Yay! Thank you for being here, and for being curious about how my journey started. I hope that my little corner of the internet is a blessing to you. And I would be so grateful to have you join me on the adventure.
As a young girl, ours was the house that would always have almost 20 adults and children gathered each weekend under the guise of watching whatever big sporting match happened to be showing that day. Really, we gathered for the love of being together. We gathered for the love of feasting together. My dad would prepare enormous trays of grilled meat, and my mom would help him by preparing side dishes and salads. It was always the same; several types of barbecued meat to choose from; potato salad; curried 3-bean salad; pickled beetroot; garlic bread; pap-‘n’-sauce and a large greek salad. As I grew older, my dad would ask me to prepare the dessert or one of the side dishes. It was without a doubt how I learned the delight in having a home that makes others feel welcomed. The joy of having your table full of loved ones, laughing exuberantly; debating passionately; and sharing life together.
Of course, 30-plus years later, things are very different now. My parents no longer live in the house of my childhood. I have two gorgeous, rapidly growing boys of my own and, for the past 20 years (and counting!), I have travelled around the world with my love, Gavin. Between the two of us, we have we have visited 45 countries; 25 of those, together. We have lived in Bangladesh; South Africa; the Netherlands; the UK and the USA together. We jokingly say that we are ticking off the continents. We are passionate about people and learning about and from different cultures. Our love of food and discovering new flavours and tastes has fuelled many of our adventures, and helped forge many of our friendships. We have shared countless meals around our custom-built, 10-seater dining table. More than that, we have shared our lives with others. People who know us know that our door is always open (sometimes literally!) and that our dining table is a place where we cherish connections with old friends and new over something delicious, whether it be a cup of coffee and a cookie or a 4-course meal.
For as long as I have cooked, people have asked me for my recipes. The trouble is, I cook creatively (meaning: I mostly wing it), and have never really been diligent in recording my recipes and creations. So this blog is a way of recording and sharing what I create with my friends and family around the globe. My recipes are inspired by the places I have visited, the cities I have fallen in love with, and the people and cultures found within them.
I believe that we nurture our bodies with the food we eat. In other words, healthy, nutritious food will keep you strong and fit, physically, mentally and emotionally. Although my recipes don’t fit into any dietary box (I am not vegan; paleo; keto; primal; vegetarian; insert any other known diet here) I will always try to choose fresh, unrefined ingredients to use. Healthy eating is a journey. And mine certainly hasn’t been perfect. But by making small choices to cut down on certain (processed, oily, sugary) foods and increase our intake of natural, wholesome and unrefined foods, our bodies will thank us. And no, my kids don’t love all of it, but, for the most part they will happily devour whatever I make. And we are trying to educate them, too, on the affects of their food choices on their mood and energy levels.
My biggest dream for this blog is that it would become an extension of my dining table: a place where I can gather with friends, old and new. A place to share my recipes and food creations; to share stories of life and adventure together; and a place to encourage and be encouraged on our journey in health and wellness. Please be sure to connect with me either on social media or here on the blog – I would love to join you at your table, too.
