A big welcome today to wholefood mama Michelle who blogs at
Norfolk Exposure. I love popping over (virtually) to visit Michelle in her island life, you can count on Michelle to say it how it is and for a grounded approach to feeding her family real food.
Michelle and her husband
Ben live on Norfolk Island with their two
children, Harry 11 years and Matilda 8 years.
Norfolk Island is located in the South Pacific, around 1600km from
Sydney. If you're feeling energetic you could jog around the island as it spans 8kms in one direction, by 5 in the other. Originally
from Bathurst in NSW’s Central West, the family moved to Norfolk Island 4 years
ago after Michelle accepted a teaching position at the island's only school.
Ben, Michelle and their children are smitten with their island lifestyle.
Michelle says,
“Coming here
was a bit like stepping back in time, in all the right ways. Norfolk is a safe,
close-knit community. Our kids can run free, neighbours look out for each other
and people are generally less concerned with the haves and have nots”.
Who
or what started you on your wholefood path?
Healthy eating has always been a priority for Ben and
myself, although our ideas about what constitutes eating well have flipped and
morphed over time. As young newlyweds we took food shopping and preparation quite
seriously. We believed we were doing the right thing by choosing low-fat options,
we ate margarine instead of butter and whilst we didn’t consume huge quantities
of sugar, we didn’t really see processed food as anything more than just that,
food! It’s laughable (now) to think that
back then our dinner often revolved around a ready-made pasta sauce (think
Chicken Tonight) or a Continental flavour sachet (well, it never occurred to me
to make beef stroganoff any other way). We scoured food labels diligently and
never bought anything containing the “numbers” 621 or 635! If the product
contained more than 10 percent fat –
pfft
– back on the shelf it went! I’d never heard anyone speak of or against food
miles – it was a fact of life that the supermarket provided everything we
needed, regardless of the season.
Fast forward a few years to find us a happy little family of
four. Determined to give my children the best possible foundation for good
health, nutrition became more important than ever. It was at this time (around
7 years ago) that my sister loaned me her copy of Michael Pollan’s ‘In Defence of Food’. I still remember
vividly, sitting at the kitchen bench reading it out loud to Ben whilst he
cooked dinner... each of us trying to fathom this new and thought-provoking information. That book blew our minds! We were horrified
to learn how manipulated and industrialised the food industry is. We were
mortified to think that most of what a supermarket contained was in fact, not
even food. Michael’s words ‘Don't eat things that your great-grandmother
wouldn't recognize’ are forever etched in my brain!
Not long after reading ‘In
Defence of Food’, a friend steered me towards Sally Fallon’s Nourishing
Traditions. To begin with this book pushed me a bit far, a case of too much too
soon. I didn’t know where to start. Drink grass fed raw milk – heck, where on
earth was I going to source that? Grind your own flour – yikes….where do I buy
whole unmilled grains? How much does a grinder cost? Ferment vegetables – who will
teach me? When will I find the time? Soak and sprout nuts, legumes and grains –
should I just chain myself to the kitchen? Luckily I got the opportunity to
attend a one day workshop that focussed on Sally Fallon’s recommendations. We
were presented with practical approaches and examples, plus the workshop opened
the door to a network of friends who were about to embark on the same wholefood
journey. After this I realised we could make some simple and realistic changes
to our diet. Little steps at a time.
Moving to Norfolk Island four years ago, my food
philosophies merged with my environmental concerns, a desire to create less
waste and to eat and live more sustainably. A drive to further limit unrecyclable rubbish from
going into the bin (and ultimately into the sea) pushed us even further towards
an unprocessed, whole food diet.
Can
you tell us about your approach to feeding your family?
To begin with, we try to eat a minimal amount of processed
food. But I’d be deceiving you if I didn’t declare that some items still find
their way into our shopping basket; rice crackers, buckwheat cruskits and now
and then a box of Carmen’s brand muesli bars. A large proportion of our diet
consists of locally grown fruit and vegetables, locally sourced meat and fish,
plus our own eggs. We try to eat ethically and sustainably, but it’s difficult
at times. Whilst fruit, veg and some meat is grown here, a large quantity of
our food is shipped to the island from New Zealand and Australia. I’m conscious
of food miles and it’s an issue I try to grapple. The reality is I order an
extensive list of organic products which cannot be sourced locally. The sorts
of things I order from online organic wholefood suppliers include quinoa, cocao
powder, shredded coconut, rapadura sugar, dried fruit and nuts, popping corn, coconut
oil, almond meal, herbal teas and chickpeas. Whenever we travel to Oz or
someone comes to visit us we stock up on organic ingredients that can’t be
bought here.
I prefer to buy organic produce when possible. Lucky for us
all fruit and vegetables grown here are free of nasty pesticides and chemicals.
Ben catches fish fresh from the sea and we buy local grass fed beef and pork.
We rarely eat chicken as we cannot source it locally. Sadly I cannot buy
organic milk, cheese, cream or butter but the New Zealand products flown in are
of good quality and I’m happy to buy them as opposed to go without altogether.
Two years ago Ben and I undertook Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar program. It was worthwhile as it helped us to realize how much we craved
sugar. It also helped us to understand just how much sugar is in supermarket
food, showing up in places I never suspected. We aren’t strictly sugar-free
anymore, but we limit our intake and opt for less refined sweeteners such as
rapadura, maple syrup and local honey. There is so little sugar in our diet I
don’t get too hung up about what my children eat at other people’s houses or at
parties. They have learned to understand how sugar makes them feel and are
becoming excellent self-regulators. Even my daughter (who can smell sugar a
mile away and usually comes running for it), recognises that sugar leaves her
feeling grumpy and emotional!
Breakfast is a meal we give great consideration to. We are a
family of hearty breakfast eaters, all of us waking up hungry!! Rarely a
morning passes where we don’t eat a cooked breakfast. We don’t buy cereal
except for special occasions ie while we are on a family holiday. Our breakfast
menu changes week to week, but the staples include omelettes, French toast, corn
meal fritters, sprouted buckwheat pancakes or oat porridge (we always soak the
oats overnight).
I’m the queen of simple.
Working full time, I don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen.
I guess we don’t eat a hugely varied repertoire. I tend to stick with what’s
nutritious but fuss free, even if that means eating the same soup two nights in
a row. We are forced to eat seasonally – there’s no such thing as supermarket cold
storage for fruit and veg on Norfolk Island! My kids go to school with
wholesome lunch boxes but I’m not one of those Mum’s who mixes it up much. If
carrots and cucumbers are in season, then expect them every day while the going
is good!! Truth be told, my two never complain. I ate a peanut butter sandwich,
vita-wheats with vegemite and an apple nearly every day of my school life and I
don’t remember being bothered by it. I sometimes think parents put too much pressure
on themselves to be creative. Keep it simple (and healthy) and don’t over think
it. Just trust the kids will eat it. Be creative on the weekend, when you have
time and the kids can help!
We try to limit wheat in our diet – for the most part
because it doesn’t seem to agree with my digestive system, but also because I
don’t think it should be consumed unless prepared the old fashioned way. Our
local baker kindly agreed to bake us a slow rise fermented spelt bread. We pick
up 4 smallish loaves every Saturday morning and this lasts the week (we freeze
it of course). If the kids have a sandwich for lunch I ensure they have nothing
else wheat-based in their diet that day….not an approach I’m suggesting anyone
else should take, I just don’t think my family needs more wheat than that. We
don’t eat pasta very often and hardly miss it. I try and bake at least one
grain-free/refined-sugar free lunchbox snack each week.
What
do you find challenging when it comes to following a wholefood path with a
family?
Time. Eating well takes time and planning, especially when
you commit to soaking, fermenting and preserving foods. Every few months we
soak, sprout and dry almonds, pumpkin seeds and other nuts. We always prepare
oats and other grains by soaking before consuming and on top of that I’m
attending to our water kefir every few days. Ben is in charge of making beef
stock and fish stock (oh my god, the SMELL) which he does expertly. Ben
thankfully also takes charge of bottling tomatoes when they are in season using
our Fowlers Vacola system and he uses our Vacola Dryer to preserve fruit once
in a while. We make our own washing powder and cleaning products as well as
apple cider vinegar. Sometimes my kitchen feels like a science lab; there’s
always something soaking, simmering, sprouting or fermenting! Sometimes it all
feels too much and we fall off the wagon a bit. But we always get back on
eventually. I try not to beat myself up about it.
For us on Norfolk, availability is a BIG challenge! We have
no choice but to eat what is in season. Months go buy when I dream of a carrot
or would give my right arm for a pumpkin! It’s not a bad thing really, but it
takes some getting used too. The trade-off is that we eat fruit and veg of
superior taste and quality, often of heirloom heritage and always picked just
hours before it’s sold at the market. As for getting hold of the other
wholefoods, well I’ll admit it can be a pain having to order online. Not only
do I have to think ahead, I then have to wait for it to be shipped over.
Sometimes I wait 2 months for supplies to arrive and there’s always the risk
that it will have spoiled on the ship during the journey (which has
happened). Shipping foods here is very
costly. As is sending it via air. The fresh milk here flown in from New Zealand
every Sunday costs $6 a litre!!!!!!!! Ben or I make a weekly batch of plain EasiYo yoghurt (not ideal because
it contains soy lecithin, but we haven’t been able to come up with a better
solution as yet). In an ideal world I’d own a milking cow!!!!!!!!!!
What
is your go to meal when you are short on time or inspiration?
When everyone has run out of puff, and the fridge or pantry stock
lacks lustre, veggie soup or eggs on toast are our meals of choice. To make a
simple soup we chop up any veggies we can find and add it to some stock. It’s
probably one of my favourite meals actually. And who can go past eggs on toast.
With our own chooks, eggs are in plentiful supply at our house. Add to this
some cooked tomato, fried cabbage and freshly sliced avocado and voila…an easy
but nutritious meal perfect for a ravenous family.
Whenever I cook a mince based dish such shepherd’s pie or
chilli con carn, I always make a double or triple batch to freeze for
emergencies for those days when everyone gets home late and tired. When we have
soup or rice for dinner we make enough so that everyone can have it for lunch
the next day.
In the warmer months my kids love a salad plate. My Mum made
them when I was little too. Think boiled egg, carrot sticks, cold meat or tin
tuna, cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, olives etc…all arranged on a plate. Easy
and effortless and best of all, my kids eat it all. We love salads, of all
kinds!
Who
are your wholefood heroes and why?
I really admire Jamie Oliver. I think he has done so much to
raise awareness of the pitfalls of fast food, plus he offers realistic,
family-friendly alternatives. I also admire the food providers of yesteryear. Our
great grandparents had a good handle on food preparation. They knew how to grow
their own, how to preserve excess, how to be fugal. They knew about good fats,
soaking grains and fermenting foods. Lastly, I’d also have to say my Mum. She
loves cooking and rarely follows a recipe because she has that natural ability
to whip things together instinctively. My sister, brother and I were raised on
a very wholesome diet, and none of us has had any teeth cavities! We rarely
consumed fast food and only ever ate treats at birthday parties and other such
celebrations.
Your
three favourite ingredients and why?
Eggs.
They are so versatile and nutritious. Onions.
Honestly. I love them and I can hardly think of a meal we cook that doesn’t
call for them. We ran out of onions on Norfolk Island recently and I realised
how much I rely on them. Berries. I keep
frozen mixed berries in the freezer all the time. I top pancakes with them, I
add them to natural yoghurt, I use them for baking, in smoothies and recently I
discovered a recipe that uses them to make a sugar free chia seed jam.
Tell
us about your two essential kitchen gadgets or utensils...
I bought a second hand
hand-held stick blender for $20 from a garage sale. It’s the most used
appliance we own. It gets used for making everything from smoothies to dips. Our
slow cooker is a life saver. I don’t know how any busy family can survive
without one. There’s nothing better than
coming home on a cold winter’s day to be greeted by the smell of a stew or soup
ready to eat!
Sugar
or salt, which do you crave? And when you do what satisfies you?
I crave sugar. Oh boy….I
actually put that in print. Mostly a piece of dried fruit and a slice of cheese will leave me satisfied. But,
there are moments that call for something a little more indulgent right, so a square
(OK, or two) of sugar-free dark chocolate will certainly settle my cravings. If
it’s in the house, and it’s not good for you, I’ll eat it….I have little
self-control in that way.
Favourite
cookbooks and food blogs you'd like to share...
Despite the initial overload
of information, Nourishing Traditions is now a go-to book in our kitchen. I
don’t own many cookbooks anymore (we could only bring a limited amount of stuff
when we moved here) so I rely on websites and blogs for new ideas.
I totally
adore Petite Kitchen which I discovered only recently. Nourished Kitchen is worth visiting, and although not a food blog specifically, I’ve really
enjoyed following Tania’s wholefood journey on her blog Ivy Nest I also recommend checking out Maria Hannaford’s wellness blog ‘Econest’ Maria often shares great recipes.
What
do you enjoy about blogging?
I love sharing snippets of
our island life with others. We feel privileged and lucky to live in such a
safe, pristine, unique and beautiful environment. When I started Norfolk
Exposure I never imagined it would lead to new friendships and associations.
For me, blogging makes the world feel smaller and more connected.
Please
share links to a couple of your favourite posts on your blog...
What are you loving about
your life right now?
Everything! What’s not to
love about island life! I’m particularly enjoying spring; the days are getting
warmer and longer. I think the beach is calling me….
Michelle's Recipe - Sprouted buckwheat pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup of raw sprouted buckwheat kernels
2 cups of filtered water for soaking
1 egg (optional)
1 mashed banana (also optional)
Steps
1. Soak
buckwheat kernels overnight (in the warmer months, soak in the fridge
overnight)
2. The
next day, rinse and place soaked kernels in a blender with 1 ¼ cups of filtered
water
3. Add
an egg and/or a banana if you like (we make them with and without) and blend
until smooth
4. Add
a little extra water if you want your batter to be runnier
5. Heat
your frying pan to a medium heat and add a good dollop of coconut oil. Gently
tilt the frying pan to disperse the oil evenly
6. Spoon
the batter into the frying pan just as you would for any other pancake recipe.
The pancakes will begin to form bubbles as the underneath side cooks first.
Take a peak to check the underside of the pancake and flip when ready. The
first one may not work so well, it takes a pancake or two to get the heat
right! Reduce the heat slightly if the pancakes begin to get burnt spots on
them. When ready, flip the pancake over and cook for a further minute,
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