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I have a huge love affair with breakfast, to the point where I get so excited about waking up so that I can fill my tummy with nourishing, wholesome goodness to kick start the day. I am always hungry for it, something that my mum just cant understand, and no matter what time I get up in the morning be it 4:30am (back in the day when we first started AMK) or later, my tummy is always ready for it! Lately I have been going crazy over porridge, I guess with the cooler mornings its that tummy warming goodness of creamy almond milk and oats that just hits the spot in so many good ways. However, every now and then, especially with the warmer months (hopefully) in front of us, I do like to indulge in the crunch of a good granola. Topped with a very generous dollop of either Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt, which I am loving at the moment along with some sliced banana, kiwi fruit, a chopped date and a drizzle of honey. Full of all the good stuff and enough fuel to see me through until morning tea time. I find now that since the little man has arrived combined with breastfeeding my appetite, which was pretty good already, has definitely increased!! This Maple, tahini and almond granola is so simple to make, its easier and healthier than going down to the shops to buy one pre-made and you know exactly what goes into it. Once you have all the ingredients its a great one to re-stock when running low and it lasts for ages! That's if you don't go eating it all once it comes out of the oven! yes, I do have the tendency to reach for handfuls of the stuff as it cools down on the bench. Realising only too late that I probably shouldn't have taken those last couple! its just too good and the aroma it fills the house with just gets me every time! You'll understand when you make it. 3 cups rolled organic (if possible) oats 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup shredded coconut 3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted 3 tbsp. maple syrup 3tbsp tahini pinch salt 1 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 170. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients, mix really well so that everything is combined. Lay a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray and pour the mix onto this, spread it all out. Pop into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, remove, give it a good stir and then pop back in for another 8 minutes. At this point you can take it out and give it another mix around, it may be ready or it may need a few more minutes to turn that lovely golden, toasty colour. Just keep a really good eye on it as it can easily go from being perfect to burnt! Remove from the oven, allow to cool (remember don't go eating too much while its on the bench, you will feel slightly sick!! haha) then place into a jar large enough to fit it all in, pop the lid on and ta-da! homemade granola. After it has cooled, you can also add the likes of goji berries, dates, apricots or figs if you so desire. just chop them all up and stir through.

I have to admit, it was quite difficult to choose the very first recipe that I would share with you, there are just so, so many! But, seeing as my goal here is to provide meals that require minimal fuss, are easy enough to prepare and are quick and super delicious I thought that these mussels would fit the bill perfectly. I am lucky enough to have a mother-in-law who also loves to cook, eat and create. our conversations flow in and out on the topic of food amongst other things and I was full of so much excitement when she handed me a jar full of this most wonderful smelling spice blend which I had never heard of before, Vadouvan. Its the French version of the Indian curry blend, Masala. It has the likes of cumin, cardamom, cloves and turmeric amongst other delightful flavours and the aroma is incredible! So, as you can imagine, my mind was spinning with ideas on how to incorporate this into a dish. Ben and I are huge fans of these shelled gems and we are very fortunate to have fresh Mount Martha mussels available to us, plump and juicy morsels they are. I normally just cook them in a tomato, red wine based sauce, so I thought what if I was to add this spice blend into the mix? I gave it a try and we both scooped our portions straight out of the pan onto our plates, popped them into our mouths, looked at each other and said, "YUM!" needless to say we polished off the whole lot. Thank goodness for crusty bread, as we needed this to mop up every last drop! I have made a note in my little notebook which I have come across just now as I read over the recipe that mentions this.... This was created on a night where the afternoon at A Mini Kitchen was slightly hellish! There may have been tears and a bit of a meltdown. Just another bump in the road of running a café. Just as well I have my happy place at home to dive deep into my kitchen meditation! Serves 2 hungry humans as a main, or 4 as a starter 1kg mussels, debearded and scrubbed if necessary. (I use local, Mount Martha mussels) 1 leek, sliced 1 garlic clove, finely diced 2 sticks celery, finely sliced 1 tsp vadouvan spice mix 1 long red chilli, finely diced (I always keep the seeds in, but you can take out if you prefer) 400g can diced tomatoes (I like to use the better quality cans as I have found they produce the loveliest flavour) 1/4 cup white wine salt & pepper a really good handful of spinach, chopped a handful of coriander, chopped Heat about 2 tbsp. light olive oil in a large pan, with a lid, over a medium-low heat. add the leek, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir again. Then add the celery and chilli and cook until the leek and celery are starting to soften and turn slightly golden. Add the spice and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and wine and then cook for about 8 minutes then add the mussels. cover with the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Stir through the spinach and coriander, salt and pepper and taste to check if it doesn't need any more seasoning or perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice. serve with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up all of those deliciously moreish juices.

I have been meaning to create a Blog for so long now, the more I think about it I should have started this quite a few years ago as I feel like I have so much that I want to share!! even if it is only for my records. I have a great love for writing and have many journals and notebooks with scribbled words, ideas and just random thoughts that flow from my head. For me, putting pen to paper brings me so much joy, that simple act of writing, which is very quickly disappearing as technology overtakes. Even now, for me to be typing this out seems very strange, I find the words flow so much easier when writing. Anyway, that's enough about that, lets get on with why I am really here! After being inspired by so many beautiful blogs, I had that niggling little self doubt pop into my head. you know the one that says, "but I cant create something as beautiful as that" "what if no one wants to follow me" "where do I even start?" But, here I am now, actually doing this, and you know what, it feels really good! Just making this step, to actually begin has got me all excited for the journey ahead. And, as I said before I feel like I have so much that I want to share. From leaving home and moving over to Western Australia without even knowing how to boil an egg (yes, its true) and, I probably should mention that my husband, Ben, did teach me a thing or two in the kitchen back in the early days of our love story! To opening up my very own café on the Mornington Peninsula where I got to cook and bake to my hearts content, to then creating celebration cakes for Birthdays, engagements and Weddings!! To then selling that same café 4 years later and welcoming our little man, Beau into our lives. Taking us from none to one, which, let me tell you, had me completely overwhelmed to say the least! I thought running a business was hard work! This will be a space where I share my love of cooking and creating, as I feel that this is one of life's greatest pleasures, to share, to inspire and for others to realise that cooking shouldn't have to be a chore. I love using simple ingredients to create delicious, wholesome meals to be shared with family and friends. For me, food brings people together, so many memories are created around the dinner table, conversations and laughter embedded in the walls of homes right around the world. It will also be a space for other bits and bobs along the way. Including what it's really like to have your own café. From starting it all up and realising that dream, the challenges, the tears, the laughs and the stories that alone could fill an entire book! My thoughts on what its like to go from feeling so completely and utterly overwhelmed by stress and anxiousness to feeling the happiest and healthiest I have felt, EVER! The importance of slowing down and to appreciate the little things in life, because most of the time these turn out to be the big things. I am looking so forward to filling these pages with things that I hope will be inspiring, make you laugh and more importantly make you happy. Because life is far too short for anything less. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did." - Twain