Vegan Family Kitchen

Where spirituality and veganism meet: an Earth Day conversation with Rev. Ian White Maher

Earth Day is a timely moment to reflect on how we are connected to our natural environment and to all the other beings who share this planet with us. I am humbled to be joined by Reverend Ian White Maher, a Unitarian Universalist minister and also the founder of The Seekers’ Table, an online contemplative community. Ian is also vegan, a lifestyle change he sees as deeply embedded in a process of spiritual transformation.

Connect with Ian and read his "Spirituality as if People Mattered" guide at The Seekers' Table.

Looking to make it easier to eat more plant-based dinners? Download your 5-dinner meal plan, including convenient prep steps to take on the weekend to make weeknights less stressful: Planned & Plant-based.

Getting in shape after kids: best tips from Amy Kakebeeke, plant-based certified personal trainer

How do you get into shape after having kids without spending hours in the gym? Amy Kakebeeke is the queen of squeezing short yet effective workouts in-between the many commitments of her busy life as a working mom. Get ready to be inspired to hop off the couch and start moving!

In the podcast, we:

- talk about Amy's work with busy women who want to lose weight and get in shape without spending hours at the gym
- tell Amy's journey to veganism _and_ fitness, coming from a meat & couch potato lifestyle
- tease out Amy's best tips to get in the best shape of your life.

You can connect with Amy on Instagram at https://instagram.com/plantstrong_ak

Need to get organized to eat better plant-based meals? Download your free 5-day dinner strategy: Planned & Plant-based from the Vegan Family Kitchen: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/planned-plant-based/ 

My son had plain pasta for dinner and I am ok with that

If you also deal with picky eaters, you know how frustrating, discouraging, and worrisome it can be. I hope this story about my children's food journeys will make you feel less alone and more hopeful. 

If you're interested in my Feed picky eaters with love workshop, check out the details here: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/register/feed-picky-eaters-with-love-workshop/.

Download your 5-day dinner plan that includes prep steps to make weeknights less stressful: Planned and Plant-based.

Learn more about the Vegan Meal Plans.

Why you need to join a plant-based cooking club

There aren't many aspects of your life that won't be improved by joining a plant-based cooking club. It's a great way to ensure that you show up in the kitchen on weekends to do your batch cooking for the week. When Wednesday night comes and you open the fridge, you'll find the building blocks of dinner ready to assemble to create a fresh-tasting, delicious, healthy vegan meal. It's the perfect companion for the Vegan Meal Plans and that's why a lifetime subscription of the plans is bundled up with the cooking club membership. Learn more here: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/register/batch-cooking-club/ 

Keep on cooking! 

Zero-waste cooking and living with Anne-Marie Bonneau, the Zero-waste Chef

Anne-Marie Bonneau has been living plastic-free since 2011 and you'll find her story and tips inspiring and empowering. In this episode, we discuss what motivated her and her daughters to say goodbye to plastic and reduce their food and packaging waste and Anne-Marie shares her zero-waste shopping routines. We discuss the mindset shifts that make it easier to reduce our environmental footprint without decreasing our enjoyment of life. 

Check out Anne-Marie's book The Zero-Waste Chef which contains plant-forward recipes with lots of vegan options. 

You can connect with her on her web site, Zero-waste Chef, and I recommend you follow her on Instagram.

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Did you know that planning plant-based meals and batch cooking on weekends is a great way to decrease you food waste? I have assembled a 5-day plant-based meal plan to help you get started. Check it out here: Planned & Plant-based.

Do you make time for grace?

Grace hasn't been a ritual in my life thus far... but I think it should from now on. What do you think?

I always love to hear from you. Drop me an email at hello@veganfamilykitchen.com.

If you need help deciding what's for dinner, I can do that for you. Try the Planned & Plant-based 5-dinner plan and see if it helps out: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/planned-plant-based/

 

How come newspapers are still publishing meat recipes?

I am sick and tired of seeing meat, dairy, and egg recipes in mainstream newspapers and magazines, as well as featured in TV shows. And don't get me started on famous previously-plant-based bloggers who start posting meat recipes because it increases their advertising revenue. The world does NOT need another meat recipe. We all have to start doing our jobs as if the climate matters - because it does. Food editors, do your part, take a stand. 

 

Why I recommend an inexpensive slow cooker for plant-based cooking

The Instant Pot craze - and extremely effective marketing campaign - has cast a shadow on that simple hero, the slow cooker. Despite being the simplest appliance there is - with exactly zero moving parts! - slow cookers can still save the day, and in fact I recommend you use them at least once or twice per week to make comforting soups and stews. Listen on to find out the benefits and downsides of slow cooker, how to work around the latter, learn about some of my favorite plant-based slow cooker recipes, and find out why I don't think using Instant Pots for slow cooking is great. I also discuss which models are best to buy. I hope this helps. Keep on cooking! 

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Need a meal plan for next week? Be prepared for the amazing feeling you'll get from being Planned & Plant-based. Download your 5-night dinner plan today, get your groceries tomorrow, prep a few building blocks, then enjoy a week of delicious healthy plant-based dinners. Get it here: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/planned 

I dreamt that my son disappeared: contemplating loss and my most deeply ingrained habits

Warning: miscarriage and child loss are mentioned in this recording. If you are only here to learn how to cook, I suggest you skip this episode. 

This podcast episode is a personal one where I tell the story of a dream - actually a nightmare - that woke me up in horror recently. It's also a reflection on motherly loss and how it made me transform my most ingrained habits. 

Wean yourself off meal kits with meal plans

Have you been subscribing to meal kits and getting boxes of ready-to-cook food delivered to your door? I bet you are ready to step onto the next level by upgrading to a plant-based meal planning service instead.

I hope you enjoy the Vegan Family Kitchen podcast. If you'd like help getting started with plant-based meal plans, hit me up at hello@veganfamilykitchen.com. Also make sure to check out the Vegan Meal Plans subscription service. Use coupon code MEDIUM for 10% off meal plan subscriptions and a free 20-minute consultation. 

Keep on cooking!