Time Management Insider: Recent Episodes
Christine Pittman
On TMI we share way too much information about meal-planning and time management for inside the home. Each week cookbook author and single mom of two, Christine Pittman, shares her great quick tips to make your life easier, she talks to an entertaining guest about issues related to home life, and then she runs through a five day meal plan to make your upcoming week a breeze. You can find all of the previous meal plans, with links to recipes and a printable grocery list to go with them at COOktheSTORY.com/MealPlans
If you're new to the show, check out our 1 year anniversary episode (#52) where we talk about how the show works and what we've learned after one year of talking with amazing guests about their struggles and victories in home time management.
Note: Sometimes we link to products in the show notes and sometimes these links are affiliate links, meaning that we earn a small commission on items purchased after following that link. Amazon Disclosure Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Our opinions are always honest though and not affected by where we link to.
Have a great day! -Christine xo
Jump to Recipe is saying farewell, but this is not the end of Christine's delicious culinary interviews. Listen to find out more.
To subscribe to the new format, go to CooktheStory/ROTD.
Have a great day!
Christine xo
This week I talk with hostess extraordinaire Renee Rhinehart from Party Host Helpers, a company connecting party hosts with event staff. We chat about simple ideas to make your Christmas extra-special and your holiday parties more sparkly.
Have a great weekend!
Christine xo
Links:
Party Host Helpers or call 1-844-30 PARTY
Discount Code: use RENEE22 when booking on the website or give it to the person you are talking to to get $30 off your first party
COOKtheSTORY.com/ROTD
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Charcuterie Boards
Butter Boards
Mulled Wine
Funnel
This week I talk with food-writer Katie Workman from TheMom100.com about her go-to's for fuss-free entertaining during the holiday season, and all year long. We talk about great ideas for grazing boards and how the simple things are often the best. Be sure to check out Katie's amazing cookbook that is full of recipes that every parent needs to have in their back pocket: The Mom 100 Cookbook.
Have a great weekend!
Christine xo
Links:
TheMom100.com
@katieworkman100 on Instagram
@katieworkman100 on Facebook
@katieworkman100 on Twitter
COOKtheSTORY.com/ROTD
Weeknight Dinner Inspiration
How to Stabilize Whipped Cream
NOTE: Jump to Recipe is moving to become part of my other podcast, Recipe of the Day. Make sure you subscribe to Recipe of the Day so that you continue to hear my delicious conversations with guests from the culinary world, airing every Saturday afternoon. Jump to Recipe's last day will be December 31, 2022, so make sure you switch over to Recipe of the Day before then.
This week on ROTD WEEKEND, I talk with cookbook author Faith Kramer about her beautiful cookbook, 52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen. Packed with so much interesting information about the global nature of Jewish cooking, this cookbook not only offers lots of inspiration for sabbath dinners, but also makes for a great read. We talk about Faith's book, about delicious Shabbat recipes that would also be wonderful for Hannukah next week, or for any holiday celebration, and also about putting together special occasion dinners that are as delicious as they are easy on the cook.
Have a great weekend!
Christine xo
Links:
Faithkramer.com
Cooking Columns on jWeekly
52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen
@blogapetit on Instagram
TheCookful Hot Chocolate Series
All Things Holiday on COOKtheSTORY
No-Spread Sugar Cookies
One-Pan Beef Noodle Skillet
Easy Lasagna Casserole
Toufayan Bakeries Store on Amazon - Coupon Code: COOKTHESTORY - End Date: 12/17/22 @ 11:59 PM PD, Terms: One redemption per customer
This week I talk with food blogger and cookbook author Jessica Formicola about her cookbook Beef It Up, which not only puts a new spin on comfort classics but also helps demystify the many different cuts of beef and how to cook them. She gives us some great ideas for cooking beef, from the spectacular to the everyday. We also talk about the underutilized technique of browning and how it can be used on everything from meat, to spices, to vegetables to add flavor.
The meal plan for this week features beef (of course!) in a few different ways. Korean Beef and Rice Bowls are full of flavor and the Beef Noodle Skillet uses only one pan and comes together in no time. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #114.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Savoryexperiments.com
IG: @savoryexperiments
FB: @savoryexperiments
Title: Winter Food and Garden Talk With Cookbook Author Nicole Putzel
This week I chat with Nicole Putzel about her beautiful cookbook, The Seasonal Plate, and about the great gardening tips you can find on her blog, Putzel Kitchen. Nicole talks about how her cookbook came about and also shares some clever winter hostess gift ideas.
The meal plan for this week is helping you get more efficient in meal-planning with vegetable forward Side Dish Solutions. Butternut Squash Casserole served with Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin is both cozy and quick and Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken Quarters with Root Vegetables is a perfect one-pan dinner. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #113.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Putzel Kitchen
IG: @putzelkitchen
FB: @putzelkitchen
This week I talk with Rebecca Wheeler, founder of Chicago Food Walks, a company offering private food tours in Chicago's most interesting neighborhoods. We talk about how Rebecca took her culinary expertise and interest in other cultures and cuisines and turned it into a business that visits the less well-known corners of her own city - no deep dish pizza on this tour! She also shares some tips on finding a great food tour wherever your travels take you.
The meal plan for this week has recipes that will work for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything in between so that you can work them in around busy preparations for the upcoming holiday season. Avocado Egg Salad and 15-Minute Vegetable Soup is perfect for lunch or a light dinner, and the Smoked Salmon Brunch Board is so easy but so impressive. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #112.
This meal plan is inspired by this week's sponsor, Toufayan Bakeries. Toufayan makes delicious baked goods like pita bread, wraps, bagels, and Smart Pockets. Look for them in the deli section of your grocery store, or visit the Toufayan Amazon Store. Use coupon code COOKTHESTORY by December 17, 2022 for 20% off on your first purchase.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Jump to Recipe Podcast - Episode #6: Thanksgiving Tips
Chicagofoodwalks.com
IG: @chicagofoodwalks
Toufayan Bakeries
Toufayan Amazon Store
IG: @toufayan
This week I talk with Stephanie Manley from Copykat Recipes, a recipe site specializing in recreating famous restaurant recipes at home. We go behind the scenes in copycat recipe development and she gives us the goods on what restaurant chains think when their recipes show up on the internet.
The dinners for the meal plan this week were chosen to be simple so that you can work them in around busy preparations for the upcoming holiday season. Olive Garden Copycat Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken is a family favorite, and Sheet Pan Salsa Verde Chicken Dinner is easy, saucy, and delicious. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #111.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: copykat.com
IG: @copykatrecipes
FB: @copyKatrecipes
Podcast: Recipe of the Day
This week I'm talking with talented podcast host Becky Hadeed about her show, The Storied Recipe, and its themes around food, culture, love, and connection. We also explore why podcasts have caught on so much lately, and why we both feel they're so important in the modern social media world.
The meal plan in this episode is inspired by great side dishes. Creamy Dill Potatoes are the star of any plate, and Brussels Sprouts with Peaches and Bacon are full of flavor. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #110.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: thestoriedrecipe.com
IG: @thestoriedrecipe.podcast
FB: @thestoriedrecipe
This is the 1 year anniversary of my other podcast, Recipe of the Day. Since that show goes out every single day, that means that we've done 365 episodes. Isn't that crazy? To celebrate, I wanted to share a bit more about myself with you. Today's episode is from when I was a guest on Becky Hadeed's beautiful podcast, The Storied Recipe. Becky is a warm and thoughtful interviewer and in this episode, as in all of her episodes, she uncovered the threads of my life story that resulted in my career in food, including my recipe philosophy, my websites and podcasts. Thank you for listening and for celebrating this momentous anniversary with me. -Christine xo
To listen to more of Becky's interviews, search for The Storied Recipe wherever you get your podcasts, or head over here for subscribe links and more info for new podcast listeners.
This week I'm talking with a woman of many talents, Nikki Miller-Ka. She's not only a classically trained chef and freelance food and travel writer with her own blog, Nik Snacks, but also tour guide for Taste Carolina in North Carolina. Nikki tells us about the tastiest, off-the-beaten path places to visit in North Carolina, as well of some of her favorite food cities in the US.
The meal plan in this episode is full of easy one-pan and one-pot dinners. 15-Minute Chili is a fall weeknight favorite, and everyone loves No-Boil Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #109.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: niksnacksonline.com
IG: @niksnacks
Twitter: @NikSnacks
Recipe of the Day Podcast
This week I'm talking with Food Creative Mercedes Golip about her passion for farm-to-table Venezuelan food. We get into how the pandemic led her to pivot from hosting pop-up dinners in NYC to buying a farmhouse in the western Catskills. We talk about the importance of our own food history and how she enjoys the challenge of using locally grown products to re-create the flavors of her childhood.
The meal plan in this episode is inspired by family recipes that I grew up cooking and eating. English Prawn Cocktail makes for a nostalgic British meal and Perfectly Cooked Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Gravy is a childhood favorite from my Ukrainian heritage. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #108.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: iambananista.com
Newsletter on Substack
IG: @iambananista
This week I'm talking with meal prep expert Amy Lawrence of Gourmet Done Skinny, about her popular membership program Food Prep for Foodies and her new book The Power of Food Prep (available here for FREE as an e-book). I was seriously wowed by her amazing food prep tips tips that make the whole thing less of a burden. I can’t wait for you to hear them too!
The meal plan in this episode is inspired by some of my fall favorites. 15-Minute Lasagna Soup is both quick AND hearty and Pork Fried Rice makes great use of leftovers from Baked Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Butter. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #107.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Cookbook: The Power of Food Prep , or click here for a free e-book.
Membership Program: Food Prep for Foodies
Website: Gourmet Done Skinny
IG: @gourmetdoneskinny
FB: @gourmetdoneskinny
Twitter: @gourmetdoneskin
This week I'm talking with the editor from The Nosher.com and author of the cookbook Modern Jewish Comfort Food, Shannon Sarna. We talk about Jewish food, the story it tells, and how comfort food connects families and traditions.
The meal plan in this episode is full of easy comfort food favorites. The Creamiest Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food and Biscuits and Gravy is surprisingly easy to make, given how decadent it tastes. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the grocery list worksheet that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #106.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Cookbook: Modern Jewish Comfort Food
Blog: The Nosher
IG: @shasarna @jewishfood
FB: @thenosher
This week I'm talking with Michael Prince, award-winning BBQ Pit Master, stand-up comedian and Guy's Grocery Games contestant, about how growing up cooking open pit bbq with his grandfather inspired him to go to culinary school and start TuBones BBQ Restaurant & Catering Co. in Frisco, TX. We also talk turkey, and discuss different BBQ-inspired ideas for your holiday table.
The meal plan in this episode is a nod to Micheal's love of all things BBQ. Air Fryer BBQ Chicken is SO easy, and Instant Pot Ribs and The Ultimate Loaded Potato Salad makes a great meal any night of the week. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #105.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Tu Bones X29 BBQ Sauce
Website: tubonesbbq.com
Instagram: @michaelprince31, @tubonesbbq
Facebook: @michael.prince.505, @tubonesbbq
Join Michael's Facebook Live Events to get some of his delicious recipes
Twitter: @tu_bones_bbq
This week I'm talking with Midgi Moore, the owner of Juneau Food Tours in Alaska, and Global Tours Connect. We talk about what makes Juneau such a great food town (by day and night), why food tours are so popular with visitors to Alaska, and what to look for in a food tour wherever you travel.
The meal plan in this episode is a nod to Alaska featuring an abundance of seafood recipes. Cioppino is a classic seafood soup that is surprisingly easy to make and Fish Cakes with homemade Tartar Sauce come together quickly for a tasty meal. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #104.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: juneaufoodtours.com, globaltoursconnect.com
Instagram: @juneau_food_tours
Facebook: @juneaufoodtours
This week I'm talking with the founders of Siren Shrub Co., Layne Cozzolino and Mindy McCord. This dynamic duo explains the exciting ingredient that is missing from your bar (and from your pantry!): Shrubs! Learn what shrubs are and how to use them in both drinks and food. Your cocktails and your cooking will never be the same again!
The meal plan this episode is recipes that contain citrus and other sour ingredients. The idea is that you can swap those out for your newfound favorite thing, Shrubs! In Coconut Lime Chicken Breasts you can use Lemongrass Shrub instead of lime juice, and in Lemon Butter Broccoli you can use any shrub instead of lemon and sugar. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #103.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: sirenshrubs.com
Instagram: @sirenshrubs
Facebook: @sirenshrubs
This week I'm going back to my blogging roots by talking with another food blogger who has been around just as long, Toni Dash! I've always loved Toni's story about challenging herself to be a locavore for a full year in Colorado, and how that passion turned into an incredible career with her original site, Boulder Locavore, and now as a Certified Nutritionist and her newest site Make It Skinny Please. Come get inspired about eating locally, healthily, and about following your food path in this tasty episode.
One of the most popular recipes on my sites for years has been this roast pork. I decided that the meal plan this week should honor my blogging roots as well by using that recipe's spin off, this Instant Pot Roast Pork, as a meal, and then its leftovers to make other recipes throughout the week, including Pork Fried Rice and Cuban Sandwiches. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #102.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Blogs: Boulder Locavore and Make It Skinny Please
Recipe: Spicy Skinny Pineapple Margarita
FB: @makeitskinnyplease, @boulderlocavore
IG: @makeitskinnyplease, @boulderlocavore
Twitter: @makeitskinnyplz, @boulderlocavore
Pintrest: @makeitskinnyplease, @boulderlocavore
This week I'm talking with food blogger (and Guy's Grocery Games contestant!) Heather Johnson, a. k. a. The Food Hussy, and we geek out over the air fryer as she shares all sorts of useful tips and tricks for using it. We also talk about her love of developing Copycat recipes.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is inspired by my conversation with Heather. From Copycat Ikea Swedish Meatballs to Air Fryer Pickle-Brined Chicken Sandwiches, we have copycat and air fryer favorites covered. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #101.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: thefoodhussy.com
Instagram: @foodhussy
Facebook: @thefoodhussy
Facebook Group: Easy Air Fryer Recipes from Food Hussy & Friends
Twitter: @foodhussy
This week I'm talking with my good friend, recipe developer, and cookbook author Emily Paster. We talk about teen-friendly food: What it is, how and when to serve it, and how to keep them coming back to YOUR HOUSE for more.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is full of food teenagers will love. Turkey Burgers are always a hit, and Bánh Mi Tacos are a fun take on making food truck meals at home. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #100.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Cookbooks: Instantly Mediterranean and Epic Air Fryer: 100 Inspired Recipes That Take Air-Frying in a Deliciously Exciting New Direction
Website: westoftheloop.com
Instagram: @westoftheloop
Facebook: @westoftheloop
Twitter: @westoftheloop
Recipe Link: Black and White Cookies
This week I'm talking with best-selling fiction author Rachel Linden. We're talking about her new book, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, and how she uses food and cooking to enhance the magical realism in her novels.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is full of lemony flavors in honor of Rachel's Lemon Drop Pie. Greek Lemon Soup comes together quickly and Garlic Bread with Lemon pairs beautifully with this Perfectly Cooked Steak. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #99.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links:
Website: rachellinden.com
Instagram: @rachellinden_writer
Facebook: @authorRachellinden
This week I'm talking with cookbook author Scotty Scott. His new cookbook, Fix Me a Plate: Traditional and New School Soul Food, is one of NPR's top 10 cookbooks for 2022 so far. We talk about the origins of soul food, how it is defined, and how it has evolved.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is a back-to-school meal plan with some soul inspired by my conversation with Scotty. Fried Catfish is served over an easy Oven Polenta, which we use again later in the week as Polenta Cakes with Sautéed Shrimp. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #98.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Website: cookdrankeat.com
IG: @cookdrankeat
TikTok: @cookdrankeat
Twitter: @CookDrankEat
YouTube: CookDrankEat
It's almost time for the kids to go back to school, which means it is about to get BUSY, so I thought I'd revisit my interview with Erica Kiefer, formerly with Once a Month Meals, a company that is built around intentional meal-planning through freezer meals. We talk about how setting aside some time for meal planning, and stocking your freezer so you have an inventory of food to pull from, makes life a lot less stressful when comes to mealtimes during this busy season.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is a simple meal plan with some meals that can do double duty. Baked Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Butter is used for a Pork Fried Rice later in the week. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #97.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Once A Month Meals
This week I'm talking with cookbook author Adriana Martin. Her beautiful new book, Taco Obsession: Essential Recipes to Celebrate the Flavors of Mexico, explores the history of tacos and is filled with delicious recipes. We talk about the types of tacos from the different regions of Mexico, and about what makes tacos so irresistible.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is all about shaking up Taco Tuesday. The Easiest Shrimp Tacos and Grilled Fajitas really showcase how versatile tacos can be. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #96.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Adriana's Blog: adrianasbestrecipes.com
Instagram: @adrianasbestrecipes
Facebook: @adrianasbestrecipes
This week I'm talking with writer, certified health and wellness coach, and speaker Stephanie Weaver about cooking for chronic illness. Her two books, The Migraine Relief Plan and The Migraine Relief Plan Cookbook, are designed to help people learn to control their individual lifestyle triggers.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is gluten-free. The Best Baked Chicken Breasts and Instant Pot Risotto from Day #2 does double-duty, coming together as Greek Lemon Soup on Day #4. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #95.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
migranereliefplan.com
IG: @sweavermph
Twitter: @SWeaverMPH
Life seems to be constantly changing these days (online school/in-person school, work from home/back to the office) so I thought it was a good time to revisit my conversation with Amanda Keefer from Healthy Family Project. She's a busy working mom of three who has had to alter her family's diet for health reasons. We talk about the changes that they've had to make and how the transition has been going.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is very vegetable-forward. No-Boil Feta Pasta Bake is a fantastic meat-free meal, and Vegetarian Fajitas are so easy yet full of flavor. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #94.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Healthyfamilyproject.com
FB: @healthyfamilyproject
Private FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/321112258818070
IG:@healthy.family.project
Podcast: Healthy Family Project
IG: @amandamkeefer
Twitter: @amandamkeefer
This week I'm talking with Pastry Consultant Jessica Ellington about her favorite tool in the kitchen, which unexpectedly is the freezer! She shares her best tips for freezing foods to maintain optimum freshness.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is making use of budget-friendly frozen foods. Sausages from Frozen comes together as a hoagie in no time, and Green Pea Soup with Ham makes good use of frozen green peas. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #93.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Jessica's Website: Sweet Bee Chicago
Jessica's Instagram: @sweetbeechicago
USDA Cooking Advice for Cooking Things From Frozen
Cooking Sausages from Frozen
Cooking Salmon from Frozen
How to Cook Chicken Wings from Frozen
How to Cook Chicken Breasts from Frozen
This week I'm talking to Rebecca Andexler of the website Homemakers Habitat. Rebecca shares some of her best hacks to make food that appeals to picky eaters and is healthy too. She also dives back into culinary school to give us her most useful chef tips for home cooks.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is all about grilling. The Grilled Shrimp served with a lightened up Caesar Salad is quick and healthy and Grilled Fajitas are soooo delicious. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #92.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Blog: Homemaker's Habitat
Instagram: @homemakershabitat
Free Digital Cookbook: Two Weeks of Sheets
I'm still on vacation this week so I'm reprising an interview with Dan Morris from the early days of my podcast. Dan is a fellow podcaster and is the father of ELEVEN kids. He has therefore - through necessity - become quite the expert at meal-planning. He shares his system for using what they already have in the pantry and freezer to generate their meal plans.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is full of efficient and simple meals, but still has a lot of variety. For instance, the Salsa Chicken from Day #3 will get repurposed for Chicken Tacos on Day #5. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #91.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Podcast: Tracing The Path
Rachel's Facebook page: @findingjoyblog
Rachel's Blog: Finding Joy
This week I'm talking to Jordan Hamons, owner of the Cincinnati-based cooking school, Tablespoon Cooking Co. We're talking about how she helps home cooks find more inspiration in the kitchen through her hands on cooking classes. In addition to sharing tips on making cooking more efficient, she also shares tips on choosing the right cooking class for you.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode has so many fun meals. You'll love Hot Dog Sliders with Tropical Salsa and an easy-breezy recipe for Air Fryer Pizza. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #90.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Tablespoon Cooking Co
Instagram: @jordanhamons
Instagram: @tablespooncookingco
This week I'm talking with Nico Vera, freelance writer, photographer, and vegan Peruvian cook about the incredible diversity of Peruvian cuisine. We also talk about his current project of developing a cookbook, The Vegan Peruvian Kitchen, that is aimed at vegan home cooks and will feature 100 plant-based recipes inspired by Peru’s Indigenous, European, African, Chinese, and Japanese culinary cultures.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is partially inspired by my conversation with Nico. We're cooking up flavorful Sopa de Lima as well as an easy No-Boil Feta Pasta Bake. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #89.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Website: Pisco Trail
Newsletter: piscotrail.substack.com
Instagram: @Piscotrail
We've been talking a lot about the lost love of cooking (I just did a whole workshop about it!) and, while I'm on vacation this month, I revisit my interview with Gabriela Ahlqvist, who is a busy homeschooling mom of four, about how to feed her family despite not loving cooking as much as she used to. We talk about how choosing familiar recipes can help you to enjoy the cooking and meal-planning process.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is based on recipes that go really well together. We're cooking up one of my favorites, Brown Sugar Chicken, which you can then use for Burrito Bowls later in the week. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #88.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
This week I'm talking with plant-based food blogger and certified vegan nutrition coach, Amy Katz of Veggies Save the Day, about how to make plant-based food more flavorful and delicious. Amy shares her Four-Part Flavor Formula for putting together tasty vegan meals.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is, not surprisingly, vegetarian. There are a few optional vegan recipes too! We're cooking up flavorful and nutritious Sweet Potato Quesadillas and easy Vegan Rice Bowls. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #87.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Coconut Aminos
Website: Veggies Save the Day
Facebook: @veggiessavetheday
Instagram: @veggiessaetheday
Twitter: @VeggiesSave
This week I'm talking with Beth Lee, author of The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook and blogger from OMG! Yummy, about how writing a cookbook helped her overcome her fear of baking. We also talk about how daunting it can be to cook recipes from another culture and she shares some suggestions to make it more approachable and fun.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features light and summery food. 15-Minute Gazpacho is a quick and refreshing summer soup, and BBQ Salmon and Zucchini Skewers cook up on the grill in no time. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #86.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Workshop: COOKtheSTORY.com/joy
Cookbook: The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook
Blog: OMG! Yummy
Facebook Group: Tasting Jerusalem
Facebook: @omgyummy
Instagram: @omgyummy
This week I'm talking with Cheryl Knecht Muñoz, one of the inspiring founders of the Sugar Beet Food Co-Op, River Forest Kitchen (an incubator space) and School House Kitchen + Studio (family cooking school). We talk about what food co-ops and incubator spaces are, and about the benefits of getting involved in your local food community.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features delicious and easy recipes that kids can help with. We're cooking up yummy One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs and quick and simple Shrimp Fried Rice. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #85.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Workshop: COOKtheSTORY.com/joy
Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio
Sugar Beet Food Co-Op
River Forest Kitchen
This week I'm talking to Dawn Mancuso, the head recipe developer and photographer for my own websites. Among her many accolades, Dawn has won the Crisco National Pie Contest in the Apple Pie Category. We sat down to chat about the kind of recipe-testing that goes into winning that level of championship. Dawn also shares with us what it's like to compete on a Food Network contest show, or two, and to win them!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features recipes mostly created by Dawn herself. We are cooking a simple and hearty Burrito Soup and some easy Air Fryer Stuffed Pork Chops. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #84.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
COOKtheSTORY.com/joy
This week on Time Management Insider I'm talking to cookbook author Paula Shoyer about what kosher cooking and baking is and how to make your life easier when cooking this way. We talk about how the Instant Pot, despite our mutual apprehension, has been an amazing way to simplify life in the kitchen for both of us.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features kosher-inspired recipes. We are cooking Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma, which Paula and I both agreed cooks up beautifully in the Instant Pot, and Italian Cauliflower and Quinoa Bake. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #83.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Website: thekosherbaker.com
Facebook: @thekosherbaker
Instagram: @kosherbaker
Tik Tok: @chefpaulashoyer
Cookbooks:
The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook
The Healthy Jewish Kitchen
The New Passover Menu
The Holiday Kosher Baker
The Kosher Baker
This week on Time Management Insider I'm talking to Life Coach Tracy Pruzan-Roy about how to separate the chore from the joy in cooking so we can feel inspired to cook again. Turns out feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion are extremely common amongst those in charge of meal planning - you're not alone!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features recipes that are both easy and well-loved. This week we are cooking Chicken Cordon Bleu Stacks that we will use twice, as well as the easiest shrimp tacos ever. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #82.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Website: Tracypruzanroy.com
Instagram: @tracypruzanroy_coaching
This week on Time Management Insider I'm talking to Roger Anderson, host of the cooking podcast The Kitchen Counter, about how he got into podcasting and our mutual love of podcasts as a form of passive learning. Roger also has a robust private group on Facebook, The Kitchen Counter Coffee Break, for home cooks to share cooking tips and recipes.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features recipes that use Easter leftovers. This week we are cooking up Spaghetti Carbonara to use up some of that leftover ham and the BEST Egg Salad (spoiler alert: it has bacon in it!). Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #81.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
The Kitchen Counter Podcast
Facebook Group: The Kitchen Counter Coffee Break
Instagram: @kitchencounterpodcast
Facebook: @kitchencounterpodcast
Have you been looking for an all-in-one app for meal-planning? I have good news for you! The app Whisk can do it all: recipe saving, meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe sharing. We love this app because it's all about saving time and making life simpler.
This week I'm talking to my friend Julie Deily, Creator Partnerships Manager at Whisk, about all the ways the Whisk app can save time and simplify your meal-planning tasks. Julie also has her own popular food blog, thelittlekitchen.net.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some fun new recipes from our website like this Monte Cristo Casserole, a delicious take on the classic sandwich, and a Chicken Noodle Soup Bake, an easy and comforting no-boil casserole. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #80.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
My Whisk Community: cookthestory.com/whisk
Whisk.com
thelittlekitchen.net
Instagram: @thelittlekitchn
Facebook: @thelittlekitchn
My friend Emily Willix, and her husband Clark live full-time on an antique sailboat. They sail around the world chronicling their experiences on their wonderful YouTube channel, Emily and Clark's Adventure.
Emily is responsible for the meal-planning, shopping, and cooking and has become an expert at inventory management. She shares with us her secrets for keeping track of a years worth of provisions, which are stored masterfully on their sailboat.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features a few of the newest recipes from our website like Crispy Skin Salmon, and an oldie-but-goodie in honor of Grilled Cheese Month, Nacho Grilled Cheese. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #79.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Website: emilyandclarksadventure.com
YouTube Channel: Emily and Clark's Adventure
Are you thinking about your summer travel plans? Are you trying to figure out where to go and what to do? My guest this week is travel expert Janice Moskoff from gatherandgotravel.com. Janice has great tips, tricks, and travel inspiration including a primer on the ins and outs (and importance!) of travel insurance.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is inspired by our travel talk with meals from around the world. You'll "travel" around from Spain to China with dishes like Instant Pot Paella on Tuesday and Asian Salmon on Thursday. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #78.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Janice's site: gatherandgotravel.com
Janice's Instagram: @gatherandgotravel
Janice's Facebook: @gatherandgotravel
Janice's Twitter: @GatherNGoTravel
Tools for booking and inspiration:
Google Flights
Google Explore
Travel insurance resources:
Blog post: Travel Insurance Simplified
insuremytrip.com
worldnomads.com
Jill Silverman's Cookbooks: #ad
100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes To Enjoy With Wines You Love
100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates To Serve With Wines You Love
Finger Lickin' Chicken
The Clean Plates Cookbooks
This week I talk with Carolyn Ketchum, the cookbook author and blogger behind the keto blog, All Day I Dream About Food, to get her tips about the best places to start when reducing carbs. I also talk about letting go of perfectionism when trying to adjust your diet.
The meal plan for this week features lower carb meals to help you take the first steps to trying lower carb eating. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans.
This week's episode was originally published last fall but I decided to republish this week because it is full of so much good information if you are thinking of adapting a low-carb lifestyle.
Have a great week!
Christine :)
Links from this episode:
Carolyn's cookbooks: #ad
The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking
The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen
Easy Keto Dinners
Easy Keto Breakfasts
Easy Keto Desserts
Carolyn's Blog: alldayidreamaboutfood
Carolyn's Instagram: @fooddreamer
Carolyn's Facebook: @alldayidreamaboutfood
Remember the banana bread craze of 2020? If you never figured out how to perfect your banana bread recipe, this is the episode for you. My guest this week is cookbook author and food blogger Irvin Lin, who recently wrote a series on Quick Breads for my website, TheCookful. In this episode Irvin provides some helpful tips on ensuring your Quick Breads turn out tender, and recommends a great (and painfully obvious) tool for checking your Quick Breads for doneness.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is based on themes for each day of the week. On Meatless Monday you'll cook up some delicious Summer Minestrone Soup and on Fancy Friday you'll enjoy Creamy Stuffed Salmon, which looks fancy but couldn't be easier to make! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #76.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Irvin's cookbook: Marbled, Swirled, And Layered: 150 Recipes and Variations for Artful Bars, Cookies, Pies, Cakes, and More #ad
Irvin's Blog: Eatthelove.com
Irvin's Instagram: @eatthelove
Irvin's Instagram for ceramics: @eathelove.ceramics
Do you hate doing laundry as much as I do? Well, this is the episode for you! My guest this week, cookbook author and food blogger Emily Paster, has a laundry system that actually to save tons of time and stress. While Emily is best know for her food blog westoftheloop.com and is author of the beautiful cookbook Instantly Mediterranean, this week she is introducing us to a system that will simplify the chore of doing laundry once and for all.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features 5 recipes that I truly love. I've included my kids' favorite, the Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana, and my all-time favorite chicken recipe, Baked Chicken with Basil, Tomato and Red Chilies. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #75.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Emily's cookbook: Instantly Mediterranean
Emily's Blog: westoftheloop.com
Emily's Instagram: @westoftheloop
If you've always wanted to incorporate some wild game into your diet, this episode is for you! My guest this week is Allie Doran, a new mom and author of Venison Everyday, as well as the photographer, recipe developer, and writer behind Miss Allie’s Kitchen. We talk about cooking with a new baby around, and ways to incorporate game into your cooking.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features cozy meals for this last stretch of winter. The recipes include the coziest of all winter dishes, Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, as well as a link to a healthier venison version from Allie's blog Venison Everyday. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #74.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Links from this episode:
Allie's Book:Venison Everyday
Allie's Blog: Miss Allie’s Kitchen
Allie's Instagram:@miss.allieskitchen
Allie's Healthier Venison Stroganoff
Have you ever googled for a recipe and wondered how it was created? This week we go behind-the-scenes of a food blog by talking with Dawn Viola, the head recipe developer and photographer for my own websites. We discuss her journey in the culinary world, which began due to her own food allergies. And then we dive into the processes that Dawn and I use to choose and create the recipes on COOKtheSTORY.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is inspired by my conversation with Dawn and features some innovative and fun meals that Dawn has recently developed for the site. You'll enjoy delicious Baked Reuben Chicken Stacks and a perfect Friday night meal of Reverse-Seared Steaks served with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes and Asparagus. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #73.
Links from this episode:
The All New Chicken Cookbook: 200+ Chicken Recipes For The Air Fryer, Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, And More!
Recipe of the Day Podcast
Time Management Insider Podcast
COOKtheSTORY
TheCookful
It's frustrating to all of us when we can't find the ingredients we were counting on at the grocery store. Now imagine going into a store where nothing is familiar and you need to figure out how to find and use even the most basic of ingredients.
My guest this week is Estelle Tracy, food writer and founder of the online chocolate tasting site 37chocolates.com. We're talking about her experiences getting used to shopping and cooking in the United States after she moved here from France. Her experience was so difficult that she wrote a book to help others navigate this same situation: Le Guide de Survie Alimentaire aux Etats-Unis. Estelle also has a Facebook Group with over 10 thousand members who help each other find the comfort foods they miss from home: Bons plans gourmands aux Etats-Unis.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is inspired my conversation with Estelle and features mostly French-influenced dishes. You'll enjoy a Chicken Ratatouille Sheet Pan Dinner, as well as a recipe for 15-Minute French Onion Soup. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #72.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #France #food #shopping
One of the best time-management strategies I know is learning how to repurpose your work in new ways, whether that's using leftovers in future meals or saving past meal plans to use in future weeks. That is why when I realized that I was too swamped to think this week, I decided to repurpose one of the early interviews from this podcast! It's one of my all-time favorite interviews and I know you're going to enjoy it.
My guest is Dr. Charles Spence, a Psychologist from Oxford University and author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating and The Perfect Meal: The Multisensory Science of Food and Dining. We're discussing his fascinating research into all the aspects of our senses beyond taste that are involved in our enjoyment of food. It turns out that what we name our food, and how much our forks weigh, matters more than we could ever realize.
This week's meal plan is inspired by Dr. Spence's work and includes delicious meals with interesting names. It's a simple and tasty meal plan that the whole family will love. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #71.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
Is there a more perfect food than lentils? They are quick-cooking, a healthy source of protein, easy to store, and very budget-friendly. If you want to learn how to make the most of this wonderful plant-based ingredient, this is the episode for you!
My guest this week is best-selling cookbook author Emily Paster, and we're talking all things lentils. Emily and her amazing recipes can be found at her blog, Westoftheloop.com, and you can follow her on Instagram @westoftheloop, and be sure to check out her amazing cookbooks: Epic Air Fryer Cookbook, The Joys of Jewish Preserving, and Instantly Mediterranean.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is a good example of how versatile lentils can be. Not only are they great for soup, but also for tacos! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #70.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #lentils #plantbased
Calling all wannabe #vanlife peeps! If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live in a retrofitted van traveling around the country, or, more importantly, how you would cook meals while doing it, this is the episode for you! My guest, Brittney Lynn of the Human Connection Agency, has recently embarked on a vanlife adventure and she's telling us all about the struggles and successes from her van kitchen.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode uses very few dishes because both Brittney and I are without a dishwasher these days. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #69.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #vanlife
Calling all Instant Pot Lovers! If you got an Instant Pot this holiday season, or if you already have one and love it, this episode is for you! I'm talking with vegan cookbook author Kathy Hester all about cooking beans in the Instant Pot. Kathy is such an expert on this topic and shares all of her amazing tips. Here are just a few of her cookbooks for you to check out #ad:
The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook For Your Instant Pot
Vegan Cooking In Your Air Fryer
The Great Vegan Bean Book
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode starts out plant-based and then veers off through the week, which is kind of how my January has been going lol. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #68.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #InstantPot #vegan #plantbased
The crazy holiday season is now fully over and we have a bit more time to relax and take care of ourselves. A great place to start is to read the wonderful novels by Kate Heartfield. Kate is my guest on the show this week and we talk about her upcoming novel, The Embroidered Book, an enchanting work of historical fiction based on the life of Marie Antoinette. I also talk with Kate about how she manages her time as a work-from-home author, university instructor, mom, and caretaker to an elder.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is mostly vegetarian*, in honor of Kate's own way of eating. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #67.
***Note that in the show I refer to the meal plan several times as "mostly plant-based". I really should have been saying, "mostly vegetarian," because there is quite a bit of egg and dairy in the plan. I apologize for that mistake.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #reading #fiction #vegetarian
If you're thinking of trying some plant-based cooking in 2022, this is the episode for you! I talk with Kim Lutz, author of The Oat Milk Cookbook about using milk alternatives and about easy ways to incorporate plant-based foods into our diets.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is all easy but delicious plant-based meals. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #66.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #plant-based #vegan
Did you get an Instant Pot, Air Fryer or Sous Vide machine for Christmas? If so, or if you're thinking about getting one, this episode is for you. I give my tips for the types of things to start out trying in the new kitchen gadgets.
I also talk with best selling cookbook author and President of the International Sous Vide Association, Jason Logsdon, all about sous vide chicken. He is such an expert on this topic and I learned so much in this conversation.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is all meals made in the Instant Pot and Air Fryer so you can get ideas to try in there. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #65.
Here are some links we mentioned in this episode (some of these are Amazon affiliate links):
TheCookful Sous Vide Chicken Series
AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com (Jason's Site)
Jason's Sous Vide Quick Start Guide
Silicone Stasher Bags
Jason's Cookbook: Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Sous Vide: The Authoritative Guide to Low Temperature Precision Cooking
Sous Vide Chicken Breasts
Sous Vide Chicken Wings
Sous Vide Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Sous Vide Whole Chicken
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #sousvide #instantpot #airfryer #gadgets #gifts
Did you get a last-minute invitation to a party, or realize that you forgot to get your kids' teacher a end-of-year gift? I've got you! I'll be telling you about three simple non-perishable food gifts that you can make in moments:
Homemade Christmas Ground Coffee Blend
Homemade Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
Homemade Mulled Wine Spice Mix
I also talk with Mimi Sabo. Mimi is an educator, editor, and kids-cooking expert at #ad Kidstir.com, a subscription box and cooking gift company that specializes in cooking kits and recipe development for kid cooks. If you need a last minute Christmas gift for an amazing child, Kidstir is a great place to look! Mimi and I talked about the kinds of recipes that get kids excited, and some great ideas for cooking with kids.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is all meals that the kids can help with, or even cook themselves! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #64.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #kidscooking #education
During the holiday season it can be tough to find time for self-care. In this episode I suggest one small thing you can do to fuel yourself through the busy days ahead. It involves this amazing Savory Oatmeal recipe!
I also talk with cookbook author and caterer Chef Rene Johnson about her no-judgment plant-based cooking and about her new cookbook, From My Heart To Your Table: Vegan and Traditional Soul Food Cookbook #ad.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is plant-based and very satisfying. Get ready for some hearty Sweet Potato Quesadillas and delicious Vegan Rice Bowls! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #63.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
cooking #plant-based #cookbooks
We are right in the thick of the holiday season now. This episode has everything you need to plan your parties and get togethers.
I'm bringing you some of my favorite no-bake dessert ideas so that you can whip up delicious treats in a flash. I also have a few wonderful gift ideas, if you're making lists and checking them twice! #ad Check out Baketivity, Catch Sitka, and The California Wine Club for wonderful options!
On this episode I also talk with cookbook author, and the Fine Cooking Drinks Editor, Jill Silverman Hough, about pairing wine with party food. The Party Food and Wine Pairing series that Jill has done for us on TheCookful is rolling out right now. If you head over to TheCookful.com/PartyFood you'll see the recipes as they appear during the days ahead. Also, be sure to check out Jill's two wine-pairing cookbooks:
100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates To Enjoy With The Wines You Love #ad
100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes To Enjoy With The Wines You Love #ad
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode has some simple meals that you can have on any weeknight, but these are also full of festive flavors in case you have some guests over for a casual holiday get together. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #62.
Other links from this episode:
Phyllo Tart Shells (I called them cups in the episode) #ad
No-Bake Christmas Cookies Series
4-Ingredient No-Bake Oreo Truffles
Chocolate Bark
Festive No-Bake Cheesecake Tarts
Hot Cocoa Truffle Balls
Smoked Salmon Dip
Lox Dip
The tuna tartar on potato chips recipe isn't going live until 12/20/21 but once it does, you can find it here.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
christmas #entertaining #wine #dessert #giftideas #parties
With Thanksgiving behind us, our minds are turning towards the next big holidays. Hanukkah starts today, and Christmas is coming fast. I share a little exercise with you to help you figure out what you want from this holiday season and ideas for how to stick to it to keep the stress levels down.
I also talk with Mindy Samman from Catch Sitka, a family-run Alaskan seafood company that practices sustainability while getting delicious seafood delivered right to your door. Such a great gift idea! Mindy is the co-founder of the company along with her husband. Her story about how she first went to Alaska and how she ended up staying there, building a business, and raising a family there is very intriguing, and she has amazing seafood recipes to share as well!
ad - If you're interested in trying Catch Sitka's delicious seafood, click here and use Coupon Code COOKTHESTORY15 to save 15% off of your first purchase of 125$ minimum.
Check out Mindy and Catch Sitka on Instagram and Facebook too!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode has two of Mindy's delicious recipe ideas, and some other simple but delicious things to try. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #61.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
christmas #seafood #alaska #dinner #mealplanning
Thanksgiving is coming, and right after that is Black Friday and the gift-shopping season. We start this episode off with some great gift ideas for older kids. My favorites are these subscription boxes: #ad Baketivity and the KiwiCo Eureka Crates.
I also talk with Kevin Jakiela from Just Vertical, a company that makes compact and stylish hydroponic systems for growing produce in your home. I've been seeing ads for these kinds of systems all over the place and I had a lot of questions about how they work, how much time they take to maintain, what kinds of fruits and veggies you can grow, and more. Kevin answers them all and now I seriously want to get one of these!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode uses jars of salsa in a few recipes because it's a convenient ingredient that adds lots of flavor quickly. I wanted you to see some examples of what it can do! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan with links to recipes, and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #60.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
christmas #christmaspresents #subscriptions #parenting #gardening
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and so I have invited my mom, Phyllis Pittman, the successful restauranteur who has catered over 300 turkey dinners, to share her best make-ahead Thanksgiving dinner tips. She's such an expert that your Thanksgiving cooking will never be the same again!
This week I also share a tip for getting your house ready for a party that involves doing less cleaning. Who doesn't love that???
In the episode I also talk about my new podcast, RECIPE OF THE DAY. You can search for it anywhere that you get your podasts, except maybe Google Podcasts, which we're having trouble getting hooked up properly. Or, you can head over here to listen to the episodes and learn more about the show.
Instead of listening to the Recipe of the Day podcast, you can instead get the daily recipe delivered to you by text, in an email, or from our Facebook group. Here are the details:
-
For the daily recipe text, text the word Dinner to 1-833-413-1352
-
Be one of the founding members of our Recipe of the Day Facebook Group by joining here: RecipeOTD.com/FBGroup
-
Get the daily recipe idea in your email inbox by subscribing here: RecipeOTD.com/EmailSubscribe
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is not Thanksgiving themed since you'll be getting enough of that in a couple weeks. Instead, these are simple dinners with a slight Italian flair. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #59.
Here are some links to things we mentioned in the episode:
-
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
-
Stuffing Muffins (My mom's stuffing tutorial)
-
How to Make Gravy
-
Make-Ahead Gravy (without drippings)
Have a great week!
Christine xo
thanksgiving #food #cooking #foodpodcast #cookingpodcast #recipes #recipepodcast
We are now officially in the holiday season and with that comes a ton of fun, but also a lot of preparations, planning, activities, and events that take our time and energy. As we embark on this joyously crazy time of year, it's a good idea to set some limits on what you can and can't accomplish and on how you want to spend your time.
This week I share a tip for keeping calendars clear during this season, and I also talk with Karen Shopoff Rooff from Well Balanced Women about personal boundary setting. Karen is a Women's Wellness Warrior who is a mom, entrepreneur, personal trainer, perinatal fitness specialist, and public speaker who teaches that we can have balance without needing to have it all together. Here are the blue-light blocking glasses that Karen mentions in the show #ad.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode has us dipping our toes into meal prep with some extra cooking on Monday to help out the rest of the week. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #58.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
womenshealth #women #health #cooking #parenting
Does your morning often turn into chaos as you rush around trying to remember everything that you need for the day? Today I share a tip to help make all your morning run a bit smoother.
This week I also talk with award-winning food writer and chocolate sommelier Estelle Tracy of 37 Chocolates about how to choose the right chocolate for you. Estelle is also originally from France and has written this wonderful book in French called Guide de survie alimentaire aux Etats-Unis #ad for new arrivals to the US from her home country.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features simple but fun recipes that are all easy spins on classic dishes. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #57.
Finally, here's an example of the small countertop white board #ad that I was talking about near the beginning of the show.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
chocolate #halloween #ToDolists #timemanagement
Do you have more than one set of dishes in you cupboards? Do you find yourself reaching for dishes from one set more than the others? I have a hypothesis about why this is and it has to do with the dishwasher. Also, these are the Corelle dishes (affiliate link) that I mention that I use to replenish the ones that my mom got for her bridal shower nearly 50 years ago. I still have a lot of the originals and they're still my favorites. These new ones are the same, minus the brown flowered trim <3.
This week I also talk with cookbook author Emily Paster about her new book, Instantly Mediterranean: Vibrant and Satisfying Recipes for Your Instant Pot, Electric Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer (affiliate link). We talk all about Mediterranean food and how to translate those classic recipes and flavors to our favorite new appliances.
You can enter to win 1 of 3 copies of Emily's book! Head over to my Instagram page (@cookthestory) between October 24-31, 2021 and look for the instructions and rules to enter there.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some delicious Mediterranean-inspired dinners that are easy to make. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #56.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
InstantPot #AirFryer #cookbooks #Mediterranean #mealplanning #giveaway
One of the main goals of this podcast is to help myself and others with that never-ending question, "What should I make for dinner?" To that end, this week, I'm having a box of seafood from Alaska delivered to my doorstep to see if having high-quality seafood in my freezer helps me decide what to make, while also helping me to make health choices for my family. If you want to join me in this experiment, order some Alaskan seafood from Catch Sitka Seafood here #sponsored and use COOKTHESTORY15 to save 15% off of your first purchase of $125 or more.
This week I'm also talking with Sally Kuzemchak from Real Mom Nutrition about picky eaters and about her new No Stress Dinner Planner. She has so many great insights when it comes to feeding our kids while feeling less stressed about it. Who doesn't need that??? If you'd like to enter to win a pdf copy of Sally's planner, check out my Instagram on 10/18/21. Giveaway entries close on 10/24/21.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some seriously easy dinners that are seriously packed with flavor. I also have exciting Shrimp Taco News to share! lol. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #55.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
mealprep #mealplanning #dinner #fall #calendars
This week we're talking to another owner of a meal prep business to find out how these services work and what the benefits are. Our guest Chef Peter Shonman of, PS Dinner's Ready! from the outskirts of Chicago shares how his business is different from more traditional take out.
I'm also sharing a great tip for keeping your calendar clear during hectic times this year, and automatically for the years ahead!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features easy but hearty fall dinners to get you into this seasonal spirit. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #54.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
mealprep #mealplanning #dinner #fall #calendars
If you've ever thought about hiring a local company to deliver meals to your door, I've got info for you! Today's guest is Victoria Saavedra from Glow Meals, a company that prepares fresh and healthy meals for daily delivery. She's telling us how companies like hers work and she's also giving us some great tips for healthy food swaps to use in our own cooking.
I'm also sharing some of my own healthy eating information in this episode. There are three healthy ingredients that I really love that also save time. These are items that you can have on hand to add a burst of nutrition to your meals really quickly.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features dishes that use those three ingredients so that you can get the hang of using them. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #53.
Have a great week!
Christine xo
mealprep #mealplanning #dinner
This is episode number 52 of the TMI weekly podcast, and so, it is our one year anniversary!
In this episode, the tables are turned as our previous guest, Heather McCurdy from Real: The Kitchen and Beyond interviews me! We talk about the goals of the podcast, how the meal plans work, my meal-planning imposter syndrome, and more. I also talk quite a bit about music!
If you're new to TMI, this episode will be a great introduction to what we're all about. If you've been listening for a while, you'll get some fun behind-the-scenes info.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode is really all about the foods that I cook for myself or for me and my boyfriend, when my kids aren't here. It's how I cook and what I eat. There are some delicious short ribs on there, oven polenta, shrimp and grits, and more! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #52.
Some other links/companies mentioned in this week's episode:
Blow Pop on Spotify
(My favorite songs by them, as mentioned, are Put You Down, Friendly, Nobody, and Drive Us Mad)
Blow Pop's alter-ego, Audio-Snack, who created all of the music for TMI
The 1986 Spotify Playlist To Make Chores Easier
The 1994 Spotify Playlist That Reminds Me Of Exactly How My High School Locker Smelled
The oft-mentioned kettle (this is an Amazon affiliate link)
Thanks for listening and have a great week!
Christine xo
If you're thinking about trying to plan a vacation for the holiday season or for 2022, you've come to the right place! It can feel risky to plan trips right now, but our guest this week, Janice Moskoff from Gather and Go Travel, has 5 amazing tips for planning travel in these uncertain times.
As a special bonus, I've also included my own favorite travel tip, and it involves this handy-dandy packing list spreadsheet that you can make a copy of and use for all of your own future trips.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features dishes from around the world so you can get the taste of travel, even if you're staying home. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #51.
Some other links/companies mentioned in this week's episode:
How to find just-right lodging - article with link to budget planning template
“Find Better Trip Accommodations Faster - Make a Priority List” with rank order worksheet.
Google flights - open ended search
Costco Travel for packaged travel
Tauck
Intrepid Travel
Pinterest - search itineraries for your destination
@Gatherandgotravel - instagram
@Gatherandgotravel - Facebook
Have a great week!
Christine xo
travel #family #time #mealplanning
This week I'm starting off with a great tip about boiling water. It will save you time and frustration every morning, and on weekend afternoons too, promise.
My Favorite Kettle (Affiliate link)
Our guest this week is Trish James, Vice President of Healthy Family Project. Trish recently attended the tradeshow Natural Products Expo West and so we're talking with her about all the amazing new products that we'll be seeing on grocery store shelves soon. We focused in particular on healthy products that will make packing lunches and making dinners easier.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some green foods like frozen peas, avocados, and green onion all in tasty dishes that your whole family will love trying out. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #50.
Some other links/companies mentioned in this week's episode:
The Healthy Family Project Group on Facebook
Steak with Cranberry-Horseradish Recipe
Be Gud Beverages (Apple Cider Vinegar Beverages)
Big Mountain Foods (plant based products)
Daily Crunch Snacks (Nuts and Snack Mixes)
Go Wild Snacks (Snack Mixes)
Good Groceries Co. (Many items - vegetarian, good for you, all natural, etc.)
Healthy Crunch (Granola Bars, Jams and Chocolate)
Lakeview Farms (Dips and Spreads)
Pressed Juicery (Juices)
Second Nature Brands (Nuts and Snacks)
United Soybean Board (Soybeans)
Wholly Veggie (Plant Based Products)
Yo Quiero (Dips)
Watermelon Rind BBQ Sauce from Healthy Family Project website
Cranberry Board
Have a great week!
Christine xo
backtoschool #lunch #cooking #solutions
I don't know about you, but a long weekend can really throw me off my game. I have a great time, or a relaxing time, but then Tuesday hits and I'm needing to get into gear!
So, I'm sharing with you a tip to shave a few minutes off of your morning routine. It involves caffeine. I promise, it will be good!
I've also got a meal plan for you that can optionally make use of any leftovers that you have from the weekend, but the recipes are simple enough that if you don't have leftovers to start with, you will be just fine.
It's a crazy week and I needed a break, so we don't have a guest to talk to. It's just all about caffeination and food. MMhmm.
Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #50.
Other links in the show (contains affiliate links):
Just my OXO Cold Brew Machine this time. Do I ever love this thing!
Have a great (short) week!
Christine xo
laborday #longweekend #cooking #mealplan #coffee #coldbrew
labor day, long weekend, cooking, meal plan, coffee, coldbrew
This week I've got the best.tips.ever for packing hot lunches. I even wowed myself this time! I'm not going to spoil the tips for you here though, I'll just say that they involve these two amazing products (hint, hint):
(Fyi, there are affiliate links in these show notes, meaning that if you click on one and buy something, I receive a small commission. All opinions are truthful and my own).
Wide Silicone Funnel
Thermos with a Folding Spoon RIGHT INSIDE THE LID!!!
Our guest this week is cookbook author extraordinaire Jill Silverman Hough. See her cookbooks here. We talk about Jill's recent series on TheCookful all about Salmon. She gives us her best tips for choosing salmon, grilling and panfrying it so it doesn't stick, as well as great ideas to use salmon for fancy entertaining as well as for quick weeknight dinners.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features, you guessed it, SALMON! Yessss!!! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #48.
Other link in the show:
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (to see if the seafood you're buying is sustainably sourced)
Have a great week!
Christine xo
backtoschool #lunch #cooking #seafood
We're doing a whole series on Back To School to help get us all ready for the start of all the new chaos. This week, I give some tips for ways to use bagged salads as more than just salads. So tasty and easy!
Our guest this week is Chris Freytag of GetHealthyUTV. We talk about the importance of movement for more than just fitness. It'll help us stay sane in the Back to School season and beyond! She also gives us some great tips for fitting movement into our crazy schedules.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features, you guessed it, meals that make great use of bagged salads, like The Easiest Shrimp Tacos and a delicious Chinese Chicken Salad. Yessss!!! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #47.
Finally, here's the coupon code to get a full year access to all of Chris's amazing exercise videos for only $20 (that's for the whole year!!!):
www.gethealthyutv.com/join
Coupon code: CHRISGOLD20
Have a great week!
Christine xo
We're doing a whole series on Back To School to help get us all ready for the start of all the new chaos. This week, I give some quick tips for school supply shopping, and I tell you about my favorite veggie burger recipe, which is really more of a formula. It's great for dinners and even better as a quick lunch.
This week I'm talking with Amanda Keefer from Healthy Family Project about packing lunches in quick and easy ways, and about lunch ideas for pickier eaters. If you're looking for new lunchbox ideas, Amanda has the answers!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some easy and tasty dinners like Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas and a Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil. Yessss!!! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #46.
Finally, here are some of the links mentioned in the show:
Charli's Salsa
Mac and Cheese Muffins
Power Your Lunchbox
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
We're doing a whole series on Back To School to help get us all ready for the start of the new chaos. This week, I talk about a technique that is amazing for ribs and chicken for meal prep, and also to keep us going through BBQ season.
I'm also talking with Lisa Lightner from ADayInOurShoes.com. She is one of the nation's leading IEP advocates (that's Individualized Education Plan) and she's talking with us about IEPs and also about time management when you have kids with extra needs.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode uses those meal-prepped chicken and ribs to make some delicious dinners throughout the week. It features Korean Pork Bowls with Fried Eggs and a delicious Chinese Chicken Salad, Oh My!
Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #45.
Here are the make-ahead rib and chicken drumstick recipes that I yammered on about. Also, Lisa mentioned the business coach Rachel Rogers. Her book is We Should All Be Millionaires #ad. Let me tell you, I went to grab the link for you and ended up buying a copy for myself! Her podcast is Hello Seven and I can't wait to dig into that either. Inspiration is coming our way from every direction today!!!
Have a great week!
Christine xo
backtoschool #mealplanning #bbq #IEP #ExtraNeeds
We're doing a whole series on Back To School to help get us all ready for the start of all the new chaos. This week, I talk about a surprisingly delicious dinner that only takes 5 minutes of hands on time. And then, we turn to once-a-month meal-planning. Yes. We. Do!
I'm talking with Donna Shenk of HeyDonna.com about how to meal plan only one time for the whole month. What's the process and why is it beneficial? Donna has the answers!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some easy and tasty dinners like Bacon Cheeseburger Soup and Special Fried Farro. Yessss!!! Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and the printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #44.
Finally, here are the One Pot Pasta Formula and the No-Boil Pasta Bake recipes that I talk about in the show. These are super duper winners for back to school!
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
We're doing a whole series on Back To School to help get us all ready for the start of all the new chaos. This week, I talk about a fun dinner that celebrates the upcoming year with your kids.
Then, I talk with this week's guest Alejandra Graf from Brown Sugar and Vanilla about plant-based Mexican food, and how to really spend time enjoying dinner time as a family.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some easy plant-based dinners that will fuel your Back to School routines. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans to get the meal plan and printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #43.
Finally, here's the fun and inspiring Recipe For Success soup-meal recipe for Back to School that I talk about at the beginning of the recipe.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
backtoshool #plantbased #vegan
Meal-planning and meal-prepping can be such a boring and time-consuming chore. Why not make it more fun by getting our friends involved?
My guest this week is Heather McCurdy from Real: The Kitchen and Beyond. Heather explains what a Meal Prep Party is, walks us through hosting one, setting up cooking stations in your home, and what types of recipes are best for this kind of cooking. We might mention wine also ;). You can get more tips for a meal prepping party from her here.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features 5 meals that are perfect for a Meal Prep Party. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. to get the meal plan and printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #42.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
backtoshool #mealprep
Getting organized doesn't just help us to find things. Getting organized helps with all parts of life. But where do we start?
My guest this week is Tammy Overhoff from Organize Yourself Skinny. We talk about how something as simple as making your bed in the morning can lead to better organization and to a healthier body and mind.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features vibrant meals that use fresh and healthy ingredients. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. to get the meal plan and printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #41.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
Happy 4th of July! I hope you had a great weekend. But, if you did, you might be struggling a bit now. If you're like me, the week after a holiday can kick you in the butt. So this week I've kept the show really short and have focused on a meal plan to get you through the week.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features quick recipes that don't use many ingredients, and not many perishable ingredients, so that you can make them or not without worrying about anything going bad. Quick recipes, not many ingredients, no fridge-stress - Yay!
Get this meal plan along with over 30 more, all with printable grocery lists to go with them, at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. This one is Meal Plan #40.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
I've heard often about how having an accountability buddy can help keep you on track. Recently, I had a real life experience with this when I worked on a bit project for my website with my Dad! I'm going to tell you a bit about that experience.
And, our guest this week is, you guessed it, my Dad! We're talking about that big project that we did, a series called Homemade Sausages (Without Special Equipment). If you've ever thought about making your own sausages, he is the expert and the perfect person to walk you through it. The details about his easy skinless sausage method are over here so you can read through those too.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features a few recipes that use sausages, whether you've made your own or not. Sausages are a quick and easy protein to cook and so working them into your week can really save you time. Head over to COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. to get the meal plan and printable grocery list that goes with it. This one is Meal Plan #39.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
When we're thinking of trying something new, we often waste time thinking about it or worrying about how it will work. If the new thing isn't expensive, it's worth our time to just jump in instead of spending too long thinking about it.
On this episode, we talk about how I've jumped into meal kits, and how the experience has been going.
Our guest this week is cookbook author Emily Paster from WestofTheLoop.com. She has recently done a series all about cooking lamb and we talk about why lamb isn't as popular in the United States, the benefits of eating it, and how to start trying this protein if you're new to it.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some easy lamb dishes that you can work into your routine if you want to start trying lamb. Get this free meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. This one is Meal Plan #38.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
Grilling is a tasty summer tradition. But, did you know that it also can save you a lot of time? Find out how, and get some delicious and simple grilling tips along the way.
Our guest this week is Katie Jasiewicz from KatiesCucina.com. She's a grilling and meal-planning expert with tons of great tips to share with us. Check out her Grilled Lemon Garlic Snapper recipe to get your grilling inspiration started!
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features some basic grilling techniques so that you can learn while getting dinner on the table. Get this free meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. This one is Meal Plan #37.
Sign up for the Free Grilling Mini-Course that I mention in the show over here.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
We can often feel a lot of pressure to do certain things, like cook and bake, and to be great at them too. But when we're short on time, how do we trim these things from our lives while also not feeling guilty or like a failure for it?
Our guest this week is cookbook author Emily Paster who has written an article in TASTE magazine about a recent chocolate chip cookie controversy. At the heart of it is this sense that not only do we have to bake, but we have to bake in specific ways or risk being a failure there too. Perhaps not surprisingly, she and I come out on the, "Less perfection, less stress, we're not failures" side of this coin.
The meal plan that I walk you through in this episode features themed meals for a fun week. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. This one is Meal Plan #36.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
We all have parts of our homes that we wish were less cluttered. It's just a big time investment to actually deal with it. This week though, I cleaned out my kitchen and I'm inspired to tell you what an impact that bit of time that I spent had on my week.
Doing a big job can help save you time later, and that's what food prep is about too. I'm not a big food-prepper but my guest this week, Tamika Gardner, baby food expert and author of The Big Book Of Plant-Based Baby Food, certainly is. We talk about her strategies for feeding young children, and about how food prep helps her out.
The meal plan for this week features a tiny bit of food prep worked into the first day to help make the rest of the days easier than ever. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. This one is Meal Plan #35.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
Have you ever wanted to try a certain something new but thought it was too fancy or too expensive? That's happened to me recently, but then when I actually looked into it, it turned out that it was much more in reach than I thought!
Sous vide is one of those things, and so I'm delighted to be talking with the President of the International Sous Vide Association, and wonderful cookbook author, Jason Logsdon of AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com. He explains what sous vide cooking is, and how it can make our weeknight meals easier than ever!
The meal plan for this week features recipes that sound fancy but are actually easy to make. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans. Look for Meal Plan #34 while there, and check out all of our other weekly meal plans too.
Have a great week!
Christine
xo
Are you at the grocery store more often now than you have been in the past year? My world is opening up a little bit and I'm tending to stop at the store more instead of doing grocery delivery. It, therefore, feels like the right time to share grocery shopping tips!
In this week's episode, I give you my 5 best grocery shopping tips to save you time. And then there's a 6th tip: Why not try out meal kits and save yourself a ton of grocery shopping time? To that end, I talk with Xylina Jimenez who has just started using meal kits. She fills us in on why she started and on how it's going. Hint: She loves it!!!
The meal plan for this week features simple recipes inspired by my conversation with Xylina. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans.
Have a great week!
Christine :)
If you're at all like me, there are changes you'd like to make to your diet, but it often feels daunting.
This week I talk with Carolyn Ketchum, the cookbook author and blogger behind the keto blog, All Day I Dream About Food, to get her tips about the best places to start when reducing carbs. I also talk about letting go of perfectionism when trying to adjust your diet.
The meal plan for this week features lower carb meals to help you take the first steps to trying lower carb eating. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans.
Have a great week!
Christine :)
If you're at all like me, then even though you do meal-planning every week, and even though you have a system, it's still often really tough. So weird. But it's true, right?
On this episode I dig into some of the reasons that I find it so hard to decide what to make. I'm not giving many answers here, but I'm narrowing in on figuring out what's going on, that's for sure!
Our guest this week is Gillian Behnke from Mom Camp Life. We talk about her hectic schedule and her organizational system for getting dinner on the table. And we talk about perogies. Just because.
The meal plan for this week features really simple recipes so that we can all take the pressure off a little bit. Get the meal plan along with the printable grocery list that goes with it over at COOKtheSTORY.com/MealPlans.
Have a great week!
Christine :)
When we have a lot on our plate, so finding time to do even simple tasks can be daunting. But by getting others to help us, whether it be a spouse or your teenager, really frees up time. In this episode we talk about teamwork, in particular the benefit of assigning recurring tasks to others, and also how to teach our family members to cook.
Our community guest this week is Jennefer Bernal, who has an inspiring fitness Instagram page Running Ever After. We talk about how she grew up with food insecurity and viewed food as only a means of survival, and about how she now enjoys eating and cooking in her large household.
The meal plan this week features five meals that are simple enough to teach your teenager or a beginning cook how to prepare. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Have a great day! xo
Podcast guest: Jennefer Bernal from Running Ever After
Quick Tip of the Week: Save yourself some time by delegating a recurring task or a chore to someone else in your household. Ask them to do it at the same time each week. In the beginning, they may need a friendly reminder to get the chore done, but eventually it will become something they will do without needing a nudge. That will free up your time, and maybe more importantly, your mental energy in no longer needing to remember it yourself.
Deeper Time Management Thought: Teaching someone else in your household simple basics in the kitchen, even something as simple as cooking frozen grocery store french fries, can really pay off in the long run. The key is to get them to make the same thing several times, and to make sure it's something they enjoy eating.
Links mentioned in the show:
Oven-Baked Ribs
One Pot Pasta Formula Printable
One Pot Taco Pasta
One Pot Shrimp Scampi
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Sheet Pan Sausage, Sweet Potato, and Asparagus Dinner
Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls
Going through our things and decluttering is a pain in the butt that few of us want to do. But having clutter inhibits our efficiency and costs us time. It takes us longer to find things, and longer to find space for things that need to be put away. In this episode, we talk about some simple and continuous decluttering systems so that we can declutter without having to do any big downsizing days.
Our community guest this week is Brittney Lynn, the CEO of the PR firm at BrittneyLLynn.com. She's in the process of selling her house to move into a van and embark on living the #VanLife (talk about downsizing!). We discuss her fears of moving into a tiny kitchen and having to cook in a differently-equipped space.
I am enjoying hearing your listener tips - keep them coming! If you want to leave a tip for us, call 321-325-0607 and leave a voicemail with your tip.
The meal plan for this week features five sheet pan meals. These are all meals that are made on a single sheet pan. So, you could say we're downsizing your cooking equipment too this week! Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Have a great day! xo
Podcast Guest:Brittney Lynn from BrittneyLLynn.com
- Follow her van life adventures on Instagram at Life With The Lynns
Quick Tip of the Week:Keep a bag, box, or a bin in any space you think you would like to eventually downsize or declutter. I keep a box in the closet so when I find anything that no longer fits or I don't wear, I can immediately add it to the box. My closet stays decluttered without me having to spend any time doing it!
Deeper Time Management Thought: Having a continuous decluttering system makes a habit of organizing clutter and makes it easier to stay organized. Limiting what you bring into the house or having a bin for temporary storage for things keeps your house presentable and organized. For example, before adding a new piece of clothing to your closet, discard an item first.
Links mentioned in the show:
Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil
Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Polenta Dinner
Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner
Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies
Sheet Pan Steak, Potatoes, and Veg Dinner
While it's important for us to try new things, sometimes we need to know when to stop doing them, those things that are just not working for us. We have to weigh the sunk costs versus the opportunity costs. Is there an upside of quitting? And is finding a new way to do something always worth the time and energy?
Our community guest this week is Allie Doran, a new mom and author of Venison Everyday, as well as the photographer, recipe developer, and writer behind Miss Allie’s Kitchen. We talk about cooking with a new baby around, and ways to incorporate game into your cooking.
We also had our first listener tip this week! Woo hoo! Thanks Ed for the great tip! If you want to leave a tip for us, call 321-325-0607 and leave a voicemail with your tip. We know you have great household time-management tips to share!
The meal plan for this week features five meals that revolve around trying new things. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Have a great day! xo
Podcast Guest: Allie Doran from Miss Allie's Kitchen.
Quick Tip of the Week: Sometimes dishes need a little extra scrubbing before going in the dishwasher. Fill up the kitchen sink with hot water. As you go about rinsing dishes, put anything with stuck on food into the sink and move onto the next dish. By the time the cleaner dishes are loaded into the dishwasher, the soaking dishes will be ready to rinse and load as well!
Deeper Time Management Thought: When something isn't working for us, we often look at the sunk costs (what we've invested in this thing in terms of time, money, and energy) more than the opportunity costs (what we're missing out on by not investing time, money, and energy in something new). Considering both and being able to switch things up is just as important, or more important, than staying on the same course.
Links mentioned in the show:
Freakonomics Podcast Episode #42
15-Minute Egg Drop Soup
Air Fryer Chicken Fajita Dinner
Chicken Tikka Masala
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Allie's Healthier Venison Stroganoff
Korean Beef and Rice Bowls
Last week we talked about how small changes can have a big impact on our time. But, how do we continue to streamline without burning out? What can we do for ourselves so that the changes we make bring more joy to our lives?
Our community guest this week is Andrea Jones, social media strategist and owner of OnlineDrea.com. We talk about systems and how she uses them for work and whether they apply to her cooking. We also talk a lot about lentil curry!
The meal plan for this week features five meals that involve cooking ingredients whole, which eliminates a lot of the prep. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Have a great day! xo
Podcast guest: Andrea Jones from OnlineDrea.com
Quick Tip of the Week: Don't spend time chopping ingredients. Instead, get things into the oven whole, and therefore as quickly as possible. For example, I like to use recipes that require cooking whole chicken pieces (like breasts and thighs) instead of cubing them, or whole baked potatoes instead of chopped up hash browns.
Deeper Time Management Thought: Caring for ourselves is easy to overlook when we're busy and looking for ways to streamline. Bringing beauty to our chores is one way to make them more enjoyable so that we don't burn out. In this episode I share ideas for making chores prettier.
Links mentioned in the show (some links are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that I earn a small percentage if you click on them and buy something. All opinions are my own and honest):
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
The OM Collection for Flowy Pretty Yoga Pants
Realistic Electric Candles
Microwave Butternut Squash
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts
Whole Oven Roasted Broccoli
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Garlic Shrimp
Whole Roasted Zucchini
Air Fryer Sausages
Poutine Baked Potatoes
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Small changes can make a big impact on how efficient we are with our time. How can we find a way to make small changes more of a habit and part of our daily routine? How do we remind ourselves to keep doing these things until they become a habit?
Our community guest this week is Katy Widrick, a busy mom of two and the VP of Growth and Impact at Faster Way To Fat Loss. She tells us what word is NEVER spoken in her house, and how she incorporates her own dietary needs into her day without changing her family's meal plans.
The meal plan this week features one of my favorite go-to dishes with an easy hands-off cooking process. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Podcast guest: Katy Widrick from Faster Way To Fat Loss
- Instagram: @KWidrick
Quick Tip of the Week: Chop ingredients smaller. This helps them to cook faster, speeding up the cooking process.
Deeper Time Management Thoughts: Making small changes can really save us time in the end, but we need to find ways to remember to do them so that they can become habits. A great example of how we can use reminders to make changes is when people use a pill holder with the days of the week to remember to take their medication or vitamins every day. How can we apply this kind of strategy to our new time-saving habits?
Links mentioned in the show:
Balsamic Chicken Breasts
Greek Salad
Buffalo Shrimp Enchiladas
Mexican Street Corn Salad
15-minute Mulligatawny Soup
Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner
Often, the way we imagine our typical day to be is not how any actual days are. In this episode, we explore how looking at our actual days more closely, rather than our imagined typical day, can really help us to find places where we can save time.
Our community guest this week is Nicole Rosen, a very busy Professor of Linguistics in Canada, as well as a mother to two growing teenage boys. We talk about organizing a dinner plan when life is hectic, and we also discuss dried beans versus canned beans. And, did you know curling is a social sport?
The meal plan this week features five meals that reuse ingredients to save time and includes an easy copycat Italian restaurant salad. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the meal plan, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Have a great day! xo
Quick Tip of the Week: Fill your sink with hot soapy water BEFORE you start cooking so you will be more likely to wash dishes as you go and so that dishes can soak while you are still working on your meal.
Deeper Time Management Thoughts: If you were to describe your typical day to a stranger, how accurately would it reflect your reality? I invite you to take notice of how you think you spend your typical day compared to how you actually spend your day. It is in the actual that we find ways to save time.
Links mentioned in the show:
Salmon Burgers
Air Fryer Meatloaf
Mini Meatloaf
Pesto Chicken Breast
One Pot Shrimp Scampi
Do you wander from room to room looking for your glasses? Or do you get annoyed at having to walk all the way to the garage when you need to replenish the toilet paper in the bathroom? If you're like me, this kind of thing happens A LOT. In this episode we talk about ways that we can stop wandering around the house by putting things in more convenient places, and in more numerous places too.
Our community guest this week is Nina Battershield, a busy Mom of three. We discuss using apps for ordering groceries and why she buys eggs SIXTY at a time!
The meal plan this week features five meals that are simple to prepare, including a few special dishes for St. Patrick's Day. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the recipe links and printable grocery lists sent your way. Have a great day! Xo
Quick Tip of the Week: I keep a garbage can in the laundry room to collect dryer lint or fabric softener sheets. It saves me a trip to the kitchen when I need to throw things like this away.
Deeper Time Management Thoughts: We can save steps and thus save time everywhere if we never leave a room with empty hands. When I worked as a server at my parent's restaurant, we had that simple rule: Never have empty hands. I was always picking up dirty dishes to the kitchen or bottles of full ketchup out of the kitchen. The same technique can be applied to our lives at home. When you leave one room of your house, always carry something to be put away in another room.
Links mentioned in the show:
- Shepard's Pie Stuffed Potato
- Italian Cauliflower and Quinoa Bake
- Corn Beef and Cabbage Soup
- One Pot Pasta Primavera
- Sausage and Pepper Hoagies
When you go through a big life change, it can affect all aspects of your daily schedule and tasks. In this episode we talk about how these changes can help us to figure out our priorities and use them to streamline our lives as we transition.
Our community guest this week is Amber Gray from Healthy Family Project. We are talking about how her life has shifted since having a baby, specifically her food and cooking routines. Also, Amber has some great ideas for hiding vegetables in food so her daughter will eat more healthily.
The meal plan this week features five meals inspired by Amber. They are simple, quick, and some include a few hidden vegetables for bonus health. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the recipe links and printable grocery list sent your way.
Quick Tip Of The Week: To keep track of how long leftovers have been in my fridge, or of when I opened that jar of salsa, I write the date on the container using a Sharpie marker. I attach the sharpie marker to my fridge using industrial strength Velcro, but a magnet would also work. In this way, the sharpie is always right there when I want to write a date on something I've opened.
Deeper Time Management Thought: When you've gone through big changes, what other things have been affected? For me, when I had kids, I stopped gardening. That told me that gardening probably wasn't a high priority for me. What other things change and how do we use that information to help us figure out what matters to us?
Podcast Guest: Amber Gray from Healthy Family Project
Links Mentioned In The Show
Note: Some links earn our show a commission. We only link to products that we love. Thank you for supporting our show!
- Sharpie markers: https://amzn.to/2Msht6u
- Industrial Strength Velcro: https://amzn.to/3uzUebM
- Magnet: https://amzn.to/2ZVM3bG
- 15-minute Greek Fish Soup
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Sheet Pan Sausage, Sweet Potato, and Asparagus Dinner
- Hidden Vegetable Meatballs
- Salmon Cakes
- Greek Rice Bowls
If you're like me, there are a lot of household tasks that you don't enjoy doing. In this episode I give strategies for developing systems that make these chores quicker, or gets rid of them entirely.
Our community guest this week is Heather McCurdy from Real: The Kitchen and Beyond. She's a busy working mom of three who is an expert at developing systems for work and home. We talk about places where people can begin systematize their home life.
The meal plan this week features five meals that are all types of systems in and of themselves. They're quick, easy, and delicious meals that whole family will love. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get the recipe links and printable grocery lists sent your way. Have a great day! xo
If you're like me, it can be hard to delegate tasks that you can easily do for yourself, even if you're not an expert at them, and even if you hate doing them, and even if having them on your to-do list stresses you out. In this episode I share a process that will help you identify the tasks that you can consider delegating and I try to help with some of the rationalizing and convincing of self that it is okay to do so.
Our community guest this week is Melissa Lanz, founder of The Fresh 20, and mom to two teens. Melissa not only has a company that will help you to inexpensively delegate some of your meal-planning tasks, she is also amazing at delegating her own personal tasks as well. You'll get some great info about ways that you too can streamline your cooking life.
The meal plan this week features recipes inspired by my conversation with Melissa and by her company. It is a menu for the week that uses a small list of fresh ingredients to keep your costs and what you need to buy way down. It comes with a grocery list too, so it's like a DIY Meal Kit! Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY.com/GetMealPlans to get our meal plans, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way. Have a great day! xo
If you're like me, you've gone through many phases in your life, and with each phase seems to come a new way of meal-planning and cooking. Today I talk about some resources you can turn to when your dietary world shifts.
Our community guest this week is Amanda Keefer from Healthy Family Project. She's a busy working mom of three who has recently had to alter her family's diet. We talk about the changes that they had to make and how the transition has gone.
The meal plan this week features recipes inspired by our conversation. They're very vegetable-forward meals that your whole family will love. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY.com/GetMealPlans to get the recipe links and printable grocery lists sent your way. Have a great day! xo
If you're like me, it's easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to meal-planning. Today I talk about some fun ways to get new inspiration for your dinners, and we go beyond just doing a google search, for sure!
Our community guest this week is Danielle Green, a busy food blogger and mom of toddler twins. Danielle uses meal kits to help her get inspiration and hard-to-come by ingredients in her remote town. She also has tried a whole bunch of different meal kit services and has done reviews of them on her site. She is truly the meal kit expert and she answers all our questions about the pros and cons of meal kits and which ones are best for which situations.
The meal plan this week features recipes from around the world that are easy to make and that will give your meal plan a little boost. They're delicious and innovative recipes that your whole family will love. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get our meal plans, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way.
Have a great day! xo
If you're like me, it's easy to let yourself take longer than intended to make dinner. One way to stop this is to choose recipes that don't have a lot of hands-on time so that you don't have as much flexibility in going over time. In this episode we talk about the kinds of recipes to look for if you want to limit the time you spend in the kitchen.
Our community guest this week is Belinda Gonzalez, a busy mom who works full time and who uses meal kits to save her time, and to help get her daughter trying new and exciting foods. This is our second episode in our Meal Kits Series and we talk with Belinda about the benefits and drawbacks to using meal kits.
The meal plan this week features recipes with short prep times to help you stay on track. They're delicious and innovative recipes that your whole family will love. Subscribe at COOKtheSTORY to get our meal plans, recipe links, and printable grocery lists sent your way. Have a great day! xo
One of the most difficult parts of meal-planning is coming up with ideas and making decisions about what to have. In this episode we share a bunch of ideas and resources for helping you to limit the decision-making process when meal-planning.
One of the resources we talk about is meal kits, where a company delivers all the ingredients and recipes to your door. This is our first in a series of three podcasts that feature meal kits like this as a strategy to help out with meal-planning.
The community interview is with Anna-Marie Walsh from Beauty and the Beets. She's a recipe developer and food blogger who also turns to meal kits to help her out with her meal-planning and cooking.
The Meal Plan: This week the meal plan is inspired by meal kits and includes new ideas to inspire you and help with your decision-making and meal-planning. It's a simple and tasty meal plan that the whole family will love. To get our meal plans with links to the recipes and printable grocery lists to go with them, subscribe at https://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans.
Have a great day! xo
If you're like me, you find it a struggle to get your kids or members of your household to enjoy the meals that you cook. Some dinners are hits, others are not. How can we make more hits than nots?
In the community interview this week I talk to Dr. Charles Spence, a Psychologist from Oxford University, about what is involved beyond taste in our enjoyment of food. It turns out that things like what we name our meals, and how much our forks weigh, matters more than we could ever realize. Have a listen to our conversation to find out how this can help you get more of those hits in your own daily cooking.
The Meal Plan: This week the meal plan is inspired by Dr. Spence's work and includes delicious meals with interesting names. It's a simple and tasty meal plan that the whole family will love. To get our meal plans with links to the recipes and printable grocery lists to go with them, subscribe at https://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans. Have a great day! xo
Have you started meal-planning recently or are you looking at jumping in? Today we talk about leaving behind perfection in meal-planning, and in life, and embracing mistakes.
The community interview this week is with Dan Morris, a busy dad with ELEVEN kids in his household. He shares his system for using what they already have in the pantry and freezer to generate their meal plans.
The Meal Plan: This week the meal plan is inspired by Dan's pantry and so it is all meals that use up a lot of pantry ingredients. It's a delicious and simple meal plan that the whole family will love. To get our meal plans with links to the recipes and printable grocery lists to go with them, subscribe at https://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans. Have a great day! xo
Have you made any New Year's resolutions? Is one of them to meal-plan better or cook healthier? In this episode we talk about removing the pressure to meal-plan or to cook in a particular way and to instead allow ourselves to relax and try new things, without pressure for perfection. We also share great ideas for getting started in an easy way.
The community interview this week is with Kathy Hester, a vegan cookbook author and passionate believer in meeting people where they are at and helping them to learn to cook without expectations or strict rules.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, Christine’s meal plan this week features healthy meals and themed dinner nights, to get the ball rolling on a meal-planning system.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at http://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans. Have a great day! xo
Do you find it difficult to come up with dinner ideas? In this episode Christine talks about how focusing on the side dishes, rather than on the main protein, can make meal-planning easier. It can also save you time and be a healthier way to look at dinners.
The community interview this week is with Xylina Jimenez, a busy working mom who doesn't love cooking but finds ways to do it anyways, both for her family and for a homeless shelter too.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, Christine’s meal plan this week features meals that focus on the side dishes so you can test out the episode's ideas.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at http://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans. Have a great day! xo
Do you find yourself saying "I don't have time for this or that" at this time of year? In this episode we talk about what that means. How we spend our time often reflects our priorities. Right now, if we're stressed out and feel like we don't have time, is it ok to just relax a bit and not do as much?
The community interview this week is with Alix Loiselle, a pastry chef who loves baking so much that he's delighted to get out of bed at 1am to do it every day. How does this schedule affect the rest of his life, and how have he and his small business had to adapt during Covid.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, Christine’s meal plan this week features easy dinners from around the world to get you through the holiday crunch time with time to spare, but not sparing any deliciousness.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, go to https://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans. Have a great day! xo
Have you noticed how relaxing and enjoyable it is to cook recipes you know well from your childhood? How about recipes that you've made dozens of times before? In this episode we talk about how choosing familiar recipes can help you to enjoy cooking and meal-planning, while you make delicious food for your household.
The community interview this week is with Gabriellla Ahlqvist, who is a busy mom of four who is homeschooling all of a sudden due to Covid. She's been wrestling with how to feed her family despite not loving cooking as much as she used to. We talk about the challenges she faces and also about delicious Swedish food!
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, Christine’s meal plan this week features all familiar recipes from previous meal plans, so that you can practice making some of the same things. Also, there's an amazing recipe for Easy Baked Swedish Meatballs in the mix!
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, go to https://cookthestory.com/GetMealPlans. Have a great day! xo
Do you want to meal plan but you're not sure how to start? Start here by figuring out why you even want to meal plan in the first place!
What are your intentions behind meal-planning? If you begin by figuring out what your goals are, it will make it easier to find a meal-planning system that works for you.
The community interview this week is with Erica Kiefer, who works at Once a Month Meals, a company that is built around intentional meal-planning through freezer meals. Learn more about freezer cooking and learn how Erica uses it to help with her family's dietary needs, and also how she does it in a transitional kitchen to boot!
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, Christine’s meal plan this week features all one-pan meals that freeze well so that you can double up.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Today is Thanksgiving and it's a great reminder to be grateful for yourself, and to be kinder to yourself too. Christine talks about some ways to do this that center around cooking and meal-planning.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan this week has delicious meals that are kind to the cook.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Do you have an Instant Pot or an Air Fryer still sitting in its box? Or have you been wanting to get one but aren't sure you would really use it? New gadgets and all kinds of new things make us nervous, even if we know that they'll help us in the long run. Why is that and how do we get over our neophobia (the fear of new things)? Learn about these obstacles and how to get over them in this episode of TMI with Christine.
The community interview this week is with cookbook author Emily Paster, who is currently working on a brand new Mediterranean Instant Pot cookbook. Learn how she manages to feed her family in the evening after spending all day in the kitchen perfecting recipes. It's quite the surprising juggling act!
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan has quick and tasty meals that are real family-pleasers!
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Do you find meal-planning and grocery shopping stressful? Is it never really done on time or the way you like? What if we told you that having a routine, any routine, would help you do it well every time. It's true and we tell you why, and then we give you a really good and simple example of a routine you can try.
The community interview this week is with Emily from Youtube's Emily and Clark's Adventure. This duo lives on a sailboat and have a life that relies on routines to keep their food safe and plentiful. Learn all the things they do to get food on their table.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan has quick and tasty meals that are real family-pleasers!
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Thanksgiving is bound to be different this year for everyone due to Covid. If you're missing being in the kitchen with family, listen in while Christine talks to her mom about all of their tips for making the best meal possible. It's heartwarming and sooo #wholesome :-).
Christine's mom, Phyllis Pittman, is a restauranteur and caterer who has cooked well over 300 turkey dinners in her life. She knows everything you need to know to make a delicious meal that isn't super stressful. There are so many tips for make aheads and keeping things warm, timing, and planning. And, it's just plain adorable to listen to them talk to each other from across the continent!
The Meal Plan: This week's show doesn't have the usual weeknight meal plan but you will learn a lot about all of Christine and her mom's best Thanksgiving recipes. For the links to the recipes, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Do you ever find yourself doing a task that you don't like simply because doing it gives you an excuse to not be doing a different task that you like even less? How do we stop this "productive procrastination" and make ourselves do the things we need to do? This week Christine gives you some great ideas for kicking your own butt into doing things.
The community interview this week is with Angela, a busy restauranteur and mother of two. Her food-life balance between home and work are fascinating and you're definitely going to get some great quick meal ideas!
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan has quick and tasty meals that are real family-pleasers!
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Have you forgotten who you are and what you like? Do you need a kick in the butt to get yourself enjoying food again? This week Christine helps you come up with ways to bring the adult back into your family cooking.
The community interview this week is with Ryan, a Physics professor at Tulane University who leads a busy life and loves grown up food. His take on eating like an adult while on the go will inspire you so much!
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan takes 5 kid-friendly meals and upgrades them into adult dinners that your whole household will love.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Do you feel guilt about not liking cooking, or about not liking some aspect of cooking for your household? This week Christine helps you to strategize around the things you hate so that you can maybe hate them a bit less, or at least feel less guilt about hating them.
The community interview this week is with Janette, a working single mother of 2 who is also training for a marathon. Her meal prep strategies and her ideas about getting her kids with her in the kitchen, all while doing that whole marathon thing, is going to inspire you so much!
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan leaves behind the cooking stress with fine one pot dinners.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Is it true that past behavior predicts future behavior? We don't know, but what we do know is that we can use the past to help with our future. In this week's episode, Christine gives you ways to look at your past meal-plans and grocery lists to help with your future planning.
The community interview this week is with Amber, a new teacher and a mom who is trying to deal with her demanding job while grabbing food on the go for her family.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, Christine’s meal plan for this week is stellar and makes use of some of the same ingredients throughout the week so you can buy fewer things and still get through.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo
Have you ever wondered why you're never late for a flight, but always late to leave for a road trip? This phenomenon has a name, and Christine knows all about it and how it can help you in the kitchen.
The community interview this week is with Marcy, a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother of 3 who tells us about her unique family dynamic and shares some meal-planning strategies that work for her household.
The Meal Plan: If you’re wondering what to make for dinner this week, Christine’s meal plan is stellar and makes use of leftovers throughout the week so you can do less cooking and more eating. We all like that, right? Haha.
For the links to the recipes in the meal plan and a grocery list to go with it, subscribe to the newsletter at https://cookthestory.com/newsletter. Have a great day! xo