76: Kitchen Conversations During Quarantine with Amber Pankonin, David Orozco, and Melissa Joy Dobbins

05/27/20 • 38 min

How have you been navigating grocery shopping, cooking, and meal planning during quarantine? My habits certainly have changed, and I've talked about it on the show over the past few months. So this week, I thought it would be fun to hear from three fellow dietitian friends and podcast hosts to see how they're coping with the new normal and how their cooking, shopping, and eating habits have evolved over the past few months. Tune in for tips on turning dinner into tasty lunch leftovers the next day; how to bust through dinnertime boredom by trying new "out of the box" recipes; and why you don't have to feel guilty if you're not baking your own sourdough bread.

Amber Pankonin hails from the great state of Nebraska. She hosts the Healthy Under Pressure podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs about how they thrive and grow even when faced with daily stresses and challenges. Amber has important words of wisdom for each of us about giving ourselves a break during difficult times and not feeling like we have to be Wonder Woman or Superman right now. She reminds us that we don’t have to play the comparison game. I am not making sourdough bread at home, and I’m no longer feeling guilty about it.

David Orozco is a “guy-e-titian” who hosts the One Small Bite podcast where he addresses nutrition topics for men. He joins us from Georgia with survival stories from his home kitchen. Every night he’s there with his wife and daughter as they prepare healthy dinner meals that double up as lunch the next day. No PB & J for this guy-e-titian!

Melissa Joy Dobbins, from Illinois, hosts the Sound Bites podcast. She has a magical way of taking the latest science and nutrition and translating it into essential news that we can all use. She’s home with her husband and two kids now, and she’s craving variety because she’s bored with the same old meals. You could say that the pandemic has brought out the chef in Melissa as she has explored new mealtime creations. She’ll share her inspiration with us.

Show Highlights:

From Amber:

Get to know Amber and her podcast
How we stay healthy during stressful times:
- Take care of yourself
- Don’t play the comparison game
- Give yourself grace
How Amber’s shopping habits have changed as she is more intentional about food waste and more experimental in the kitchen
Liz’s dinner plans for tonight: Asparagus Quiche (check out the recipe in Resources!)
Why Amber is more intentional about meal planning
How living in Nebraska gives Amber access to local meat and produce directly from the farmers

From David:

Get to know David and his podcast that’s geared to men
How David is handling the pandemic with weekly grocery trips that include masks, gloves, and extra cleaning measures
The biggest difference for David and his family is that they are home together for all three meals---and the dishwasher runs almost non-stop
Repurposing family dinners for lunch the next day:
- Cuban Pork Sandwiches made from leftover tenderloin
- Buddha Bowls made with leftover tofu stir-fry
Why handmade pizza is a favorite for dinner--and breakfast--and lunch
David’s Colombian roots, his childhood in NJ, and the last 30 years in Atlanta

From Melissa:

Get to know Melissa, her podcast, and her family
How Melissa has coped by shopping less often, mostly buying the same foods, but keeping more junk food on hand
The changes in Melissa’s household: her husband has started making homemade bread again, and they have made homemade birthday cakes
Why dinnertime for Melissa’s family has included more variety and more comfort food
How Melissa finds one-pot inspiration from Shelley Rael’s The One-Pot Weight Loss Plan cookbook
Why ordering takeout has become a huge treat for the family
Melissa’s advice for feeding a family during a pandemic: “Find what works for you.”

Resources:

Links for Amber:

Amber’s website: www.stirlist.com

Amber’s podcast: www.healthyunderpressure.com

Instagram: @RDamber

Twitter: @RDamber

Liz’s Asparagus Quiche: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2014/06/06/crustless-asparagus-quiche/

Liz’s cookbooks that she’s revisiting: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/cookbooks/

Links for David:

David’s website: https://www.one...

Show Highlights:

From Amber:

Get to know Amber and her podcast
How we stay healthy during stressful times:
- Take care of yourself
- Don’t play the comparison game
- Give yourself grace
How Amber’s shopping habits have changed as she is more intentional about food waste and more experimental in the kitchen
Liz’s dinner plans for tonight: Asparagus Quiche (check out the recipe in Resources!)
Why Amber is more intentional about meal planning
How living in Nebraska gives Amber access to local meat and produce directly from the farmers

From David:

Get to know David and his podcast that’s geared to men
How David is handling the pandemic with weekly grocery trips that include masks, gloves, and extra cleaning measures
The biggest difference for David and his family is that they are home together for all three meals---and the dishwasher runs almost non-stop
Repurposing family dinners for lunch the next day:
- Cuban Pork Sandwiches made from leftover tenderloin
- Buddha Bowls made with leftover tofu stir-fry
Why handmade pizza is a favorite for dinner--and breakfast--and lunch
David’s Colombian roots, his childhood in NJ, and the last 30 years in Atlanta

From Melissa:

Get to know Melissa, her podcast, and her family
How Melissa has coped by shopping less often, mostly buying the same foods, but keeping more junk food on hand
The changes in Melissa’s household: her husband has started making homemade bread again, and they have made homemade birthday cakes
Why dinnertime for Melissa’s family has included more variety and more comfort food
How Melissa finds one-pot inspiration from Shelley Rael’s The One-Pot Weight Loss Plan cookbook
Why ordering takeout has become a huge treat for the family
Melissa’s advice for feeding a family during a pandemic: “Find what works for you.”

Resources:

Links for Amber:

Amber’s website: www.stirlist.com

Amber’s podcast: www.healthyunderpressure.com

Instagram: @RDamber

Twitter: @RDamber

Liz’s Asparagus Quiche: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2014/06/06/crustless-asparagus-quiche/

Liz’s cookbooks that she’s revisiting: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/cookbooks/

Links for David:

David’s website: https://www.one...

Previous Episode

75: Heather Englund: Self-Care for Body & Mind

Just in time for Mother’s Day, let’s all take a deep breath together and celebrate the hard work we do every day taking care of our families ... by taking care of ourselves. Today’s show features self-care strategies and “you” time. Together with my guest, Heather Englund from Fit Mama Real Food, we’ll explore things like food and hydration, mindful movement and outdoor time, and fun, laughter and gratitude. Self care is important for the health of your body and your mind.

Heather Englund is a self-care guru and fellow podcaster. She’s the face and voice behind the food and healthy living website, Fit Mama Real Food. On her blog, podcast, and website, she shares recipes for the entire family, tips for bringing kids into the kitchen, and quick and effective home workouts--all to help you feel and live your healthiest, happiest, and best life. Heather and I met through email and connected over our love of podcasts. In today’s episode, Heather shares self-care strategies to help us carve out that essential time for ourselves.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Heather: she’s a mom of four young kids, makes her home in the state of Washington, and is a fitness instructor, blogger, and podcaster
Why Heather wakes up early to get it all done and steal a few kid-free moments
Eight strategies for carving out time for self-care:
- Nourishing food--You will feel better and more energized if you fuel yourself with good food.
- Meal planning--It cuts down on food waste and takes stress away. Heather shares how she makes Banana Custard Oatmeal and Homemade Flaxseed Granola for her family.
- Moments of quiet--You have to be intentional about stopping and being quiet. Take a solo walk and find ways to pause to breathe and be present.
- Hydration--Water is good for your health and affects your energy level. Add in fruits and flavors to make it fancy!
- Laughter and fun--It really is like medicine for your soul. Tell jokes, play games, and don’t be so serious about life.
- Gratitude--Think about what you’re grateful for and how you are blessed with big things and little things. Be more positive.
- Outside time--Vitamin D from the sunshine is good for your health and immunity. Even a few minutes of sunshine and fresh air can improve your quality of life.
- Mindful movement--Take a walk. Find an exercise that you enjoy to get the maximum physical and emotional benefits. Get the kids involved, and remember, if you can’t commit to long workouts, that every single minute still counts!

Resources:

Banana Custard Oatmeal recipe

Meal Planning Mamas Meal Planner:

A 52-week meal planner and favorite recipe keeper. Includes step-by-step meal planning + meal prep instructions to simplify your meals.

Hemp Granola recipe

8 Minute Get-Energized Yoga Workout with Heather

5 minute fitness challenge on YouTube

YouTube channel with more workouts + recipes

Fit Mama Real Food: https://www.fitmamarealfood.com/

Liz Weiss, MS, RDNFood & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

Next Episode

77: Cooking with Beans with Joe Yonan

They are healthy, nutrition-packed, and can be the building blocks to some pretty delicious, yet hearty meals. There is perhaps no food quite so convenient, versatile, and humble--finding a home in even the tightest of food budgets. What is this miracle food of which we speak? Beans! They come in so many different varieties, and the meal possibilities are endless.

A kitchen without beans is like a day without sunshine. Beans are versatile, delicious, nutritious, and they add an endless array of recipe possibilities to meals, snacks, and desserts. I use them all the time in my everyday cooking, and so does Joe Yonan, author of the new cookbook, Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein. If you've been cooking more and more and more these days at home, then you'll love the recipes, kitchen wisdom, and cooking advice from Joe Yonan. He's the Food and Dining Editor for The Washington Post, and as you'll discover on this week's show, he's also the master of cool bean cookery. Oh, and wait till you hear about his recipe for Harissa Roasted Carrots and White Bean Dip and Julia's Deep, Dark Chocolate Mousse. Let’s get cooking with Joe!

Show Highlights:

Get to know Joe better
How Joe became interested in food shopping and meal prep at eight years of age
How the coronavirus crisis has affected the restaurant industry and food journalism
The new website geared to novice cooks with recipes, tips, and guidance for beginning cooks: Voraciously
The silver lining to the pandemic: more people are interested in cooking at home, and family dinners have made a comeback
How Joe became fascinated by beans as a vegetarian for the past eight years
Benefits of beans: incredible nutrition, packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, versatile, shelf-stable, and affordable
How beans are a common denominator in “blue zones,” places across the globe where people live longer than average
Benefits of dried beans over canned: they are cheap and include many different varieties that aren’t canned; also, you have more control in the cooking process and texture and have the cooking liquid that can be added to dishes for extra flavor
Joe’s rules for cooking dried beans and his take on the “to soak or not to soak” question
How kombu (dried seaweed) helps digest beans to reduce flatulence and soften the beans
Joe’s favorite recipe in Cool Beans, Lalo’s Cacahuate Beans
Joe’s recipe for Harissa Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip, which uses harissa (a North African chili paste); toss the carrots with harissa and roast them at high heat (chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be substituted) and puree them with a can of white beans with mint and lemon juice
Where Joe’s inspiration for recipes comes from
The adaptability of beans in many recipes, since they are a vegetable AND a protein that’s starchy
Gateway recipes for beans include hummus, chili, and purees to use in soups and pasta
Joe’s recipes for Julia’s Deep, Dark Chocolate Mousse and Black Bean Brownies