Looking back on the last 12 months there have been many big changes for our family. Last summer we moved from the city out into the country and boy did our lives change. Our little boys suddenly had room to run, trees to climb, dirt to dig in (and eat!!!) and chooks to carry about. It has been heart-warming to watch them grow and develop in this environment. Being out in the country surrounded by farms and animals has changed our priorities and helped us to adopt a simpler way of life. We have become so much more aware of our environment and of treading lightly on our planet. We have worked to adopt a healthier lifestyle and part of that has been learning how to provide our sons with healthy and wholesome food.
Almost 12 months ago we decided to make a big commitment to improving our family's diet by purchasing a Thermomix. I expected this purchase to make a big difference in my ability to cook wholesome and healthy food easily but I never dreamed that buying a new kitchen appliance would make such a big difference to our lives. Now before you ask, no I am not a Thermomix Consultant (although I probably should be). I'm just a Mum who is loving being able to fill the tummies of people I love so easily with healthy and wholesome food. I can't even remember what I used to feed my family before (probably a good thing!!). I certainly never made our daily bread (complete with freshly milled organic flour), threw together a quick and delish pumpkin risotto (without stirring) or whipped up delicious spinach, almond, strawberry and banana smoothies for our brekkie.
Having the Thermomix has enabled us to make some pretty big changes in our kitchen. For starters we no longer have bleached flour, white sugar, margarine, iodised salt and homogenised milk in our home. They have been banished, never to return. Bleached flour has been replaced by organic grains such as spelt, brown rice and rye (which I freshly mill for my recipes) and organic unbleached flours. Refined white sugar has been replaced by rapadura, pure maple syrup, raw agave nectar and very occasionally organic raw sugar. Margarine has been replaced by good old fashioned butter (which is often homemade - yummy!) and organic extra-virgin coconut oil. Iodised salt has been replaced by unrefined sea salt and dulse flakes (dried sea plant natually packed with iodine). Homogenised milk has been replaced by nonhomogenised milk from a local dairy (yes with the blob of cream on the top!).
It has certainly been a year of experimenting and learning both in our kitchen and at our dinner table, but I must admit that I have enjoyed every minute (and my family have enjoyed most of it too!). I look forward to sharing some of my recipes with you and also some of the ways that our family has started caring for our planet.
