Welcome to Craving Fresh! My name is Emma and I am the wife to one über talented husband, and the mother to three precious and unique children.
My husband and I got married in 2007 in a surprise wedding you can read all about here. On our honeymoon, I saw the book Animal Vegetable Miracle in the airport bookstore. The few paragraphs I skimmed struck a chord so I bought a copy, read it and have forever viewed our food supply chain differently. Eating "local" became my mantra, as I set about planting a vegetable garden in our backyard, adding chickens to the mix (and then giving them away again), and finding other local food sources.
Another great book I came into contact with on our honeymoon was The Best of Annabel Langbein. The recipes looked divine, so I bought a copy and worked my way through it. I now credit Annabel Langbein with teaching me to cook.
My study of food continued with books by Michael Pollan, which further convinced me that where we source our food from matters.
And then I read the real game changer - Nourishing Traditions. It radically altered my understanding of what a healthy diet is. Now I make my own yoghurt, kefir and chicken stock. I soak my grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. I eat good fats like coconut oil, butter and olive oil. I shouldn't eat sugar, but so far haven't managed to kick that addiction.
I also grow as much produce as possible at home, run a couple of compost bins, filter our water; avoid the microwave; use a menstrual cup; make my own cleaning sprays; don't colour my hair; gave birth naturally without pain medication; don't give the kids paracetamol; and basically do a number of other things I realise are "alternative" but wouldn't mind were mainstream.
Two years ago we started homeschooling, so now I guess I can add the title of Homeschool Mama to my name. We're still figuring out what we're doing, but it's a fun journey for all of us.
I've found the blogs of other women a real lifeline as I've journeyed into motherhood, home-making, gardening and preparing real food. My hope is that Craving Fresh will be a similar lifeline to others wanting to live a healthier and more natural life.
Credit: Photos of me taken by the supremely talented Ruth Beale, who runs Hope Photography.