Feed Your Family Tonight Podcast: Recent Episodes
Marie Fiebach
Are you overwhelmed thinking about weeknight family dinner? Do you have trouble figuring out when you are going to eat because you have lots of after school activities? Or maybe you are tired of choosing what to eat each night. The Feed Your Family Tonight podcast is here to help busy families plan and execute weeknight family dinners so they can recapture a little calm in the crazy. Business owner, wife and mother of four, Marie Fiebach, serves up weekly inspiration and motivation to help you take back control and Feed Your Family Tonight.
Friends- This podcast was a hard one to record. Sitting and writing this post my eyes are filled with tears. But I am choosing joy today!
It is time to close down Feed Your Family Tonight. This project I started in 2017 has taken so many twists and turns that I would never have imagined! I have met so many amazing people and helped so many families make life just a little bit easier.
I could not have done it without you! Thank you for all your support over the years! I will dearly miss you.
For now, the website will remain up. I will archive the Facebook group in May.
If you have questions, message me on Instagram. I am still always happy to help you with your questions.
For now friends, take care!
Marie
For show notes and a transcript click here.
Ground Beef is a staple in many homes, but there are some basic techniques to make the most of your ground beef!
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
Lots of life has been happening behind the scenes. In this podcast I talk about how things have been going the past month as I started a new full-time job. There have been ups and downs.
The most challenging thing for me has been grocery shopping. Join the conversation in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook Group. I want to know when you do your grocery shopping.
For a transcript click here.
I am in the middle of a really busy season in my personal life and I am relying on my pantry to help me get dinner on the table fast.
Pantry cooking is using ingredients that you keep on hand to make meals. For me this includes my pantry, freezer and refrigerator staples.
4 Tips for Pantry Cooking: Tip 1: Have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. Tip 2: Create a list of pantry staples. Tip 3: Add fresh ingredients to make pantry dinners delicious. Tip 4: Create a list of "base ingredients" to make lots of different meals. For full show notes and a transcript click here.
We all have days when there just isn't time to fix dinner. You may be running kids to activities and need to eat in the car or at the activity. For many families that means hitting the drive thru and that's okay. If you know you are going to eat out on a busy night, put it on your meal plan. Plan for it! This helps you not feel guilty about hitting the drive thru on a busy night because you chose it on purpose.
If you don't want to hit the drive thru I have six tips for feeding your family when there isn't time to cook.
6 Tips to Feed Your Family When There Isn't Time to Cook: Tip 1: Make a cold dinner. Tip 2: Fix dinner at 10:00 AM. Tip 3: Use the grocery store as your drive thru. Tip 4: Use a backup meal. Tip : Make a snack board dinner. Tip 6: Have a leftover night. For full show notes and a transcript click here.
Everyone faces busy seasons of life. There are many reasons you may be facing a hectic season.
- Having a baby
- Moving
- Remodeling project
- Sports season
- Work season (I see you accountants in March and April)
There are dozens of reasons and I am facing one in my life right now. Starting a new job is definitely a hectic season.
6 Tips to prepare for a hectic season: Tip 1- Clean out your freezer and pantry. Tip 2- Take an Inventory of your Freezer and Pantry. Tip 3- Make a list of the basic items you need and do a deep dive shopping trip to stock up. Tip 4- Make a list of backup and basic meals. Tip 5- Do a little freezer prep. If you want the easiest way to make 6 full freezer meals in 1 hour, check out my friends Polly and Rachel at Thriving Home. Use the code Marie20 to save 20%.
Tip 6- Be realistic with yourself during busy seasons. For full show notes, links, and a transcript, click here.
I love kitchen gadgets. Some are essential and some just make life a little easier.
Years ago I did a presentation for parents of teens and young adults about setting up a first apartment kitchen. I made a 1st Kitchen Essentials list.
For links and show notes click here.
How many times have your looked at a recipe and really underestimated the amount of time it takes to make the recipe?
If you are like me, more times than you want to admit.
Today I have 3 Tips for estimating the real time it takes to make a recipe and 4 tips to be faster in the kitchen,
3 Tips for estimating the real time it takes to make a recipe. 1. Read the entire recipe. 1. Do they have you preheat the oven in step 1 or step 6? 2. Look for words that equal time like marinate, rest, and let sit. 3. Look for words that equal multi-tasking like "meanwhile" or "while x is going do y." 2. Know your personal cooking style. 1. Are you comfortable chopping veggies while meat is cooking? 2. Do you need everything measured and ready to go before adding heat? 3. Rely on your past experience. 1. How long does it take to brown hamburger? 2. What skillet works best for this type of task?
4 Tips to be faster in the kitchen 1. Do a little prep ahead. 1. Thaw your meat the night before 2. Salt your meat in the morning or the night before 3. Use the "prep" section of the free weekly meal planning sheet. 2. Use sharp knives and invest in your knife skills 1. Look up YouTube videos or find a local culinary pro who offers knife classes 2. Get a knife sharpener. Electric or Manual both work. 3. Do multiple steps at once. 1. Boil Water 2. Cook Meat 3. Chop Veggies 4. Don't be afraid to use grocery store shortcuts. 1. Buy frozen veggies (the are washed and cut) 2. Buy chopped veggies from the salad bar. 3. Have the butcher cut your meat in 1 inch pieces.
For Full Show Notes, Links, and Transcript Click Here.
This on air coaching call was so fun! Dana Malstaff is the founder of Boss Mom. As a co-parenting mom she faces some unique challenges to feeding her two kids.
We talk about picky eaters, snacks, and how to systematically test new foods to slowly expand her kid's palettes.
With kids who do not prefer pasta, potatoes, or rice, most of the "normal" tricks for feeding picky eaters are tossed out the window. I suggested polenta and Dana loved the idea!
For show notes, links, and a transcript click here.
Everyone faces busy seasons of life. There are many reasons you may be facing a hectic season.
- Having a baby
- Moving
- Remodeling project
- Sports season
- Work season (I see you accountants in March and April)
There are dozens of reasons and I am facing one in my life right now. Starting a new job is definitely a hectic season.
6 Tips to prepare for a hectic season: Tip 1- Clean out your freezer and pantry. I have two podcasts on cleaning out your freezer and pantry.
- Episode 70 Spring Clean Your Freezer and Pantry
- Episode 128 Spring Pantry and Freezer Clean Out
Tip 2- Take an Inventory of your Freezer and Pantry. Tip 3- Make a list of the basic items you need and do a deep dive shopping trip to stock up. Tip 4- Make a list of backup and basic meals. Tip 5- Do a little freezer prep. If you want the easiest way to make 6 full freezer meals in 1 hour, check out my friends Polly and Rachel at Thriving Home. Use the code Marie20 to save 20%.
Tip 6- Be realistic with yourself during busy seasons. For show notes and a transcript click here.
Groceries are getting more expensive. One way to save money is to buy grocery store markdowns.
You can often save lots of money buying marked down items. Use these 6 tips to be smart when buying markdowns. Tip 1- If you won't use it, it is not a bargain. Tip 2- Know the regular and common sale price of an item. Tip 3- Buy ahead when items are on deep discount. Tip 4- Consider your storage and freezer space before buying items in bulk. Tip 5- Repackage meat before freezing Tip 6- Learn the markdown habits of your favorite stores.
For a transcript and links click here.
This podcast was sponsored by Yummy Crate. Get 50% off your first month and free shipping with code FYFT.
What is in your refrigerator that is taking up valuable space?
Maybe you have some half-used jars of pickles or olives.
Maybe you have half a jar of pesto or miso.
I have a small jar of flax seeds that I think may be over 5 years old. I didn't mean to forget about them for 5 years, but time gets away from you. I'm sure they are rancid by now and I promise by the time you read this I will have thrown them away.
We all have things that we keep way too long because we don't want them to go to waste. We may have purchased them for a recipe that our family didn't really like and we keep thinking we need to find another recipe to use it up.
Friends- now is the time to use it up! Make a charcuterie board for dinner and use up the pickles and olives or make rice bowls and let your family pick all the things they like to top their bowls. Rice bowls are the best way to clean out the refrigerator. Anything your family doesn't eat throw out.
The clutter in your refrigerator is costing you brain space and physical space. Getting rid of the clutter leaves room for new things and new creativity.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
We are well into January and I know I am feeling the winter blahs. Christmas is over, my kids are finally back in school and it is crazy cold outside. My body is longing for something new and so many of my go-to meals feel "tired."
It's crazy how in September the PSL is released by Starbucks and all of a sudden everyone is making soups, stews, and anything with pumpkin even though most of the country is still pretty hot and it definitely isn't "sweatah weathah." By the time January rolls around we are tired of the "fall food" and are craving something bright and fresh.
How do you beat the winter "blahs" or winter blues in the kitchen? 1. Add a little extra to your food budget and try something new. 2. Go back to a recipe you haven't made in a long time. (The Feed Your Family Tonight Meal Planning System can really help with this.) 3. Try a new recipe.
For full show notes and links click here.
If you follow recipes to a "T" this episode can help you make simple changes to recipes that will help you get more creative in the kitchen and save money on ingredients.
If you use recipes as suggestions this episode can help you understand how you do this naturally and may give you some new ideas of ways to make recipes your own.
4 Tips to Riff on a Recipe Tip 1: Think About Why You Want to Change a Recipe. Tip 2: What do You Want to Change in the Recipe? Tip 3: Does the Change Make Sense? Tip 4: Just Do It! For Full Show Notes and Transcript Click Here.
January is often a time when we want to freshen things up in our home and lives. It is also a time where we can feel like we are in a "dinner rut." This podcast has four tips to get you out of a dinner rut and freshen up your weekly meal plans. Tip 1 - It's Okay to be Boring Episode 90 is all about how there are seasons of life when it is okay to be boring. You may want to freshen up dinner, but if you are in a season of "survival mode" do not feel like you are failing if you have very simple meals over and over again.
Tip 2 - Make Small Tweaks to Your Regular Meals Small changes can make meals feel fresh and new.
You don't have to make all new recipes to freshen up dinner in your home.
Tip 3 - Try a New Recipe I know this may sound obvious, but hear me out. The hardest part of making a new recipe is finding a recipe that meets your family's set of preferences.
Tip 4 - (My best tip for getting out of a dinner rut) Go to a New Grocery Store There is something about seeing foods in a different environment that can spark creativity in the kitchen.
This podcast was sponsored by Yummy Crate. Get 50% off your first month and free shipping with code FYFT.
Rita and Gino Rossini have 5 kids and a super busy schedule. Rita is a nursing student and Gino works full time. Between school, work, and kids activities, getting dinner on the table is a challenge.
In this on-air coaching call, Marie talks with Rita and Gino and helps them make small tweaks to make dinner a little easier in their home.
One small change they plan to implement is to make double of some meals and immediately set the extra aside for another dinner. They were frustrated that food was going to waste because their kids preferred to make sandwiches or quesadillas rather than eating the leftovers in the refrigerator. By designating the extras for another dinner they are solving two issues. 1-The food is no longer going to waste. 2-They have an easy re-heat dinner for a busy night.
Another small change that will pay off big time is to cook a large amount of chicken when it comes on sale. They can use the cooked chicken for chicken salad, quesadillas, and tortilla soup. My recipe for Instant Pot Lemony Chicken Thighs has the cook times for chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, and my Buffalo Chicken recipe has cook times for chicken breasts.
For a transcript and full show notes click here.
This week Rachel Tiemeyer of Thriving Home joins me and we talk all things freezer cooking. Rachel and her business partner, Polly, are freezer cooking experts! They know how to make freezer food that tastes good.
Rachel and I geek out about food safety and best practices for freezer cooking.
Foods that do not freeze well Best Practices for Freezing Food: Best Practices for Thawing Food Get the 1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions from Thriving Home! Follow the link and use the code Marie20 to get 20% off any of their amazing 1 hour freezer prep sessions.
If you are anything like me 2020 was a blur and 2021 feels like it is still 2020. But, this fall I felt like I was beginning to come out of the fog.
As I reflect on where Feed Your Family Tonight began and where it is now, I feel like I have come full circle. Weeknight dinner success is not about the recipes, it is about time management.
I have said this for years, but with the new Feed Your Family Tonight Meal Planning System, I have a way to teach the time management piece.
The "aha" moment is that the key is to look at the "prep" time and the "cook" time in recipes as separate tasks. They don't have to be done at the same time. In fact, doing them at different times can be the key to getting dinner on the table with less effort.
10 minutes planning at the beginning of the week can save your hours of execution when fixing dinner. If you plan well you will have more variety and much less effort in the kitchen, (Who doesn't want that?)
For show notes and transcript click here.
December is a weird month. It starts out in a rush and in my home ends in slow days with lots of family time. In both situations, simple meals are the best! Here are 3 tips and 1 bonus for feeding your family in December.
Tip #1 Use "Backup Meals" on your regular meal plan. Tip #2 Cook a large protein and repurpose it throughout the week. Ham
Turkey Breast
Roast Beef
Tip #3 Make cold no-cook meals. Charcuterie boards
Chef Salads
Bonus Tip Buy a pre-made veggie tray and put it out every day for snacking and dinner time.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
When life gets busy having a freezer stocked with cooked proteins can make cooking dinner much faster and easier.
It is nice to stock your freezer with a few basic proteins that you can use in lots of different recipes.
How to freeze proteins. * Cool meats to room temperature before freezing. * Freeze in meal-size portions for your family. * Think about the shape of frozen zip bags. Freeze flat on a cookie sheet or inside a container like an instant pot liner so it is easier to thaw. * Leave extra space at the top of the container if you are using glass.
Air is the enemy of frozen food. * Try to get as much air out of zip bags as possible. * Air causes ice crystals to form which degrades the food faster.
My favorite meats to freeze. Taco Meat
Cheeseburger Baked Potato (Cooked hamburger and onions)
Roast Chicken
Instant Pot Lemony Chicken
Chicken Tacos
Looking for full freezer meals not just meats?
- Check out Thriving Home.
- Use the code Marie20 to get 20% off.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
Late in November or early in December I like to do a Deep Dive Shopping Trip.
I stock up on all the basic items I need from shampoo and deodorant to pasta, flour, and sugar. I want to make shopping easier during the busy season so my goal is to only buy fresh items at the store.
In this episode I focus on the pantry. There are four main things you want to stock up on in your pantry.
For full show notes, links, and transcript, click here.
In this replay on-air coaching call, I talk with my friend, Janice Scholl, about ways to help her overcome some of her dinner challenges.
You will learn:
-Which surprising vegetable I suggest to try with her picky kid who “won’t eat anything green.”
-Why I suggest cooking three chickens for dinner.
-Several great tips for introducing new recipes to picky families.
For show notes, links and transcript click here.
Have you ever wondered about the new graphics for the podcasts? All the colors have meanings.
Red- Clock- is all about time.
Orange- Carrot- is all about food and ingredients.
Yellow- Lemon- is personal about Marie or an on air coaching.
Green- Measuring Cup- is about recipes.
Blue- Salt Shaker- is about cooking skills.
Purple- Knife and Fork- is about motivation.
This week is an "Orange" podcast and we are talking about Fall Fruits.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
Introducing the Feed Your Family Tonight Meal Planning System! This system will help you get your meals planned in 10 minutes a week. The key to the system is the Recipe Index.
This Recipe Index helps you look at all your recipes in one place without having to print them or enter them into a digital system. You sort them by proteins or your favorite categories. It is completely customizable to YOUR needs!
The Recipe Index helps you: * Keep track of your recipes * Categorize recipes by time * Categorize recipes by proteins * Categorize recipes by main ingredient
The Weekly Meal Planning Sheet works with the Recipe Index to helps you: * Plan meals that work with your time * Look a meals according to their prep and cook time * Figure out what to make given your daily schedule
You get: * Full set of printable recipe index sheets labeled by proteins * Full set of printable recipe index sheets without labels to help you customize your binder * 3 Short video trainings to help you set up your binder, use the recipe index system, and plan your weekly meals in 10 minutes a week!
Get all your recipes organized without printing reams of paper! For show notes and transcript click here.
November is here and it is finally getting chilly here in Kansas. That means my brain automatically goes to a different kind of cooking than in the summer. I start to crave slow roasted meats and stews. I think about soups and slow cooker meals.
What is great about these kinds of meals is that while the cooking takes a long time, it is all hands-off. I can put something in the oven or slow cooker and leave the kitchen for a few hours.
For a full transcript and links click here.
1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions use code Marie20.
I am coming off of one of the busiest weeks of the year. Life has been crazy and that means some things have had to adjust in our home including how I fix dinner.
Kendra Adachi, the Lazy Genius was on the podcast a while back. She talks about how it is important to name what matters. With family dinners different things will matter in different seasons of your life.
For my crazy week there were four things that were important:
- Everyone gets fed.
- I want reasonable nutrition.
- Nothing is complicated.
- I need plenty of leftovers so my family can grab them for lunches, snacks, or even dinner.
It is also necessary to name what is not important. In this week there were three things that were not important:
- Dinner does not have to be elaborate or fancy.
- It doesn't have to be perfectly nutritionally balanced. (It is just one week.)
- We all do not have to eat together. (I usually value this, but in survival mode it isn't possible and I am not going to fret about it.
In any season of life it you want to know that not everything can be important. You have to choose where to put your energy and focus. There are times when my budget was tight and I chose to go to four grocery stores to get the best price on every item in my cart. Now, I will happily pay one dollar more for cottage cheese if it means I only have to go to one store. My budget is fuller and my time is more valuable. Neither is right or wrong. They both served me in different seasons.
For full show notes, links, and a transcript click here.
A sharp knife can make everything easier in the kitchen. The key is to select a good knife and keep it sharp. You can use an inexpensive manual sharpener, and electric sharpener, or take them to your local Willams Sonoma or Sur La Table store for sharpening.
You do not need an large butcher block full of knifes. A few simple knifes are all you need. You should have a chef's knife, paring knife and bread knife. They do not need to be super expensive or fancy. America's Test Kitchen likes Victorinox and I am a fan of Zwilling Henckels Professional S knives.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
Our meals change with the seasons. It is October and that means we are moving into fall. Now is the time to get a set of fall recipes that you will have on repeat for the next month or two.
If you get 5-10 recipes ready you can dig in deep, do a little prep, and know what kind of time each recipe needs.
It is really helpful to think about the prep time and the cooking time for each recipe. What can you do the day before? Does the recipe need hands-on cooking or can you put it in the oven and let it be for an hour or two?
For show notes, links and a transcript click here.
Carmen is a marries mother of 4 kids ages 16 down to 1 and is having another baby next year. Her life is packed with toddlers and teens and her husband works a very demanding job which often means he isn't there at dinnertime.
We talked about ways to find pockets of time to do a little dinner prep during the day and to consider flipping "lunch" and "dinner" on days when her husband won't make it home in time to eat with the girls.
One small change Carmen is going to try is to freeze single servings of dinner for her husband and teenage son to heat up for late dinners or lunches. She had previously frozen large meal-size bags of things like tacos, but the shift to single servings of meals means her husband can eat home-cooked food at lunchtime. This helps the family budget and is a healthier option for him at his work sites.
We also talked about some hearty breakfasts. Carmen is not a big fan of eggs and her family doesn't prefer pork. I suggested homemade turkey sausage that could be made into breakfast sandwiches for her husband and teenage son. For the younger girls, baked oatmeal and breakfast cookies are two hearty breakfasts that could work well in her home.
For full show notes, links, and transcript click here.
Getting dinner on the table takes a lot of decisions. If you have a set of pantry staples, it makes it so much easier to choose new recipes and get dinner on the table.
This podcast talks about the categories of pantry staples and how using them as your guide can help you.
For show notes and transcript click here.
t is late September and in Kansas that means we have reached the season of "Fummer." It is the weird time where it is chilly in the morning and crazy hot in the afternoons. This is the time of year where I want to start making "fall foods" but it is often too hot come dinner time to enjoy them.
Now is the time to clean out your pantry and freezer.
- Share or donate any foods you purchased that your family no longer prefers.
- Pass on anything that you bought too much of and know you won't eat in a reasonable amount of time.
- Eat up foods that you exclusively eat in the summer so they are not floating in your freezer all winter.
- Use up odds and ends of foods so you have room for the new foods of fall.
It is also time to look at your spices.
- Toss any spices that do not smell fragrant.
- Toss any spices you have had so long you can't remember when you bought them.
- Think about the spices you use in the fall and be sure to stock up on your favorites.
Consider doing a deep dive grocery trip to get your pantry read for fall and winter.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
If you have ever had a season of life where fixing dinner seems overwhelming or all the little burdens are just too much then you are in the right place.
We all have times when life gets tough. Sometimes these are short seasons and sometimes they are longer, but these tips will help you when life gets a little overwhelming.
Tip 1- Do not expect too much of yourself. Tip 2- Do not expect too much of others. Tip 3- Look for ways to simplify. Tip 4- Give yourself more cooking breaks. For full show notes, links, and a transcript, click here.
Ground beef is a basic in many homes. It is easy and fast to cook and relatively inexpensive. But, many of us are not making the most of this simple meat.
In this episode we will talk about:
- How To Thaw Ground Beef
- How to Brown Ground Beef
- How to Form Hamburgers
- How to Make Meatloaf or Meatballs with Ground Beef
For full show notes, links, and a transcript, click here.
I don't know many families who say "we're good on veggies." Most of us would like to add more veggies and today I have 4 ways to fix vegetables. I hope it gives you a little inspiration. I will like all the recipes at the bottom of the post.
Please remember that small changes make a big difference. Weeknight dinners don't have to be perfect. These are just some ways to help you get dinner on the table a little easier.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
Rita and Gino Rossini have 5 kids and a super busy schedule. Rita is a nursing student and Gino works full time. Between school, work, and kids activities, getting dinner on the table is a challenge.
In this on-air coaching call, Marie talks with Rita and Gino and helps them make small tweaks to make dinner a little easier in their home.
One small change they plan to implement is to make double of some meals and immediately set the extra aside for another dinner. They were frustrated that food was going to waste because their kids preferred to make sandwiches or quesadillas rather than eating the leftovers in the refrigerator. By designating the extras for another dinner they are solving two issues. 1-The food is no longer going to waste. 2-They have an easy re-heat dinner for a busy night.
Another small change that will pay off big time is to cook a large amount of chicken when it comes on sale. They can use the cooked chicken for chicken salad, quesadillas, and tortilla soup. My recipe for Instant Pot Lemony Chicken Thighs has the cook times for chicken thighs in the Instant Pot, and my Buffalo Chicken recipe has cook times for chicken breasts.
Full show notes and transcript can be found here.
None of us want to work hard to fix a new recipe only to be met with a bunch of complaints and food that is basically untouched. In this episode Marie has 4 tips to choose new recipes that your family will actually eat.
1- Identify foods your family already likes. Pay attention to what they like to eat. Look at the ingredients and the flavors. Look at foods they order in restaurants. This gives you clues as to foods they will likely try.
2-Identify common threads in meals your make that they like. Will your family eat anything with pasta? Maybe they really like Mexican or Italian flavors. Will they eat foods with sauces like mashed potatoes and gravy, beef stroganoff and spaghetti, or do they like dry foods like grilled meats and roasted veggies?
3-Look for recipes that match as many common threads as possible. Find recipes with ingredients and flavors that are mostly familiar.
4-Examine what is different in a new recipe from things you already make. Don't try to change too many things at once. It is much easier to go from spaghetti with meat sauce to spaghetti with sausage, than it is to go from spaghetti to a chickpea veggie curry. Take gradual steps to expand their palettes.
In the episode I walk through how I got my family to start eating chicken enchiladas. It was a process.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
One of the biggest challenges most families face with getting dinner on the table is time. In my years of working with families I have found that dinner success has so much to do with time management.
In this episode I take a deep dive into time. To get dinner on the table you have to plan, prep, physically cook, and then clean up. We are going to break down some of these steps to help you find the time to get dinner on the table.
For full show notes, links, and transcript, click here.
Happy August Friends! My kids still have two blissful weeks of summer, but I know many of you have already started school. Today's podcast has 4 Steps to help you get ready for the routine of the school year.
Step 1 Asses where you are now at the end of the summer. Step 2 Think about what things will look like once school starts. Step 3 Look at dinnertime. Step 4 Think about your time. I am looking for someone to come and talk with me on-air for an upcoming episode. If you would like to join me, fill out this simple application. If you want to hear what it is like to be on air with me, check out Episode 116 or Episode 141.
For a transcript click here.
If you want your food to taste delicious, you are going to need to use salt.
In episode 13, I took a deep dive into salt and talked about all the different kinds of salt, where they are harvested and how they are processed. This episode is more about how to use salt to make your food taste better.
I keep more than a dozen salts in my cabinet, but the two I must have are:
Table Salt and Celtic Sea Salt.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
It is late July and my brain is mush. There is something about the end of July that squashes out any motivation which means I don't feel like cooking. If you are in the same boat, I have 4 ways to help you get dinner on the table with minimal effort from you.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
In this on air coaching call, Marie helps her guest, Emily, brainstorm strategies for getting dinner on the table faster after she picks up her four kids from daycare.
They talk about looking at the amount of time it takes to make a meal, freezer prep, deep-dive grocery shopping, and expanding cooking skills.
For full show notes, links, and a transcript, click here.
It is July in Kansas and that means an abundance of summer produce. I haven’t had a garden in several years, but I still have access to lots of fresh tomatoes, zucchini and other summer produce either from friends or farmer’s markets.
This week’s podcast is for the people who use recipes as suggestions. I hope to give you lots of ideas to spark your creativity and get you thinking about how you can use summer veggies.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
It's the end of June and most of us are settling into our summer rhythm. This podcast has 5 tips for planning meals in the summer.
1-Your Meal Plan Serves You
2-Be Kind to Yourself
3-Balance Easy Meals with Project Cooking
4- It's Okay to Break the "Rules"
5- Use Summer Produce
For full show notes and a transcript, click here.
If you are like me, you are feeling the "busy" creep back into daily life. The pandemic had a little silver lining and that was that we all slowed down.
I don't miss the fear, uncertainty, isolation, and brain fog of the early pandemic, but I do miss the slow pace.
Our family created deep connection last summer and one of the big reasons was because we had no expectations. We didn't feel like staying home was "missing out" on opportunities. Everything was canceled. The spaciousness created connection.
Many people are wanting to keep a little of the slower pace we had last year. One great way to preserve family culture is to eat together. Creating spaciousness and large blocks of unstructured time for family meals is an important way to make space for your children to bring up tender topics. In our family that is Sunday brunch. You may have Friday night pizza or Saturday morning pancakes. The key is to have a regular meal in a large block of time.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
Weeknight dinners are much more about time management than they are about recipes. Often people think having the right recipes are the key to successful dinners, but if you don't factor in time, even the best recipe is not going to help you. Be honest with yourself about your time and choose meals that work with your schedule.
Full show notes and a transcript can be found here.
Part 2 of Vacation Food Planning focuses on planning food when you are staying in cabins or rental homes, road trips and large family gatherings. You can hear part one on food planning when you are staying in hotels here.
Plan ahead. What amenities are in the rental space? What meals will you eat at the home and what meals will you eat away from the home?
-Cook ahead as much as possible and make sure the containers you are using fit well in your cooler.
-Use online grocery ordering. You can pick it up on your way to your destination or some services even deliver. Walmart.com, Kroger.com, and Instacart are all great resources. Some even deliver.
-Plan one lunch and one dinner out. The best day is usually not the last day. The last day is a good time to eat up leftovers as you are cleaning up and preparing to leave.
Full show notes and transcript can be found here.
Are you ready to get out of town?
This episode is all about planning your food when you are staying in hotels.
Next week's episode will focus on planning your food when you are staying in vacation rentals or cabins and family reunion planning.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
Do you ever go on Pinterest looking for the magic recipe? You know, the one that’s easy to make, inexpensive, nutritious and your family eats it without complaint. The recipe that will fix all your weeknight dinner woes.
I hate to break it to you, but even if you find that unicorn of a recipe, you cannot use it five nights a week. Eventually your family will get tired of it, and then you’ve lost the magic of the magic recipe. No single recipe will fix all your weeknight dinner problems.
In Episode 75 I talked about the emotional burden of feeding your family. It’s so much more than picking a recipe. As moms, we try to be aware of the different nutritional needs of each family member. We calculate our kids’ likes and the dislikes to make sure everyone has something they prefer at least every other day. We have to factor in our own energy levels and how much time we have available to cook in between piano lessons and soccer practice. Then there’s the execution: When will I shop? Where will I shop? Did I remember to put everything on the list? All these micro-decisions are part of the process, and they are mentally exhausting.
I am here to give you permission to admit that weeknight dinners are hard. It’s OK to feel that way. But you still have to do it.
For show notes and a transcript click here.
I truly believe every mom needs a break from fixing dinner at least one day a week. My mother hosts our family for a weekly dinner at her house, so I can always count on one night a week where I don’t have to cook (or plan, or shop, or clean up). On this week’s podcast, I share four other ways to get a break from the kitchen.
Full shot notes and transcript can be found here.
Do you ever wonder why I rarely have "dinner out" on my meal plans?
This week's podcast is about eating out.
Even if you don’t see “dinner out” on my meal plan, I believe every mom needs a break from cooking at least once a week. For me, that comes in the form of a weekly family dinner hosted by my parents. Family dinner is my break from cooking and kitchen clean-up, and it’s something I can count on. Not every family has someone to host a weekly dinner, but there are lots of ways to plan a night off from cooking. Whether you pick up prepared items like fried chicken from the deli, order a pizza or go out to a restaurant, planning a night off lets you enjoy the break instead of feeling guilty about it.
For full show notes and a transcript, click here.
Successful meal plans are more about time management than recipes. In this episode, Marie takes a deep dive into a new way to think about your recipes.
There are 6 categories of recipes.
Project Cooking
Long Prep Bulk Cooking or Freezer Prep
Short Prep Long Cooking
Short Prep Moderate Hands On Cooking
Short Prep Hands Off Cooking
Freezer Revival Cooking
For full show notes click here.
Meal planning can be a challenge, especially if you are a beginner. Most meal plans don’t work because they miss the biggest thing about weeknight dinners. It is not about the recipes; it is about time management.
A meal plan that does not start with your schedule will quickly fall apart in real life.
The Feed Your Family Tonight meal planning system has three steps.
I call it my PSA or “Public Service Announcement” for weeknight dinner success.
Start meal planning by downloading the free Weekly Meal Planning Sheet and the Master Meal Planning Sheet. These sheets make meal planning easier. It walks you through how to meal plan for your family.
You can get full show notes and a transcript here.
Welcome to the new refresh of the Feed Your Family Tonight Podcast.
This month we are celebrating the four year anniversary of Feed Your Family Tonight.
This podcast talks about why weeknight dinners are so important. Hint- It's not about perfect nutrition or pinterest worthy meals.
For full show notes and a transcript click here.
Spring is here and it is time to clean out your freezer and pantry to get ready for warm weather foods. Get ready for a refresh of the Feed Your Family Tonight Podcast with our new Tuesday release date next week.
Full show notes and a transcript can be found here.
Most of us want to spend the least amount of time possible in the kitchen. There are a few tips and hacks that can help you be more efficient in the kitchen.
It is best to implement these ideas in small bits. Try to change one or two things at a time.
For full show notes, links and transcript, click here.
How often do you cook chicken? If you are anything like the average American you are cooking chicken several nights a week.
Most people are overcooking chicken for fear of food safety.
There are 2 things you need for great chicken:
Salt
Instant Read Thermometer
For full show notes, links, and transcript, click here.
Ground beef is a basic in many homes. It is easy and fast to cook and relatively inexpensive. But, many of us are not making the most of this simple meat.
This episode dives deep into:
How To Thaw Ground Beef
How to Brown Ground Beef
How to Make Hamburger Patties
How to Cook Hamburgers
How to Make and Cook Meatloaf and Meatballs
For full show notes, links, recipes, and transcript, click here.
Special memories around food are part of our family traditions. They are woven into fabric of our lives. They can be really fun, or they can feel overwhelming.
I have said before that traditions create stability and predictability for our children. My teens still like knowing there will be a helium balloon on their chair at the kitchen table on Valentine’s Day.
It does not matter if traditions are simple or elaborate. What matters is that they are meaningful to you and your children.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
This March looks a lot different from last March. Things feel lighter and a little more hopeful. Many students are going back into school buildings and parents are finally having the house to themselves for the first time in a year.
Spring cleaning energy is real, but before your dive deep into a cleaning and organizing project, consider taking a little time to reflect. Think about what has changed this past year. What changes do you want to keep and what changes do you want to let go?
My grocery cart has changed. There are things I buy now that I didn’t regularly by before last March. Some of them, like ice cream cones maybe need to stay on the shelf, but others like frozen cherries are new family favorites.
What has changed in your home since last year? What things do you want to keep and what things do you want to let go?
For full show notes and transcript click here.
4 Tips for Busy Weeks
Everyone has weeks that are just extra-busy. Last week was one of those crazy weeks for me. This week’s podcast has my four best tips for feeding your family when life is extra-busy.
- Plan
- Use Grocery Store Shortcuts
- Use Your Freezer Stash
- Plan on Making Backup Meals
Full show notes and transcript can be found here.
Why would you want to freeze meat?
There are two main reasons:
Price and Convenience
Freezer Rule #1:
Air is the enemy of frozen food! Everything you do to prepare meat for the freezer needs to honor this rule. You should try to keep air away from the food as much as possible. You can do this by using a vacuum sealer. (I have not invested in a vacuum sealer, but if you have one, use it.)
Tips for freezing meat:
Remove the meat from the original packaging before freezing.
You want to take it out of the packaging for several reasons.
It is easier to thaw. (Large packages are difficult to put in a container to catch drips and take a long time to thaw.
It takes up less space in your freezer. The packaging can take up lots of unnecessary freezer space.
You can freeze the meat in portions that make sense for your family. You may want to make individual servings or pack it in a meal-size for your family.
For full show notes and transcription click here.
There are three kinds of people when it comes to shopping grocery sales.
- Doesn’t pay attention to the sales. If something is on sale it is just a bonus.
- Shops several stores each week and aims to get the lowest price on everything they purchase.
- Somewhere in the middle. Pays attention to the sales, but does not worry if they don’t get the best price on every item.
I am the third type of sale shopper. Growing up my mother was much closer to the second type of shopper. I learned a lot about maximizing grocery sales from her.
You want to create your own personal grocery sales strategy. You want to consider your season of life and your budget. There are times in my life where the final prices were most important and times when I couldn’t shop at several stores each week and convenience was more important.
Full show notes and a transcript can be found here.
Extra trips to the grocery store waste time. Even when you are close to the store, you have to get in the car, drive there, park, and drive back home. A “quick run” to the store takes more time than you think. These tips will help you be more prepared and make fewer trips to the store each week.
Today I have 2 big tips to help you make fewer trips to the grocery store.
1- Keep a well-stocked pantry.
Having a well-stocked pantry means you don’t need to run to the store for staples. It also helps you make substitutions in recipes. If you don’t have penne pasta, you can substitute rotini or another shape from the pantry.
2- Plan
When you plan your meals at the beginning of the week, you know the ingredients you need to buy at the store. There is less guessing at the grocery store and you can purchase exactly what you need.
For full show notes, links and a transcript, click here.
How many times have you made a meal plan and then didn’t follow it? Maybe you got busy, or maybe your kids ate one of the main ingredients. This week’s podcast is all about helping you stick with your meal plan.
Know that you are not alone.
1- You have unrealistic expectations.
2- Your family eats the ingredients you planned to use for dinner.
3- The meal you planned doesn’t sound good anymore.
4- The ingredients go bad before you make the meal.
Full show notes, links, and transcript can be found here.
Getting dinner on the table every day can be a challenge. Use these four tips to help you on the extra-busy nights.
- Plan Ahead
- Observe
- Do Things in the Right Order
- Try Not to Multi-task
For full show notes and links click here.
In this inaugural on-air coaching call, I talk with my friend, Janice Scholl, about ways to help her overcome some of her dinner challenges.
You will learn:
-Which surprising vegetable I suggest to try with her picky kid who “won’t eat anything green.”
-Why I suggest cooking three chickens for dinner.
-Several great tips for introducing new recipes to picky families.
For full show notes and links from this episode click here.
A few weeks ago, I had a revelation. It seems silly to say out loud, but most of the foods I make are not very different from each other. I have a set of base ingredients and making small swaps can completely change the outcome of dinner.
What are the base ingredients you have in your home? My friends Kendra and Diane serve lots of rice because their husbands grew up having rice at almost every meal. My friend Anne serves potatoes most nights because her husband rarely knew a meal without potatoes growing up.
The base flavors in my home include onion, garlic, oregano, and hot pepper flakes. I can go in so many directions from there.
Mediterranean flavors: Oregano and lemon
Tex/Mex flavors: Oregano, Cumin, and Lime
Indian flavors: Cumin and Coriander
You can move from one cuisine to another by swapping out just a few ingredients.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
We have been conditioned to think that the secret to weeknight dinners is an arsenal of easy recipes, but my year of helping busy families has taught me that it is not about the recipes.
You may say that you found a great recipe last week and you served to your family, they ate it with minimal complaint therefore the recipe made dinner a success.
But the recipe was successful because you chose the right recipe.
For a recipe to be successful four things have to happen.
1-The recipe had flavors or ingredients your family likes.
2- You deemed the recipe easy or manageable in the time you have to fix family dinner.
3- You planned enough to get the ingredients and make it on a night you had enough time.
4- You actually cooked the recipe.
Through your phone you have access to millions of recipes. If all you needed was more recipes to make weeknight dinner work in your home, no one would struggle with dinners. The reality is you need the right kind of recipes with the right flavors and ingredients for your family. No two families are alike. Choosing recipes for your situation and food preferences is key.
For full show notes and transcript click here.
I love feeding my family. It is one of the most important “jobs” I do as a wife and a mother, but that does not mean that it is always easy. It can be really hard. With families having more time at home and groceries are harder to get, there are new challenges. All the mini micro calculations that we make to feed our families are compounded and can feel very heavy.
You are not alone. Everyone is having to adjust a little (or a lot.) I believe that things are a little easier to bear when you can name what is hard. I hope this podcast gives you encouragement and hope.
For full show notes click here.
Do you love ALDI? Are you nervous to shop at ALDI? Marie talks about all the things she loves about ALDI. What do you need to know before you shop at ALDI? What do you want to avoid when shopping at ALDI? It’s ALDI 101. All the basics for shopping at ALDI.
-Bring a quarter
-Bring grocery bags, but if you forget, grab a box in the store or buy a couple of paper bags at the checkout for 7 cents each. (You will save so much that it is okay to buy a few bags.)
-ALDI has the best prices on conventional produce and good prices on organic produce.
-All house brand items are free of synthetic food dye.
-If you try an item and do not like it, they will replace the item and refund your money with a receipt, so don’t be afraid to try new items.
-Watch out for “Special Buy” or “Seasonal” items. If you find a product you like, go back right away and stock up because it may not be back again for a year.
-Non-food “Special Buy” items are okay, but you may do better to purchase those at other retailers. It’s like going to Target, you can go home with more than your list if you are not careful.
For full show notes click here.
This year is like no other and most of us have had to adapt and change. I count myself as lucky because my twins are in school full time and my high schoolers are in school part time. It is better for them to be in school, but it means that I have kids coming in and out of the house several times a day.
The constant interruptions mean I have fewer large blocks of time to work. I have to fit all of my home and work tasks into nooks and crannies in my day.
Are you experiencing the same thing?
When interruptions come and I have to readjust my plans for the day I feel like it is shuffling a deck of cards. Each card is a task that I want or need to accomplish and I am constantly moving the cards to fit in little spaces of the day. This takes a lot of brain space.
I have three tips to help you when you don’t have large blocks of time to fix meals.
Full show notes and a transcript can be found here.
It is an extra-busy time of year and when life gets hectic it is easy to neglect taking care of ourselves. During December I have to be careful to make sure I am getting enough sleep and exercise and I have to make a special effort to make sure I feed myself well.
Feed Your Family Tonight is all about taking care of our families, but we have to take care of ourselves first. It is like the airplane oxygen warning. You need to put the oxygen on yourself before you put it on your children. For me that means I am making sure I have nutritious food for my lunches.
I often make several extra portions of dinner for my husband and kids to eat for lunch and I am left eating a random cheese stick and a handful of cheez it crackers. Taking care of myself means making food just for me to eat for lunch.
For full show notes and links for this episode click here.
This year I am wanting to bring back the fruit basket. Growing up there would be big displays of fruit baskets in the grocery store. Pretty boxes were stacked with bright and shiny red and green apples, perfect oranges, pears, and pineapple. There was often a box of Russel Stovers chocolates and a bag of nuts in the shell. It was all wrapped up in cellophane with a bow. The fruit baskets always looked so pretty and inviting. I haven’t seen fruit baskets in the grocery store for years. Somehow, they have fallen out of fashion. I’m here to bring them back. It is such a lovely and practical gift. It is paleo, vegan, gluten-free which makes it good for almost any special dietary need or allergy.
For full show notes and transcription click here.
Years ago, Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365 talked about how she would do a big shopping trip in early December to stock up on basic items. I thought it was brilliant. I have been doing this for years and it has been a huge part of getting organized for the holidays. I have taken it one step further and now like to do a big shopping trip once a quarter.
You want to set a time to do this shopping trip. I highly recommend doing it on a weekday morning or a Sunday morning if you need to do it on the weekend. Put it on your calendar and honor that appointment with yourself.
There are two pieces to the pre-holiday shopping for basics. The first is “basic” items that include paper products, cleaning products, personal care items, and over the counter medicines and vitamins. The second is basic food items.
You can find full show notes and transcript here.
Are you ready for Christmas? 2020 has been a doozy and many of us are ready for Christmas to come and bring a little joy. I am right there with you. I want to have a calm and joyful Christmas without any of the stress that often comes with the holidays.
- Start with your budget. The last thing you want is to have spending regrets in January. When life is stressful, we often look for ways to numb and it is easy to overspend. Set your budget and stick with it.
- Get a binder. Keep all your holiday planning in a binder. You can use the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide to start your binder. Keep all your ideas and receipts in one place.
- Ask your family which holiday activities are most important. Put those things on your calendar. Schedule times for family fun and shopping too.
- If you are sending Christmas cards, get your list ready before you order. Find a place in your home to hold the Christmas cards you receive.
- Set up a Gift-Wrapping station. This can be a box of supplies or it can be a spare room in your home.
- Think about your decorations. Buy the new pieces you want to add this year.
- Consider your holiday donations. Choose your budget and the organizations to receive donations before the requests come in the mail.
- Listen to Episode 106 for information on gift giving.
Wishing you a calm and joyful holiday season. Check out the Holiday Planning Guide to help get all the ideas out of your head and onto paper.
For full show notes an transcript click here.
I love presents. If you are familiar with the Five Love Languages, my love language is gifts. That doesn’t mean I expect or need expensive things, it means that I really appreciate thoughtfulness like when my husband surprises me with dish gloves from the dollar store.
As the holidays approach, gift giving can be overwhelming. In my house I have four teenagers and grandparents, aunts and uncles are all coming to me for gift ideas. I have tried lots of ways to keep track of gifts and gift suggestions. The best way I have found is to get everything out of my head and onto paper.
For more information and full show notes click here.
Many of us will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year. For some, it will be their first time cooking Thanksgiving and for most, the gatherings will be smaller than in the past. Today’s episode goes into the basics of planning and executing Thanksgiving dinner.
In the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide there is a “Thanksgiving 101” guide. If this is your first time cooking Thanksgiving, this guide will help you avoid rookie mistakes like not allowing enough time for the turkey to thaw or not planning out what times each dish will go in the oven on Thanksgiving Day.
You can find full show notes here.
We are heading into the holidays and life tends to get really busy. It is easy to get overwhelmed. One way to alleviate the overwhelm is to be very intentional about our choices. This means saying no to things that are “good” in order to have time and space for things that are most important.
But what is most important? How do you decide what to focus on first? I have been thinking about this a lot lately and my musings led me to ask “what is your why?” Why are you doing the activities you are choosing? Why am I even here at Feed Your Family Tonight?
When you can think about why, you will be able to put your choices into perspective. It will be easier to say yes to the most important things and no to things that are good, but less important to you.
At Feed Your Family Tonight, I am here to help people improve their lives through food, but more importantly I am here to help build strong families who spend time together at the dinner table. I want my recipes to be simple and approachable. I use my videos to share food knowledge so you can be a better cook. The website is a catalog for you to reference and share recipes and podcast episode. The podcast is designed to inspire and encourage you, to know that you are enough and that feeding your family does not have to be Pinterest perfect.
“When you examine your why… it gives you permission to say yes to the things that are the most important to you and no to the things that are good, but not necessarily as important.”
For full show notes click here.
For the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide click here.
Are you thinking about the holidays? It has been a crazy year. Do you think it is too early to talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas? As soon as Halloween is over, retailers will promptly clear out all the Halloween candy and costumes and replace it with all things Christmas. You can respond with an eye roll, a bit of panic, or embrace it.
This year I am choosing to embrace it. In the past week I have had two friends talk about how organized I am, but the truth is I’m not that organized. I have just learned that if I don’t get things out of my head and onto paper I will get completely overwhelmed and will start dropping balls.
There are hundreds of decisions we have to make when it comes to creating a “Holiday experience.” Are we sending Christmas cards, who is hosting Thanksgiving, are we going to make any donations, what is the best present to buy Aunt Bertha? If we keep all these ideas in our head it takes up a lot of brain space. By putting it all on paper, we can free up the brain space, plan a little ahead, and make intentional decisions about how we will spend our time and money during the holidays.
Imagine it’s the week before Christmas and you are sitting in your decorated home with dinner in the oven. All your presents have been purchased and wrapped and you are spending time with your family or just enjoying a quiet moment of peace. That is my ideal and is why I created the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide. It walks you through all the hundreds of decisions you have to make about the holidays. You can plan your shopping so you aren’t making multiple trips to the same store. You can save money on shipping by shopping early too.
For more information on the Holiday Planning Guide click here.
For full show notes click here.
Halloween is likely to look different this year. My local community is not doing trick or treating which makes me really sad because my twins are 13 and this likely would have been their last year trick or treating.
2020 is a year my kids will remember and I am working hard as a mom to create good memories in the midst of disappointment. Our family has many Halloween traditions. Some of them we will keep and some we will skip this year.
We plan to have our traditional chili and chicken noodle soup dinner. (Odd considering episode 101, but it is our reality.) We will also decorate and share pumpkin cookies.
We are considering having an “Easter Egg” hunt with Halloween candy or a scavenger hunt with clues leading from place to place in the house and yard.
A big part of Halloween is connecting with your neighbors. Here are a few ideas to build community.
-Show an outdoor movie
-Do a “Ghost Hunt” where neighbors put paper cutouts of ghosts in their windows so kids can walk by and look for the hiding ghosts.
-Do a pumpkin carving contest on your block. Drop off a flyer and 2 flags at each home on your block. Families can “vote” on their favorite carved pumpkin by putting a flag in the yard of their favorite pumpkin.
Create new memories by trying to make some of your favorite Halloween Candy. I have not tested these recipes, but it could be a fun activity to do with your kids.
You can find links and full show notes here.
As much as it pains me to admit, my family does not prefer soup. There, I said it. I really wish they loved soup as much as I do. One of my daughters is a big fan of soup, but the rest of my family would never choose it.
In Episode 75, The Emotional Burden of Feeding Your Family, I told the story of how I carefully served my husband the best part of a vegetable beef soup and he rejected it. As much as I want to have a family of soup lovers, I don’t. That means I have had to create some strategies to make soup a little more palatable for my picky family.
For full show notes, click here.
Thank you listeners for joining me for 100 episodes! Today I want to reflect back a little and offer my sincere thanks to you the listener.
For many years I dreamt of hosting a podcast. Long before Feed Your Family Tonight existed I thought of hosting a show someday. Now, 100 episodes in, I am filled with joy. None of this would be possible if you were not tuning in and for that, I am so thankful. This audience is full of busy parents, singles, and couples, but we are all here to learn a little about food and getting dinner on the table even when life is crazy.
The most downloaded solo episode is #68 ALDI 101. It seems many of you are as big of fans as I am. Even with 7 grocery stores within a few minutes of my house, I still do most of my shopping at ALDI.
Many of you joined along the journey to episode 100. You may have missed my few episodes which lay out the Feed Your Family Tonight PSA for weeknight dinner success.
Episode 2 "P" Plan and Prep
Episode 3 "S" Set a Dinner Bell
Episode 4 "A" Always have a backup
You can get the free weekly meal planning sheet here.
As a thank you to the dedicated listeners I am doing a giveaway. It will run from October 2 to October 10, 2020. The winner will be announced in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group on October 11, 2020.
I am giving away a package of my favorite kitchen gadgets. Full details for the giveaway and show notes can be found here.
I first learned about deep dive shopping from Lisa Woodruff at Organize365. She recommends doing a big shopping trip at the beginning of December to buy enough staples to get you to January. I have found that doing a deep shopping trip 2-3 times a year can really save me time and help with meal planning all year long.
Stock up on paper products (like toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins.) Get all your cleaning supplies like hand soap, laundry soap, dishwasher soap, and bleach. Stock up on personal care items like shampoo, deodorant, and makeup. This will make your future grocery trips smaller and faster. You will only need to buy perishable items like fresh fruit, veggies, and meats.
By doing a deep dive shopping trip, you will help yourself meal plan. With a well-stocked freezer and pantry, it is easier to decide what is for dinner. You make meals around the ingredients you have on hand. It helps with decision fatigue because you have fewer choices. One ingredient can be used many ways. For example, I use frozen mixed veggies in pot pie, tater tot casserole, soup, and fried rice. One simple ingredient has many uses and helps me narrow my decisions.
Full notes can be found here.
Lemons are so versatile. They can make the most basic foods taste extraordinary. They are not unlike salt. Kendra Adachi says salt makes things taste more like themselves and a little lemon juice used correctly can do the same thing. Acid is one of the most under utilized elements in American cooking. A little squeeze of lemon juice can transform a dish. If you haven’t read Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat I highly recommend getting a copy. You will learn so much about the chemistry of food and it will make you a better cook.
Years ago, I read and interview and the reporter asked the person what was one thing they always had in their refrigerator. This question has stuck with me and if I was ever asked, my answer would be lemons. I always have lemons in my refrigerator. Every night before I go to bed, I squeeze ½ of a lemon in a mason jar and fill it with water. I drink some of the lemon water at bedtime and the rest in the morning. I have been known to bring a lemon with me on airplanes to ensure I don’t have to go a day without my lemon water.
You can find full show notes and links at: https://feedyourfamilytonight.com/episode-98-for-the-love-of-lemons/
We just had an early cold snap in Kansas and it got me in the mood to organize. (This is a very rare occurrence and I try to capitalize on the moment.) As we transition from summer to fall it is a good time to tidy a few things in our meal plans and kitchen.
Take a look at your pantry and freezer. Are there items you purchased and then found out you don’t like them? Donate, share or toss those items. Every time you see them, they nag you and occupy brain space. Now is the time to get them out of your home. You can donate them or share with a friend. It is even okay to toss them.
Is there food you need to eat up before the weather changes for good? As we transition to fall, it is a good idea to think about “summer” foods and “fall” foods. Our family moves from grilling to meals in the oven or slow cooker. I have been known to grill in December but if you have summer foods, now is the time to eat them.
Pull out you Master Meal Planning Sheet. If you don’t have one, get your free copy here. Add any new recipes that worked well this summer and look at the recipes you haven’t made in a while. You may even want to break out a cookbook or two and talk with your family about things they want to try this fall. My sister in law did this last year with my cookbook. She went recipe by recipe and asked her kids which ones they were willing to try. Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner and From Freezer to Cooker both have lots of great ideas for family meals too.
Join me for a free live Fall Meal Plan training. It will be on Friday, September 18 at 10:00 AM Central in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group. You can get the free printable worksheet packet here. You can also upgrade to a VIP pass. VIP participants will be live with me on the call and then will have additional time for Q&A. We will share ideas and get started on our Fall Meal Plan.
You can find full show notes here.
Back to school time is especially exciting this year after six months at home. We have had a six-month rest. Everything has had a slower pace and I know my family got used to this pace. Going back to school means adding stress. It may be good stress, but it is stress. That means our energy and our kids’ energy is going to be in short supply for a few weeks as we make the transition of back to school.
I encourage you to take your energy into consideration these next few weeks when planning dinner. Keep it as simple as you can. Try your best to serve familiar foods. Now is not the time to try and get your kids to expand their pallets.
Your kids will likely be extra-tired. You may want to consider moving up dinnertime so they can get to bed earlier. I am considering swapping after school snack and dinner. If I serve dinner right after school and my kids end up going to bed super early it is not a big deal. I know they will need the extra rest so their brains can manage all the transitions.
Be kind to yourself and schedule some breaks from cooking. This can come in many forms. You can serve hot dogs or frozen meal kits like Trader Joes Orange Chicken. You can use paper plates, or get take out. My mother is having us over once a week and that gives me a break from cooking. I predict there will be lots of families ordering pizza this weekend. That’s okay! Plan for it!
It is important as a parent to conserve your energy too. Rather than putting lots of effort into making elaborate meals, go simple so you can have the time to focus on your children. They need you during this time of transition and you want to be able to give them all the time they need as they go back to school this year.
Full show notes and a link to a transcript can be found here.
No matter what school looked like last year, it will be a little different this year. All of us are having to face changes this year and that may affect how we feed our kids lunch. Kendra Adachi would say to embrace the season. Things will look different which means we may have to change our thinking and adapt to our new circumstances.
This week’s podcast talks about several different scenarios for lunch including schools requiring fully disposable lunches, packing lunches to go, and eating lunch at home.
You can find full show notes and links here.
School may look weird this year for many of us, but many of our kids still have activities. I know that our family still needs to get out of the house and that often means packing snacks.
There are five basic snack categories:
Fruit
Veggies
Meaty/Higher Protein
Salty
Sweet
Full Show notes and links can be found here.
Kendra Adachi is The Lazy Genius. Her new book, The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done, came out this week and it was a treat to talk with her. One of the things I like most about Kendra’s approach is that you can choose what matters to you. We all have different things that are important, and it is okay if your ideals are different than your best friend, an influencer on Instagram, or anyone else. Once you know what is important to you it is easier to say yes to things that matter and no to things that don’t.
Our conversation was full of great tips to help you manage dinner and how to use her “magic question” to help you do something now to make life easier later. You will also hear us sing the praises of salt and talk about her infamous Change Your Life Chicken. It is an episode you won’t want to miss.
You can find full show notes here.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients you can buy. They are inexpensive and can be used many ways. They are a great way to stretch a protein like in my Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes.
There are 3 main types of potatoes.
Russets- “Starchy” potatoes that cook up fluffy when baked. They are the most common type of potato and are great for baking.
Yukon Gold- Less starchy, but not as “waxy” as new potatoes. They are golden on the inside and have a thin skin. I like them for deep fried French fries and smashed potatoes.
New Potatoes- Also called red potatoes. They are a “waxy” potato that hold their shape when cooked. They are great for potato salad or “steam fried” like my Frozen Veggies You Actually Want to Eat.
Then there are Sweet Potatoes (Which aren’t really potatoes, but they still count in my house.)
Full show notes can be found here.
It is July in Kansas and that means an abundance of summer produce. I haven’t had a garden in several years, but I still have access to lots of fresh tomatoes, zucchini and other summer produce either from friends or farmer’s markets.
This week’s podcast is for the people who use recipes as suggestions. I hope to give you lots of ideas to spark your creativity and get you thinking about how you can use summer veggies.
Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Fresh Herbs are all on the list. You can see full show notes here.
Earlier this year I did an episode on the emotional burden of feeding your family. This podcast was recorded in July of 2020 and we are still dealing with a global pandemic. As school time approaches our brains are using a lot of energy to prepare for a unique school year. This means many of us have less energy for dinner.
I’m here to encourage you that it is okay to have a season of boring meals. We all have seasons where we go into survival mode and may not be very creative in the kitchen. It takes a lot more work to make a new recipe.
You can find full show notes at https://feedyourfamilytonight.com/episode-90-its-okay-to-be-boring/
Have you ever had a dinner disaster? It happens to all of us. There are three main ways dinner can fall apart and I have some suggestions to help you rescue a dinner disaster.
1-You start fixing dinner but don't have an ingredient or forgot to thaw the meat.
2-You make dinner and your family refuses to eat it.
3- Dinner is a major disaster. You burnt it, over salted it, or added too much spice.
Full show notes and links can be found here: https://feedyourfamilytonight.com/episode-89-when-dinner-flops/
I live in Kansas. It is July, and it is HOT! The weatherman says parts of Kansas could reach 108-110 this week and I just want to melt into the couch with a good book and cold glass of Lemon Ginger Water.
This week’s episode offers lots of ideas to keep things cool in the kitchen.
- Don’t eat hot food
- Cook in the morning when it is not as hot.
- Use kitchen appliances
- Rotisserie Chicken
- The Grill
You can find full show notes and links here.
Picnics are one thing we can still do this summer. They take a little work and a little planning, but it can be a nice change of pace. There are lots of ways to have a picnic. In this episode Marie talks about some of the gear you will need and some easy ways to manage the menu.
Where are you going to picnic? What is available at the picnic site?
Full show notes and links from this episode can be found here.
This Summer feels weird and to be honest, I’m kind of over it. If you don’t feel like spending time in the kitchen you are not alone. This podcast is full of simple dinner ideas to inspire you for the summer.
Grocery Store Shortcuts
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot
Tex Mex
All the Chicken
Garden Bounty
Join me in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook Group
Full show notes can be found here.
This summer is weird. Almost all our regular summer activities have been cancelled. My children have turned into complete night owls staying up late and sleeping in even later. No one is eating breakfast at the same time. Make-ahead breakfasts have been key to keeping my family fed.
Here are some of my favorite make-ahead breakfast ideas and recipes. I hope they can give you some inspiration.
Links to all the recipes can be found here.
I wear aprons almost every day. I have been caught with my apron still on when I pick up my kids from school. Aprons are and essential piece of kitchen equipment. It’s not something I just wear on TV. I wear them all the time at home.
Aprons keep you from getting your clothes messy, but for me, it is more than that. It is a mental signal that “I’m here to get something done.” When I put on my apron it means it’s time to get my hands dirty. Sometimes that is in the kitchen, sometimes it is cleaning my house. It is my “uniform” for getting things done at home.
You can find the full show notes and links to my favorite apron style here.
The dinner table is a place where you can impart values and teach your children. From a very young age you can begin to layer bits and pieces of your values and beliefs according to the age of your children. As they get older you can go deeper into harder topics. My kids are 12-17 and we are to the point where we talk about hard topics like pornography, politics, racism, religion, internet safety and so much more. We didn’t start with the tough topics, but over the years we have built up trust and are now able to have open conversations with our children.
Full show notes can be found here.
When was the last time you cleaned your oven? It had been 2 years since I had cleaned mine. Now before you roll your eyes and call me a slob, know that I had some reasons for delaying the chore.
Cleaning ovens is dirty business. Most effective methods cause fumes and you have to weigh the possibility of causing damage to your oven.
For full show notes and cleaning instructions click here.
One of my favorite tips for helping busy families with dinner is to cook proteins for re-purposing. I’m not talking about spending several hours on the weekend prepping all your meals for the week. This is much simpler than that. It is just making a little extra to have later in the week, or to put in the freezer.
I have found that having the protein pre-cooked makes cooking dinner fast and easy. It is the “Cook Once, Eat Twice” idea taken to the next level.
Full show notes can be found here.
Finding your best place to buy groceries means you have to decide what is most important to you. Is it prices, convenience, safety, freshness or something else? Your values may change in different seasons of your life. What is most important is that you decide what you value now, decide where to shop based on that value and then stop second guessing yourself.
We make thousands of micro decisions each week and the more we can “batch” our decisions, the more brain space we create. You can decide where to shop each week, or decide where to shop for a season of life. Just free yourself from all the second guessing once you have made your decision.
Links for this episode can be found here:
Have your kids been begging for more snacks now that you are home ALL THE TIME?
This episode has lots of ideas and suggestions for how to handle snacks in your home. My hope is that you will find a nugget or two to try in your home.
Full show notes can be found here.
Stacie Billis a cookbook author, creator of the blog, One Hungry Mama and cohost of the Didn’t I just Feed You?! Podcast. Her new book, Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner 50 Wining Ways to Cook It Up! is full of great recipes for America’s favorite protein.
Marie and Stacie chat all things chicken from avoiding salmonella and the importance of using sharp knives to why it’s okay to make simpler versions of classic ethnic foods.
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner 50 Wining Ways to Cook It Up! is a beautiful book full of bright pictures and approachable recipes. You can get your copy here.
Click here for full show notes.
With most of us sheltering in place, we have all been spending lots more time at home. That means cooking more and eating more meals together as a family.
It isn’t like having the kids home for summer because they have activities and we are leaving the house running errands and going places. Everything is so much more compressed. Three meals a day, seven days a week with all our people is not normal for most families and it can get overwhelming.
What can you do to ease the burden?
-Think about breakfast and lunch. Make large batches of preferred foods at the beginning of the week. I like to make pancakes or turkey sausage.
-Make some compromises. My son eats a Jimmy Dean Blueberry Muffin on a Stick for breakfast. I’m sure I cannot pronounce half of the ingredients, but it keeps the peace and is worth the compromise.
-If you have the means it may be easier to increase your food budget during this time. Buying a few convenience foods can ease the cooking burden.
-If you are comfortable and have the budget to do takeout, put it on the meal plan at the end of the week so you have something to look forward to.
-Do a meal swap with a friend, family member or neighbor. Make a double batch and swap so you can each have one night without cooking.
-Make a “treat meal.” Cook a dinner that you know everyone will love. It is much easier to cook when you know everyone likes dinner. We made homemade pizza and each person chose their own toppings.
-Snack plates can be dinner. Put salami or ham and cheese with fruit and crackers on a platter or board and call it dinner. Bonus if you make it a picnic and eat outside.
-Sandwiches make a great dinner. I like these at the beginning of the grocery week because lunch meat doesn’t last long in the refrigerator. It is a great meal to have on grocery day because it is quick and easy.
-Cook a large amount of a protein at the beginning of the week and repurpose it throughout the week. Grilled chicken breasts can be used in paninis, quesadillas and salads all week long. Make a large pot of beans for soups and salads all week long.
-Buy some pre-made convenience foods like frozen pot stickers or frozen lasagna to pull out when you don’t want to cook.
Let’s Talk About Dishes
I have noticed that most people are getting overwhelmed with all the dishes. This goes for families and singles. We are home all the time and there are more dishes than ever.
-Last year when I was making changes in our home to give me more time to work, I made the decision that I would not do dishes until my kids got home from school. The breakfast and lunch dishes piled up and I did them when my kids were in the kitchen getting an after-school snack. I have kept this going even though my kids are home. I find that I quickly get sucked into cleaning and will loose an hour or more if I start working on the dishes. I wait until it is time to start dinner, clean up the kitchen and run the dishwasher while I get dinner ready.
-After dinner I make a list of 4 jobs I need done and each child chooses one chore for the evening. It gives them variety and me a little break.
-Empty Dishwasher
-Load Dishwasher
-Handwash pots and pans
-Take out trash
-Take out Compost and recycling
-Wipe counters and sweep
-Years ago, I bought 6 colored coasters. Each person in the family has their own coaster on the table. They get a glass of water at the beginning of the day and keep it on their coaster all day. This means I only have 6 glasses to wash at the end of the day.
-I re-use cutting boards throughout the day for cutting fruit and vegetables.
-I re-uses skillets for making quesadillas for breakfast or lunch without washing each time.
-Line baking sheets with parchment paper. You don’t have to wash the baking sheets and can just toss the parchment paper.
-Have one meal a week that is served on paper plates.
-If you have a container with ingredients for dinner (think chopped carrots for soup) Use the container for the leftovers without washing.
You can find links and full show notes here.
You may have been using grocery pickup for a long time, or maybe you just started recently because of social distancing. If you have never used it but were always wondering how it works, then this podcast is for you.
Marie outlines four of the major grocery delivery services in Wichita, Kansas. Many of these are available nationwide. If you have other services in your area, please tell us about them in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group. We would also love to hear how well these services are working in your area.
Full show notes can be found here.
This podcast is a little different. I chose to be raw and real. Times are so different and all of us are experiencing the change in different ways.
I love feeding my family. It is one of the most important “jobs” I do as a wife and a mother, but that does not mean that it is always easy. It can be really hard. With families having more time at home and groceries are harder to get, there are new challenges. All the mini micro calculations that we make to feed our families are compounded and can feel very heavy.
You are not alone. Everyone is having to adjust a little (or a lot.) I believe that things are a little easier to bear when you can name what is hard. I hope this podcast gives you encouragement and hope.
I would love to connect with you in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook Group, or follow me on Instagram @MarieFiebach.
Links From this Episode can be found here:
How do you thaw chicken? How do I freeze chicken? What do I have to do to keep from getting foodborne illness? Marie answers these questions and much more.
I use a lot of frozen chicken. I like to buy it on sale and freeze it for quick and easy meals. When you want to freeze chicken there are a few things to keep in mind.
1-Take it out of the grocery store packaging. It is hard to thaw in the Styrofoam packaging from the store.
2- Make it into individual or meal-size portions for your family. You don’t want to thaw an entire block of chicken when you only need one breast.
3- You may want to cut it in cubes or butterfly it for easy use in recipes later.
4- Wrap it and freeze it flat on a cookie sheet and then transfer to a bag or container once it is solid.
There are three ways to safely thaw frozen chicken. I use all of these methods frequently depending on the day.
- (The best way in my opinion.) Place in a container in the refrigerator and thaw overnight. I use a Tupperware or a glass pyrex baking dish. If you can put a lid on the container that is even better.
- Thaw for 3-4 hours in cool water changing the water every 30 minutes.
- Thaw in the microwave. (It is important to cook it immediately after thawing so it does not spend too much time in the danger zone of 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit where bacteria grow quickly.)
Links from this episode can be found here.
When I first found out that my children would not be in school the rest of the year, I decided that my goal for this time was to make memories. One way we are making memories in our home is to do “Project Cooking.” These are recipes that take a little extra time and are labor intensive. Last week we made donuts. Today we are making stuffed grape leaves.
Years ago, my husband and I went to a community dinner at a Lebanese Orthodox Cathedral near our home. My husband instantly fell in love with their ethnic foods and asked me to learn how to make them at home. It took years of learning recipes and getting tips from my friends to make excellent Lebanese food. One of our favorite dishes is stuffed grape leaves. Rolling a filling of beef and rice into hundreds of small grape leaves takes a lot of time, but my girls and I enjoy making them.
Do you have family recipes that you want to pass down to your children, or are there ethnic cuisines that you like but have never attempted to make at home? Now may be a good time to make these recipes with your children. You will be building memories that will last. I want my kids to look back on this time and remember the special moments we had working together in the kitchen.
Links from this episode can be found here.
Bread in its most simple form is Flour, Water, Salt and Yeast. There are many ways to change the ratios of the ingredients and add other ingredients to change the outcome.
Growing up my mother made bread frequently and I learned from a young age that bread is very forgiving. Many recipes will have you measure precisely to the gram and if you follow those recipes you will end up with amazing bread. But you can make delicious bread without all the stress of precision.
Flour- I like to use white whole wheat flour and add vital wheat gluten to help improve the texture of the bread.
Water- You can use water or milk. Some recipes add eggs and/or fat making them enriched doughs. My Food Processor Bread Dough adds eggs and fat.
Yeast- There are two common types of yeast. Active Dry Yeast and Instant (or Rapid Rise) yeast. I like to buy yeast in bulk and keep it in the freezer. If a recipe calls for 1 packet of yeast, that is 2 ¼ teaspoons of bulk yeast. Active Dry yeast requires the step of “blooming.” You sprinkle the yeast over warm water or milk to activate the yeast. It will start to foam and bubble. Instant yeast lets you skip this step and you mix it with the other dry ingredients.
Salt- It is best to add the salt just before kneading the dough. You want to let the flour hydrate and the yeast to activate for at least 5 minutes before adding the salt. This is called autolyse.
One of my favorite ways to make bread is to mix and shape it at night, let it rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight and bake it in the morning. This works well with cinnamon rolls and monkey bread.
Full show notes here.
Food Processor Bread Dough
Fast Soft Pretzels
Pizza Dough (From Pizza Nerds Podcast)
When I started to work on this podcast, I thought it would be simple to say "wash your produce." As it turns out, things are not as simple as they seem.
The FDA has 7 Recommendations for washing produce and none of them include soap or vegetable wash. They do recommend using a vegetable brush
Digging deeper into more produce washing recommendations I found 3 other ways to wash produce.
1- Vinegar and Water in equal parts.
2- Baking Soda and Water (Use 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda to 1 Cup Water.)
3- Hydrogen Peroxide and Water (Use Equal parts 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and Water.)
It is also recommended to not soak your produce directly in the sink. It is better to use a bowl and lift the produce out of the bowl so dirt and debris remain in the bottom. I find a salad spinner is the best thing for soaking produce. You can just lift out the basket and pour out the water and dirt.
The bottom line is that it is important to wash your produce and if it is firm produce use a brush to scrub it.
Follow for episode show notes and links.
Episode 71
It is almost officially Spring and I have been getting the itch to clean out my freezer and pantry. Last week I cleaned out my freezer and this week I cleaned out my kitchen cabinets. I moved my coffee to the cabinet directly above my coffee pot. (Why have I not done this? I have been in this house 17 years!)
When cleaning out freezers and cabinets follow these steps.
1-Take everything out.
2-Wipe down all shelving.
3-Toss any food that has gone bad.
4-Donate any food you no longer prefer, but is not expired.
5-Combine “like items.”
6-Return items to the shelves and keep “like items” together.
I like to use containers and bins to group “like items.” I find that if an item has a place to call “home” it is much easier to put that item away and to keep random items from floating around the house looking for a home.
Links from this episode:
Free Master Meal Planning Sheet download
Last year’s Spring-Cleaning Episode
Everyone has days where their plans change. Life happens, but it doesn’t have to derail you. Have a backup. Marie defines a backup as a meal you can get on the table in 20 minutes or less with ingredients you have in your house at all times.
Bean and Cheese Quesadillas are one of my favorite backup meals. They come together quickly with pantry staples. Other great backup meals include Chicken Noodle Soup and Breakfast for dinner.
Links from this episode:
Weekly Meal Planning Sheet: FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/plan
Meal Planning Notebook
Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
French Dip Sandwiches
Instant Pot Lemony Chicken
ALDI 101
Do you love ALDI? Are you nervous to shop at ALDI? Marie talks about all the things she loves about ALDI. What do you need to know before you shop at ALDI? What do you want to avoid when shopping at ALDI? It’s ALDI 101. All the basics for shopping at ALDI.
Full show notes can be found at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com.
-Bring a quarter
-Bring grocery bags, but if you forget, grab a box in the store or buy a couple of paper bags at the checkout for 7 cents each. (You will save so much that it is okay to buy a few bags.)
-ALDI has the best prices on conventional produce and good prices on organic produce.
-All house brand items are free of synthetic food dye.
-If you try an item and do not like it, they will replace the item and refund your money with a receipt, so don’t be afraid to try new items.
-Watch out for “Special Buy” or “Seasonal” items. If you find a product you like, go back right away and stock up because it may not be back again for a year.
-Non-food “Special Buy” items are okay, but you may do better to purchase those at other retailers. It’s like going to Target, you can go home with more than your list if you are not careful.
-Best buys in the store:
Frozen Berries
Conventional Produce
Apples
Cheeses
Charcuterie Meats
Dairy like milk, butter, and yogurt
Almond Milk
Frozen Ground Turkey
-Watch Prices Carefully
Cooking Oils (Coconut, Olive, Avocado)
Organic Produce
Paper Products
Health Items
-Pack your groceries according to where they go in your home.
Refrigerator
Pantry
Deep freeze
Snack Cabinet
-Pack your grocery bags “Square.”
Two of my four kids really need to eat a hearty breakfast in the morning. My husband is a big fan of a hearty breakfast too. Making breakfast sandwiches and freezing them for busy mornings is one of my favorite ways to feed my family. I like to make big batches of sandwiches, wrap each sandwich in parchment paper and put them in the freezer.
My favorite breakfast sandwich is a Spinach Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich. I bake eggs and spinach into a casserole, cut the casserole in squares and place it on a toasted English muffin with pesto and cheese. Once the sandwiches are assembled, I wrap them in parchment paper.
Tips for success:
-Toast your English muffins or bagels under the broiler
-Let cooked fillings come to room temperature before wrapping and freezing sandwiches
-Use pre-cut sheets of parchment paper to individually wrap the sandwiches (you can find a huge box of pre-cut parchment here)
-Re-heat the sandwiches at 50% power in the microwave. Mine takes 3 minutes.
Recipes and links from this episode. (May contain affiliate links)
Spinach Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches
Turkey Sausage
Breakfast Casserole
Spinach and Hash Brown Breakfast Bake
500 pre-cut parchment sheets (affiliate link)
There are two basic ways to make Beef Soup. One is to start with meat and broth, the other is to start with meaty bones and make your own broth. Both have a place. The first type can be a Manic Mom Meal on the table in under 30 minutes. The second takes hours but most of the work is “hands off” and isn’t hard to make.
Max’s Favorite Soup is a perfect example of a quick and easy beef soup. Beef broth, browned hamburger, and worcestershire sauce build the flavor. You can add any veggies you prefer. It is a good idea to stagger adding the veggies to the soup. Start with the heartier root vegetables and potatoes and let them start cooking before you add the quick-cooking veggies like corn and green beans.
One thing that is missing from this simple soup is the velvety mouth feel that comes from gelatin. When you make broth from bones, the collagen and gelatin present in the bones give the broth body and texture. To mimic this texture, you can add a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin.
It is important to brown the hamburger or chopped meat well. The browning adds flavor to the soup.
The second type of beef soup is roasted bone beef soup. I start with meaty soup bones and season them well with salt and pepper. I roast the bones on high heat for about an hour until the meat is deep brown and the bones are turning golden. You can do this in a Dutch oven or on a rimmed baking sheet.
Once the bones are roasted, I simmer the bones in water with a bay leaf, onion, garlic and other veggies for 3-4 hours. You can do this in the oven or on the stove. I find the oven much easier, but if you don’t have an oven-safe pot with a lid, the stove works fine.
After the broth has simmered, remove the bones, meat, and discard the vegetables. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into pieces before returning to the pot.
If you are adding noodles, rice, or another starch to the soup, I recommend cooking it first so the starch does not soak up all the velvety broth.
If you have questions about Beef Soup, please feel free to email Marie@mariefiebach.com or join me in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook Group.
Super Bowl parties are all about the food and the commercials. Growing up I have lots of fun memories about Super Bowl foods, especially the blue and orange snowballs my aunt Rose sent me for the 1986 Denver Broncos.
My father loves appetizers and will spend weeks looking up new recipes to try on Super Bowl Sunday. This year I will be bringing Bacon Wrapped Apricots.
Here are some of the Feed Your Family Tonight recipes that would be great for your Super Bowl party.
BBQ Beef for Kansas City BBQ
Bacon Wrapped Apricots
Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes
Cheese Crackers
Chili
Creamy Lemony Hummus
French Dip Sandwiches
Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
Puppy Chow
Ultimate Chicken Nachos
Weeknight Brownies
Most families are just looking for easy meals to serve on busy weeknights. Feed Your Family Tonight is announcing "Manic Mom Meals." These are recipes that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can find them on the website.
In 2020 Marie is going to be adding more meals that are quick and easy to help you feed your family.
It was joy to talk with Rachel Tiemeyer of Thriving Home. Rachel and her friend and business partner, Polly, have a new cookbook. From Freezer to Cooker is a very unique cookbook full of recipes that can be made in the slow cooker or the instant pot with freezing directions for each recipe. We take a deep dive into instant pots, slow cooker safety and how to make delicious food.
Freezer cooking can be a great way to have backup meals or quick dinners for your busy family. Using a few of their techniques can really improve the quality of your finished product.
Rachel has a free download for our listeners including her Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart. It is a great resource for beginner and experienced Instant Pot users so be sure to get your free copy here.
For other links in this episode click here.
It is the time of year that many of us want to purge and clean out our homes. I have done some purging and it got me thinking about the things I really need. I went through my kitchen and thought about the very basic items necessary to have a functioning kitchen.
You can find the list with links to my essential kitchen items here.
Cooking multiple batches of food and freezing them for later use is a key tool to weeknight dinner success. There are many ways to do it. Most Pinterest recipes are for casseroles which my family does not prefer.
You can find the full show notes here.
This interview with The Dinner Sisters, Kate Schulz and Betsy Wallace, is full of fun and laughter. Kate and Betsy host a podcast where they test three recipes from around the web every week and talk about how the recipes worked (or didn’t) in their homes. Listen to hear about how they manage three new recipes every week, how their loved ones deal with a steady stream of new foods, and what happened when Betsy’s attempt to make a simple fish dish went terribly wrong. (Hint- you can’t just put a whole fish in the oven without removing the guts.)
Full show notes can be found here.
Holiday food traditions help ground our families. They are little things that create stability and reliability for our children. They can be very simple or more complex. Maybe you take your kids out to lunch on the last day of school before Christmas break, or you get donuts on Christmas Eve morning.
What are the holiday food traditions in your family? We would love to hear about them in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group.
Candy making can be as simple as melting chocolate and dipping things, or it can be as complicated as making caramels from scratch. In this episode Marie covers basic candy making techniques and a few ways to trouble shoot when things go south.
The simplest form of candy making is to melt chocolate or candy melts and dip things like pretzels, nuts, or dried fruits.
Chocolate is made from both parts of the cocoa bean, cocoa butter and cocoa nibs. Cocoa butter gives the chocolate a smooth mouth feel and cocoa nibs give it the taste and smell.
White “chocolate” is technically not chocolate because it does not have any cocoa nibs. In its purest form, white “chocolate” is cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and vanilla. Most products we consider white chocolate are really candy melt. Candy melt is a mixture of sugar, palm oil, milk solids and lecithin. It works great for melting and dipping and you can find it at the craft store in lots of colors. It is tricky to color yourself because you need an oil-based, not a water-based food color. Most food colorings on the market are water-based so it is best to buy them pre-colored.
To melt chocolate for dipping you have two options.
1-Use the microwave. When using the microwave, be careful not to burn your chocolate or candy melts. Start with just one minute and stir. Continue heating for 15-20 seconds at a time stirring every 15-20 seconds. The residual heat will continue to melt the chocolate. When you have just a few small unmelted bits, you can just continue stirring and let the residual heat finish the melting.
2- Use a double broiler. A double broiler is a saucepan of water that is simmering with a glass or metal bowl placed on top of the saucepan. It is important that the water is not touching the bowl with the chocolate. The steam from the simmering water will heat the bowl which will then gently melt the chocolate. Be careful not to get any water in the chocolate. The water will cause the chocolate to “seize” and get almost crumbly and you cannot use it for dipping.
To make more complicated candy, you will be using some type of sugar syrup. It is important to use a Candy Thermometer (not affiliate). The candy thermometer will get you close to the correct consistency, but to have better results, you want to pair it with the cold water test.
The following are all in Fahrenheit:
240 – Soft Ball – The sugar syrup forms a ball that flattens in the water.
255-260 – Hard Ball – The sugar syrup forms a ball that holds its shape and almost has a firm “shell” on the outside, but it is still malleable.
285 - Soft Crack – The sugar syrup will make a crackle sound and have threads that will break apart but do not have a firm snap. Jolly Rancher candy is a soft crack candy, while a peppermint or candy cane are hard crack.
310 – Hard Crack – The sugar syrup will crackle and will break with a firm snap.
To make fudge, peanut brittle, toffee, marshmallows, divinity, or caramels, you will be cooking sugar with a liquid, like corn syrup, water, evaporated milk, butter and/or cream. Each type of candy uses different ingredients at different temperatures.
Fudge- There are two types of fudge. The first is “Old Fashioned” fudge which uses a sugar syrup and cocoa powder. It does not have any chocolate or marshmallow crème. The second is a more common type of fudge that uses chocolate and marshmallow crème.
Toffee- is made by quickly cooking a sugar syrup with butter then pouring into a pan and topping with chocolate and nuts.
Marshmallow – is made by whipping sugar syrup with gelatin to make a fluffy and stable confection that can be poured into molds or cut into squares.
Divinity – is made by adding sugar syrup to beaten egg whites.
Caramels – is, in my opinion, the most difficult candy to master. Cream, butter, and sugar are cooked slowly to a consistency between soft ball and hard ball.
It is the time of year when many of us get the itch to bake cookies. Some people do it because they love it, others do it because they want to make memories with their kids. It is important to ask yourself why you want to bake. Do you want to spend time with your children or do you want beautiful cookies to give away to friends and neighbors? In my experience, it is difficult to accomplish both of those goals at the same time. That is why we make gingerbread cookies just for our family.
Making gingerbread cookies was the most important holiday activity for my children. We will make one batch of cookies in several different sizes and decorate them with royal icing. I don’t stress bout kids licking their fingers or about the cookies looking perfect because my goal with gingerbread cookies is to enjoy my time with my kids.
My mother, on the other hand, loves to give away cookies. She usually makes 45 batches of dough and freezes it. She will have a long day of cookie baking and then she and my father will plate and wrap the cookies and deliver them to friends and neighbors. This year she is changing things up. She only made two kinds of cookie dough and plans to give away fewer cookies. She has made the same five recipes for over 30 years and this year she is ready to try something new.
It doesn’t matter if you make one batch or dozens of batches of cookies, what matters is that you know why you are making the cookies. If your goal is to spend time with your kids, then don’t worry about having lots of cookies to give away. If your goal is to use the cookies as gifts, then you may want to make them without the kids. Both ideas are great, it is just important to identify why you are making them and to keep your expectations clear.
Tips for stress-free cooking baking:
1-Put it on the calendar. You want to schedule a time to make the cookies. This time of year is so busy and if you don’t schedule time, you will feel stressed as you make the cookies.
2- Try not to make the dough and bake the cookies in the same day. Most cookie recipes chill the dough after it is made before shaping and baking. If you can make the dough one day and chill it, the next day you are ready to bake. If you try to do it all in one day, you will spend hours in the kitchen which can create unnecessary stress.
3-Make sure you leave time for your butter to come to room temperature. That means you want to take the butter out of the refrigerator at least two hours before you make your dough.
4-If you are making cut out cookies, roll out the dough between parchment paper before you chill the dough. Place the dough on a floured piece of parchment paper, sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour and cover with another piece of parchment paper. Roll out the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Place the rolled dough on a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator. You can stack several layers of dough on one cookie sheet. Then, you can cut the cookies and pull the scraps away. Leave the cookies on the parchment and bake.
5-Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats. It will keep the cookies from sticking and makes cookie baking easier. Use pre-cut parchment sheets if you can. This is the parchment I buy. (not affiliate)
6-If you enjoy decorating cookies, keep a few for yourself to decorate. You can still decorate with the kids, but have some to decorate all by yourself without the kids.
Links for this episode
My mother’s icing for sugar cookies
How to use frozen cookie dough
Link chocolate chip cookie
Didn’t I just feed you
Amazon link for parchment
The episode was released on Black Friday 2019 and that means the holiday frenzy is in full force. How do you avoid overwhelm, overspending and overscheduling? You are intentional.
Do you have your copy of the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide?
Being intentional means asking your family what is most important to them in the holiday season. I asked my family and 3 things came to the top of the list.
- Making gingerbread cookies
- Looking at Christmas lights
- Decorating a gingerbread house with Auntie Rosie
Once you know what is most important, you can put those activities on your calendar and choose to say yes or no to the many good things that come your way in December.
We love making gingerbread cookies but we are making them just for our family. They take time and patience. In the past I made them to give to friends and neighbors. This year I’m making puppy chow to give away and will slow down and enjoy the time making cookies with my kids.
Set a meal plan. It is easy to want to skip this step when things get busy, but taking the time to plan will give you brain space.
Use the food you have stocked up in your freezer and pantry. Now is the time to eat the meals you have prepped in your freezer. Keep meals simple during the busy time.
Think about what is most important and focus on those activities and let the less important things go and you will enjoy this holiday season and your family so much more.
It’s not too late to get a copy of the Holiday Planning Guide. It will walk you through setting intention for the holiday season including decorating, gift giving, donations, shopping, wrapping, meal planning and so much more. You can get your digital download here.
The food world is full of buzz about all the amazing foods you can make for your Thanksgiving dinner. You may even see a few recipes for using Thanksgiving leftovers. But Thanksgiving is just one meal. You still have to feed your family the entire week.
In this episode I give three practical tips for feeding your family the week of Thanksgiving.
- Avoid Poultry. I may serve chicken on Monday, but it will be beef, fish, pork or something vegetarian on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is enough poultry at the end of the week.
- Keep your meals very simple. You are going to have elaborate and rich food at the end of the week. I like to keep the beginning light and simple with a heavy dose of salads and veggies.
- Portion Precisely. Make only what you will completely use. You do not want containers of leftovers in your packed refrigerator. If you need “planned leftovers” for lunches, make exactly what you will need without extras.
If you have been following me on Instagram @mariefiebach, you will see that I used my Holiday Planning Guide and did a big pre-holiday shopping trip for basics. My pantry and freezer are stocked and I plan to use them to make simple dinners.
Some great ideas for this week are:
Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes
Max’s Favorite Soup
Other links for this episode:
Cooks Illustrated Sweet Potato Casserole
100 Days of Real Food Green Bean Casserole
Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide
PSA- NOW is the time to start thawing your turkey.
20 Pound turkeys should be thawing in the refrigerator no later than Saturday.
15 Pound turkeys should be thawing in the refrigerator no later than Sunday.
Step 3 of the PSA is my favorite. “A” Always have a backup is the most important part of weeknight dinner success. There will be days when things don’t go as planned. You may have sick kids or schedule changes or just feel super tired and don’t want to cook. Having the ingredients in your house for a dinner you can get on the table in 20 minutes or less is the key to avoiding the drive- thru.
Think of 3 backup meals and go get the ingredients for those meals this week.
Tacos (you can get my recipe for Big Batch Taco Meat in my cookbook.)
Chicken Noodle Soup (From leftover roast chicken and bone broth.)
Breakfast for dinner
Master Meal Planning Sheet
Weekly Meal Planning Sheet
People celebrate Thanksgiving in many ways. Some of you will be hosting and some of you will be guests. Most of you will have turkey.
There are many kinds of turkey. Growing up my mother would get a conventional turkey from the grocery store. Conventional turkeys (think Butterball) are injected with a salt solution. The buzz about turkeys in the food world is to brine them.
Brining is a process of soaking a turkey in a salt water solution. If you buy a natural turkey you definitely want to brine it. But if you buy a conventional turkey you do not want to brine it. It will be way too salty.
If you are brining a natural turkey it is very important to keep it at a safe temperature. That means you need to brine it in the refrigerator (not easy to do because it takes up so much room) or your can brine it in an insulated cooler. If you are using a cooler make sure there is ice in the brine to keep the turkey at a safe temperature.
Cooking a Turkey
The two best ways I know to cook a turkey are to use a roasting bag or to roast it on a rack in a roasting pan. With both methods it is best to get the turkey prepped the night before so all you have to do the next day is put it in the oven.
A roasting bag is made of the same material as crockpot liners. Turkeys braise in the liquid that is released as they cook. The cook much faster and produce juicy meat, but they do not produce crispy skin.
Roasting a turkey in a roasting pan is a lot like roasting a chicken. If you prep it the night before, the skin will dry out in the air of the refrigerator and will get super crispy as it roasts.
With either method, you will want to calculate how many hours per pound it takes to cook and work backwards from your target serving time. If your turkey takes 4 hours and you want to eat at 6:00, put the turkey in the oven at 1:30. That gives you 25 minutes to let the turkey rest and 5 minutes to carve it.
Stuffing vs Dressing
Stuffing and Dressing are often used interchangeably, but the are different. Stuffing is traditionally cooked inside the cavity of the bird and dressing is cooked in a casserole dish alongside the bird. I highly recommend making dressing because there are food safety issues with stuffing. Stuffing spends a long time in the danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the temperature where bacteria thrive and multiply. Compounded with the reality of Thanksgiving food setting at room temperature for at least and hour, it is not advisable to stuff the bird. If you prefer a super wet dressing, add extra broth and cook it in a deep casserole dish that is tightly covered to keep in the moisture.
In our family, my mother makes amazing dressing and it is cooked in a greased casserole dish so it gets crispy on the outside.
Gravy
There are a few ways to make gravy. I grew up with a bird roasted in a roasting bag which yields lots of juices. My mother simply made a flour and water slurry and mixed it into the boiling juices until it reached the desired thickness. Many people make a roux which is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat cooked until bubbly and starting to brown. You then add any pan juices and broth and bring to a boil. The roux will thicken the gravy. Some recipes call for deglazing the roasting pan with a little wine. I highly recommend a white wine. One year my sister was at her husband’s family for Thanksgiving and they followed an internet recipe that called for red wine and the gravy turned out bright pink. It tasted amazing but the color was shocking. If you need a gluten-free gravy, you can use a cornstarch and water slurry rather than the flour and water slurry. The gravy will have a different texture, but it will thicken nicely and taste great.
Use a Turkey Breast for Small Gatherings
If you are having a small gathering, a turkey breast is perfect. I like to make turkey breasts in my Instant Pot. This has many advantages. It doesn’t take any oven space. It cooks very quickly. I have cooked a frozen turkey breast in 90 minutes. I recommend thawing it first, but you can do it from frozen. The breast will stay moist, but it will not have a crispy skin.
My Favorite Side Dishes
Cook’s Illustrated Sweet Potato Casserole
100 Days of Real Food Green Bean Casserole
Get Your Copy of the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide 2019.
We are at episode 52 which means we have reached 1 year of the Feed Your Family Tonight podcast. Thank you so much for all your support and for spending a little time with me each week.
This week I am introducing the Feed Your Family Tonight Holiday Planning Guide 2019.
This comprehensive holiday planner ebook has 30 pages of planning tips and tricks to help you have the best holiday season ever. It includes pages for planning and many printable worksheets to help you get organized this holiday season.
- Food for the Holiday Season
- Pre-Holiday Shopping for Basics
- Holiday Activities
- Holiday Gift Guide
- Holiday Shopping
- Gift Wrapping
- Holiday Decorating
- Holiday Donations
- Christmas Cards
- Planning for Large Gatherings (such as Thanksgiving Dinner)
So grab your copy of this digital download here and have the best holiday season ever!
Traditions are really important and they don’t have to be elaborate. Small little things can create calm and stability for your children. In our home we have lots of little traditions. Something as simple as making pancakes on a Saturday morning can create predictability and stability.
Since before I was born, my mother has been making iced pumpkin cookies. My kids look forward to decorating cookies with grandma. My teenage son is really looking forward to it this year. It is something they have learned to count on. You can find my mother’s perfect icing recipe here.
Other traditions we have in our home are a mix of traditions from my family and my husband’s family. My kids love to go to “Fun Night” at my husband’s grade school. It is a 1950’s style carnival with simple games. The menu is the same every year. You can get a sloppy joe or hot dog, or my favorite, a sloppy dog. There are pieces of pie and bags of chips and it is all very inexpensive. My kids find the predictability comforting.
On Halloween night we always go to my parent’s house for dinner. This tradition started when I was very young. The neighbors would gather for dinner and the dads would take the kids trick or treating and the moms would stay back and clean up and pass out candy. My mother has continued this tradition with her grandchildren. She serves the same meal every year. Chili, chicken noodle soup, and veggies with hummus are all on the menu. It is a simple meal meant to fill up the kids before they get gobs of candy.
These simple traditions are so important for creating calm and stability in our homes. What are your traditions? I would love to hear
Recipes, Podcasts and Posts from this episode
Pancakes
Icing for Pumpkin Cookies
Vanilla
Chili Recipe
Roast Chicken Podcast
Roast Chicken Post
Hummus Recipe
Taking Dinner to a Friend in Need
Roast Chicken can be intimidating, but I am here to tell you that it can be one of the best dinners for busy weeknights. It is great for the kind of days where your kids have piano from 3:45-4:45, soccer from 5:00-6:00 and you have a meeting at 7:00, roast chicken can be a great dinner. My recipe for roast chicken actually takes 3 days, but please don’t let that scare you. I promise it only take a few minutes each day and you have cooked chicken and chicken broth for quick dinners in the future.
The full recipe is in my cookbook, but this is a general guide for my process.
Day 1 (I like to do this when I’m cleaning up dinner dishes, but you can do it earlier in the day too.)
- Get your sink full of soapy water and add a Tablespoon of bleach if you wish.
- Set out your roasting pan with rack or a rimmed baking sheet with cooling rack
- Cut 1 12 inch piece of kitchen twine per chicken (optional)
- Mix 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning per chicken in a small bowl
- Open the chicken packaging over the drain in your sink or a bowl to catch any liquid that will leak out when you open the package. (I always look for chickens without any salt added.)
- Remove the giblets from the cavity. Some chickens will not have giblets. You can roast these or discard.
- Place the chicken on the roasting rack and repeat with the second chicken.
- Lift the skin and rub the salt mixture directly on the meat under the skin. I like to cut a slit on the back of the thigh to make it easier to rub with salt. You may have to break apart the connective fascia to separate the skin from the meat.
- Place seasoned chickens breast side up on the roasting rack and tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine if you have it.
- Place the roasting pan uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The air will circulate and dry out the surface of the skin and the salt will penetrate deeply into the meat yielding chickens with crisp skin and juicy meat.
Day 2
- Preheat oven to 425
- Place roasting pan in oven and bake for 1 ½ hours.
- Remove chickens from oven and let rest 20 minutes.
- Serve the first chicken for dinner.
- Remove all meat from the bones of the chickens and place in a bowl.
- Place bones in a slow cooker with an onion, carrot, celery, garlic and 6 whole cloves (optional, do not use ground cloves.)
- Add any drippings from the pan or cutting board to the slow cooker.
- OR- Roast the bones for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit before adding to the slow cooker.
- Cover the bones with water and place the slow cooker on low.
- Place the meat in labeled zip bags or containers in meal-size portions for your family.
- Freeze the chicken meat.
Day 3
- I like to do this when I am cleaning up dinner dishes.
- Remove most of the bones and veggies from the broth with tongs and discard.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain out any remaining bones or veggies and discard.
- Cool the broth in the bowl with frozen broth or ice cubes.
- Pour the broth into containers and label.
- If you are using glass jars, leave several inches of room at the top and wide-mouth jars work much better for freezing liquids.
- Freeze the broth.
Our food changes with the seasons. You may not do it consciously, but we all change our food a little when the seasons change. Last week in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group I asked what people were making for dinner and everyone was making fall-ish comfort food. Lots of chili and soup and frito pie. I like to say that this time of year we put away the grill and break out the Dutch oven.
Are you a fan of pumpkin spice? I am not a pumpkin spice latte girl mainly because I do not prefer sugar with my coffee. Our grocery store has a display of pumpkin spice flavored foods and most of those do not appeal to me either, but real pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and I am all in.
I have 4 recipes for October that are centered around pumpkin.
Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal is a warm and hearty breakfast. It is one of 3 baked oatmeal recipes on my website including Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, and Lemon Blueberry Baked Oatmeal.
Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Cookies are an easy make-ahead breakfast that are great for busy mornings. I make them and freeze them for fast breakfasts on the go. They are like my Breakfast Cookies but use pumpkin instead of banana.
Pumpkin Soufflés are my new obsession. So many people are afraid of making a souffle and I want to dispel the fear. Souffles are not difficult and do not need to be scary. If you can whip egg whites, you can make a souffle. I’ll walk your through the steps.
1-Separate your eggs. Use 3 bowls. Use one bowl to separate the white from the yolk. Transfer the white to one bowl and the yolk to another bowl. Repeat until all the eggs are separated.
2-Make a simple pumpkin custard.
3-Whip the egg whites.
4-Fold egg whites into cooled custard.
5-Add the souffle mixture to ramekins that are coated in butter and sugar.
6-Bake for 15 minutes at 375.
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
These cookies don’t have any pumpkin in them, but they are shaped like pumpkins and are decorated with candy. My mother has been decorating pumpkin faces since before I was born. It is a special tradition in our family.
Traditions help us slow down and recapture a little calm in the crazy. What are your fall traditions? Let us know in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group.
This episode is a fun interview with Bri DeRosa of The Family Dinner Project.
This book is so much more than a cookbook. It is filled with a year’s worth of recipes, conversation starters and games to use at family dinner.
Each section tackles a common obstacle to family dinner and offers creative ways to navigate family dinner. It meets the reader where they are and helps them create a dinner experience that works in our busy lives.
The recipes are approachable for the home cook and are family friendly. The conversation starters and games are tagged by age group and the stories are of real families who have learned how to create just a little more space for family dinners in their home.
The book is available wherever books are sold. You can get your copy of Eat, Laugh, Talk! The Family Dinner Playbook here.
Check out The Family Dinner Project for tips recipes and encouragement for making family dinner a fun tradition in your home.
To learn more about The Family Dinner Project, listen to Episode 21 where I interviewed Dr. Anne Fishel, Co-founder of The Family Dinner Project.
This episode is an interview with Corinna Meckelborg of Friendly Pantry. Corinna is an allergy mom who helps other moms navigate the world of food allergies.
Marie and Corinna talk about:
- Allergy vs Intolerance
- How to include friends in play dates
- Things to help kids with allergies at school like non-food birthday and party treats
- Help for food allergy moms who are overwhelmed
This includes Corinna’s two best tips of meal planning and cooking with whole foods.
Meal planning for allergies includes more than normal meal planning.
Check out Corinna-
FriendlyPantry.com
On Instagram @friendlypantry
On Facebook @friendlypantry
Using the Feed Your Family Tonight Grocery List Builder, Marie walks us through the things she considers pantry and refrigerator staples. You can get a free copy of the Grocery List Builder at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/list.
You want a pantry that has the staples you use and is not cluttered with things you rarely use.
This is what Marie keeps on hand. It will not be the same as the foods you need to keep in your home, but create a system to keep track of your staples so that you are not out of a key ingredient when you need it.
Fruits and Veggies
Lettuce, Carrots, Celery, Green Onions, Potatoes, Lemons, Limes and Apples
Canned tomatoes, garbanzo beans, pears, and ginger beer
Milk, Cheese and Eggs
Unsalted Butter, Ghee, Salted Irish Butter, Whole Milk, Sweetened and Unsweetened Almond Milk, ½ and ½, Eggs, Parmesan, Shredded Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack Slices, Lunchmeat
Frozen Foods
Green Beans, Corn, Spinach, All kinds of Frozen Meat (See Freezer Episode 45)
Breads, Cereals, Grains, Legumes
Quick Oats, Old Fashioned Oats, Rice, Pasta, Boxed Macaroni and Cheese, Lentils
Spices, Oils, Condiments
Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ Sauce, Mayo, Olive oil, Coconut oil, Sesame Oil, Salad Dressings, Vinegars, Peanut Butter, Jam
Snacks
Chocolate Chips, Tortilla Chips, Popcorn
Baking Supplies
White Whole Wheat Flour, Yeast, Gluten, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda
Personal and Cleaning
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lemon Verbena Dish Soap (I use this to treat laundry stains) Hair Dye, Zip Bags, Plastic Wrap, Tin Foil, Napkins, Paper Towels, Paper Plates
Keep a list of the basics you like to keep in your home. Get your free copy of my Grocery List Builder at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/list.
Did you clean out your freezer? If you did, I bet you are like me and smile every time you open it. If not, no worries. I understand how crazy life is this time of year.
Today we are talking about how to stock your freezer for weeknight dinner success. It is important to note that this is going to look different in all our homes. I have a large deep freeze and a. freezer attached to my refrigerator. You may only have a little freezer with your refrigerator so the amount and types of things we keep in our freezers will be very different. We will go through the categories of things I keep in my freezer and I’ll help you adapt them to your situation.
Note- I am not a big “freezer meal” person. If you are looking for pinterest pretty meals 100% prepped and ready to go into the oven or crockpot, then this episode isn’t for you. I like to prep parts of the meal, but my family isn’t fond of casseroles and most crock pot meals. But I will help you get proteins pre-cooked and have lots meal components prepped so you can get a quick dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes.
Frozen Meats (Raw)
My large freezer is full of frozen meat. I get my beef in bulk from a local farmer and I buy chicken in bulk when it is on sale. I had a listener ask if I kept an inventory of my freezer and, alas, I do not. She bought her meat from an online meat store and I suggested that she just attach the packing slip to the outside of her freezer and mark off the cuts of meat as she uses them so she can easily see what she has left.
When I buy boneless, skinless, chicken breasts I get them in bulk. I open up the packages and cut the meat into chunks or single serving portions and wrap it in zip bags or plastic wrap. I freeze it flat on a cookie sheet and then transfer it to gallon zip bags. If you are single or there is just 2 of you in your home, you can do this with a single “family size” package of chicken. Use what you need the first day and freeze what is left in single serving portions for quick meals later.
I live in Kansas and any fish that we get this far inland has been frozen at some point. I find it less expensive and more convenient to buy fish already frozen. Same goes for shrimp. If you family likes shrimp, I highly recommend keeping a bag of frozen shrimp on hand. It thaws quickly in a bowl of water and cooks in minutes making it perfect for quick suppers.
I also keep homemade turkey sausage, bacon, and turkey bacon on hand for easy breakfasts.
Cooke Meats
I always have cooked taco meat and chicken taco meat in my freezer. In the fall I will have BBQ beef and roast chicken meat too. When I have roast chicken, I will also have chicken broth ready for quick and easy soups.
Veggies
I like to keep bags of frozen veggies for quick side dishes. This podcast talks about my favorite way to cook frozen veggies. I also keep the leaves and inside pieces of celery on hand to add to my chicken broth. Some people like to keep a “broth bag” of little bits and ends of all their veggies to add to the stock pot when they make broth.
Fruit-
I like to keep frozen berries and 2 kinds of frozen bananas on hand. If your family is fond of smoothies then this is a must in your home. The two kinds of bananas are ripe bananas that I slice and freeze on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for smoothies and my favorite banana ice cream. The second kind is overripe bananas. These bananas are completely black. I peel them and freeze them in zip bags for banana bread and breakfast cookies.
Other things I Freeze
Baking supplies like gluten, yeast, and specialty flours
Nuts
Bread
Special “project foods” like pot stickers and stuffed grape leaves that I make no more than once or twice a year.
Spaghetti Sauce
Soups
Cookie Dough – Look at this post to see how I freeze cookie dough.
When was the last time you cleaned out your freezer? If you are like me, you may not be able to remember. This week I cleaned out and organized my freezer. It only took 20 minutes and I am ready to transition from summer foods to fall foods in my home.
- Take everything out of the freezer and wipe down the shelving.
- Toss any food that is not recognizable.
- Arrange food by category and put it back in the freezer.
- Make a mental note of the things you no longer eat and the things you have overpurchased.
Food Safety Episode
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FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/group
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Cooking multiple batches of food and freezing them for later use is a key tool to weeknight dinner success. There are many ways to do it. Most Pinterest recipes are for casseroles which my family does not prefer.
I do have a Lasagna Recipe in the cookbook and I make a baked ziti, but that is a close to a casserole as my family will go. Never forget that every family is very different and this is about making dinner work for you.
As we get closer to Fall the meals in our home naturally start shifting from grilled meats and summer vegetables to soups and roasted veggies. But, all year long you will always find taco meat in my freezer. I make it 12 pounds at a time and it is a go-to for quick easy dinners. My mother is a big fan of having cooked hamburger in the freezer to make spaghetti, cheeseburger baked potatoes, or lettuce wraps. I like to cook mine with pureed onions.
When you make food for the freezer and use gallon zip bags, I do not recommend freezing it flat. It stacks well and looks pinterest pretty, but it is super hard to thaw food in that shape. I prefer to let the food collect at the bottom of the bag and wrap the top of the bag around the food forming a brick shape that is easier to thaw and reheat. Don’t forget to mark bags with a sharpie before you add the food. It is super hard to write on the bags filled with food.
My favorite foods to make in batches and freeze:
Tacos
Hamburger
Hamburger Patties
BBQ Beef
Chicken Thighs
BBQ Meatballs
Meatballs
Turkey Breast
Soups and Stews
Spaghetti Sauce
Meatloaf
Dinner Sisters Cuban Black Beans
Cheapskate Cook Veggies
Garbonzo Beans
Have you heard my meal planning journey? When my kids were little I never meal planned. My idea of meal planning was having an overstocked freezer and pantry. Late every day I would go to my pantry and get meat out of my freezer and a few pantry staples and fix something for dinner. It was mentally draining. I often had the feeling of “dinner dread” because all day long I would lament having to fix dinner for my family.
My kids were little and it was hard to get out of the house. My best friend lived hours away and we would talk on the phone several times a week. During this time bloggers became my “friends.” Many blogs and podcasts of this era were sponsored by a meal planning service and it felt like everyone else had meal planning under control. I felt defeated.
About the time my twins started preschool I discovered Simple Simon and Company. I fell in love with their beautiful blog about sewing children’s clothing. Simple Simon and Company started a series based on a book, The Womanly Art of Homemaking. One post in this series was about meal planning and that post literally changed my life. Liz talked about how she spent 10 minutes each week and built a meal plan.
I took her idea and 15 minutes every Monday morning and began what would become Feed Your Family Tonight. I would grab a scrap of paper from my minivan, write the days of the week, and figure out the best meal for each day. It took me years to commit to doing this every week, but the weeks that I planned were always more peaceful. I had so much mental freedom because I no longer had to think about what I was making for dinner every day. Our grocery bill went down, and shopping was easier too!
Now I am sharing with you my meal planning system. Join the free 5 Day Meal Planning Challenge at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/5day. We start Tuesday, September 3 2019. You will get printable worksheets emailed to you before the challenge starts. We will have daily email tasks (that take less than 5 minutes) and daily Facebook Live training.
Ask a friend to join you and get meal planning under control in your home this fall. FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/5day
This is the third episode in our Back to School Series. Episode 39 focused on packing kid lunches. Episode 40 focused on avoiding the drive thru when life get’s busy. This episode focuses on breakfast for busy mornings.
My kids can be a little picky about breakfast. They all have strong preferences and they are not always the same. If your kids are less picky than mine, the best strategy is to assign a theme to each day and make the same breakfast all year long. Diane has a theme like Monday = Eggs, Tuesday = Peanut butter Toast, Wednesday = Oatmeal and follows the theme all year long.
If you kids are pickier, you may have a broader framework like mine. I try and make some type of breakfast meat at the beginning of the week and have a well-stocked pantry and freezer with lots of make-ahead options for quick breakfasts on the go.
Some easy make-ahead breakfasts include:
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Lemon Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Breakfast Cookies
Spinach Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches
Chocolate Almond Granola
Spinach and Hash Brown Breakfast Bake
Shamrock Smoothie
Chai Spiced Granola
Breakfast Casserole
Overnight Yeast Belgian Waffles
Quick and Easy Turkey Sausage
Some special treat breakfasts include:
Sourdough French Toast with Strawberry Syrup
Lemon Scones (with dairy – free option) and Lemon Curd
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Oatmeal Pancakes
Home Fried Potatoes
Orange Streusel Coffee Cake
Cream Biscuits
Puffy Pancake with Buttermilk Syrup
Avoiding the drive thru when life gets busy isn’t hard but it does take planning. I have my 3 step PSA for weeknight family dinner success. Step 1 P-Plan and Prep, Step 2 S-Set a Dinner Bell and Step 3 A-Always have a backup. Today we are going to talk about A- Always have a backup.
A Backup is any dinner you can get on the table in 20 minutes or less with ingredients you have in your house. That may be your pantry, refrigerator or freezer. Identify 3 backup meals you can fix for your family and get the ingredients in your house this week. It is important to do it now because when you need a backup it is too late to go to the store.
By always having a backup you can avoid the drive thru and get your family fed even when life gets crazy. You know that there will be days when things don’t go as planned, or days when you are just extra busy. You may even PLAN to use a backup meal on a very busy night.
You can get the backup food in your freezer by making extra food one night and freezing it for another day. When you freeze food you want to consider how you plan to thaw them. I have learned that when I use a zip top gallon bag I don’t freeze it totally flat because the large square does not fit well in a bowl in my microwave. Instead, I fill it half full and fold the top half of the bag over the food to create a rectangle that fits in a bowl in my microwave.
Some of my favorite backup meals:
Chicken Tacos
Taco Meat
Bean Quesadillas
Spaghetti
Chili
BLT Sandwiches
Breakfast for dinner with Turkey Sausage or eggs and pancakes
Pre-Cooked Ground Beef
Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes
Making school lunches is a struggle for me, but I have some tips and tricks that make it a little easier.
1-I use my blue refrigerator bin. You can learn about it in episode 12 “Let’s Talk About Lunch.”
2-My favorite equipment:
- Vera Bradley Lunch Bags My favorite is the Lunch Tote.
-Find the containers first and see how they fit in the lunch bags.
- b) Get good water bottles. I like the insulated Thermos brand and the small Klean Kanteen water bottles.
-Buy the same brand for all your kids. It will make filling the bottles much easier.
- c) Ice Packs. I like thin ones like these.
- d) Thermos for hot food. I like stainless steel ones like this one.
- e) 2 Cup Pyrex Measuring Cup.
- f) Glass food storage containers.
- g) Real Silverware including Forks and Spoons. You can get these at Dollar Tree.
3-The process I use for packing school lunches:
The Night Before
- During dinner I ask who is having school hot lunch and who is bringing lunch.
- I ask who wants dinner leftovers
- I pack dinner leftovers in glass storage containers and put them in my blue bin.
- I prep fruit and veggies. Wet fruit goes into these Ziploc containers and dry fruit like apples or oranges go into baggies and then it all goes in the blue bin.
- Any food that can sit at room temperature like chips or peanut butter sandwiches goes directly into the lunchbox.
- Napkins and silverware go into the lunchbox.
In the Morning
- Fill all water bottles
- Take Blue Bin out of refrigerator and start putting items in lunchboxes
- If I need to heat leftovers I start by heating water in the 2 cup Pyrex cup and then transfer the boiling water to the thermos.
- Heat the food in the microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power and 30 seconds at 100% power
- Remove hot water from thermos and add hot food.
- Place water bottles and thermoses in lunchboxes.
- Put a napkin between hot and cold items.
- Put ice packs on the cold side.
- Make sure there is silverware.
Other Tips
- Train your kids to bring home everything from the lunch, including trash
- This lets you know what they are eating and what they aren’t eating.
- You can reuse uneaten items.
- It reduces waste.
My Kid’s Favorite Lunchbox Foods
- Taco meat with tortilla chips. You can add containers of lettuce, tomato and cheese and containers of salsa.
- Hummus with pretzel crisps
- Yogurt
- Apples with peanut butter (sometimes with melted chocolate chips)
- Homemade Lunchables. Add meat, cheese and crackers.
- Leftovers
Share what you like to put in lunchboxes and any tips you have for packing lunches.
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Popsicles are a fun summer treat and they are easy to make at home.
I like my popsicle mold that is like this one.
Creamy Orange Popsicles
Pina Colada Popsicles
Creamy Raspberry Popsicles
Surviving a kitchen renovation can be a challenge. Feeding your family takes extra planning and effort. Here are a few tips to make it a little easier.
- Prepare
-Start by purging your current kitchen. Donate unused kitchen gadgets and recycle your cottage cheese and yogurt containers. Get rid of chipped plates. Clean out your old spices. Look in the back of your cupboards. If there are foods that you bought but your family didn’t like them, donate them or pass on to a friend. You want to start your new kitchen with food you enjoy.
-Make ahead some freezer meals. Cooked chicken and taco meat, ground beef, and casseroles are all good things to prepare.
-Start packing up your kitchen early. Do not leave this task for the day before the contractor arrives. As you pack, separate into 3 categories.
Toss and donate
Storage
Temporary Kitchen
-Store things for the temporary kitchen in clear plastic tubs. Things you want in your temporary kitchen include:
Slow Cooker
Electric Griddle or Skillet
Coffee Maker
Toaster Oven
Microwave (if it is a countertop style)
Blender (ONLY if you are a big smoothie family, otherwise pack it away)
1-2 knives
Cutting Board (The biggest one you own)
Basic utensils – Tongs, vegetable peeler, spatula, serving spoon, slotted spoon, ladle
-Pack up food processor and large stand mixer and blender, (unless you are a regular smoothie family)
- Set up a temporary kitchen in a place away from the construction dust. You want to be as close to a sink as possible. Basement bars, laundry rooms, or even the dining room can all work. Try to have your refrigerator close to the temporary kitchen.
- You are in food survival mode. Now is the time for simple meals. Use your slow cooker with liners to eliminate cleanup. BBQ Beef is a good recipe. You can use your Instant Pot to boil pasta, but you will need to use a slotted spoon tongs to remove it from the pot. Consider getting a hot plate, just make sure it is not induction unless you have magnetic cookware.
- Use paper goods. Buy paper plates, silverware, cups and napkins in bulk. It is hard enough to wash the cooking dishes without a kitchen sink. Eliminate the need to wash more dishes by using disposable.
- Buy pre-washed veggies. Buy lettuce that is pre-washed and get pre-washed and cut up veggies. Frozen veggies are great too. They are cleaned and chopped too. Use the salad bar at your grocery store for cleaned and chopped fruit and veggies.
- Use your grill. Simple grilled meats and veggies are great even in the winter.
- Keep your food very simple. If your family can survive on cereal and yogurt for breakfast, do it. Simple soups in the slow cooker and sandwiches and salads. So often when we eat out we are getting sandwiches and salads. Eat those at home and eat more complicated food out.
- Plan to eat out. Budget for it and put it on your meal plan. Maybe you have “pizza Fridays” and “Sunday Dinner Out.” Rather than getting takeout, go to the restaurant and eat there. Your life will be a little chaotic and having time to sit together as a family around a table will be a nice break from the construction and the dust.
According to Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365, July is the Bermuda triangle of months. I agree. Lots of people go on vacation. The days are long and hot, and most of us take a slower pace. I had trouble this week deciding what to cook for dinner when I wrote out my weekly meal plan. Posting it in the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group keeps me accountable. You can post your plan there too.
I often look at what other people are making for inspiration. This week I used my friend Heather’s idea and made chicken tacos. I made a large batch so I have meat for easy meals later. I used my taco mix and chicken thighs with salt in my pressure cooker for 22 minutes. It was so good and my kids raved (a rare occurrence in my home.)
“A” Always have a backup is extra important in July.
Consider making large batches of proteins when you do cook so you can have easy meals later. Some of my favorite things to make to stock my freezer are:
Chicken Thighs
Taco Meat
Browned Hamburger
Lettuce Wrap filling. One recipe I like is this one from Foodie with Family.
I like to buy my beef from our local farmer, Andi Dale. You can listen to my interview with Andi about buying meat from a local farmer.
During the summer our family has a tradition called “Fry Day.” We make fried foods several times during the summer. It is a type of project meal that is as much about the preparation as it is about eating.
Oil-
You want to use a high smoke point oil because it will not oxidize at the temperatures required for frying. Most recipes fry at 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. I like to use peanut oil. If you have peanut allergies, canola or shortening both work too. When you are done frying, strain the oil in a fine mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter. You can store the oil in the refrigerator or freezer and reuse it several times.
Vessel-
I have used an electric deep fryer. Pros- You can set it for a specific temperature. Cons- It can take a long time to heat up and tends to lose temperature as you add food. It is also difficult to clean.
I prefer to use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven (like LeCruset.) It works especially well on gas stoves because you can regulate the temperature with the flame. I have used Dutch ovens on electric stoves too.
You will want a candy thermometer with a Dutch oven so you can see the temperature.
Order-
If you are reusing the oil, you want to start with foods that do not have strong flavors or odors. I like to start with corn dogs or donuts. We always do funnel cakes on the 4th of July and then I move on to French fries, fried chicken and end the summer with fried fish or shrimp. Once you have used it for fish you will want to throw away the oil.
Smitten Kitchen has a good recipe for French fries that she adapted from Cooks Illustrated. You can find the recipe here.
- Three Services that help coordinate meals.
Meal Train
Take Them a Meal
Sign Up Genius
- Try to take dinner to 2 families on the same night. It is not much more work and you can bless two families.
- You can just order pizza and that is okay. This is about helping others, not perfection.
If you can, look and see what other meals they are receiving and try not to bring the same dish.
Check to see if they have any food intolerances or allergies and read labels to make sure you do not include any ingredients they can’t eat.
- Be prompt or consider taking the meal earlier in the day so they can eat when it is convenient.
- Use disposable containers.
- Take a meal for them to put in their freezer and use on a busy day. My favorite freezer meal to take is BBQ Beef.
- Don’t forget to bring side dishes. I usually bring fruit or veggies and a dessert. Some good side dishes to bring:
-Mexican Rice
-Roasted or steamed veggies like broccoli
-Lettuce Salad (In the bag or box pre-washed.)
-Fruit Salad
-Grapes (washed and cut into small clusters)
-Watermelon (cut)
-Cut up carrots and celery or a veggie tray
Favorite Desserts:
-Rice Krispy Treats
-Brownies
-Simple blondies (Sarah doesn’t even cut them, just makes them in an 8x8 disposable. She uses the original recipe)
If there isn’t a list of the meals they are receiving, give them three choices of entrees and try to have 2 different proteins (chicken and rice, tacos, BBQ beef)
- Consider the amount of food to bring. Find out how many adults and how many children will be served. Two adults and a three year old will need a different amount of food than two adults and two teenage boys.
-You may want to bring enough to have leftovers. I only advise this if they are only getting 3 or 4 meals a week. If they are getting daily meals you do not want to burden them with the guilt of consuming all the leftovers.
My Favorite Meals to Take
Chicken Caesar Salad – With garlic bread I like to marinate the chicken in my Greek Salad Dressing and grill it.
Shepherd’s Pie from Feast E-Cookbook
Meatball Subs
Breakfast for dinner (Breakfast Casserole, Orange Streusel Coffee Cake)
Chicken Pot Pie
BBQ Beef
Pioneer Woman Drip Beef
Paleo- Roast Chicken and Veggies
Kielbasa and Vegetable Sheet Pan Meal (veggies are highly adaptable)
Tacos
Chili and Cornbread
Last week I had 7 meals planned and we followed that plan 2 times. The other 5 days my plans fell apart. But I was okay. I didn’t have go through the drive-thru. My family was fed and that was enough.
This happens to all of us and the key to reducing the stress is to always have a backup. Have 3 meals that you can get on the table in 20 minutes or less with ingredients you have in your pantry or kitchen.
Everyone has weeks where the plans all fall apart. It’s okay in the summer to spend extra time at the pool or enjoy a unexpected outing with friends. You can adapt and move on. You’ve got this!
Episode 1 Master Meal Planning Sheet
Episode 2 “P” Plan and Prep
Episode 3 “S” Set a Dinnerbell
Episode 4 “A” Always have a backup
BBQ Beef Recipe
Roast Chickens with the Dinner Sisters
Roast Chicken on KAKE TV
Salad Dressings are super easy to make. You get to control the quality of the ingredients and it is fun way to play with flavors.
Marie talks about two basic kinds of homemade salad dressings, vinaigrettes and creamy dressings.
Vinaigrettes traditionally have a ratio of two parts oil to 1-part acid. I prefer a little less oil and most of my recipes are ½ cup oil to 1/3 cup acid. The acid can be vinegar (red wine, white wine, balsamic, apple cider, rice vinegar) or it can be citrus juice (lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange.) The oil can be olive oil, avocado, grape seed, walnut, almond.
Simply mix oil and acid in a lidded jar or old dressing bottle with salt and pepper and shake well. This dressing will separate quickly. If you want your dressing to stay emulsified (mixed together) longer you want to add an emulsifier. Mustard and Mayonnaise are common emulsifiers in salad dressings. Mayo will keep the dressing emulsified longer than mustard, but will add creaminess to the vinaigrette.
Sugar is another ingredient that can improve the dressing. It only takes a pinch of sugar or a couple of drops of honey or maple syrup to brighten a dressing. The next time you make a dressing mix it up without adding any sugar and taste it on a lettuce leaf. Then, add a pinch of sugar, mix well, and taste it again. See if you can taste the difference.
Creamy dressings still follow the principle of mixing fat and acid. The acid comes from a variety of ingredients including buttermilk, sour cream, and yogurt. If you want your dressing to taste like store-bought, mayonnaise is an essential ingredient. If you are not seeking store-bought flavor, mayonnaise is an optional ingredient.
The key to getting “Ranch” flavor is Dill. You need dill for it to taste like ranch.
My favorite dressing is Blue Cheese. It is a family favorite as well. When making blue cheese dressing you want to make a salt and garlic paste. This allows the salt and garlic to mix evenly throughout the dressing. This video from Splendid Table shows the technique.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 Cup Buttermilk (Watch this video to learn how to make homemade buttermilk.)
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill
1 Tablespoon Chopped Herbs (Thyme, Chives, Basil, Parsley all work well.)
Combine all ingredients in a pint jar and stir well. It will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator.)
Blue Cheese Dressing
1-2 Cloves of Garlic
½ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
½ Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
4 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice from 1 Lemon
Milk or Buttermilk to thin the dressing if you wish.
Make a paste with the salt and garlic. Add the paste and the rest of the ingredients to a half-pint mason jar. Stir together. If the dressing is too thick add milk or buttermilk 1 Tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
You can find my Greek Salad Dressing recipe here.
Part 2 of Vacation Food Planning focuses on planning food when you are staying in cabins or rental homes, road trips and large family gatherings
Plan ahead. What amenities are in the rental space? What meals will you eat at the home and what meals will you eat away from the home?
-Cook ahead as much as possible and make sure the containers you are using fit well in your cooler.
-Use online grocery ordering. You can pick it up on your way to your destination or some services even deliver. Walmart.com, Kroger.com, and Instacart are all great resources. Some even deliver.
-Plan one lunch and one dinner out. The best day is usually not the last day. The last day is a good time to eat up leftovers as you are cleaning up and preparing to leave.
Large family gatherings are similar to staying in rental homes, but you have to plan more.
-Who is going to be “in charge?” Have one person be in charge even if everyone is contributing.
-You can have one person or group do all the cooking or you can have different people in charge of each meal. Be clear which meals are together and which ones are on your own.
-Have all the communal meals in one location.
-Cook ahead as much as possible.
-Use online grocery ordering.
-Use paper plates and make sure you have a sharpie to label water bottles or cups.
-Think about the number of kids vs adults and plan accordingly.
-Use Sign Up Genius to coordinate the food everyone is bringing. It is a free tool and very useful.
-Consider having the last meal at a restaurant or catered. Have a simple menu that is pre-paid.
Summer is here and that means many of you are taking family vacations. There are many types of travel and planning for food is important. In this first of two episodes about vacation food planning Marie talks about planning for food when you are mainly staying in hotels.
-Try to find a hotel with breakfast on the premises. It is even better if breakfast is included in the cost of the room
-Plan your restaurants ahead of time. Even if you want to be spontaneous (which is great) you will still have a plan to fall back on.
-Look at internet reviews on trip advisor or yelp to see what others are saying about the restaurant.
-Plan at least one “Grocery Store Lunch.” This can be a nice break form heavy restaurant food.
-Plan for snacks. Think about what kinds of snacks you will need and take them with you from home if at all possible
-Have everyone bring a water bottle. They can go through airport security empty and you can fill them later.
Next week Marie will talk about planning for vacation food if you are staying in cabins or rental homes as well as family reunion food planning.
Flavored water is super easy to make and a fun drink for the summer.
Using filtered water make a big difference. I have a Reverse Osmosis system, but a Brita Pitcher works great.
What container do you want to use to make the water? Mason jars work well, or you can use an ice tea pitcher or a water infusing pitcher or water bottle.
Flavorings are super easy and there are lots of options. Some of my favorites are:
Mint Lime Mojito- made of mint leaves in lime juice
Orange- Sliced oranges are added to the water.
Lemon Ginger- Chop 2 inches of fresh ginger and add it to 1 gallon of water with large pieces of the lemon zest (use a vegetable peeler to get the very outer part of the lemon) Bring the water with the zest and ginger in a large saucepan to a boil and turn off the heat. Let the water cool to room temperature and add the juice of 1 lemon. Strain out the ginger and zest and chill.
Cucumber- add sliced cucumbers
Watermelon mint- Add chunks of watermelon and mint leaves.
Strawberry Basil- Cut off the green stem and cut the strawberry into several pieces. Add several chopped strawberries and a few fresh basil leaves.
You can make homemade “Gatorade” or electrolyte water by adding 1 teaspoon coarse Celtic Sea Salt and 2 teaspoons of honey to 1 quart of flavored water. It is best to use room temperature or warm water to help the salt and honey to dissolve, then you can chill it.
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Summer is upon us and with the kids coming home from school it is time to get a game plan to make feeding your family easier this summer.
Take some time to plan for:
Lunches- I use planned leftovers and pantry staples like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.
Snacks- Do you need portable snacks for the pool or outings? I let my kids have 1 “packaged” snack per day and then it is fruit and veggies. Or follow Steph Jenkin’s snack rule of “fruit, veggie, nuts, or raisins.”
Dinner- You will want some quick and easy meals for when you have had days full of activities. It is also a good time to try new recipes because the evenings are a little slower in the summer.
Treats- Will you go for ice cream or ride your bike to the local pizza place? Our family has a tradition of “fry days” where I break out a deep fryer and make treats like corn dogs and funnel cakes
Drinks- Make sure everyone in the family gets in the habit of taking a water bottle with them every time you leave the house.
Make a large shopping trip and stock up on staples so you can be ready for the summer.
Have you ever wondered what is the best skillet to buy? What makes a good skillet? In this episode, Marie goes over the basics of buying a good skillet.
What is the difference between a skillet and a sauté pan?
-Skillets have slanted sides and sauté pans have straight, vertical sides.
Is nonstick or stainless-steel better? (Hint-You want both.)
-Stainless steel skillets are best for browning.
-Nonstick skillets are best for sticky things like pancakes, eggs, and quesadillas.
Veggie Episode 10
Feed Your Family Tonight Cookbook
Green Pan (not affiliate)
This interview with The Dinner Sisters, Kate Schulz and Betsy Wallace, is full of fun and laughter. Kate and Betsy host a podcast where they test three recipes from around the web every week and talk about how the recipes worked (or didn’t) in their homes. Listen to hear about how they manage three new recipes every week, how their loved ones deal with a steady stream of new foods, and what happened when Betsy’s attempt to make a simple fish dish went terribly wrong. (Hint- you can’t just put a whole fish in the oven without removing the guts.)
Kate and Betsy shared their favorite recipes from past episodes.
Kate's Favorite: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas (Smitten Kitchen) from Episode 35: Sheet Pan Meals
Betsy's Favorite: Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles (Budget Bytes) from Episode 2: So, About the Instant Pot
Go and listen to their podcast! You will not be disappointed. I can hear my sister and I talking as I listen to their fun and easy banter and I have already found a couple of new recipes to try in my home. They are a wealth of joy and information!
Dinner Sisters Podcast
DinnerSisters.com
Instagram- @dinnersisters_podcast
Facebook.com/dinnersisters
Twitter @dinnersisters36
Grilled Chicken Breasts can be boring, dry, and overcooked, but they don’t have to be. If you follow these simple steps you will be on your way to juicy, flavorful grilled chicken. It is a formula for grilled chicken breasts that you actually want to eat.
1-Make sure they are the same thickness.
-Typical chicken breasts have a thick end and a thin pointed end. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut through the breast and open it like a book. The fancy word for this is “butterfly.” Then place the butterflied breast between pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder or cast-iron skillet to get an even thickness of about ½ an inch.
2-Salt it well.
-You can just sprinkle the salt directly on the meat and let it set for 10 minutes, or you can let the salt sit on the meat for a few hours.
-You can use a marinade that has salt, acid, and maybe fat. My Greek Salad Dressing is a great marinade. The Tequila Lime Chicken and Fajita marinades from my cookbook both only use acid and salt. You do not want to a marinade without fat for more than 1 hour or you will get mushy chicken. If your marinade has fat it can be on the chicken for several hours.
3- Get your grill very hot
-Preheat your grill for at least 10 minutes, but longer is even better. You need a screaming hot grill to get good char and to quickly cook the chicken.
-Use a “safe” grill brush to clean the hot grill. I have this grill brush that is a continuous wire that does not have little bristles to break off and put you in danger.
-Make sure there is space around all the pieces of chicken and lower the heat to medium-low. Grill covered for 5 minutes. Turn, cover and grill for 5 more minutes.
4-Test the meat in the thickest part (or the middle.)
-Remove from the grill when it is 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit.
-An instant read thermometer is an essential grilling tool.
-Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to let the juices redistribute.
Spring is here and it is time to clean out your freezer and pantry to get ready for warm weather foods.
1-Use the Master Meal Planning Sheet to see some warm weather foods you haven’t made lately. You may think of some new foods to add to the sheet. The sheet is free here: https://www.feedyourfamilytonight.com/2018/11/30/01-master-meal-planning-sheet/
-Follow me on Instagram @MarieFiebach or Facebook.com/feedyourfamilytonight
2-Clean out your freezer and pantry.
-Use up or throw out the “odd bits” in your freezer. I like to make croutons with the odd bits of bread in my freezer.
-Donate or share any food you purchased that your family didn’t prefer. (Idea from Lisa at Organize365.com)
-Eat up the heavy winter foods in your freezer like chili and stew.
-Think about the foods you like to eat in warmer weather and get the ingredients for things like salads and marinades.
3-Take stock of your pantry and freezer. I needed to call my farmer to order more meat for the summer.
4-Look at your spices. Do they smell fragrant? Toss or use up old spices and make a list of what you need to replenish. I like to get my spices from Penzey’s.
5-Make a list of gadgets and serving utensils you need for the summer. I bought all my kids new water bottles. (Get in the habit of having you kids take a water bottle with them anytime you are in the car.)
6-Clean out your silverware drawer. Martha Stewart was right- it will be full of crumbs.
Enjoy the warmer weather and your family!
Large family gatherings can be lots of fun, but they can also be a lot of work. Here are 10 tips to help you plan and enjoy large family gatherings.
1-Think about the time of day and menu.
-Do you want a lunch, brunch, or evening gathering. Are there little kids that need afternoon naps?
-Plan your menu and let people bring some of the food.
-Avoid saying “bring whatever you want.” You will end up with just desserts and wine.
-Consider the person when asking for specific items. Do they like to cook? Do they arrive on time (if they tend to run late, don’t ask them to bring drinks.)
2- Think about your oven and refrigerator space.
-Do you have enough space to hold and cook the food? If you don’t, ask someone to help you. My mother is baking casseroles for Easter brunch because she has 2 ovens. I am making this Breakfast Casserole for Easter. You may also like this Breakfast Bake.
3- Make ahead as much as possible.
-Anything you can make ahead will save your sanity the day of the gathering. I make my caramel rolls the day before and bake them early in the morning long before guests arrive.
-If you can do at least part of the prep ahead of time that can help.
4- Don’t forget about food safety.
-Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
-Pewter serving dishes can help keep foods at proper temperature or use ice packs or hot pads.
-Refrigerate foods as soon as possible after serving.
-This podcast talks about food safety.
5- Be ready to deal with leftovers.
-Save disposable containers to send home with guests.
-Use zip bags and be sure to label them before you put in the food.
-Put each family’s leftovers in a separate bag in the refrigerator so they can easily take it home when they leave.
6- Consider your seating.
-Will you all be in one room or at one table or are you spread out to the outdoors and different rooms?
-Make sure there are some extra seats so people can sit where they choose.
-Have a backup ready if you plan on outdoor seating.
7-Consider the timing and pace of the meal.
-Do you want to have a leisurely start with appetizers or snacks and then move into the main meal?
-Do you want to feed the kids as soon as possible and have a leisurely end to the gathering?
-Have drinks ready as soon as guests arrive.
8-Think about dishes and utensils.
-Choose your serving platters and dishes ahead of time.
-Make sure you have extra serving utensils for the dishes people are bringing.
-Are you going to use your china or plastic and paper plates. What silverware are you going to use?
-Where are you placing the plates and silverware? I suggest putting the plates at the front of the buffet and the napkins and silverware at the end so it is easier for people to handle their plates.
9- Think about cleanup before guests arrive.
-Place your trash can in an easy to find spot. Make sure it is empty and have an extra trash bag at the bottom of the can.
-Start with an empty dishwasher.
-Have a place on the counter for people to bring their used dishes.
-Fill the sink with soapy water to soak dishes.
-Have towels and dishrags ready for people to help you clean up and let them help you.
10- Enjoy yourself.
-Be sure to sit down and eat your meal.
-Let the pace be slow so you can enjoy the event.
In this episode, Marie gives you 8 tips for feeding your family during a busy season.
- Identify you are in a busy season and figure out when it will get a little easier.
-Follow Lisa Woodruff’s advice (Organize365.com) and if a task can wait until life slows down, let it wait.
2- Give yourself some grace. This is not a time for gourmet Pinterest-perfect family meals.
-Use the food in your freezer. You made it for busy times, plus, now is the time to use up your winter stash so you aren’t stuck eating beef stew in June.
-Do you need some portable meals to eat in the car or at the ball park?
-Sandwiches, Burritos, Breakfast Sandwiches all make good portable meals.
3- Do a deep shopping trip. Marie talked about this in her Holiday Planning episode.
-stock up on basics like toilet paper, paper towels and toiletries in addition to pantry basics.
4- Prep and shop on weekdays if you can. The weekends get busy and you will want to rest if you have the chance. If you are a working parent, consider taking a half or whole day off just to prep. It will give you mental space to face the busy season.
5- Eat Raw Veggies.
-Eating raw veggies saves you time in cooking and cleaning.
-Consider buying a pre-made veggie tray to bring out at snack or dinner time. All the veggies are washed and cut and the dip is ready to go.
6- Stock up on Hearty Snacks
-You will likely have at least one kid eating earlier or later than the rest of the family. Have hearty snacks ready for before or after activities.
-Consider buying individual packages or “compromise foods” if your budget allows. Now is the time for convenience. Or, package homemade foods in single-serving sizes that are easy to grab on the go.
-Cheese and nut packs
-Cheese Sticks
-Hummus (maybe in individual packages)
-Guacamole (maybe in individual packages)
-Granola (Chai Spiced Granola Recipe)
-Veggie Trays
-Baby Carrots
-Yogurt
-Frozen Berries
-Make a Breakfast Casserole (Sausage and Egg Casserole) (Spinach and Hash Brown Breakfast Bake)
-Pre-cook bacon
7- Buy everyone in your family a water bottle that is the same brand with the same lids and straws.
-Get each person a different color so you know where to look if one goes missing. Or, label each water bottle with the child’s name.
-Get your kids in the habit of taking a water bottle with them every time you get in the car. Do the same for you! I drink so much more water if I have it with me in the car.
8- Use the Feed Your Family Tonight Master Meal Planning Sheet and the Weekly Meal Planning Sheet to list your activities and set a dinner bell. (Listen to podcasts 1-4 if you want to know how to use these free meal planning sheets.)
-It is so much easier to plan what kind of meal you need each night if you know how the evening activities. Do you need dinner ready the minute you get home or do you need a portable meal to take to the ball park or practice?
Follow these 8 tips to help you recapture a little calm in the crazy spring sprint.
This interview with Dr. Anne Fishel is full of tips and tools to make family dinner easier for everyone.
Dr. Fishel is the co-founder of The Family Dinner Project. She talks about the research surrounding family dinner. She discusses the positive effect family dinner has on children, especially teens.
She also talks about some of the things you can do to make family dinner possible even when you are crazy busy and some tools you can use to make family dinner a pleasant experience even when your kids may complain.
Find out more about The Family Dinner Project.
Website: https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefamilydinnerproject
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FDP_Tweets
Check out Dr. Fishel’s Book: Home for Dinner, Mixing Food, Fun, and Conversation for Happier Families and Healthier Kids
Get your free copy of the Feed Your Family Tonight Master Meal Planning Sheet.
Do you have lots of "little bits" of food leftover ready to go to wast in your refrigerator? Rice Bowls may be the answer to keeping the food from going to waste and feeding your family.
The basic formula for rice bowls:
Rice
Protein
Veggie
Sauce
Marie explains how to turn leftovers into an entire new meal by following this basic formula for Rice Bowls.
School breaks are great, but if you are not prepared for feeding your family you can get caught off guard. Marie outlines a few tips to make meal and snack time easier during short breaks from school
1- Plan your menu early and go shopping early.
2- Ask your kids what they want to eat and work out the compromises before you go to the grocery store.
3- Plan for treats and give your kids some filling food before the treat if you are afraid the treat will not be enough to fill them up.
4- Plan simple meals for dinner so you don't have to stop your activities to cook.
5- Use cooking dinner as an activity by working together to make a special dinner that takes extra work to make.
Dinner Dread is Real. We all experience it at one time or another. Some of the reasons you have dinner dread are:
-Picky Eaters (Try the Master Meal Planning Sheet)
-Tight Budget (Steph has some great ideas)
-No Energy at the end of the Day (Always Have a Backup)
Weekly Meal Planning Sheet
Knives are a very important part of a good home kitchen. Marie talks about the knives in her house, how she chose them, what she uses them for, and how she takes care of them. She also talks about how important it is to sharpen your knives. She even talks about her obsession with sharpening other people’s knives.
Victorinox
Marie’s Knife Sharpener
Inexpensive Knife Sharpener
Henkel’s Professional S 8 inch chef’s knife, Marie’s favorite knife
Steph Jenkins, of Cheapskate Cook joins Marie to talk about feeding your family real food on a tight budget.
Steph and Marie talk about how to start feeding your family real food on a budget.
The talk about grocery shopping and how Steph wants to be honest with people by not having them visit several stores a week. She talks about the kind of eggs she buys and how to prioritize your shopping list for real food even when money is tight.
You can find Steph
Website: https://www.cheapskatecook.com/
Instagram: @CheapskateCook
Get her cookbook: https://www.cheapskatecook.com/dinner-for-a-dollar/
Find the recipe for Picadillo: https://www.cheapskatecook.com/picadillo-mexican-beef-potato-stew/
Crispy Oven Anything is a simple technique for baking meats and vegetable in a breading. This podcast is for people who use recipes for suggestions. If you want a specific recipe, follow the Crispy Oven Fish recipe in my cookbook.
Step 1: Salt the meat or veggies and cut into the size you prefer. Let the salt sit for 10 minutes or up to a few hours if you can.
Step 2: Create a breading station with plates and bowls of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. (I like whole wheat Panko.)
Step 3: Season the breading components. Good seasonings include salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, lemon pepper, and lemon zest. Thin the egg with water, milk or Dijon mustard.
Step 4: Get your baking tray ready. Use a rack on a rimed sheet for meat and line the pan with parchment for easier cleanup.
Step 5: Pick one “wet hand” and one “dry hand.” Use the “wet hand” to drop the meat or veggie in the flour. Use the “dry hand” to sprinkle the flour over the food then drop into the egg. Use the “wet hand” to remove from egg and drop in the bread crumbs. Then, take the food out of the breadcrumbs with the “dry hand” and place on the baking sheet.
Step 6: Freeze or bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook meat to 165 degrees. I like an instant read thermometer.
Fats and Oils
In this podcast, I talk about the different fats and oils I keep in my home and what I use them for.
Olive Oil
Olive oil comes in many grades. The three main grades are Extra Virgin, Virgin, and Olive Oil or Light Olive Oil.
Extra Virgin is the first press of the ground olives. It does not have heat added. It is usually green in color and grassy and peppery in flavor. It is best to use this oil cold or at room temperature and not to heat it as heat will degrade the flavor of the oil. I like to use it for dipping bread or salad dressings.
Virgin is usually the second or third press of the olives. It still has not had heat or chemicals added to extract the oil. It has less of the grassy and peppery flavors. I will occasionally use it to cook with but try to avoid super high heat as it oxidizes quickly.
Olive Oil or Light Olive Oil is extracted with heat and sometimes chemical solvents and then refined. It is neutral in flavor and is best for cooking or baking
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil comes in two forms, refined and unrefined. It is a solid until about 75-76 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unrefined Coconut Oil tastes like coconut. It has a high smoke point and is good for sautéing. I like to use it for stir-fry and hash browns. It does retain the coconut flavor, so it works really good with Asian flavored dishes.
Refined Coconut oil is coconut oil that has been refined either with chemicals or heat. It does not taste like coconut and is good for high temperature cooking because it has a high smoke point.
Butter
I keep three kinds of butter in my home, Unsalted butter, Salted Irish Butter, and Ghee.
Unsalted Butter is conventional butter that does not have any added salt. I like to use it for baking. The reason I prefer unsalted is that different brands have different amounts of salt. In baking, it is easier to add salt to the recipe than to guess how much salt is already in the butter.
Salted Irish Butter has a deep yellow color. I use the KerryGold brand. The cows in Ireland are grass fed and you can see that it changes the color of the butter. I find that it softens faster at room temperature and has a rich butter flavor. I use it to spread on toast or anything that need a pat of butter.
Ghee is butter that has the milk protein solids and water removed. Butter is and emulsion of milk fat, milk protein solids and water. When you cook the butter gently, the water evaporates, and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pot and eventually brown. This clarified butter has a high smoke point and works well when you want butter flavor but are worried that the butter will burn at the high temperatures. My simple salmon is best when cooked in ghee. It allows you to get a nice brown crust on the fish which adds flavor and texture. You can find ghee near the other oils in the grocery store. It is shelf-stable but should be refrigerated after opening. I make my own following this recipe bye Foodie With Family.
Specialty Oils
Toasted Sesame Oil
I keep toasted sesame oil in my refrigerator for Asian dishes. A little adds a depth of flavor. You want to keep it in the refrigerator because it oxidizes quickly.
Peanut Oil
I use peanut oil for deep frying. In the summer we will deep fry once or twice a month. You can strain and re-use the oil 2-3 times. I like to keep it refrigerated after I have used it. It is important to start with neutral flavored things that won’t give the oil flavor. I like to start with donuts or French fries and fry fish or chicken the last time we use the oil.
Margarine
I don’t use this vegetable oil regularly in my home but have some in my refrigerator now because my daughter had to make a Gothic Cathedral out of gingerbread for a school project. She had a tight budget and it was much less expensive than butter. My mother uses margarine in many of her cookie recipes. It is key to getting the right texture in her cookies. My cookie recipes use real butter.
Canola Oil
I have a bottle of canola oil in my cabinet because my husband uses it on our document shredder as a lubricant. I don’t like to cook with it as it is highly refined and high in Omega 6 fatty acids. Many quick breads and muffin recipes call for vegetable oil. It gives the muffins a moist texture. Substituting butter in recipes developed with oil and five the baked goods a dry texture.
This episode is all about salt. What are the different kinds of salt? Where do they come from? When do you use a specific kind of salt?
Table Salt
This is a refined salt mined from salt deposits left in the earth when it was covered in water. The salt is mined and then chemically refined to remove any trace minerals and impurities. It is NaCl and often has an anti-caking agent added. Because of the anti-caking agents it technically can expire or go bad. Iodized table salt has had an iodine solution sprayed over it. I use this salt in baking because it is easy to measure accurately and dissolves quickly.
Kosher Salt
This salt is also a refined salt that is mined and refined but the grains are lighter with a larger surface area. It was originally used to Kasher meat to make it Kosher for Jewish dietary laws. There are different crystal shapes of kosher salt. Some are flat and others are conical, or shaped like a pyramid and have a slight crunch. It is important to note that different brands of kosher salt have different volumes. If you are using kosher salt, you will want to measure by weight and not volume.
Pink Himalayan Salt
This salt doesn’t actually come from the Himalayas. It comes from a salt deposit near the Himalayas in Pakistan. It get’s it’s pink color from the trace minerals that are in the salt crystals.
Red Salt
This salt comes from a salt deposit in Utah. It get’s it’s red color from trace minerals that are in the salt crystals. In the United States it is often found under the brand name, Real Salt. It has little red flecks in it that do not dissolve and can feel gritty in your mouth. If you use it in something like a soup you will likely find a little residue at the bottom of the pot.
Celtic Sea Salt
This is my favorite salt. Celtic Sea Salt is a brand name. I used it for all but the baking recipes in my cookbook. It is grey in color and has 60-80 trace minerals. It is harvested from sea pools in coastal France. The sea water evaporates on the clay shore and picks up minerals from the clay. It comes in two textures: coarse and fine.
I prefer the coarse grind salt and buy it in 5 pound bags from Amazon. I like this salt because it satisfies my taste for salt with less. I am not an expert, but I believe the trace minerals make a huge difference in the way it tastes. I keep it in a small container with a lid next to my stove. The lid is very important because salt is hydroscopic which means it draws water to itself. When you are cooking the food lets off steam and the salt can draw that steam and take on off flavors. You don’t want your salt tasting like last week’s salmon.
Finishing Salts
Maldon is a popular brand of finishing salt. These salts usually have large, fluffy, grains. They are meant to be added on top of a food and add texture as well as flavor. You can get all different kinds of finishing salts in all sorts of colors and flavors. Some are even smoked salts.
What to do if you add too much salt to a dish
There are three tricks you can try if you accidentally add too much salt to a dish.
1-If it has liquid like a soup or stew, you can peel a potato and cut it in quarters and add it to the liquid. The potato will absorb some of the salt. Therefore you want to cook potatoes for mashed potatoes in unsalted water.
2-If it is a piece of meat, you can rinse it under water in the sink. This can take off some of the excess surface salt.
3-Cooks Illustrated wrote an article about how salt in foods is perceived at different temperatures. They reported that food served at 40 degrees Fahrenheit tasted less salty than food served at 90 degrees and food at 180 degrees was also less salty tasting than the 90 degree food. So, if you add too much salt, you may consider serving your food cold or very hot.
In this episode, Marie talks about how she deals with lunches during the school year. The $2.00 Blue Bin that made everything easier, and how she uses a thermos. She also talks about what she thinks of the "mom police" and what others think you "should" do.
Pyrex measuring cup (not an affiliate link)
Do you ever wonder if the leftovers in your fridge have been there too long? How about the freezer? Marie talks about basic food storage safety. She references Mayo Clinic and the FDA.
Instant Read Thermometer
Get the recipe for Big Batch Taco Meat here.
The make-ahead Lasagna is in the Feed Your Family Tonight Cookbook.
Do you struggle with feeding your family vegetables or cooking side dishes for dinner. You are not alone. In this episode, Marie talks about how she shrugged off the subject of vegetables, but when she dug deeper realized there were lots of things she was doing with veggies.
Inspired by a post in the Facebook group, Marie goes through her go-to ways for cooking veggies. You learn how to blanch and roast brussel sprouts and asparagus and how to cook frozen veggies in a skillet.
Ginger Glazed Carrots
Marie talks about the 3 main categories of New Year's Resloutions:
Organization, Budget, and Wellness. Meal planning hits all three of these categories.
But Marie prefers habits over resolutions. Small little things add up to help you be successfull.
In this episode, Marie speaks with her local farmer, Andi Dale of Dale Family Farms. Marie has purchased beef from the family for years. If you are vegetarian or vegan or a little squeamish about butchering meat, you may want to skip this episode.
If you are in Kansas, Dale Family Farms delivers all across the state. If you are looking for a local farmer in your area, check out LocalHarvest.org, or EatWild.com. You can find Andi’s recipe for Corned Beef Tongue at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com.
Connect with Dale Family Farms:
Website:
DaleFamilyFarms.com
Facebook:
Facebook.com/Dale-Family-Farms
Marie spoke with registered dietitian, Jennifer House. Jennifer is the owner of First Step Nutrition and an expert in helping families deal with picky eaters. She gives tips and advice to help parents deal with picky eaters.
Jen gave us a recipe for Apricot Oatmeal Bran Muffins.
You can follow Jen on Instagram @firststepnut
Facebook.com/firststepnutrition
or her Facebook group: The Nourished Family
You can also join the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group.
In this episode we talk about 10 gadgets to make cooking easier. These are not affiliate links, they are just products I use.
Cuisinart Stick Blender
Microplane rasp grater
Garlic press
Lemon press
Y peeler
Knife Sharpener
Cutting Board
Cutting Board with Rim
Silicone Spatula
Metal Spatula
Holiday time comes with lots of food traditions and gatherings. Here are 4 tricks to make it less stressful.
1- Shop for staples now. Do a big shopping trip and buy all the toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, laundry soap, shampoo and other dry goods. Buy enough to get you through the first week of January.
2- Make a list of all the gatherings you will be expected to bring food.
3- Pick one "Signature Dish" and bring it to all the gatherings. Choose the platters you need and buy enough ingredients to make the dish several times this season.
4- Save the time consuming cookies to make with your family and enjoy the time together. Use a simple drop cookie (like the chocolate chip cookie recipe in my cookbook) to take to gatherings. Make several batches of the dough and freeze.
You can see a video to go with this podcast here.
Join the Feed Your Family Tonight Facebook group for continued support.
Step 3 of the PSA is my favorite. "A" Always have a backup is the most important part of weeknight dinner success. There will be days when things don't go as planned. You may have sick kids or schedule changes or just feel super tired and don't want to cook. Having the ingredients in your house for a dinner you can get on the table in 20 minutes or less is the key to avoiding the drive- thru.
Think of 3 backup meals and go get the ingredients for those meals this week.
Tacos (you can get my recipe for Big Batch Taco Meat in my cookbook.)
Chicken Noodle Soup (From leftover roast chicken and bone broth.)
Breakfast for dinner
The Dinner Bell is the target time you plan to serve dinner. Use the Weekly Meal Plan Sheet to list your activities. Figure out when you plan to serve dinner and that is your dinner bell. If you don't have everyone home at the same time set the dinner bell when most people will be home, or do like Shannon and set your dinner bell in the morning.
In this episode, Marie walks you through the first step in her 3 step PSA for weeknight dinner success.
P- Stands for Plan and Prep
Last week we talked about the Master Meal Planning Sheet. You can get your copy at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/master.
This week we are using the Weekly Meal Plan Sheet. You can get your copy at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/plan.
This sheet has a space to list your activities, set a dinner bell, dinner plan, and prep. The back has a place for your grocery lists.
When you plan, start by listing your activities and then choose what to fix for dinner according to your activities.
The second part of the "P" is Prep. Prep is where you can do something today to be successful later in the week. I like to prep when I am doing the dinner dishes.
You can find my recipe for roast chicken in my cookbook at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/shop.
There are two videos about my process for roast chicken here.
In this episode Marie Welcomes you to the Feed Your Family Tonight podcast and goes over the Master Meal Planning Sheet that you can get for free at FeedYourFamilyTonight.com/master