 00:09:56,180
how to knead without
overworking, how to feel when

103
00:09:56,190 --> 00:10:01,480
dough is ready, how to move
slowly even when there's a lot

104
00:10:01,530 --> 00:10:07,480
to do between trays.
I glanced through the swinging

105
00:10:07,490 --> 00:10:12,760
doors into the storefront.
Some of the paintings on the

106
00:10:12,770 --> 00:10:18,460
walls mirror us with scenes of
the very work we're doing now,

107
00:10:19,490 --> 00:10:23,420
captured in soft colour and
gentle lines.

108
00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:29,570
We continue the rhythm that
doesn't need instruction.

109
00:10:30,340 --> 00:10:35,170
When one of us reaches for a
bowl, the other adjusts.

110
00:10:36,130 --> 00:10:40,580
When a tray fills, space opens
automatically.

111
00:10:42,140 --> 00:10:47,920
Time passes the way it does when
hands are busy and minds are

112
00:10:47,930 --> 00:10:55,060
focused and calm.
Soon the racks are full, rows of

113
00:10:55,070 --> 00:11:00,500
doughnuts under the lights,
heavy with sweetness and care.

114
00:11:02,270 --> 00:11:07,620
The cases out front will be
overflowing and people will

115
00:11:07,630 --> 00:11:12,480
arrive within anticipation,
pretending they haven't been

116
00:11:12,490 --> 00:11:18,570
counting the days.
They'll point, hesitate, and add

117
00:11:18,580 --> 00:11:24,820
one more, asking how we come up
with different combinations and

118
00:11:24,830 --> 00:11:31,330
creations every month.
Donut Day always brings them

119
00:11:31,340 --> 00:11:35,250
back, but for now it's still
just us.

120
00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:42,110
I set another finished tray onto
the rack and stepped back for a

121
00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:48,690
moment to take in the colours,
the abundance, the satisfaction

122
00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:54,960
of work done well together.
This is what people feel when

123
00:11:54,970 --> 00:11:58,310
they walk into the watercolor
bakery.

124
00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:04,600
It's not just the baking.
It's not just the urge on the

125
00:12:04,610 --> 00:12:10,870
walls, it's the care threaded
through everything, steady and

126
00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:16,540
unshowy.
Well, except for on Donut day.

127
00:12:21,130 --> 00:12:24,760
Donut day at the Watercolor
Bakery.

128
00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:34,240
I wake earlier than I usually
do, but it feels natural, like

129
00:12:34,250 --> 00:12:39,150
my body remembers what I have
planned for this morning before

130
00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:45,560
my mind catches up.
It's donut Day at the bakery, a

131
00:12:45,570 --> 00:12:50,380
day that people unabashedly look
forward to once a month.

132
00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:56,320
There are always doughnuts, of
course, but today is different.

133
00:12:57,420 --> 00:13:06,150
Today is abundance, extra glaze,
extra toppings, extra fun and I

134
00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:12,940
am on my way to give my aunt
some extra help when I reached

135
00:13:12,950 --> 00:13:16,060
the square.
The village is still moving

136
00:13:16,070 --> 00:13:20,200
slowly.
I turn on to the street just

137
00:13:20,210 --> 00:13:25,090
past the library, which won't
open for a few hours yet.

138
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:32,830
The striped awning comes into
view, ivory and antique rose

139
00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:39,220
pink stretching wide across the
front and above it the curved

140
00:13:39,230 --> 00:13:45,600
wooden sign painted and flowing
script the water colour bakery.

141
00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:52,410
The door is unlocked.
It always is when my aunt knows

142
00:13:52,420 --> 00:13:57,450
I'm coming.
I step inside and let it close

143
00:13:57,460 --> 00:14:03,030
softly behind me.
The storefront is quiet, lit

144
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:10,250
just enough to see the familiar
surroundings, the display cases

145
00:14:10,260 --> 00:14:15,850
weighed empty and clean, and the
round tables stand ready for

146
00:14:15,860 --> 00:14:21,210
later, when people will sit with
mugs and plates and

147
00:14:21,220 --> 00:14:26,570
conversation.
The walls carry the reason for

148
00:14:26,580 --> 00:14:32,970
the bakeries name my aunts.
Watercolor paintings, some

149
00:14:32,980 --> 00:14:39,920
grouped together, some standing
on their own pastries and warm

150
00:14:39,930 --> 00:14:47,850
tones, village scenes dissolving
into the edges, Teacups, hands,

151
00:14:47,900 --> 00:14:53,650
shelves.
Moments captured and framed, she

152
00:14:53,660 --> 00:14:59,140
paints in her off hours when the
bakery quiets and the day has

153
00:14:59,150 --> 00:15:03,760
settled.
Growing up here, learning the

154
00:15:03,770 --> 00:15:08,550
rhythms of a bakers life, she
learned to sketch the things

155
00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:14,570
that surrounded her.
Pies cooling, bread rising,

156
00:15:15,020 --> 00:15:21,910
people pausing in a window seat.
These paintings have become part

157
00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:27,280
of the bakery itself.
People come for the baking, but

158
00:15:27,290 --> 00:15:30,990
they notice the art.
They ask about it.

159
00:15:31,420 --> 00:15:38,260
They take pieces home, paintings
appear, old ones stick around,

160
00:15:38,630 --> 00:15:41,940
and the walls change magically
over time.

161
00:15:43,650 --> 00:15:50,100
I move past them, now noticing a
new one, saving my looking for

162
00:15:50,110 --> 00:15:55,080
later, and head through the
swinging doors into the kitchen.

163
00:15:56,930 --> 00:16:03,600
She's already here, of course.
Her apron is tied on, sleeves

164
00:16:03,610 --> 00:16:08,450
rolled up, her hands dusted
lightly with flour.

165
00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:15,610
The counters are set up with
intention, bowls placed where

166
00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:21,910
they'll be needed, trays stacked
and ready, chairs of toppings

167
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,280
set out along the fur table like
a painter station.

168
00:16:27,850 --> 00:16:33,580
She looks up and greets me as I
come in, and the ease between us

169
00:16:33,590 --> 00:16:39,750
is felt immediately, the way it
always does when we work side by

170
00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:44,730
side.
Donut Day doesn't need much

171
00:16:44,740 --> 00:16:48,590
discussion.
We've done this together before.

172
00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:55,210
She handles the timing, the
heat, the things that require.

173
00:16:55,220 --> 00:17:02,630
Instinct builds over years.
I move naturally into the spaces

174
00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:08,800
she leaves open for me,
Measuring, rolling, lifting,

175
00:17:08,849 --> 00:17:14,810
preparing, just the two of us in
the back, moving in a rhythm

176
00:17:14,819 --> 00:17:20,640
that doesn't feel rushed.
The kitchen begins to fill with

177
00:17:20,650 --> 00:17:28,119
layered scents, yeast and sugar,
vanilla and citrus, warm dough

178
00:17:28,130 --> 00:17:33,750
and melted chocolate.
The oil sizzles while the dough

179
00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:38,260
rests.
Glaze is swirled and wide, bowls

180
00:17:38,470 --> 00:17:44,660
smooth and glossy.
I roll the dough out and cut

181
00:17:44,670 --> 00:17:50,450
soft circles, lifting each one
carefully so it keeps its shape,

182
00:17:51,190 --> 00:17:54,040
setting them on to flowered
trays.

183
00:17:55,450 --> 00:18:00,860
She watches without hovering,
stepping in only when needed,

184
00:18:01,170 --> 00:18:05,520
which isn't often but
appreciated each time.

185
00:18:07,170 --> 00:18:13,060
We work mostly without words.
Trees slide and racks are

186
00:18:13,070 --> 00:18:16,380
filled.
The sounds are constant but

187
00:18:16,390 --> 00:18:20,820
subtle.
The hum of equipment, the rustle

188
00:18:20,830 --> 00:18:26,280
of parchment paper, the steady
movement of work being done with

189
00:18:26,290 --> 00:18:31,140
care.
When the first batch is ready,

190
00:18:31,190 --> 00:18:37,060
the pace changes a bit.
Doughnuts move from fryer to

191
00:18:37,070 --> 00:18:43,520
rack, golden and light steam
rising briefly before fading.

192
00:18:45,380 --> 00:18:49,470
From there, they're ready for
colour and texture and

193
00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:54,840
indulgence.
Thick vanilla glaze coats one

194
00:18:54,850 --> 00:18:58,900
tray, settling into a soft
Sheen.

195
00:19:00,470 --> 00:19:07,430
Dark chocolate flows over
another glossy and deep summer,

196
00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,970
rolled in cinnamon sugar until
they sparkle.

197
00:19:12,260 --> 00:19:17,810
Others are topped generously,
caramel drizzled and ribbons.

198
00:19:18,220 --> 00:19:23,590
Clouds of whipped frosting,
crushed cookies, toasted

199
00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:30,350
coconut, sugared citrus peel,
Jewel toned fruit glazes.

200
00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:36,490
She'd also made tiny edible
flowers that sit in shallow

201
00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:41,490
dishes and replace them
carefully, knowing people will

202
00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:44,360
pause and smile when they see
them.

203
00:19:45,970 --> 00:19:50,860
The doughnuts are never subtle,
and that's part of the joy.

204
00:19:52,290 --> 00:19:57,860
As we work, I catch glimpses of
her hands moving with certainty,

205
00:19:58,620 --> 00:20:04,240
the same hands that once guided
mine when I was small enough to

206
00:20:04,250 --> 00:20:06,500
need a stool to reach the
counter.

207
00:20:07,740 --> 00:20:11,650
The same hands that taught me
how to knead without

208
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:17,680
overworking, how to feel when
dough is ready, how to move

209
00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:24,080
slowly even when there's a lot
to do between trays.

210
00:20:24,130 --> 00:20:28,380
I glanced through the swinging
doors into the storefront.

211
00:20:29,330 --> 00:20:34,860
Some of the paintings on the
walls mirror us with scenes of

212
00:20:34,870 --> 00:20:40,770
the very work we're doing now,
captured in soft colour and

213
00:20:40,780 --> 00:20:46,320
gentle lines.
We continue the rhythm that

214
00:20:46,330 --> 00:20:51,410
doesn't need instruction.
When one of us reaches for a

215
00:20:51,420 --> 00:20:58,050
bowl, the other adjusts.
When a tray fills, space opens

216
00:20:58,060 --> 00:21:03,910
automatically.
Time passes the way it does when

217
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,390
hands are busy and minds are
focused and calm.

218
00:21:10,350 --> 00:21:16,080
Soon the racks are full, rows of
doughnuts under the lights,

219
00:21:16,470 --> 00:21:23,330
heavy with sweetness and care.
The cases out front will be

220
00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:29,010
overflowing and people will
arrive within anticipation,

221
00:21:29,340 --> 00:21:32,610
pretending they haven't been
counting the days.

222
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:41,040
They'll point, hesitate, and add
one more, asking how we come up

223
00:21:41,110 --> 00:21:45,670
with different combinations and
creations every month.

224
00:21:47,470 --> 00:21:53,060
Donut Day always brings them
back, but for now it's still

225
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just us.
I set another finished tray onto

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the rack and step back for a
moment to take in the colours,

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the abundance, the satisfaction
of work done well together.

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This is what people feel when
they walk into the watercolor

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bakery.
It's not just the baking.

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It's not just the urge on the
walls, it's the care threaded

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through everything, steady and
unshowy.

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Well, except for on Donut day.
I wish you sweet dreams.