EP #1363: How to Make Easy, Family-Friendly Recipes That are Bursting with Flavor for Ultimate Self-Care!

Send us Fan MailSummaryJulie Evink, creator of the popular food blog Julie's Eats and Treats, discusses her new cookbook and the importance of easy, family-friendly recipes. She emphasizes the value of no-fuss cooking that uses pantry staples and is bursting with flavor. Julie also talks about the pressure to live a perfect life and how she embraces being a 'sweatpants friend' who values comfort and togetherness. She shares how growing up on a farm in Minnesota shaped her view on family and cooking. The importance of family time and conversation Meal planning is a time-saving and stress-reducing strategy that can also save money and prevent mealtime ruts. It is important to teach children how to use meal planning and involve them in the kitchen. Shopping for each meal can be time-consuming, so embracing meal planning can free up time each day. It is helpful to pick out recipes in advance and make meal planning a habit. Cooking together as a family can be a bonding experience and a way to teach important skills. It reduces stress and allows for quality family time. Kids can learn a variety of skills through cooking, from fractions to reading. Cooking also helps build comprehension and can be used as a teaching tool in school. It's important to create a safe environment for kids to help in the kitchen and feel important. In this part of the conversation, Julie and Lisa discuss the importance of having the right kitchen tools and being organized when it comes to cooking and grocery shopping. They mention various tools such as knives, mixers, stools, nonstick skillets, and aprons. They also talk about the benefits of using a grocery list and note-taking apps to stay organized. In this part of the conversation, Julie and Lisa discuss the convenience of using an app or voice assistant to manage grocery lists. They talk about how it saves time and prevents the need to go back and forth in the store. They also mention the use of canned chicken as a pantry staple, which Julie finds surprising as she considers herself a picky chicken eater. In this part of the conversation, Julie discusses the convenience of using frozen chopped onions and other pantry staples. She mentions that she often uses frozen chopped onions because she doesn't like chopping fresh onions and crying. She also mentions that frozen chopped onions are handy and can be easily added to various dishes without the need for thawing. In this part of the conversation, Julie and Lisa discuss a recipe for creamy soup using evaporated milk as a substitute for heavy cream. They also talk about other dairy substitutes like oat milk and avocado oil. Julie mentions that the recipe is easy to meal prep and is a filling breakfast option for kids. Lisa expresses her love for Mexican food and mentions that the breakfast enchiladas and hash brown breakfast casserole from Julie's book look amazing. Julie appreciates the compliment and mentions that she is a visual eater. They conclude by saying that there are no specific breakfast items they wanted to bring up. In this part of the conversation, Julie and Lisa discuss breakfast options, including pumpkin bread and muffins. They also talk about their love for pumpkin-flavored foods. They then move on to discuss salads and sides, including roasted sweet potatoes and oven-roasted vegetables. Julie mentions that she tried to provide a wide range of options, including dairy-free and grain-free choices. They end the conversation by mentioning cheesy garlic butter pasta as a decadent side dish. This part of the conversation discusses easy and convenient meals that can be made with pantry staples. The hosts talk about dishes like pasta packets and Spanish rice that are simple to make and require only a few ingredients. They also mention recipes for soups, stews, and slow cooker meals that can be divided into different proteins like chicken, beef, pork, and seafood. The conversation concludes with a discussion about chicken tetrazzini, a dish that o