Janelle Bloom Australia's Biggest Morning Tea Interview

Janelle Bloom Australia's Biggest Morning Tea Interview

You can help those affected by cancer this May or June by bringing your family, friends or workmates together for morning tea, in support of Australia's Biggest Morning Tea.

It is estimated that 1 in 2 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. Sharing a social cup of tea and some delicious food, while fundraising, is a simple and fun way to help support the work of Cancer Council.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is one of Cancer Council's leading annual fundraising events. Now in its 23rd year, the official event date is Thursday, 26th May, and morning tea fundraisers can be hosted throughout May and June.

Cancer Council Australia CEO, Professor Sanchia Aranda, said Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is a fun way for Australians to support Cancer Council.

'Throughout May and June people across Australia will be gathering to share their Australia's Biggest Morning Teas. A morning tea is a great excuse to get your family, friends, work colleagues and even community together for a great cause! I encourage everyone to get involved, be it hosting a morning tea, attending an event, purchasing merchandise or simply making a donation. All funds raised help fund Cancer Council's life-saving cancer research, prevention programs, and support services for cancer patients and their families."

Having supported Cancer Council's Daffodil Day since 2011 and raising over $3 million, Cancer Council is excited that Coles Express will partner with Australia's Biggest Morning Tea this year, helping to make the event bigger and better than ever before. Australians can support Australia's Biggest Morning Tea at Coles Express stores nationally.*

With one Australian diagnosed with cancer every five minutes, funds raised from the event support Cancer Council's vital research, prevention and support service programs.

This year, Cancer Council is aiming to raise $13.8 million in donations, with every small contribution assisting our work across Australia:
$5 – helps Cancer Council reach out to a newly diagnosed cancer patient, with support and information resources to help them navigate their cancer journey.
$25 – fund resources to support GPs and health professionals advising patients on cancer prevention, screening and diagnosis.
$50 – ensures a cancer nurse is available on our free, confidential telephone service (13 11 20) to offer support on all aspects of cancer.
$100 – allows Cancer Council to support childcare centres and primary schools taking part in the National SunSmart Schools Program.
$500 – helps fund the provision of a telephone and web-based support group facilitated by trained peer volunteers and health professionals.
$1000 – contributes to our ground breaking research into new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Getting involved is easy. Register at biggestmorningtea.com.au or call 1300 65 65 85, to receive a free host kit packed with fundraising ideas, party tips, mouth-watering recipes from celebrity chefs and everything you need to get started. Then get a group together and put the kettle on, to make your cuppa count.

In 2015, Australia's Biggest Morning Tea raised over $13.5million which helped to fund life-saving cancer research, prevention programs, and to provide much needed support for cancer patients and their families.

Every morning tea matters, so whether it's a coffee catch-up with the girls, a workplace get-together or a school bake sale, you'll help make a big difference to the lives of thousands of Australians affected by cancer each year. If you're not able to host a morning tea, there are other ways to show your support, like sponsoring a morning tea host, donating directly to Cancer Council, or purchasing limited edition merchandise.

The official date for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is Thursday May 26th but you can host a morning tea anytime throughout May or June. Make time for what matters and register today.

Register now to receive your free host kit. Text MORNING to 0487 222 555. For more information, visit biggestmorningtea.com.au or call 1300 65 65 85.

Cancer Council is the nation's peak non-government cancer control organisation. Cancer Council Australia and its members, the state and territory Cancer Councils, work across the full spectrum of cancer, including patient support, public education, prevention campaigns, clinical guidelines, public policy and research. Cancer Councils are Australia's biggest independent funders of cancer research investing, with our research partners, more than $70 million in 2015.

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Five Hosting Tips For Your Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

Jen Bishop, the blogger behind interior design website Interiors Addict, will be injecting some creative flair into this year's Australia's Biggest Morning Tea as an ambassador, having lost her mother to cancer. Throughout May and June, Jen is popping on the kettle across Sydney and shares her top tips on how to host a stylish Biggest Morning Tea:

Keep it simple. Choose a colour scheme of perhaps two hues – and then stick to it. Bring the colours in with napkins, flowers, table runners or ribbons around cakes.
Go whimsical. Mix and match with vintage china (scour op shops or your nanna's kitchen) and flowers in jam jars. This is an easy and effective way to theme your event!
Let the food do the talking. Make or buy gourmet doughnuts or a variety of amazing cupcakes.
Choose rustic and simple. Cover your table in brown kraft paper and use vases overflowing with green foliage. Write cake varieties on mini chalkboards.
Forget the traditional cuppa. Create a visual feast with jugs and dispensers of fruity and floral iced teas.


Jen Bishop is the blogger behind Interiors Addict, one of Australia's leading online publications about interior design, homewares and creating a stylish home on any budget. Her slogan is 'style without the snobbery". What started as a hobby has been her full-time job for 3 years now. A former journalist, Jen is a self-confessed neat freak who absolutely lives and breathes interiors, never stops rearranging her own furniture and believes in adding personality to a home by creating layered interiors that say something about the people who live in them. Jen loves cushions, fresh flowers, vintage marble-topped tables and pops of colour, and thinks a good rug can make or break a room.

Interview with Janelle Bloom

Question: What is Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is one of Cancer Council's leading annual fundraising events. Now in its 23rd year, the official event date is Thursday, 26th May, and morning tea fundraisers can be hosted throughout May and June.


Question: What is your goal, for this year's Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: My goal is to encourage everyone to get involved. It doesn't take much, morning tea with friends, family over the weekend or cake and coffee together at work. We are all touched in some way by cancer, which means if we all give just a little we will raise a lot.


Question: Is this your first year participating in Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: I am thrilled to have been working with Cancer Council for five years now. During my time as an Ambassador I have attended many fabulous morning tea events. I especially enjoy the community events all around the country. I have met some truly inspirational people.

Question: Why did you decided to get involved in Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: For me, supporting Cancer Council through Australia's Biggest Morning Tea was a very personal decision. My sister had breast cancer and Cancer Council was there to support our family during that time, and of course the research they fund is invaluable. Not to mention, cooking is my passion and so it seemed a natural fit for me. You can learn more about why I got involved here: biggestmorningtea.com.au/about-the-event/our-ambassadors/janelle-bloom


Question: What do you have planned for Thursday 26th of May?

Janelle Bloom: I will be hosting a morning tea for close friends. It's an annual event and usually ends in the early evening!


Question: What food will you be enjoying?

Janelle Bloom: Everyone brings a plate, however it is a well-orchestrated event. We will start with watermelon and mint mocktails with homemade avocado hummus scattered with pistachio dukkah and served with homemade flat-bread. Then a variety finger sandwiches, spinach & feta mini pies and Vietnamese rice paper rolls. This is followed by some sweet treats - this year's specialty lemon curd custard donuts. I balance this occasional treat by taking a long walk after the event.

In autumn, my favourite flavours include roasted cauliflower, fresh ginger, hass avocadoes, roasted sweet potato, Australian pomegranates and Jazz apples. If you have all these on the shopping list you will always be able to create great food! You can find them incorporated in my Roasted cauliflower salad recipe.

Janelle Bloom's Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Serves 4 as side dish

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tbs peanut oil
3 tsp Moroccan spice blend
1 large cauliflower, trimmed, cut into 2cm-thick slices
4 green onions, thinly sliced
80g baby spinach leaves
½ cup roasted salted peanuts
1/3 cup raisins

Nutty ginger & lemon dressing
1/3 cup peanut oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbs honey

Method
To make the dressing; Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Preheat oven 220C fan forced. Put sweet potato into roasting pan. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with spice blend, turn to coat. Put the cauliflower into a large greased roasting pan. Spoon over 2 tablespoons of the dressing, toss to coat all the cauliflower. Spread cauliflower over the base of the pan. Put sweet potato onto top shelf in the oven and cauliflower underneath. Roast 20-30 minutes, turning once until light golden and tender. Remove from the oven, cool 15 minutes.
Combine the cauliflower and sweet potato on a large serving platter. Scatter over the, green onions, spinach, peanuts and raisins. Pour over the remaining dressing and season. Toss to combine. Serve.

You can find more inspiring Australia's Biggest Morning Tea recipes here: biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraising-ideas/Recipes


Question: What advice do you have for Australian's hosting their own Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: It's so easy! You don't need to be a professional chef like me to take part or spend weeks planning your event (although that can be fun too if you love hosting events!). It can be as simple as inviting some of your best mates over for a cup of tea or getting your work colleagues together one morning – you can even ask everyone to bring some a plate to share.


Question: Can you share with us a recipe that you'll be making for your own Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: There are so many options for morning tea! You can check out my favourite ones here: biggestmorningtea.com.au/about-the-event/our-ambassadors/janelle-bloom


Question: How can Australians donate to Australia's Biggest Morning Tea?

Janelle Bloom: All the information you need to know about Australia's Biggest Morning Tea can be found at: biggestmorningtea.com.au. You can register to host an event or donate online.

You can also head to Coles Express stores to buy limited edition merchandise (travel mugs and tea towels), donate in store or if you purchase hot coffee in store from 23rd May until 29th May all profits will be donated to Cancer Council.


Interview by Brooke Hunter