Who I am & why I blog about foodly things

Hello and welcome to A Very Foodly Diary!

I’m Hannah, and I started this blog in 2009 as a way to record my homestyle recipes, foodly experiments, and short-lived MasterChef experience. This morphed into something else entirely when sickness drew me to a more healthful, mindful way of living — which is when I wrote Love Thy Food.

Powered by what I was learning in life and food, I founded and ran A Foodly Affair, my mindful eating business from 2010-2015.

Towards the end of A Foodly Affair’s time, I started to share more about kids’ foods and gourmet treats, and I also published Uncooked, to give others the chance to access my cooking class-tested raw recipes for less than the cost of a cup of takeaway coffee in Perth (my home city).

Now it’s 2018, and I spend most of my time nurturing little people and projects, and writing fiction. While A Very Foodly Diary has become a more sporadic blog, I hold the same foodly philosophy close:

I believe each person has a unique relationship with food, which you can learn by listening to your body and paying attention to how your food is treating you. I believe it is important to take your food as whole, organic, unprocessed, and sustainable as you can get it — and it is also important to give yourself a break. Be kind. Shared meals taste better and provide more nourishment. Food should taste and look good as well as be good for you, and your food is more valuable to your body if you can enjoy each part of the eating process — from planning, researching, sourcing, preparation and consuming, all the way to cleaning up after.

It is an honour to see you here. Please feel free to explore, leave a comment, or sign up for updates.

Wishing you peace with your food,

Hannah.

PS. Should I include a disclaimer here? If so, it would be that I am an individual who asks my own questions until I get the answers that satisfy me at that time. My answers may be unsatisfactory for you, and I may disappoint you: that’s okay. I encourage you to compare and contrast, look elsewhere with an inquiring mind. We each have our own path to tread.

This blog does not comprise medical or nutritional advice: it is my personal journal and just a part of my life’s journey. I share in case something of my experience helps you in your own journey.

36 comments

  1. Hay Hannah, I am very impressed with your recent posts and im yet to delve into your history of posts.
    I am a DJ that has just started to Perform overseas and nationally and I wanted to document my food travels as I love food so much. I started my last trip to LA, SF and Chicago. It’s sadly very chunky,fatty,mexicanny, But such is america. But I did want to capture my journey in a way. You can see a little at cutloose.com.au
    Along with another DJ we are just beginning our food/music blog here http://www.differentstrokesunltd.wordpress.com first post this morning. with My friends recent Europe trip to follow. So many cheese and meat and beautiful salad shots.

    I have to say while I was in LA the first trip in 08′ i did visit a few Pho cafe’s and they were all spot on.

    Look forward to sharing food stories and info/recipes.
    I will be getting to Perth soon for some shows. Hope to connect then and you can take me out to some Dope Perth spots 🙂

    Regards
    Trent Wildman

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    • Thanks for your comments, Trent – and I hope you keep reading & contributing. I would be happy to recommend some of my favourite places for food & wine when you venture out here.

      In the meantime, best of luck with your music, eating healthfully in the US, and blogging. I’ll be keeping an eye out to see how Different Strokes evolves!

      H 🙂

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  2. Hey Hannah,
    I work with Rachel in Broome and I’m sure I recall her mentioning something about a raw food workshop or similar being held in Brome this year. Are you able to emails me the details if there is one?
    Cheers,
    Jen

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    • Thanks for your comment, Jen.

      I got my original info from Rawfood Karen’s site, however on following up with her I discovered that these were the 2009 dates. She now runs her courses from her residence, which is about an hour from Perth.

      I hope this helps & say hi to Rach for me – I still hope to make it to Broome again before the end of the year!

      H 🙂

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  3. Dear Hannah!
    You have put a lot of time into this wonderful way of eating raw foods.
    You are more dedicated than I, but I so try to improve our way of eating. It’s a life style and I find totally raw too hard but I steam lightly and combine, raw and steamed. Your Mum and I are friends and we do a cooking class together, as a follow up to the Seminar your Dad and Mum did at Ocean Shores. I am learning so much from her. I only do one recipe each week. I just learning to bind without eggs.
    I love your creative way of presenting your raw foods. Will try the stuffed Tomatoes. Also the layered Salad. All is beautiful and I thank you for sharing your wonderful tips on how to do things. I wish you much success and another cook book of raw foods would be great. You know how to present things.
    Kind regards, Marianne Gosling.

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    • Hi Marianne

      Thanks so much for your lovely feedback! It sounds like you already have a healthy diet and are well on your way to eating raw.

      I am just learning myself and find it awesome that there are so many helpful (and beautiful!) resources available. YouTube and The Book Depository have become my best friends 🙂

      Enjoy your journey – it will bring you abundant energy & exciting epiphanies!

      H 🙂

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  4. hey Hannah, i have been reading all your blog , what you are doing is so amazing!! and very inspiring to try new things. i was wondering if you would be abel to help me, i I know you use the thermo mix. But I was wondering If there is another blender I can use that I can makes fresh fruit and veggie juices by throwing the whole piece in without peeling it? the lady at club zing puts the whole lot in, i never knew it would still taste just as good with the skin in there.. its amazing you can even tell.
    hope you can help
    S xo

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    • Thank you, Shea – for visiting my blog and for the beautiful comment!

      Re your question: you can make veggie juice in any good quality blender, pressing the pulp through a strainer or nut bag for the juice. I actually made green juice in my old blender as a test and it worked out fabulously.

      You are absolutely right about the taste and goodness you get from putting everything in without peeling. I get a special zing from the unpeeled lemon in my favourite green juice:
      * 1 celery stick with leaves (cut into pieces)
      * 1/2 lemon (with peel, cut into pieces)
      * 1 apple (unpeeled, cut into pieces)
      * 2 leaves of kale/silverbeet
      * 2 sprigs parsley
      * 2 thin slices of fresh ginger (unpeeled)
      * 1 tsp unprocessed honey [optional]

      Blend with some good water until it is completely pulverised, strain and drink.

      Hope this helps – and I hope to see you back here again soon!

      H 🙂

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  5. Hi Hannah,

    What a small world it is, my father in law and his wife, Keith Clements and Geraldine Pilinger recently attended your launch. They showed me the info and I said I know her…from church!

    My dad is on a raw food journey at present and has been for about 12 months. I am a Home Ec teacher and have been trying to work on some recipes myself.

    Your website is beautiful, I would love to do a class with you. I will keep checking to see when you have them up and running.

    Great to read your blog too.

    Say hi to Katy for me.

    Keep up the great work!

    Love Zoe Clements
    (nee Zec)

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    • So good to hear from you, Zoe – and thank you for your lovely words! It is such a small world.

      I am constantly amazed at how many people are going raw(er) these days. The extra energy is honestly addictive. How is your dad finding the journey?

      I would love to get your feedback on my recipes if you have time to roadtest any of them. I will say hi to Kat (who now has 3 little ones!) for you – and I really appreciate your support.

      H 🙂

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  6. Great information – only ever seen old fashioned raw food recipies before. Served raw food to Chris (the drummmer at your launch) on christmas day a few years ago and was told “Can you try your little experiments out on other people please honey!!!!”

    But seriously he loved your recipies and I cannot wait to try some!!!!

    Fantastic, looking forward to meeting you!!!!!

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    • Thanks so much for your comment, Melanie! Your story of that Christmas past had me laughing out loud 🙂

      I hope you can use – and build upon – the learnings and recipes I have here.

      Thanks again for touching base, and I am sure our paths will cross sometime soon!

      H 🙂

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  8. Thank you so much for making this blog. I’ve only just adopted a thermomix, and have been thrown from being a confident whizz in the kitchen, to a panicked woman with buyers remorse. The stock standard recipes in the book had me feeling like I’ll only ever manage dips and smoothies out of the thing. But thanks to you – I feel more confident to keep learning!

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    • Your comment made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, Miffy!

      Good news that you are over your buyer’s remorse, and it is also great to hear you are getting more adventurous with your TM [= an awesome friend!].

      Let me know if you would like to see anything in particular on my blog, and stay curious!

      H 🙂

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  9. Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it, you may be a great author.I will make certain to bookmark your blog and may come back down the road. I want to encourage you continue your great posts, have a nice morning!

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  12. Hi Hannah, a fellow West Aussie here and traveller on the raw vegan path. We may have crossed paths over my time at Samudra. I’m currently in residence at our beach shack in Indo, and it is lovely to have snippets of the food world in Perth. Certainly no kohlrabi or even apples here. I have two blogs you might be interested in http://www.cremaandcrumbs.com which is a celebration of cafes, coffee, vegan offerings and food photography; and http://www.remoteandraw.com the simple life of a writer, photographer and surfer in the backblocks of Indo. Keep spreading the message of vegan and raw, every bit helps make the world a brighter and more compassionate place.

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    • Thanks so much for your comments, Sally, and for sharing your fabulous blogs! I am just about to link to them on my blogroll.

      I have to admit to feeling a tinge of jealousy re your current location. I have heard the surf in Bali is awesome and the lifestyle looks idyllic.

      I am all for mindful eating, and I think most people could benefit from a high raw, wholefood diet. Once we become aware of how our food is sourced and prepared, and what it does to us, I think we can make informed decisions about what we put into our bodies.

      H 🙂

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  13. Hi Hannah
    I think your food diary is fabulous and very inspiring. I have started on my raw food journey after being diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago. It has really helped my healing after two operations. You may remember me from a long time ago, I used to work with you and your mother. I remember you ate very healthy even back then.
    regards
    Toni F

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    • I really appreciate your comment, Toni – and of course I remember you! I hope your recovery is going well.

      Eating a wide variety of whole, organic foods will certainly provide you with a good nutrient base, and I’m sure I don’t need to sell you on the pros of a holistic lifestyle.

      Let me know if you would like any specific information; I’m always keen to find inspiration for future posts!

      H 🙂

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  14. Hi Hannah, we were on adjacent stalls at the mothers day market Duncraig! I have not received any updates from you and really wanted the address for the spiraliser or have you started stocking them…think you have blogged the delish pasta dish I wanted the recipe for but need the spiraliser!!

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    • Thanks for your message, Kirsty! I do remember you and I apologise for my lack of contact. Hopefully you will have just received my latest newsletter!

      I don’t yet stock the Betty Bossi spiraliser (the one I used at the stall), but you will find it online at a number of places including here.

      You can still make the pasta by peeling long strips from the zucchini, as per my post on butternut pumpkin pasta.

      Good luck – and I hope to see you again soon!

      H 🙂

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  16. Hi Hannah,
    I just missed your recent raw food demo at North Beach and they put me on wait list for your Sept. 14 because I am in different suburb. Do you have other food events besides this one ? I am very keen to learn about raw food diet and benefits.
    Cheers
    Chai

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    • Chai, it was lovely to meet you at the talk/demo on 14 September! I am certain I can also learn more from you in terms of Chinese medicine.

      Stay connected to the AFA website and facebook page (linked from the Home page of this blog) for details of future events!

      H 🙂

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  17. Hannah, I love your blog. I would like to reuse your photo of the ice-cream plum pudding, with your permission, please, on another blog. I would, of course, give you the credit for the photo and link back to your blog. Please let me know if that’s acceptable.

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    • Thanks so much for your kind words, Anne!

      I also appreciate you asking about the image. I am very happy for you to use the image, with the appropriate credit and link.

      H 🙂

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