EP #1363: Easy, Family-Friendly Recipes Bursting With Flavor With Julie Evink.

SummaryJulie Eaton creator of the popular food blog Julie s Eats and Treats discusses her new cookbook and the importance of easy family-friendly recipes She emphasizes the value of no-fuss cooking that uses pantry staples and is bursting with flavor Julie also talks about the pressure to live a perfect life and how she embraces being a sweatpants friend who values comfort and togetherness She shares how growing up on a farm in Minnesota shaped her view on family and cooking The importance of family time and conversation Meal planning is a time-saving and stress-reducing strategy that can also save money and prevent mealtime ruts It is important to teach children how to use meal planning and involve them in the kitchen Shopping for each meal can be time-consuming so embracing meal planning can free up time each day It is helpful to pick out recipes in advance and make meal planning a habit Cooking together as a family can be a bonding experience and a way to teach important skills It reduces stress and allows for quality family time Kids can learn a variety of skills through cooking from fractions to reading Cooking also helps build comprehension and can be used as a teaching tool in school It s important to create a safe environment for kids to help in the kitchen and feel important In this part of the conversation Julie and Lisa discuss the importance of having the right kitchen tools and being organized when it comes to cooking and grocery shopping They mention various tools such as knives mixers stools nonstick skillets and aprons They also talk about the benefits of using a grocery list and note-taking apps to stay organized In this part of the conversation Julie and Lisa discuss the convenience of using an app or voice assistant to manage grocery lists They talk about how it saves time and prevents the need to go back and forth in the store They also mention the use of canned chicken as a pantry staple which Julie finds surprising as she considers herself a picky chicken eater In this part of the conversation Julie discusses the convenience of using frozen chopped onions and other pantry staples She mentions that she often uses frozen chopped onions because she doesn t like chopping fresh onions and crying She also mentions that frozen chopped onions are handy and can be easily added to various dishes without the need for thawing In this part of the conversation Julie and Lisa discuss a recipe for creamy soup using evaporated milk as a substitute for heavy cream They also talk about other dairy substitutes like oat milk and avocado oil Julie mentions that the recipe is easy to meal prep and is a filling breakfast option for kids Lisa expresses her love for Mexican food and mentions that the breakfast enchiladas and hash brown breakfast casserole from Julie s book look amazing Julie appreciates the compliment and mentions that she is a visual eater They conclude by saying that there are no specific breakfast items they wanted to bring up In this part of the conversation Julie and Lisa discuss breakfast options including pumpkin bread and muffins They also talk about their love for pumpkin-flavored foods They then move on to discuss salads and sides including roasted sweet potatoes and oven-roasted vegetables Julie mentions that she tried to provide a wide range of options including dairy-free and grain-free choices They end the conversation by mentioning cheesy garlic butter pasta as a decadent side dish This part of the conversation discusses easy and convenient meals that can be made with pantry staples The hosts talk about dishes like pasta packets and Spanish rice that are simple to make and require only a few ingredients They also mention recipes for soups stews and slow cooker meals that can be divided into different proteins like chicken beef pork and seafood The conversation concludes with a discussion about chicken tetrazzini a dish that one of the hosts remembers from their childhood In this part of the conversation Julie discusses homemade meals using pantry staples She mentions making a creamy pasta dish with chicken and how it can be customized with leftover ham or turkey She also talks about her homemade hamburger helper which is made with ground beef and various seasonings Julie emphasizes the convenience and deliciousness of these homemade meals In this part of the conversation Julie and Lisa discuss different ways to use zucchini and seafood in meals Julie shares her zucchini boat idea and how she turned her excess zucchini into a dinner They also talk about the importance of finding a balance between indulgent and healthier foods Lisa mentions her love for shrimp and shares some shrimp recipes as well as tilapia They discuss the challenge of cooking fish for beginners and busy individuals In this part of the conversation Julie and Lisa discuss two dessert recipes Rice Krispie Treats and Knock You Naked Bars Julie shares her easy and delicious recipe for Rice Krispie Treats which only requires five ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make Lisa expresses her love for Rice Krispie Treats and Julie mentions that her recipe includes extra butter They then move on to discuss Julie s recipe for Knock You Naked Bars which are chocolate chip cookie bars with a gooey caramel filling Julie mentions that these bars have been passed down in her family for years and are a crowd-pleaser Julie discusses her experience with creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe that satisfies different preferences for texture and consistency She explains that chocolate chip cookies are a personal preference and everyone has their own ideal version Julie experimented with different ingredients and techniques to achieve the desired chewiness crispiness thickness and texture She emphasizes the trial and error process of finding the right balance and adjusting the recipe to suit individual tastes Julie the founder of Julie s Eats and Treats discusses her popular food blog and cookbook She shares that her focus is on easy family-friendly recipes that use pantry staples Julie emphasizes the importance of providing resources that help families enjoy delicious meals together She also mentions that her book is available on Amazon and that people can find her on social media KeywordsJulie Eaton Julie s Eats and Treats cookbook easy recipes family-friendly pantry staples flavor pressure perfect life sweatpants friend comfort togetherness growing up on a farm Minnesota family time conversation building a business meal planning time-saving stress-reducing money-saving involving children in the kitchen cooking family bonding skills stress reduction quality time teaching tool safe environment kitchen tools cooking grocery shopping knives mixers stools nonstick skillets aprons grocery list note-taking apps grocery lists app voice assistant convenience time-saving canned chicken pantry staple frozen chopped onions pantry staples convenience cooking tips creamy soup evaporated milk dairy substitutes oat milk avocado oil meal prep filling breakfast Mexican food breakfast enchiladas hash brown breakfast casserole breakfast pumpkin bread muffins salads sides roasted sweet potatoes oven-roasted vegetables dairy-free grain-free cheesy garlic butter pasta easy meals convenient meals pantry staples pasta packets Spanish rice soups stews slow cooker meals chicken tetrazzini homemade meals pantry staples creamy pasta chicken ham turkey hamburger helper ground beef seasonings convenience deliciousness zucchini seafood balance shrimp tilapia beginner cook busy individuals dessert recipes Rice Krispie Treats Knock You Naked Bars easy recipes family recipes chocolate chip cookies recipe texture consistency preferences chewy crispy thick thin flat experimentation trial and error food blog cookbook easy recipes family-friendly pantry staples TakeawaysEasy family-friendly recipes can be made with pantry staples and still be bursting with flavor There is pressure to live a perfect life but it s important to embrace comfort and togetherness Growing up on a farm in Minnesota shaped Julie s view on family and cooking Julie s cookbook Julie s Eats and Treats offers a collection of her favorite recipes that are easy to make and delicious Family time and conversation are importantBuilding a business requires dedication and hard workTechnology can be a distraction from family timeMaking time for meals together is valuable Meal planning can save time reduce stress and prevent mealtime ruts Involving children in meal planning and cooking can teach them valuable skills Picking out recipes in advance and making meal planning a habit can make the process easier Meal planning can also save money by reducing food waste and preventing unnecessary trips to the grocery store Cooking together as a family can strengthen bonds and create lasting memories Kids can learn important skills like fractions and reading through cooking Cooking reduces stress and provides an opportunity for quality family time Creating a safe environment for kids to help in the kitchen is important Having the right kitchen tools can make cooking more enjoyable and efficient Using an apron can help protect your clothes from spills and stains Creating a grocery list and using note-taking apps can help you stay organized while shopping Teaching kids to cook and giving them their own tools can empower them and make cooking more fun Using an app or voice assistant for grocery lists can save time and prevent back-and-forth in the store Canned chicken Click here to visit this podcast episode