In December 2016, my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’ won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award – ‘Best Self-Published Cookbook in South Africa’. As a national winner, my book became eligible to compete against winners from other countries for a ‘Best in the World Award’ – for which is has now been shortlisted! The award winners will be announced in May 2017 at the annual Gourmand Award Ceremony in Yantai, China. I would very much like to be there!
The self-published South African cookbook ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’ has been shortlisted in what is often referred to as the Oscars of the food industry, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
They honour the best food and wine books, printed or digital, as well as food shows on TV. In scope, the awards are compared to the Olympic Games, but for glamour, they are likened to the Academy Awards.
There were over 10,000 submissions from 209 countries competing for the 2016 awards – to be on the shortlist is an incredible honour and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Best In The World winners will be announced at the award ceremony in China on 27 and 28 May 2017.
Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics is a 500-page collection of over 100 gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free nourishing wholefood recipes and food ideas for baby’s first years (and the rest of the family too).
The book is self-published – by that I mean I created the recipes, styled the food, compiled all the information, wrote every word, designed AND published the book.
The book is as homemade as the food – the photography was done on my dining room table, as was the design of the book! (I’m happy to be able to eat at the table again.)
It also means I am responsible for getting the book ‘into the world’ – getting it listed in shops and marketing it.
The book took three and a half years to complete and survived a number of ‘big life’ events (aka obstacles). Watch the video introducing the book for the initial publishing crowdfunding campaign:https://vimeo.com/141427359
I would very much like fly the South African flag with the other 9 South African finalists at the award ceremony in China but, being a self-employed, self-published author (who spent my life savings, retirement fund and daughter’s education fund on publishing the book :0 ) I need to raise the money to cover the associated costs (event registration, flights, accommodation etc).
My motivation for attending the event:
(Well I mean, if you were nominated for an Oscar wouldn’t you want to go?!)
But also:
“On the surface, Mila’s Meals is a cookbook, website and a blog.
It is about food intolerances, how to cater to them and how to raise a child with them. Mila’s Meals is gluten-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free. (It is also organic, non-GMO and free from preservatives, artificial colourants, artificial flavourants and any other chemicals and toxins the food industry is passing off as food.)
At its heart, Mila’s Meals is a way of life.
It is about choosing to prepare your family’s food from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. It is about choosing to use food as medicine, not only as fuel. It is about choosing to nourish your children’s growing bodies, not just to fill their tummies.
It is about having a plateful (or a handful) of nutrient-dense foods and a day full of soul foods (love, spirituality, movement and play).
It is about traditional foods (ferments and bone broths), traditional ways (barefoot in the soil and bare skin in the sunshine), traditional medicine (herbs, tinctures and essential oils) – all while living in the modern world with its stresses, busyness and two working parents (and its superfoods, blenders and dehydrators!)
It is about digestion and absorption, the immune system, the gut and the awesome bacteria we want to live there!
Mila’s Meals is about the little ones & their future.
It is about us as parents doing our very best to ensure optimal growth and vibrant health – and perhaps even healing ourselves in the process! (Our children will be our greatest teachers if we listen to them!)
It is about unlearning what the pharmaceutical, agricultural and food industry have led us to believe. It is about becoming a food detective. Its about creating new “normal”.
It is about delicious and nutritious whole foods and a delicious and nutritious whole life.
Mila’s Meals ambition, is to be a call to action for every parent.
For you to be conscious of what you are feeding your little ones, and to provide a guideline on how to go about this as effectively, effortlessly and joyfully as possible.
It is about seeing food intolerances as a blessing which will lead you down a path of learning, discovery and vibrant health.
But really, Mila’s Meals is a journal of my journey through motherhood.
I hope you’ll join me.”
Milestone 1: We reach this Milestone and our project is a-go!
Milestone 1: R12 000
With this money Mama gets to China! It covers the costs of flights from George, South Africa, to Yantai, China.
Milestone 2: R14 000
Mama gets into China! Not getting in without a visa!
Milestone 3: R21 000
Mama has somewhere to stay in China. Even with the reduced-rate block booking of a hotel by Gourmand International the accommodation costs are for 6 sleeps (8 sleeps in total away from Mila :0 – Okay some of this money may be used for Rescue Remedy.)
Milestone 4: R 28 000
Mama gets to go to the award ceremony (ie pay the registration fee)! This is a 4-day event hosted by Gourmand International which obviously costs a pretty penny to pull off.
Milestone 5: R36 000
Mama has something to eat while away! While breakfast and dinner are included in the accommodation & registration fees, long airport lay overs and lunches will require nourishment. Also, from my backpacking days, I have learned to include an “emergency fund” – because you just never know! This will cover meals and other travel-related and unforeseen costs.
Milestone 6: R48 000
You all get your rewards! Okay so I got to China and I promised you souvenirs. I must purchase these and send them to you. Also the good people running this campaign need their dues too! Crowdfunding campaign and related costs.
Milestone 7: R49 000
The world finds out about Mila’s Meals :) A fresh batch of business cards and flyers will be more cost effective than paying the extra luggage weight I would have to pay for taking HEAVY (1,65kg) books with me! Marketing Materials to take to China.
Milestone 8: R55 000
The cover of Mila’s Meals gets dressed! Purchase of award winning sticker for book cover (there’s nothing like intent!)
Catherine Barnhoorn (aka Mama)
Mom, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach & Author
Having healed myself from various autoimmune conditions (post-pregnancy) through diet and organic living and having to raise a child with food intolerances, I set to work educating myself and getting creative in the kitchen.
As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I am deeply passionate about empowering parents to make informed decisions with regards to what they feed their children and themselves.
I see Mila’s (and my own) food intolerances as a blessing which have led us down a path of learning, discovery and good health – which will hopefully stand us in good stead for years to come.
Mila (aka Angel)
Muse
I am a free-from kid! That means I am free-from / don’t eat gluten, dairy and sugar.
Why? Because gluten makes the poopies get stuck, dairy makes my nose snotty and my ears hurt, and sugar – well sugar makes me feel sugary.
(Note from Mama: After Mila has eaten sugar, she holds her hand on her chest and says “Mama, I feel sugary!”)
I pretend to be a very fussy eater because it sends my mama into the kitchen to make really yummy food that none of the other kids at school get!
Find out more about us and follow our journey using the links below: