the tomatoes

Dear Olive,
Shane had to go to the Sydney growers markets last week and buy $2,400 worth of tomatoes for a commercial. It filled to the hilt an entire van. I couldn't get over the ridiculousness of his job. And I couldn't get over just how many tomatoes there were.
Needless to say, two big boxes came home with him at the end of the shoot*, so on the weekend I got pretty busy. I turned one box into lots of jars of this Indian inspired chutney. It was doing my head in trying to get the proportions exact (I mean, how could I divide and multiply "6 tomatoes" by the amount I used? I'm no maths whiz). And I added onion to mine which confused things further. And also chilli. But it turned out pretty great! I've given away six jars of it, and Shane and I are committed to consuming the rest.
I also semi-roasted a big batch in a low oven with some garlic and herbs.
And still we're handing out small bags of tomatoes to friends and neighbours.
*I'm pleased to say lots of tomatoes (& plenty of other food from the job too) were dropped to OzHarvest.

what's in the box

Dear Olive,
Rather pathetically, having to put together the lunchbox every morning was one of the things I was anxious about before you started school. But with a tiny bit of pre-thought, it's actually been no trouble, and - dare I say it - enjoyable! (And let's face it, I'm at home at the moment anyway, so I've got it far easier than many.) 
I'm sure I'll laugh at my rookie enthusiasm in months (weeks?) to come, but for now I'll go with it.

| carrot sticks, avocado loaded on ancient grain sourdough, boiled egg, date, strawberries, chocolate chia seed pudding |

| leftover roast chicken, cherry tomato, dates, natural yoghurt with honey, grapes, boiled egg |

| strawberries, grain free buttered pikelets, grapes, cherry tomato, zucchini frittata muffins |

| grapes, strawberries, boiled egg, steamed broccoli, carrot sticks, mini meatballs, avocado on ancient grain sourdough |

..... and repeat!

the floury baker

Dear Olive,
One of the loveliest things about having Shane off work right now, is the number of meals we're getting to eat together as a family. We put away our phones and toys, put on some music, and try not to pay any attention to what you are - or most likely aren't - eating. (Your currently limited eating habits, however, are a whole other story!) This week has been extra special because we've had the delicious pleasure of dining on food from The Floury Baker, an online provisions store who now offers a home delivered dinner service. What a treat it was to find such a yummy package on our doorstep Monday morning! Anna Simamora makes all the meals with seasonal, Australian grown whole foods, without any preservatives or additives. The meals are frozen, then delivered to customers doorsteps all around Sydney. Anna's a professional chef whose food philosophy really resonated with me - she's all about flavour, texture, seasonal and sustainable produce. And her meals really do taste like hearty, home cooked food - albeit, hearty home cooked food cooked by a really great cook. (She also baked Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garners wedding cake once!) 
To celebrate the opening of their home delivery dinner service, The Floury Baker is offering free shipping on all orders placed before September 8 with the code dear olive. (Get the steak and mushroom pie! And the pork ragu! Actually, get anything, it's all good.)

weekend menu

Dear Olive,
We're going away with a bunch of friends this weekend (we're staying here - doesn't it look fabulous?). I'm looking forward to a few slow bush walks (I hope this weather holds!) and relaxing in front of the fire.  And possibly a spa. There's an allocated roster for food and we're on duty for one breakfast and one dinner. I'm thinking this lovely sounding baked fetta with walnuts and honey as a starter (or an afternoon snack) would be great. A friend made Pete Evans Balinese roast chicken and said it was the best chicken she's ever had, so I'll make that for dinner with a salad and roast potatoes. I haven't made a tarte tatin in years and I think it might be time again! Or perhaps a trusty Stephanie Alexander crumble? (I've always loved the ground ginger in her crumble topping.) I'm looking forward to enjoying a champagne, too! (For anyone interested, here's the ABA's take on drinking alcohol and breastfeeding.)
Happy weekend, friends.

soup

Dear Olive,
It's finally soup weather in Sydney! My gorgeous friend Ceinwen made us a sweet potato and corn soup when Clancy was born and it was so delicious that I got the recipe from her and made it yesterday. It came from one of the Moosewood cookbooks - if anyone is around my age and raised by vegetarian, hippy parents, they may remember Moosewood? The fonts and illustrations and everything about them are so nostalgic for me. One of the books is titled The Enchanted Broccoli Forest! (I'll be dusting off your Moosewood books and having a look next time I'm up there, Dad.)

Southwestern corn & sweet potato soup 
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 crushed garlic cloves (I used about 6)
1 small fresh chilli, chopped
3 cups stock (I used my chicken broth)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
3 cups corn kernels
salt & pepper to taste

a squeeze of lemon, a dollop of yoghurt, plus some coriander to serve

Basically, simmer it all up, puree half the mix, add the toppings and voila! A beautiful winter warmer.

Breakfast of Champions

Dear Olive,
On the weekends, we like to sit down to a family breakfast of eggs, avocado, whatever else we have lying around. But on the weekdays, for me, breakfast is typically this. Some yoghurt, a tablespoon each of sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pepitas and flaxseed oil, a shake of cinnamon, a handful of fruit, and a few drops of stevia. Really delicious, grain free, and filled with healthy (and essential) fats that will keep you sustained for hours (and which keep you looking young, too!). 
Breakfast of champions, I assure you. 

(My guru, Dr Mercola, wrote an article on the amazingness {not his word} of pepitas last week - read it here.)

Chocolate Orange

Dear Olive,
We had some friends over for a casual dinner on Sunday, and because I was cooking only a very simple meal, I decided a dessert was called for. I haven't really been eating sugar, so I was faced with the conundrum of what would satisfy my requirement for something healthy, and our guests (and Shane's) desires for something delicious. Enter this chocolate orange cake - grain free, refined sugar free, dairy free (not important to me, but let's list it anyway!), and, above all, absolutely delicious. I served it warm with double dollop cream on the night, but I think it sang even more eaten cold straight from the fridge the next day.
The recipe, and many other amazing ones, found here. (I'm going to try those banana cookies next. And make that raw chocolate for Easter.)

The Man on the Bus

Dear Olive,
On the bus today, a man offered you a tim tam, which I politely declined. He insisted, I insisted. Things got a little awkward when he said it's just a little bit of chocolate and tossed it into my lap.
We left the tim tam on the bus when we got off at our stop. We walked home and cooked pumpkin soup for lunch. We ate it with kamut toast with avocado and pink salt and it was delicious. 
People say I'm lucky that you're so healthy. I say good health is a choice. We choose it.

(I don't mean to say you don't have treats -  because you do, probably plenty of them. Honey sandwiches, dates, the occasional ice-cream, fruit buns, birthday cake. Right now you're eating a home made mango smoothie icy pole. But we try to make smarter, healthier decisions when it comes to treats.)

Slice of Heaven

Dear Olive,
I tasted this slice recently at a friends, and it was so delicious I had to try to recreate it at home. This is my second attempt at making it and it's bloody amazing (if I do say so myself) - chewy and sticky and chocolate-y. I have no idea of quantities, I just blindly threw in (liquified) coconut oil, chia seeds, raw cacao powder, vanilla essence and rice syrup, and hoped for the best. I mixed it all together, put it in a baking paper lined tin in the freezer, and tried my hardest not to eat it all in one go! (Next time I'm going to make it with flaked coconut in place of the chia seeds and call it golden rough.)

Weekend

Dear Olive,
Such a fun weekend that we had.
1. View from the house we stayed at with a bunch of people for a friends birthday. (The inside was even better.)
2. Go away with foodies, get served poached eggs, kransky sausage, and corn and papaya relish for breakfast.
3. She takes you on pony rides and you love her. Happy birthday Rach!
4. Mexican lunch.
5. Step this way for taco's and beers. Yes please!
6. Senorita toilets.
7. Hard to go past without a long, long look inside the window of this little art school.
8. Cold, be gone!

Yours, Mine

Dear Olive,
I'm always interested to know what other people feed themselves and their kids, so I thought I'd start sharing some of our meals. We try to eat pretty healthy over here, with limited refined sugar, or anything too processed. But of course, there are exceptions, like ice cream, or sausage rolls with loads of tomato sauce. But I think (I hope!), that it's ok to have the crappier treats sometimes if in general you're eating lots of the good stuff.
Anyway, for lunch today you were served up leftover roast pumpkin (cooked in coconut oil with salt, powdered ginger and turmeric) plus a boiled egg thrown in for some protein. (You and I each eat at least an egg per day.) Looking at the photo it looks a little on the meagre side! But you were super happy with it.

For me, it was leftover roast lamb, with (*gasp* store bought!) aioli, sweet sweet cherry tomatoes and lettuce on kamut bread toast. It was the tastiest sandwich I've had in a while.

I wonder what everyone else is eating?

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Dear Olive,

I’ve been thinking about giving you more treats lately, for the sake of keeping things interesting for you, and as a replacement for sultanas and dates, which you are a total nut for. But I’m not keen to go down the refined sugar path, which we’ve managed to more or less avoid to this point. So I’m going to trial a few sugar free recipes with coconut oil and coconut flour. (To say I'm not known for my baking skills is probably a bit of an understatement.) On the menu for yesterday’s afternoon tea: strawberry & honey coconut muffins. Dairy, gluten and sugar free. Sound pretty terrible don’t they? Well our first victims came around and tasted them and they were actually quite delicious. Vewy vewy vewy yummy according to you, as you gobbled up two. Even Shane gave them the thumbs up and he usually turns his nose up at anything even vaguely along those healthy lines.

Recipe here. (I used melted coconut oil in place of the butter, honey for the liquid sweetener, and strawberries in place of blueberries purely for the fact that was all I had on hand.)

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Dear Olive,
Two years ago today, at just before ten o'clock in the morning, you came into my and Shane's arms and we were forever changed. You made us parents for the first time*, and showed us the incredible possibility of endless love. I’ve told you the story of your birth many times. How you were born, how incredibly amazing you were, how we could not believe it when we woke up the day after to find you asleep in the bed between us. We kept saying Can you believe it. Can you believe it. Over and over. And look at you now, two years on. A running, jumping, talking, screaming, bright, bossy, sensitive, demanding, hilarious, happy two year old. Who loves blueberries, books, swings, sultanas, Hey Jude, and tickles on the bed with Dad**. I’m still working you out I think, your real personality. Or maybe it'll turn out that you're just too close for me to really see you for who you are. Perhaps you'll always just be my divine, darling baby. Big happy happy birthday to you!

* making us parents for the first time that we know of Shane pointed out. I'm quite certain (in fact, I'd say 100%) that I don't have any, but I'm sure interested to meet any love children of your Dads.

** As soon as Shane gets home from you scream (you're really REALLY loud) and tear off yelling tickle on bed Daddy, tickle me on bed Dad.

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Dear Olive,
You bought bath milk! came the cry from the kitchen after I told Shane there was milk in the fridge if he wanted to make a coffee. It took a bit of explaining (Shane is occasionally concerned that me and my naturopathic family are a little on the 'out there' side of things), but what can I say, we've totally jumped on the (somewhat controversial) raw milk bandwagon. Two high school girlfriends came around yesterday and, growing up in the country, they told me they drank it straight from a neighbours cow down the road. It'll come as no surprise to hear we don't have a cow in our Bondi flat. We don't even know anyone with a cow nearby. So we'll just have to buy our moonshine from the illicit trade at the health food store.

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Dear Olive,
When I first started back at work all those months ago, I found it took a few days of each job for me to adjust to being back at work and being away from you. And then at the end of the job, I'd have a few days of feeling quite lost at being back at home with you. But I must have adapted, because there is no transition period anymore. I slip right on in to whichever role it is I'm playing. Capable freelance costume lady working long hours? Yes. Stay at home Mum managing laundry, meals and park dates, in addition to being Head of Toddler Entertainment Department and Toddler Destruction Protection Unit? Sure am. Even though sometimes I crave a bit more predictability for you and I, I kind of like the unpredictability of it all too. It keeps it fresh or something. And today? Today I am the latter. After three loads of laundry, we had the most beautiful picnic with a few friends at Marks Park (seriously the BEST views going around), and I'm now about to spend almost your entire naptime rereading an old classic, drinking tea and eating tahini and honey on toast.

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Dear Olive,
When I saw this book in a shop recently, I couldn't resist buying it. So many hilarious cakes! So many memories from my childhood! So much sexism! You had a good look and declared you'd like the cake with the animals. And despite repeated attempts to tell you it's just a cake, you're insistent. Go in it. Want to go in there. 
PS long weekend here = bliss.
PPS I'm working the rest of this week. See you on the other side.

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Dear Olive,
Monday. Already. Our weekend was reduced to only one day thanks to Shane having to work on Saturday. We had some fun but it makes for a long week without Shane around. He's exhausted and missing you like crazy too. There's a lot swirling around in my mind at the moment and I'm not sure how or what to put down in a letter. I'm thinking a lot about breastfeeding. I'm thinking of my dear friends beautiful newborn baby in hospital. I'm thinking about the importance of natural health and nutrition (finding inspiration here and here). I'm thinking about whether we should take the place we've been offered in family day care. I'm thinking how old it looks to write I'm turning 35 soon. I'm thinking about how many times you've driven me crazy this morning.  
Flowers from the markets. Super Smoothies* for breakfast. Post Super Smoothie high. Matching back your accessories to your shoes.

* My Dad has a Super Smoothie for breakfast every morning. He drinks about a litre of it and it includes no less than two (two!) raw eggs. I know it's just mind over matter but I'm still building up to the eggs. This morning's smoothie had a mango, kefir yoghurt, rice milk, honey, 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil. It was delicious and you loved it!

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Dear Olive,

Pumpkin soup for lunch today, and almost everyday this week. Served with loads of avocado on toast. Just the way I like it.

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Dear Olive,
Stealthily, while Shane and I were lounging in bed, you made off with the brown paper bag, and helped yourself. I fear we may have a croissant monster on our hands. 
(Pyjama suit styled by Shane. Hair styled by bed.)

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Dear Olive,
Some things are just more fun with kids around. Easter egg hunt and home-made initial easter buns (served up on Charles and Di wedding plates!) courtesy of our dear friend Amanda. Bunny ears by me. It's been unreal so far. Happy Easter Weekend.