I’m sure you have wowed out at one of Jade’s recipes before and wondered how she is so great at food styling, but did you know that she also has three small children that she home schools in between work. Sound busy but happy and at least she is never short on recipe tasters. She shares some cooking fails and some inspiring IG accounts and her dream dinner guest below.
We love to hear about food fails from our fave foodies. Do you have a story to share?
I have had a million failures – I couldn’t possibly do what I do without them but my most recent, unforgettable failure is baking this huge glorious, decadent chocolate birthday cake for my daughter. I made it at 10pm after a busy day, when I was dead tired, and after tasting a few crumbs I realised I forgot to put in any sweetener at all and the whole thing went straight to the worm farm. I had to get up extra early the next morning to make a new one!
What got you into plant-based cooking/baking?
I was raised in a vegetarian household and I was aware from a pretty young age that dairy didn’t make me feel good. I live in a semi-rural area and finding vegetarian food that was also dairy free was a pretty epic task back then so really, I had no choice. If I wanted to enjoy good vegan food that make me feel good, I had to learn to make it.
What do you do when you’re not making great food & social media posts?
I love doing so many things. Drinking tea, bush walking, doing yoga, gardening, crafting with my daughters, cleaning (!), reading, making herbal remedies, being crafty and learning about anything new. But in truth I mostly just clean up after my 3 children! I have 3 daughters (aged 6, 3 and 6 months). We home school and I work in between being a full-time parent. In my ideal life I would have time to fit in all the things I love, but I prioritise my children, my family and home and my work, and squeeze in pockets of the rest when I can.
Who is inspiring you lately on social media?
I am loving @rudyjude (she fills my penchant for homemade everything, and realness), @robertkennedyjr (for his tireless work in activism, protecting the waterways and our children’s health), @_dimity_ (who is the ultimate nature crafter) and my friend @animamundiherbals (who is a wealth of knowledge of all things plant healing).
Can you tell us what you eat in a typical day? Like maybe today for honesty haha
I always start my day with either ceremonial matcha or cacao. Breakfast is always spread over an hour or two, and today I had grain free granola with yoghurt, passionfruit and blueberries- but other days I have sourdough toast or chia pudding with similar toppings. Lunch is usually leftovers from my children (yesterday was broccoli, shitake dumplings, sauerkraut, cashew cheese), and dinner we had risotto with lots of veggie sides: beet greens, broccoli, roast tomato, sauerkraut, tahini, chilli sauce- and lots of other condiments. We love our condiments!
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? My meals are always nutritious, but I love to snack. Today I have already had a lemon blueberry muffin (that I am recipe testing), a piece of chocolate (mint Benedicto- so GOOD), a bit of a chocolate brownie I was sent to trial and there will be much more dark chocolate throughout the day. And tea! I drink 2-3 cups of nettle or dandelion, as well as water with powdered greens added in. My freezer is also filled with ice cream, so that will make an appearance most days.
Who is your dream plant-based feast dinner guest?
You know, I don’t really idolise anyone. I don’t have a vegan/plant based crush. I’d pick my dad, who passed away almost 20 years ago. He raised us vegetarian long before it was popular, and I am sure he would be happy with a plant-based feast. I’d make him a Middle Eastern style feast and a vegan lemon meringue (it was his favourite) for sure!
