I’M AN ADDICT, AND I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE…
By: Karolina Cutler
Tags: Nutrition, Children, Baking, Motherhood, Food

I have had this bitter-sweet addiction for as long as I can remember.

My Mum is very much to blame for this, as she used to do this in front of me all the time, growing up…

It’s one of those addictions that is life-long, because everyone around me in my life have always encouraged me to keep it up…

You’re probably thinking right now…What is going on?

What is she talking about?

What could she possibly have gotten herself into???

It’s OK everyone, calm down…

It’s not what you think…

It’s just my…

BAKING ADDICTION! :-)

When I was growing up, I used to always love the fact that my Mum would bake (from scratch). Our home was always filled with amazing smells. Not only that, but baked cakes and biscuits would always taste better when they were made the traditional way.

Having a Polish background, my sister and I were blessed to be able to sample many yummy Polish dishes throughout our childhood.

***I will include a very yummy Sponge with Fruit Cake recipe at the end of my BLOG (this is one of my favourite Polish cake recipes, and super easy to put together, too)***

Sorry for being just a wee bit biased here, BUT, I reckon my Mum is one of the best cooks that I know. Unfortunately, I didn’t really get to learn any great tricks in the kitchen until I was a lot older (in my 20’s), which is partly my fault (I wasn’t overly interested in learning anything in my teens), and partly the kitchen’s fault — as it was tiny, and Mum always used to say there wasn’t enough room for more than one person to be in there while cooking, at any given time.

I remember when I was little, I used to love watching (and still do) cooking shows. So, my passion for cooking/baking had been there all along…

I just hadn’t unleashed my superpower yet!

Over the years, especially since becoming a Mum, I have become more and more passionate about my new found love and hobby. My family and friends are always delighted to try the things that I create.

My most recent experiences with baking are that I am experimenting with very healthy ingredients, such as almond and hemp flour, coconut oil, etc., as I am also passionate about a healthier way of living for our whole family (especially for our kids as they grow and develop in their early years), which has now become our norm.

My Healthy Baking Frenzy — Chocolate Beetroot Cake; Pear, Dried Fruit and Nut Muffins

The bonus with carrying on the BAKING FROM SCRATCH tradition, that has been inspired by and passed down from my Mum, is that you know what you’re putting into your body, my family reap the health benefits AND I can pass down this tradition to our kids and them to theirs (if they have the desire to do so).

Note: Now and again, I even get comments from my two boys (3 and 7yr olds) saying things like, “I LOVE your cooking, Mum”. This warms my heart :-)

Yummy Hemp Flour Pancakes with all the Bells & Whistles — decorated by our Sons

For all the Mamas out there, I want to encourage you to really have a go with baking and make it an enjoyable, relaxing experience for yourself, as it should be :-)

AND…MOST IMPORTANTLY… GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED!!!

They get to learn how to Cook, they learn about Maths (measuring), Science (reactions) and much more.

But most of all, it creates an amazing opportunity where you can spend time and bond with your children…and everyone gets to enjoy their efforts…

WIN WIN