In the Kitchen With Cook Smarts

#34: From Pastry Chef to Cook Smarts Project Manager: An Interview with Jackie Sun Aug 06, 2020

Jackie Sun has been one of the greatest blessings to Cook Smarts. She was the first person I hired and took me from a one-woman show to a two-woman show. Not only has she proved herself to be an integral part of the team, but she is such a gentle, caring soul and has made me a better person over the years we’ve worked together.

In today’s episode, we’re getting to know this multi-talented lady and also taking a walk down memory lane. I cannot believe that Jackie has been working with me for 7 years -- time absolutely flies! Among the many stories you’ll get to hear:

How Jackie became a pastry chef and how she made the transition to working for Cook Smarts and learned an entirely new set of skills
All the different hats she’s worn over the years at Cook Smarts and what she loves doing most now
How working at Cook Smarts has helped her start her own company Wondershins
How she meal plans and cooks for a mixed-diet household

If you love getting a behind-the-scenes peek at small businesses and love a transformation story, then this podcast episode is for you!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#18: Meet Sarah Byun our Kitchen Happiness Cheerleader Jul 16, 2020

We’re on a little summer break, so I’m introducing you to another one of our Cook Smarts team members!

If every company had a Sarah Byun on the team, companies would have many, many more happy customers. Sarah started off as a Cook Smarts customer in 2014 and then joined our team as our Kitchen Happiness Cheerleader in the spring of 2015. Since then, she has helped countless customers get their questions answered, concerns addressed, typos on their emails fixed, always with the most cheerful demeanor.

In today’s episode, you’ll get to know this amazing multi-tasking mama and also get a behind-the-scenes look at our small but mighty company. Plus, you’ll get to hear:

How Sarah juggles being a homeschooling mom with her Cook Smarts responsibilities
All the hats she wears because she does way more than answer customer service emails
The negative customer service email she had to answer in her application to get the job!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

#3: Meet Jess Smith Our Meal Plan Developer Jul 02, 2020

We’re on a little summer break, so we’re rerunning one of my favorite episodes!

One of the best things that’s happened to Cook Smarts is bringing on a dedicated meal plan developer. Jess Smith joined the team in the spring of 2015, all the way from Thailand and has taken our recipe development process and the quality of our meals to a whole other level.

In today’s episode, we’re getting to know this multi-talented lady and also giving you a behind the scenes of our small little company. Plus, you’ll get to hear:

How she made a huge career switch going from working for the State Department in Thailand to working in food full time and all the lessons she’s learned during this transition
What it’s like to go from food blogging to getting feedback -- sometimes less than positive feedback -- on every recipe you create
The most challenging part of the job and what’s gotten easier over time

If you’re someone who’s wanted to make a career change and pursue your true passion, this episode is definitely not to be missed. Another added bonus: I also offer some advice to the entrepreneurs out there about building out your team.

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to see a picture of Jess’ family of 5, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/3

#33: Cook Without Recipes by Understanding Flavor Profiles Jun 18, 2020

For the full set of links from today’s episode, head to the show notes at www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/33

In today’s episode, I’m covering the five main flavor profiles: salty / umami, sweet, sour, bitter, and spice. Most of us are just following recipes when we’re in the kitchen but if you develop an understanding of flavor and how it’s created using a wide variety of ingredients, you’ll be free to go off-roading and become much more confident tinkering with recipes (or even creating your own!).

Here’s what we’ll cover:

The concept of “The Flavor Star,” and how flavor profiles balance and enhance one another.
The ingredients you can use to create each flavor profile. We’ll be going well beyond the basics of salt, sugar, lemon juice, and pepper.
We’ll dissect a few recipes to understand how different ingredients contributed to its flavor profile.

Have a listen and become a flavor star! You’ll even get to hear me sing a few tunes in this one 🎶🎤.

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#32: Creating a DIY Kitchen Summer Camp with Katie Kimball, Creator of Kids Cook Real Food Jun 04, 2020

In today’s podcast episode, we are bringing in teacher extraordinaire Katie Kimball to give us a few cooking and parenting lessons. Katie is an advocate for healthy kids cooking, a blogger, former teacher and the founder of the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. Her blog, Kitchen Stewardship helps families stay healthy without going crazy, and she’s on a mission to connect families around healthy food and teach every child in America to cook.

We are actually going through Katie’s course right now, and it’s been so fun. Katie is one of those people who was just born to teach kids. She has a naturally warm demeanor, a gift for explaining concepts in a way that anyone can understand, and a rapport with kids that cannot be taught. Plus, she’s got amazing camera presence! My kids are learning a lot from Mrs. Kimball and definitely loving their new kitchen skills, and I am learning a thing or two about parenting and communicating with kids from Katie through the course, which is such an added bonus.

Because of our businesses, I have known Katie for many years now, and I’ve always been so impressed with how smart she is but also how generous and thoughtful, and I am so excited to introduce her to you today to talk more about her program and the importance of teaching kids how to cook.

In today’s episode, we chat about:

How important it is to teach kids how to cook and how parents can do it without making it more work
How to make your own DIY kitchen summer camp
What kitchen skills children should learn at various developmental stages
How to encourage a child to help in the kitchen when they show little interest in cooking

Check out this Knife Skills Lesson Katie is making available for free to the Cook Smarts community -- it is appropriate for children of any age! https://www.kidscookrealfood.com/cooksmarts

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#31: Reducing Grocery Trips & Meal Planning with Extra Adults: An Interview with Member Lauren Davis May 28, 2020

In today’s podcast episode, we’re checking in with another one of our all-star community members Lauren Davis. Lauren lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is the mom to 4 year old Gavin. Her husband is immunocompromised so she has been extra diligent about staying away from the grocery stores and this definitely requires some next level planning.

In addition to the adjustments required for the pandemic, her family has also moved in with her parents, which is introducing another element into her planning process. However, using a sophisticated Post-It Note system (head to our show notes to see www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/31), not only has Lauren been able to get it done in the kitchen, but seems to be thriving during this time!

In our chat, Lauren shares:

How she gets 4 different adults to agree on what they’re eating
How she’s meal planning so that she only needs to grocery shop just once every 3 to 4 weeks
How she’s managing her mental mindset during this time

During our rapid fire round, Lauren shares a kitchen tool that I’ve never heard of. This spoon has a flat edge, and it’s her favorite kitchen tool. She’s never been able to find another one, so we’re on a hunt to help her find a backup in case this one breaks. Have you seen something like this? We need the help of our entire podcast community in this treasure hunt!

For photos of Lauren’s Post-It Note system and very-important spoon, head to the show notes at www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/31

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#30: Adapting During the Coronavirus: An Interview with Member Gabrielle Smith May 21, 2020

In today’s podcast episode, we’re checking in with one of our favorite community members Gabrielle Smith. Gabrielle lives in Fort Worth Texas with her husband and her 7 year old son and 4 year old daughter. While she works as an attorney, she could just as easily be a professional meal planner and prepper.

Gabrielle has been one of our most active Facebook members. She so generously offers tips and suggestions when others need it and routinely shares not only photos of her meals but the comments of the food critics she cooks for. During the time she’s been a part of our community, I can also tell what an incredibly organized, process-based person she is, and she’s stepped up those skills during the pandemic.

During our chat, I had her share how she’s had to adapt her weekly meal planning and grocery shopping process to accommodate all this new normal we’re living through. We talked the day before Mother’s Day, and it was such a delight to not only talk to one of my favorite members, but a mom I truly admire.

In our chat, Gabrielle shares:

How she meal plans normally and what changes she’s had to make during the pandemic
How she’s introduced more meatless meals into her life, and how you can too, especially important now with potential meat chickens and pork shortages in our future
How she manages her life week-to-week to fit in all the things that are important to her

Come join us as we talk to this great Cook Smarts friend!

For all the links in today’s episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/30

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#29: Mexican Pantry Staples with Yvette Marquez May 07, 2020

* G I V E A W A Y*

Our podcast turned 1, and we are doing a little $50 Amazon gift card birthday giveaway. Leave us a review on Apple Podcast, snap a screenshot of your review and text it to 650-386-0290. It has to be a new review dated after April 22nd. If you’ve already left a review in the past but still want to enter the giveaway, you can leave your review as a voice message at the same number, and we might just play it on a future episode. At the end of the month, I’ll select 1 winner at random!

In our latest podcast episode, I got to chat with Yvette Marquez all about Mexican food. As a second generation Mexican-American, she has been sharing cherished family Mexican recipes since 2010 on her food blog Muy Bueno Cooking, which has been turned into its own cookbook.

I love Mexican food but like all ethnic cuisines, it can feel a bit intimidating when you’re getting started. There are ingredients you’ve never heard of, a new set of pantry staples to get to know, and new techniques that might not feel familiar.

So in this episode, I asked Yvette to break it all down for us and make Mexican cooking totally approachable and accessible. You’ll learn all about:

Peppers -- the difference between dried and fresh, plus which ones you need for simple sauces
Sauces -- basic master sauces that will help you create a wide variety of Mexican dishes
Plus other Mexican staples like spices, beans, tortillas, and cuts of meat.

For all the links in today’s episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/29

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

Our Podcast is 1 [Giveaway Announcement] Apr 23, 2020

To celebrate our podcast’s first birthday, we are doing a giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card.

All you need to do is leave a review on Apple Podcast. Snap a screenshot of your review and text it to 650-386-0290. It has to be a new review dated after April 22nd.

So If you’ve already left a review in the past or are not an Apple person but still want to enter the giveaway, you can leave your review as a voice message at the same number 650-386-0290 and we might just play it on a future episode. I will select a winner Friday, May 15th but don’t procrastinate. I know you’re just stuck at home so enter now. There will be just 1 more reminder on our May 7th podcast episode, so get it done today -- your reviews will make this such a lovely birthday gift.

#8: Creating a Greener Kitchen by Reducing Plastic Use and Waste Apr 23, 2020

We are rerunning episode 8 because like everyone in the world, our schedule got a little thrown off by the coronavirus. Since Earth Day was yesterday, we thought it was the perfect time to replay one of our most popular episodes from season 1. Plus, 2 new special guests appear in the intro!

In this podcast episode, I’m sharing how I’m trying to create a greener kitchen and reduce the amount of waste, especially plastic waste, that my family produces and tosses.

Ever since having kids 4 years ago, I’ve become so much more aware of all the waste, we as a modern family of 5 produces. Even though I’m committed to making green improvements in all areas of my life, today’s episode is going to focus solely on the food or kitchen side of things. It’s the area I spend the most time in and feel like we’ve made some great progress with small, doable changes that anyone listening to this podcast can also make.

In this episode, I’ll cover:

How we’ve pretty much stopped using single-use plastic, like plastic wrap and produce bags
How you can get takeout without the plastic containers
The reusable containers we use to pack snacks, lunches, and freezer meals
The progress we’re still hoping to make by reducing the number of products packaged in plastic that we purchase

Have you made some greener changes you want to share? Head to our show notes and tell us in the comments and also grab all the product links mentioned in the episode. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/8

#28: Introducing Solids to Babies With Jenny Best of Solid Starts Apr 09, 2020

In our latest podcast episode, I invited Jenny Best Founder of Solid Starts to talk all about baby led weaning, the process of transitioning a baby to solid foods using a finger food first approach. Jenny is the mom of 3, including a set of twins, and Solid Starts grew out of her own challenges of introducing solids to her little babes. From fears of choking to lack of information around what foods are best for babies, she started documenting all of it herself.

Now Solid Starts features an ever-growing food database offering parents incredibly pragmatic information on hundreds of foods, all for free. Each ingredient has a nutrition rating and nutritional information, when and how it should be introduced, if it’s an allergen or how it can be a choking hazard, and so much more. It’s such an incredible resource.

In this episode we also dig into some of the biggest questions parents have when starting their babies on solid foods, such as:

Why baby led weaning and is there still a place for purees with a finger food first approach?
What are the signs that a baby is ready for solids?
How do you start a baby on solids? What do you need?
What makes a food a choking hazard and what steps you can take to prevent it from being one?
What are some great on-the-go snacks and solids for a baby?

Even though I’m a mom of 3, I learned so much from this episode and wish I had had this interview 4.5 years ago when I was starting Neko out on solids for the first time. Clearly, it all ended up fine but I would have had a lot more context and a clearer process (and I love a good clear process!). Talking to Jenny has given me great inspiration to dig into the database and introduce even more variety into our family’s diet!

For all the links in today’s episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/28

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#27: How to Organize Spices, Tupperware, Kid Items and More With Sam Pregenzer Mar 26, 2020

For our 27th episode, I have a real treat, at least it was a real treat for me because I got to talk about one of my favorite topics of all time -- kitchen organization -- with Sam Pregenzer the Founder of SO | Home a residential professional organizing company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s a mom of 3 kids and her specialty is creating organizing solutions and systems for families, because it is so easy to just feel like you’re drowning in stuff when you start having kids. She’s been featured in lots of big publications like Redbook, Family Circle, Oprah.com and is field editor for Better Homes and Gardens.

In the episode, she shares:

How one becomes a professional organizer
How she works with clients and the important role of counseling and listening
Her 2 simple tips for making more space in your kitchen (and home)
The organizing tools she likes to use for kitchen spaces
Her tips for organizing 3 trouble areas: spices, Tupperware, and kid items

This episode will inspire you to tackle some of your organization projects and make your kitchen a space you want to spend even more time in.

For all the links in today’s episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/27

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#26: Tips for Throwing a Stress-Free Dinner Party with Anna Watson Carl Mar 12, 2020

Our lives are so busy these days, and so often lived virtually, that we’ve lost this beautiful tradition of gathering friends around the dinner table. To help me revive this practice, I’ve invited Anna Watson Carl, an expert dinner party thrower onto our podcast today.

Anna is a cook and writer, and the author of “The Yellow Table: A Celebration of Everyday Gatherings.” Her writing has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel+Leisure, and Tasting Table just to name a few. A former private chef, she has cooked for countless dinner parties around the U.S. and in France. Today, she lives in Nashville with her husband and two young children.

In the episode, she shares:

Her go-to 4 part dinner party menu
Tips for making the evening stress-free
Gathering people around your table even when you have kids
How to make the evening special even when the food is simple
Her new dinner party philosophy

Hopefully it’ll inspire you to invite a friend or 2 over!

For all the links in today’s episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/26

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#25: Why You Need an Air-Fryer and What to Cook In It Feb 27, 2020

For those of you who have been following my personal Instagram account @jessdangcs, you’ll know 2 things: 1) I am terrible at posting on Instagram and; 2) I love my air-fryer. Probably every 3rd post is something I made in this amazing machine because it’s the 1 appliance I probably use every single day.

I know that there are quite a few of you who got air-fryers over the holidays, and I want to make sure you take full advantage of this incredibly useful appliance, so in today’s episode, I’ll go over:

What the heck an air-fryer is
Why you need one, especially if you have kids!
When you should use your air-fryer and when you shouldn’t
The 13 things I cook in it all the time and actually think are better made in the air-fryer over the stovetop or the oven

By the end, you’ll be so excited to fall in love with your air-fryer just as I have with mine (I’m actually on my second as I wanted to upgrade to a larger one) or go out and get one if you don’t own one yet.

For all the links in today’s episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/25

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). If we read your review on a future podcast, you’ll win a Cook Smarts tote bag!

#24: 11 Strategies for Turning Picky Eaters into Curious Eaters [Rerun with Updates] Feb 13, 2020

We’re rerunning episode #5 with some great updates! In this podcast episode, I’m tackling a big emotional topic for a lot of parents -- how to help your picky eaters become more curious, adventurous eaters.

Just about every kid goes through some phase (or multiple phases) of picky eating, and it can be a super frustrating and challenging time for parents. Using my own personal experience as a mom combined with everything I’ve read on this topic, we’ll discuss a wide variety of strategies parents can use to help support the transition from picky eating to curious eating.

After this 30 minute episode, you’ll have the tools to:

Shift your mindset and redefine what success looks like at the dinner table
Make dinner time a no-pressure environment
Create more fun around the dinner table
Involve your kids in the meal planning and cooking process
Plus so much more!

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to grab the transcript, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/5

Join our Meal Prep Challenge [Community Feb 03, 2020

Hi friends, this isn’t an episode but a little podcast community announcement. So being a cooking instructor and running a meal plan service for the last 7 years, I’ve watched a lot of people try to get dinner on the table over the years, and there’s no question that the members who have a system for prepping ahead experience a lot less weeknight stress. And as our commitment to you, our community, and home-cooking, we’re gonna help you develop a meal prep habit!

Now here are the main details:

The challenge will take place within our Facebook Group. If you’re not a part of it already, request to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cs.heroes/ or search for Cook Smarts Kitchen Heroes in Facebook. You do have to be a member of our meal plan service to join the group but you can get a free 30 day trial at cooksmarts.com.
The challenge will take place between February 10th and 29th.There will be members serving as mentors. There will be lots of tips shared and of course, lots of cheering you on!

And we decided to start this in February because we’ve all calmed down from the New Year resolution pressure and now is the time for true follow-through and commitment. And just like we provided you with a system for keeping your resolutions all year long in our first 2020 episode, this challenge is about applying those tips and also giving you some great community motivation. I’ll see you in our Facebook Group, and I can’t wait to cheer you on and help you create a lasting habit for prepping ahead so you can cook with ease all year long!

#23: Meal Prep Tips with Erin Romeo aka “foodprepprincess” Jan 30, 2020

Today we are interviewing Ms. Erin Romeo, nutrition coach, expert meal planner and food prep specialist from Ontario, Canada. She’s known on Instagram as the @foodprepprincess, and that’s also where she shares her tips and tricks for healthy eating through meal prepping. Last fall, she published her first cookbook “The Visual Guide to Meal Prep,” full of easy meal prep recipes and her 5 step fool-proof plan for getting started with meal prep. She has also been featured on Shape.com, Health.com, The Kitchn, Buzzfeed, Brit + Co, just to name a few media sites and today we are so excited to be featuring her on our podcast.

I asked Erin to come on the podcast because I know that meal prepping is one of those habits that everybody knows is good to do but it feels hard to get started. As a nutritional coach Erin has been working with clients for 10 years and helping them get over that hump by showing them how to do it and make it an integral part of their life and routine.

If you’ve been wanting to start a meal prep routine for awhile but just need a bit of help getting started, then this episode is for you!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). Screenshot it and text it to 650-386-0290 for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. If you’ve already left a review there, send us a voicemail review at the same number instead! Giveaway ends February 6, 2020.

#22: Building Cook Smarts & Learning to Code with Jen Gilbert Jan 16, 2020

I have such a treat for you all today and it is completely unrelated to cooking, but it might just become your favorite Cook Smarts podcast episode. I’m excited to share another part of our origin story today -- there would be no Cook Smarts meal plan service without the talents and persistence of Jen Gilbert, who helped me build our meal plan service back in 2013.

Jen and I met in the fall of 2012 at a Railsbridge workshop. We had both just turned 30 and made huge career changes. She wanted to learn to code to become a software developer, and I wanted to learn to code because I was determined to build a meal plan service. There were many challenges and hiccups along the way, but in the end we launched the service on May 1, 2013 with paying customers on day 1. Come join us in this walk down memory lane and hear how we made the impossible happen.

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). Screenshot it and text it to 650-386-0290 for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. If you’ve already left a review there, send us a voicemail review at the same number instead!

Win a $100 Amazon gift card [Community Announcement] Jan 09, 2020

Hi friends, this isn’t an episode but two short community announcements about our sale and giveaway. First, I wanted to make sure you knew were are in the middle of our big New Year’s sale. 2020 is the year where I want to help you do more by doing less. If you’re not using our meal plan service already, free yourself of tedious mental labor with a meal plan subscription. It’ll be the best money you spend all year because it’ll save you time and money and free you from so much stress and decision making. And for the entire month of January, you can use code DOLESSIN2020 for 20% off. Gifts are included too for those who are still sending some belated holiday gifts.

The other thing I wanted to let you know about is that we’re also kicking off the year with a giveaway. To enter, we need you to submit a review on Apple Podcast. This helps our podcast grow and also get some big names to interview!

The prize is a $100 Amazon gift card for you to get whatever you need to make your year more successful.

You have 2 options to enter the giveaway:

Leave a review on Apple Podcast and then text the screenshot to 650-386-0290.
If you’ve already left a review in the past or are just not an Apple person, leave a review on our voicemail. The number again is 650-386-0290. Introduce yourself, tell us why you love Cook Smarts and our podcast.

We’ll then mix up all the Apple reviews and phone reviews and select a winner at random at the end of the month.

Now for those of you who want to participate but have never left a podcast review, let me walk you through how to do it. There are 2 easy ways to do it. If you have the Apple Podcast app on your phone, just head to our podcast page from there, scroll to the bottom where you’ll see ratings and reviews and just click on the Write a Review link. If you’re on a desktop computer that has iTunes, just click on this link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429, and then choose to listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast. It’ll open it in iTunes and from there you can click on “Ratings and Reviews” and click on the “Write a Review” button.

So leave us some kind words on Apple Podcast or give us a ring at 650-386-0290 and head to cooksmarts.com for our sale!

#21: Our System for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution Jan 02, 2020

Because we’re more likely to break our New Year’s resolutions by February than keep them for the year, this episode is dedicated to a fail-safe plan for resolutions that aren’t some short-term whim, but a real long-lasting habit. As you know, I’m all about systems and whether you make resolutions or not, this episode will provide you with incredibly useful tips on developing a system to help implement whatever change you’re looking to make in 2020 (and beyond). You can apply these tips not just to your health and cooking resolutions, but to any personal goal you have for the year ahead.

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2). Screenshot it and text it to 650-386-0290 for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. If you’ve already left a review there, send us a voicemail review at the same number instead!

Some of the links mentioned today:

Get inspired to start with Ira Glass: http://www.jess-dang.com/2014/02/a-life-of-doubt/
Always have a trainer in your pocket with Aaptiv: http://aaptiv.com/cooksmarts
Rent clothes from Anthropologie through Nuuly: http://fbuy.me/omgyV

For full set of links, head to the show notes at www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/21

A Thanksgiving TY Note Nov 26, 2019

I wanted to just pop into your feed today with a little Thanksgiving reflection, thank you note and request!

Our biggest sale of the year is on right now. Enjoy 30% off everything with code THANKS19

https://www.cooksmarts.com/weekly-meal-planner/sale

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag!

If you’ve got questions you want us to answer in a future episode, comments about a previous episode, or just want to say hi and share some love, give us a call at 1-650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail. You might just hear your voice on the podcast!

#20: Strategies Planning Your Holiday Meal Oct 31, 2019

Can you believe that the holidays are just around the corner? I’ll be hosting Thanksgiving this year and am excited to be in menu planning mode. I know cooking a big holiday meal can feel quite intimidating, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience entertaining. So as someone who’s planned and cooked a lot of big meals for friends and family and clients during my catering days, I wanted to pass on celebratory meal planning system.

With the right kind of planning and organization, you’ll be able to create an incredible feast without stress and anxiety. In this podcast episode, I’ll share:

How to create a holiday menu that won’t have you cooking for days
The Excel template that I use to make sure my big holiday dinner goes off without a hitch
How to prepare your kitchen for extra helpers

And even if you’re not hosting Thanksgiving, these “big meal” planning tips can be used for any large gathering you might plan in the future. Have a listen and gain the confidence you need to rock a big holiday dinner!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag!

If you’ve got questions you want us to answer in a future episode, comments about a previous episode, or just want to say hi and share some love, give us a call at 1-650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail. You might just hear your voice on the podcast!

#19: Stocking Your Pantry for Better Meal Planning Oct 24, 2019

NEW: If you’ve got questions you want us to answer in a future episode, comments about a previous episode, or just want to say hi and share some love, give us a call at 1-650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail. You might just hear your voice on the podcast!

Most of us don’t have a pantry stocking system or plan. We simply stock it as we go, based on the recipes we’re cooking. This means that our pantries can become a graveyard of long-forgotten, expired ingredients that were used once and then abandoned because we never knew what to do with them again. Sound familiar?

However, if we stock our pantries with the right ingredients, we create a versatile foundation of supplies that we can draw from every single week. Our pantry can then be used as input for our meal planning so that we only need to purchase a few perishable items to create delicious homemade meals.

Knowing what to stock in our pantry means that we’re not only creating less clutter in our homes, but we’re also saving money each week. Since we want to help you do both, we’ll help you take control of your pantry in this episode by covering:

What ingredients to stock so that you’re never far from a home-cooked meal
Simple meal templates to take advantage of whatever is in your pantry
How to create more opportunities to use everything in your pantry

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag!

[Rerun] #1 Creating a Meal Planning System Oct 17, 2019

Today we’re rerunning the first episode we launched this podcast with -- enjoy!

So many new parents tell me that figuring out what to feed themselves is one of their biggest parenting challenges. They wished they had figured out a meal planning routine earlier and not while dealing with all the other demands that come with being a new parent, so that’s what we’ll cover in this first episode!

In today’s podcast, I’ll walk you through my 4-step game plan for getting a cooking system in place before the baby comes, so that your sleep deprived brain has one less thing to worry about. These tried-and-true ideas for new parents can serve as your survival guide to feeding yourself!

We’ll discuss:

How to stock up on freezer meals before the baby comes
How to create easy meal plans to help you get through the early days
How to keep yourself nourished all day long (remember - food for nursing mothers is paramount!), and
The most important cooking skill you should learn now to save time in the future (so you can spend more time with your little one or, let’s be honest, catching up on those much needed zzz’s)

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to leave us a comment, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/1

#18: Meet Sarah Byun our Kitchen Happiness Cheerleader Oct 10, 2019

NEW: If you’ve got questions you want us to answer in a future episode, comments about a previous episode, or just want to say hi and share some love, give us a call at 1-650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail. You might just hear your voice on the podcast!

If every company had a Sarah Byun on the team, companies would have many, many more happy customers. Sarah started off as a Cook Smarts customer in 2014 and then joined our team as our Kitchen Happiness Cheerleader in the spring of 2015. Since then, she has helped countless customers get their questions answered, concerns addressed, typos on their emails fixed, always with the most cheerful demeanor.

In today’s episode, you’ll get to know this amazing multi-tasking mama and also get a behind-the-scenes look at our small but mighty company. Plus, you’ll get to hear:

How Sarah juggles being a homeschooling mom with her Cook Smarts responsibilities
All the hats she wears because she does way more than answer customer service emails
The negative customer service email she had to answer in her application to get the job!

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

Join our Chop Like a Pro Challenge [Community Announcement] Oct 07, 2019

Hi friends, this isn’t an episode but a little podcast community announcement. You know how like every other episode I nag you about improving your knife skills? Well, I only do it because you can’t be a confident and efficient cook without having some good knife skills. However, instead of just telling you that you need to do this, we’re gonna actually help you make it happen with our first ever community challenge.

Our three main goals with this Chop Like a Pro community challenge is to help you:

Improve your kitchen confidence
Teach you a life skill that will make such a difference in your cooking experience
Save you time in the kitchen

Now here are the main details:

The challenge will take place within our Facebook Group. If you’re not a part of it already, get the link in the episode description (https://www.facebook.com/groups/cs.heroes/) or search for Cook Smarts Kitchen Heroes in Facebook. You do have to be a member of our meal plan service to join the group but you can get a free 30 day trial at cooksmarts.com.
The challenge will begin the week of October 14th and last for 4 weeks. While you can join in later, it’s best to start from the beginning because the skills will build on each other. Every week, I will be doing a video lesson in the Facebook group and then assign you some homework to practice the skills discussed in the lesson. You can watch the videos anytime you’re free so it’s not like if you missed it live, you’ve missed the lesson. There will also be PDF downloads and some infographics posted to support your learning too. Plus, we’re tying the lessons into the meal plan menus so you’ll be killing 2 birds with 1 stone -- talk about efficiency, cause that’s just the Cook Smarts way!

So that’s really it. Super simple, right? If all of that sounds good you, make sure you’re in our Facebook Group. You’ll start to see announcements for it soon, and I’m so excited to kick it off the week of October 14th and have you going into the holiday season chopping like a total pro that I know that you are. See you in the Facebook Group!

#17: Toddler Nutrition with Kacie Barnes of Mama Knows Nutrition Oct 03, 2019

NEW: If you’ve got questions you want us to answer in a future episode, comments about a previous episode, or just want to say hi and share some love, give us a call at 1-650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail. You might just hear your voice on the podcast!

We’ve invited Kacie Barnes a pediatric Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (better known as Mama Knows Nutrition) onto the podcast to help break down toddler nutrition for us because toddlers don’t always make it easy on us.

In our chat, we cover:

Big picture nutrition guidelines for toddlers and what a balanced toddler diet should look like (it turns out that they do need way more carbs than adults do!)
The feeding worries parents have and how to handle them
Everything sugar and how to make sure there’s less of it in your toddler’s diet

If you’re a parent of a tot, then don’t miss this episode full of Kacie’s wise and grounded advice that will have you feeling way less stressed and worried as a parent. If you want to grab her Picky Eater Starter Guide or get any of the links mentioned in the episode, head to www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/17

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please tell a friend about our podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429?mt=2) . If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

Global Chef’s Knife Giveaway Reminder [Community Announcement] Sep 29, 2019

What’s this?

A reminder for our giveaway, which ends Wednesday, 10/2

What’s the prize?

An 8” Global chef’s knife worth $125. This is the amazingly sharp and light chef’s knife that I use every day in my kitchen. I honestly couldn’t live without it, and I want one of our supportive listeners to win one too!

How do I enter?

Leave a review on Apple Podcast and then send us a screenshot of it at hello@cooksmarts.com. That way we can easily contact you if you’ve won because it’s not always obvious from your iTunes user name who you are.
If you’ve already left a review in the past or are just not an Apple person, you can call 650-386-0290 and leave a review as a voicemail. Please introduce yourself, tell us why you love Cook Smarts and our podcast, and then make sure to close with your email address. Don’t worry, we won’t share your email address on the air, but it’ll make it easy for us to contact you.

We’ll then mix up all the Apple reviews and phone reviews and select a winner at random on Friday, October 4th and then announce the winner on Monday, October 7th. And because we get to make our own rules, I just may add a bonus prize for my favorite review.

What if I don’t know how to leave a review on Apple Podcast?

If you have the Apple Podcast app on your phone, just head to our podcast page from there, scroll to the bottom where you’ll see ratings and reviews and just click on the Write a Review link. If you’re on a desktop computer that has iTunes, just click on the link in our episode description (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429) and then choose to listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast. It’ll open it in iTunes and from there you can click on “Ratings and Reviews” and click on the “Write a Review” button.

Remember to enter by Wednesday, 10/2 and thank you for your support of our podcast, Cook Smarts, and home cooking!

#16: The Story Behind Cook Smarts + Turning 38 Sep 26, 2019

In honor of my 38th birthday, I wanted to share what inspired me to leave the corporate world to then start Cook Smarts 8 years ago. Hint: it was more than just a love for food and cooking but a life-altering medical diagnosis that ended up changing my whole perspective on life and health. At the age of 17, in 1998, I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, and in today’s episode I talk about how it all happened and how a potentially life-threatening illness became one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.

If you want to leave me some birthday love, got a question you want us to answer, or comments about a previous episode, give us a call at 650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail (or a text for those who have no idea how to use their phone as a phone).

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please share this episode with all your friends who want to be better cooks, and leave us a review on Apple Podcast. If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

Win a Global Chef’s Knife [Community Announcement] Sep 19, 2019

Hi friends, this isn’t an episode but a little podcast community announcement. We’re still a relatively new podcast and one of the best ways for us to grow our audience and support more home cooks is to gather more reviews and ratings on Apple Podcast, so we’re gonna run a little giveaway starting today Thursday, September 19th, running through Wednesday, October 2nd.

The prize is an 8” Global chef’s knife worth $125. This is the chef’s knife that I use, and I love it so much that I want a lucky listener to get one too!

You have 2 options to enter the giveaway:

Leave a review on Apple Podcast and then send us a screenshot of it at hello@cooksmarts.com. That way we can easily contact you if you’ve won because it’s not always obvious from your iTunes user name who you are.
If you’ve already left a review in the past or are just not an Apple person, is to leave a review on our voicemail. The number is 650-386-0290. Introduce yourself, tell us why you love Cook Smarts and our podcast, and then make sure to close with your email address. Don’t worry, we won’t share your email address on the air, but it’ll make it easy for us to contact you.

We’ll then mix up all the Apple reviews and phone reviews and select a winner at random on Friday, October 4th and then announce the winner on Monday, October 7th. And because we get to make our own rules, maybe there will be a bonus prize for the review that gives me the biggest smile!

Now for those of you who want to participate but have never left a podcast review, let me walk you through how to do it. There are 2 easy ways to do it. If you have the Apple Podcast app on your phone, just head to our podcast page from there, scroll to the bottom where you’ll see ratings and reviews and just click on the Write a Review link. If you’re on a desktop computer that has iTunes, just click on this link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-kitchen-with-cook-smarts/id1454754429, and then choose to listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast. It’ll open it in iTunes and from there you can click on “Ratings and Reviews” and click on the “Write a Review” button.

So leave us some kind words on Apple Podcast or give us a ring at 650-386-0290. We’d love to hear your voice and remember to introduce yourself at the beginning and leave your email at the end!

#15: Seasoning Habits to Make Every Meal Flavorful Sep 19, 2019

We’re on a mission to help you never say, “This meal was bland,” ever again because there is no reason why any of us needs to cook or eat a bland meal. With some simple seasoning habits and a few tips on how to make those habits stick, you’ll be on your way to cooking only the most flavorful and enjoyable meals in no time!

If you’ve got questions you want us to answer, comments about a previous episode, or just want to say hi and share some love, give us a call at 650-386-0290 and leave us a voicemail (or a text for those who have no idea how to use their phone as a phone).

Want to be a super supporter of the show and home cooking? Please share this episode with all your friends who want to be better cooks, and leave us a review on Apple Podcast. If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

#14: Ruth Garrett, Cooking for Grandkids Sep 12, 2019

Today I’ve invited Ruth Garrett one of our most enthusiastic community members to the podcast. Ruth is in her early 60’s and instead of enjoying the luxury of an empty nest, Ruth found herself doing the whole parent thing all over again when she became the guardian to 2 of her grandkids a few years ago. Shuttling kids to and from activities after work and cooking for 2 often picky kids have been challenging but Ruth has taken it all in stride.

I have such admiration for this incredibly curious and capable woman, and I know you’ll feel the same way after listening to our conversation. She’ll share:

How she became the experienced not-afraid-to-improv cook she is today
Going from cooking for 1 to including the needs of 2 picky kids
Her tofu tips for tofu haters

If you’re someone who loves inspiring stories, don’t miss this episode with Ruth. Head to our show notes for all the links we mention. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/14

Help us continue to put these info-packed episodes together by subscribing to us in your podcast player and throwing us some stars. If you really love us and want to be a super supporter (and we hope you do!), please do leave us a review on Apple Podcast too. If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

#13: Meal Prep Strategies for Saving Time in the Kitchen Part 2 Sep 05, 2019

In today’s new podcast episode, we share more strategies for saving time in the kitchen. If you haven’t checked last week’s episode, make sure to start there so you have the full game plan to kick off your most efficient school year yet!

While last week we shared ways to cut down on your prepping and cooking time by being smart about your tools, skills, and ingredient choices, this week we’re all about giving you tips for getting ahead so that dinner goes smoothly every weeknight. After listening to this episode, you’ll be able to:

Shift your mindset to always help your future self out
Find the time to meal prep
Reduce your meal prep time with simple kitchen hacks

Please share with all your busy friends out there, and head to our show notes for all the helpful links we mention. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/13

Help us continue to put these info-packed episodes together by subscribing to us in your podcast player and throwing us some stars. If you really love us and want to be a super supporter (and we hope you do!), please do leave us a review on Apple Podcast too. If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

#12: Strategies for Saving Time in the Kitchen Part 1 Aug 29, 2019

Today’s podcast episode (and next week’s) is for anyone looking to save some time in the kitchen -- so basically, it’s for everyone because in all the years I’ve taught cooking and run Cook Smarts, not one person has said, “I wish it took me longer to cook a meal.” Nope, not one.

I know many of the parents in our community have kids headed back to school this week, and with the after-school activities, homework help, PTA meetings, your schedule is about to get packed. So, this episode is for all the busy parents out there and anyone who wants to save time cooking!

I have so many tips to share that I’m breaking them down into 2 episodes. In part 1, I’ll cover:

The most important kitchen skill one needs to reduce their prep time
The ingredients to have on your weekly menu to ensure quick and easy meal prep
Quick cooking ingredients that will make sure you have dinner on the table in a flash

Please share with all your busy friends out there, and head to our show notes for all the helpful links we mention. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/12

Help us continue to put these info-packed episodes together by subscribing to us in your podcast player and throwing us some stars. If you really love us and want to be a super supporter (and we hope you do!), please do leave us a review on Apple Podcast too. If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

#11: School Lunches Made Easy with Laura Fuentes Aug 22, 2019

For this kick off to Season 2 of the Cook Smarts podcast during back-to-school season, I’ve invited one of my entrepreneurial heroes Laura Fuentes to give us advice on planning for and packing school lunches. Millions of us are about to face that daily task, and Laura is an official lunch expert. Her company MOMables started out as a lunch meal planning company but has grown to also offer dinner meal plans and 3 transformative health programs tackling processed foods, picky eating, and budget meal planning.

However, because Laura is such a remarkable individual who’s totally winning at life, she gives us lots of great tips for beyond the kitchen as well. In today’s episode you’ll:

Learn how to think more creatively about kid lunches
Gain a new perspective on what food battles to fight (or not fight) at the dinner table
Discover how to help yourself by letting others help you (even if they don’t do it exactly the same way you would)

If you’re someone who’s looking for a lunch and / or life coach, don’t miss this episode full of Laura’s practical and wise advice for life in and out of the kitchen. Head to our show notes for all the links we mention. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/11

Help us continue to put these info-packed episodes together by subscribing to us in your podcast player and throwing us some stars. If you really love us and want to be a super supporter (and we hope you do!), please do leave us a review on Apple Podcast too. If we share your review in a future episode, we’ll send you a Cook Smarts tote bag to bring you more fun and eco-friendly grocery shopping!

#10: A Motivational Meal Prep Meditation Jun 20, 2019

We’re doing something pretty different for today’s podcast episode. Instead of covering a specific cooking topic or interviewing someone, I’ve created a meal prep meditation to provide you with a little bit of kitchen zen and motivation. Plus, while we’re at it, I also added in some tips for improving your prep skills.

The idea for this meditation was actually inspired by my obsession for the digital fitness app Aaptiv. There are a ton of audio classes to choose from, and I’ve loved having a trainer in my ear for all my workouts. Someone tells me what to do, there’s great music in the background, and it’s the exact motivation I need to get through that run or actually use the equipment at the gym.

This motivational meal prep meditation is along the same lines. I’ll be in your ear providing you with the encouragement, praise, and instruction you need to make the best use of your meal prep time. I hope you’ll leave it downloaded in your podcast player to be listened to time and time again.

We’re taking a short summer break but will be back with new episodes in time for back-to-school. If you have questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes, let us know in the show notes (http://www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/10) or drop us a DM on Instagram! @jessdangcs or @cooksmarts

#9: 3 Lessons Learned From Competing on the Next Food Network Star Jun 13, 2019

In this podcast episode, I wanted to share a personal story with you all -- one that’s been really formative in the cook and probably even the person I am today. 14 years ago, I was on season 2 of the Next Food Network Star.

Not to spoil the ending (but the show did air 14 years ago) but I was the first person eliminated while Guy Fieri went onto win and become the huge food and media celebrity that he is today. While Guy was completely at ease in front of the camera, I was so uncomfortable, had no clue what I was doing, and just felt like a total fish out of water. Despite all of that, I’m still so grateful for the experience because I came out of it with 3 really important lessons to pass onto anyone who wants to become a better cook.

In this episode, I’ll share:

How I a 24 year old strategy consultant ended up on a reality TV cooking host competition show in the first place
A behind-the-scenes look into filming and competing on the show
How this experience has pushed me to become a better cook

Would you ever consider competing on a reality TV show? If so, which one? Head to our show notes and tell us in the comments and also see some photos from my time on the show. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/9

#8: Creating a Greener Kitchen by Reducing Plastic Use and Waste Jun 06, 2019

In this podcast episode, I’m sharing how I’m trying to create a greener kitchen and reduce the amount of waste, especially plastic waste, that my family produces and tosses.

Ever since having kids 4 years ago, I’ve become so much more aware of all the waste, we as a modern family of 5 produces. Even though I’m committed to making green improvements in all areas of my life, today’s episode is going to focus solely on the food or kitchen side of things. It’s the area I spend the most time in and feel like we’ve made some great progress with small, doable changes that anyone listening to this podcast can also make.

In this episode, I’ll cover:

How we’ve pretty much stopped using single-use plastic, like plastic wrap and produce bags
How you can get takeout without the plastic containers
The reusable containers we use to pack snacks, lunches, and freezer meals
The progress we’re still hoping to make by reducing the number of products packaged in plastic that we purchase

Have you made some greener changes you want to share? Head to our show notes and tell us in the comments and also grab all the product links mentioned in the episode. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/8

#7: Cooking in an RV With Kitchen Hero Brian Powers May 30, 2019

We feel so lucky to have a community of such special members at Cook Smarts, and today we’re chatting with one of our original members! This is our first member interview on the podcast, and we’re so excited to kick it off with Brian Powers. Brian’s been cooking with Cook Smarts meal plans since 2014 and has gone through quite the physical transformation during this time.

In today’s episode, we’re getting to know this awesome husband, dad, physical therapist, and all-star cook. You’ll also get to hear:

His cast iron tips! As the resident cast iron expert at Cook Smarts, he gives us tips on how to find a vintage skillet.
His latest adventures. The Powers family has taken their kitchen on the road, traveling all over the US in an RV with his wife Denise and daughter Evelyn.
How despite living in an RV, Brian still manages to create delicious homemade meals in this small space.

If you’re someone who’s looking for some inspiration in the kitchen, Brian’s story will definitely give you some great motivation. Head to our show notes for some photos of our Kitchen Hero and his RV adventures! www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/7

#6: 5 Common Meal Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them May 23, 2019

In this podcast episode, I will cover the 5 most common meal planning mistakes I see people make and easy ways to fix them.

If you asked me 10 years ago if I thought I would end up a meal planning expert, my response would have been, “That’s a thing?” However, as someone who loves organization and efficiency, it makes total sense that I would fall in love with the puzzle solving aspect of the job. Plus when done well, it means so much time and money saved.

As someone who’s been doing this for quite awhile (7 years!) and for thousands of families each week, I’ve learned quite a lot about what makes a good meal plan. I’ve also received hundreds of emails over the years from people trying to do it themselves but just not quite getting it right.

I packed this short 20 minute episode with tips that everyone can use, even though who currently use our meal plan service. After listening, you’ll have a better understanding of how to:

Select the right recipes every week
Make better use of your time by not cooking every single night
Create a meal plan that eliminates food waste
Make just 1 trip to the grocery store

Have you made any of these mistakes? Or is there another mistake you want to share? Head to our show notes and leave us a comment and also grab all the links mentioned in this episode. www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/6

#5: 10 Strategies for Turning Picky Eaters Into Curious Eaters May 16, 2019

In this podcast episode, I’m tackling a big emotional topic for a lot of parents -- how to help your picky eaters become more curious, adventurous eaters.

Just about every kid goes through some phase (or multiple phases) of picky eating, and it can be a super frustrating and challenging time for parents. Using my own personal experience as a mom combined with everything I’ve read on this topic, we’ll discuss a wide variety of strategies parents can use to help support the transition from picky eating to curious eating.

After this 30 minute episode, you’ll have the tools to:

Shift your mindset and redefine what success looks like at the dinner table
Make dinner time a no-pressure environment
Create more fun around the dinner table
Involve your kids in the meal planning and cooking process
Plus so much more!

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to grab the transcript, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/5

#4: Pots & Pans: 7 Most Common Questions Answered May 09, 2019

I’ve been to kitchens without a sharp knife or a can opener or prep bowls, but I’ve never been to one without at least a few pots and pans. No matter how minimal your kitchen is, you have definitely have at least 1 pot or pan. Now maybe you don’t feel like you have the right ones but that’s what we’ll chat about in today’s episode.

I’m covering the 7 most common questions I receive regarding these essential kitchen tools from how to pick them to how to care for them.

In this 30 minute episode, you’ll learn:

If those pots and pans sets are really worth it
A system for figuring out the pots and pans you need (from size to material) for your specific cooking needs
How to get more out of your non-stick cookware
How to care for cast iron

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to get a list of our members’ favorite pots and pans, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/4

#3: Meet Jess Smith Our Meal Plan Developer May 02, 2019

One of the best things that’s happened to Cook Smarts is bringing on a dedicated meal plan developer. Jess Smith joined the team in the spring of 2015, all the way from Thailand and has taken our recipe development process and the quality of our meals to a whole other level.

In today’s episode, we’re getting to know this multi-talented lady and also giving you a behind the scenes of our small little company. Plus, you’ll get to hear:

How she made a huge career switch going from working for the State Department in Thailand to working in food full time and all the lessons she’s learned during this transition

What it’s like to go from food blogging to getting feedback -- sometimes less than positive feedback -- on every recipe you create
The most challenging part of the job and what’s gotten easier over time

If you’re someone who’s wanted to make a career change and pursue your true passion, this episode is definitely not to be missed. Another added bonus: I also offer some advice to the entrepreneurs out there about building out your team.

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to see a picture of Jess’ family of 5, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/3

#2: Leftover Herbs: Strategies for Getting More out of Them Apr 25, 2019

Wasting herbs is something that has happened to all of us, but in today’s episode I’ll walk you through 5 different strategies for getting more out of them, so you don’t end up in a situation where you’re tossing spoiled, wilting [insert cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, sage, thyme, chives, etc.].

We’ll discuss:

My simple 2 category herb classification system that’ll help you decide which strategy to use
How to not have any leftover herbs to begin with
Different methods for freezing herbs and how to know which method to use depending on the leftover herb you have
How to turn your leftover herbs into a sauce that can be used to flavor a variety of dishes
How to use herbs even when the recipe doesn’t call for it
Going beyond cooking and using herbs in drinks

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to leave us a comment, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/2

#1: Developing a Meal Planning System: A Survival Guide For New Parents Apr 18, 2019

So many new parents tell me that figuring out what to feed themselves is one of their biggest parenting challenges. They wished they had figured out a meal planning routine earlier and not while dealing with all the other demands that come with being a new parent, so that’s what we’ll cover in this first episode!

In today’s podcast, I’ll walk you through my 4-step game plan for getting a cooking system in place before the baby comes, so that your sleep deprived brain has one less thing to worry about. These tried-and-true ideas for new parents can serve as your survival guide to feeding yourself!

We’ll discuss:

How to stock up on freezer meals before the baby comes
How to create easy meal plans to help you get through the early days
How to keep yourself nourished all day long (remember - food for nursing mothers is paramount!), and
The most important cooking skill you should learn now to save time in the future (so you can spend more time with your little one or, let’s be honest, catching up on those much needed zzz’s)

For all the links mentioned in this episode and to leave us a comment, head to our show notes: www.cooksmarts.com/podcast/1

Our Cooking Podcast is Launching Late April! Mar 01, 2019

Hi Friends, this is Jess your loyal and always enthusiastic kitchen cheerleader here. So I’ve got some really exciting news -- Cook Smarts is launching a podcast, and it’ll be hosted by yours truly. We’ve already got a bunch of episodes taped, and I don’t want you to miss any of them, so make sure you subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher, or whatever you use to listen to your podcasts.

Our first episode is definitely not to be missed. It’s a new parent’s survival guide to feeding yourself but has great lessons for every busy person wanting to get a better meal prep system in place. It’s going live in mid-April right around when I start my maternity leave. So even though I’ll be taking a little bit of time off, you’ll still be hearing from me.

As I said before, we’ve got lots of great topics planned to help you become a more organized and efficient cook -- anything to make you a smarter cook, and many of them were suggestions from our community, of course. We’ll also be interviewing some of our members and giving you a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into our business from time to time too. If you have a question or topic you’d like me to cover, just email us at hello@cooksmarts.com or just DM us on Instagram.

I’m so excited to spend even more time with you all, whether it’s in your kitchen, car, gym, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Again, remember to subscribe so you don’t miss our first episode when it goes live and all the ones to follow.

Meet you back here in a few weeks! Until then, happy cooking from your kitchen cheerleader.

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