I’LL ADMIT IT. I’m not great at planning a menu in advance. Buying a bunch of sweet potatoes then getting home to realize that we already have a pile in the pantry? I’m pretty good at that. Figuring out how to use that third leek, the one that always seems to come in the bunch? Not really one of my skills. For these reasons and more, I have a bit of a cookbook crush on Melissa Lanz, who wrote “The Fresh 20“. She knows how to do all that stuff, and she even answered our five questions too:
What are your kids’ favorite dishes from the book?
Guacamole Tostadas, muffin tin meatloaf and shrimp gumbo.
- What kind of cooking tasks do your kids help with?
Measuring liquids, mixing salad dressing, washing and tearing apart salad.
- Do you have any food rules at your house? (take one bite, kids set the table, no snacking, etc.?)
No electronics or mobile phones in the kitchen and clearing the table is a must!
- Is there one ingredient that you’ve ever had a hard time getting the kids to eat? And what (if anything so far) made them believers?
My kids are adventurous but when they come across an item they don’t care for we talk about what it does for your body (Oh, that makes you grow taller! Or, that makes you jump higher.) and they make a connection to the results of food. It works every time.
- Is meal planning all or nothing? And if someone isn’t quite organized enough to plan a full week’s worth of meals at a glance (or even using your service) what can they borrow from your concept to save money and time where they can?
Nothing is all or nothing especially a meal plan. Flexibility goes a long way. An organized shopping list is my number one stress saver. And the best “The Fresh 20” trick is using what you have on hand.
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