Rebecca Wilson from Carlisle launches her third cookbook

It's only been a few years since she had her daughter. Since then, she's decided to start a business providing tips and recipes for parents of young children; her Instagram following rocketed up to 450,000; and she released two cookbooks, one of which became a Sunday Times Bestseller.

The key concept behind her debut book ‘What Mummy Makes: Cook Just Once for You and Your Baby’ was that it included recipes that everyone can enjoy, from six months and up.

Its follow up, ‘What Mummy Makes: Family Meal Planner’, included further recipes, as well as tips aimed at helping parents to shop and to organise their home-cooking.

Today sees the release of her third book, Family Comforts: Simple Heartwarming Food to Enjoy Together, a collection of more than 100 recipes from breakfast and brunch, dinners, puddings and slow-cooker recipes.

Originally from Hexham, she moved to Carlisle about seven years ago and says she loves living here. She describes herself in simple terms: as a home cook, and as a parent who cooks for her child. She started her business after her daughter Nina came to weaning age, and she knew she wanted to eat together as a family.

"I made it my mission," she says. "I did research and created recipes. It was for myself really, but I started sharing them, they became very popular which I was so grateful for."

But how did putting some recipes together become a social media account with almost half a million followers?

"My passion is trying to help people. I’m really fuelled by all the positive feedback I get. If people are really struggling with their family feeding, and my recipes and my advice really helps them, then that is what I am powered by.

"And I think that is why people really do trust and come back to my advice and recipes, because I am putting a lot into trying to help them.

"I’m just a northern mum, I just turned 30 so I’m relatively young – although not feeling it too much anymore – but I’m just a normal person and I create food that isn’t pretentious, isn’t fancy, it’s just good honest family cooking and I think that’s what the majority of people do like to eat with their children."

READ MORE: Two delicious recipes from Rebecca's new book

One part of Rebecca's approach is about reducing fussiness in children. It is, of course, quite normal for toddlers to be fussy eaters. But habits formed in childhood can affect a person's enthusiasm for trying new things all the way into adulthood. Rebecca says that all eating the same thing - and eating together - are key for reducing fussy tendencies.

"It can definitely be a stressful situation when you are at the table and they just don’t want to eat what you have spent time cooking for them. Not only do you feel like you’ve wasted your time but also as parents we have a natural urge to want to see our children full, fed, healthy, happy and not leaving their food behind.

"Cooking just one meal that every age can eat from six months not only saves time and money in the kitchen, but it means that you’re sitting down together as a family eating the same food.

"In turn, if your little ones are struggling to enjoy their meal, by seeing you enjoy the food, by learning from you and your reactions and your attitude, you’re teaching them to be more open-minded. Also, when we do eat together as a family we are naturally more inclined to create dishes that contain a wide variety of foods which is equally important to minimising fussiness. This all helps to chip away at fussy tendencies, and helps to raise confident little eaters."

Has the rapid success been surreal?

"Definitely this has been a massive whirlwind for me. A very exciting whirlwind and I’ve really really enjoyed it."

And what are her favourite recipes? What ones prove particularly popular with parents?

"My favourite recipe is one from my new book and it’s called water fried chicken. It’s an unusual process to explain but in essence instead of oil to fry your chicken you use water. Trust me! Trust the process, and you’ll be left with crunchy, crispy chicken on the outside but really moist and succulent on the inside. It’s my favourite one.

"But a pick from my first book, one of my daughter’s favourites, is my Hulk Mac and Cheese. It’s got loads of veg in there but you can’t really taste it. The little ones really enjoy eating it."

Family Comforts: Simple Heartwarming Food to Enjoy Together (£18.99) is out today.

Signed copies will be available in Bookends in Carlisle. Follow Rebecca on @rebeccawilsonfood for more.

READ MORE: Two delicious recipes from Rebecca's new book