Podcasts about Instant Pot

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Emmy award-winning and Golden Globe-winning comedy writer, actor, and comedian Monica Piper. After a smash-hit run off-Broadway, her one-woman show, “Not That Jewish,” returned to The Braid in Santa Monica for the show's 10 year anniversary; it runs through the end of May.   Piper was a high school English teacher, before she left to try comedy and eventually create this show. She has been a standup comic, a writer for “Roseanne” and “Mad About You,” and head writer on “Rugrats.”   “Not That Jewish” is a love letter to being Jewish, as Piper tells stories of her family - particularly her funny father and passing on the humor gene to her son - and her foray into comedy.   “Someone asked me what's my favorite thing about being Jewish … there's so many things, but right up there was food,” Piper shares. “They said, ‘Even gefilte fish?' Yes, even gefilte fish.”    In fact, a chopped liver sandwich, one of Piper's go-to comfort foods, is something she strongly associates with her Jewish identity.   “Food is so much a part of life and Jewish life, but it's the comradery,” Piper says. “As a child, my memories [of Shabbat at my aunt's home with] people talking and arguing and laughing is so much a part of me, so I associate that with food.”    Monica Piper shares food memories, the importance of laughter, and her “Not That Jewish'” origin story, which came with encouragement and assistance from The Braid founder and artistic director Ronda Spinak. There are also tangents on the Instant Pot, goals, and a shared fandom of The Braid.   Taste Buds host Debra Eckerling recently did a Sunday at the Braid event for her new book, “52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting,” via Zoom, hosted by David Chiu and along with Katie Chin and Elaine Hall, who are in the book. The Braid's newest salon show, “For the Love of Animals,” opens next week.   Learn more about “Not That Jewish” at The-Braid.org/Monica and the new show at The-Braid.org. Watch Debra Eckerling's Sundays at The Braid conversation at @TheBraidStories on YouTube.   For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

Find Out If Your Belly Fat is In the Danger Zone —and What to Do About It First things first:   ❌ You don't need a clock.   ❌ You don't need another app.   ✅ You just need a tape measure.   (And a little honesty.)   Here's how to check — the right way: How to Measure Your Belly Fat Accurately 1. Grab a flexible tape measure (the kind used for sewing, not the metal construction one from the garage!).   2. Stand up straight, but relax. No sucking it in like a before-and-after photo. Inhale, exhale, and let your body be.   3. Find your measuring spot: ○ Place the tape measure right around your belly button, just above your hip bones.   ○ Make sure it's snug but not cinched tight. It should rest comfortably against your skin — not digging in.   4. Look straight ahead and read the measurement — no tilting your head or pulling tighter. Honesty is power here.

The Instant Pot is fundamentally a pressure cooker, a device invented way back in 1679 by the French physicist Denis Papin.

We just back from a six-day road trip with our family of six, and I'm excited to share my latest tips for making travel work with a bunch of kids (especially while 25 weeks pregnant). After years of taking these trips - including our annual month-long summer adventure - we keep finding ways to make things 1% better each time.  In this episode I share: How we solved our food challenges by bringing an Instantpot and griddle to cook simple hotel room meals Why eating at restaurants for lunch instead of dinner completely transformed our evenings The pre-packed toiletry and activity bag system that saved me from hunting down everyone's toothbrushes How we handled long car rides with zero screens and kept everyone happy Finding the right mix of free museum visits, hotel swimming, and paid activities I'll also share our biggest challenge – dealing with overtired kids in tight hotel quarters where everyone can hear everything! And the important parenting lesson we learned about solving problems rather than trying to control behavior. If you're interested in seeing exactly how our travel systems work, I'll be sharing all of that in the Family Systems Playbook to the Surviving To Thriving Toolkit. You can join the waitlist HERE to be the first to know when the doors open again! Resources Cooking Set: https://amzn.to/3E0uwae (affiliate link) Toiletry Bags: https://amzn.to/4jkGryp (affiliate link) Activity Bags:https://amzn.to/4jghZ1a (affiliate link) Brother Label Maker: https://amzn.to/4i13Jbz (affiliate link) Sterilite Drawers: https://amzn.to/420Rw1V (affiliate link) Instant Pot: https://amzn.to/43IDJhO (affiliate link) Griddle: https://amzn.to/42py9OZ (afiliate link) Previous Travel Episodes 20 Secrets For a Fun Road Trips With Kids: https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/20-secrets-for-a-fun-road-trip-with-kids-episode-172/ Successful Family Road Trip Systems: https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/successful-family-road-trip-systems-episode-224/ Easy Car Organization on A Budget: https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/easy-car-organization-on-a-budget-episode-265/ Reflection and Travel Tips From A Family Road Trip + 5 Day Hotel Stay: https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/reflection-and-travel-tips-from-a-family-road-trip-5-day-hotel-stay-episode-309/ The Ultimate Guide to Family Road Trips: https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-family-road-trips-episode-273/

Hey, hey!   Spring is in the air—and we're bringing those fresh, light, and flavorful vibes right to your dinner table! In this episode, I'm sharing a 7-day healthy, fast, and delicious meal plan using a variety of cooking methods—from the grill to the Instant Pot to the air fryer. Plus, I've got a funny little “ring-a-ding” phone call story that saved my dinner and might just save yours too!   Here's what you'll find in this episode: A spring-themed meal plan packed with fresh flavors Quick and healthy dinners that take 30 minutes or less A fun story about how a friend helped me wing dinner with brilliance A reminder that you are never alone in this dinner hustle Sneak Peek of This Week's Meals: -Grilled Chicken with Rosemary Baby Potatoes & Steamed Green Beans -Sheet Pan Lemon-Herb Salmon with Asparagus -Instant Pot Burrito Bowls -And a few more! So be sure to tune in here.   Want the full meal plan with recipe links?   Become a Meal Planning Insider—it's totally free! You'll get the full meal plan and all the clickable recipes delivered straight to your inbox every Sunday.   Click here to join now!   **And P.S.—**If you missed Wednesday's episode, I shared my heart behind my brand-new $5 book Clean Living Simplified—a gentle, doable guide to switching to safer, cleaner products without the overwhelm. Grab your copy here.   P.P.S. If you want to go beyond the meal plan and get tips on stress reduction, clean living, inspiration, and finding a little balance in the chaos—tune in every Wednesday for bonus episodes that are all about helping you simplify life and breathe easier.   Let's make dinner time feel lighter and life feel calmer—together. Have a blessed and beautiful week, xx Blaga Let's connect: Instagram Facebook

If you're tired of generic, robotic AI content, keep reading and discover how to turn ChatGPT into your content-creation partner using a simple strategy that makes your content more aligned, human, and efficient. I bought an Instant Pot during a Black Friday sale a few years ago. Everyone was raving about it, but when I opened the box, I was overwhelmed—so many buttons, pressure valves, and a manual that made me question my intelligence.I was so intimidated that I moved it across two states before I ever used it. But once I finally gave it a try, I realized how simple and powerful it really was. That one small shift changed everything; now, I use it all the time. Using ChatGPT is a lot like that. If you've ever felt intimidated or frustrated with AI because the results were off-brand or robotic, I get it. But with the right method, you can turn ChatGPT into your content creation partner—and love what it produces.In this week's Amplify Your Authority podcast, I'll share a powerful, user-friendly approach that flips the script on prompt engineering.Instead of obsessing over the perfect prompt, I'll walk you through how to provide the context AI truly needs. When you do, ChatGPT becomes more than just a tool—it becomes your content creation partner, helping you write faster and more effectively.Using my C.O.N.T.E.X.T. Method, you'll turn ChatGPT into a reliable writing partner that understands your voice, your brand, and your goals. What You'll Discover in This Episode:Why prompts alone often lead to weak or off-brand AI resultsA formula for turning AI into a content partner that reflects your voice, brand, and intentThe full breakdown of the C.O.N.T.E.X.T. MethodHow to drastically cut content editing time—and love what AI gives you the first timeHow to eliminate hallucinations and endless editsListen to the "Amplify Your Authority" Podcast! Click Here! Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Tip: Answer these questions inside of ChatGPT (free or paid) and have AI craft your review! How did you discover this podcast? What's your biggest takeaway from this episode? How has this podcast helped your current journey? Thanks so much for taking a few minutes to craft a review!

We have Ollie to thank for bringing us this ep about a topic near, if not dear: the headache of feeding ourselves and others. (We have to do this multiple times a day?!?!). The app helps you figure out what to cook, makes your grocery list, and *learns what you like*—it's a whole thing, and we're grateful for the robots for helping us with this task. In related topics: our always-on-hand grocery items and supermarket immersive theater.   Stuff always in our pantries/fridges: Chara's Kitchen Barbeque Sauce, Kewpie Roasted Sesame Dressing (the made-in-Japan version!), Mutti Cherry Tomatoes, Bjorn Qorn (related:nutritional yeast), Chaokoh Coconut Milk, The Rice Factory Rice, Painterland Sisters Skyr Yogurt, Portugalia Market tinned fish.    Recipes we love rn include Eric Kim's shredded chicken in the Instant Pot for Food52, Sarah DiGregorio's salmon and kimchi skillet for NYT Cooking, Smitten Kitchen's slow-roasted sweet potatoes, and the tofu sheet-pan dinner from the cookbook Kid in the Kitchen by Melissa Clark,    Two exceptional easy-cooking cookbooks with companion newsletters: What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers and Small Victories by Julia Turshen.   Download Ollie today in the app stores or at ollie.ai/athingortwo to save two of the recipes we're cooking most.   What's your grocery routine looking like? Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or in our Geneva.   Let Ollie help you figure out dinner: Download the free app and use the promo code ATHINGORTWO to cook what we're cooking. YAY.

Today's recipe is Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings.Here are the links to some of the items I talked about in this episode: #adHomemade Buttermilk BiscuitsStovetop Chicken and DumplingsInstant PotHomemade Poultry SeasoningChef's KnifeChopping BoardAll New Chicken CookbookThis episode was also published in April, 2023.Here's the Recipe Of The Day page with all of our recipe links.If you want to make sure that you always find out what today's recipe is, do one or all of the following:Subscribe to the Podcast,Join the ROTD Facebook Group hereHave a great day! -Christine xo

Today's recipe is Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage.Here are the links to some of the items I talked about in this episode: #adInstant PotLiquid Measuring CupsMeasuring SpoonsServing PlatterAll New Chicken CookbookThis episode was also published in March, 2023.Here's the Recipe Of The Day page with all of our recipe links.If you want to make sure that you always find out what today's recipe is, do one or all of the following:Subscribe to the Podcast,Join the ROTD Facebook Group hereHave a great day! -Christine xo

Want to help the environment and try something new? Discover how eating invasive species can help the environment! Learn how proper prep avoids risky situations. Join radio hosts Rebecca Wanner aka 'BEC' and Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt (Tigger & BEC) with The Bend Radio Show & Podcast, your news outlet for the latest in Outdoors & Western Lifestyle News!   Season 5, Episode 228 Why Eat Invasive Species Like Swamp Rats?    Invasive species such as swamp rats, green iguanas, and feral hogs are wreaking havoc on local ecosystems, consuming native vegetation, and threatening wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages people to hunt and eat these species to reduce their population and mitigate their environmental impact. While it might sound odd to consider eating swamp rats, they are often described as having a mild, rabbit-like flavor. Swamp rats were introduced to the U.S. for the fur trade but have since spread uncontrollably. They are prolific breeders, causing damage to wetlands by eating plant roots and accelerating erosion. Should You Try Swamp Rat Meat? If you're up for a culinary adventure, swamp rat meat can be a sustainable choice. Experienced chefs in Louisiana turn these rodents into gourmet dishes like gumbo and Nutria à l'Orange. Some even say it pairs wonderfully with wine, such as a vibrant Zinfandel, or with a refreshing beer. Though the idea might be daunting for some, swamp rats are not only eco-friendly but also tasty. One commenter on the Fish and Wildlife Service post above mentioned they thought swamp rat tasted like pork loin and found it delicious. If you're curious, it could be worth trying—especially if you're looking to support local ecosystems. A Delicious Alternative: Irish Corned Venison Recipe While swamp rat meat may not be for everyone, wild game offers numerous other flavorful and ethical alternatives. One such dish is Irish Corned Venison, a great way to enjoy venison, a lean and nutritious meat. Corned venison is easy to prepare and perfect for a family dinner or holiday meal. Ingredients for Irish Corned Venison: 4 pounds venison roast (any cut, ideally from the shoulder or leg) 1/2 Gallon Water 1/2 cup Cure (Tender quick) 1/2 cup Kosher Salt 1/3 cup White Sugar 1 TBSP Whole Peppercorns 1 TBSP Mustard Seeds 1 TBSP Coriander Seeds 1 TBSP Dried Thyme 1 TBSP Caraway Seeds 6 Bay Leaves   Instructions Prepare the Brine: In a large pot, combine the kosher salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, allspice, cinnamon, garlic, bay leaves, and pink curing salt. Add enough water to cover the venison and bring to a simmer. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Cool the Brine: Once the brine is well-mixed and simmered, allow it to cool completely. This step is crucial for safety and flavor. Brine the Venison: Place the venison roast in a large non-reactive container (glass or food-safe plastic). Pour the cooled brine over the meat, ensuring it is fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for about 5 days. Turn the venison once a day for even curing. Cook the Corned Venison: After the meat has cured, rinse it thoroughly to remove excess salt. Place it in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker with about an inch of water. Cook until tender. (Example: Instant Pot - 50 Minutes on Pressure Cook with natural release. Slow Cooker - on High for 3-4 hours.) For extra flavor, you can add vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and cabbage during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve and Enjoy: Slice the corned venison thinly and serve with the vegetables. The tender, flavorful meat pairs beautifully with a simple mustard sauce or alongside your favorite potatoes. Conclusion: Embrace Wild Game and Sustainable Eating Eating invasive species and wild game like venison can help protect our environment while providing you with a unique and flavorful meal. Whether you're adventurous enough to try swamp rat meat or you prefer the familiar taste of venison, these meats are a sustainable way to support wildlife conservation. Try the Irish Corned Venison recipe for your next dinner and join the movement of eco-conscious eating. References https://www.fws.gov/story/2025-02/eat-invaders OUTDOORS FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS Call or Text your questions, or comments to 305-900-BEND or 305-900-2363 Or email BendRadioShow@gmail.com FOLLOW Facebook/Instagram: @thebendshow https://www.facebook.com/thebendshow SUBSCRIBE to The Bend YouTube Channel. Website: TheBendShow.com https://thebendshow.com/ #catchBECifyoucan #tiggerandbec #outdoors #travel #cowboys The Outdoors, Rural America, And Wildlife Conservation are Center-Stage. AND how is that? Because Tigger & BEC… Live This Lifestyle. Learn more about Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner aka BEC here: TiggerandBEC.com https://tiggerandbec.com/ WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca 'BEC' Wanner are News Broadcasters that represent the Working Ranch world, Rodeo, and the Western Way of Life as well as advocate for the Outdoors and Wildlife Conservation. Outdoorsmen themselves, this duo strives to provide the hunter, adventurer, cowboy, cowgirl, rancher and/or successful farmer, and anyone interested in agriculture with the knowledge, education, and tools needed to bring high-quality beef and the wild game harvested to your table for dinner. They understand the importance in sharing meals with family, cooking the fruits of our labor and fish from our adventures, and learning to understand the importance of making memories in the outdoors. Appreciate God's Country. United together, this duo offers a glimpse into and speaks about what life truly is like at the end of dirt roads and off the beaten path. Tigger & BEC look forward to hearing from you, answering your questions and sharing in the journey of making your life a success story. Adventure Awaits Around The Bend.

Building a strong nutritional baseline is the key to long-term results. In this episode of Beast Over Burden, we break down the daily habits lifters need to create structure, eliminate setbacks, and stay consistent. Forging Daily Nutritional Habits: Actionable Steps Build a Routine: Establish fixed meal times, eliminate caloric drinks, and cut out mindless snacking. Prioritize Whole Foods: Create a repeatable meal plan that minimizes decision fatigue. Use Habit Stacking: Drink water before meals, prep your gym bag the night before, and link new habits to existing routines. Understand Your Triggers: Identify what leads to unhealthy choices and develop strategies to overcome them. Eliminating Detrimental Habits: Behavioral Shifts Say Goodbye To: Excessive alcohol, added fats, and hidden sugars. Practice Mindful Eating: Pay attention to hunger cues, savor meals, and eliminate distractions while eating. Embrace Cooking & Meal Prep: Control ingredients and develop a deeper connection with your food. Identify Root Causes: Recognize stress eating and social pressures, then create solutions to stay on track. Cultivating Long-Term Habits: Consistency & Tools Fuel Your Enjoyment: Find healthy meals you love and experiment with new recipes. Leverage Accountability: Track your meals, work with a coach, or join a support group. Practice Self-Compassion: Learn from mistakes and get back on track without guilt. Utilize Helpful Tools: Simplify meal prep with an Instant Pot, griddle, immersion blender, and smoker or gas grill. Build a solid nutrition foundation and fuel your performance. #NutritionForLifters #HealthyHabits #BeastOverBurden #FitnessFuel PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.  Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email podcast@barbell-logic.com

Do you even remember the sound that a pressure cooker used to make? It was a definitive rattling sound; one that could never be mistaken for anything else. This episode lovingly merges the humorous effects of a faulty pressure cooker and the warning of morning sickness during pregnancy. In industrial settings, the safety valve release mechanism is crucial for averting all kinds of potential disasters, making them an indispensable component in various settings, especially in the high-stakes fields of oil, gas, and chemical processing. But who would know that (spiritually) the safety valve could be also a metaphor for protection when it comes to walking with and serving God. Lots to process here, but it's a fun yet informative way to process His love for us. The need for physical safety pales in comparison to the universal need for spiritual safety. One may be in great danger in this world of physical harm and still have the assurance of an eternity of security in heaven. We fear not those who can only harm the body yet never touch the soul (Matthew 10:28). www.sueduffield.com www.childfund.org/sueduffield

This episode we're joined by cookie maker extraordinaire Amy Wong of Batch 22 Bakery. Lunar New Year might be a little behind us for the year but Amy's dish, leen goh, is so classic and so beloved we'll talk about it any time of year. We talk about Amy's diligent testing to turn her grandmother's loosey-goosey recipe into a near-exact replica, her mother's version that could feed an army, and honoring the recipe while still using an Instant Pot for a lil modern day ease. We also talk about pivoting from the perceived stability of a cushy tech marketing job to being a baker, the near-comical naming conventions—or lack thereof—of Chinese pastry, and if Amy's dad may or may not be Garfield.  Be warned that we have a lengthy cookie discussion so maybe have a snack first or keep some cookies close by!

As food costs continue to rise, making the most of your groceries, especially produce, is more important than ever. This week on Meal Planning for Busy Moms, we not only bring you a variety of quick, healthy, and delicious meals but also share essential tips on how to extend the life of your fruits and vegetables.   What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ Innovative storage solutions to prevent spoilage ✔️ Tips on buying in bulk and storing properly ✔️ Creative ways to use produce before it goes bad ✔️ This week's meal plan features mixed proteins and diverse cooking methods to keep mealtime exciting and economical

In today's episode, we are going to talk about some of the things that our clients have raved to us recently about. Sometimes, more than one of our clients will really love a certain product or app independently, so we have been keeping track of those things to share with you in case you could use some of these tools. There's some pretty cool stuff that's come around, from air fryers, to instant pots, to walking pads. But we want to make it clear that we're not here just to tell you to buy more stuff! You can just eat well and move and not need any products or purchases to support you in that. However, the whole reason this podcast exists is because it's not always simple and it's definitely not easy to eat well, maintain a healthy weight or stay fit.Guidance and tools can be helpful and even necessary to succeed.  And most importantly, they can make the whole process more fun and enjoyable. From hard goods, gadgets and gizmos to apps from your phone, check these out:HARD GOODS:SHAPA ScaleGlass storage containers with lidsDressings containerMini Bands (Amazon search)Dash Mini Waffle IronWalking PadNinja Foodi, Instant Pot, Air FryerAPPS:Wheel of Feels (Apple or Android)Slow Eats (Apple App, can use the timer on your phone instead!)Sunnyside Mindful Drinking (only available in US, CA, UK)Recovery Record (Disordered eating management)Finch (Daily Self Care) Which ones would you add to your list of tools that have made your confident eating journey easier? Let us know by sending us a message at confidenteaters.com.Connect with Georgie and the Confident Eaters Coaches: WebsiteFacebookGeorgie's Instagram Christina's Instagram Have you ever thought, "I know what to do, I just need to consistently do it"? Who hasn't? Sometimes we need accountability. Sometimes we need specific strategies, new tools, or a bit of help. If you want help learning to become a confident, sensible eater with 1:1 shame-free personalized attention, sign up here.

Today's recipe is Instant Pot Pork Loin Perfected!Here are the links to some of the items I talked about in this episode: #adInstant PotInstant Read ThermometerProbe ThermometerChef's KnifeAll New Chicken CookbookThis episode was also published in March, 2023.Here's the Recipe Of The Day page with all of our recipe links.If you want to make sure that you always find out what today's recipe is, do one or all of the following:Subscribe to the Podcast,Join the ROTD Facebook Group hereHave a great day! -Christine xo

What if you could create indulgent meals at home—without spending hours in the kitchen?We all crave meals that feel luxurious and special, whether it's for a date night, a dinner party, or simply treating yourself. But too often, indulgent cooking feels intimidating or overly complicated. This episode explores effortless ways to bring decadence to your table using simple techniques and a few game-changing ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.By the end of this episode, you'll:Learn the secret to making the creamiest, dreamiest risotto - without all the stirring! Turn a humble ingredient into a rich, nutty dressing that makes a salad feel indulgentDiscover both savory and sweet dishes that have a big wow factor with 5-ingredients or lessTreat yourself to the kind of rich dishes that fill your kitchen with delicious aromas and big flavors—press play now!***Links:Brown butter vinaigrette by Tami Weiser for The Kitchn. Make sure your lettuce comes up to room temp, as advised by Jennifer McLagan in the “Double Butter Salad” recipe from her cookbook, Fat .Parmesan oven risotto from Smitten Kitchen, and an Instant Pot version of risotto from Our Salty KitchenSheet pan roasted sausage and grapes by Sheela Prakash for The KitchnAnd Smitten Kitchen's harvest roast chicken, olives, and grapes Justine Doiron's spicy tomato beans with hot honey Garlic and lemon buttery beans from The Mediterranean DishCarbonara in a jar from GrubstreetCheese fondue night from The Kitchn 5-ingredient chocolate mousse from Nagi Maehashi (with video too!)Silken tofu chocolate mousse from As Easy As Apple PieSkillet chocolate chip cookie by David Turner from King Arthur Baking ***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Order Sonya's cookbook...

Are you feeling the chill in the air and looking for a cozy meal to warm you up?In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you! By the end of this episode, you'll want to whip out your big pot to cook up a spicy, aromatic, Moroccan stew that is full of veggies. You'll also discover the tips to making the easiest, most delicious, buttery, garlicky noodles for a quick weeknight supper.Tune in now for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration! ***Links:Lamb and chickpea stew from Jo Cooks, similar to what Sonya made, and an Instant Pot version from Zestful kitchen Ali Slagle's lemon garlic linguine from NYT Cooking, and a similar recipe (with a little less butter) from Pinch & Swirl ***Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Order Sonya's debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com!

Let's talk about cooking, more specifically, let's simplify how to cook lighter with your Instant Pot! It's happened, I too have jumped on the bandwagon of cooking with an Instant Pot… and can I say, I LOVE IT. It makes batch cooking a cinch and the versatility of what you can make, my goodness, I feel like I'm just scratching the surface!  My all-star special guest today is celebrity cookbook author, Jeffrey Eisner and he's simplifying how to cook lighter with an Instant Pot. While yes, you could make super gooey, creamy and decadent meals like mac-n-cheese in your Instant Pot, Jeffrey is also going to show us a way to lighten it all up, cooking to your specific eating lifestyle. Whether it's Keto, Paleo, Gluten-free, or vegetarian and vegan, it's all about eating wholesome, real food that raises your vibration rather than ones that sink you into a food coma and total brain fog… but here's the caveat: he promises we won't lose any of the flavor along the way.  Here's how.  My all-star special guest today is Jeffrey Eisner and he's simplifying how to cook lighter with an Instant Pot. We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including: For those just getting started using their Instant Pot, the 2-3 tips that would help you feel less intimidated, so you can get going with experimenting, playing and cooking food with it this week What “cooking lighter” looks like for him these days and which recipes he's enjoying making right now, which might give you a few ideas on what to cook tonight Which must-have staples you need stocked in your pantry, specifically for pressure cooking Lawry's seasoned salt beef, chicken, vegetable stock, specifically Better than Bouillon concentrated stock base  dried beans (black, pinto, white beans) quinoa, rice (white, brown, wild), and farro herbs & spices - TIP: buy one new spice each week to build your pantry and experiment with new flavors! How to cook for kids or picky eaters with an Instant Pot - he shares his best advice for parents without much time to cook, but want happy bellies around the dinner table …and ultimately, he shared a little bit about his own wellness journey - what he wished he knew earlier on when it comes to eating lighter and maintaining his weight. Q: Are you ready to cook lighter using an Instant Pot? If yes, this one is for you. It's time to #DoTheThing! ---- Show notes available with all links mentioned here: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/371-how-to-cook-lighter-with-an-instant-pot---with-jeffrey-eisner-all-star

Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of switching to a plant-based diet? In this video, we'll share simple, time-saving strategies like batch cooking, stocking your pantry with staples, and using kitchen gadgets like Instant Pots to make plant-based eating easy and stress-free. Whether you're a beginner or just looking to simplify your routine, these tips will help you save time and feel confident in your plant-based journey.

Hey, hey!   Happy New Year, my fabulous foodies!

Join Jen Carlson as she shares the faithfulness of God through life's trials and encourages simple, heartfelt hospitality. Even if you're not a natural planner, Jen offers easy practical tips for creating simple yet delicious recipes that can feed a crowd. Jen gives advice on creating a welcoming space with interior design ideas, cozy lighting, and good music. Plus, she shares how her hospitality influencers inspired her along the way. You'll be inspired too! We're so glad you're here!  Visit www.comeoverfordinner.com for recipes, product links, and more!

Today's recipe is Lucky Collard Greens in the Instant Pot.Here are the links to some of the items I talked about in this episode: #adInstant Pot Black Eyed PeasInstant PotTongsAll New Chicken CookbookThis episode was also published in January, 2022.Here's the Recipe Of The Day page with all of our recipe links.If you want to make sure that you always find out what today's recipe is, do one or all of the following:Subscribe to the Podcast,Join the ROTD Facebook Group hereHave a great day! -Christine xo 

Today's recipe is Instant Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken.Here are the links to some of the items I talked about in this episode: #adInstant PotCutting BoardChef's KnifeAll New Chicken CookbookThis episode was also published in February, 2023.Here's the Recipe Of The Day page with all of our recipe links.If you want to make sure that you always find out what today's recipe is, do one or all of the following:Subscribe to the Podcast,Join the ROTD Facebook Group hereHave a great day! -Christine xo

- Sponsorship with BudDocs.org for medical marijuana services, including telemedicine by Dr. Shen Latte and dispensary discounts.   - Overview of BudDocs.org pricing for transfers, existing, and new patients.   - Updates on Godzilla-themed pinball machines and their appeal as status symbols.   - Anecdote about unexpectedly receiving a pinball machine.   - Lighthearted intro and humor woven into podcast opening.   - Brendan O'Connor's arrival, casual humor, and discussions about drag queens Trixie and Katya.   - Commentary on fatherhood, generational parenting shifts, and societal expectations.   - Complaints about family obligations, kids' birthday parties, and unnecessary graduations.   - Nostalgia for attending a child's last elementary school event despite discomfort.   - Humor about dad attire and coping with rich vs. blue-collar lifestyles.   - Lavish anecdotes about rich friends, extravagant parties, and peculiar behaviors.   - Listener stories involving helicopters, Pitbull, and bizarre vacation mishaps.   - Reflection on Salvation Army's donation methods, persistent bell ringers, and religious-based aid critiques.   - Brendan recalling skiing to school and challenges of snow-heavy childhoods.   - Discussion about holiday triggers and awkward bell ringer encounters.   - Operation "Nightcap" uncovering drug sales in downtown Orlando bars and its implications for bar owners.   - Debate over city policies enforcing permits and security in nightlife areas.   - Anecdotes about downtown Orlando bars, financial misconduct, and lost nostalgia.   - Nostalgia for *RoboCop* and eccentric actor antics, including Peter Weller's Oreo demands.   - Discussion of YouTuber Mark Rober's educational content vs. superficial trends in YouTube videos.   - Observations on YouTube revenue surpassing traditional media and disparities in educator pay.   - Shoutout to Mark Rober's charitable initiatives and inspiring local projects for autistic adults.   - Brendan's luxury resort visit, upcoming trips, and exploration of quirky Key West spots.   - Nostalgia for Sanford's festive holiday atmosphere, including dining at Hollerbach's.   - Reflection on sponsored travel experiences, including challenges like bedbugs and disappointing cruises.   - Debate over airboats' environmental impact and Florida's kitschy attractions.   - Stoned food experiments, childhood snack nostalgia, and creative Instant Pot recipes.   - Highlights of Brendan's radio show, local bar visits, and the upcoming Science on Tap event.   - Anecdote about a car giveaway mishap and quirky grandma fashion show at the Grandma Party Bazaar.   - Shoutout to John Busteker and Mo's Christmas Party at Gatorland.   - Tom reminiscing about past spontaneity and fun during “Fat Tom Van” days.   ### **Social Media:**   [Website](https://tomanddan.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tomanddanlive) | [Facebook](https://facebook.com/amediocretime) | [Instagram](https://instagram.com/tomanddanlive) **Where to Find the Show:**   [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-mediocre-time/id334142682) | [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2FtZWRpb2NyZXRpbWUvcG9kY2FzdC54bWw) | [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Comedy/A-Mediocre-Time-p364156/) **The Tom & Dan Radio Show on Real Radio 104.1:**   [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-corporate-time/id975258990) | [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2Fjb3Jwb3JhdGV0aW1lL3BvZGNhc3QueG1s) | [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Comedy/A-Corporate-Time-p1038501/) **Exclusive Content:** [Join BDM](https://tomanddan.com/registration)   **Merch:** [Shop Tom & Dan](https://tomanddan.myshopify.com/)

Hey, hey!   Welcome to another episode of Meal Planning for Busy Moms!

Hey, Hey!   Welcome back to Meal Planning for Busy Moms! This week, I'm sharing a brand-new weekly meal plan packed with delicious, easy-to-make recipes that your family will love. We're talking tacos, salmon, chicken thighs, and more, all using different cooking methods to keep your dinners fresh and exciting.   Plus, I'm sharing a 30-second genius hack to save you time, money, and stress—perfect for those days when your veggies are looking a little sad.   And the best part? I've got a way for you to get this entire meal plan, complete with recipe links, delivered right to your inbox! Tune in for all the details.   What You'll Learn in This Episode:   A full weekly meal plan with a variety of proteins (beef, chicken, turkey, salmon, and pork).   New recipes that are quick, delicious, and use different cooking methods (stove top, sheet pan, slow cooker, Instant Pot, and one-pot meals).   How to freeze veggies like a pro to save money and reduce waste.   How to join the Meal Planning for Busy Moms Insider List to get meal plans and recipe links sent straight to your inbox.   Weekly Meal Plan: Monday: Beef and Veggie Stir-Fry (Stove Top) Tuesday: Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps (Quick Stove Top) Wednesday: Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner Thursday: Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Friday: BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders (Instant Pot) Saturday: Creamy Pesto Pasta with Chicken (One-Pot) Sunday: Soupy Sunday – Hearty Lentil and Sausage Soup (Slow Cooker)   30-Second Genius Hack: Before your veggies go bad, chop them up and freeze them! Spread them out on a baking sheet to freeze flat, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. This hack saves you time, money, and stress while ensuring you always have veggies on hand for quick meals.   Loved this episode? Want the meal plan and recipe links delivered straight to your inbox? Join my Meal Planning for Busy Moms Insider List!   Want some "What's for Dinner?" meal inspiration join out Facebook Community here.   Wanna know more about me?  Click here to learn more and connect!   Thank you for tuning in! Share this episode with a fellow busy mom, and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Have a blessed and beautiful week!   xx Blaga 

Hey look, Jason is back! If you aren't slow cooking, are you even cooking? The age of M is upon us. Imagine having actual choices in your electronics purchases. The Foot Reloaded. Jason's Update from Japan 00:00:00 Last Episode (https://listen.hemisphericviews.com/123)

#481: How do you make chicken safe for babies to eat? If your family eats animal foods then there are nutrition, flavor, taste and texture benefits to trying out chicken. But learning how to make chicken safely for early eaters can be a challenge. Listen to learn the best ways to make chicken for baby-led weaning to help lower choking risk. Listen to this episode to learn: When it's ok to introduce meat on the bone like chicken legs or drumsticks How to make soft shreddable strips of chicken that won't dry out or pose a choking hazard Why offering chicken early on in weaning helps from nutrition and developmental standpoints Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/481 Links from this episode: Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program  Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners Other Videos & Episodes Related to this Topic Baby-Friendly Chicken Adobo Recipe: Family Meal Made Easy How to Make a Whole Chicken in the InstantPot for Your Baby Episode 178 - White Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat

#481: How do you make chicken safe for babies to eat? If your family eats animal foods then there are nutrition, flavor, taste and texture benefits to trying out chicken. But learning how to make chicken safely for early eaters can be a challenge. Listen to learn the best ways to make chicken for baby-led weaning to help lower choking risk. Listen to this episode to learn: When it's ok to introduce meat on the bone like chicken legs or drumsticks How to make soft shreddable strips of chicken that won't dry out or pose a choking hazard Why offering chicken early on in weaning helps from nutrition and developmental standpoints Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/481 Links from this episode: Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program  Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners Other Videos & Episodes Related to this Topic Baby-Friendly Chicken Adobo Recipe: Family Meal Made Easy How to Make a Whole Chicken in the InstantPot for Your Baby Episode 178 - White Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat

A very special guest on the podcast, Kathi Lipp. Dr. Vickie: The main reason I wanted you to have to have you on the podcast today is because you are an expert on connection and social connectedness is such a part of lifestyle medicine and so many people struggle with loneliness. Kathi: I'm going to be totally honest with you. It's something that Roger, my husband, and I have struggled with up here. And we've had to be super intentional about it. So, even though I may be an expert on it, it means I still have to work at it. Dr. Vickie: Well, most people who are an expert on something have had to work through it themselves, right?  But set the scene about the red house first of all. Can you just let our listeners know what it's like to be there, to live there, and how you came up with the idea for your newest book, which is Sabbath Soup. Kathi: So several years ago, Roger and I, we love to go to the mountains to kind of get away and to write and to work and do all of that kind of stuff. And we started praying about, could we get a little tiny cabin in the woods that for us to be able to do that? And then, as dreams often do, it got out of control the and we ended up buying the house with the intent of living in San Jose, and going coming to the mountains, Airbnbing this place, and then also doing writer's retreat. Well, every time we came here, we didn't want to leave. So we eventually sold our house in San Jose and moved up here full time. only And so we have a much bigger house than we could ever use, but we're able to use it in different ways like the retreats and we can have guests here. We've had people who have been in the midst of a crisis come and stay with us. So the house gets used in ways that we never imagined. And the we just feel very lucky that we get to live here Dr. Vickie: How far away is your nearest  neighbor?  Kathi: It's about a 20 to 25 minute walk depending on who's doing the walking. We've had to make really deliberate attempts to be able to be connected with people.  Dr. Vickie: So many people do struggle with connection and loneliness, and they're like, well it's hard for me because, and it was hard for you because, but you found a way to overcome that, and a lot of it revolved around meals. Kathi: We had the Caldor fire come through our county and we we only lost two acres and it didn't touch our home But one of the reasons that our home was saved was because of the volunteer firefighters who live on both sides of us. All those firefighters are living together, sleeping together, eating together Well, this was at the height of the covid pandemic, and Paul got covid and was in the intensive care unit. It was really really bad. When he got out I'm like, "Could I bring you some soup?" and come to find out, If I didn't bring him soup, he was going home to Lunchables. That's what he eats. So I said, Oh, we can do better than that. So we've just started to bring him meals every week.  I'm used to cooking for six, Vickie, we were a blended family of six and you don't lose those muscles really quickly when you're cooking for a crowd. And so, we bring him meals. And just yesterday way we brought Nancy and Patrick meals because they're going through  a health crisis. And we just show up with food and it takes one burden off of them and is a very, low and easy connection point for people.  Dr. Vickie: And I think people associate soup with health. I asked my listeners on Facebook this week, what's your comfort food? And so many people said soup. You've got chicken soup, but there's so many other soups and, I got to feast on them when I was there and it just makes you feel warm inside and it's a big pot that you share with people. There's so much about soup that just screams connection. Kathi: It really does. And, you know, I found that the easiest way to reach out to somebody, a neighbor, a friend, a coworker is to just say this simple line, I made too much soup. Can I bring some over? And it's such a low risk way of reaching out. And it's also a low risk way of receiving Because I think we're very hesitant to receive from strangers, or, even people we don't know really well, because it's like, what are they going to want from me? Are they gonna, you know, are they going to try to recruit me for their multilevel marketing system or their religion? And to just say, no, I just care about you. And soup's a really easy way of doing that.   Dr. Vickie: Well us a little bit more about Sabbath soup. Kathi: So, you know, Roger and I have really been on a journey. I think when you kind of pull away from some of the hustle, I mean, we, we're from Silicon Valley, so hustle was built into what we were doing. And when you kind of pull away from that, you start to see, maybe I haven't had some of the healthiest habit. As you know, I've been on  a  weight journey and a food journey, and those have been going really well. But a couple of things that I was not doing great at, rest and stress management. You can go live in the middle of the forest, like Roger and I do. is And if you're not intentional about those things, they can continue to be not great for you. So we really got intentional on about Sabbath, about saying, "Hey there's this day set aside for rest." And, you can't just say, "Oh, we're resting on Sunday. Everything  stops." People still want to eat. It's very annoying. And so to spend a little bit of each day preparing since so that Sunday can be taken off. And the reason it's soup is because if you make a soup on Friday or Saturday, one, it's the easiest thing in the world to reheat and two, soup tastes better. Then after a couple of days, it just does. So that's why we got into the habit of having soup on Sundays. Dr. Vickie: So  that's your routine every Sunday. Kathi: And here's the beautiful thing for those of us who are overwhelmed. Vickie, If you say I'm having soup on Sunday, your decisions go from infinity to about 25. Most of us know of about 25 soups that we like and we could make. Soup is pretty simple to make and if you are overwhelmed by decision making just saying, okay, Sunday soup and then I add a salad, even if it's a bag salad. I don't care if your soup needs to come from Costco or the grocery store. Do what you need to do. There are a lot of busy people who are like, I can't even think about cooking. If you just make the decision soup, the next time you go to the store, you pick up a couple of containers, you're buying yourself some pre decision. Taking away some anxiety about what am I going to feed these people or myself?  Dr. Vickie: That's so good because you've mentioned so many pillars of lifestyle medicine, rest and stress management. And I mentioned that this is all part of social connectedness, but also nutrition. And I have to tell you what I did the other day, I did not want to go to the grocery store. I had been traveling a lot and came home and I didn't have a lot of groceries and I literally went into the pantry and found what I could find in the pantry and in the freezer. And I threw it all in a big pot with some vegetable broth. And I made a bean and corn and fire roasted tomatoes. And I put my secret ingredient that my husband really loves and that's just a little bit of cloves. Cloves and beans. That's my secret. And he loved it and I took some leftovers to my mom.  so, you're right, it goes, I mean who makes soup for two? Kathi: You really don't.  There are so many things I want to respond to there. One, wouldn't we agree that for so many people in North America, one of the biggest stressors is finances  and soup is such a beautiful way of using up those odds and ends. Beans are so inexpensive and I'm going to try your cloves because I can taste that in my mouth right now. The beans and the cloves. That's amazing. I love it. Because also I like some cinnamon with beans. I love soup because it's very easy to make a big batch of, it's so easy to share like you did with your mom, it's so easy to freeze. love these things called super cubes, S O U P E R cubes. They are just silicone molds to freeze portions of soup. And we call that homesteader fast food where you can just pop out one of those cubes, that heat up in the microwave and you've got lunch. And, I think about it like this, every once in a while we like to go to fast food. We're Americans. We like to do that. But for the 2 of us to go to fast food is 30 dollars, which is nice for a treat. But leftover soup is pretty much free. And so economically, nutritionally, and community wise. It works on all levels.  Dr. Vickie: It really does. Beans in particular are so high in fiber, so high in protein, and they're inexpensive. You can do them out of a can, and they're almost just as healthy as they are any other way. You've gotta watch the sodium content. But also, you can do them in the Instant Pot, and you don't have to soak them overnight and do all that Kathi: They are very blue zone. They are very, very blue zone.  Dr. Vickie: Yes, they are. Well, what's your favorite soup recipe in the new book Sabbath Soup? Do you have one? Because I do. Kathi: Okay, when I  want to be a little decadent, the tomato and gin soup, That's  my favorite. Everybody loves it. What's yours?  Dr. Vickie: Same. It was so good, I love it. And like I said, that would be for a sort of a treat occasion, but I love tomato soup anyway. And that tomato soup recipe was delicious.  Kathi: Okay, Vickie, the next time you need a treat and you want to double up on your treat, there's no more classic combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, right? Which has nothing redeeming about it. Let's just be super honest, except joy. And in the book, I have a recipe for Cuban sandwiches. That's like a grilled cheese sandwich on steroids. It's so, so, so good. So if you, if you want something kind of decadent, it's a real crowd pleaser.  Dr. Vickie: That's awesome. And I love a pickle with my grilled cheese sandwich. Kathi: That's that's what the Cuban sandwich is all about is the pickle.   Dr. Vickie: Well, I want our listeners to know all about your book and where they can find you and the book because it is a gorgeous book and it is full of so many good recipes.  Kathi: They really did a beautiful job on it. So if you go to SabbathSoup. com, we have a lot of little gifties there for you, some menu plans, some other bonuses you can do, but you can buy Sabbath Soup at Amazon and any place you love to buy books. You can buy it there. It's available everywhere.  Dr. Vickie I will put the link to your website and all of the links to that. so much. In the show notes, because I know people are going to want to check that out. But I, I love the, just the connection that's involved with, with food and with soup in particular, Kathi: You know, I always think about it this way, Vickie, I've never been fed without feeling love. I did an interview yesterday and they talked to us about how God created us with the need for food. God didn't need to do that, but God is invested in our connection and our joy and that's what food does.  Dr. Vickie: That's so true. And, and I think eating a meal without someone to share it with,  magnifies loneliness. I went through a season of singleness and I said, I ate a dinner for one at a table for 10. It just magnifies the fact that you're alone. And my father passed away about three years ago. And so my mom's had to eat her meals alone and it's difficult for her to go to the table and do that. So that's why I take her my leftovers, but how beautiful that just to show up at your neighbor's door and say, Hey, I made too much soup. And would you like to have some? I love that. Kathi: Yeah. And I love what you said there. Show up. Don't ask, what can I do? Just say, Hey, I made you some soup. What time can I bring it over? That works for you? It's such a different because nobody wants to put anybody else out. But when you say it's already done, it brings, it brings a different level of connectedness. Dr. Vickie: You're absolutely right.  And even better, stay with them. I remember when I was sick and people would bring me meals and a lot of times it wasn't anything I could eat. The prednisone made me diabetic and I had to be very, very careful what I ate and I'm sort of a health nut anyway, so I was careful about what I ate, but what I really wanted was for them to stay and visit. It's not something that you drop off on the doorstep and ring the doorbell and run away. If you can stay and visit that, that's the, that's the decadent cream on top. Kathi: Yeah, and I think asking. Roger went to visit our neighbors yesterday and there was a nurse there and it just wasn't a great time. So, Roger said, I'm going to call you later to find out when a good time would be. You're there to serve somebody's needs. And that is the deep connection - seeing that need. And it's such a gift to the receiver to let them know, even if now doesn't work, later on will, and we're going to be back. We're in this for the long haul. If you can just make a decision for one day a week in advance what you're going to eat and one, make it a little special and two make it easy on yourself. It's going to create a rhythm in your life that is going to be life giving.  Dr. Vickie: My husband thrives on a rhythm like that. And so we do the same thing every Friday night and the same thing every Sunday night. It's just relaxing to me because we don't have to talk about it. We don't have to decide anything. We don't have to plan anything. We know what we're doing.  There are tons of recipes in this book. It's a beautiful book just to even have sitting in your kitchen. So thank you so much for being here.  Kathi: Vickie, it's such an honor to see everything you've started with this podcast and now to be a guest, it just feels like such a full circle moment and I'm so proud of you and I love what you're doing to serve your community. It's, it's just awe inspiring. Dr. Vickie: Well, thank you so much. It was great having you.     RESOURCES (may contain affiliate links): Kathi Lipp Website Sabbath Soup Website Souper Cubes Sign up to receive podcasts by email

This week, we're excited to bring you a thought-provoking conversation with the wonderful Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling author and advocate for slow living.In this episode, Stephanie O'Dea dives deep into her journey from being known as the "crock pot queen," where I first connected with her (see her Slow cooker Brussels sprouts and Apricot Brie recipes below) , to embracing a more deliberate and slow-paced lifestyle. While we are in the month of Crocktober and Stephanie's book, “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow,” is never leaving my shelf, I also was really interested in her new “Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World” pivot.Here's a quick look at what we talked about and… a recipe!

This week, we're excited to bring you a thought-provoking conversation with the wonderful Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling author and advocate for slow living.In this episode, Stephanie O'Dea dives deep into her journey from being known as the "crock pot queen," where I first connected with her (see her Slow cooker Brussels sprouts and Apricot Brie recipes below) , to embracing a more deliberate and slow-paced lifestyle. While we are in the month of Crocktober and Stephanie's book, “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow,” is never leaving my shelf, I also was really interested in her new “Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World” pivot.Here's a quick look at what we talked about and… a recipe!

Feeling a chill in the air and looking for a way to warm up after a busy fall day?As the days get shorter and cooler, we crave comfort food that are nourishing, while still simple to make at home. But with so many different recipes out there, how do you choose a soup that will truly hit the spot? Whether you want a quick weeknight option or a slow-simmered weekend treat, this episode will inspire you to make the most of soup season. By the end of this episode, you'll…Discover the viral “Glow Soup” — creamy, nutritious, and 100% plant-basedLearn tips for creating hearty, flavorful broths in your slow cooker or Instant Pot that can be enjoyed as a healthy snack or used to elevate classics like tomato, lentil, or chicken noodleGet creative with root veggies and hearty greens, combining them with pantry staples like smoky spices and coconut milk to take your soup game to the next levelTune in now to learn how to create soul-warming soups that will carry you through autumn and into winter with ease and comfort!***Links:The viral TikTok “Glow Soup” by Maddie Harrington/NutriouslyeasySimilar to Kari's soup: Andouille sausage + black bean soup with fire-roasted tomatoes by Sarah Carey for Martha Stewart, or this sausage, kale, and lentil soup (just swap the tomatoes for fire-roasted ones)Olia Hercules' Tarragon Soup from her cookbook Kaukasis: The culinary journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan & beyondClassic French onion soup with beef stock and white wine, and a mushroom farro version from NYT CookingSlow cooker carmelized onions from Gimme Some OvenParsnip soup options – Easiest parsnip soup form Taming Twins , Carrot-Parsnip Soup from NYT Cooking, and Apple parsnip soup from Dana's TableWhite chicken chili (with 3 different methods!) from Add a Pinch, and a 5-ingredient white chicken chili from Gimme Some Oven***Got a cooking question? Call in and leave us a voicemail on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for our newsletter here for special offers and opportunitiesOrder Sonya's debut cookbook

Are you a CSA farmer that has to get their members to "renew" every year and it always feels like a STRUGGLE? I've got you, my friend, because in this episode, I share my process for setting up my CSA early sign "renewal" promotion every fall in the final week of my CSA. I give them only 7 days to make up their minds. I've used the same sales system for the last 7 years, and I consistently get 75-85% of them to renew.  Here is an overview of the steps that I walk through in more detail in the episode. Use this as your checklist for running your own campaign: Set the three key dates. Review any changes you might want to make to next year's products/sites/fulfillment. Confirm with vendors and site hosts. Build your irresistible offer. Set up your online store/POS -- the tech! Build the content strategy map. Map out the key messaging points on a calendar, day by day. Write the email onboarding sequence. Build social media post graphics. Write the email marketing sequence. Schedule the emails and social posts. Build the "master checklist". Test the funnel on 1-2 customers who are let in early to find any bugs. This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Early Bird Campaigns that Convert -- In this episode, I mentioned how I would be building my CSA Early Bird Renewal Promo campaign this month. IF you want to learn my system for how I do this every year, I offer my step by step online course to help you get it done. This course will teach you how to build a compelling offer that gets your current members to decide to renew during your promo campaign. I show you the emails to write, the posts to create, and the ENERGY you need to generate in the week before you launch. Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! You'll find my video trainings for the Early Bird Challenge inside here for a few more days. Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer

In this episode, we dive into the powerful psychology of consistency and how small commitments can lead to bigger, lasting customer actions. Inspired by Robert Cialdini's principle of consistency from his book Influence, we explore how getting your customers to take small, meaningful steps—like participating in social media posts or attending a farm event—can prime them for bigger purchases down the line. We'll also discuss how this principle helps customers claim an identity and align their values with your farm, creating a loyal, committed base. Tune in to learn how to leverage this strategy to boost customer engagement and drive sales! This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Influence by Robert Cialdini - I reference this best-seller in the show. It teaches the psychology of sales. This is not an affiliate link. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Early Bird Campaigns that Convert -- In this episode, I mentioned how I would be building my CSA Early Bird Renewal Promo campaign this month. IF you want to learn my system for how I do this every year, I offer my step by step online course to help you get it done. This course will teach you how to build a compelling offer that gets your current members to decide to renew during your promo campaign. I show you the emails to write, the posts to create, and the ENERGY you need to generate in the week before you launch. Episode 119 How My "CSA Giveaway Challenge" Experiment Built Some Major Brand Identity - listen to this challenge to get some ideas for questions you can use in a Daily Challenge, designed to build commitment! Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer

Are you in search of a pressure canning appliance that can do it all? On this week's episode of Perfectly Preserved, we discuss kitchen appliances that are marketed for pressure canning.Jenny discusses the technical differences between pressure canners, pressure cookers, and electric pressure cookers. You'll learn the capabilities of a pressure canner that allow it to safely preserve shelf-stable food. Tune in as Jenny debunks the use of Instant Pots or other electric pressure cookers as pressure canners, and shares all the ins and outs of the Presto Digital Pressure Canner. Low-acid pressure canned recipes aren't the thing to play around with. Follow these recommendations to steer clear of toxins and enjoy your delicious food! Thanks for listening! Send your food preservation questions to perfectlypreservedpodcast@gmail.comJoin us on InstagramFollow Anna @SmartHomeCanningFollow Jenny @TheDomesticWildflowerSupport the showPerfectly Preserved is made possible by our listeners! Learn how to support our show with Buy Me a Coffee

@Lauren_McDuffie, is the author of the beautiful and inspiring cookbook "Homemade-ish: Recipes and Cooking Tips That Keep It Real" Known for her knack of blending home-cooked charm with modern-day convenience, Lauren's work has been making waves in the culinary world. We'll dive into her creative process, chat about her beloved blog "My Kitchen Little," and get a glimpse into the life of someone who beautifully marries food, photography, and writing.So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and get ready to be inspired by the delightful Lauren McDuffie.TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie [00:00:15]:Hi. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, and I am here with the author Lauren McDuffie, Talking With My Mouth Full , and she is someone that I'm just getting familiar with. So Lauren, welcome to the program.Lauren McDuffie [00:00:26]:Thank you so much for having me.Stephanie [00:00:28]:Yeah. Your book, Homemade-ish, I think I saw it, like, on maybe a publisher's weekly list, and then I started paging through it. And you're I I hope this, like, hits you in the right way. You're kind of, like, sort of semi homemade ish, but not exactly.Lauren McDuffie [00:00:48]:Yes. No. That's you really hit the nail on the head with that. Okay. Yeah.Stephanie [00:00:52]:I used to watch semi homemade with Sandra Lee you. In the beginning of the Food Network days, and she's kinda gotten a bad rap. What I loved about her and what I loved when I was going through your book too is just this idea that we don't have to, like, make every single thing from scratch in order to put a decent meal on the table for our family.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:16]:Right. It's just that's just true.Stephanie [00:01:19]:And it prevents people sometimes from cooking at all. This idea that cooking is so complicated and so hard. And as someone who I mean, I'm just a home cook, and I feel like that's a great space where you can sometimes take shortcuts and also knowing the shortcuts to take.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:38]:Yes. Exactly.Stephanie [00:01:40]:So your book, Homemade-ishLauren McDuffie [00:01:42]:Mhmm.Stephanie [00:01:43]:Is really lovely. And I felt like was the modern day version of sort of that idea because your food looks incredible. Your you must be a are you a a photo stylist? Because your food in your book is, like, amazing.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:58]:Thank you. Yes. I did the photography and the styling for all my books, and it's I just love that part of the process so much. So thank you for saying that.Stephanie [00:02:07]:I did laugh because you have a piece in there you, talk about, like, I just love this. This is my joy. And I'm in the middle of finishing a second book, and I'm not feeling that it's my joy.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:23]:I get that too. Yeah. That's fair. I was like, I'm all the time. So I under Yeah.Stephanie [00:02:30]:I have 35 pictures left, and I don't even wanna eat the food anymore because I'm so sick of it.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:35]:Yep. You've spent enough time with it probably. Yes. I get that. I do.Stephanie [00:02:40]:So catch my listeners up a little bit about you and who you are and your blog.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:46]:Okay. So I yes. I run a, a recipe website called my kitchen little, which I think it just turned 5, like, within the past week. So I I don't know. In blog years, that's not a baby anymore. So and and I run it as a business, which I really, I really enjoy. But prior to this website, I had a blog, which was very much a writing space. I love to write, and I started that, I don't know, maybe 12, 13 years ago, a long time ago back when food blogs were still sort of a novel thing.Lauren McDuffie [00:03:19]:Not everyone had one at the time. So I started I started that when my daughter was was a baby, and I just needed an outlet. And for me, cooking has always been my favorite sort of creative outlet. I love food. I love to talk about food, and a blog just seemed like a really nice way to gather together my creative interest with writing and cooking. And and, eventually, I fell in love with photography just by necessity because I learned that people want to see what you're talking about. Yes. So I grew a new love for that whole side of it too.Lauren McDuffie [00:03:50]:So so I had a food blog for a really long time purely as a hobby, but I I I met a lot of other people along the way who were in in food land just like me but in different ways. And, I had the opportunity to do my my first cookbook several years ago, which was kind of an homage to my Appalachian roots. And then I did another book a few years later, which is called Southern Lights. I lived in Charleston, South Carolina at the time. AndStephanie [00:04:15]:You did? My brother lives there. I love Charleston so much.Lauren McDuffie [00:04:18]:I love you. We moved to Portland a year ago from Charleston, and I was very sad to leave. But I love Portland too. So so it's it's been fine. But, yeah, I have a special spot in my heart for Charleston, and that book sort of was inspired by just my time living in, the low country and in the south, and I wanted to show off the healthier side of the southern table, which was a really fun book project. But, this book, Homemade ish, I just really enjoyed doing because I've found that a lot of my actual friends, like in my neighborhood and in my real life, are really drawn to things that are genuinely easy, truly low maintenance, and unintimidating. You know, I love a long cooking project with the best of them, something that takes all day and then I have to go out into the world to find really obscure ingredients. I like that because I'm a food nerd, and that's the kind of stuff that makes me happy.Lauren McDuffie [00:05:11]:But a lot of people, in fact, most people that I know, they're not like that. They they do, however, want to make food themselves in their home because there's a lot to be said for that, but they wanna do it with the least amount of fuss, you know, possible. And so that's really where the idea for this book came. And I also did use to watch semi homemade, and I appreciated kind of the heart of the show. The point of it made so much sense to me. So, yeah, I kind of wanted to breathe some modern new life into that concept. And because ready made foods and store bought foods have really come a long way since the nineties, and there's so much out there, that's that's really great fodder for jumping off and being creative and doctoring up into something new. And that was that's kind of the point of the book.Stephanie [00:05:57]:Yeah. So you take something that's maybe giving you a a a helping hand as it were, like pesto or deli meats or even, rotisserie chickenLauren McDuffie [00:06:08]:Yes.Stephanie [00:06:08]:And then you kinda take it the rest of the way.Lauren McDuffie [00:06:11]:Absolutely. Yeah. I think that cookbooks really serve a wonderful purpose in just giving ideas also. I think sometimes just coming up with what to make for dinner can be, you know, a deterrent in and of itself. And so I'm I'm hoping that these recipes are also fodder for people's own just riffing and and their own interpretation. So, hopefully, it'll help people see their grocery stores kind of in a new light. Like, what do you mean for me? Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie [00:06:38]:You mentioned in the book, I think it's 5, like, of your favorite products that everyone should have in their pantry at all times that you always have a meal available. And maybe it wasn't exactly 5, but I think it was pesto was 1. Yep. Curry. I think prepared curry was theLauren McDuffie [00:06:58]:paste. I love I love a curry paste.Stephanie [00:07:01]:And can you share a few more?Lauren McDuffie [00:07:03]:Sure. And I think that this list probably changes, a little bit, but for me, a rotisserie chicken is always a go to. I I tend to never get sick of finding ways to wield a rotisserie chicken because you can just do so much with them. But I think this is gonna you know, people scoff at at bagged salads sometimes, which is silly to me, but I do a lot in this book with bagged salads. I usually have one in my fridge to play on and and riff on. I think they're really valuable because it saves you time with chopping and Yeah. Procuring all of the individual things. I just there's something to be said for that.Lauren McDuffie [00:07:41]:SoStephanie [00:07:41]:Do you have bagged salad? Like, are you an Aldi person? Are you a Trader Joe's person? Are you whatever your grocery store is where you are? Because they apparently someone told me once that the bagged salads at Aldi that are $3 are really quite good, and I've never hadLauren McDuffie [00:07:57]:I haven't either. Although, I'm people I see people talking about Aldi more and more singing its praises. So I will have to check that out. That's really good intel.Stephanie [00:08:07]:I can't get past the quarter to get the cart.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:10]:Oh. Oh, yeah. I can't do that.Stephanie [00:08:12]:I'm like, come on. Like, it's a quarter, but people say it ensures that the people bring the carts back into the store.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:21]:I see. Okay. Okay. I'm just like, chargeStephanie [00:08:24]:me a dollar. I don't care. I just want I don't wanna have to fish around in my bag for a quarter.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:29]:Right. I know. That's true. I didn't know about that whole thing. Okay. That is interesting. But it's funny you mentioned Trader Joe's because I just went there last week for the first time in, like, 6 years for no reason other than that. I've moved a few times and COVID happened, and I just hadn't been in a while, and I forgot how much I love that store.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:49]:Yeah. And it it's perfect for this book because they have so many wonderful things that are already kind of made and started for you. But, yeah, I almost panic bought so many things when I went in there because I was like, oh gosh. It all looks so good.Stephanie [00:09:03]:You are my person because I'm a panic shopper. Yeah. Like, where I just and and during COVID, I mean, I have still nightmares about trying to go to the grocery store during COVID and just literally throwing things in your cart and running out. But I'm also a panic orderer at a restaurant because I want everything.Lauren McDuffie [00:09:23]:Oh, I know. I I feel you on that. I'm a little bit like that. I close my eyes and just play roulette andStephanie [00:09:29]:Yes.Lauren McDuffie [00:09:30]:That's like your dog. No. I get that. But I did I got some salads there last week to your point that were very good. So but, yeah, normally, I I grocery shop so much just for my work that it's almost a daily thing. And, I do get delivered groceries, which people think is funny because I don't always pick out my own individual this and that. But for pure efficiency sake, again, which is sort of the heart of this book, I just shop at, like, my big local supermarket and and get all my bagged salads and sundries there and, you know, use them in a pinch. They're always helpful.Stephanie [00:10:04]:Every day, what does your day look like? Like, are you already working on the next book, and is that what you're doing every day?Lauren McDuffie [00:10:11]:Yeah. You know, I, I did this book right before we moved from Charleston to Portland, and I did it really fast. For me, it was it was fast. And it didn't burn me out, but it definitely gave me a nice kind of pause in in the the cookbook making because I had a book come out a year ago as well. So I had 2 come out pretty close together, which has been really fun. But I'm just kind of enjoying sitting back a little and looking at the stuff I've made, and and I'm actually working on a non food related book, right now just to see, if that can go anywhere. So but I've been focusing a lot on my my website and growing that. I just you know, as I said before, it's past the 5 year mark, and it's really nice to see that, coming more to fruition and and doing doing pretty well.Lauren McDuffie [00:11:02]:So I've just kind of thrown myself into the to that side of things, but I'm sure another book idea will will will surface because I love making them. But, like, you you were just saying, it's a lot when you're in it. It's like, woah. I'm I why am I doing this? But it's it's great when all is said and done, but, yeah, I took a little break.Stephanie [00:11:19]:There's been a kinda trend that I've been seeing with cookbook authors and recipe developers. I'm curious if you're thinking about this at all. We have a lot of people that have launched substacks, and Instagram and TikTok are just full of recipes. And we're in some respects, I feel like have reached this, like, everything is just like this free recipe, and people just comment like recipe, recipe, recipe. Yes. And Yes. With that, which is great because you build an audience and you build a community, there are some creators that are like, wow. I'm just putting all this time, energy, and money into this thing that the books aren't making money like they used to.Stephanie [00:12:06]:Podcasts have never really made money unless you're, like, the top 20. And so we have all these creators spending all this energy, and we're all chasing, you know, the few scents that you get when someone watches something on a YouTube. So I'm wondering if, like, we're almost at, like, some of the creators, Carolyn Chambers has talked about this, about taking all of her recipes off of her website and really funneling people only into recipe ways that she can monetize. Have you thought about that at all, or do you think about that when you're working on your blog?Lauren McDuffie [00:12:41]:Yeah. I do. Because sometimes it does start to feel almost futile when you really sit back and you think of I mean, and you just summarized it really well. I go back and forth. I mean, I actually started a substack, as well, and I've enjoyed that as a separate space for me to write more creatively because no one comes to food blogs anymore, as you know, to hear hear what anyone has to say about their life. I mean, that's a that's a big joke now. You know, get to the recipe already. And so my self stack became sort of that.Lauren McDuffie [00:13:09]:I think for me, it's been motivating because my own traffic on my website has grown exponentially over the last year, really, year, maybe year and a half, and that keeps me in the game. But I do sometimes wonder and I had someone ask me just last week about, another factor, which is AI is now a part of things as well too, which is so intimidating and it makes me wonder, is that where people are just going to stop, you know, for all of their their recipes? And are we gonna become obsolete? I don't know. It's scary actually to think about it. But but I have some very, very dear friends who are full time food bloggers and are very helpful resources for me and have taught me a lot about SEO, so I which is search engine optimization, and it's sort of how to play the game with Google so that you get your content in front of all the people out there who are googling things all the time. And it keeps me inspired and motivated when I talk to other people who have found real success in this. But I don't know. To your question, it is a little bit nerve wracking and and scary to think about what's gonna happen 5 years from now. I don't really know, but I just know that I enjoy doing it and I I'm enjoying the little wins and little successes that I'm seeing month to month right now, and that's keeping me going.Lauren McDuffie [00:14:27]:And and the books, like you said, you know, I don't know many people who write cookbooks to get rich, but, it's a wonderfully legitimizing thing to have. I love having a tangible representation of of my work, and it's it's just I I love them. I love that I've that I've done them, and it's it's valuable in other ways that aren't necessarily monetary. And and it all kind of works together as this little food machine and who knows exactly where it's going, but I I'm confident and optimistic that it'll still be, there's still a place for our blogs and recipe websites.Stephanie [00:15:01]:Well and to your point, I think what is also happening, which is sort of in your wheelhouse, I don't consider myself a writer. My husband actually is a writer, So I'm pretty careful about what that looks like in that space. I am a 300 words or less person. I am a bullet pointed list. I just that's how I think, and that's what works for me. But to your point, if you have, like, talent in the writing space and having your own personal points of view, I do think that there's always gonna be room for that where people align with your vision or your values or your lifestyle choices, and they get to know you and they wanna be more in your world?Lauren McDuffie [00:15:44]:Hope so. Yeah. I think so too. I really do. That that human element of the equation is special, and I think people like it. It's it's a really nice thing. And so I'm hoping in fact, you know, I've actually made a commitment to invest more into the writing in my website even though I'm not telling you a story about my life anymore.Stephanie [00:16:05]:Right. But youLauren McDuffie [00:16:06]:can still weave your voice into how you explain food. You know, most of my my blog posts, I don't even really call it a blog anymore. It really is more of a recipe website, but there's still tons of words in there. And you could pick and choose which words you use, and I try to make mine as useful, but also entertaining and worth people's time to read, and that's one way you can separate yourself from the bazillions of other people who are doing the same thing. SoStephanie [00:16:32]:Yeah. So I'm talking with Lauren McDuffie, and her book is Homadish. Couple of other things in your book specifically that I really loved. I I don't know. I I was, was thinking about this today. I was, doing a TV segment with a friend and there was a laundry guy on and he was talking about, know, the 5 things you need to have in your laundry room. And I thought, wow. You know, there's blogs and I've got, like, kitchen essentials and you really broke it down this in in your book, some things worth noting about what you should the 13 things you literally need to have in your kitchen.Stephanie [00:17:10]:I've never seen a list so small and so spot on. So good for you.Lauren McDuffie [00:17:15]:Thank you. Yeah. I, I that list came to be because I was photographing the book, and, I realized I have I have rooms filled with props and things that I've used for years because I work as a food photographer and a stylist. But in, you know, in the name of keeping things real and, authentic, I just used the stuff that I genuinely cook with in my real life. So, yeah, it made it it made it very clear that you don't need a lot. I love minimalism. It makes me feel good, and so I wanted to kinda capture that.Stephanie [00:17:47]:Yeah. So it was a cutting board, a chef's knife, a large deep lidded pot, a large skillet, a medium lidded pot, large baking sheets, a muffin pan, which I might argue with you on the muffin pan.Lauren McDuffie [00:17:58]:Yeah. Yeah. I know. I had to sneak that in because there's 2 recipes in my book that require it.Stephanie [00:18:03]:Okay. Alright. A Dutch oven, a grater, a can opener, a large spatula or spoon, a blender, or and a strainer. And and, like, I guess because the one thing that the muffin pan is is you can't replicate a muffin pan, really.Lauren McDuffie [00:18:17]:Well, that's true. Well and I think, specifically, I was just trying to say that you can literally make every single thing in this book with just these 13 things, but I'd be willing to stretch that and say you could probably get by with cooking a lot more for a lot longer with just these things. You really don't need I mean and you're right. The muffin pan is very unique to the to the book. But, yeah, I I think in general, less is more. I'm not a big, single use kitchen tool person. I used to be, but we have moved so much. Like, my family, we've moved a lot, and that'll make a minimalist out of you.Lauren McDuffie [00:18:52]:Yeah. It had it had me. So, yeah, I wanted to weave that notion into this book because I think it's kind ofStephanie [00:18:58]:refreshing. So do you have an instant pot or a slow cooker?Lauren McDuffie [00:19:01]:I do have a slow cooker because I love them. They're so helpful, and I love a slow cooked thing. Like, we're getting into that season now, so mine's like, I've just dusted it off and it's ready to go. But, yeah, I I don't have an instant pot, and I'm sure I would like it. I mean, I'm sure I would like an air fryer. I don't have that either, and I I know people love them. But that's just me probably being resistant to one change. And then also, you know, if we move again, that's another thing I'm gonna have to pack and unpack.Lauren McDuffie [00:19:31]:SoStephanie [00:19:32]:Yeah. You don't need a air fryer. And the only thing I would say about the Instant Pot is the pressure cooking aspect is really nice, and it's a slow cooker too. Oh, yes. But there's something kinda homey about your ceramic slow cooker. You know?Lauren McDuffie [00:19:49]:Yes. And I love just I love a Dutch oven, like, old school just but I also work from home, and so I'm here to to do that. But for I used to not work in my house, and I loved a slow cooker because it just it made everything so easy.Stephanie [00:20:04]:Yes.Lauren McDuffie [00:20:04]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:20:06]:So as you're thinking about food trends and kind of new products, like, one of the, you have a recipe that's kinda like this. You know, we went through a shakshuka phase.Lauren McDuffie [00:20:18]:Yes.Stephanie [00:20:19]:Mhmm. Are there any, like, trends that you're seeing on the horizon that you're like, oh, I need to simplify that?Lauren McDuffie [00:20:28]:That's that's a great question. I well, one trend that I've literally been working on just this morning is I'm really obsessed with chili crisp, which is something I see all over the place. I like spice. And so I've been trying to think of ways in fact, I just shared in my, I think I shared in my news letter, or I'm getting ready to, ways to kind of make your own but using a store bought one as your just like with homemade ish, using it as a launch pad. So I took a chili crisp that I bought, from maybe Trader Joe's, and I turned it into a southern style chili crisp by adding something like candied pecans and a little apple cider vinegar and, like Yum. Like, so it it and brown sugar, I think, or or molasses is what it was. But, anyways, I southernized, an already store bought product, which is very much what this book is sort of all about. But I keep seeing chili crisp everywhere, and it makes me so happy because I love it.Stephanie [00:21:23]:I really wanna put that on a white bean or cauliflower or puree. I'm just hearing you talk about it.Lauren McDuffie [00:21:30]:That's the perfect idea. Yeah. That would be fun.Stephanie [00:21:33]:Do you like, some of the as I look at cookbooks Mhmm. Sometimes I see, like, that and this is why I'm probably not a very prolific person when I do this. I kind of plot along. Like, oh, I'm gonna make, you know, this, double stuffed something. And then they find 12 other ways to make the same thing, but just with different twists on it. Do you think like that?Lauren McDuffie [00:22:01]:I think I do now, but that's because I have to think strategically about how I publish recipes on and on my website, at least, because that's very that's very useful just for getting views and getting people. It's funny how how my brain splits into when I'm writing recipes for a book. It's a very different it's much freer, actually, creatively. But then, to your question, when I'm working on coming up with recipes for my, for my website, yeah, if I can split something off and offer variations, that serves me really well. So, yeah, I think my brain does work that way. Yeah. The more the merrier.Stephanie [00:22:39]:Yeah. And and I know I I'm always like, there's a reason people are doing it like this. AndLauren McDuffie [00:22:44]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:22:44]:I'm not doing it like that, but I know there's a reason why people are. And it never occurred to me that it was due to SEO, but that makes total sense.Lauren McDuffie [00:22:52]:Yeah. That's why I would do it at least. Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie [00:22:56]:Are there other cookbook authors that inspire you or that like, books that you just will never take off your shelf considering that you've moved, so you've probably pared down?Lauren McDuffie [00:23:05]:Yes. I really have. I donated some books that I'd worn pretty well. But, yes. I, I love Alison Roman's books. I I just I think the well, her food is a lot like the food that I just cook for myself, on any given day because it's very simple. It's nothing more than it needs to be, and I like that. But I really respect and appreciate anybody that truly innovates and carves out their own style.Lauren McDuffie [00:23:32]:That's really hard to do. I mean, I live in this very saturated world of, you know, recipe development and food. And so anytime someone comes along and has a very distinct and sort of fresh feeling, point of view, I just think that's great. I admire that. At it. Yeah. She's good at that. She's she's done that for herself.Lauren McDuffie [00:23:50]:So she's the first person that came to mind. And and I have her books. They're sitting out, and they have been for a long time. So yeah. Yeah. I love her.Stephanie [00:23:59]:When you is there, like, a classic recipe that you just find yourself coming back to that's maybe from your blog that you just love andLauren McDuffie [00:24:09]:Yeah. I always say my, my most, I guess, well loved and well worn recipe, it's, I love Cajun and Creole, Cuisine, and I've got just this etouffee recipe that I have been making for a really, really long time, that's got shrimp and and chicken and andouille, and it's just so good. I've made it for, I think, everyone that has ever come to my house. It's just so tasty, and it tastes better the longer that it sits. Anything that can check that box, I'm gonna automatically be a fan of. But but I think that's my all time favorite, and I love, like, a Cocoa Van, as well. In fact, I'm sitting here today working on chicken stew collection, for my website, and that's just my favorite, I think, category of of food just in general. But my all time favorite would be the this like an etouffee, like a spicy one.Lauren McDuffie [00:24:59]:Yeah. I love them, and I make them all the time. SoStephanie [00:25:02]:Yeah. And that is super southern too. Like Yep. Something that you know, sometimes I think, like, oh, do I even need to, like, tell someone a recipe for this? Like, some of it seems so obvious.Lauren McDuffie [00:25:15]:Oh, sure.Stephanie [00:25:15]:That is something and and I guess you get accustomed. Like, I can make gravy like nobody's business. Yeah. Sure. But I you know, in the Midwest, we had grew up with gravy on everything, so it's Yeah. Sort of unique.Lauren McDuffie [00:25:28]:And appreciate that. I know. I I forget sometimes how, I I assume things are just, so easy and you don't need recipes for things, but then I'll have friends who just are like, Lauren, no. That's why I wrote this book. They're just like, you know, I don't know what I'm doing. My brain doesn't work that way. And so I always equate it to the way that I am with gardening. I don't know how to do anything with plants at all.Lauren McDuffie [00:25:51]:I'm so ignorant, and so I always just try to remember, like, how I am with plants is how some people are with cooking. It's just not your you wanna do it, but you just aren't super well versed in. SoStephanie [00:26:01]:yeah. Alright. Well, I'm gonna put a link to the book, obviously, homemade ish, in the notes here. I will also, remind me of the name of your blog again.Lauren McDuffie [00:26:12]:It's called my kitchen little, and so it's just my kitchen little dot com.Stephanie [00:26:15]:It's cute. And then, I'll find your substack, and I'll link to it too. Great. And we'll go from there. But it was really lovely to spend time with you. I Right. Really think the book is clever. I felt like I knew right away people in my life that would really get a lot out of this.Lauren McDuffie [00:26:33]:Good to hear.Stephanie [00:26:34]:And, it's beautifully shot, which is also I really admire that because I'm over here with my stupid iPhone, but it's, it's beautifully shot. It looks great, and I would recommend that people buy it. I when I really sat down with it and went through the recipes, I liked it very much. It's homemade ish. Recipes and cooking tips that keep it real. And I liked your 13 things you need in the kitchen probably minus the muffin pan.Lauren McDuffie [00:27:01]:That's fair. That's fair. I get it. Alright. Thanks, Lauren. Thank you so much.Stephanie [00:27:06]:Okay. We'll talk soon. Bye bye.Lauren McDuffie [00:27:13]:Bye bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

@Lauren_McDuffie, is the author of the beautiful and inspiring cookbook "Homemade-ish: Recipes and Cooking Tips That Keep It Real" Known for her knack of blending home-cooked charm with modern-day convenience, Lauren's work has been making waves in the culinary world. We'll dive into her creative process, chat about her beloved blog "My Kitchen Little," and get a glimpse into the life of someone who beautifully marries food, photography, and writing.So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and get ready to be inspired by the delightful Lauren McDuffie.TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie [00:00:15]:Hi. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, and I am here with the author Lauren McDuffie, Talking With My Mouth Full , and she is someone that I'm just getting familiar with. So Lauren, welcome to the program.Lauren McDuffie [00:00:26]:Thank you so much for having me.Stephanie [00:00:28]:Yeah. Your book, Homemade-ish, I think I saw it, like, on maybe a publisher's weekly list, and then I started paging through it. And you're I I hope this, like, hits you in the right way. You're kind of, like, sort of semi homemade ish, but not exactly.Lauren McDuffie [00:00:48]:Yes. No. That's you really hit the nail on the head with that. Okay. Yeah.Stephanie [00:00:52]:I used to watch semi homemade with Sandra Lee you. In the beginning of the Food Network days, and she's kinda gotten a bad rap. What I loved about her and what I loved when I was going through your book too is just this idea that we don't have to, like, make every single thing from scratch in order to put a decent meal on the table for our family.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:16]:Right. It's just that's just true.Stephanie [00:01:19]:And it prevents people sometimes from cooking at all. This idea that cooking is so complicated and so hard. And as someone who I mean, I'm just a home cook, and I feel like that's a great space where you can sometimes take shortcuts and also knowing the shortcuts to take.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:38]:Yes. Exactly.Stephanie [00:01:40]:So your book, Homemade-ishLauren McDuffie [00:01:42]:Mhmm.Stephanie [00:01:43]:Is really lovely. And I felt like was the modern day version of sort of that idea because your food looks incredible. Your you must be a are you a a photo stylist? Because your food in your book is, like, amazing.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:58]:Thank you. Yes. I did the photography and the styling for all my books, and it's I just love that part of the process so much. So thank you for saying that.Stephanie [00:02:07]:I did laugh because you have a piece in there you, talk about, like, I just love this. This is my joy. And I'm in the middle of finishing a second book, and I'm not feeling that it's my joy.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:23]:I get that too. Yeah. That's fair. I was like, I'm all the time. So I under Yeah.Stephanie [00:02:30]:I have 35 pictures left, and I don't even wanna eat the food anymore because I'm so sick of it.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:35]:Yep. You've spent enough time with it probably. Yes. I get that. I do.Stephanie [00:02:40]:So catch my listeners up a little bit about you and who you are and your blog.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:46]:Okay. So I yes. I run a, a recipe website called my kitchen little, which I think it just turned 5, like, within the past week. So I I don't know. In blog years, that's not a baby anymore. So and and I run it as a business, which I really, I really enjoy. But prior to this website, I had a blog, which was very much a writing space. I love to write, and I started that, I don't know, maybe 12, 13 years ago, a long time ago back when food blogs were still sort of a novel thing.Lauren McDuffie [00:03:19]:Not everyone had one at the time. So I started I started that when my daughter was was a baby, and I just needed an outlet. And for me, cooking has always been my favorite sort of creative outlet. I love food. I love to talk about food, and a blog just seemed like a really nice way to gather together my creative interest with writing and cooking. And and, eventually, I fell in love with photography just by necessity because I learned that people want to see what you're talking about. Yes. So I grew a new love for that whole side of it too.Lauren McDuffie [00:03:50]:So so I had a food blog for a really long time purely as a hobby, but I I I met a lot of other people along the way who were in in food land just like me but in different ways. And, I had the opportunity to do my my first cookbook several years ago, which was kind of an homage to my Appalachian roots. And then I did another book a few years later, which is called Southern Lights. I lived in Charleston, South Carolina at the time. AndStephanie [00:04:15]:You did? My brother lives there. I love Charleston so much.Lauren McDuffie [00:04:18]:I love you. We moved to Portland a year ago from Charleston, and I was very sad to leave. But I love Portland too. So so it's it's been fine. But, yeah, I have a special spot in my heart for Charleston, and that book sort of was inspired by just my time living in, the low country and in the south, and I wanted to show off the healthier side of the southern table, which was a really fun book project. But, this book, Homemade ish, I just really enjoyed doing because I've found that a lot of my actual friends, like in my neighborhood and in my real life, are really drawn to things that are genuinely easy, truly low maintenance, and unintimidating. You know, I love a long cooking project with the best of them, something that takes all day and then I have to go out into the world to find really obscure ingredients. I like that because I'm a food nerd, and that's the kind of stuff that makes me happy.Lauren McDuffie [00:05:11]:But a lot of people, in fact, most people that I know, they're not like that. They they do, however, want to make food themselves in their home because there's a lot to be said for that, but they wanna do it with the least amount of fuss, you know, possible. And so that's really where the idea for this book came. And I also did use to watch semi homemade, and I appreciated kind of the heart of the show. The point of it made so much sense to me. So, yeah, I kind of wanted to breathe some modern new life into that concept. And because ready made foods and store bought foods have really come a long way since the nineties, and there's so much out there, that's that's really great fodder for jumping off and being creative and doctoring up into something new. And that was that's kind of the point of the book.Stephanie [00:05:57]:Yeah. So you take something that's maybe giving you a a a helping hand as it were, like pesto or deli meats or even, rotisserie chickenLauren McDuffie [00:06:08]:Yes.Stephanie [00:06:08]:And then you kinda take it the rest of the way.Lauren McDuffie [00:06:11]:Absolutely. Yeah. I think that cookbooks really serve a wonderful purpose in just giving ideas also. I think sometimes just coming up with what to make for dinner can be, you know, a deterrent in and of itself. And so I'm I'm hoping that these recipes are also fodder for people's own just riffing and and their own interpretation. So, hopefully, it'll help people see their grocery stores kind of in a new light. Like, what do you mean for me? Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie [00:06:38]:You mentioned in the book, I think it's 5, like, of your favorite products that everyone should have in their pantry at all times that you always have a meal available. And maybe it wasn't exactly 5, but I think it was pesto was 1. Yep. Curry. I think prepared curry was theLauren McDuffie [00:06:58]:paste. I love I love a curry paste.Stephanie [00:07:01]:And can you share a few more?Lauren McDuffie [00:07:03]:Sure. And I think that this list probably changes, a little bit, but for me, a rotisserie chicken is always a go to. I I tend to never get sick of finding ways to wield a rotisserie chicken because you can just do so much with them. But I think this is gonna you know, people scoff at at bagged salads sometimes, which is silly to me, but I do a lot in this book with bagged salads. I usually have one in my fridge to play on and and riff on. I think they're really valuable because it saves you time with chopping and Yeah. Procuring all of the individual things. I just there's something to be said for that.Lauren McDuffie [00:07:41]:SoStephanie [00:07:41]:Do you have bagged salad? Like, are you an Aldi person? Are you a Trader Joe's person? Are you whatever your grocery store is where you are? Because they apparently someone told me once that the bagged salads at Aldi that are $3 are really quite good, and I've never hadLauren McDuffie [00:07:57]:I haven't either. Although, I'm people I see people talking about Aldi more and more singing its praises. So I will have to check that out. That's really good intel.Stephanie [00:08:07]:I can't get past the quarter to get the cart.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:10]:Oh. Oh, yeah. I can't do that.Stephanie [00:08:12]:I'm like, come on. Like, it's a quarter, but people say it ensures that the people bring the carts back into the store.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:21]:I see. Okay. Okay. I'm just like, chargeStephanie [00:08:24]:me a dollar. I don't care. I just want I don't wanna have to fish around in my bag for a quarter.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:29]:Right. I know. That's true. I didn't know about that whole thing. Okay. That is interesting. But it's funny you mentioned Trader Joe's because I just went there last week for the first time in, like, 6 years for no reason other than that. I've moved a few times and COVID happened, and I just hadn't been in a while, and I forgot how much I love that store.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:49]:Yeah. And it it's perfect for this book because they have so many wonderful things that are already kind of made and started for you. But, yeah, I almost panic bought so many things when I went in there because I was like, oh gosh. It all looks so good.Stephanie [00:09:03]:You are my person because I'm a panic shopper. Yeah. Like, where I just and and during COVID, I mean, I have still nightmares about trying to go to the grocery store during COVID and just literally throwing things in your cart and running out. But I'm also a panic orderer at a restaurant because I want everything.Lauren McDuffie [00:09:23]:Oh, I know. I I feel you on that. I'm a little bit like that. I close my eyes and just play roulette andStephanie [00:09:29]:Yes.Lauren McDuffie [00:09:30]:That's like your dog. No. I get that. But I did I got some salads there last week to your point that were very good. So but, yeah, normally, I I grocery shop so much just for my work that it's almost a daily thing. And, I do get delivered groceries, which people think is funny because I don't always pick out my own individual this and that. But for pure efficiency sake, again, which is sort of the heart of this book, I just shop at, like, my big local supermarket and and get all my bagged salads and sundries there and, you know, use them in a pinch. They're always helpful.Stephanie [00:10:04]:Every day, what does your day look like? Like, are you already working on the next book, and is that what you're doing every day?Lauren McDuffie [00:10:11]:Yeah. You know, I, I did this book right before we moved from Charleston to Portland, and I did it really fast. For me, it was it was fast. And it didn't burn me out, but it definitely gave me a nice kind of pause in in the the cookbook making because I had a book come out a year ago as well. So I had 2 come out pretty close together, which has been really fun. But I'm just kind of enjoying sitting back a little and looking at the stuff I've made, and and I'm actually working on a non food related book, right now just to see, if that can go anywhere. So but I've been focusing a lot on my my website and growing that. I just you know, as I said before, it's past the 5 year mark, and it's really nice to see that, coming more to fruition and and doing doing pretty well.Lauren McDuffie [00:11:02]:So I've just kind of thrown myself into the to that side of things, but I'm sure another book idea will will will surface because I love making them. But, like, you you were just saying, it's a lot when you're in it. It's like, woah. I'm I why am I doing this? But it's it's great when all is said and done, but, yeah, I took a little break.Stephanie [00:11:19]:There's been a kinda trend that I've been seeing with cookbook authors and recipe developers. I'm curious if you're thinking about this at all. We have a lot of people that have launched substacks, and Instagram and TikTok are just full of recipes. And we're in some respects, I feel like have reached this, like, everything is just like this free recipe, and people just comment like recipe, recipe, recipe. Yes. And Yes. With that, which is great because you build an audience and you build a community, there are some creators that are like, wow. I'm just putting all this time, energy, and money into this thing that the books aren't making money like they used to.Stephanie [00:12:06]:Podcasts have never really made money unless you're, like, the top 20. And so we have all these creators spending all this energy, and we're all chasing, you know, the few scents that you get when someone watches something on a YouTube. So I'm wondering if, like, we're almost at, like, some of the creators, Carolyn Chambers has talked about this, about taking all of her recipes off of her website and really funneling people only into recipe ways that she can monetize. Have you thought about that at all, or do you think about that when you're working on your blog?Lauren McDuffie [00:12:41]:Yeah. I do. Because sometimes it does start to feel almost futile when you really sit back and you think of I mean, and you just summarized it really well. I go back and forth. I mean, I actually started a substack, as well, and I've enjoyed that as a separate space for me to write more creatively because no one comes to food blogs anymore, as you know, to hear hear what anyone has to say about their life. I mean, that's a that's a big joke now. You know, get to the recipe already. And so my self stack became sort of that.Lauren McDuffie [00:13:09]:I think for me, it's been motivating because my own traffic on my website has grown exponentially over the last year, really, year, maybe year and a half, and that keeps me in the game. But I do sometimes wonder and I had someone ask me just last week about, another factor, which is AI is now a part of things as well too, which is so intimidating and it makes me wonder, is that where people are just going to stop, you know, for all of their their recipes? And are we gonna become obsolete? I don't know. It's scary actually to think about it. But but I have some very, very dear friends who are full time food bloggers and are very helpful resources for me and have taught me a lot about SEO, so I which is search engine optimization, and it's sort of how to play the game with Google so that you get your content in front of all the people out there who are googling things all the time. And it keeps me inspired and motivated when I talk to other people who have found real success in this. But I don't know. To your question, it is a little bit nerve wracking and and scary to think about what's gonna happen 5 years from now. I don't really know, but I just know that I enjoy doing it and I I'm enjoying the little wins and little successes that I'm seeing month to month right now, and that's keeping me going.Lauren McDuffie [00:14:27]:And and the books, like you said, you know, I don't know many people who write cookbooks to get rich, but, it's a wonderfully legitimizing thing to have. I love having a tangible representation of of my work, and it's it's just I I love them. I love that I've that I've done them, and it's it's valuable in other ways that aren't necessarily monetary. And and it all kind of works together as this little food machine and who knows exactly where it's going, but I I'm confident and optimistic that it'll still be, there's still a place for our blogs and recipe websites.Stephanie [00:15:01]:Well and to your point, I think what is also happening, which is sort of in your wheelhouse, I don't consider myself a writer. My husband actually is a writer, So I'm pretty careful about what that looks like in that space. I am a 300 words or less person. I am a bullet pointed list. I just that's how I think, and that's what works for me. But to your point, if you have, like, talent in the writing space and having your own personal points of view, I do think that there's always gonna be room for that where people align with your vision or your values or your lifestyle choices, and they get to know you and they wanna be more in your world?Lauren McDuffie [00:15:44]:Hope so. Yeah. I think so too. I really do. That that human element of the equation is special, and I think people like it. It's it's a really nice thing. And so I'm hoping in fact, you know, I've actually made a commitment to invest more into the writing in my website even though I'm not telling you a story about my life anymore.Stephanie [00:16:05]:Right. But youLauren McDuffie [00:16:06]:can still weave your voice into how you explain food. You know, most of my my blog posts, I don't even really call it a blog anymore. It really is more of a recipe website, but there's still tons of words in there. And you could pick and choose which words you use, and I try to make mine as useful, but also entertaining and worth people's time to read, and that's one way you can separate yourself from the bazillions of other people who are doing the same thing. SoStephanie [00:16:32]:Yeah. So I'm talking with Lauren McDuffie, and her book is Homadish. Couple of other things in your book specifically that I really loved. I I don't know. I I was, was thinking about this today. I was, doing a TV segment with a friend and there was a laundry guy on and he was talking about, know, the 5 things you need to have in your laundry room. And I thought, wow. You know, there's blogs and I've got, like, kitchen essentials and you really broke it down this in in your book, some things worth noting about what you should the 13 things you literally need to have in your kitchen.Stephanie [00:17:10]:I've never seen a list so small and so spot on. So good for you.Lauren McDuffie [00:17:15]:Thank you. Yeah. I, I that list came to be because I was photographing the book, and, I realized I have I have rooms filled with props and things that I've used for years because I work as a food photographer and a stylist. But in, you know, in the name of keeping things real and, authentic, I just used the stuff that I genuinely cook with in my real life. So, yeah, it made it it made it very clear that you don't need a lot. I love minimalism. It makes me feel good, and so I wanted to kinda capture that.Stephanie [00:17:47]:Yeah. So it was a cutting board, a chef's knife, a large deep lidded pot, a large skillet, a medium lidded pot, large baking sheets, a muffin pan, which I might argue with you on the muffin pan.Lauren McDuffie [00:17:58]:Yeah. Yeah. I know. I had to sneak that in because there's 2 recipes in my book that require it.Stephanie [00:18:03]:Okay. Alright. A Dutch oven, a grater, a can opener, a large spatula or spoon, a blender, or and a strainer. And and, like, I guess because the one thing that the muffin pan is is you can't replicate a muffin pan, really.Lauren McDuffie [00:18:17]:Well, that's true. Well and I think, specifically, I was just trying to say that you can literally make every single thing in this book with just these 13 things, but I'd be willing to stretch that and say you could probably get by with cooking a lot more for a lot longer with just these things. You really don't need I mean and you're right. The muffin pan is very unique to the to the book. But, yeah, I I think in general, less is more. I'm not a big, single use kitchen tool person. I used to be, but we have moved so much. Like, my family, we've moved a lot, and that'll make a minimalist out of you.Lauren McDuffie [00:18:52]:Yeah. It had it had me. So, yeah, I wanted to weave that notion into this book because I think it's kind ofStephanie [00:18:58]:refreshing. So do you have an instant pot or a slow cooker?Lauren McDuffie [00:19:01]:I do have a slow cooker because I love them. They're so helpful, and I love a slow cooked thing. Like, we're getting into that season now, so mine's like, I've just dusted it off and it's ready to go. But, yeah, I I don't have an instant pot, and I'm sure I would like it. I mean, I'm sure I would like an air fryer. I don't have that either, and I I know people love them. But that's just me probably being resistant to one change. And then also, you know, if we move again, that's another thing I'm gonna have to pack and unpack.Lauren McDuffie [00:19:31]:SoStephanie [00:19:32]:Yeah. You don't need a air fryer. And the only thing I would say about the Instant Pot is the pressure cooking aspect is really nice, and it's a slow cooker too. Oh, yes. But there's something kinda homey about your ceramic slow cooker. You know?Lauren McDuffie [00:19:49]:Yes. And I love just I love a Dutch oven, like, old school just but I also work from home, and so I'm here to to do that. But for I used to not work in my house, and I loved a slow cooker because it just it made everything so easy.Stephanie [00:20:04]:Yes.Lauren McDuffie [00:20:04]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:20:06]:So as you're thinking about food trends and kind of new products, like, one of the, you have a recipe that's kinda like this. You know, we went through a shakshuka phase.Lauren McDuffie [00:20:18]:Yes.Stephanie [00:20:19]:Mhmm. Are there any, like, trends that you're seeing on the horizon that you're like, oh, I need to simplify that?Lauren McDuffie [00:20:28]:That's that's a great question. I well, one trend that I've literally been working on just this morning is I'm really obsessed with chili crisp, which is something I see all over the place. I like spice. And so I've been trying to think of ways in fact, I just shared in my, I think I shared in my news letter, or I'm getting ready to, ways to kind of make your own but using a store bought one as your just like with homemade ish, using it as a launch pad. So I took a chili crisp that I bought, from maybe Trader Joe's, and I turned it into a southern style chili crisp by adding something like candied pecans and a little apple cider vinegar and, like Yum. Like, so it it and brown sugar, I think, or or molasses is what it was. But, anyways, I southernized, an already store bought product, which is very much what this book is sort of all about. But I keep seeing chili crisp everywhere, and it makes me so happy because I love it.Stephanie [00:21:23]:I really wanna put that on a white bean or cauliflower or puree. I'm just hearing you talk about it.Lauren McDuffie [00:21:30]:That's the perfect idea. Yeah. That would be fun.Stephanie [00:21:33]:Do you like, some of the as I look at cookbooks Mhmm. Sometimes I see, like, that and this is why I'm probably not a very prolific person when I do this. I kind of plot along. Like, oh, I'm gonna make, you know, this, double stuffed something. And then they find 12 other ways to make the same thing, but just with different twists on it. Do you think like that?Lauren McDuffie [00:22:01]:I think I do now, but that's because I have to think strategically about how I publish recipes on and on my website, at least, because that's very that's very useful just for getting views and getting people. It's funny how how my brain splits into when I'm writing recipes for a book. It's a very different it's much freer, actually, creatively. But then, to your question, when I'm working on coming up with recipes for my, for my website, yeah, if I can split something off and offer variations, that serves me really well. So, yeah, I think my brain does work that way. Yeah. The more the merrier.Stephanie [00:22:39]:Yeah. And and I know I I'm always like, there's a reason people are doing it like this. AndLauren McDuffie [00:22:44]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:22:44]:I'm not doing it like that, but I know there's a reason why people are. And it never occurred to me that it was due to SEO, but that makes total sense.Lauren McDuffie [00:22:52]:Yeah. That's why I would do it at least. Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie [00:22:56]:Are there other cookbook authors that inspire you or that like, books that you just will never take off your shelf considering that you've moved, so you've probably pared down?Lauren McDuffie [00:23:05]:Yes. I really have. I donated some books that I'd worn pretty well. But, yes. I, I love Alison Roman's books. I I just I think the well, her food is a lot like the food that I just cook for myself, on any given day because it's very simple. It's nothing more than it needs to be, and I like that. But I really respect and appreciate anybody that truly innovates and carves out their own style.Lauren McDuffie [00:23:32]:That's really hard to do. I mean, I live in this very saturated world of, you know, recipe development and food. And so anytime someone comes along and has a very distinct and sort of fresh feeling, point of view, I just think that's great. I admire that. At it. Yeah. She's good at that. She's she's done that for herself.Lauren McDuffie [00:23:50]:So she's the first person that came to mind. And and I have her books. They're sitting out, and they have been for a long time. So yeah. Yeah. I love her.Stephanie [00:23:59]:When you is there, like, a classic recipe that you just find yourself coming back to that's maybe from your blog that you just love andLauren McDuffie [00:24:09]:Yeah. I always say my, my most, I guess, well loved and well worn recipe, it's, I love Cajun and Creole, Cuisine, and I've got just this etouffee recipe that I have been making for a really, really long time, that's got shrimp and and chicken and andouille, and it's just so good. I've made it for, I think, everyone that has ever come to my house. It's just so tasty, and it tastes better the longer that it sits. Anything that can check that box, I'm gonna automatically be a fan of. But but I think that's my all time favorite, and I love, like, a Cocoa Van, as well. In fact, I'm sitting here today working on chicken stew collection, for my website, and that's just my favorite, I think, category of of food just in general. But my all time favorite would be the this like an etouffee, like a spicy one.Lauren McDuffie [00:24:59]:Yeah. I love them, and I make them all the time. SoStephanie [00:25:02]:Yeah. And that is super southern too. Like Yep. Something that you know, sometimes I think, like, oh, do I even need to, like, tell someone a recipe for this? Like, some of it seems so obvious.Lauren McDuffie [00:25:15]:Oh, sure.Stephanie [00:25:15]:That is something and and I guess you get accustomed. Like, I can make gravy like nobody's business. Yeah. Sure. But I you know, in the Midwest, we had grew up with gravy on everything, so it's Yeah. Sort of unique.Lauren McDuffie [00:25:28]:And appreciate that. I know. I I forget sometimes how, I I assume things are just, so easy and you don't need recipes for things, but then I'll have friends who just are like, Lauren, no. That's why I wrote this book. They're just like, you know, I don't know what I'm doing. My brain doesn't work that way. And so I always equate it to the way that I am with gardening. I don't know how to do anything with plants at all.Lauren McDuffie [00:25:51]:I'm so ignorant, and so I always just try to remember, like, how I am with plants is how some people are with cooking. It's just not your you wanna do it, but you just aren't super well versed in. SoStephanie [00:26:01]:yeah. Alright. Well, I'm gonna put a link to the book, obviously, homemade ish, in the notes here. I will also, remind me of the name of your blog again.Lauren McDuffie [00:26:12]:It's called my kitchen little, and so it's just my kitchen little dot com.Stephanie [00:26:15]:It's cute. And then, I'll find your substack, and I'll link to it too. Great. And we'll go from there. But it was really lovely to spend time with you. I Right. Really think the book is clever. I felt like I knew right away people in my life that would really get a lot out of this.Lauren McDuffie [00:26:33]:Good to hear.Stephanie [00:26:34]:And, it's beautifully shot, which is also I really admire that because I'm over here with my stupid iPhone, but it's, it's beautifully shot. It looks great, and I would recommend that people buy it. I when I really sat down with it and went through the recipes, I liked it very much. It's homemade ish. Recipes and cooking tips that keep it real. And I liked your 13 things you need in the kitchen probably minus the muffin pan.Lauren McDuffie [00:27:01]:That's fair. That's fair. I get it. Alright. Thanks, Lauren. Thank you so much.Stephanie [00:27:06]:Okay. We'll talk soon. Bye bye.Lauren McDuffie [00:27:13]:Bye bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

Do you want to incorporate more meatless meals into your week but feel stuck on what to cook? In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you! You'll want to make this one-pot kale pasta recipe that follows a streamlined technique for easy cleanup, and you'll be seduced by a crispy tofu dinner that's served with an Instant Pot creamy polenta.Tune in now and don't miss out on these two vegetarian dinners that will work for any night of the week!***Links to from this week's show:Greens Pasta by Joshua McFadden via NYT Cooking Tofu katsu recipe from Food52Carla Lali Music's instant pot polenta for Bon Appetit***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com!Or give us a CALL on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for Sonya's free Substack, or order her debut cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Fixed Price discounts. You've seen them. "Save $5 when you spend $25!!" Percentage off discounts. You've seen those too: "Get 20% off when you spend $25 or more!" But which one is more effective? If you were going to build a coupon code in your online store, or offer a promotion at your farm store -- which one will lead to more sales? Well... it depends. As it turns out, there are best practices surrounding the use of the fixed price v. the percentage off discount. And it all revolves around sales psychology.  Our brains just "feel better" when we use one over the other -- in certain circumstances. In this episode, I share with you what conventional marketing wisdom says about when to use a fixed price discount over a percentage off discount. Test these out in your farm marketing and see what works best. This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Early Bird Campaigns that Convert -- In this episode, I mentioned how I would be building my CSA Early Bird Renewal Promo campaign this month. IF you want to learn my system for how I do this every year, I offer my step by step online course to help you get it done. This course will teach you how to build a compelling offer that gets your current members to decide to renew during your promo campaign. I show you the emails to write, the posts to create, and the ENERGY you need to generate in the week before you launch. Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer

When it comes to selling raw milk to the public, farmers face legal and health challenges that make it really hard to provide this product. Luckily there is a work-around. It's called the "herdshare." The problem is, it's awfully hard to explain. In today's episode, I'm interviewing a second generation dairy farmer, who is moving her product line to raw milk. She has faced these communication and sales hurdles head-on, and she shares her unique sales strategy that is slowly but surely getting new customers in the door. We discuss: the public perception of raw milk the obstacles she has to overcome when it comes to messaging this product what types of customers want raw milk the unique questions she must answer in order to make someone ready to buy legal restrictions -- what you are and aren't allowed to do when it comes to selling raw milk how a herd share works her scrappy, brilliant sales method that closes the deal almost 100% of the time what she focuses on in her messaging to drive sales mistakes she's made along the way Even if you  aren't ever going to sell raw milk (raising my hand here), you'll hear some great beginner-farmer marketing tactics. Katie may not realize it, but she has built a few pieces of a marketing machine that will eventually be able to scale. Come take a listen and see where you can find your story in hers. Who is Katie Miller? Katie Miller is the owner of Positively Grown Farm in the small town of Hopkins, Michigan. She's a 4th generation Dairy farmer following in her dad's footsteps who has been farming for 35 years. She is the first to pursue the Raw Dairy industry and have one successful year under her belt with no slowing down in sight. When she's not milking cows she enjoys riding her Harley with friends, going to Festivals and being a mom to 4 Emus, a duck, 3 cats and her Lab/Pit Ruby This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer

September 18, 2024 What if you could brainstorm your personal marketing strategy for a new enterprise in a 1:1 call with another farmer? Well, that's exactly what happens in today's podcast. You get to be a fly on the wall, listening in on my monthly Farm Marketing School Zoom call, that turned into a 1:1 coaching call with one of the members. This month, Allan Laird was in the hot seat, and he and I work out how to build up a clientele for his goat's milk soap line. This is a brand new enterprise for him and he wasn't sure how to get started. So we built out his short term game plan in under an hour, so he has clear marching orders. If you've ever wondered what should you be working on first, second, third -- this is an episode for you. You'll hear the familiar themes from this podcast showing up in this case study. It's also loaded with tons of little nuggets and ideas that you can surely apply to your farm enterprise. By the way, I help farmers put these kinds of strategies together in Farm Marketing School. Join me inside my monthly membership this fall and winter as we decide what your strategy will look like, and then start buidiing the different parts of your machine so they all work together. Get your marketing machine DONE! Podcast Guest: Who is Allan Laird? Allan Laird returned to his farm roots after retiring from a 46-year career in public safety. Together with his wife, Sue, he now tends to 10 acres where they raise Highland cattle, various poultry, and maintain sustainable pasturelands. Committed to sustainable farming, they render fat by-products from their hogs into lard, which they use to craft goat milk soap. What began as a hobby for friends and family is now evolving into a promising business venture. This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Hit play and let's get started! Listen to this episode on Stitcher. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts Listen to this episode on Google Play Listen to this episode on Spotify. Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer Subscribe and Review in Apple Podcast I'd love for you to subscribe to my podcast! I don't want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts! Now if you're feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on Apple Podcast, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you! My hope is to feature guests periodically on the show. If you know someone who is innovating in the area of marketing as a farmer, please send me an email at mydigitalfarmers@gmail.com. Right click and save as to download this episode to your computer.

Hello, beautiful Mamas,   In this episode of Meal Planning for Busy Moms, we're diving into the wonderful world of dump-and-go meals. These are the meals that are practically set-it-and-forget-it, making your life as a busy mom easier than ever. I'll share some of my favorite meal ideas, practical tips, and a real-life story where one of these recipes saved my sanity! Plus, you'll get 11 dump-and-go meal ideas that are quick, delicious, and perfect for your busy weeknights.   11 Dump and Go Meal Ideas:   Chicken Taco Soup – Throw chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices into the slow cooker. Add toppings like cheese and sour cream when it's done. Done and delish.   Beef Stroganoff – Toss beef, mushrooms, onions, and cream of mushroom soup into the Instant Pot. Serve over noodles.   Pulled Pork Sandwiches – Pork shoulder, BBQ sauce, and a slow cooker. Serve on buns with coleslaw.   Sausage & Peppers – Sausage, peppers, onions, and marinara in a slow cooker. Serve with crusty bread.   Chicken Alfredo – Dump chicken, Alfredo sauce, and broccoli into the Instant Pot. Serve over pasta.   Beef Chili – Ground beef, beans, tomatoes, onions, and spices in a slow cooker. Top with cheese and crackers.   Honey Garlic Chicken – Chicken, honey, garlic, and soy sauce in the slow cooker. Serve with rice.   Teriyaki Beef Stir-Fry – Beef, teriyaki sauce, and veggies in the Instant Pot. Serve over rice.   BBQ Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs, BBQ sauce, and onions in a slow cooker. Serve with mashed potatoes.   Pasta Primavera – Dump pasta, veggies, and Alfredo sauce in the Instant Pot. Done in minutes!   Sweet and Sour Meatballs – Meatballs, pineapple, bell peppers, and sweet and sour sauce in the slow cooker. Serve with rice.  I hope this episode truly blesses and inspires you!   Xx Blaga   If you loved today's tips and recipes, don't keep it to yourself – share this episode with a friend who could use some meal planning magic. And pretty please, leave me a review! It's the best way to let me know you're enjoying the content and helps other busy moms find this podcast. P.S.  Looking to have a little 1:1 support with your meal planning?  Would love to support you!  I have a few spots left on my calendar for a FREE 15-minute assessment!  Just click here, it'll take you to my calendar to book a time that works best for you!  Can't wait to connect. P.P.S.  Have you checked out ‘The Speedy Gourmet' yet? It's the app I've been building just for you. Imagine this: drag and drop to customize meal plans or create your own from over 200+ recipes, searchable by filters like proteins, episodes and cooking methods, makes planning a snap. Plus, an adaptable, clickable grocery list so you never miss a beat—or a beet!  And because I love my podcast family, here's a special offer just for you. Try ‘The Speedy Gourmet' free for 14 days, and if you love it, it's just $3 a month with the code PODCAST. That's over 50% off the regular price! Head over to thespeedygourmet.org and start your free 14 day trial today. Become an insider and get weekly updates, meal plans with recipe links and exclusive insider training,  plus resources and support that you won't find in the show!   Email us: busymamamealplanning@gmail.com Have a question? Send me a DM @blagagoertzen

What do I post on social media? If you're a small farm in your first 3 years, you're likely spending a fair percentage of your "marketing time" doing social media. But are you using that time wisely? Social media has its place in the marketing funnel, but only if it's strategic. In this episode, I share with you the 5 "goals" for social media, and I list of 10 different categories of post content that should regularly be in your monthly social media rotation. If you're doing social, start off by scheduling these 10 styles of posts in your Business Suite, so you know they're covered. THIS is the "strategy." Then, use your discretionary time during the week to pop in additional "bonus" posts as inspiration strikes. Sure to become a classic episode! Grab my Social Media post ideas PDF guide here. It will give you other suggestions for the kinds of topics you can post about to drive traffic, and get leads. This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Episode 274: Scaling Your Marketing: What Farms Do Differently at Each Level - Interview with Andrew from Local Line - Andrew and I discuss the three "levels" of farm business, and what farms do differently in each one. This is a great episode if you want to know what you should be working towards as you scale. Episode 275: Tips for Using Video in Your Farm Marketing - Getting Started - This will show you ways you can use social media VIDEO in your marketing Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Early Bird Campaigns that Convert -- In this episode, I mentioned how I would be building my CSA Early Bird Renewal Promo campaign this month. IF you want to learn my system for how I do this every year, I offer my step by step online course to help you get it done. This course will teach you how to build a compelling offer that gets your current members to decide to renew during your promo campaign. I show you the emails to write, the posts to create, and the ENERGY you need to generate in the week before you launch.  Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer Subscribe and Review in Apple Podcast I'd love for you to subscribe to my podcast! I don't want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts! Now if you're feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on Apple Podcast, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you! My hope is to feature guests periodically on the show. If you know someone who is innovating in the area of marketing as a farmer, please send me an email at mydigitalfarmers@gmail.com.

So you're creating videos in your farm marketing. Wonderful! Now how do you get the most mileage out of them? If you're like most businesses, you spend a lot of time making the video, recording it, posting it, and then it falls into the black hole -- never to be seen again. But what if you could re-purpose that content and have it do double-or-triple duty for you?  For example, you film the process of packing your CSA shares in the pack shed for an Instagram story. Well... what if you took that series of clips an sticthed them together into a reel? What if you then uploaded that reel video onto YouTube and added it in your CSA sales playlist on YouTube? What if you took that YouTube URL link (along with a thumbnail image) and dropped it into email #3 of your sales email sequence for all those people who have signed up for your CSA lead magnet? Or what if you embedded that video onto your CSA sales page on your website? See what I mean? That one video got re-used in other places in your marketing sales machine. Suddenly, the idea of making strategic content videos doesn't seem like such a waste of time, does it? In today's episode, I'm sharing 10 different ways you can take the SAME piece of video content and re-use around your marketing strategy. Take some notes and let this one inspire you! By the way, I help farmers put these kinds of strategies together in Farm Marketing School. Join me this fall and winter as we decide what your strategy will look like, and then start buidiing the different parts of your machine so they all work together. This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, my preferred e-commerce platform for farmers. Are you looking for a new solution for your farm? I can't recommend it enough. Easy to use inventory management, great customer service, continuous improvement, and a culture dedicated to equipping farmers with marketing expertise, Local Line should definitely be one of the e-commerce solutions you consider as you switch.  Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2024. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Join my free email list! I have a great "Crash Course in farm marketing" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better. Subscribe at https://www.mydigitalfarmer.com/subscribe Farm Marketing School - my monthly online marketing school membership just for farmers. Farm Marketing School is an on-demand library of marketing workshops and project plans that will help you build some of the most important marketing elements in your farm business like: building a promotion calendar, setting up your Google Business Profile, auditing your sales funnel, updating your home page of your website, building your first email nurture sequence, acquiring and deploying testimonials, and practicing different types of offers. You get to chose what you want to study and build each month. These projects are designed to be completed in under 30 days, so that you slowly build your marketing system piece by piece. Use the step by step project planner and resource folder to help you jumpstart your work. Take advantage of my new marketing crash course inside or take the onboarding assessment tool to help you identify where your funnel is broken and what project to do first. To see what courses are currently inside of FMS, or to try out Farm Marketing School for a month at mydigitalfarmer.com/fms  Start and cancel your membership anytime. Join my CSA Academy Library -- this is my digital cooking resource library that I provide for my CSA members to help them learn how to become a better home chef and cook the CSA way. It includes a Beginner's Guide to CSA mini-course, Vegetable University (A to Z video tutorials for every veggie); Canning Club (canning videos); Exit Strategy videos; Instant Pot tutorial, and my Recipes and Resources pages (with weekly CSA box recipes and unboxing videos). Farmers can subscribe for a monthly fee to have access to these resources to help them support their own CSA members. Searchie -- this is the online platform I recommend if you want to build your own digital resource library. (This is an affiliate link) ConvertKit - I use Convertkit as my email service provider, to build out all my email marketing campaigns and write my weekly emails. Find my marketing Facebook group for CSA farmers! Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer

Yes, we have all been p0wned; more Tesla recalls; Waymo honking greetings; Cruise recalls robotaxi fleet; more OpenAI content deals; Cortex delivers both fewer and more errors; just how bad was Musk's Twitter deal; billionaire calls major crypto PAC stupid & selfish; the Acolyte not getting renewed; Disney+ no longer a safe space; Chick-Fil-A streaming service; Megalopolis trailer shenanigans; revisiting Ted Lasso, House of Cards; the Anonymous; Alien: Romulus; more Overcast stuff; Sonos can't unroll app update; Procreate condemns GenAI; subscription sous vide.Sponsors:1Password Extended Access Management - Check it out at 1Password.com/xam. Secure every sign-in for every app on every device.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!Show notes at https://gog.show/662FOLLOW UPNPD Breach CheckTesla issues an in-person recall for its Model X SUVMicrosoft will release controversial Windows Recall AI search feature to testers in OctoberTexas judge blocks the FTC from enforcing its ban on noncompete agreementsIN THE NEWSWaymo director says the company's cars won't honk at each other anymoreCruise recalls robotaxi fleet to resolve federal safety probeOpenAI will now use content from Wired, Vogue and The New Yorker in ChatGPT's responsesArs Technica content is now available in OpenAI servicesThis invention has just destroyed the Internet forever: It programmes 100 million times faster than a human beingIn a leaked recording, Amazon cloud chief tells employees that most developers could stop coding soon as AI takes overBankers Have Lost So Much Money Thanks to Elon's Terrible Twitter DealBillionaire Pulls Support From Major Crypto PAC, Says It's Too ‘Stupid' and ‘Selfish'MEDIA CANDYStar Wars: The Acolyte isn't getting a second seasonDon't Expect Boba Fett to Make an Appearance In The Mandalorian and GroguAfter massive public outcry, Disney stops attempt to kill lawsuit after killing restaurant guestDisney+ is no longer a safe space after it added Hulu contentChick-Fil-A Reportedly Planning to Launch a Reality TV Streaming ServiceDenny's New Beetlejuice Menu Could Give You SandwormsMegalopolis‘s New Trailer Prepares You for a Critical BacklashLionsgate Admits Using Fake Quotes in New Megalopolis TrailerRevisting Ted LassoHouse of CardsThe AnonymousAlien: RomulusAPPS & DOODADSOvercast Account LinkApple Podcasts now has a useful web interface for browsing and listening to shows“Disappointing”: Sonos CEO says old, user-preferred app can't be re-releasediPad Illustration App Procreate Condemns Generative AIProcreateAnova will charge customers to use its sous vide app, because everything must be a subscriptionInstant Pot Accu Slim Sous Vide 800W Precision Cooker,Immersion Circulator,Ultra-Quiet Fast-Heating with Big Touchscreen Accurate Temperature and Time Control,WaterproofCLOSING SHOUT-OUTSPhil Donahue, talk show host pioneer and husband of Marlo Thomas, dies at 88Alain Delon, Seductive Star of European Cinema, Dies at 88Zorro 1975 | Alain Delon, Stanley Baker | Action, Adventure, Comedy | Full Length MovieAlain Delon's family refuse to put down pet dog the actor wanted to be buried withNasir Ahmed: An Unsung Hero of Digital Media His digital-compression breakthrough helped make JPEGs and MPEGs possibleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We've got the lazy dinners you need to enjoy the last days of summer eating while also managing the hectic back-to-school transition. Make packing 180 school lunches a breeze with our Stress-Free School Lunch Guide. You'll get our tried-and-true school lunch packing tips, an essential school lunch grocery list, our list of favorite lunchboxes by age, our top 15 lunchbox recipes, and more. MEAL PLANNING FOR EVERYONE Looking to reduce the overwhelm of feeding your family while saving time AND money? Meal planning is the answer! We can help you get meal planning right (even if you've failed before) with our Meal Planning for Everyone audio course. We've made it possible for anyone to become a meal planner — even you! Crack your meal planning code today.LINKS Our audio course, Meal Planning For Everyone Our Stress-Free School Lunch Guide Join our free community Gorgeous Green Sauce recipeHow to Make Instant Pot Black BeansCarnitas recipe (for the stove top or Instant Pot!)Marinated Beans on ToastTomato Butter PastaTuna Mayo Rice BowlFish Stick Tacos from Bare Minimum Dinners cookbookOne-Pot Cheesy Sausage and OrzoOur favorite Peanut Sauce recipe for noodles and moreLots of Chicken Nugget Salad ideasChinese Chicken Salad with Sweet and Sour NuggetsShortcut Tortellini en BrodoHow Sandwiches Can Save Back-to-School SeasonHow to Turn Any Ground Meat Into a Delicious DinnerNinja Woodfire GrillOur Sponsors:* Check out ByHeart and use my code DIJFY for a great deal: byheart.com* Check out Quince: quince.com/dijfy* Check them out today at feathersnapcam.com!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Instant Pot became a true craze. Even an international craze. At one point, a major department store was selling up to sixty Instant Pots per minute.But things have dramatically changed. And we know why. We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We've written three dozen cookbooks including THE INSTANT POT BIBLE and THE INSTANT POT BIBLE: COPYCAT RECIPES. (Click those links if you're interested.)We rode the Instant Pot roller coaster. And we're here to report back what happened. Join us for our food and cooking podcast. We're glad you're here.Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:[00:50] Our one-minute cooking tip: Trash your garlic press and use a small hand-held grater.[03:27] What happened to the Instant Pot? It went from an international craze to a much smaller presence. We rode this roller coaster. We're here to report back, from our initial reserve about the pressure cooker to our giant, big-selling Instant Pot bibles![23:31] What's making us happy in food this week: unexpected food pleasures and lemon marmalade.

Jennifer and her husband are busy—they spend their weekends occupied taking their 3 dogs to agility competitions—and Jennifer suspects her Instant Pot would help her make dinner quicker and tastier. The only problem? She's terrified of it. So Shilpa and Chris join forces to help Jennifer conquer her fears and take advantage of her electric pressure cooker.Recipes & Links:Instant Pot Pork CarnitasPork Spareribs with Jammy Barbecue SauceInstant Pot: Summer Cooking Hero