Sept. 4, 2024

Home Cooking Made Easy with Mel Gunnell [Ep. 111]

Home Cooking Made Easy with Mel Gunnell [Ep. 111]
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What’s for dinner? The perpetual question that has to get answered day in and day out. And for many of my clients, solving this question ends up on their plates.

We know that cooking from home is actually a health habit that can  improve diet quality, help with weight loss, and prevent diabetes. Harvard Health notes that teaching people to cook from home can even be considered a medical intervention. (see this article)

I brought Mel Gunnell from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe on the podcast to help us figure out how to get dinner on the table every night. We chat about some easy semi-homemade shortcuts and the real key for both of us to being able to cook more often than not. 

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More from Mel Gunnell:


About Mel:

Mel Gunnell is the owner and creator of Mel's Kitchen Cafe, an online recipe and food website. For over 15 years, Mel has been a trusted recipe resource for home cooks, food enthusiasts, and busy families. She loves sharing her favorite recipes with the world, and strives to publish recipes that make cooking and baking fun (and help anyone feel like a rock star in the kitchen). Mel resides on 25 acres in southwest Idaho with her husband, five kids, and a whole host of quirky farm animals.

More from Well with Lisa:

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.250
This is the Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well podcast.

00:00:02.339 --> 00:00:05.610
I'm Lisa Salsbury and this is episode 111.

00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:08.609
Home cooking made easy with Mel gunnel.

00:00:09.179 --> 00:00:13.769
If you follow any home cooking bloggers, you have probably heard of Mel's kitchen cafe.

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She's definitely an OJ when it comes to the food blogging world.

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And I was so excited That she accepted my invitation to come on the podcast.

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I'm passionate about helping you cook more from home and I'll touch on the very real health reasons why that is in the beginning.

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Mel is going to help us with ideas for getting dinner on the table quickly.

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Some semi-homemade ideas and what's really worth making from home.

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And what's better to just get as takeout on occasion.

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We also agree wholeheartedly on one of my favorite topics, which is planning.

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So listen for how we both make our meal plans specifically for dinner.

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But we also talk about some favorites for making lunch for yourself.

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Mel is delightful and it was such a pleasure to put a personality and a face to all of her lovely recipes.

00:00:58.761 --> 00:01:05.661
Welcome to Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well; the podcast for women who want to lose weight, but are tired of counting and calculating all the food.

00:01:06.290 --> 00:01:07.850
I'm your host, Lisa Salsbury.

00:01:08.240 --> 00:01:13.900
I'm a certified health and weight loss coach and life coach, and most importantly a recovered chronic dieter.

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I'll teach you to figure out why you are eating when you aren't hungry, instead of worrying so much about what you are eating.

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Welcome back to the Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well podcast.

00:01:24.775 --> 00:01:30.879
I am more than delighted to have Mel Gunnell here from Mel's Kitchen Cafe on the podcast.

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So excited that she accepted my invitation.

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We are going to be talking about cooking from home today.

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As you know, I've shared this a couple of times before, but according to a few studies and specifically on Harvard Health, People that cook at home have a healthier diet.

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They consume fewer calories.

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They're less likely to be obese or have type two diabetes.

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And even Harvard says a growing body of scientific evidence supports that teaching patients to cook from home is actually an effective medical intervention, which I find absolutely fascinating because It just seems like there's so much food available, like why do we really have to cook from home, but there is a growing body of evidence that says that the benefits of cooking from home are actually like a health, habit.

00:02:18.844 --> 00:02:22.025
it's just, it's beyond just learning to cook low fat.

00:02:22.034 --> 00:02:28.235
Like eating anything at home is actually going to improve your health markers, which I find super interesting.

00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:31.979
So, I wanted Mel to come on and help us.

00:02:31.979 --> 00:02:36.949
She is an accomplished food blogger and I would love for you to introduce yourself.

00:02:36.969 --> 00:02:41.300
Let us know how you came to that and just a little bit about what you do.

00:02:42.310 --> 00:02:42.740
Okay.

00:02:42.849 --> 00:02:43.300
Hi.

00:02:43.310 --> 00:02:44.650
Thanks for having me, Lisa.

00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:55.550
so I came into blogging unintentionally about 18 years ago, which is a little bit crazy because that puts me as a very definitive grandma in the blogging world.

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But, um, I just started a blog back when my kids were really little.

00:03:01.564 --> 00:03:10.145
And to be honest, I just needed to do something other than changing diapers and running around with my little kids, which I loved, but I wanted something else.

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So anyway, I started my blog.

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It was very much in intentional to just share recipes with my mom and my sisters who lived far across the country from me.

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And I took really bad pictures and some of my early recipes were really bad.

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And I just kind of started that way.

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So fast forward, you know, through the years, it's just kind of taken a life.

00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:33.349
On a life of its own.

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I've gotten more traffic and I remember when I first got my first comment, that wasn't my mom or my sister.

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And I thought there was some creepy stranger internet person and come to find out that person still follows me to this day.

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So that's kind of fun that they've seen.

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But anyway, so over the years, obviously blogging has changed in the sense of like how it's done and what we do.

00:03:53.759 --> 00:04:02.639
But, um, really, I feel like my motives are still the exact same that they were 17 or 18 years ago, which is I have a really strong love of food.

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And even more than that, I have a really strong love of sharing.

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Those recipes with the world and hopefully along the way, being able to give like approachable tips about life and how to make food for your family and still keep your sanity.

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So that's kind of where it started.

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And then where I am now kind of doing the same thing, just with a larger platform.

00:04:23.949 --> 00:04:24.379
Yeah.

00:04:24.850 --> 00:04:28.860
Well, and your photography apparently has gotten better because I think it always looks great.

00:04:28.865 --> 00:04:29.785
Well, thank goodness.

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I think I would have edged myself out of blogging forever.

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Had I stuck with the food.

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From the beginning.

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So, but I have learned a lot.

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I've learned a lot about photography.

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I've learned a ton about technical computer stuff that who knew would even be part of this.

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So I think sometimes people have this view that.

00:04:46.154 --> 00:04:52.564
Like I'm dancing and singing around my kitchen, you know, making chocolate chip cookies and dinner for my family every day and taking pictures.

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And the truth is I'm not, I mean, I do love cooking, but there's a whole flip side to the blog world, which is all of that backend stuff of, you know, optimizing and getting your posts ready and none of that really matters.

00:05:04.365 --> 00:05:09.995
To most people, except that it's like a whole, it's a whole ball of blogging business.

00:05:09.995 --> 00:05:18.925
But the truth is I wouldn't still be blogging if I didn't really love connecting with my readers and also just really love still putting out recipes that make me so happy.

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I want to cry.

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So,

00:05:21.334 --> 00:05:22.754
well, it's kind of like podcasting too.

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I love the conversations, but all the tech behind it.

00:05:25.069 --> 00:05:26.540
right, right.

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It's a mixed bag.

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So a lot of my clients want to cook more from home.

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They see the benefit.

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They, they hear me talk about it, but they're like, it just doesn't.

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Like taste is good.

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It's not as yummy as when I get it from takeout.

00:05:42.514 --> 00:05:50.165
So if you want to cook more from home, what do you think is the biggest difference in why food tastes different from home?

00:05:50.175 --> 00:05:56.745
Like what are we missing that we could be doing that maybe restaurants or ready made food has?

00:05:57.810 --> 00:05:58.129
Sure.

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I mean, I see that as maybe twofold, which is the first part being, what are our expectations of when we're eating out?

00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:09.430
If it's going through a drive through and grabbing fast food, which we all do, right?

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That's sometimes like a necessity.

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Sometimes that food is not going to be able to be replicated at home.

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I mean, quite honestly, like, it sounds silly, but like, McDonald's french fries.

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Like I can't make those at home and have them taste as good.

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Um, so in some ways I think it's that expectation of what are we really trying to replicate at home.

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But in, in general, if we're saying we just aren't getting that same, just like delicious taste at home, I would say a hundred percent.

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it would be Just seasoning your food correctly.

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And I think people are afraid to do that.

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And some of it, um, first of all, make sure the spices in your spice cupboard are not expired.

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So even me who cooks a lot and works through my spices, um, when spices are expired, they lose their taste.

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And so that is one thing to keep in mind that could be, but also don't be afraid to season food.

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I think bland food, it does not matter how much effort went into it.

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It does not matter the recipe.

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It doesn't matter how long it took and how.

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Beautiful.

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It is.

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But if food is bland, it's not going to taste good.

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So I think when food isn't tasting as good at home, I would say, let's address the expectations, but also like, let's season that food really well.

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And along with that, like, choose the right recipe that works for you.

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I mean, even for me, who I love to cook, I recognize there are some recipes and foods that are not approachable at home.

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And so even though I want to eat sushi, or I want to eat this, like amazing dish that I have at this really nice restaurant, uh, it's not going to taste the same at home because I don't probably have the same ingredients, access to the expensive ingredients, whatever, you know, whatever it is.

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And so I think sometimes we have to say there are foods I'm always going to enjoy better when I eat out.

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And then there's a lot of really approachable, delicious foods.

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And I think maybe stop comparing the two, like getting rid of that expectation that it has to taste the same might be different.

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So the other thing I think is I think for people that have eaten out a lot, our taste buds have to acclimate.

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To home cooked food a little bit.

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It is a little bit of a different taste.

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It's like a down home taste.

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And so letting yourself like being patient with yourself as you adjust to that different style of food and taste.

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I think it's just a process, but I think it's totally doable.

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Yeah, on the on the seasoning note, um, one of my favorite cooking technique books is the salt, fat, acid, heat.

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Great book.

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Yeah, it's a great book.

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And so when she talks about seasoning, It's not just the spices.

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It's not just the garlic and the paprika and the chili powder and those kinds of things, but it's really the salt and that you have to salt your food as it's cooking and that no amount of salt added at the table is going to make up for not properly seasoning with salt during the cooking process.

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And I just, That was really amazing to me, the way that she described that and just salting the water for grains and pastas and pre salting meats to really like get that seasoning in there.

00:09:08.961 --> 00:09:13.520
So I think that, that too, along with like the flavory kind of

00:09:13.635 --> 00:09:14.625
Yeah, absolutely.

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just the

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Salt is, I mean, salt will work wonders enough and that's salt.

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You know, I know people want to be careful of like sodium intake and things like that, but I don't think we're talking an excessive amount of salt here.

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I think we're talking about a really good amount to bring out the flavor.

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So I think what it's an excellent point to bring up.

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I totally agree with that.

00:09:34.926 --> 00:09:48.515
And the sodium content of salting at home is nothing compared to, um, packaged foods, restaurant foods, and, you know, a bag of chips, like, that's really where you, you're going to be concerned with sodium content.

00:09:48.635 --> 00:09:53.046
Salting your chicken is not the problem when we're talking about sodium.

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Yeah.

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Um, good.

00:09:55.235 --> 00:09:59.066
So, What do you find then that you like better?

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Homemade.

00:10:00.446 --> 00:10:04.346
So obviously we're like not trying to duplicate McDonald's french fries.

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'cause if you want that, like just go get them.

00:10:06.145 --> 00:10:06.355
That's

00:10:06.380 --> 00:10:07.370
Just go, go get them.

00:10:07.400 --> 00:10:07.630
Yeah.

00:10:07.750 --> 00:10:09.270
Also they're a dollar, right?

00:10:09.280 --> 00:10:09.980
So go

00:10:10.225 --> 00:10:10.495
Yeah.

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It's not worth the effort.

00:10:13.405 --> 00:10:15.596
So like what do you love?

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Homemade.

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I will say like, I think my pasta, like my, just like basic spaghetti is like way better than Olive Garden or like any kind of just like kind of chain Italian restaurant.

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I'm like.

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It's not even close.

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My kids are like, let's never go to Italian because we would rather just eat your spaghetti.

00:10:35.900 --> 00:10:36.410
right.

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do you, what do you think is better homemade than getting from a restaurant?

00:10:41.471 --> 00:10:42.860
I mean, this is subjective, right?

00:10:42.860 --> 00:10:53.201
Because it's kind of boiled down to my taste buds, but I would agree with you like same in our family, the Alfredo or spaghetti I make, it's hilarious to me.

00:10:53.201 --> 00:10:54.620
I make spaghetti a lot.

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And every single time, My husband, when he eats is like, Oh my gosh, your spaghetti is the best.

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And I'm like, we have this all the time.

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Like I just, it's, it's adorable.

00:11:03.875 --> 00:11:04.436
I'm so grateful.

00:11:04.436 --> 00:11:10.556
He's still raving about it, but basically that's like, if we were at a restaurant, I don't think anyone in my family would order spaghetti.

00:11:10.596 --> 00:11:12.086
Um, there's a couple other things.

00:11:12.635 --> 00:11:13.975
Some of them are like desserts.

00:11:13.975 --> 00:11:20.686
Like I, I don't order creme brulee anywhere because it is so easy to make at home and it is, you know, world's better.

00:11:20.686 --> 00:11:32.086
So that's something that I feel like at home, um, I would make the other thing for me that is really satisfying to make at home is just homemade bread, like breads, like breadsticks, homemade breadsticks or something.

00:11:32.086 --> 00:11:33.395
And a lot of those recipes.

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aren't really all that difficult.

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They don't take all day to make.

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And so for me, I find that's another thing that unless it's like a really high end restaurant or high end bakery, which I live in a small town, I don't, I don't have access to those things.

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Homemade bread is another one that I really like to make at home.

00:11:50.145 --> 00:11:54.875
And then the final one I would say is this sounds really silly because it's so simplistic, but.

00:11:54.875 --> 00:11:55.056
Yeah.

00:11:55.630 --> 00:12:11.951
I think when people can get a handle on taking over cooking meat and grilling, it really opens up this life changing aspect that you can eat pretty healthy at home, you know, high protein lean meats, but also really delicious.

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And it's so simple.

00:12:13.610 --> 00:12:15.030
So we grill a lot of meats.

00:12:15.160 --> 00:12:18.051
We smoke a lot of meats and that's kind of opened up.

00:12:18.701 --> 00:12:22.000
A way for me to be like, I don't think I would, I don't think I'd get this at a restaurant.

00:12:22.010 --> 00:12:25.561
Like I can make it at home and it's usually so much cheaper to do that.

00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.331
So those are a few things that come to mind.

00:12:27.951 --> 00:12:39.035
Even if you're buying really high quality meat, which that is one thing I would love for people to buy as high quality meat as you can afford because it does end up

00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:40.451
It does make a difference.

00:12:40.785 --> 00:12:41.405
easier.

00:12:41.405 --> 00:12:49.816
Yeah, you can kind of mess it up and it's not messed up, you know, but if like you, if you mess up really cheap chicken, it's never, you're never going to

00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:52.640
not, you're never going to ever want to make chicken again.

00:12:52.961 --> 00:12:55.061
So yeah.

00:12:55.235 --> 00:12:55.666
okay.

00:12:55.735 --> 00:13:00.681
If we're like trying to, trying to cook from home, but It's sounding overwhelming.

00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:08.321
What are some of your favorite, shortcuts that maybe you can kind of combine with, things you buy at the store and things you homemake?

00:13:09.020 --> 00:13:15.370
Like, I don't know if she's still on the Food Network, but one of those original Food Networks girls was, like, semi homemade, I don't

00:13:15.421 --> 00:13:17.421
Oh, I totally remember Sandra Lee.

00:13:17.551 --> 00:13:18.100
Oh yeah.

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Yeah.

00:13:19.421 --> 00:13:19.951
remember.

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And, like, half her stuff was using, like, a can of soup, which I'm like, eh, no, not

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so much hate too.

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And I was like really like, it was such a brilliant.

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It's such a brilliant way to view things.

00:13:33.260 --> 00:13:45.711
So I really feel like if people are overwhelmed with cooking at home, this, this diverges just a little bit from your question, but I would say the very first thing to do is to just sit down and plan a menu.

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I think, I think one of the biggest reasons it's overwhelming to a lot of people is What on earth do I even cook?

00:13:52.176 --> 00:13:57.535
And, and most of us are cooking, even if it's for ourselves, we have schedules, right?

00:13:57.535 --> 00:14:00.025
We have a work schedule and we have busy lives.

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And so when five o'clock rolls around is not the time.

00:14:03.446 --> 00:14:08.745
I mean, all of us are going to jump to something quick and easy and fast food or whatever in those moments.

00:14:08.745 --> 00:14:10.985
So, Planning a menu, I think is huge.

00:14:10.995 --> 00:14:12.975
It takes the guesswork out of what to eat.

00:14:12.975 --> 00:14:22.285
And, and I don't think it has to be like Monday meeting this Tuesday meeting this, but I really encourage people to say, look at your week and just plan even three to four meals, get the groceries for them.

00:14:22.596 --> 00:14:26.245
And then on that day, say, Oh, this meal slides into this day really well.

00:14:26.275 --> 00:14:32.035
So that you don't get to Tuesday and you're like, I actually don't have time or I'm not in the mood for, you know, chicken Alfredo or whatever it is.

00:14:32.035 --> 00:14:33.885
So I think planning a menu is really important,

00:14:33.912 --> 00:14:36.302
Sorry, let me, let me just interject here.

00:14:36.361 --> 00:14:38.172
That's exactly how I plan, by the way.

00:14:38.432 --> 00:14:39.011
And I love

00:14:39.022 --> 00:14:39.501
yeah,

00:14:40.072 --> 00:14:46.072
plan a grouping of meals, and then when it comes to the day, you pick, okay, so today this meal will fit best with my schedule.

00:14:46.101 --> 00:14:47.611
I love that way of planning.

00:14:47.881 --> 00:15:00.241
It's like, I call it like the fluid menu planning, where I think sometimes too rigid of menu planning is actually a curse and can turn people off to wanting to cook from home or even menu planning in the first place.

00:15:00.241 --> 00:15:01.381
But I do the same.

00:15:01.381 --> 00:15:03.751
I have these meals as if I have the ingredients.

00:15:03.961 --> 00:15:08.552
The other thing is, I, I would say don't over menu plan, don't plan seven meals in a week.

00:15:08.881 --> 00:15:11.461
Um, generally not many of us are.

00:15:11.912 --> 00:15:26.922
Cooking maybe seven homemade meals in a week, but you can include a leftover night, you know, pulling out the leftovers or, you know, something, something easy, but to your original question about how to help it not be overwhelming, I think starting really simply.

00:15:26.922 --> 00:15:28.522
So some of those like.

00:15:29.351 --> 00:15:33.142
I think what we have to say is we don't have to make every single thing from scratch, right?

00:15:33.142 --> 00:15:40.861
So if we decide that dinner needs to be like, let's say, you know, barbecue pulled pork sandwiches by the buns.

00:15:40.932 --> 00:15:41.572
You know what I mean?

00:15:41.572 --> 00:15:45.511
We're not, we're not having to like make homemade buns or homemade barbecue sauce.

00:15:45.532 --> 00:15:51.096
I think some of it is Especially if you're starting out is to start out into that slowly.

00:15:51.096 --> 00:16:02.076
And then if it becomes something that you want to do, or it becomes a hobby where you want to learn to bake the bread, bake the bread, but otherwise there's so many things I would say in any given meal, there's things that you're going to be able to do to.

00:16:03.062 --> 00:16:06.841
Like for lack of a better term, cut corners a little bit to make it a little bit more doable.

00:16:06.851 --> 00:16:29.322
So some of that is, um, one of my favorite hacks right now that's saving me is, um, Costco and I've seen him at Walmart and Albertson sells those microwavable rice packets and rice is not that hard to cook, but being able to pull out that microwavable rice packet and know that I'm just going to focus on the main component of dinner and we're just going to microwave the rice.

00:16:29.777 --> 00:16:31.326
Means we're still going to get a meal.

00:16:31.356 --> 00:16:32.027
Do you know what I mean?

00:16:32.027 --> 00:16:34.687
But it doesn't, it doesn't have to be every component.

00:16:34.716 --> 00:16:42.927
The other thing I would say, is not every weeknight meal or even a week weekend meal needs to have a million side dishes.

00:16:43.267 --> 00:16:47.086
So my favorite thing to do is what's in season.

00:16:47.086 --> 00:16:48.517
So we just chop up fresh fruit.

00:16:48.527 --> 00:16:53.937
I mean, very often like our side dishes, like fresh fruit and vegetables and, and then like a main dish.

00:16:53.937 --> 00:16:57.226
And so I think taking out this, this.

00:16:57.662 --> 00:17:01.371
Maybe expectation that every meal needs to have so many different components.

00:17:01.621 --> 00:17:07.201
A well rounded meal doesn't have to include five different homemade recipes, if that makes sense.

00:17:07.201 --> 00:17:11.152
I think we can include just fresh cut up vegetables with branch.

00:17:11.152 --> 00:17:22.852
If you want, you know, some dipping something in there and then taking a look at each recipe and saying, what of this can I buy and what of it can I, can I make and kind of go from there?

00:17:23.382 --> 00:17:23.751
Yeah.

00:17:24.221 --> 00:17:26.061
When you said, you know, Costco has them.

00:17:26.061 --> 00:17:28.061
I thought you were going to say all the pre prepped meats.

00:17:28.092 --> 00:17:32.392
I, I've been doing more pre prepped meats from Costco, like their carnitas.

00:17:32.882 --> 00:17:34.612
Cause like that, it's just shredded pork.

00:17:34.622 --> 00:17:35.461
It's called carnitas,

00:17:35.537 --> 00:17:36.037
Yeah.

00:17:36.332 --> 00:17:43.471
just shredded pork and I've used it for barbecue sandwiches and Hawaiian bowls and just lots of different things.

00:17:43.511 --> 00:17:45.281
Obviously the rotisserie chicken is.

00:17:47.162 --> 00:17:48.432
It's a staple.

00:17:48.646 --> 00:17:48.757
a

00:17:49.001 --> 00:17:49.771
it's a staple.

00:17:50.787 --> 00:17:51.067
Yes.

00:17:51.076 --> 00:17:51.567
And that's true.

00:17:51.567 --> 00:18:02.376
I know not everyone may have access to Costco, but places like Costco or even there's a lot of ready made type ingredients, even at your kind of regular grocery store in like smaller packages.

00:18:02.376 --> 00:18:03.507
Costco doesn't more in bulk.

00:18:03.777 --> 00:18:05.416
I think those are fantastic ways.

00:18:05.876 --> 00:18:17.027
Um, Costco has like a Panera Mac and cheese that often like we serve, you know, That I'll get that and we serve it alongside, you know, whatever else we're eating, you know, a grilled meat or something.

00:18:17.027 --> 00:18:22.817
So I think incorporating both is a very sensible way to approach cooking at home.

00:18:23.551 --> 00:18:23.922
Yeah.

00:18:24.221 --> 00:18:34.701
And then too, like you're kind of easing in if you're like really trying to transition from going out most nights a week, then you're like, well, if I get Panera mac and cheese, it's not the same as going to Panera.

00:18:34.711 --> 00:18:42.011
But if you're putting it with your own homemade grilled meats, like it's a nice ease in, into making things from home.

00:18:42.571 --> 00:18:52.912
That being said, one thing I love to make from home is salad dressings, because I think the flavor of like a really good olive oil makes a salad dressing.

00:18:52.932 --> 00:18:59.791
And that's really hard to find, because when you refrigerate a salad dressing with good olive oil, it becomes solid.

00:18:59.811 --> 00:19:05.231
And so it's not easy to sell because then it's not fluid coming out of the refrigerator.

00:19:05.231 --> 00:19:11.527
So I think that's like my one thing that I'm like, but if you're going to make something, Make it be the salad dressing.

00:19:12.217 --> 00:19:12.586
Yeah.

00:19:12.866 --> 00:19:13.076
No,

00:19:13.146 --> 00:19:13.767
what's yours on

00:19:13.787 --> 00:19:14.336
disagree with that.

00:19:14.557 --> 00:19:16.267
I, I like that salad dressing.

00:19:16.297 --> 00:19:23.416
The other thing I found with salad dressings, which it's, it's, it's Really good olive oil and a really good balsamic vinegar.

00:19:23.876 --> 00:19:28.106
You can just whisk a couple tablespoons of that every time you want salad.

00:19:28.136 --> 00:19:31.416
Cause you don't need much else besides a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

00:19:31.416 --> 00:19:49.507
So I do think starting with really good base ingredients when it's, there's not many ingredients in there, like salad dressing and you're not cooking it is a really good tip for having things taste good, someone told me one time balsamic vinegar, um, to always look and make sure that the first ingredient is grape must.

00:19:49.557 --> 00:19:53.826
And if not, then like, it's going to not taste as good, you know?

00:19:53.826 --> 00:19:58.267
So things like that, I think like it's, it's not that, that bottle will last you forever too.

00:19:58.287 --> 00:20:01.876
It's just worth maybe that extra good quality.

00:20:02.132 --> 00:20:03.672
So you asked me a question there.

00:20:03.731 --> 00:20:04.321
What were you?

00:20:04.997 --> 00:20:07.936
Oh, just what's your favorite thing that most people buy?

00:20:08.017 --> 00:20:10.876
Cause I feel, feel like most people buy salad dressing, you know?

00:20:11.156 --> 00:20:12.807
So that's kind of like an uncommon one.

00:20:13.112 --> 00:20:17.672
Yeah, I, I would say with that, probably barbecue sauce, which sounds silly.

00:20:17.672 --> 00:20:33.682
Cause I think earlier in this, I said, go buy the barbecue sauce, which I think you shouldn't just go by the barbecue sauce, but I have a recipe for barbecue sauce, which is so good that, if I'm out, I obviously buy it and everyone can tell, you know, they're like, wait, where's the homemade stuff that lasts forever in the fridge.

00:20:33.692 --> 00:20:38.392
So barbecue sauce is kind of one of those things that I probably go out of my way to make.

00:20:38.751 --> 00:20:39.842
Because I think it tastes

00:20:40.221 --> 00:20:44.741
well, it's hard for me to when I turn over the barbecue sauce and the first three ingredients are sugar.

00:20:44.741 --> 00:20:47.332
I'm like, uh, I surely could do this better.

00:20:47.479 --> 00:20:48.769
I know, right?

00:20:49.038 --> 00:20:49.459
Right.

00:20:49.999 --> 00:20:54.009
I mean, I think there's some things not worth making at home, like mustard, no.

00:20:54.058 --> 00:20:55.358
Ketchup, probably not.

00:20:55.459 --> 00:21:04.473
You know, things that I just The other thing that I have dabbled in every once in a while, I don't do this consistently, but homemade mayonnaise is, like it is, tastes better.

00:21:05.263 --> 00:21:11.663
So it's almost like you've never had, I was like, this cannot be the same thing that's in that jar of mayonnaise I buy from the store.

00:21:11.953 --> 00:21:16.713
I don't do it all the time, but that's another one that I think is kind of more of a fun thing to make at home.

00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:19.489
okay, I make a lot of things homemade.

00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:24.078
more than I think anybody needs to like how you said, like, go buy the barbecue sauce.

00:21:24.189 --> 00:21:24.618
It's fine.

00:21:24.929 --> 00:21:30.144
But because cooking is, you know, I mean, I'm not a food blogger, but it definitely is a hobby for me.

00:21:30.144 --> 00:21:37.094
I also like make all my own breads and I started making my own mayonnaise a few years back and now like, I cannot buy mayonnaise.

00:21:37.913 --> 00:21:38.844
It's so different.

00:21:39.193 --> 00:21:40.784
I mean, it's like luxurious.

00:21:40.804 --> 00:21:41.884
It's so delicious.

00:21:42.034 --> 00:21:42.594
And then

00:21:42.604 --> 00:21:42.903
good.

00:21:42.983 --> 00:21:43.503
It's so

00:21:43.584 --> 00:21:45.023
choose exactly what kind of oil.

00:21:45.054 --> 00:21:50.923
So I usually use a really light olive oil and a combination of a really light olive oil and avocado oil.

00:21:50.923 --> 00:21:52.933
And yeah, it's really, really, good.

00:21:53.394 --> 00:21:54.253
Oh, I bet that's amazing.

00:21:54.253 --> 00:21:55.624
I bet that's so good.

00:21:55.884 --> 00:21:56.263
Okay.

00:21:56.324 --> 00:22:01.644
That was a sidetrack, but if you want to know how to make something like there's a recipe out there, which is nice because

00:22:01.923 --> 00:22:02.433
Yeah, there

00:22:02.703 --> 00:22:07.003
You know, if you're out of something, if you're like, Oh, I'm, I'm out of mayonnaise.

00:22:07.003 --> 00:22:12.413
And I really wanted to make this, um, you know, tuna melt for dinner and you actually can make it.

00:22:12.413 --> 00:22:15.074
And if you have a stick blender, it literally takes five minutes.

00:22:15.084 --> 00:22:18.259
So, um, Look for those kind of recipes.

00:22:18.378 --> 00:22:23.048
I think there's a lot of times where I just think why, why did I make this dinner?

00:22:23.078 --> 00:22:25.509
It's just, I should have just grabbed takeout.

00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:27.019
It's taking me so long.

00:22:27.548 --> 00:22:36.939
But then there's other times where I'm like, wow, I got this on the table and there's no way even like Uber Eats could have gotten here faster than what I got this meal on the table.

00:22:37.269 --> 00:22:43.659
What is your favorite thing that is just so fast that you're like, Oh, I can make this like with my eyes closed?

00:22:44.368 --> 00:22:47.469
Yeah, I just made one of those meals last night, actually.

00:22:47.558 --> 00:23:13.618
And I would say most stir fries are like that for us because if I have the chicken thawed or fresh or whatever, but last night I just, um, it's the meal we always turn to, and it's just like an egg roll in a bowl type meal, and you literally like cook the ground turkey, you put in some minor seasonings like soy sauce, you know, some kind of more Asian style ingredients, and then you throw in some cabbage and carrots on top and let it steam, and it is like such a crowd favorite for my family.

00:23:13.618 --> 00:23:18.898
And I think, I mean, I've never officially timed it, but it has to be a 20 minute or less type of meal.

00:23:18.898 --> 00:23:24.219
And I feel like it's, it's one of those meals that I feel good about my family eating and has a ton, ton of flavor.

00:23:24.628 --> 00:23:25.989
And it's really fast.

00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:28.358
And really that one, I don't have to plan too far ahead.

00:23:28.378 --> 00:23:32.679
If I, even if I had like ground turkey or ground chicken in the freezer, you can thaw that pretty quickly.

00:23:33.048 --> 00:23:35.233
So there's meals like that, that are really, yeah.

00:23:35.963 --> 00:23:37.044
Kind of a lifesaver for me.

00:23:37.044 --> 00:23:48.163
And the other one is we have a homemade Alfredo sauce, which is, so quick and easy, and that's another one that every time I make it, I'm like, there's not really an Alfredo sauce I've had at a restaurant that can beat this.

00:23:48.193 --> 00:23:50.854
And it's, I was able to make it in 15 minutes.

00:23:50.864 --> 00:23:56.628
So I would say those are kind of maybe like the two things that we make a lot other than, you know, You know what we talked about before.

00:23:56.628 --> 00:24:04.689
I do have some Costco favorites, like their lentils and rice we eat, but, you know, homemade, those are kind of the meals that I did every time.

00:24:04.689 --> 00:24:05.558
And it's not fancy.

00:24:05.558 --> 00:24:07.249
We usually sit up at our kitchen.

00:24:07.409 --> 00:24:12.048
We have like a dining room table, but we also have like this kitchen bar Island thing.

00:24:12.459 --> 00:24:12.858
And.

00:24:13.459 --> 00:24:14.929
It's like I'm throwing it out there.

00:24:14.939 --> 00:24:15.769
We're sitting up there.

00:24:15.769 --> 00:24:16.479
It's not fancy.

00:24:16.479 --> 00:24:17.588
It's not plated fancy.

00:24:17.588 --> 00:24:22.669
It's not like we have this elaborate, family dinner, but it's so delicious.

00:24:22.699 --> 00:24:26.278
And, and it feels really good to make something so delicious when it's so fast.

00:24:26.278 --> 00:24:30.898
I mean, there's other things I feel like a rock star when I make, and they've taken like all day and it's amazing.

00:24:30.898 --> 00:24:32.128
And it's like this great meal.

00:24:32.743 --> 00:24:36.884
But I'm equally as satisfied when dinner's on the table really quickly.

00:24:36.923 --> 00:24:39.993
And like you said, faster than you could get it dropped off.

00:24:40.013 --> 00:24:47.384
I mean, I, I don't get anything dropped off in my neck of the woods, but faster than I could go pick something up and, and everyone's raving about it.

00:24:47.384 --> 00:24:48.034
You know what I mean?

00:24:48.064 --> 00:24:49.753
So that feels, that feels pretty

00:24:49.784 --> 00:24:52.544
Is that Alfredo recipe on your website or is it in your book?

00:24:54.034 --> 00:24:55.423
Yeah, it's in both places.

00:24:55.733 --> 00:24:55.953
Yeah.

00:24:55.953 --> 00:24:59.104
It's just the, so I don't know, garlic Alfredo sauce.

00:24:59.124 --> 00:24:59.874
It's really good.

00:24:59.884 --> 00:25:01.544
And it's, it's, it's a little bit.

00:25:02.374 --> 00:25:03.884
I'm not a health food blogger.

00:25:03.884 --> 00:25:13.723
And I have to be like, I'm always saying that because I get a lot of people that are like, um, anyway, a lot of hate mail when I post cupcakes or when I don't post cupcakes either, either side of it.

00:25:14.114 --> 00:25:18.433
But that the, uh, the reason I love that Alfredo a little bit is it's a little bit lightened up.

00:25:18.433 --> 00:25:19.503
So that was my caveat.

00:25:19.534 --> 00:25:22.913
I didn't try to make it lightened up, but it doesn't have any heavy cream in it.

00:25:22.913 --> 00:25:23.233
It's.

00:25:23.679 --> 00:25:27.548
It's just kind of like a cream cheese milk garlic based and it's just, it's really yummy.

00:25:27.558 --> 00:25:28.919
My, it's definitely my kids.

00:25:28.949 --> 00:25:36.638
I would say if they had to pick a favorite recipe out of the 17 years I've been blogging, I would say four fifths of them would choose that one.

00:25:36.979 --> 00:25:37.528
Oh, wow.

00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:38.159
Yeah.

00:25:38.318 --> 00:25:39.048
It's very popular.

00:25:39.078 --> 00:25:42.328
Well, my clients know all foods can fit.

00:25:42.538 --> 00:25:48.409
We don't have to, I mean, even, even Alfredo put some chicken on there, put a broccoli on the side.

00:25:49.269 --> 00:25:50.689
Yeah, it's perfect.

00:25:51.409 --> 00:25:56.058
So I think one of the bigger challenges for, um, us, uh, A lot.

00:25:56.219 --> 00:26:00.239
Well, not a lot of my clients, but some of them have been stay at home moms.

00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:05.969
And then the other ones that work are still needing to like prepare a lunch for themselves.

00:26:05.999 --> 00:26:09.709
And it's that lunch time where it's different than the family time.

00:26:09.709 --> 00:26:16.358
So for the women and for my clients that are in charge of making dinner for their families, generally everyone's eaten the same thing.

00:26:16.798 --> 00:26:17.138
Right.

00:26:17.169 --> 00:26:20.249
But then when it comes to lunch, And breakfast.

00:26:20.249 --> 00:26:22.578
But for some reason, my clients don't struggle with breakfast.

00:26:22.598 --> 00:26:23.288
It's the lunch.

00:26:23.288 --> 00:26:24.788
They're like, I don't know what to make.

00:26:24.848 --> 00:26:28.439
I don't want the peanut butter and jelly or the chicken nuggets or the corn dog that I make for the kids.

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:34.628
But I don't want to like cook a meal from scratch for just, for just me.

00:26:35.439 --> 00:26:40.199
Obviously my go to is leftovers, but lately my daughter works evenings.

00:26:40.199 --> 00:26:42.108
And so I package up the leftovers.

00:26:42.554 --> 00:26:45.114
on Wednesday night, and she takes it to work Thursday night.

00:26:45.153 --> 00:26:50.084
And so I'm like, all of a sudden, I have no leftovers.

00:26:50.253 --> 00:26:53.943
And so lunch just seems to be a challenge.

00:26:54.134 --> 00:26:58.114
What what's some of your go tos for lunch for just yourself?

00:26:59.118 --> 00:27:05.028
So I am really mentally allergic to cooking lunch, like making a recipe for lunch.

00:27:05.028 --> 00:27:11.788
I feel like maybe I've gotten burned out, not burned out because I do love to cook, but you know, just like, I know that I'm going to be cooking for dinner.

00:27:12.209 --> 00:27:14.828
And I do try to cook breakfast for my kids on school morning.

00:27:14.828 --> 00:27:21.118
So I just, that's that middle of the day where I'm like, I am not cooking anything, but I also like, I want to eat something yummy.

00:27:21.118 --> 00:27:23.489
So it's like that hard balance of, of wanting it.

00:27:23.499 --> 00:27:29.719
So I'm like you, I sometimes rely on leftovers or I hide the leftovers deep in the back of the fridge so that I have access to them.

00:27:30.108 --> 00:27:34.019
Um, but on days that I don't, there's a couple of things that I.

00:27:34.443 --> 00:27:59.753
Always keep the ingredients on a hand for so I have this little like, I don't know what I would even call it, like a tuna sushi bowl, I guess, where I just use the packets of tuna, you know, like the lemon pepper, whatever packets I put one of them in there and then I usually like chop up a cucumber and some cherry tomatoes, put some cottage cheese in there and then I get the little nori, um, seaweed, I'm Things and crumble them over the top.

00:27:59.753 --> 00:28:05.144
So I mean, that's like, maybe not everyone's food style, but like I eat that a lot for lunch, or then I'll dip crackers into it.

00:28:05.483 --> 00:28:09.933
there's also, probably one of the oldest recipes on my website.

00:28:09.933 --> 00:28:13.044
It's this tuna and white bean salad.

00:28:13.044 --> 00:28:17.634
I think it's called, but you literally just dump like again, tuna and white beans and some seasonings.

00:28:17.683 --> 00:28:18.624
And it's so fast.

00:28:18.634 --> 00:28:23.394
So I guess technically it is a recipe, but I'll sometimes just whip that up on a Monday.

00:28:23.673 --> 00:28:26.753
And then, you know, have it several days through the lunch.

00:28:26.773 --> 00:28:28.003
And that's kind of my thing.

00:28:28.003 --> 00:28:30.884
If, if I am going to make anything that's specifically for lunch.

00:28:31.348 --> 00:28:35.898
I'll make like several portions of it so that I can put it in the fridge and eat it for several days.

00:28:36.108 --> 00:28:40.588
I don't, I don't necessarily mind eating the same thing for lunch a couple days in a row.

00:28:40.588 --> 00:28:44.078
I know some other people get fatigued about eating the same thing.

00:28:44.358 --> 00:28:46.058
Um, so that's something that I'll do.

00:28:46.058 --> 00:28:49.028
And the other thing is I think we can like redefine sandwiches.

00:28:49.058 --> 00:28:56.709
So I also don't really want to like make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but sometimes I'll grab like a tortilla or a wrap and I'll like wrap up meat and cheese.

00:28:57.048 --> 00:28:59.209
And whatever I want in there in the tortilla.

00:28:59.209 --> 00:29:01.269
And I mean, it's just different, right?

00:29:01.269 --> 00:29:06.278
It's not, it's not something quite as boring as, you know, a sandwich or things like that.

00:29:06.278 --> 00:29:07.628
So I don't know.

00:29:07.628 --> 00:29:12.538
I try to think outside the box, but then I also am like kind of a lazy lunch eater.

00:29:12.719 --> 00:29:15.769
I don't want to put a whole lot of effort in for lunch.

00:29:16.346 --> 00:29:21.146
my favorite lazy lunch is a bag salad and whatever leftover protein I have.

00:29:21.241 --> 00:29:21.622
Yeah.

00:29:21.622 --> 00:29:22.642
That's a great idea.

00:29:22.951 --> 00:29:23.291
Yeah.

00:29:23.656 --> 00:29:28.307
Because I find like, I actually made salads last night.

00:29:28.317 --> 00:29:31.076
It was just my younger daughter, my 16 year old and I for dinner.

00:29:31.537 --> 00:29:34.227
and I had been to Costco, so I had a rotisserie chicken.

00:29:34.787 --> 00:29:39.237
So I just, we just made salads and just whatever vegetables we had.

00:29:39.326 --> 00:29:43.356
Luckily I had some tomatoes from the garden and my favorite thing on a salad is actually fresh basil.

00:29:43.356 --> 00:29:46.146
So we did that with, with some registry chicken.

00:29:46.146 --> 00:29:47.207
So that's fine.

00:29:47.207 --> 00:29:53.862
But like, Thinking about doing that for lunch is like, no, I'm absolutely not going to be getting out that many ingredients.

00:29:53.872 --> 00:29:56.832
Like I, for some reason, like you said, mentally allergic.

00:29:56.832 --> 00:30:04.892
So I love having a couple of bag salads on hand for lunch because then I don't have to do any

00:30:05.061 --> 00:30:06.872
Yeah, no, I agree with that.

00:30:07.362 --> 00:30:15.221
The other thing that I love, I love like meat and cheese, like charcuterie things, which is just a fancy name for like growing meat, cheese and crackers together.

00:30:15.221 --> 00:30:16.582
And sometimes that's what I'll eat for lunch.

00:30:16.582 --> 00:30:18.912
Like I, I tend to keep that kind of stuff on hand.

00:30:18.922 --> 00:30:21.961
So even getting like the, pre sliced squares of cheese.

00:30:21.961 --> 00:30:27.362
You can get so many different varieties, even at a regular grocery store, like Havarti and Swiss and all of these, I'll just keep them in the fridge.

00:30:27.362 --> 00:30:28.471
They last for a long time.

00:30:28.471 --> 00:30:38.862
And so sometimes like for lunch, I'll just pull that out and then I'll grab like some cherry tomatoes from the garden or the fridge or whatever, and just throw that on there, like I would, I call that like more of like my snacky lunch, and I actually really love it.

00:30:38.872 --> 00:30:45.731
It's like when I'm wearing more favorite ones where it doesn't have to be like an actual, it doesn't feel like an actual meal, but it's pretty filling.

00:30:46.442 --> 00:30:47.362
The protein in crackers.

00:30:47.362 --> 00:30:48.362
So I do that a lot, too.

00:30:48.797 --> 00:30:55.727
I'm not like a huge fan of crackers, so I'll do that, but I'll just toast up some sourdough bread and have that with it.

00:30:56.811 --> 00:30:57.031
Yeah.

00:30:58.237 --> 00:31:03.156
In the winter, I don't love salads as much because, like you said, eat for the seasons.

00:31:03.567 --> 00:31:11.186
And so, Sometimes I will just pull all the vegetables in the fridge and do like a veggie and bean soup, and then

00:31:11.251 --> 00:31:11.852
Oh, that's a great

00:31:12.086 --> 00:31:20.977
several days in a row in the winter, because I, I kind of call it like, it's like salad in the winter, because it's all the same vegetables except for the lettuce, you know?

00:31:20.991 --> 00:31:21.281
Yeah.

00:31:21.281 --> 00:31:22.051
That's true.

00:31:22.132 --> 00:31:22.852
That's true.

00:31:22.922 --> 00:31:23.592
I like that.

00:31:24.211 --> 00:31:28.261
I find in the winter, I tend to like want to eat something maybe a little warmer for lunch.

00:31:28.271 --> 00:31:38.942
I eat a lot of like, I'll, it's like kind of more breakfast food, but I'll fry up a couple eggs and then just saute some vegetables in the same skillet, you know, with the eggs and, and do that for lunch.

00:31:38.961 --> 00:31:41.731
So I think, I think it's a little bit of like thinking outside of the box.

00:31:41.741 --> 00:31:44.102
So I think we think of these foods as like traditional.

00:31:44.757 --> 00:31:45.926
Foods that fit in another box.

00:31:45.936 --> 00:31:47.777
Maybe it's the breakfast box or the snack box.

00:31:47.777 --> 00:31:50.586
But I think actually like lunch can be so many different things.

00:31:50.686 --> 00:31:53.836
You know, we can eat a lot of different varieties of food and it's okay.

00:31:53.946 --> 00:31:55.386
Like lunch is for everything.

00:31:56.346 --> 00:31:56.707
Yeah.

00:31:57.336 --> 00:32:00.336
I definitely, I think lunch is my favorite time for fruit too.

00:32:00.386 --> 00:32:02.507
I eat a lot of fruit at lunch, so.

00:32:02.807 --> 00:32:03.237
Yeah.

00:32:03.527 --> 00:32:04.126
all right.

00:32:04.166 --> 00:32:12.852
So, any last tips, like, Getting dinner on the table as a busy, I, I know you kind of probably consider yourself a stay at home mom.

00:32:12.852 --> 00:32:15.152
Cause you work from home us like work from home.

00:32:15.152 --> 00:32:15.942
Moms are like, I don't know.

00:32:15.942 --> 00:32:17.942
I stay at home, but like really we're working.

00:32:18.307 --> 00:32:20.477
It's kind of a weird, it's a weird balance.

00:32:20.477 --> 00:32:21.411
Yeah.

00:32:21.432 --> 00:32:22.251
a weird balance.

00:32:22.332 --> 00:32:25.342
So my kids actually laugh at me because.

00:32:25.727 --> 00:32:34.967
I started, I put a recurring event on my calendar called dinner every day because sometimes I forget to stop working and I'm like, look at my calendar.

00:32:34.977 --> 00:32:39.136
I'm like, oh yeah, I got to stop working and make dinner because that is my job.

00:32:39.146 --> 00:32:42.457
Like I do consider it part of like my, my job.

00:32:42.457 --> 00:32:45.326
It's like my agreed upon, you know, thing.

00:32:45.336 --> 00:32:53.086
It doesn't bother me that I'm the cook, you know So, but sometimes like it is hard when you're busy, when you're working.

00:32:53.116 --> 00:32:55.176
And especially for those that like.

00:32:55.481 --> 00:33:00.001
Skate in they're like, okay, I got, I got to get this done really quick.

00:33:00.001 --> 00:33:03.152
So any last minute tips on how to get dinner on a table?

00:33:04.207 --> 00:33:09.237
Well, first of all, I have a lot of respect for whoever it is that's cooking at home.

00:33:09.247 --> 00:33:14.737
That's also working full time out of the house because I think that is a special challenge that can be really hard.

00:33:14.747 --> 00:33:23.507
And then I also have to say like, you are so much of a, Nicer person than me because I actually daily get annoyed that everyone around you, it feels like they have to eat dinner.

00:33:23.527 --> 00:33:25.576
I'm like, really like every night of your life.

00:33:25.606 --> 00:33:28.856
Like that's like, anyway, I, I'm a big delegator.

00:33:28.856 --> 00:33:34.126
I sometimes I say to my kids, like, I think you're the one that needs to throw something together and they like panic.

00:33:34.126 --> 00:33:35.596
And I'm like, that's the feeling, right.

00:33:35.646 --> 00:33:39.247
Of like, when we don't have something ready for dinner, what happens?

00:33:39.267 --> 00:33:40.636
Well, mom always figures it out.

00:33:40.636 --> 00:33:41.317
So maybe.

00:33:41.477 --> 00:33:42.886
Maybe try your hand at that.

00:33:42.886 --> 00:33:54.936
But anyway, um, but I would say in terms of last tips, I would just I would be realistic about your schedule and then use the tools available to you.

00:33:54.946 --> 00:34:01.287
So I think like for people that are out of the home, a slow cooker is such, you just cannot beat a slow cooker.

00:34:01.287 --> 00:34:04.557
There are so many meals that you literally can throw in.

00:34:04.872 --> 00:34:07.672
Most of the components and let it cook all day and you have dinner.

00:34:07.672 --> 00:34:29.396
So using the tools at your disposal, if you have quite a bit of time at one o'clock in the afternoon, but you know, you're not going to have a lot of time at five 30 or whenever you need to eat, um, finding meals that you can prep ahead or that can easily just be warmed up, or if you're have soccer practices that can be on the go type meals can be wrapped in foil or, you know, put on a paper plate.

00:34:29.396 --> 00:34:34.206
So I think my, my biggest thing is I've heard from so many readers over the years of.

00:34:34.505 --> 00:34:43.811
How do you just Find a love for cooking or how do you just continue cooking day after day and for a family and not kind of go crazy.

00:34:44.150 --> 00:34:50.440
And I just, I really think for me, the biggest tip is figure out what works for you and your schedule.

00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:56.221
It's going to look so different than how your neighbor's doing it next door or your friends or how people are doing it on social media.

00:34:56.510 --> 00:34:59.400
Each schedule is so individual, but there's so many tools that can help us.

00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:02.161
There's instant pots that can make things really quickly.

00:35:02.161 --> 00:35:04.001
There's slow cookers that can go all day.

00:35:04.411 --> 00:35:07.800
Um, planning and menu and getting those meals really written down and dialed in.

00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:16.791
And the other thing is, I think, depending on your family structure, like, don't be afraid to delegate and say, this is one of my family members that's home at 3.

00:35:16.791 --> 00:35:17.210
30 in the afternoon.

00:35:17.210 --> 00:35:19.860
Can you, you know, chop this up and have it in the fridge?

00:35:19.871 --> 00:35:25.701
I think, I think preparation and a plan is absolutely the key to making it work.

00:35:25.731 --> 00:35:28.851
And then, The other thing is just being patient with the execution.

00:35:28.860 --> 00:35:35.070
Sometimes meals just don't come out the way we want them to, or um, our family doesn't like them.

00:35:35.070 --> 00:35:43.771
I mean, I still have kids that gag on dinner sometimes, and I think giving ourselves some grace to say, not every meal is going to be like a 10 out of 10, but it's the effort.

00:35:43.791 --> 00:35:47.036
And I think, honestly, I really feel this, It's the love.

00:35:47.036 --> 00:35:54.686
And I think the care that goes into it, that means the most for who we're preparing it for, whether that's for ourselves or for other people.

00:35:55.181 --> 00:35:57.061
Yeah, I love family dinner.

00:35:57.112 --> 00:36:04.692
Like I love to just sit around and, and feel, feel that like, Hey, we came together for just these few minutes.

00:36:04.692 --> 00:36:07.141
And I only have one left at home right now.

00:36:07.181 --> 00:36:10.811
Well, I have two, but one's like works nights and kind of is out of the house.

00:36:11.302 --> 00:36:14.211
Um, so just one that's consistent, you know, and.

00:36:15.077 --> 00:36:15.827
We still do it.

00:36:15.847 --> 00:36:15.996
We

00:36:16.041 --> 00:36:16.831
It's special.

00:36:16.831 --> 00:36:17.302
Yeah.

00:36:17.751 --> 00:36:19.132
The nights that you can make it happen.

00:36:19.132 --> 00:36:19.931
Yeah, for sure.

00:36:21.186 --> 00:36:31.766
I would say I want to read it for, for my last tip, I will, I would want to reiterate something that you said earlier, which is the plan, like, I hate walking into the kitchen at five 45 and being like, Oh yeah, I'm the mom.

00:36:32.536 --> 00:36:34.677
I'm the one that this is our job.

00:36:35.246 --> 00:36:38.376
That is so frustrating when I don't know what.

00:36:38.601 --> 00:36:46.762
I'm making so, actually last week when it was time to meal plan, I was sitting on the couch and my two girls that are home.

00:36:47.362 --> 00:36:49.641
I know I just said that she's not home, but she's kind of home.

00:36:49.907 --> 00:36:51.626
Just kind of come half halfway home.

00:36:52.231 --> 00:36:52.711
She's halfway.

00:36:53.512 --> 00:36:55.501
So I gave them each a cookbook.

00:36:55.501 --> 00:36:56.512
One of them was yours.

00:36:56.961 --> 00:36:58.947
And I was like, Pick some stuff out.

00:36:58.956 --> 00:37:01.706
And they were like, this is the best way we've ever meal plan.

00:37:01.706 --> 00:37:02.027
Cause I'm

00:37:02.097 --> 00:37:02.476
I love

00:37:02.766 --> 00:37:05.197
needs to think of two things they want this week.

00:37:05.217 --> 00:37:11.476
And they can't think of it off the top of their head, but I gave them a cookbook and they start thumbing through and they're like, Oh, I want this.

00:37:11.476 --> 00:37:14.907
Or, Oh, this reminds me of this other thing that you make make that.

00:37:14.976 --> 00:37:17.556
And so that was a really fun.

00:37:17.586 --> 00:37:21.777
So even if they're not going to be around for the actual cooking portion,

00:37:22.266 --> 00:37:22.617
Yeah.

00:37:22.887 --> 00:37:24.856
Getting some help on the plans.

00:37:25.427 --> 00:37:31.867
And that has really helped me a lot because it's also that mental load of making the decisions.

00:37:31.956 --> 00:37:36.056
And so offloading some of that has, has, really helped me lately.

00:37:36.336 --> 00:37:36.887
for sure.

00:37:37.297 --> 00:37:37.876
I like that.

00:37:38.967 --> 00:37:39.496
All right.

00:37:39.507 --> 00:37:41.237
So thank you again so much, Mel.

00:37:41.246 --> 00:37:42.347
I'm going to let you go.

00:37:42.356 --> 00:37:48.106
Let us know, um, a little bit more about where people can find you online and where they can get your cookbook.

00:37:48.536 --> 00:37:50.157
I know I have my copy.

00:37:50.157 --> 00:37:51.217
It's so beautiful.

00:37:52.016 --> 00:37:52.777
Yeah, thank you.

00:37:52.806 --> 00:37:55.117
I am really easy to find.

00:37:55.117 --> 00:37:58.666
I'm just Mel's Kitchen Cafe everywhere on Instagram online.

00:37:59.077 --> 00:38:00.336
just all of those places.

00:38:00.336 --> 00:38:02.186
And then if you go to my website, there's a link.

00:38:02.467 --> 00:38:05.097
To buy the cookbook, which the response has been so fun.

00:38:05.117 --> 00:38:08.356
So thank you for having one and letting your daughter look through it.

00:38:08.356 --> 00:38:09.047
I love that.

00:38:09.077 --> 00:38:14.827
So I actually have found that my kids are wanting to cook more simply because I have a cookbook.

00:38:14.827 --> 00:38:17.746
I find them like rifling through and saying, I want to make this.

00:38:17.786 --> 00:38:18.677
And I'm like, you know, that.

00:38:19.067 --> 00:38:21.416
Like I've had recipes online for 17 years.

00:38:21.436 --> 00:38:26.597
We haven't found this level of interest yet, but for whatever reason, that's been, so it's been fun for them too.

00:38:27.336 --> 00:38:31.166
I just think having a hard copy, I don't know, like you said, having a hard copy there to actually look at.

00:38:31.166 --> 00:38:33.606
So anyway, those are all the places you can find me.

00:38:34.621 --> 00:38:35.001
Good.

00:38:35.442 --> 00:38:35.822
Okay.

00:38:35.822 --> 00:38:37.751
Well, we'll put all those links in the show notes as well.

00:38:37.751 --> 00:38:38.541
Thank you again.

00:38:38.581 --> 00:38:43.902
Oh, and by the way, if you follow her on Instagram, you get to see cute pig videos too, because she kind of lives on a farm.

00:38:44.467 --> 00:38:47.717
I do have some weird farm animals that occasionally I share.

00:38:47.717 --> 00:38:49.916
I don't even ask their permission first.

00:38:49.916 --> 00:38:51.516
I just put them up on Instagram.

00:38:52.036 --> 00:38:53.246
They don't even care.

00:38:53.952 --> 00:38:55.032
I'm sure they get All the love.

00:38:55.739 --> 00:38:56.610
Yeah, our recordings.

00:38:56.909 --> 00:39:03.510
Cutoff in a weird place there, but many thanks again to Mel of Mel's kitchen cafe for all of her expertise and sharing with us today.

00:39:03.809 --> 00:39:12.659
If this episode has helped you in any way, could you do me a favor and just share it, take a screenshot of the episode you're listening to and post it to your stories and for sure.

00:39:12.690 --> 00:39:16.019
Tag me and Mel, you can also just send it to a friend.

00:39:16.619 --> 00:39:27.239
If you're looking for that extra bit of personalized help with your weight loss and maybe your food planning, be sure to schedule your free coaching call with me and see how much you can benefit link for that is in the show notes.

00:39:27.449 --> 00:39:30.119
Have a great week and as always, thanks for listening to the eat.

00:39:30.119 --> 00:39:30.599
Well think.

00:39:30.630 --> 00:39:32.400
Well live well podcast.
MEL GUNNELL Profile Photo

MEL GUNNELL

Owner - Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Mel Gunnell is the owner and creator of Mel's Kitchen Cafe, an online recipe and food website. For over 15 years, Mel has been a trusted recipe resource for home cooks, food enthusiasts, and busy families. She loves sharing her favorite recipes with the world, and strives to publish recipes that make cooking and baking fun (and help anyone feel like a rock star in the kitchen). Mel resides on 25 acres in southwest Idaho with her husband, five kids, and a whole host of quirky farm animals.