It’s Christmas time and our family chat group is going crazy with all the food chats! This year all my siblings are coming home (four of us) plus there’ll be lots of kids and grandkids and mum and dad – all of us together for the first time in seven years (wooo!!!). So my sister and brother who are travelling from afar are putting in their requests for all their favourite Christmas foods… Good thing Joye (my older sister) and I have been preparing ahead for Christmas for the last month in our Monday cooking classes, because it’s a LOOOOONG list!!! Ha ha!! Our very Quirky family last time ..read more

Mango, Lime & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Freeze-Dried Mango Crumble Well here we are, nearly at the end of the year again (how did that come around so fast?!) and suddenly it’s time for all the holiday season parties, dinners and get-togethers. Our Far North Queensland summer weather has coincided with an influx of visitors, so when a box of mangoes turned up on my doorstep the other day I thought it’s time to get the ice cream maker out and make some ice cream for everyone. I’m so glad I did! If you’re like me and your ice cream maker has been sitting in the laundry or the back of a ..read more

Welcome to episode #100 of the A Quirky Journey podcast! Click on the image above to listen Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride is a medical doctor with two postgraduate degrees:   Master of Medical Sciences in Neurology, and Master of Medical Sciences in Human Nutrition. She graduated as a medical doctor in Russia. After practising for five years as a Neurologist and three years as a Neurosurgeon she started a family and moved to the UK, where she got her second postgraduate degree in Human Nutrition. Dr Natasha practices in the UK as a nutritionist and not as a medical doctor. She is well ..read more

Treetops Sanctuary Retreat, FNQ 11th - 15th Sept, 2023 Rest, de-stress and heal surrounded by the lush, natural beauty of the Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland.  Nestled atop acres of rolling green hills, Treetops Sanctuary looks out over some of the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforests.  Experience the power of ‘food as medicine’ with nourishing meals, hands-on cooking classes and a focus on gut health. Escape from your busy life for 5 days/4 nights and take some time out to fully relax and focus on your health and wellbeing. Immerse yourself in na ..read more

Luxury Health Retreat in the Italian Alps MAY 31ST - JUNE 4TH, 2023 Escape to a luxury retreat, hidden away in a charming mountain hamlet in the Italian alps. Rest, de-stress and heal, while enjoying the traditional culture and community life in an Italian village. Experience the power of “food as medicine,” with nutrient-dense meals and a focus on gut health. Learn how to create delicious, nourishing dishes from traditional ingredients, as we shop, forage and cook together. Wednesday 31st May to Sunday 4th June, 2023 View Pricing & Accommodation Options When it comes to liv ..read more

Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscuits It’s that time of year when the internet is flooded with all things ‘Pumpkin Pie Spice’! (Which I’m totally okay with – I LOVE pumpkin pie spice.) My family is from the USA and pumpkin pie is a family favourite, so of course I had to include this spice blend in my Quirky Cooking spice blend range. But there’s so many more things you can make with my Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend besides pumpkin pie – you can add it to lattes, smoothies, cheesecake, ice cream, pancakes, muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, cookie dough balls, cakes and… biscuits (cookies)! Photos by Sabi ..read more

A Quirky Cooking Chats Podcast with Jo Whitton. Continued from Preparing Ahead for Breakfasts “On-the-Go” Part 1 In this episode:  eggs for breakfast: lots of quick & easy ideas egg-free breakfasts for those who can’t have eggs (or are just tired of them!) cup-of-soup (on the go) dinner for breakfast smoothies hot drinks my go-to breakfast when in a rush Scroll down for a list of the recipes mentioned in this video…  If you want to improve your breakfast habits, begin thinking of breakfast as a meal no different from the other meals of the day. Don't worry, there are ple ..read more

Spicy Pumpkin Mash with Baked Eggs, from my cookbook Simple, Healing Food (Photo by Sabine Bannard) Pumpkin is one of the most-used vegetables in my kitchen. It can always be depended on to bulk out a meal, add flavour to both sweet and savoury dishes, impart a creamy texture to soups and desserts… and once roasted or steamed it will happily wait in the freezer to be added to a wide variety of recipes as needed. My addiction to pumpkin went to the next level when we were working on a gut-healing diet in our family. (Read our story in my cookbook Simple, Healing Food.) We took a break from ..read more

A Quirky Cooking Chats Podcast with Jo Whitton. Thinking about homeschooling but not sure you’ll cope? Wondering how other homeschooling parents organise their day and how to get started?  Get a glimpse of what homeschooling ‘really’ looks like in this fun and encouraging chat with Joanne Bennet of Aussie Homeschool Adventures.   Joanne and I are keeping it real in this podcast, so join us for a chat about: Why we chose to homeschool Raising socially well-adjusted kids How to do it all (Hint: we don’t!) What a usual school day looks like, and how it changes as the kids grow old ..read more

Many whole-food recipes call for dates as a sweetener, but if you’re trying to reduce the sugars in your diet you may be avoiding those recipes. A simple solution is to ferment the dates to reduce their sugar content, so you can have a date-sweetened treat now and then! Fermenting dates also adds in some beneficial bacteria, which is great for your gut health. I love the flavour of fermented dates – they add an extra layer of flavour to the recipe, giving the finished result more depth and deliciousness. Scroll down for lots of recipes you can make with fermented dates! Fermenting dates is su ..read more