From My Kitchen to Yours

I love to be in the kitchen. I love making beautiful meals, desserts and snacks for my family. I love that I can admit I fell off the cooking wagon after Leo was born (mostly due to extreme tiredness) and I love that I never lost my passion for feeding my family only the best.

I started 2012 with the goal of eliminating sugar from my diet. Sugar has had a hold over me for years and reached extreme levels after Leo came along. Maybe it was the extra calories needed while breastfeeding or maybe the tired slumps I was feeling that made me turn to sugary snacks. Some nights I would eat a whole family block of chocolate to myself, sometimes I would do that most nights of the week. I was pretty disgusted with myself. I had constant headaches that wouldn't budge and a constant, niggling sore throat that never morphed into anything worse, it just lingered, reminding me that my health was in a terrible state. I also felt down, I just couldn't get my mood to lift, I didn't want to hang out with friends (sorry friends) and I was happier to just be with myself.

After being inspired by 2 friends of mine who had started their healthy, wholefoods journey last year and had amazing results, I decided it was now or never. I'm about to turn 29, I have 2 busy boys and I needed to get with the program. I have so much good in my life and I needed to be able to enjoy it.

On the 1st of January, I stopped sugar cold turkey. I prepared my self mentally for the week before and made sure my cupboards and fridge were filled with foods I could eat, that would fill me up and not leave me open to sugar cravings. Foods like hummous, avocado, vege sticks, fruit and eggs. Of course, I had a few stumbles and some days were harder than others. One day I ate 14 pieces of bread!

However, by day 2 all headaches and sore throats had disappeared, and never returned. I have no cravings for sugar, in particular Coke, which I used to drink every day. I have also not even been tempted by my old friend chocolate!! And the icing on the cake (pardon the pun) was losing 4.7kg in 14 days, just from eliminating sugar!

Now the plan is to translate old family favourites into new, sugar free or low sugar treats. And to also cut down our oversonsumption of other foods, such as wheat and dairy. We will be filling up our fridges with fruit and vegetables and not wasting any of it, exploring new foods that are extremely good for our bodies such as Chia Seeds and Quinoa, and getting back to experimenting in the kitchen and making it a family affair!

I have come up with a family statement to put up in our kitchen:

The Harper Family are commited to recognising the value of:

• drinking more water
• eating more fresh fruits and vegetables
• buying organic where possible, within our budget
• making more meals from scratch
• involving the whole family in the shopping, making, eating process
• getting outside everyday, rain, hail or shine
• starting and maintaining an urban kitchen garden
• making Green Smoothies a daily habit
• learning about each food and what makes it good for our bodies

Here are some photos of what's been going on in our kitchen lately!

Green Smoothie - spinach, orange, rasberries, coconut oil, chia seeds and water

Apple Crumble

Gluten Free Nut Crackers

Mint and Lime with Soda Water

My kitchen helper tasting the product.

Kneading pizza dough for lunch.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Pizza

Of course this will be an ongoing story for us, lots of learning and trial and error will be in our future and that's ok by me, living life is the best way to learn!!

x Shara