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

May 7

May 7 Honey, spice and all things nice chicken.

Food & Drink, kids food, dinner, Recipes

Dinners like these are a huge go to at our house lately. With little kids to care for and loads of other jobs to be done, sometimes we all just need super fast and healthy ‘whack it in the oven and get it done’ meals, and these chicken drumsticks are a hit!

Chicken drumsticks are a delicious and cost effective protein choice and especially for kids, any food they can hold onto and get down right messy with, they’re bound to enjoy. Beware though, if you’re like me and serve dinners in its oven trays, plonked down on the table, those delicious sticky roasty bits stuck on the tray are likely to put up a fight for being the tastiest bits of the meal.

Recipe serves 4-6

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbs coconut oil

2 Tbs pure honey *

1/2 lemon

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place the chicken into a roasting pan and coat evenly with the spices and garlic, add sea salt and cracked pepper to taste if desired.

Add the coconut oil to the tray and roll the chicken around to evenly coat, it will firm up and solidify with the coldness of the chicken but that’s ok. Drizzle the honey over the chicken and place the tray into the hot oven and cook for around 40 minutes until golden and sticky, remove from the oven and squeeze over the lemon. Serve while hot.

These beauties aren’t fussy, they get along with so many sides.

On a warmer day I like to serve them with a lovely cooling salad, or a fresh slaw, but they also pair well with fluffy rice with some steamed greens tossed through or a baking tray loaded with delicious roasted vegetables OR some simple steamed veggies like corn, snow peas, broccolini and beans, what ever you love to eat.

* Babies less than one year old should not be fed honey as this can be a cause of botulism. If using this recipe with babies in mind, keep one leg honey free and roast separately.

Enjoy the delicious messiness! xoxo

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