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For me, my food journey has been life long, for as long as I remember I’ve been totally in love with eating and as for cooking, that began when I was old enough to reach the stove. Through disaster and constructive criticism to where I am now, a chef of 18 years having worked for some fabulous restaurants around Sydney, including my own Italian Trattoria, I spent some time working in the UK and now I am a proud mother of two beautiful girls who I have been just dying to take on a life long adventure of delicious nourishment.

Since reaching my 30’s I have taken a huge interest in health and have become a big believer in using food as medicine. Since bringing my two girls into this world it has never made more sense, that maintaining good health through food really is best when addressed from a very young age, from the beginning, only then will a child grow with a deep understanding that real food is indeed that. Whole foods are real foods.

At age 33, recently engaged to my partner Chris and pregnant with our first daughter I was inspired to take on yet another challenge (because a business and a first baby wasn’t about to be hard enough!) I spent a year studying holistic health through the Institute of Integrative nutrition. Here I learned about over a hundred dietary theories and lifestyles and if I was to take away anything from the course it would be this, not everyone is suited to one theory and not one diet is right for everyone. But one thing is for sure, eating as many vegetables and fruits that we can squeeze into our diet is nothing but beneficial for our health no matter who we are or where we’re from. Eating free range, grass fed and organic where ever possible is best and also that love and happiness, movement and breathing and finding activities which fill your cup are just as essential for good health as the food that you choose to eat.

What does a chef do once children are on the cards? I have had some work writing recipes for Marley spoon but I now I spend my days cooking for close to a hundred small children at a childcare centre, and can I say, going to and from work with my own two girls is a privilege that not a lot of women get the opportunity.

Please let me take you on our journey of exciting, healthy and delicious food ideas, recipes and experiences for you and your little ones to enjoy together.

And just so you know, I don’t believe in deprivation when it comes to treats but I do believe in restraint.

Subbing in healthier options where ever possible so our food can be beneficial even when it tastes naughty is how I like to cook.

Healthy bodies are happy bodies.

Much love, Beck x

 

Happy birthday little lady!

Happy birthday little lady!

Rebecca Hodges
Recipes, Birthday cake

Kids cakes really can be sophisticated and elegant and adored by little girls and big kids alike. Adding pops of colour from nature instead of loading up on food dyes and fondants are a beautiful way to decorate a special cake for your little loved ones.

And they will come down off the sugar high a hell of a lot easier at the end of the day.

 When my daughter turned 3, she had an almost 2 month old baby sister. She had been attending daycare for almost 2 years, so she had gained some adorable little friends who she wanted nothing more than to celebrate her special day with down at a party in the park.

Many mums have been here, the anxiety of organising when absolutely shell shocked with exhaustion, the ‘must perform’ mentality for the first born so that she knows very well she is still our special girl and nothing has changed how much she means to us, only now she has to share mum and dads attention.

SO extra special cake required.. But so so tired.

 What to do.…..hmmmmm.

Find the best damn packet money can buy and dress it up in style, that’s what.

As a chef, It’s ingrained in me now to turn my nose up at packet cakes. I love to cook and I love to know exactly whats in my families food.

However, while I was anxiously sifting through thoughts in my head and recipes of cakes in books that would be suitable for an array of small children, all the while searching for lovely birthday cake worthy and moderately healthy ingredients, I came across the best packet chocolate cake mix I had ever seen. It’s an organic, vegan, gluten, egg, nut, soy, grain and dairy free, because you know… life is a bit like that for a lot of people now. But before you judge, man, is this cake amazing!!! It was a just add water and oil and mix cake, perfect for the new mum, the weighing, measuring and thinking all pretty much done for you! Aahhhh

Now, when I’m making birthday cakes I like to make them tall and impressive so in this case I baked two cakes for extra height and layering.

This is how it played out..

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The packet I used is made by The GLUTEN FREE FOOD Co Australia, it is their Gluten free chocolate cake mix and it’s produced by a local Sunshine coast company owned by a woman named Monica, with one hell of a health story of her own.

Now when you only have to add one ingredient to a mix, you have the choice to use something healthy or not… duhh let’s go healthy shall we?

Coconut oil is generally my go to in most of my baking, it’s a healthy non refined oil which imparts a lovely tropical aroma. Through the cake batter I also folded 1 cup of grated beetroot, because chocolate and beetroot are just wonderful friends.. and I do try to pack in the extra nutrients in just about anything right… so mix her up and in she goes! Easy peasy.

I then made the best chocolate and coconut ganache for icing the cake, Its thick rich and glossy and super easy to make. Recipe as follows…

Chocolate and coconut ganache

100g 85% dark chocolate (I used Lindt)

270ml Coconut milk - Ayam

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method:

Break up the chocolate into small pieces, combine with the coconut milk in a small saucepan and warm over low heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and even, stir through the vanilla paste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

If you’re making this ganache in advance you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week then simply ice your cake when required.

To help build this layer cake, I also whipped a 400ml can of Natures charm coconut whipping cream for sandwiching the two cakes together, if you’ve never used this before its brilliant, it whips as good as cream but its non dairy, its deliciously light and slightly sweet. I absolutely love this as a whipped cream alternative and it’s super easy, you just need to be organised as the can needs to be chilled for a few hours before whipping.

BUT seriously, for me the thing that made this cake extra special is those final touches, the gorgeous edible flowers were lovingly placed by my 3 year old birthday girl, we transported the iced cake down to the park with a punnet of pretty flowers and away she went, now, I know we all think our children are just the best but seriously, when I look at that cake my heart is so full of pride and love for my girl, memories like these that are built around the love of food and sharing are what family is all about for me and I look forward to many years of birthday cakes and celebration food with my most adored people in my world.

Much love xoxo


Super fast minestrone made with love

Super fast minestrone made with love

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