Nice to meet you!

Hi there and welcome to my blog. I’m Julie – the creator, writer, chief cook and bottle-washer behind Life and Chai.

This is my relaxed little place on the internet where I share my recipes (mostly healthy, occasionally rich and indulgent, always delicious – IMHO), my personal tips and thoughts on healthy living, general family chatter and random adventures.

I’m originally from Wales but have lived all over – including both long and short stints in Australia, India, France and Japan. Along the way (and just in the nick of time, my parents might say!) I managed to acquire a lovely (he wrote that) husband from South India and an adorable little boy who shall, for bloggy purposes, be referred to as Little A. Currently we all live happily in Essex, UK, but watch this space as there may well be big, international moves afoot!

As a journalist, I’ve been writing for a living for well over 20 years – first for magazines, then as a news editor at the BBC in London for near on a decade, and in more recent years as a foot-loose and fancy-free freelancer covering a variety of lifestyle topics for magazines, newspapers and websites.

OK for these latter years, that should really read – juggling life as a WAHM and an SAHM, in my yoga pants, tripping over piles of Duplo and watching Cbeebies on a loop with my chocolate-covered toddler!

Amidst all this, I do somehow manage to get a bit of work done, interview some really interesting people from the worlds of health, leisure and wellbeing (sometimes from my sofa, in said yoga pants) and drink copious amounts of tea.

The kitchen really is the heart of our home, whether it’s hubby doing something sensational with Indian spices, me trying out all manner of experimental concoctions (amazingly most of them actually do turn out OK) or my little one making ‘eggy pie’ (cheesy scrambled eggs to you and me).

I hope you’ll stay a while, take a look around, leave a comment, heck even send me a message (julie-at-life and chai dot com.)! It’s always good to talk!