Instagram Made Me Do It

Blooming bread

Did you too grow up in the 70s, or raise your kids in the 70s, and own the full set of Childcraft Children's Encyclopedias?

I bet you did.

These distinctive, gold-lettered tomes took pride of place on our study shelf and were paged through almost daily. 

Friends from around the world share similar memories.

"I grew up in the middle of nowhere," commented Irish friend Miriam, "and Childcraft was my Google."

"If you had a school project, that's where you went, but we also looked up random stuff. The book on the human body - Volume 14 - that was my favorite."

My brilliant brother - who liked nothing better than to memorize battle dates, capital cities, and mountain heights - made maximum use of this classic set.

World & Space, Places To Know and How Things Work were dog-eared from frequent paging, but he never had to compete with me for these.

Instead, it was the Make & Do Encyclopedia I reached for at every opportunity, and I immersed myself in every craft project featured.

When I wasn't baking - my parents gave me my own baking equipment for my 8th birthday - the dining room table was awash with glitter, paint and glue.

Fast forward nearly 50 years, and Instagram now provides this 'must-make' fix, and I am constantly springing out of my office chair to head to the kitchen or craft table.

The difference is that Childcraft offered limited crafting ideas....crack-cocaine Instagram inspiration is endless.

There is creative potential in almost everything, from the airfryer paper liners I picked up at the Rosh Ha'Ayin shuk and transformed into flowers to adorn table-settings, to the humble jar of tahini that can be used to make anything from gluten-free brownies to vegan salad dressing.

And, now that I've resumed my creative cooking classes and event catering, I justify the chaos I create as "research".

"Make your hobby your job and you'll never have to work a single day in your life."

I'm so very grateful to have had the opportunity to do exactly that.

I'm sharing the most useful trick I learned on Instagram this week....and I'm glad to say it doesn't call for a glue-gun,. agar agar, or some prohibitively expensive spice.

Gorgeously golden, roast potatoes are now attainable in mere minutes instead of a lengthy period of oven-roasting.

It's worth investing in an air-fryer - which I admit I'd only used to dry lemon slices until discovering this recipe - just to make these.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to explore something shiny.

Instagram addiction is real...but so is the joy these cooking and crafting projects bring.

And right now we need to find joy wherever we can.

CRUNCHY ROAST POTATOES

5 potatoes
2 - 3 tablespoons oil
3 sliced garlic cloves
Salt (preferably Maldon)
Fresh thyme/rosemary sprig

1: Peel potatoes and cut into chunks then place in a glass tub/bowl and microwave covered on full power for 10 minutes.
2: Shake the bowl to roughen up potato edges, toss potatoes with oil and seasoning, then tip into the basket of the air-fryer.
3: Add the garlic and fresh herbs and air-fry on maximum for approximately 15 minutes without checking.

And. That. Is. It.

Golden, crunchy goodness in an Instagram-instant.

How could Childcraft ever compete?

SIGN UP FOR MORE INSPIRATION: Cooking and crafting was always my first love and I am lucky enough to combine both in my everyday work. In addition to dishes made to order, I've joyfully resumed my cooking and crafting classes, as nothing gives me more pleasure than sharing. I also offer boutique catering with an emphasis on creative table and food styling. Sign up for weekly recipe inspiration at www.lisa-starr.com/newsletter or contact me on email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone on 052 621 5851 to find out more.