Easy Peasy Organic
- Words by Peppermint
Amanda Niehaus is the brains behind Easy Peasy Organic, a website devoted to sharing recipes, projects and ideas about sustainable living (for a true taste of her work, see the delicious smoothie recipe we’ve shared in the post below). Talking to Amanda about the evolution of her blog, her family and her personal ethos, we learnt that the road to Easy Peasy hasn’t been all that straight-forward…
What is Easy Peasy Organic all about?
Easy Peasy Organic reflects my love of quality, real food – which often includes produce from the market or my own townhouse garden and always involves ingredients with names I can pronounce and define without a degree in chemistry. But I also think that quality doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. I often give tips for buying quality on the cheap, and my recipes are always practical. They have to be – I have a four-year old daughter!
How did the blog start?
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32, when my daughter was 8 months old – and it hit me that I didn’t want to die with a bunch of great ideas in my head (among other things, like traveling across the world, seeing my daughter go to kindy/graduate/get married). During treatment, I was spending a lot of time figuring out how to avoid chemicals in my food, cosmetics, and life in general. I figured that my body is already damaged goods now, so why push it? I have a PhD in ecology, and was barreling down the academic career path before having Nelle and cancer de-railed me. I needed a break from the pressures of scientific research. A good friend of mine (Steph Bond of Bondville) suggested I start a blog to share my ideas. Steph’s idea was gold: Easy Peasy Organic was born.
Part of your ethos is about sustainable living. Where did your interest in this first come from?
I grew up in the Iowa countryside, where cornfields run straight to the horizon. Every weekend, we’d drive to Grandma’s – a turn-of-the-century farmhouse with ride-able cows, a barn that leaned to the right, and no running water. Grandma always cooked from her heart, which must be genetic because that’s how I do it. I always felt a connection with nature; but for me an important part of living ‘sustainably’ is being real. Authentic.
What does ‘living sustainably’ mean to you?
I think that living sustainably requires an open mind and an adaptability – characteristics that I value in my self, my family and my friends.
There’s a huge emphasis on family in your writing and your photography. In what ways do you draw inspiration from those closest to you?
I love my little family! Nelle is a continual source of inspiration – she’s sunshine incarnate – but being a parent is harder than I’d imagined, and I often write about those challenges. Robbie? I emulate his ability to be 100% authentic, and he’s been my centre of gravity during motherhood and cancer and life in general.
What is in the cards for the future of Easy Peasy Organic?
We’re all constantly evolving, and my blog will continue to mirror my own life as I grow. Initially, I just wanted to share my ideas and recipes with other like-minded people out there, and that’s definitely still the case. But now I want more. I have 3 e-cookbooks, a novel, and several photography exhibits in my head just waiting to get out. Currently I’m developing a line of homemade moisture products based on raw, organic cocoa butter and establishing a fine-art photography business – both of these reflect the sustainable ideals of Easy Peasy Organic. But I’ll still keep writing. I can’t stop now.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Hang out with us on Instagram
🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
