My raw and real musings on motherhood and our limited edition Mother’s Day offering

Motherhood. 

The most rewarding yet difficult endeavour I have ever embarked upon. My children bring me endless wonderment coupled with exasperation (and which dose is greater depends on the day and depends on the kid in question). I have never experienced a love so pure, intense and unconditional as the love I have for my children. Yet motherhood is by far a vocation that is more painful than anything I have ever experienced. Just when I thought things were getting easier, they turned into a tween and a teen which makes the toddler years look like a walk in the park. 

The shadows of guilt, shame and incompetence over my parenting often haunt me. And the more I talk to other mothers (no matter how zen or perfect they appear, or how many parenting books, courses or programs they have completed) the more I realise that I am not alone. So I’m here to tell you that no mother is perfect and that whatever you’re feeling I guarantee that we have all felt it. We are all doing our best to raise children in an increasingly challenging world and without the village and the natural environment that children have evolved to be raised in. And those mismatches in themselves bring a myriad of issues. 

While the impact mothers have on their children etches deep and can last generations (for better or for worse) the saving grace is that our children are incredibly forgiving and resilient, and each day is a new start with new intentions. 

The passing of my own mother to dementia last year has given me great cause to stop and ponder the fragility of life. When there is nothing left to say there’s always “I’m sorry, and I love you”. 

As mothers, we not only bring forth life, we feed, nurture, care, support, love and protect with all our hearts. Yes motherhood involves pain and suffering but it also involves wonder and joy. And let’s not forget that as we celebrate our special day in May. 

Last year my son asked me “Mum, why did you have children?” My response: “To grow as a person…. To love and to be loved in returned, to teach you what I know and to learn from you in return.” Indeed, my children are my greatest teachers, my shiny mirrors reflecting back everything I dislike in myself and exquisitely pressing my buttons in a way that only they know how to press.  They will keep pressing and pushing until I show up as the best possible version of myself – happy, confident, capable, fair, supportive, honest, accessible, with clear boundaries. If they don’t feel I’m stepping up in any one of these areas, they will poke and prod (“act out”) until I step up.  As my children grow and mature, I feel it’s an opportunity for me to grow and mature as a person. There are many lessons to embrace, as every mother knows. 

So I dedicate this newsletter to my mother, and to mothers everywhere, who have done and who are doing so much for their children. I see at Broth Bar, coming to my talks and doing my classes, driven by a desire to provide the best possible start to your childrens’ lives. It warms my heart to think that the next generation of children that we are raising will be more robust, resilient, taller, smarter and beautiful than our generation, due to our hard work. And for that we can pat ourselves on the back! 

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To celebrate, acknowledge and honour the mothers in our lives and the incredible role they play, we have crafted as a Mother’s Day special limited edition, our signature activated macadamia nuts smothered in our signature raw dark chocolate: organic choc coated maccas for mamas! Simply suburb! Who doesn’t love that winning combo!? I hope you enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed bringing them back for sale to you as a Mothers’ Day limited edition. Throw into a larger hamper, or simply gift as a stand alone special treat. These are sure to please the yummiest/tiredest/grumpiest/happiest of mummies – for we are all these things rolled into one plus more ;-) 

Sold exclusively at Broth Bar & Larder. To organise a courier to any area within metropolitan Sydney or Wollongong simply call Broth Bar & Larder on 0421 786 009. Limited quantities available, so get in quick to avoid disappointment. 

“Mothers have the power not only to rock the cradle but to rock the world”
 – Dr. Bernard Jensen

VALENTINE'S DAY 2020: WHEN LOVE BITES (AGAIN)

I express my love in many ways but one of the ways I instinctively express my love is through the creation of beautiful nourishing food made for those I care about…

To celebrate the International Day of Love we are offering our special raw cacao + rose petal LOVE BITES. These balls were so well received last year that we are rolling them out again this year (no pun intended). We formulated them by taking our signature raw cacao bliss balls and rolling them in organic rose petals for a decadent and sensual finish… and re-birthed them as LOVE BITES. 

Sold individually or in packs of 6, these are handmade on site at Broth Bar & Larder, using certified organic ingredients. 

Share a packet with your lover, your children (who are my greatest loves!), gift to a special person or indulge as a special gift to yourself! While Valentine’s Day might traditionally be a celebration of romantic love, I like to draw a broader bow and see it as a celebration of love in all its guises.

I hope they make your and your love one’s heart sing as much as my team and I have loved crafting them for you.

HOW TO PURCHASE:

These limited edition Valentine’s Day Love Bites can be purchased:

1. Via our online store (for Sydney and Wollongong residents) OR
2. In store from Broth Bar & Larder in Bronte and best to pre-order by calling 0421 786 009 OR
3. Email orders@staraniseorganic.com with your contact deets and we will take care of everything for you.

We have only made a limited amount and will not be making more when these sell out so please get in fast or pre-order to avoid disappointment.  Pre-order ends online Feb 13.

I hope your Valentine’s day is infused with bites of love...and remember that whatever we do, and why we do it, all comes back to love. To either feel loved or gift love. 

Soulla X

Fermentation Starter Kits

* UPDATE TO BLOG POST: Since this post and product went live, we have sold out of all fermentation starter kits. We will send another email out when more become available. You can sign up to our newsletter here.

Learn how to make your own fermented foods and drinks at home using this fermentation starter kit I have put together for you for the bargain price of $110 consisting of:

1. A vegetable press (retailing for $35) to make fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kim chi. These food grade presses are very easy to use and ensure that all food matter is not exposed to air but kept submerged under the protection of brine by the compression platform. This addresses the clumsiness of fermenting in a jar with a well-fitting weight.

2. Body Ecology Kefir Starter (containing 6 sachets) to make milk kefir or coconut water kefir to use as the base of a smoothie (retailing at 39.85)

3. One or more kombucha SCOBYs (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts) in a glass jar together with 500ml of our kombucha (retailing at $12.50)

4. A comprehensive 40 page Fermentation workshop booklet (in hard copy form) written by me with recipes on how to make and consume:

   1. Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables

   2. Kefir (milk based and coconut water based)

   3. Water kefir

   4. Cream cheese

   5. Cultured cream

   6. Beet kvass

   7. Kombucha

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The Fermentation workshop booklet also contains 14 pages of comprehensive nutritional theory covering topics such as:

• What is fermentation?

• Different types of fermentation

• Fermentation versus putrefaction… and the tipping point

• Gut health 101

• What do beneficial bacteria do? Why are they so important?

• What happens when your gut microbiome is out of balance?

• Lifestyle factors that affect our gut flora

• Applications of probiotics in medical procedures and in the marketplace

• Fermented foods were part of all traditional diets

• What are the health benefits of fermented foods?

• Fermented foods and pregnant, lactating women and children

• Can fermented foods cause illness or food poisoning?

• Equipment and Ingredients

• How to introduce fermented foods in your diet

• What about store bought probiotics?
  

Home-made fermented or cultured foods are teaming with powerful beneficial bacteria called probiotics that play a profound role in supporting gut health which in turn directly influences our digestion, immunity, skin health, brain health, metabolism and bone health. The seat of our health lies in a healthy gut that has the right balance of beneficial versus pathogenic bacteria, with as much diversity in the strains of beneficial bacteria as possible and where the bacteria are in the right location. 

Probiotics in home-made fermented foods penetrate the gut much deeper than probiotic supplements and contain a broader strain of beneficial bacteria.  Each different type of fermented foods and drinks contains different strains of probiotics hence why it is important to eat a variety of fermented foods and drinks for robust gut health! 

All traditional societies the world over made and consumed cultured foods for their healing properties, nutritional benefits and often to enhance flavour. Fermented foods are not only rich in beneficial bacteria but also enzymes (that help us to digest food) and additional nutrients. 

Daily consumption of small amounts of fermented foods is one of the easiest ways to support your and your family’s gut health. 

This kit is a terrific opportunity to learn how to make fermented foods in the comfort of your own home with my easy step by step instructions in the fermentation workshop booklet along with having the right equipment and fermentation starters.  If you have any questions throughout your fermentation journey, you can contact me at any time.

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Collect your Fermentation Stater Kit from Broth Bar & Larder at 49 Belgrave St Bronte by showing our staff a copy of your order confirmation (apologies we can not post it- it’s rather big and bulky!). If you would like more than one SCOBY simply ask our staff and we will provide you with more - at no extra charge!

Happy fermenting, happy guts!