Tell us about yourself?
I’m a mom, blogger and business owner living in Jozi. Married to the real life SuperDad, we have a modern family with a 21 year old daughter, Caroline (his); an 8 year old son, Wade (mine) and a 4 year old son, Blake (ours). We also have an adopted furbaby – a Labrador x called Creasy.
I’m all about living a positive, mindful life and expanding my world with new knowledge and ideas every day. I love my family, food, laughter and wine (of course!).
Tell us about your blog?
MammaChef Jozi was born mainly because I cook every day. I had been sharing photos of our dinners with family and friends for some time before a colleague suggested I start a Facebook page. One day, I just decided to go ahead and do it and everything kind of snowballed from that point onwards. I love my work, which is HR and Payroll consulting, but I soon discovered that the blog was a creative outlet that just brought so much extra joy to my life!
The purpose of MammaChef Jozi is to share weekly dinner ideas that are not only quick and easy to cook but also healthy and nutritious for your family. Each week, subscribers receive a meal planner with daily dinner ideas, recipe cards and a shopping list… for free and for nothing! Food is already expensive enough and I believe that we shouldn’t have to pay even more to find ways of eating better. I want to make life easier and cooking a pleasure for busy moms! We keep it simple, with fresh ingredients and good vibes!
How do you feel about using technology as part of learning?
Technology is an enormous part of our daily lives and little ones are almost naturally drawn to it. It must be a part of learning as one day, they will be using and developing new technologies to shape their industries, their lives and their children’s lives. Technology is here to stay and it’s constantly growing and changing.
What are your kid’s favourite apps?
Goodness, this changes all the time! YouTube is a firm favourite, we keep a close eye on what they are watching though. They love music! Wade is learning to play the guitar and he loves his tuning app, as well as a guitar playing app. Blake at the moment has a virtual pet dragon app which he really enjoys! He loves anything with animals and music. Of course I am always encouraging educational apps such as the various Xander apps and they use quite a few of them!
What do you love about South Africa and raising your children here?
We have such an amazing lifestyle in South Africa. There’s so much to explore, so much diversity and such a unique culture. Being close to family and friends is extremely important to us in raising our kids and we have a solid support structure. I love this country and my firm belief is that we have too many brilliant minds and beautiful hearts here, who will not allow it to go down the drain. We live in an incredibly beautiful country and we have access to such a variety of animals and different landscapes… so much to see and explore!
TV “Yes” or “No”?
Yes, within limits. We don’t watch much TV but when they do, we monitor what they’re watching.
We watch mostly sport, music or MasterChef (Blake loves watching with me), we encourage humour, nature and generally stimulating content.
What is in the lunchbox?
Ah, SuperDad does lunches for the boys! No junk, except on Fridays they will get a packet of crisps or a treat. They always have a variety – fruit, maybe cucumber or carrot sticks, crackers and cheese or popcorn, yoghurt, rice cakes, biltong, boiled eggs, a sandwich or wrap and water.
How do you balance it all – in one sentence?
With the help of SuperDad! By being mindful throughout the day, trying to plan as much as possible whilst being adaptable to changes in the planning.
Do you children do chores at home, if so what and how do you manage it?
We have a daily routine that includes some chores and I encourage them to be helpful with small things like carrying groceries inside. The daily chores are feeding Creasy, making beds and putting away pajamas, helping with setting and clearing the table, getting their things ready for school the next day, dirty clothes in the laundry and towels hung up, picking up toys and cleaning their own spills… sir, yes sir!
What is your favourite holiday plans/ activities with kids?
We have a family apartment on the South Coast and we try to go at least twice a year. There we spend a lot of time walking and playing on the beach, swimming and eating of course! Outings are generally something interesting involving animals like UShaka Marine World or Croc World Conservation Centre. We have recently started going to Mpumalanga more often. There’s so much to see and do. When we’re not outside walking, swimming, playing or animal spotting we’re inside with board games, music and yes… food! Personally, my absolute favourite is chatting about our day around a bushfire with a glass of red wine!
Catch up with Jeanne-Riette, her family and her great recipes and shopping tips on her blog here and check her out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more.
