Heart of Cooking

Our lovely cherry tomatoes

I have been enjoying the Tuesday Twister blog posts by Wardeh Harmon at Gnowfglins.com for the past few weeks or so ever since I found her website.   These blog posts have been a synopsis of her week in the kitchen and what has been twisting in her cooking.  I love reading them, mostly because she focuses on nourishing, whole foods!

Last week she announced her new Blog Carnival, the Tuesday Twister Carnival and her invitation to participate in the weekly postings.  I started thinking about doing this and then a couple days ago, inspiration struck I finally decided to give it a go.  I can’t promise I’ll do it every week, but we’ll see what happens.

My Meal Un-Plan

I started thinking about my week in the kitchen and what it is normally like during our busy days.  And what stood out to me the most was the fact that I hardly ever meal plan.

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Like any mom with a child with food restrictions combined with a dose of pickiness, I have been looking for new recipes to feed my son who can’t eat dairy products.  I am also allergic to wheat and gluten so I end up making baked goods wheat and gluten free so I can eat them too.

I recently checked out the book, The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook at my library to see what new recipes I might find for the GF and CF diet.  I haven’t completely finished perusing the book but for the most part I would highly recommend it.  One great thing about it is that it has many soy, nut, egg and corn-free recipes as well.

One recipe that caught my eye was the “Sensory Sensible Pot Pie Muffins.” This recipe is a muffin for kids who can’t eat gluten and dairy and who may not like to eat regular chicken or vegetables.   To solve this problem, they put the pureed chicken and veggies right into the muffin.

This, I gotta try, I said.  My son used to eat literally anything I put in front of him.  But with the toddler stage, he has become a bit more picky.  He still loves cooked veggies, especially green beans but isn’t too fond of chicken these days.

Also, since we’re on the go a lot, I was looking for a snack that was travel-friendly, healthy, gluten and dairy-free and high in protein.  These muffins seemed like the answer!

Pot Pie Muffins made with Namaste muffin mix

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I receive a lot of emails from people who have found my site and are looking for ideas for their very limited diet.  Some of these people are at a complete loss as to what to eat because their diet is so limited.  I received one of these emails from someone last week inquiring about a diet for her daughter.

Here was her list of foods that her daughter was told to avoid:

gluten (wheat, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, tricale, and all products containing gluten such as soy sauce, etc)
grain (includes rice, millet, teff, and other gluten-free grains)
dairy
egg
soy
corn
banana
kiwi

This is a similar list to many of the people who come to me.  There are definite variations and more limited diets like those without any meat or fish, legumes, nuts, all fruit, etc.  But I thought I’d start with this diet to give you some ideas on where to start.

So what do you do when you get a list like this?  My hope is that in this post, I can give you my process for starting to come up with some foods and recipes you can eat when you receive a long list of foods you should be avoiding, even temporarily.

I am also working on compiling my recipes into menu plans for different diets such as this one so that people can have a menu planner for their specific limited diet.  I am also going to start writing some blogs about how you can start to do this for yourself!

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In my recipe, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, I describe cooking butternut squash by placing it in the oven at 350 F face down in a little water for about 45-50 minutes.  After it is cooked, it is super easy to just scoop out the butternut squash.

I usually prefer the “bake” method because it is the easiest; you don’t have to go through the process of peeling the squash.  However, it actually takes the longest because of the bake time in the oven.  One way around this is to bake the squash the night before you plan to use it while you are fixing your dinner.  It doesn’t take that much more time and then it is cooked for you when you want to use it the next day.

If you are looking for quicker ways to cook your squash for your soup, you may want to consider the following ideas:

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Many recipes that I create often have some type of marinade in it which can be used on the meat or seafood the night before, or as little as 15 minutes before you cook your meal.  It does make the dish tastier the longer the marinade time, but you also have to adjust the recipes to your lifestyle.

If you end up having a little extra time in the evening before you go off to bed, this is a prime time to plan ahead for tomorrow’s recipe.  It not only gives you a head start on the recipe so that there is less to do the next day, it makes the meal that much more flavorful.

For some marinades, you can turn them into sauces, like the one in Mahi Mahi in Citrus Coconut Sauce. (This recipe is featured in the free sample Nourishing Foods Menu Planner – get it here).  The marinade is first used to infuse the fish with the flavors of citrus and ginger, but then is later made into a sauce by adding arrowroot powder to it.

As with everything in cooking, if you find yourself running out of time, you can always cut corners and marinade for less time.  It won’t be the end of the world and I’m sure you’ll still have a yummy meal!

Having trouble getting your menu planner? PLEASE follow these steps first before you contact me.  If you have done everything listed here, please contact me and I will send you a link to the menu planner.  Thank you so much!

Q:  Where is my menu planner?  I did not receive it in my email.  What should I do?

A:  For the FREE menu planner, make sure you do the following:

#1.  Make sure you confirmed your email address by clicking on the link in the confirmation email.  This email will be from me, Sarah Schatz.

#2.  If you didn’t receive the confirmation email, check your SPAM box.  This is one of the #1 ways people miss out on the menu planner.  Look for the confirmation email, confirm your email and then take my email address out of the SPAM box.

#3.  Make sure your email address is a working email address.  I know this sounds funny but I have had people use emails where the Inbox is full or it is simply not working for some reason.

#4.  If you’re still having trouble, please email me and I will send you the menu planner.

For any of the PAID menu planner subscriptions:

#1.  Make sure you do all of the above for the FREE menu planner.

#2.  Check your Paypal email address: If you still haven’t received your paid menu planner, you need to make sure that the email address in your Paypal account is the same email that you are using to look for the confirmation email and the menu planner.

Sometimes people use their spouse’s Paypal account.  This is fine, but the menu planner is going to be sent to your spouse’s email address.  Or, sometimes the email on your Paypal account is an old email that you no longer use.  If this happens, please check your old email address for the confirmation email and menu planner.

If you no longer have access to the old email address, please contact me and I will add your new email to the list.

Q:  Does the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner have side dish recipes included with the main courses?
A:  Yes, each dinner recipe is coupled with a suggested side dish to create a balanced meal.  Some side dishes recipes are separate from the main course while simpler ones are a part of the main course recipe.  Each shopping list of coded so that you can easily delete ingredients if you don’t want to make the side dishes.

Q:  On which day of the week will I receive the menu planner?
A:  You will receive your first menu planner on the day you sign up.   You will then receive a menu planner each week on the same day of the week that you signed up.  Ex.  If you bought the menu planner on a Tuesday, you will then receive it every Tuesday.

Q:  Can I still use the shopping list if I don’t want to make all of the recipes on the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner?
A:  Yes.  Each shopping list is coded to each main and side dish so that you can easily delete ingredients if you don’t want to make a certain dish.

Q:  The Heart of Cooking website says that families can save money by using the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner.  How does that work when I have to pay to receive it?
A:  When families start using the menu planner, they will start eating at home more and less in restaurants which will automatically save money.  Furthermore, when you shop for your weekly food at the grocery store, you will have a detailed shopping list for the entire week of dinners so that you don’t have to buy expensive prepackaged or frozen meals to fill in where you haven’t had time to plan for the week.

Q:  What if the menu planner doesn’t work for our family?  Can I get my money back?
A:  Unfortunately we can’t please everyone.  Simply contact Sarah if you’re unhappy with the menu planner and would like a refund within 30 days of purchase. 

Q:  Where do the recipes for the menu planner come from?
A:  I receive inspiration for recipes from many places – cookbooks, gluten-free blogs, and other online recipe services.  I also make recipes up all the time while cooking at home.  If I am using someone’s recipe, I almost always change or tweak a recipe to make a it work for the menu planner.  First, if it is a complicated recipe, I find ways to make it simpler and take less time.  If a recipe contains dairy, gluten, sugar or soy in it, I will either eliminate or replace the ingredient with something else.  If there are too many portions, I make it work for four servings.  I personally test every recipe I write in the menu planner.  I also have families who are “recipe testers” who also give me their valuable feedback.  I also welcome recipes from subscribers who would like to have their recipe in the menu planner.  One last step is I calculate the nutritional information for each dish using software I have on my computer.

Q:  I am a single person but I have a lot of food restrictions.   Can the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner work for me?
A:  The recipes are created for 4 servings each.  But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make the menu planner work for your needs.  First of all, you don’t have to prepare every dish for the week.  Instead you could pick 3 or 4 and have leftovers a couple of nights.  Also, it is very easy to half the recipes so that you only make 2 servings.  You could eat leftovers for lunch, or you could even freeze individual portions for a time when you know you won’t have as much time to cook.

Q:  We have a big family of big eaters.  Can we still use the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner?
A:  Yes.  The recipes are for 4 servings but you can make 6 servings by multiplying the ingredients by 1.5 or 8 servings by multiplying by 2.

Q:  My kids have food allergies but they can be picky when it comes to food.  Will the menu planner work for us?
A:  All of the recipes are family-friendly and many are kid-friendly.  Try out the Kid-Friendly Menu Planner or use the kid-friendly tips that come with each recipe.  Also, all recipes are family friendly and most are kid-friendly.

Q:  I don’t feel very well equipped when it comes to cooking in my kitchen. How can the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner and Heart of Cooking help me?
A:  I offer cooking tips in the menu planners as well as in my Blog under “Cooking Tips.”  I also offer local cooking classes in Frederick, MD.  Please contact me for more info.

Q:  My daughter and husband have food allergies but I don’t have any restrictions.  Can we still use the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner?
A:  Yes, they will still work for your family.  People who don’t have restrictions still enjoy many of my recipes.  I also add tips at the end of each recipe where I will offer suggestions to those people who aren’t limited in their diet.  Example:  If you can eat dairy, you can add grated cheese to this recipe.  Or, if you can eat soy, you can soy sauce in this recipe.

Q:  Will the menu planner work for my family if I am trying to lose weight and I want my family to eat healthy foods?
A:  Yes!  These recipes are very healthy and many people on this type of diet will lose weight because they aren’t eating foods that they are allergic to.  When you do eat foods that your body doesn’t agree with, it slows your metabolism down and can even cause your body to retain water or gain weight.  The recipes do call for using olive oil or butter but these fats are healthy fats for you. Whereas margarine may be lower in fat or cholesterol but is not a healthy alternative.  Learn more about this and other health tips in my Blog.

Q:  Can I suggest some recipes for you to use in the menu planner?
A:  Yes, I welcome recipe suggestions.  Even recipes that aren’t dairy, soy or gluten free I welcome and I will try to make a delicious new recipe based on the old one.  Simply contact me on my website and send me the recipe.  Please include the recipe source when you send the recipe so that I can give credit to you or the original source.