I’m back with more tips and tricks to help bring more ease into your kitchen practice. If you missed part 1, head here to read more.
As the season starts to shift, now is a great time to organize any areas that are stressing you out, stock up on your favorite pantry staples, or just buy yourself flowers for your kitchen or dining table.
Springtime is all about enjoying foods that are invigorating and warming to support the body through the last of the cooler months.
During winter, it’s easier to feel sluggish or stagnation, catch colds or flu, and feel heavier emotionally, too.
One of the simplest ways to invite more warmth and stimulation into your meals is by utilizing your spice rack. Everyday herbs and spices like ginger, rosemary, cinnamon, thyme, and black pepper not only bring tons of flavor but make it easier to digest and assimilate food.
Keep that in mind as you read through the q & a’s below. Depending on where you live and what’s around, you’ll likely start to see delicate herbs and greens popping up.
Mineral-rich herbs like nettle, dandelion, and chickweed, are great additions to dips, dressings, sauces, or tea. Check your farmers market or specialty store if you don’t have a garden or a good spot to harvest them on your own.
Okay, now onto the questions. These are some more of the questions I received and will be sharing more here too, so keep make sure you’re subscribed to stay in the loop.
Curious about something specific? Drop any questions you’d like me to answer in the comment section below!
Q: Any tips for cooking for a family and dealing with different food preferences?
A: I like the idea of creating a "build your own bowl” situation to make it easier to please everyone's palette.
Some ideas like a taco bowl, pasta bowl, grain bowl, chili bowl, or loaded sweet potato bowl help keep things simple and streamlined while still offering lots of nourishment.
Plus—everyone can add what they like rather than having to make multiple meals.
You can save time on prep by grabbing things at the store that are already done from sauces to cooked beans or marinated meats to frozen veggies.
Also, invite the kids in to help prep their favorite things, if possible, to help them feel more a part of the meal and the process.
Q: I’m always too tired to cook. How can I feel less overwhelmed at the end of the day?
A: We all struggle with this and it takes a little planning but will be so worth it! Lean on simple meals that can be cooked in an instant pot or crock pot so dinner is basically ready when you come home—stews, soups, chili, slow-cooked meat.
Prepping a pot of grains and a few veggies for a couple of meals is key. Then grab proteins that are already cooked like smoked salmon or a rotisserie chicken to save time and energy.
On a day when you’ve got a little more time or if you’re already in a flow in the kitchen, batch prep some yummy sauces like a Herby Yogurt Sauce, Ginger Maca Miso Sauce, or Pumpkin Seed Pesto, to add variety and flavor to simple meals.
I love keeping lunches simple by making things like wraps, stuffed pitas, or tartines. That way instead of cooking something from scratch, I only have to take, say 10 minutes or less, to assemble a nourishing meal during the busiest part of my day.
Q: I’m struggling with postpartum snacks and foods. What are some easy things to prepare to support myself during this time?
A: I've been thinking a lot about this lately as one of my besties just gave birth. There doesn't seem to be a ton of inspo online or recipes, but I do love the book First Forty Days.
When it comes to quick meals on the savory side, Miso Soup with Smoked Salmon and Rice, Chicken Meatballs with Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Smoked Salmon Wraps with Herby Cream Cheese and Cucumber, and Butternut Squash and Tahini Dip on Toast with Seedy Seaweed Sprinkle are all delicious and don’t require a ton of prep or effort.
I feel like for a lot of people, postpartum is an intro to herbal foods. This is an ideal time to add nourishing mineral-rich herbs and adaptogens to support the body after birth and while breastfeeding.
Lean on herbal powders or blends for quick ways to get herbs into meals and drinks daily.
Some snack ideas on the sweeter side are Walnut, Date, and Goji Bites, Sunflower and Shatavari Snack Bars, Sesame and Sunflower Squares, big batches of Adaptogenic Chai, or simply milky teas with Adaptogenic Honey.
Enjoy!
xx - Sarah Kate
*second photo by Anna Schneider