​The cornerstone of Christmas celebrations is food and bad cracker jokes about deer. Festive feasting though is what mainly brings together friends, families and even foes (I acknowledge that those labels can be interchangeable with the same person).

However, not everyone is lucky enough to know when their next meal will be, with a staggering 3.6 million Australians experiencing food insecurity in 2017. This is a 10 per cent increase from the previous year, meaning that the need for food relief is escalating*. 

I’ve been incredibly lucky to eat some fantastic local food throughout the year, and now is a chance to give back. If you feel in any way similar, pledging a packet of food is a great way to provide.

What are the best items to add to your trolley? 

Let’s take a look at the most needed foods that charities are asking our help for this Christmas.
*Source: Foodbank Hunger Report 2017

With the current move towards healthy eating comes its natural successor: healthy drinking.

I don't mean browny-green smoothies and quinoa chia water; I'm talking about fun drinking. The alcoholic kind.

Esprit De Figues is the first fig liqueur to hit the Australian market, and in just a few months it has proven popular among cocktail aficionados nationwide.

I say it's health-conscious because of all the liqueurs out there, Esprit De Figues has one of the lowest levels of sugar. This provides the double benefits of allowing the natural flavours of handpicked Violette de Bordeaux figs to shine, as well as being kind to your insulin levels. 

In keeping its sugar levels down, is this drink something you'd still like to sip on during a night out? Let's find out.  

Life in general is a little bit harder with a newborn. Doing the groceries is harder. Cooking is harder. Loosing weight- pfft, don't even talk to me about that. 

So I was pretty stoked to be able to try the latest offering from the guys at Aussie Farmers Direct- their home delivered WW Freshbox which comes complete with recipes from Weight Watchers. Given that my brain space is currently filled with nap schedules and feeding times, not having to think about what to cook for dinner is an absolute god-send right now. 

It's also great to not feel guilty for running out of food at home and serving up a dinner of chips (guilty as charged). 

So how does the WW Freshbox stack up? Let's find out.

One reason I love pottering around at food markets on the weekend is to see what new, tasty concoctions have been created by clever local gourmets.

Sadly I don’t always make it to the markets though, particularly in winter when it’s a toss-up between a warm bed or an early morning forage in the elements.

This is where a brand new foodie service comes in.

FlavourCrate is the brainchild of Masterchef contestant Ben Macdonald, who has been working with Australian producers to collect a bunch of gourmet treats which can then be delivered to your door.

What kid of flavours do you get in a crate? Let’s find out.

I confess I haven’t eaten at every bakery in Australia, but from the high-gluten experience I do have, there is one bakery that is my absolute number one.

The Bourke Street Bakery is an institution for good reason- it makes absolutely phenomenal baked-goods. I find I gravitate towards it whenever I’m in Sydney, even if it means catching three different forms of public transport to get there.  

What’s so good about this place? Let’s check it out.

On a recent trip to Sydney, we were in need of an early, quick dinner ahead of a meeting, and thought we’d hit the jackpot on King St in Newtown, which is known for restaurants galore.

However, after being told by one restaurant that they didn’t switch on the kitchen stove for another half hour, we grew a bit stressed time-wise. Luckily we then stumbled upon a very, very friendly and accommodating restaurant.

Whateley Lane is an Italian restaurant on the corner of King St and (funnily enough) Whateley Lane.

What did we make of Whateley? Let’s find out.

Erskineville is one of Sydney's trendier suburbs with beards and skinny jeans as far as the eye can see. However it still maintains a lovely community feel, which extends into one of its gem restaurants: Maggie's Thai.

This restaurant is a favourite among locals, which is probably the highest praise a restaurant can receive. Michelin stars are overrated- just ask Lisa down the street what she thinks.

The menu at Maggie's Thai is extensive with some awesome twists on the usual Thai restaurant staples. The stir-fry section includes Lamb with Chilli Coconut Sauce and Crispy Pork Belly with Asian Greens.

Gone are the days of just having Thai, Chinese or Japanese meal options when you feel like a taste of Asia. More and more we're seeing a variety of other cuisines popping up in restaurants all over the place, including Vietnamese, Filipino and Malaysian.

If you feel like venturing a bit further than a plate of fried rice, I can hand over heart say that a fantastic option is Mamak in Sydney's Chinatown.

And the best thing is, not only does it pile the most delicious Malaysian food thinkable onto your plate, but it's cheap too.