Maryann Jacobsen's Blog, page 20

Dinner Rotation: December – January

When people ask me my tips for holiday eating, I always say — keep up the regular meals! So that’s what I’m doing.

It’s been consistently chilly here in San Diego. I have “Hearty Thursday” going on and I’m trying to keep Fridays easy. I have a few new meals, including a pesto pasta dish. I just made it the other night and it needs a little work. I’m also bringing ravioli back and chicken chili and will be taking a break from Alfredo. I’m not sure how the meals on Christmas week will go but t...

What Writing a Book Really Looks Like

It’s down to the wire with my book, What to Cook for Dinner with Kids. I thought about writing on some nutrition topic but all I have on my mind is THE BOOK.

My first book, Fearless Feeding, coauthored with Jill Castle, was published through a traditional publisher. They set the deadlines, publishing date and did all the tedious formatting. But now that I’m an independent author, it’s all up to me.

While the experience with a traditional publisher was great, it made me realize self-publishin...

6 Kitchen Shortcuts that Really Work (and Why)

There’s no shortage of advice for getting meals on the table. Advice like cooking meals ahead and meal planning are everywhere. Most of us can recite this advice but when it comes to real life, it can be hard to follow.

I have learned that it’s better to come up with my own kitchen time savers. The following shortcuts have just kind of evolved from the development of my dinner rotation. And I find that I’m much more apt to follow them when they come from me because, well, they work.

1. Spice...

If I Had to Start from Scratch Feeding My Kids, Here’s What I’d Do

I had my first child 9 years ago. It’s hard to believe she’s halfway to adulthood with her little brother trailing just two and half years behind.

I’ve learned a lot about feeding kids both by reading research, talking to parents and simply living the ups and downs.

I feel a strange clarity in the direction I need to go. And to be honest, I wish it came sooner. I think in the feeding realm, parents spend too much time focusing on the wrong things. And I’m no exception.

What I’d do differentl...

5 Ways to Cultivate an Appreciation of Food in Your Child

Jane was off to college, leaving home for the first time. She found the local grocery store and decided to shop for food on the weekend to make simple meals. She also stopped during study time to enjoy a meal because it was time to eat. Not only that, she set the table and said grace before eating. Her roommate didn’t do any of these things. In fact, she snacked through study time and often grabbed food on the go.

The key differences between these two young adults was one had cultivated an a...

5 Empowering Words that Will Instantly Boost Your Well Being

When I was in my twenties consistently eating healthy was a struggle for me. I always tried to avoid sweet and indulgent foods, only to eventually overindulge in them. Then out of nowhere something strange began to happen: I gave myself permission to eat what I truly wanted.

And you know what happened? I didn’t overeat or go crazy like I thought I would. In fact, my eating made a huge turn for the better. I made another discovery: I actually prefer to eat nutritious foods most of the time. T...

Dinner Rotation Sept-October

Fall is in full swing. We are actually starting to feel some cool air in the morning here in San Diego. So I’m pulling out soups and stews, like chili, in this rotation. I’m also set on developing a red beans and rice recipe. I’ve decided to make Thursday Stew/Soup night, Friday ethnic (mostly Asian) and Sunday square meal. Sometimes I swap Thursday’s meal for the weekend meal depending on our plans.

How’s your rotation going?

Cooking Kids, Organizing and FOMO

I’ve been writing a lot about g...

7 Ways to Ensure Your Oven Roasted Vegetables Turn out Perfectly

Since becoming more purposeful about my meals, I’ve developed cooking goals. On the back of my meal rotation I write down a particular cooking skill (sautéing, roasting etc.) that needs work. Later, I do some research to find out how I can improve.

I was frustrated that oven roasted veggies turned out differently each time I made them. Sometimes they would be melt-in-your mouth good and other times a bit soggy. So I set out to discover the secrets that only annoyingly-good cooks know. Feel f...