Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. And eating good quality, often organic food, as a family is a treat I’ll never tire of. When I talk to the girls about appreciating what their little bodies can do the subject often comes back to food. We enjoy eating and cooking and, for me, this is a huge part of laying the foundations for a positive relationship with food as the kids grow older.
This month is Organic September, a month-long celebration of all things organic run by the Soil Association. If you’ve never bought organic before now’s the time to try, as there are load of offers on organic food, events where you can try organic and tips on going organic. Plus there’s a chance to win an organic break in my home county of Devon!
We don’t buy everything organic, but we are pretty fussy about where we source our meat. We also grow quite a bit of our own veg (it’s one way I can persuade the girls to eat more of the good stuff – particularly Effie who is mega fussy) and we like to eat seasonally. Autumn is one of the best times of the year for seasonal produce, with the hedgerows bursting with blackberries – not to mention all the windfall apples around for my favourite sausage and apple firecracking casserole.
Freya went back to school later than Effie’s pre-school started this year, giving us a rare couple of days just the two of us. One of the things Freya was really keen to do was to go blackberry picking and to bake a cake with the ingredients she picked. It took us a whole afternoon to fill our containers with juicy berries, before coming home to make a blackberry Victoria sponge. Tip: turn your blackberries into a blackberry coulis for the filling and use organic mascarpone cheese flavoured with vanilla paste to make a banging coulis accompaniment!
It took me a while to get into eating organic, mainly because of the misconception that buying organic was so much more expensive. Also, back in the day, I saw it as just another food fad to avoid – I’m never one for big trends when it comes to food. But the thing is, buying organic doesn’t necessarily cost more. Plus, organic food means lower levels of pesticides, higher levels of animal welfare and more environmental sustainability when it comes to farming the land. And did you know organic wine contains less sulphur dioxide meaning you get less of a hangover?!
I’ve been working with the fantastic kids’ food brand Organix for a few years now and LOVE their attitude to creating tasty, healthy foods for babies and children that contain no junk. The snack tin is full of Organix treats for the lunchboxes and after-school snacks as the girls go back to school, which seems like a great way to celebrate Organic September as all Organix foods are made from organic ingredients.
The other thing I love about Organix is their commitment to research and education. Their website is a great place to find practical advice, recipes and tips for introducing good food at every stage.
And if you’re after some easy ways to introduce more organic food into your family’s menu then the brand has some great ideas on that too…
Now the kids are back to school and the summer holidays are officially over I’m excited about getting back into cooking some tasty autumnal recipes this September. I’m all about the casseroles, stews and slow-cooked curries in autumn when the weather turns cooler. Do you have any good recipes to share?
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Thanks to Organix for commissioning this post. All copy, photography and opinions are my own. For more information about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. This post is written as part of the #NoJunkJourney campaign – there are lots more family friendly meal ideas and thoughts on food in the Eating section of this blog.
Nicola | Mummy to Dex says
We loved using Organix products when we were in the middle of our baby led weaning journey. It’s so reassuring to know their products are so healthy and natural.
Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says
Ooh yum – your sausage casserole sounds heavenly right now! Good food’s a nice treat in Autumn….
Molly says
It’s so tasty!
Colette says
You’ve inspired me, I’m definitely going to look at ways we can include more organic produce into our grocery shopping.
Molly says
It’s really interesting too, that organic isn’t always the more expensive option. We bought organic (free-range) eggs last week and they were the cheapest on the shelf!
Jaymee says
Nothing beats using the slow cooker over the autumn! We try to make a conscious effort to buy organic, but sometimes budget doesn’t allow. However I have noticed how some organic food is becoming cheaper and more accessible to buy!
Molly says
I’ve noticed this too – which is definitely a good thing!
Eilidh says
We have apple trees in our garden and bake apple crumble every year, the kids love it. I also try and buy organic where I can!
Molly says
I really want apple crumble now!
Donna says
I find that I go through spates of loving Organic food, really focusing on it and buying everything organic in sight – then I forget and fall back into old habits. Thanks for the reminder – I’ll be aiming for an organic September – and hopefully will then continue through the rest of the year too x
Molly says
We’re the same – that’s why I love that there’s a month dedicated to it, with lots of deals around to be had!
Hannah says
Great tips and recipes thank you 🙂 we eat organic where it’s available and affordable. As you say even a few small swops makes a difference x
Molly says
They really can x
Caro | The Twinkle Diaries says
We eat a LOT of organic food – mainly cos we grow so much produce on our allotment! But I’m always looking out for organic on the labels in supermarkets too. Definitely tastier than forced, GM crops 🙂