Meatballs and Muffins

But a couple of years ago, my life took an unexpected turn. Everything stopped, including cooking, Sunday family dinners and posting on M&M. It made me realise how quickly life can change.

In the blink of an eye, my life was turned upside down one Friday afternoon in 2023 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Fortunately, after a long and difficult climb up the treatment mountain, I’ve made it to the other side, albeit a somewhat different person.

Even though my journey has been tough, I feel blessed and grateful to have such a loving family to lean on; their support has meant everything, and I didn’t have to face any of it alone.

Life is even more precious now, and I make each day count by doing what I love. So cooking wholesome Greek and Mediterranean food, sharing recipes and personal stories, and raising awareness about breast cancer are now a big part of how I spend my time.

I hope the recipes inspire you to try traditional dishes from one of the healthiest cuisines, and that the stories I share help raise awareness about breast cancer while also celebrating the simple joy of bringing people together through food.

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A little more about me

My name is Vicki and I am a wife, mother, mother-in-law and a yiayia to my grandchildren. I love each and every one of those roles.

After my family, my next love is cooking and sharing good wholesome food.

My love of food and cooking started a very long time ago, when I was about 15 years old, watching my mum cook classic Greek dishes.

I have great memories of being in the kitchen helping mum to prepare many different dishes including roast lamb – seasoned with oregano, garlic and lots of lemon juice, slow cooked until the skin was crispy on the outside and the inside melts in your mouth, and Yemista – fresh tomatoes and capsicums stuffed with rice and aromatic herbs from our home garden – one of my all-time favourite foods. The aroma of these dishes wafting through the kitchen still makes my mouth water.

My childhood memories are of family gatherings centred around a table completely covered with delicious home-cooked Greek food, laughter and music.

Like most self-taught cooks, I’ve had my share of failures in the kitchen, but I believe the failures (or “Moroccan incidents” as my husband calls them – a story for another time) have helped me to become a better cook.

Food is more than just a meal to me. It’s about feeding my family food that not only tastes great but is also good for them. Most importantly, food is about taking a little time out of our hectic lives to spend with family and friends to share a meal and make great memories that last forever.

Food is such a great way to bring people together and, in my family, Sunday is the day I get to cook and spend time with the most important people in my life. It’s a ritual that I hope my children will continue long after I’m gone and this website is my way of ensuring the memories, traditions, and recipes from my family’s culture are not lost.

Thanks again for visiting and I hope you’ll be back soon.

Once you’ve had a chance to look around Meatballs and Muffins, let me know what you think because your feedback is important to me.

Kali Orexi
Vicki