Cooking Up Stories: How a Grandmother's Legacy Inspired a Unique Cookbook - Life Bursts Episode 52

On this episode of Life Bursts, hosts Sarah and Matt welcomed author, cook, and former nurse Alida Whiteoak to share her inspiring journey of creativity and self-discovery.

Early Life and Influences

Alida grew up in western Sydney with two sisters. She fondly recalled her quirky grandmother, who instilled in her a love for cooking and old-school charm. This grandmother, with her renowned sponge cakes, trifles, and homemade marshmallows, left an indelible mark on Alida's culinary interests.

Interestingly, Alida later learned of her grandmother's diverse heritage - Jewish with South African roots - adding depth to her family's story.

The Nursing Years

Despite struggling with traditional education and possibly undiagnosed dyslexia, Alida pursued a nursing degree at Avondale College. She spent 15 years in the nursing profession, finding both challenges and rewarding moments in caring for others. However, the demanding nature of the job eventually led to burnout.

A Creative Awakening

Alida's burnout became a turning point, leading her to explore writing as a form of therapy. This unexpected creative outlet evolved into a passion for storytelling and cookbook creation. Her first project, "The Oldest Recipe in the Book: Oh, for the Love of Scones," took nine years to complete and combines recipes with a cheeky narrative about love and marriage.

Venturing into Children's Literature

Alida's creative journey expanded to include children's books. "The Curious Case of Minty Green" and "Catch You 'Round Alligator" tackle important themes like body positivity and dealing with loss, inspired by her personal experiences and observations of her nieces.

Self-Publishing Success

Rather than seeking traditional publishers, Alida took the bold step of starting her own publishing company, Happy Sloth Press. This venture allows her to maintain creative control and directly manage the sales of her books.

Future Projects

Alida shared exciting plans for upcoming projects, including:

1. A cocktail book continuation of her cookbook series
2. A Christmas-themed children's book collaboration with artist Sarah Ruthless
3. A longer children's book in the style of Roald Dahl

Words of Wisdom

Reflecting on her journey, Alida emphasized the importance of following one's heart and embracing individuality. She encouraged listeners to live authentically and not always put themselves second.

Connect with Alida

Readers can find Alida's books and learn more about her work at alidawhiteoak.com.

Life Bursts continues to bring inspiring stories of creativity, resilience, and personal growth. Tune in for more episodes wherever you get your podcasts, on community radio and television, or online via YouTube and streaming platforms.

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Full episode transcript:

**Sarah Freeman:**

Welcome to Life Bursts. I'm Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And I'm Matt. And today we have an author, a cook, and so much more.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yes, welcome to Life Bursts. Another episode of the show here with Sarah and Matt. And today on the show we have Alida, who is the dialing in from Interstate the. Thank you for joining us today.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Hello. Thank you for having me.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yes, it's great to have you and thanks for joining us. We're looking forward. There's always great stories to tell. I don't know much of your story, so for all of us, this will be a treat. So, Aleta, take us back. Where did life start out for you?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Okay, well, life started out, obviously in Australia, but in Sydney with two sisters. And I had a very quirky grandma who was into cooking, obsessed with cooking. And we would go to her house, excited for the road and dessert and everything. So, you know, that kind of old school meals really sort of already found a place in my heart from a young age. And also she had a lot of antiques around the house and she also put on Shirley Temple movies and old school movies. And there was just something so infectious about her and everyone loved her. And unfortunately, she did pass away many years later. But in the meantime, I went off and did nursing. So I nursed for 15 years in total. But I was always sort of. It's a very stressful job and I was always looking for a creative pursuit, something I could devote my life to. And yeah, I didn't know what it was. And then after my grandma passed away, I just had this idea of doing like creating a cookbook. And that's exciting.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Can you take us back to some of the most memorable things that your grandmother used to cook when you were young growing up?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Oh, yeah. So, like, everyone loves the good old lamingtons, but her sponge cake, and it wasn't just us. She would tell us all about how amazing her sponge cakes were, like, but they were renowned everywhere you went. Like her sponges, her or her trifle, you know, all those classics, the pavs, the roast meals. So she did a, you know, just a traditional roast, but she made her own gravy. And, and, oh, she had these jam drops, these little kind of not pastry but like cakey things with jam in the middle. And she just, oh, there's too many. She made her own marshmallows, like everything made from scratch. Yeah, yeah, that's nice.
**Sarah Freeman:**

That's. That's pretty memorable. So what was her background? Where was she from originally?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Well, she is Australian, so. But way back maybe, I think two Generations before. She's Jewish and she's also South African. I'm not sure exactly where, but a black South African. So you wouldn't sort of expect that you could see it a little bit. I didn't know till I was much older about this background. But, I mean, she was born and raised in Australia and, you know, so she likes all the British classics. I would say obsessed with the royal family from that generation. You know, all that Diana. Anything Diana, she's just had pictures and cutouts and all through the house. Anything like that, Old movies, you know, she'd know all the songs, she'd do all the dances. I was brought up on, all that sort of thing. And yeah, it was sort of like a magic land when I go to grandma's house because she had, you know, she made porcelain dolls from scratch and she had bead collection, so we would be making necklaces and we had toy box. It was just magical, really.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And were you involved in the cooking process with her? Did she get you involved, or was that her domain?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

I think it was more to her domain. Occasion. She gave us her recipes written down with her handwriting, but so hard to follow. But she did pass them on. That's about as far as it went.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Right.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Well, that is. That is special. And so what was like your favorite? Favorite? Like, is there one type of thing that really stands out? That you've continued to cook?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Ah, that I've continued to cook. Well, I actually grew up Seven Day Adventist, so my mom was Seven Day Adventist. So is my grandma, the one that I was just talking about, and she used to make they often vegetarian. So they. They make like. It's a sanitarium product. It's like a nut. I don't even know what. It's actually nuttolene or something. And you mix it up with breadcrumbs and it's like these patty things. And it sounds strange to most people, but that's probably something that I still cook all the time. Just big nostalgia whenever I see them. I don't even know what I'd call them. Just nut patties.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Okay, how do you make them? Teach us. Tell us. Tell us. Yeah, how do you make them?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Well, you could kind of mix it up a couple of eggs. You put a can of this nuttolene that you can get in coles usually, and you mix it up. You get like just. It's so simple. That's the thing. You get like a French onion, dried French onion, mixed soup mix. Pour that in for the flavor. Often I'll saute Up onion and garlic and throw it through and you just mix it up, really. And then you get breadcrumbs, put it in breadcrumbs, and then fry them up. It's so simple. And sometimes I mix it up instead of the French onion soup mix, I might put, you know, make more of a. Like a. More like a Spanishy kind of version with paprikas and other things like that. So I kind of try. Try and error, trial and error over the years, but I always come back to my grandma's, like, classic recipe.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah, sounds good. Well, we're happy to come around anytime.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Her roasts are pretty good, too. If you're not into vegetarian food, her roast is pretty good as well.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Okay. Yeah. So everybody who's writing down that recipe right now of how to make it. Yeah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Great. So going up through. Through that time, did you have siblings around you and. Or was it just. Just you and the.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, yeah. Two sisters. Two sisters. One older one, one younger one. Yeah. So they're like me. They, you know, they reminisce on grandma's.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Cooking and what types of activities did you get up to, like, after school and those types of things. Growing up together as a family, I think it was.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

It's so. It's so nice. Like, now looking back, I feel so blessed because I. Obviously a lot of kids are in apartments and they're, you know, on their tablets and phones and watching TV, but we. I was probably because I'm a 1980s baby. I mean, I still remember running the streets until the lights went out. You know, I mean, the lights went on, the track, you know, the light went on. So, you know, we were outside on our roller skates, you know, riding our little bikes around. We had a property behind us with five acres and they had horses and pigs and everything. And we were down there catching tadpoles and, you know, chasing. Chasing piglets in, you know, looking. There's always a puppy down the street that, you know, a dog down the street having puppies. So, you know, going to visit the new puppies a few doors down or whatever. We had one of those kind of scrappy childhoods, and it was so delightful. Like I said, I don't know how many kids can experience that these days. So, yeah, it was nice. Back to basics. It was out western Sydney, so out past win. Well, maybe people won't know this area, but it was, you know, outside of Sydney City a good couple of hours from the cbd, so out towards Windsor. That area out past. Yeah, out past there where people had Properties and different things like that. So it was very simple kind of childhood, nothing flashy. We went to caravan park, stayed in cabins or, you know, tents. Yeah, yeah, it was nice. It was simple.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yes. That area is a bit different now from how you've grown up for sure, by the sounds.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, yeah. Not too developed yet, but it's getting there, definitely.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And how was schooling for you? Was it something that you loved and embraced or challenged? Talk us through those years.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Okay, school years. I did not embrace school one bit. I actually, I was a good kid, you know, like, I was never a troublemaker or anything like that. However, when I got to high school, I skipped more classes than I went to, especially English, believe it or not. So it's hilarious that I'm writing books now. But I hated school. I used to get the syllabus and I would teach myself off the syllabus. And finally I think my mum got to the point where she went, she is passing, she is doing well, so whatever's working for her. And she kind of just let me do my thing. Yeah. But it was touch and go where they said if you don't up your attendance, you're not going to get your high school certificate. So I didn't go to school. I didn't learn that way. I do think it was like I said, it was a different time and people didn't diagnose things like dyslexia, you know, or learning difficulties. And looking back, probably I would have been diagnosed with dyslexia. And I think that's why I struggled with mainstream education and how it's delivered. So, yeah, I didn't love school, but I did all right enough to do a nursing degree. You know, I got into nursing and finish that. So, yeah.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Well, we've learned so much so far. And we'll be back with more Life Bursts straight after this with Matt and Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Welcome back to Life Bursts and we have the privilege of hearing Alida's story today. Alida, you picked up the story. You told us you went to study nursing. So what. What was the interest in nursing? What caused you to enroll in that?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Well, basically I went to. I wanted to go to. I was a Seven Day Adventist at the time. I'm not. Not really now. Spiritual, yes, but not Seven Day Adventist. And I wanted to go to Avondale, which is. I'm giving a lot of plugs for the Adventist Church, but I wanted to go to Avondale, which is an Adventist college. And I had a few friends that were doing nursing there and it's very well known for its nursing program. I don't know if any more it is, but it certainly was at the time. And. And so nursing, it was one of those things where in my heart I wanted to do something creative because that's what I love so much. But from a practical point of view, a lot of people would say, you know, you've got to do something responsible, something that will, you know, get you a good job at the end, something that's reliable and if the world shifts and changes. And I guess Covid did prove this true. You know, you always have a job. And so I guess it was something that kept everyone happy. Perhaps not myself, let's be honest. So I went and did nursing and really struggled, like kicked and screamed the whole way, in a way, like not really wanting to finish it, but had a lack of other options, really. And that's just what happened. So. And then I just kept going because the money was coming in and there was some satisfaction to being a nurse. Of course, you know, you're helping people every day. And I loved the elderly people. I always. About a soft spot. I wanted to hear their story, you know, like, they'd tell me about their wartime story and they were in a concentration camp and just. I asked them the secret. You know, you'd see the really happy elderly couple, and you're like, what's the secret? And they, of course, would tell you. And I learn a lot from that aspect. But the pills and the grind of it all, it wasn't really something that I got up and got excited about every day.
**Sarah Freeman:**

So what was the worst part about nursing?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

The worst part about nursing? Yeah, the worst part, I would say, is two. Well, two. Two things, I think. I think it's the fact that on a daily level, a daily basis, you almost have to sacrifice yourself and your health for other people. Meaning you're doing these crazy hours, the shift work. You're often dealing with people, whether withdrawing from drugs or alcohol or something. So you're kind of copying, you know, the brunt of that. I've been kicked on, spat at, sworn at, you, flirted with more times than I can remember. Like, it's kind of one of those things where it's just expected that you're going to be disrespected on a daily basis. And it's very thankless often. And it. Yeah, it just wears you really thin. It can, but like I said. But then there's the magical moments, you know, where you see someone get better. And there's so many stories. Just the most Heart. I feel blessed. Like, I've seen some of the most heartwarming things in my life and got to share some very vulnerable moments with so many people. And so it's. It's bittersweet. It's. It's hard to really say, but. Yeah. Just feeling a little taken for granted sometimes, I guess.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yeah. If I be honest, I can imagine. Well, thank you for all of those years of nursing and being there and caring for people. I'm sure that there's many people listening and watching that would agree with what I'm saying. Like, thank you. And because you all do such an amazing job to keep our society moving and going. So thank you. Thank you for all of that that you did.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah. Look, I mean, I've kind of walked away now, but there's some people that I say to you, do you love it? And they're like, I love it so much. It's just their passion. And I'm just like, oh, I'm in awe almost. I'm just like, thank God you were born, you know, and you're on this planet. Because they really are. They love it and this is what they live for, like what I do with my writing. So it's amazing.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah. So how long did you keep that up until you moved on to something different?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

15 years. 15 years. So I actually just to kind of like, add on to what I was saying about, you know, putting your own health, you know, aside for the safety of others. It was actually a health issue. I went into extreme burnout, and that is what ended up probably. I was already fascinated by writing, which was a shock to me, given, as I told you, I had dyslexia. And I really used to truant. I mean, I used to, you know, wag the English classes. Probably was my favorite one to wag. So it's funny that that's what I. But I strangely started, you know, being interested in writing and. And then when my health sort of plummeted, it was just probably the only thing that I could do for a couple of hours a day. You know, I was almost bed bound for a long time, so kind of saved me in a way and created this new path for me.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yeah. So what were the signs that you knew that you were going into burnout?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

It really. It just started with. I can't really explain it. Like, just like, I wouldn't cope with a common cold anymore. Like, I must have had hundreds over the years from nursing flus and stuff. You're always picking stuff up on the job. But I would Find that I wouldn't recover very quickly. You know, it would take weeks to come back up, you know, obviously, then the fatigue set in in a. In extreme way, and. Yeah, just. Just that sort of thing. Just inability to tolerate too much. Like, I didn't have that same bounce that I used to have, you know, and then it just progressively got worse. And believe it or not, when I walked away from nursing, I really collapsed. Like, that's actually when it went. Yeah. Which is. You often hear people go on holidays, you know, and they go, oh, that's when I got cold. Or that's when I got really sick. So it's like my body just sucked up. Like the sponge could have, like, just wanted sleep, sleep, sleep.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah. And how long did it take to really recover from that. That burnout and that fatigue?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

To be honest, I've never fully recovered. It's something that I still struggle with. I have to always be pacing myself and really careful how much I do. But I definitely made huge grounds probably for the first six years. I started getting into yoga. I'm now a certified yoga teacher, which is another thing I do sort of alongside the books. And. Yeah, I guess it made my. I changed my diet, like, a lot more balanced to my diet. When I was nursing. I'd have, like, a croissant in the morning, you know, and a cigarette, let's be honest, and a chocolate bar. That would be my breakfast, you know, So I just. I'm just a lot more careful. You're just on the go all the time, you know, and you never really think about yourself. So. Yeah, I've changed a lot. It's actually been a blessing in many ways. I watch things more. I'm a lot slower and alert. You know, I see things that maybe others miss, which is great for storytelling.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yes.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah. So it's not. It's not something I look at as a failure. I kind of see it as fix, you know, it changed me, changed my life, I guess, in a positive way.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yes. It was sort of a way of just slowing down and being able to really get back to what your heart really wanted to do, which was writing and creative and being creative in that space. Like, that was a great time, and you've learned a lot, and it shaped who you are right now in this moment. But now you're doing what you really, really, really like doing. Yeah.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah. Beautifully said. That's true.
**Sarah Freeman:**

So what did you used to journal about?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Well, that's the thing about this book. It said in there, you know, you're not meant to Put too much thought process into the process of journaling. You meant to just basically scroll, like, just write whatever comes to your mind. Just don't even stop. Just absolutely go nuts writing, writing, writing. And so initially it just was whatever flowed, basically, but then it did. I sort of deviated from the book completely and I started writing stories. And. Which surprised me, to be honest, because, like I said, I wasn't interested in writing books or anything like that. So, yeah, that's just anything that came out. It was a bit cathartic, I'd say, But yeah, just musings, thoughts, insights, just whatever came, really.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And the stories that flowed, were they. Were you putting yourself into those stories or they just creatively came out and sprawled onto the poem?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

You know, I think most people like to think they're not in their stories, but I certainly was in the person. I think quite literally, I think I was writing about someone else but calling them a different name, even lying to myself about it. That's not me, that's someone else. And it was so bad. It was so bad. I wish I could find it. And I can't believe I sent it to a couple of people to look over because I thought it was really amazing. My first, I guess you could say book, I guess it was probably about 50,000 words. And I thought, like I said, it was, it was pretty good. And I look back at it now and just go, oh, I can't believe I sent that to other people.
**Matthew Carratt:**

You gotta start somewhere. You gotta start somewhere.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

No, definitely not me. I'd be like, not me, it's someone else.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Okay, great. Oh, well, that's fantastic. Well, we're going to come back and hear more stories, more of your story. And this is Life Bursts. I'm Matt.
**Sarah Freeman:**

And I'm Sarah. Welcome back to Life Bursts. I'm Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And I'm Matt. And Lita, you've been taking us through your story, delving into a journey of starting to write through journaling. But then that led to other things, particularly as you stepped down from your nursing.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, it did. It did. It wasn't still when probably maybe just before the burnout started. Just before that started, I remember just going, I read a book. I don't know if you've read it, it's called. It was by, I think, Tim Ferriss, something like that. And he wrote a book called the Four Hour Workweek. And I was like, you know, obviously the burnout was starting to kick in. I was thinking, gosh, I'd like a four hour work week. But you know, essentially he sort of gave people ideas of how to make some money. I mean, way back then, maybe even I didn't know before drop shipping was a big thing. And so I was sort of trying to think of a little concept that might be able to earn a little bit of money so I could nurse less. And my sister, my younger sister and her husband. I'm going to speak French in a second, but I'll just say the F. But basically, there was this website called what the F do you want for dinner? And then it said, I want some. And then you click to the next web page and it would be like chicken stir fry. They probably said it a little bit more colorful than that. So it was just this edgy website that people would go on and then they brought a cookbook out alongside it. And that's when I had this idea of starting a website initially that was like this retro crazy. I mean, my grandma, God love her, didn't have a great marriage, and she was just a cook and clean, you know, that was basically. I know she had huge aspirations to do a lot of. A lot of other things with her life, and she sort of ended up in a really toxic marriage. And I saw this. I just saw her lost there. And I wanted to write a book about this feisty board housewife. And I do it by this cookbook and make it a little bit inappropriate as well to get people in. And so it was going to be a website initially, and then I told my friend about it and he goes, no, no, no, no, this isn't a website, this is a cookbook. And I went, but I don't know how to cook. Like, how. This is crazy. And I was going to get recipes from the public domain initially. And he goes, no, no, no, you've got to do these yourself and you've got to do the photography yourself. And I just thought, well, that's impossible. And then I sort of put it away for a few years. And then I think in the process, I watched the movie again. Julia and Julia. I don't know if you know, but it's about Julia Child and the process of, you know, coming her cookbooks coming about, and which was such a mission for her. And I just got passionate again and I started, like, creating recipes. And each one probably took something like 13 or 14 attempts. I mean, they were often based off my grandma's recipes. But you've got to understand, I was microwaving meals, three meals a day. So it had a lot to learn about the basics of cooking and Then obviously also how to tweak them and make them a little modernized and appealing to a younger crowd as well. So it just took a long time just doing the recipes alone. And the storyline shifted so many times over the years to the point that I finally actually went to England to finish writing this book just so I could be a bit immersed in that kind of. I mean, it's based in England, so I wanted to be a little immersed in, you know, where that book that I was writing originated, you know, setting. So it was, it was huge. It went on for maybe nine years.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Wow.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah. And just constantly tweaking and people looking at me on the sidelines going, you are mad. What are you doing? I don't think anyone believed that it would ever actually come about and I'd be holding. Don't mind if I do.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yeah.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

My book in my hands one day. The oldest recipe in the book. Oh, for the love of scones. And it's hopefully the first of a six part series.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Hold it up. More. Such a good book. I'm just going to do some of the promoting for you.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

That's me.
**Sarah Freeman:**

How I actually, how this interview came about is because actually I met you and you were at a retro car show because my husband's really into cars and we were there and you were there and I was like, this cookbook is awesome. It's lovely. So I actually brought one myself and share it with my family because it is real. It's a storybook, but it's a cookbook and I'm not going to tell any more of your story, but it is a really awesome book.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

No, no, thank you. That's. That's great. Yeah. It was nice to meet you both there. That was delightful. I actually really love doing the markets for the same reason that the part of nursing I love, because I just sit there. I mean, or stand often sit if I can. Chatting to people all day. It's. It's great. I meet so many different people. I love doing the market stalls and getting out in front of people, so. But yeah, it was. It definitely took a long time to come about.
**Matthew Carratt:**

So nine years. But at the point that you had something you were happy with, then someone else has got to be willing to buy into that too. How did that process go of someone saying, yeah, we're willing to print this to make it happen?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Well, that is the thing. No one actually bought into my book. I bought into my own book. Not that I put it out there to anyone. I never actually. I always, I guess I was watching I was part of a lot of writers groups and watching the trends of what's going on in publishing and I guess KDP and different self publishing organizations were, you know, evolving and making it possible for people to become self published authors. And then that way they can dictate how they want their author career to go, what their cover looks like, everything like that. And I had the idea of instead investing in my own books and buying my own copies so that I can, you know, I guess it's not giving the profits away to big organizations. And I also do have them available on KDP for Amazon buyers. But the ones that I sell, the ones that I sold you, they're my own copies. They're in the garage. I package them up and sell them myself, you know, take them to the post office myself. I started my own publishing company.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Okay, how do you do that? We've never had anybody that started their own publishing company.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

How does one do that? Well, for now I only really publish my own books, but I mean, maybe one day other people's. Essentially all it is is obviously I registered the name Happy Sloth Press, started a website. Yeah. Happyslothpress.com. is that your favorite sloth? Well, we watched that movie the Ice Age because I'm always reading books and sipping tea like, oh, you're such a sloth. He reminds me, he says because I'm clumsy, that I'm like the sloth on the Ice Age. And I agree with you. And I love that character. He's my favorite character. So I think his name is. Yeah. So I was like, oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna make a publishing company for all those book lovers that just love to sloth around reading books. So it's. And I thought that worked well because I've got two children's books out as well. So, you know, Happy Sloths is, you know, it sounds like a good publishing company to sell kids books.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah. Great. So you don't have to explain how to set that up. That might take some time, but how long did it take for you to realize that this thing that you'd invested nine years into and you published was actually. You were right. This is a. You're onto a winner.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yeah. This is a thing. Yeah.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Sometimes I wonder. Sometimes it takes a lot of work because I am wearing so many hats right now. You know, I'm the marketing expert, I'm the social media manager. Not that I've been doing much on that, but I do hope to get to that. I want to actually put some YouTube videos out doing cooking demos and stuff this year. So I'm actually going to work harder on the marketing side of things. But that's because I've been so busy setting up the foundations, you know, the websites, the author website, alidawidoak.com, my kid. Sorry, the publishing site, obviously, publishing these books, learning about how to do it and make it profitable, because I think I was lucky enough to sort of watch. I watched a documentary and a couple of things about artists, and I was essentially one of those artists that just went, I just want to be creative. I don't want to think about anything else outside of being creative. It should never be about money, and it's not. And I've always loved what I'm doing. But there was a point when I watched this documentary and I noticed that artists always get taken advantage of and they end up with nothing. And all these big producers and, you know, I think they were rap artists or something like that that had nothing, and all these people made money off them. And I thought, I don't want that. For me, if I'm really going to chase this and I'm going to try and think of a way to set it up so that it could be the most profitable creative career that I can make. So. And I mean, it's a changing industry, the publishing industry, as you guys would know. It's one of those things where you're like, oh, have I jumped in at the wrong time? People are moving to audio books, podcasts, you know, everything but reading books these days. So children's books and cookbooks, I think will be around for a little bit longer. So I think I've, by accident, sort of stumbled into the right area of publishing.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yeah. So what I was saying before was that your cookbook is a book. You open it, you read it front to back, and there's recipes in there. It's not a normal cookbook where you open it up, oh, what do I feel like a dessert or open to the dessert section or whatever? No, this is actually like a book that you read. Tell us, Talk us through how it all came about. Because it is such a unique and interesting book.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, yeah. Well, going back to that website, the. Because I'll. Maybe I'll hold it up. But essentially it does have. I'll try and find something that's so. I mean, it's talk. It's essentially about a couple. Well, a female, essentially, who just dreams of becoming married and having kids so she can sort of relax and live that housewifely lifestyle. And so it talks about the first section. The first menu section is basically the breakfast section, and it is about her dating escapades. It's a little cheeky in some sections, I'm not going to lie. It's something my mom's like, you have to tell people because otherwise they won't realize that they, you know. But it just says it's all sexual, you know, not sexual connotation, but it's just playing with words the whole way through. So essentially, I'll try and find one. That's okay.
**Sarah Freeman:**

We'll let you find it and we'll come back after a break while you look for it here on Life Bursts with Matt and Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

This is Life Bursts with Sarah and Matt. We're chatting to Alida. And Alida, you're about to open up your book and show us a section, remind us of the book's title.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

So the book is titled the oldest recipe in the book. Oh, for the love of scones. Yeah. So, yes. So as I was mentioning, the breakfast section, the first section is about this female, you know, all this sort of things. That's why it's called the oldest recipe in the book. It's sort of like an old age story, really. You know, women trying to get married or not always, you know, these days, not so much, but often it can be like that, wanting to settle down with a mate. And so in the dating section, I mean, this is just a little bit. It says adding pressure to a dream. All her friends and family have begun to constantly remind her that if she didn't get a move on soon, it would be too late. You see, at a certain point in her life, a woman finds herself with. And then it's got the dot, dot, dot, and you turn the page and it's got scrambled eggs. You know, so obviously you kind of like, you know, that's the idea. And then it moves on to the husband section. And it's the same idea of these little dot, dot, dots and turning the page to a recipe.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Oh, very creative.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

That's how it started. And it's got the whole story. And then the last section, which is the dessert section, is about motherhood. And, you know, I've talked to a lot of my female friends with their kids, and they told me all the, you know, the things that they struggle with and how delightful it is, but also, you know, that it comes with its pressures as well. So it's just meant to be a fun take on marriage and love. And the next book out is the Met, the husband's Side of the story. So it's going to be a cocktail book. So yeah, it'll be a six part series and just tongue in cheek. Fun.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah, yeah, great. So obviously, you know, it's taken a long while and you're still working it all out but people warmed to the book right away. You're selling some copies. That's kept you going.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, so far it's done really well. Better than I expected. But like I said, I've really done nothing from the marketing point and that's something that I hope to do so much more with this year and next. Obviously that's a big part of publishing these days so I've got to get better at that. Yes, I like to kind of primate away.
**Sarah Freeman:**

There is a particular photo in there with a car and then older gentleman have retro car which quite well. Yes. Tell us about how that photo in particular came about because it is a new story.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

I mean the photography. I've got it here actually, I'll hold it up. It's this car here that's me, my husband that I hired off a website. And that is a pillow. Inside the blanket there's a pillow. It's not actually real baby. Some of the shots in there I am holding a real baby. Yeah. But that one, my niece is actually in the photos. But yeah, so the photography was interesting because I had no idea how I was going to do this. And the very first photo, I'll just quickly. Anyway, the first photo which is here with my. These are all my friends. So back when she's working, in her working days, basically I was doing some house, sitting down in Melbourne to go visit one of my nieces who'd just been born. And while I was there I just went this beautiful house, like it was old, vintage. It also had like an original 60s kitchen and bathroom and everything. And I thought this would be a perfect place. So I contacted the owner and said, do you mind if I use your place? And the next thing I know I was contacting my friends and getting them around and I think I went on Gumtree and found a suitcase full of clothing and dragged it. You know, I didn't have a car with me. So across, I don't know how many suburbs back to where I was staying and did that photos and then the car was one. I was like, oh, now I need a husband. You know, I need to find someone to play the husband. So as I said, I found him online and then I had a photographer who was amazing, Robert Wagner, amazing photographer. So patient with all my antics. Because this was probably, this is basically describes the whole shoot. I was walking to the publisher the day before. I wasn't actually going to the pub, I was going past the pub to go to a knock shop to find some stuff to dress my husband who I hoped would turn up the next day. And I saw this old car, the one that I showed you, the blue car parked on the side. And there was an old man sitting in the front of the car and I knocked off the window and he wound it down. He's really sweet and his face was really ruddy and I was like, this is someone who's had a few drinks today for sure. He sounded a little intoxicated. And I said to him, I go, I love your car. And he goes, oh, thanks love. And I said, oh, I'm doing a photo shoot tomorrow, would you mind your car being in the photo shoot? And he just looked at me, goes, yeah, of course. And I thought he was just, I just thought he was humoring me. I really didn't think he was being genuine. And then I said, do you want the address? And he goes, no, no, I'll remember it, just tell me. And I said, no, no, I'll write it down. I think you need to write it down because clearly a few drinks in, he's slurring and I remember. And so I told him the address and off I went to the op shop, not expecting to see him at the time. I think it was 10 in the morning the next day and we all kind of were standing out the front ready to take the photo and this car starts putting down the road and bless him, there he is. It was just so fun. And even in one of them I won't look for it because it takes me a while, but there's a spinning wheel in there. And I was staying in a different house, Sid. And I was walking down the street and I saw this spinning wheel because the lady where I was staying at crocheted everything. She had a bicycle covered with crochet. Everything was covered in crochet at her house. And that's why I loved it and wanted in the book. And so once again I was house sitting and I was walking down the street and I saw a spinning wheel. And my photographer's like, where are you going? Because I'm knocking on the door and I'm like, do you mind if I borrow your spinning wheel, elderly cup? He's like, yeah. So I'm marching down the street carrying my spinning wheel. That's how the book came apart. And thank You Melbourne because they support black creatives down there. I think, like, as soon as you say you're working on a creative project, everyone's so supportive. I don't think I would have had that reception anywhere else, to be honest. So great.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Oh, very resourceful, very resourceful. And so there's plans for more of these. But as well as the cookbook, storybook, you've ventured into another genre of, of books as well, somewhere along the line. How did that come about?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, so when I got sick, obviously I couldn't keep up my apartment payments and so I didn't know what to do. So for a while, like I said, I was house sitting or living with family. And one of those stints was with my older sister and she had a couple of nieces. My nieces, sorry, she had a couple of kids and I was staying with them when they're little and I just remember, you know, how inquisitive and adorable they were and, and how blessed I was to be around them at that age. And I just. The cookbook I could tell was many, many, many years away. And so I thought, oh, maybe part of that journaling this little story came out, a couple of them actually, and I thought, oh, it'd be interesting to get them illustrated. And I did try and find an artist, but everything kept falling through. And it just so happened one of my nieces was obsessed with drawing. And so I did an interior design course, just a short course many years back, and I still had some of the copic markers and I just thought I could just have a little crack, like why not just try? And so the next thing I know, I was down on the floor with my niece, you know, sketching out what came to be minty green. I'll just pull up the little book. So this was, this is my first children's book. And then I wrote another book, Catch you. And I actually used water paints for this one. Yeah, so that's my two little books that I've illustrated now and Happy to hang up that hat. It was delightful while it lasted, but now that I can pay an artist, I actually have two books coming out with an artist involved.
**Matthew Carratt:**

So where do the stories come from for these children's books? Do you still journal? Is that where. Or they just occur to you while you're cooking or at round.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

No, I don't journal this one. Actually, this one's a story about. So it's called Catchy Round Alligator and it's called A heartwarming tale about love and loss. And essentially my Stepdad, I'm trying to think was quite a few years ago now, but he did pass away from cancer. So that was probably just before I got sick. And I. Yeah, I just wrote this little poem about this daughter and a father. And it's meant to show the circle of life. Because what I noticed when from nursing and also from my stepdad passing away is that it's like we don't really want to think about that aspect of life in the west, you know, And I think children, we bring them up to be scared of it. And it's just a natural part of life. Not that I'm saying it's something that I'm excited about or that, you know, I'm happy when I hear someone's passed on, but there is a level of fear that's generated and I think it comes from a young age. So I wanted to write a book about this little girl whose father dies in it. And it basically just shows, you know, how her father lives on through how he was as a human being and how we can do that too. So that was how that book came about. And the other one, the Curious Case of Minty Green, was, I guess for me, I had a lot of hang ups. I actually did in my teen years, have an eating disorder. And it seemed important to me, once again, that we educate children not to be afraid of things like aging and the human body and really embracing ourselves, how we are. And so when I saw my nieces and they were just so, like, just in love with their own bodies, you know, and there was something delightful. They're just so comfortable in their own skin. And I thought, I want them to keep that. Don't lose that to this crazy world. And so I wanted to write a book about a little girl that just loves the diversity and the differences. Like, I was actually at one of the markets. I'll just. I will get this page up. Essentially, like I was at a market. There was a lady that worked at a disability support unit and she said, you know, she goes, I never see books where someone in a wheelchair is just a character. You know, they're always about having a disability or something like that. But in here it's. He's just. There's no one's making a deal over it. He's just another character in the book. And she said, I love that. So that was what that book was about. It was about, I guess, hoping to, I don't know, not that you can save the next generation, but at least if I do my parting, opening up their Little minds and not being so. So frightened of some of the things that maybe I was frightened of and I'd seen other people, you know, scared of in this world. So.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yes, yes, very much so. Would love for you to read in our last, like, 10 minutes and after the break, a bit of your book for us, especially that one. So, yeah, we'll give you some time to prepare over the break and we'll be back with more Life Bursts straight after this. Welcome back to Lifebirth. I'm Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And I'm Matt and we're chatting to Elita and, well, you've done so much in your life. Your cookbook, nurse.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Children's book.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Children's book, yes. So there's so much more that we haven't shared. But you've got one of your children's books there. Would you just give us a taste of which one are you going to read for us?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Well, I'm going to read a little bit. I won't read the beginning part, but I'll read you just the end bit of the Curious Case of Minty Green. So, as I said, I do the publishing so I could this little cutout, which I've always loved when I was reading children's books growing up, like anything, I don't know, anything like that, it's a bit mysterious, I guess.
**Sarah Freeman:**

I've got a hole in the front for people who are listening on radio or podcast.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Oh, yeah, yeah. So, and then. So basically this is. She goes through. She's discovering about her mum's body and the differences and stuff and things will happen with age. And then her dad. And then this is when she gets to the grandma section, so it says. But then one day her gran got dressed and Minty saw her wobbly neck. Then out of nowhere came the urge to go on a discovery search. And then this reminds me, my grandma, because she. Anyway, you'll see. Hold still, Gran, so I can check. Sorry. The further swing your neck can get. I wish my neck could also wobble. Come on, Gran, let's gobble, gobble. And as I say, my grandma had the wobbliest neck. We used to say, we'll play with your floppy bits.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah, yeah.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Anyway, then. And then it says, granny, know if I could choose, I'd have skin like yours that can move and scrunch and twist and turn and crinkle. I hope someday I too will wrinkle. And then the granny says, I think it's best to now impart that grannies come with older parts. And just like me, you'll slowly age but even now we're much the same and that says my granny's skin is like a chip and her long neck and swing and flip I've looked ran over head to toe There can't be more for me to know. And then she sort of goes out into the world and she discovers, you know more about the diversity outside of the house as well. So yeah. So that's my little the curious case in minty green.
**Matthew Carratt:**

That's beautiful. Really, really encouraging. So well done.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Yes.
**Matthew Carratt:**

So what's. What's next? You've got these. This. The rest of the series. What's in the future for. For you authorship and the rest of life.
**Sarah Freeman:**

For what's your sloth?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

For my sloth life. It's not that sloppy actually. I've got quite a bit that I'll be doing coming up soon. So they'll be early next year. All going well will come. I'll bring under the same oldest recipe books but I think it's going to be Constance Clyde. Sorry Clyde's Candid Cocktails and that's going to be his cocktail book. So that'll come out the next part of the series. And then at the end of this year I'm going to be bringing out like I said, I worked with an amazing artist. She's in America, Sarah Ruthless. They are in America. Sorry. And they are the most. I just have been following her for a while and she's done. They've done. Sorry. They've done their comic illustrations for my children's book. It's a Christmas special so that's going to come out later this year. It's adorable. It's a little bit of a comedy. And then the year after. So 2025 after the cocktail book is going to be. I'm going to do my first. I've already written it and had an artist do the illustrations. It a kids lid. So it's a Roald Dahl type length book for children. Same similar age group. It's really cute. It's. That was a lot of fun working on that one because it's. One of the characters is a rocking pink granny and my other grandma. So this is my mum's mum. She was a rocking pink granny and she has passed on as well. But she used to have pink hair and listen I'd turn up her house and there would be nirvana blaring. Right.
**Sarah Freeman:**

That is quite the contrast between your two grandmas. Now one that loves cooking old English style food and another one with pink hair and listens to. So which of which grandma or Nana did you like the most? It was a true question. It's okay.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

You don't actually have to answer it.
**Sarah Freeman:**

It's okay. Just wanted to see your reaction.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

And you know what? I love them for different things. I love them for different things. They both had their quirky side and drove people very crazy. I don't think anyone would be, you know, have an issue with me saying that in the family. But they also had their. The way they have lived on through, you know, just their personality. I remember the rocking pink granny. She'd be like, just have fun. You know, she'd be like that one that's like, you're perfect as you are. And the other one, you know, she was. She just made you feel special. You know, there was always some recipe cooked for you. She always thought of the details. And so, yeah, they're both great.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Well, thank you so much so far for sharing just parts glimpses of your life so far with us here on Life Bursts with Matt and Sarah. But now in the final three minutes of our show, if you had one piece of advice to share with those who are watching and listening to Life Bursts today, what would that be?
**Alida Whiteoak:**

I guess I'd have to say, I guess. I guess the theme of it has been to follow your heart. I wish someone had, I guess, told me that back when I was little, you know, I guess maybe follow your heart also. Just embrace, you know, who you are. I guess, which is coming out of my books now. But I guess if I had of. I may not have ended up nursing for many years and had the eating disorder and maybe never got the illness and not that I would change anything. I certainly wouldn't. I don't have any regrets, but I probably. I wish that I lived more true to myself instead of always saying yes all the time, always putting myself second. Yeah. Just doing what feels right for myself. And I see the younger generation, they do do that more. Maybe too much sometimes, but. No, I think it's good. I think there's a different message going out these days. So that's my advice.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Honor yourself.
**Matthew Carratt:**

Yeah. Thank you. It's really clear that you are doing that yourself and living that out and imparting that to others through your creativity. It's. It's a fantastic thing. I just. You can give one last plug for if people are looking for your books or would like to hear more, how can they find you or to get.
**Sarah Freeman:**

In contact as well, like many listeners and viewers like to do.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, of course. I've got one in the happy soft press is separate. But you can definitely find me on my author website. So it gets a little tricky with my name because people get miss, you know, they struggle with the spelling. But it's a leader. So a L, I D. I would say D for dog. A Alida. And then white oak. So white, like the color white oak, like the tree squish them together. So Alida white oak. And you can find me on https://alidawhiteoak.com/ and there it'll have all the information on. I can buy my books from there, everything.
**Sarah Freeman:**

It's a very good, very good website to be able to find out everything that you need to know. I just love your publishing name. That's going to stick, I reckon.
**Alida Whiteoak:**

Yeah, it's catchy.
**Sarah Freeman:**

Well, thank you so much for your time today and sharing just a burst of your life with us. This has been Life Bursts. I'm Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

And I'm Matt. Thank you so much for joining us. To all our listeners and viewers across the board, we love to share stories. Our leaders is one of them. And we'll be back with some more stories next week.
**Sarah Freeman:**

You can catch up with Life Bursts wherever you get your podcasts from on community radio and television and of course, online on YouTube and streaming. I am Sarah.
**Matthew Carratt:**

I'm Matt. Have a great week.

**Voice-Over:**
Life Bursts is hosted by Matthew Carratt and Sarah Freeman with production by Rhys Jarrett and Keykhosrow Azadegan. For more episodes of Life Bursts, go to https://rawcut.au, this is a RawCut Production.