About
Hey there! Thank you for landing in my space.
I am Angeliki, the heart and the soul of this blog.
I was born and raised in Greece but now live in beautiful Australia with my husband and my three teenage boys.
I am passionate about using Food as medicine to benefit our health and wellbeing.
This passion is what has led me down the path of creating this food blog.
In this blog, you will find traditional recipes I have grown up eating and have been passed down and cherished from generations to generations, as well as some new recipes. Recipes that I have modified over the years and have made them my own by giving them a healthier twist.
Using simple whole food staples, my recipes capture the Greek and Mediterranean flavours and take you on a journey back in time to nostalgic holiday memories.
I will also be sharing with you all types of wellness, from healthy living tips to improving your health and lifestyle, to meal organising tips, personal experiences and everything in between.
When writing for this food blog, I am always influenced by the ancient wisdom, timeless history and the cherished customs of my heritage. They are my inspiration.
Also, I love looking at the different food traditions around the world. It always amazes me how different cultures have prepared, cooked and preserved foods over the years.
Visiting food markets, researching food tours and courses, and planning my holidays around the different culinary adventures in other countries is also something I do regularly.
This blog is not only a keepsake of recipes and all things healthy; it is also a way of preserving our culture and passing it down for the next generations to cherish.
Therefore I consider myself a pretty ‘traditional girl’ in a not so much traditional, modern world!
In this food blog, I use ingredients that are alive and nourishing for the body.
Foods like bone broth, healthy fats and activated nuts, ancient grains and flours, sourdough bread, fermented foods, and natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup are some of the purest ingredients you can have in your kitchen. Organic fruits and vegetables sourced from your veggie patch or local markets; grass-fed dairy and organic animal proteins are also equally important choices.
A time when food was clean, alive and healthy before it was industrialised and mass-produced in factories.
To motivate and inspire you to start cooking simple, delicious, nutritious recipes that will heal and nourish the body and soul with little effort and time but with lots of love and enthusiasm.
I will also be suggesting alternative options for people with dietary preferences and food intolerances.
I firmly believe that the solution to most of our health problems today is to get back to basics.
So come and join me on my food culinary journey back in time.
I am here to inspire you to eat and live healthier.
So what are you waiting for…be your own health advocate!
Back in time...
I’m the oldest of five siblings and grew up in a beautiful town in Greece where we only ate what was in season. We produced our own fruits and vegetables and raised our own animals for meat.
From a young age, I realised that food was an important part of my life. My earlier memories of food are of me cooking with my mum, grandma and great grandmother (yes! I was lucky to have met them both).
Our house was always full of family and friends, and food was always an important part of bringing everyone together. I can definitely resonate with many parts of the movie ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding'.
I have many fond memories of growing up in the village, which I will cherish forever.
Moving to Australia to study was a significant change. I was living in a city where convenient food was freely available. We didn't need to raise our own animals, pasteurise the milk, make cheese or grow our own fruit and vegetables. Everything was available at our doorstep.
Fruits and vegetables were available all year round and always looked so appealing… I was in heaven!
So much was conveniently available to me. I indulged in everything... From packaged foods to take away joints… and quickly forgot how real food was meant to taste.
My reality check...
My turning point came many years later when my second son was born.
He was born with severe eczema. Such condition required a daily treatment of wet wrap therapy followed by the application of steroid creams. On top of this, he was also diagnosed with multiple food allergies.
It was a challenging time for us during the diagnosis. We didn’t know anything about food allergies and how severe they can be. You can imagine how helpless we felt. Remember this was in the early 2000s where medical research was limited because food allergies were not very common.
At the time allergy free packaged food options were limited and not as widely available. Eating out at restaurants was a challenge as kitchen staff could not comprehend the severity of his food allergies and often could not accommodate. Therefore, in order to be safe I always carried precooked meals for him.
Doctors had advised avoiding these foods altogether as anaphylaxis is a life-threatening condition. They had told us that because of the severity of his allergies, the possibility of him growing out of them was very low.
I remember feeling depressed and lost at the time. Of course, I knew that I had to pick up my pieces as a mother and devote my energy to helping him get better.
Deep down, I knew it was possible.
After many hours of researching, I discovered the importance of Gut Health and how the foods you eat can significantly affect our health. Having a healthy gut can be a game-changer in preventing allergies from developing in the first place but even improving existing ones.
This was a turning point in my life. I lost my interest in Business Marketing (my main career path until then) and focused on studying Nutrition and alternative treatments.
Theodore was given antibiotics at birth and was also prescribed many courses of antibiotics in his first year of life because of recurring ear infections. The overuse of antibiotics caused severe imbalances to his gut microbiome, which I believe resulted in his multiple food allergies and severe eczema.
Theodore was also a very fussy eater... which didn't help the situation. With his limited food options, he was missing out on vital vitamins and minerals necessary for his rapid development. Because of his deficiencies and gut issues, homemade organic meals were imperative to his healing journey as they supplied all the nutrients he needed so desperately. Nutrients, of course, that lack in today's Western diet.
I knew I had to go back to basics to heal his gut.
I started working with a naturopath and started changing our diet. I was now cooking wholefood nutrient-dense meals made with the purest and simplest ingredients I could find. This is when things started to get better.
Changing our eating habits did not happen overnight. We all needed the time to acquire new taste buds and start enjoying the different food flavours. I began substituting and introducing new things in our diet, one ingredient at a time. I started in small amounts and continued increasing the quantities as we got accustomed to the taste.
My pantry started to fill up with products that most people would consider a bit weird at the time! It looked like an art gallery to most of my visitors, who usually left our house with something new to try, from dry seaweed to miso paste, umeboshi vinegar and everything in between.
Looking back, I believe that sometimes things happen for a reason.
Theodore's condition changed our whole diet for the better. Being anaphylactic to dairy, nuts, fish, eggs, and intolerant to wheat doesn't leave you with many conventional options. For this reason, I had to look elsewhere and start preparing meals from scratch. Put it simply; I just had to look back into my roots.
Fast forward to today, we have come a long way.
When we do get sick, I always check with the GP what infection I am dealing with. Then I go home, and I boil a chicken! Bone stock is my first aid rescue remedy! Together with some herbal, vitamin and homeopathic formulations, my kids recover quickly without progressing to secondary infections.
Theodore’s eczema has disappeared, and his food allergies are much better. He can now tolerate egg, wheat and dairy, most nuts and shellfish. He is older now and understands the importance of having a clean diet and its effect on his gut.
I have been cooking this way for many years, and the boys know how to recognise which foods are healthier than others.
Being teenagers doesn't mean they always make the right choices; what is certain, though, is that they always come back to what they are use to eating. Deep down, I know they appreciate the clean food that they have grown up with and know that one day they will pass down these healthy habits to their kids.
A little more about me...
I'm a qualified Reiki Practitioner and Access Consciousness Bars Practitioner. I believe in energy healing techniques and practice hands-on healing whenever I can. I love when the boys ask for 'some healing energy' when we snuggle on the couch.
I love photography and the sense of serenity I experience behind the lens. For me, it is like meditating. Focusing on the image through the lens, the different angles and reflection of the light relaxes me and takes me to a different dimension. I aim to take photos that talk by themselves and hope to tempt and inspire you to try my recipes.
I love Aromatherapy and essential oils. They are pure, 100% natural oils and have many therapeutic possibilities. We use them daily in our home.
Candle making is one of my newest hobby. I love making candles with pure Beeswax. When burning, this natural candle wax emits negative ions that purify the air and gives out a natural smell of honey.
I try and meditate daily or simply do some breathing exercises. It helps me find my center. We can all benefit from looking after our mental health and wellbeing. I love the work of Dr Joe Dispenza and Dr Bruce Lipton to name a few. There are some great meditation apps to start from and even introduce your kids to.
Lastly, and most importantly I love entertaining and cooking delicious, nourishing meals to share with family and friends.
So come and join me in this food and health journey of discovery. I will be delighted to share my passion for food with you and hope to inspire you to live a better, healthier life.
Many thanks!