dinner time

TRIGGER WARNING: Eating Disorder

If you’re feeling burnt out from cooking different meals for each person in your house or from spending hours in the kitchen every week, this episode is here to help. 

On today’s episode, Jenn is joined by health coach and mom, Kiran Dodeja Smith. Kiran talks about accommodating a variety of eating preferences and needs from one kitchen, especially when you’re not a chef! Oftentimes, the more people you have in the household, the more difficult meals are to prepare because people have different preferences, food allergies, or someone may be avoiding certain foods for personal reasons. Kiran discusses how she cooks meals with six people in her household, giving great ideas for easy meals and tips for how to make a basic meal not boring, so that your time can be better spent connecting with your family. She talks about adjusting to life with a child who had an eating disorder and how that impacted her family. Tune in today to learn how to successfully have one kitchen with many eaters. 

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.

IN THIS EPISODE: 

●  [5:37] Kiran shares her story with us and how she got into her current career.

●  [11:03] What is 100 days of Real Food?

●  [12:50] What are the variety of ways that the people in Kiran’s home eat?

●  [14:00] How can you make one meal and make it work for everyone’s dietary preferences?

●  [16:13] How do you avoid being a boring cook?

●  [18:16] Kiran shared how she manages breakfast and lunch for her family. 

●  [20:50] As her children have aged, how does Kiran guide them to make the best choices for themselves and when it comes to packing their own lunches?

●  [26:05] How did Kiran’s daughter's challenges with an eating disorder affect everyone else in the household? 

●  [32:49] What role does family dinner play in Kiran’s household and how do they adjust as the children are getting older?

●  [35:23] Kiran shares her final thoughts when it comes to one kitchen, many eaters.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

●  Your definition of healthy will change, and it often follows what you are seeing in the media or learning from the adults around you. You get to ultimately choose what you think is healthy for you, don’t feel like you have to follow the plethora of information going around on social media. What works for one person doesn’t work for everyone.

●  Creating meal bars can be a great way to accommodate everything, such as a taco bar or a salad bar. Everyone gets to eat according to what they enjoy and they get to choose what’s in it. 

●  Do what works for you and your family and allow yourself to release the control of perfection. If everyone can’t eat together every night, or you need to eat in a different way because someone has sports, that’s ok. 

QUOTES: 

“At the end of the day, keeping things basic is the easiest way to do it.” - Kiran Dodeja Smith

“Have stuff prepared, and that means at some point, I like to say over the weekend, you have to cut up some vegetables and fruits and just have them on hand, that's for adults and kids likewise, make it easy on them.” - Kiran Dodeja Smith

“What works for you right now, it might not look the same next year, in 5 years, but do what’s best for you in the moment.” - Kiran Dodeja Smith

"Nobody's house is perfectly anything; we just think it is from what we see.” - Jenn Trepeck

RESOURCES:

Become A Member of Salad with a Side of Fries

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

GUEST RESOURCES

EasyRealFood Instagram 

EasyRealFood Facebook

EasyRealFood Website

100 Days of Real Food

GUEST BIO:

Kiran Dodeja Smith is a health coach, blogger, and marketing expert who has been interested in health & fitness since the age of 16. After moving to Charlotte in 2000, she worked with a regional bridal publication before creating her own local print magazine, Little Ones, which she successfully ran for 8 years. She is a lifelong learner who keeps a pulse on the latest health and lifestyle trends and has over 13 years-worth of experience teaching group exercise classes.

After transitioning from her print magazine, Kiran moved into the digital space, working with the large food blog, 100 Days of Real Food, long before the social media influencer marketing trend took root. While there, Kiran was responsible for creating, managing, and promoting partnerships with multiple healthy food brands. Over the past 10+ years, she has fine-tuned her definition of healthy eating for her entire family, including her four kids who range in age from 12 to 19. Always the entrepreneur, she started her own blog, easyrealfood.com, to share gluten-free (and other food-sensitivity inspired) recipes that are easy and achievable for busy families to recreate.

Kiran has a passion for encouraging healthy eating and living for all. She believes that everyone can have a starting point—it’s never “too late”—and that while everyone’s journey may be different, the small changes that we make can lead to profound results.

Kiran enjoys running, hiking, yoga, and Pilates and holds an equal passion for cooking, empowering others to cook (including kids), traveling, and family time. She resides in South Charlotte with her husband, their four kids, dog, and bunny. Kiran holds a BS in Accounting and an MBA from Kent State University.

Episode #075:
We revisit a pervious episode from August 2021. Enjoy!
Patrick interrupts to tell her that she looks fuzzy, so we time out for laughter and camera cleaning. So anyway, she says…she likes to cook and do Sunday dinners. You know when the kitchen door closes, and the pugs are in the kitchen with her and everyone else is outside. She is happy and cooking or baking. As Patrick says, Janet loves to cook, when the door closes, Janet is in her happy place. When Janet is in her happy place Patrick is nowhere to be found. Sometimes even the pugs cannot be there. He kicks them out. If he cannot be there they cannot! She insists that the pugs know their spots.

Sometimes they have company and Janet enjoys it. Sometimes she cooks brunch, sometimes it is dinner. The other day she did what Patrick and the family called “Mini-Thanksgiving.” She had a shoulder pork roast, a really nice one and as she says, you cannot just open a box of potatoes with meat that nice and call it a meal. You have to actually cook.

  So, they continue and explain that if it is brunch, she usually does like pancakes, eggs, bacon (Patrick throws in, like a nine-course meal), sometimes hashbrowns or waffles. He says if he cannot get everything on one plate it is a mini-Thanksgiving (she interrupts and says he is happy) he says no Janet made too much food.

Full podcast show notes available here:  https://www.18wheeltalk.com/e75

Do forget to get your CoVid Shots here:  https://www.18wheeltalk.com/shots

Help us DRIVE out Breast Cancer:  https://www.18wheeltalk.com/bca

Southwest Truck Driver Training
SHIFT YOUR CAREER INTO HIGH GEAR

TRUCK DRIVER & CDL TRAINING

• Lifetime job placement assistance.
• Individualized truck driver training.
• Financial aid for CDL training programs.
• You choose training in manual or automatic shifting trucks!!

Rexing Dash Cams
We pride ourselves on two main things: quality and care. Customers have expressed their appreciation for our unique designs, innovative technology, and affordable price range.
We are striving to become the leading brand in dash cams by pursuing innovative strategies, and maintaining a strong commitment to our customers, and we are thankful for everyone who supports us.

JB Tools
JB Tools was founded in 2009, and has since become a leading online tool retailer. Although we have experienced much growth since opening our doors, we pride ourselves in being an American "small business" in every sense of the term. We offer thousands of automotive, industrial, and home & garden products at extremely-affordable prices (often the lowest price online).

Support The Show
Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere. For as little as $3.00 a month and you get to choose your fan emoji to represent you. 

Thanks for listen. Be sure to look us up on Social Media @18wheeltalk on everything.

You could probably split the world into meal-preppers and people who cook (or order takeaway) every night. Meal prepping can be a mindful activity, and help with you budget! So we’re going to teach you how to do it without the effort and allll the good vibes bb. 

LINKS

• Read ‘Why I Mindfully Chop Veggies When I Feel Stressed Or Overwhelmed’ by Eliza Sullivan for MindBodyGreen.com  
• Read ‘Benefits of Self-Affirmation’ By David Creswell for Carnegie Melon University
• Follow @thespace_podcast on Instagram  
• Watch @thespace_podcast on TikTok 
• Follow @novapodcastsofficial on Instagram 

CREDITS
Host: Casey Donovan @caseydonovan88
Writer: Amy Molloy @amymolloy
Executive Producer: Elise Cooper
Editor: Adrian Walton

Listen to more great podcasts at novapodcasts.com.au  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Other than spending time with beloved friends and family, the sweetest part of the holiday meal is always dessert. And a staple on many tables? Pie! So, we asked baker Maya-Camille Broussard, known as a “flavor fanatic” on the Netflix show, Bake Squad, for her exciting new recipe: Sweet Potato and Plantain Pie.

Sweet Potato and Plantain Pie

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound (about 1 large) sweet potatoes

vegetable oil, for frying

2-3 very ripe plantains (about 1 cup), peeled and cut crosswise into 1½-inch pieces

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (9-inch) pie shell lined with all-butter crust, store-bought or homemade

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Wrap the sweet potatoes with foil and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until extremely soft and a knife inserted into each meets no resistance, about 2 hours.
4. Cool completely, then slice each potato down the center.
5. Use a spoon to scoop out the potato's flesh, placing it into a medium bowl.
6. Using a potato masher, fork or spoon, mash the potatoes until completely creamy and there are no lumps.
7. Remove any visible fibrous sweet potato strings and discard.
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Meanwhile, fill a Dutch oven with 1½ inches of vegetable oil and warm over medium heat.
10. Fry the plantains, in batches, until golden-brown on each side, about 4 minutes.
11. Transfer the plantains to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove from the oil; drain excess oil on a paper towel.
12. Add the plantains to the bowl with the mashed sweet potatoes and puree using an immersion blender, until smooth.
13. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
14. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
15. Using a hand mixer or a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the brown sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until well-blended.
16. With the mixer on, slowly pour in the evaporated milk and mix until well-combined. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract, and mix to combine. Add 2 cups worth of the pureed sweet potatoes and plantains, and beat until the filling shows small white specks, about 1 minute.
17. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake on the middle rack of the oven until the top of the filling slightly browns and has a caramelized shine, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
18. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Recipe by Maya-Camille Broussard, Owner of Justice of the Pies

For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.

The cranberry sauce debate: chunky and complex, or sliced straight from the can? James Beard Award-winning chef and Oglala Lakota tribe member, Sean Sherman, shows us how to make wojape -- a Lakota word for a traditional sauce made of berries. On this episode, he shares his recipe for Cranberry Wojape. He’ll teach you just how easy it is to make this homemade version that will not only wow your guests, but also celebrate the original food culture of this land.

Cranberry Wojape

Makes about 1 quart

4 cups water

8 ounces fresh cranberries

2 ounces rosehips, seeded and dried

3 fluid ounces maple syrup

1. Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, being very careful of hot liquid.
3. Continue to simmer until sauce coats back of spoon or desired consistency.
4. Cool and serve!

Recipe by Sean Sherman, Founder of The Sioux Chef

For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.

While holiday meals are admittedly carb and protein-rich, most people would agree that the menu isn’t truly complete without something green included. For the next episode of Cooking Up a Storm, we seek out the sage advice of chef and restaurant-owner Marcus Samuelsson, who’ll share his recipe for a new take on an old holiday favorite: Caramelized Brussels Sprouts. This isn’t your grandma’s recipe, we promise.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

1 pound Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and halved

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 sprigs rosemary, chopped, reserving 1/4 teaspoon for the dressing

1 teaspoon berbere

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup peanuts, rough chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, most of the rosemary and berbere until well-combined.
3. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
4. Place the sprouts on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast until lightly caramelized and cooked, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large, high-sided skillet, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
6. Add the shallots and peanuts and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are softened, and the peanuts are lightly toasted, about 4 minutes.
7. Add the parsley, 1/4 teaspoon rosemary, maple syrup, vinegar and a generous pinch of salt, and stir to combine.
8. Add the pomegranate seeds and roasted Brussels sprouts and toss to combine. Season with salt, to taste; serve.

Recipe by Marcus Samuelsson

For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.

On this episode of Cooking Up a Storm, we turn to a rising star of the culinary world, chef and writer Sohla El-Waylly, to offer her tips and tricks for making the crispiest and juiciest bird possible. She’ll share her turkey recipe, the aptly-named: Crisp & Juicy Herb Roasted Turkey, along with her recipe for a fresh take on gravy: Honey-Thyme Gravy.  Both are sure to make this year’s holiday extra savory. 

Crisp & Juicy Herb Roasted Turkey 

Serves 8 to 10

1/3-1/4 cup kosher salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons MSG (optional)

thyme, sage and rosemary sprigs

1 (12- to 14-pound) whole turkey

6 tablespoons melted ghee or neutral oil (such as sunflower or canola)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the salt, sugar and MSG (if using). Set a wire rack into a sheet tray. Line the rack with enough herb sprigs to cover.
2. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity and reserve for gravy. Place the turkey, breast-side down, on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it (reserve the backbone for gravy). Flip over the turkey and press firmly onto the breast until it flattens and you hear the breastbone crack.
3. Using paper towels, pat the turkey and cutting board dry. Evenly sprinkle the salt mixture all over the turkey, taking care to get into the wing and leg joints. You want to be sure to use all of the salt mixture — if some falls off, scoop it up and pat it on.
4. Place the turkey, skin-side up, onto the prepared sheet tray. Chill turkey, uncovered, for at least 24 hours and preferably 48 hours.
5. Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 425 F. Brush or rub turkey evenly with melted ghee or oil.
6. Place the turkey into the oven and pour 1½ cups water into the sheet tray.
7. Roast turkey, rotating occasionally, until the skin is deep golden-brown, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast registers at least 150 F and the thighs register at least 165 F, about 90 minutes (if the skin is getting dark too quickly, reduce the heat to 375 F). Allow turkey to rest, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Honey-Thyme Gravy

Makes about 1 quart

1. With a paper towel, pat giblets dry (if using). Cut giblets into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, heat ghee or oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add giblets, season lightly with salt and cook undisturbed until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss and cook until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer giblets to a plate and refrigerate, leaving the fat behind.
3. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the neck, backbone, carrots and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, thyme sprigs, peppercorns and broth, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Use a ladle to skim off any foamy scum that floats to the surface. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, until everything is tender, about 45 minutes.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. You should have at least 1 quart of broth (top off with water if needed). The broth and giblets can be prepared 3 days in advance.
5. In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until blonde and smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the broth in a slow and steady stream until incorporated. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened and no raw flour taste remains, about 5 minutes (the gravy can be made up to this point up to 3 days in advance).
6. Stir in honey, chopped thyme leaves, ground pepper and cooked giblets. Taste and add more salt, pepper and honey as needed.

Recipes by Sohla El-Waylly

For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.

One of the most beloved side dishes is also the most contested. Is it called stuffing or dressing? And what’s even the difference between the two? Quite a lot, according to chef, restaurant-owner, and cookbook author Alexander Smalls. From what kind of bread to use, to what kind of protein to add, this holiday dish can look vastly different depending on what part of the country you hail from. Smalls will walk us through how to make a special kind of dressing inspired by flavors from his own childhood: Low Country Oyster Cornbread Dressing with Crispy Slab Bacon.

Low Country Oyster Cornbread Dressing with Crispy Slab Bacon

Serves 8

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

1 cup smoked slab bacon, cut into 1-by-1/3-inch pieces

2/3 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup roasted corn kernels (optional)

2/3 cup finely chopped celery

1½ tablespoons rubbed fresh sage

1¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

5 cups crumbled day-old buttermilk cornbread 

4 cups torn white bread, slightly dry toasted

18-20 fat oysters (1 pint), shucked with liquor reserved

2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth

3 large eggs, well beaten

1 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F and grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish generously with butter.
2. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, cover with a layer of aluminum foil, top with a cooking rack and spray that with non-stick cooking spray, too.
3. Arrange the bacon onto the rack in a single layer, leaving space in between each piece.
4. Roast until firm and crispy, about 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325 F.
5. Transfer the bacon to a cast-iron pan and sauté over medium heat until very crispy, about 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
7. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, corn (if using), celery, sage, thyme and celery seeds, cover with a lid and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes; remove from the heat and cool.
8. In a large bowl, toss the cornbread and white bread to combine. Add the bacon and any renderings and toss to combine. Add the cooled vegetable medley and toss to combine.
9. Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth, place over a 4-cup liquid measuring cup and strain the oyster liquor through it. Add enough stock to equal 2 cups. Add the eggs and whisk to combine, then pour it into the bowl with the bread. Add the salt and pepper, cayenne and nutmeg, and stir to combine.
10. Spoon half of the dressing into the prepared baking dish. Space the oysters evenly over the dressing at least an inch away from the sides of the dish. Spoon the remaining dressing over the oysters, spreading it to the edges of the dish.
11. Bake until the dressing is steaming, and the top is lightly browned, about 1 hour. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot.

Recipe by Alexander Smalls

For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.

Mashed potatoes are a cornerstone of so many holiday meals, but just what kind to make? Smooth or lumpy, classic or with a twist … the variations are almost endless. Here to help you out with a unique take on the classic dish is the one and only Ina Garten. Beloved for her innovative takes on classic recipes that home cooks can make themselves, her long-running show on the Food Network, Barefoot Contessa, has legions of loyal fans. She’ll join us on Cooking Up a Storm with a very special holiday mashed potato recipe: Parmesan Smashed Potatoes. 

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Serves 6-8 

3 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1½ cups half-and-half

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a 4-quart saucepan with cold water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender. Drain.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter.
4. Put the potatoes into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix them for a few seconds on low speed, to break them up.
5. Slowly add the hot cream and butter to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed (the last quarter of the cream and butter should be folded in by hand).
6. Fold in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, the remaining salt, and pepper; taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
7. If the potatoes are too thick, add more hot cream and butter.

Reprinted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Copyright © 1999 by Ina Garten. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.

For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.

18WT 032:  Patrick interrupts to tell her that she looks fuzzy, so we time out for laughter and camera cleaning. So anyway, she says…she likes to cook and do Sunday dinners. You know when the kitchen door closes, and the pugs are in the kitchen with her and everyone else is outside. She is happy and cooking or baking. As Patrick says, Janet loves to cook, when the door closes, Janet is in her happy place. When Janet is in her happy place Patrick is nowhere to be found. Sometimes even the pugs cannot be there. He kicks them out. If he cannot be there they cannot! She insists that the pugs know their spots.

  Sometimes they have company and Janet enjoys it. Sometimes she cooks brunch, sometimes it is dinner. The other day she did what Patrick and the family called “Mini-Thanksgiving.” She had a shoulder pork roast, a really nice one and as she says, you cannot just open a box of potatoes with meat that nice and call it a meal. You have to actually cook.

  So, they continue and explain that if it is brunch, she usually does like pancakes, eggs, bacon (Patrick throws in, like a nine-course meal), sometimes hashbrowns or waffles. He says if he cannot get everything on one plate it is a mini-Thanksgiving (she interrupts and says he is happy) he says no Janet made too much food.

Full podcast show notes available here:  https://www.18wheeltalk.com/e32

Do forget to get your CoVid Shots here:  https://www.18wheeltalk.com/shots

Southwest Truck Driver Training
SHIFT YOUR CAREER INTO HIGH GEAR

TRUCK DRIVER & CDL TRAINING

• Lifetime job placement assistance.
• Individualized truck driver training.
• Financial aid for CDL training programs.
• You choose training in manual or automatic shifting trucks!!

Rexing Dash Cams
We pride ourselves on two main things: quality and care. Customers have expressed their appreciation for our unique designs, innovative technology, and affordable price range.
We are striving to become the leading brand in dash cams by pursuing innovative strategies, and maintaining a strong commitment to our customers, and we are thankful for everyone who supports us.

JB Tools
JB Tools was founded in 2009, and has since become a leading online tool retailer. Although we have experienced much growth since opening our doors, we pride ourselves in being an American "small business" in every sense of the term. We offer thousands of automotive, industrial, and home & garden products at extremely-affordable prices (often the lowest price online).

Support The Show
Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere. For as little as $3.00 a month and you get to choose your fan emoji to represent you. 

Thanks for listen. Be sure to look us up on Social Media @18wheeltalk on everything.

In this episode, Chelsea's daughter Nora joins us for an insight into the minds of 10 year old girls.  She gets to ask us questions and give us some advice. She also has brought with her a list of her favorite books if you are looking for a new read for your kids.

Having your children help in the kitchen is one of the best ways for them to become adventures eaters.  The more they are surrounded by different foods and interacting with them through the cooking process the more likely they are to actually try the foods being set down in front of them at the dinner table, and this can be started at a very young age.  It is also a great way for them to work on skills that are needed in life.

Here are some ideas to help you to get your children involved in the kitchen.

Toddler- get a Learning Tower so they can join you at the counter and help pour pre-measured ingredients into mixing bowls.  Don't want to spend the money on a Learning Tower, set them at your dining room table with a bowl filled with some spices and have them mix them, it's always fun to have them smell each of them before they put them into the bowl and even allowing them to taste them if they are curious.  Let them snap the ends off of green beans and asparagus as this is always a fun thing for them at this age.  Even pulling the silk off of corn can be done at this age.  Let them also put the finishing touches on the food by sprinkling a little bit of salt and pepper on everything before it goes into the oven or onto the cook top.

Ages 4-8 - This is a great age for them to begin learning how to whisk and stir batters.  have them practice cutting up fruit and vegetables with a small pairing knife (my daughter always loved chopping the tops off of the strawberries), tearing the lettuce to go into the salad and tossing all of the ingredients together, setting the table, clearing the table, and learning how to unload the dishwasher.  Kids knife set

Ages 9-12 - Great age for them to start becoming more involved with helping in the kitchen and starting to cook basic meals independently. There are many subscription services that send a box each month to kids that include recipes and a fun kitchen utensil, we love Kidstir for this. You can also have them find recipes in cookbooks or online they want to try. Once they pick it out have them write out the ingredients they need from the store. Once you have everything be on the sidelines ready to assist as needed.

Ages 12+ - they should be able to independently make easy meals for themselves including making a sandwich, eggs, pasta, and macaroni and cheese. Have them help make the side dishes or even give them a night to be head chef! As they get older and more comfortable then the recipes can become more complex.  

​The key is to make it fun, don't act as if it is a chore for them to do or you will automatically get push back from them.  We have found that watching cooking/baking competitions help our children to get into the kitchen more.  My children love doing competitions in the summer where they each make a dessert, we have the grandparents over for dinner, and then we all judge which one was the best.  Now that they are older we have started to place each one in charge of dinner one night a week; this is fun for them as they are in complete control with what is being served, the preparation of the meal, and then the adults do the clean up.  

Head to Form Fit Mom Community on Facebook to let us know what you are doing with your children in the kitchen.

Head to raising_healthyhumans.com on IG to see some of the things we ar

Head to www.movingthroughmidlife. com to learn more

Join our Free FB Community:
Moving through Midlife (Powered by Form Fit) | Facebook


or follow me on IG or Tik Tok
courtney_formfit

Sitting down to a family meal some days seems impossible. Families today run in multiple directions most nights of the week but there are many great benefits to making the time to have family meals.

Here are five reasons why making family mealtime a priority should be at the top of your list.
Creates connection-
Improves mental health
Healthier meals, better nutrition
Saves money and time
Teaches table manners-

Grab our 5 day Meal Plan to enjoy some family friendly recipes and don't forget to join our Form Fit Mom Community.

Head to www.movingthroughmidlife. com to learn more

Join our Free FB Community:
Moving through Midlife (Powered by Form Fit) | Facebook


or follow me on IG or Tik Tok
courtney_formfit

In this episode, EmmyB and Katy Mitarai discuss a few fabulous cookbooks- but of a unique variety. Katy suggests that, because women and men spend so much time cooking meals (probably the requisite 10K hours) we might as well have the knowledge to become an expert. And it may not be as hard as we think. Using basic information from "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" combined with basic common ingredients, and mixed with all the cozy memories that come with a home-made meal (as described in the book"Kitchen Yarns" by Ann Hood) you can cook up a lifetime of meaningful memories and warm experiences with family and friends.

We pre-recorded this week's podcast, but we'll be back live on July 25th at 7:00 PM CDT. We discussed the Pavlovian responses our pets have developed, dive into some Star Wars news, including Bad Batch on Disney+, and tell a couple of work-related stories.

Thank you so much for supporting our channel! We love interacting with all of you, and being live is one of the ways we feel we can deliver more of the content that you want! We love talking to you guys every week about Star Wars, gaming, pop culture, movies, and everything else! We'll see you again soon!

Email us : contact@RiseOfThePodcast.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riseofthepodcast
Web: http://www.riseofthepodcast.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rotptweets
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riseofthepodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RiseofthePodcast

Thanks for watching!

Rise of the Podcast Episode 062: Weird Things Our Pets Have Learned

Produced and Edited by 8r0wn13

©2020 All Rights Reserved

#Podcast #Pets #Duluth

Erika Pitstick grew up in El Slavador, attended college in California and met her husband in Israel. Erika is a business owner, wife and mom to 3 children all under the age of 4. Erika a true entrepreneur wears many different hats, she co-owns Price Right Tree Service with her husband Price, has completed her first children’s book: My Daddy The Tree Climber available on Amazon and has launched her new enterprise - Meet Intentional with Fun Time Dinner Time boxes designed to give families a jump start for making their dinner times special. To see photos of Erika with her family and learn more about Meet Intentional - Fun Time Dinner Time Boxes, please visit our website at https://www.wonderfultotell.com/episodes