Planned, Prepped, and Productive: Real Food Cooking for Busy Moms – Details, episodes & analysis

I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes here at Call Me Betty blog, and putting in lots of early mornings and naptimes to make this day happen. I am absolutely thrilled to announce my new podcastNew podcast:  Planned, Prepped, and productive: homemade meals for busy peopleIt's all about helping you guys to put from-scratch meals on the table for your family every night WITHOUT stress and without overwhelm.The topic of conversation here in my little corner of the internet has always been about the importance of from-scratch cooking, but, truth moment.  My consistency has been lacking.  I have struggled to put out consistent content for you all, and after putting my heart and soul into this project I think I finally know why. Why I started a productive cooking podcastFor the past several years I've shared tried and tested from scratch recipes with you and why from scratch cooking is so important to me...but what was missing was connection. In all honesty I feel that maybe I have been a little preachy, a little too focused on the recipes and the "why" of cooking from scratch and a little less focused on you the readers, your goals, your dreams, your problems.  I haven't taken the time to convince you that from-scratch cooking is not only possible with a busy lifestyle, but that creating this routine and habit can actually open doors, save you time, and clear up valuable head-space by answering the constant nagging question of "what's for dinner.It's challenging to figure out how to be vulnerable on the internet, to say I have been where you've been and I know that it's hard.  To say that yes, I absolutely 100% believe in from-scratch cooking, homemade meals, and family dinner time, but that I also am very familiar with the Wendy's drive-thru.  That I am absolutely not perfect, but I am working toward a goal and I want to bring you with me on this journey and share everything I learn along the way.  How meal planning and prepping has changed my lifeThis first week's episode of the podcast is all about how introducing meal planning (something that I have done consistently for my entire 8-year marriage)... and prepping has completely transformed my life.  It can totally transform yours too! Meal time does not have to be stressful and overwhelming, especially not every day!In the podcast sharing all the benefits and changes that I have seen in my life (that I think you would like to see too!)Benefits of meal planning and meal prepping: More family time in the eveningsThe ability to use time more effectively and cook in hours that my kids aren't all overtired and crankyThe kitchen gets used less often so the house stays cleanerMeal time and your schedule is simplifiedThe quality of meals (both taste and health) improvedLife feels organized and controlled instead of chaoticAlways knowing the answer of "what's for dinner" Rarely feeling hangry because there's always something easily prepared available to eatGrocery purchases are more controlled and you save moneyMeal planning and prepping can totally change your life.  If you find yourself feeling constantly overwhelmed with all things food (the planning, the shopping, the cooking, the clean-up, the constant and never-ending cycle of work), I hope you take a chance and follow along on this journey. This week's episode focused mostly on the "why" behind meal planning and prepping, but that's really only one piece of the puzzle. In coming week's we'll really dig into all the ins and outs and tips and tricks that i've learned and how I've made family meal time and homemade meals a reality for my family (and if you don't know me, a quick intro: I'm a dentist's wife who stays home with 3 tiny o

Today on the podcast I'm talking all about mindset.  Specifically I'm talking about all of those nasty little thoughts in your head that are getting in the way of your meal planning success (and likely your success in other areas as well). 5 mindset shifts that will make your meal plan more successfulLike you, I have totally put myself through a mindset workout wondering if family meals and cooking are really all that important, and if I am really capable of both making dinner and living a balanced and stress-free life.  Negative thoughts are toxic and if you are constantly telling yourself that you don't have time, you hate to cook, your family doesn't like anything you make, or that you aren't good at it...you will likely fail at the whole family meal, meal plan, meal prepping thing. We all have those negative thoughts and I want to show you how you can overcome some of those negative thoughts. This episode comes with a little assignment, if you've already listened to the podcast and are ready to begin your assignment you can get your free Mindset Shift Worksheet here!Get your FREE Mindset Shift Worksheet here!Don't believe everything you thinkUp until recently, I never stopped to consider that what my brain is telling me is not always true.  In fact, it's hardly ever true! If we allow ourselves to believe the negative thoughts about ourselves and about the world we are setting ourselves up for failure.  Here's just a few ways to shift that negative mindset to a growth mindset when it comes to cooking and meal prep. 5 Mindset Shifts for Meal PlanningFailure is good, every failed attempt is taking you one step closer to success. Failure is not fun, but failure teaches you so much more than success! Learn from those failures and as you add up all of the things you learn, eventually you will reach success.Your path to success doesn't have to look like anybody else'sInstagram compare-ers I'm talking to you.  Just because your best friend gives up her entire Sunday to meal prep adorable little packaged healthy meals doesn't mean you have to.  Learn from your own personality, experience, and mistakes and forge your own path. Meal prepping and planning does not have to be all or nothing, small steps are still progressIf you're eating cold cereal every night (no judgment) you are probably not ready to start making every meal from scratch.  Start with a Sunday dinner, or maybe some partially from scratch cooking.  As you learn you'll be ready to add more, don't get overwhelmed because you try to do too much all at once. You're not supposed to be good at it at firstI have some pretty embarrassing cooking stories.  Cooking is a skill and an art that takes time to develop.  Meal planning is also a skill that takes practice, so if you are a good cook but you are terrible at meal planning, you just have another skill to work on.  Don't stress.  You'll get there!You ALWAYS have the ability to change directionSo that meal planning app that you paid for isn't working like you thought it would?  Let it go!  You made a bunch of freezer meals but you don't like them at all? Give them away and get them out of your freezer and life.  If something isn't working for you, change it.  Simple as that.  You aren't a failure, you just learned something that didn't work.  Move on.  Don't stay stuck because you've invested time, money, or energy into something that isn't working. Mindset shifts for meal planning worksheetNow that we've talked about some of the ways you should be shifting your thinking to be able to grow and progress, let's get to

10 Steps To Make Your Meal Prep Party A SuccessStep #1: Invite Your Friends And Schedule A TimeYou’ll want a full day to make sure you get everything done (bonus if you can get done early!)Step #2: Gather Preferences And Allergies:You would hate for your friends to come help with meals only to go home with meals they can’t eat or that they don’t like. If they have allergies or preferences, try asking them what kinds of meals they have at home to combat their allergy.Step #3: Plan Your Menu For Your Meal Prep Party:Be sure you research what meals freeze well and try to be efficient in your planning (ie use the same base recipe for shredded chicken or pork to save time!Step #4: Gather Supplies And Staples:When you are preparing a large volume of food you might not have everything you need in one kitchen. Write out everything you think you’ll need and see what your guests can bring. I also like to take inventory of staple items to avoid buying things at the store that we already have.Step #5: Order Or Pick-Up Your GroceriesI love using grocery pickup when I have a meal prep party because it’s such a large volume of food, it’s so convenient to just pick it up at the store instead of shopping for it, but you can shop any way you like. Don’t forget to stock up on freezer bags, and potentially some disposable pans depending on what you are cooking.Step #6: Make A General Schedule And Timeline For Your Meal Prep Party:If you use my FREE guide and recipes, this part is already done for you. You will be much more efficient if you assign out everyone’s tasks ahead of time so you spend less time delegating and figuring out what to do, and more time doing. If there will be kids at your party, I recommend having one person with the kids at all times to minimize fights and give your guests a break from standing. This person can rotate with the other guests every hour or so.Step #7: Get Slow-Cookers Started Early Before Guests Arrive:During my meal prep party, I found myself waiting on slow cookers so if you have the chance, get them started before everyone gets there and you might be able to get done a little earlier.Step #7: Plan Lunch:You will be cooking for a good chunk of the day and you’re going to get hungry! It doesn’t have to be fancy, but plan to either bring sandwiches or order a pizza so no one gets too hangry while you are meal-prepping.Step #9: Plan Entertainment For Any Kids:If you have kids, you’ll definitely need them to be on their best behavior for this to work (Find some extra tips for cooking with kids here) Try planning some really fun activities for them to do while you cook and maybe even purchase some brand new crafts and toys to try to hold their attention for longer! They can also help out with age-appropriate tasks in the kitchen.Step #10: Bring Coolers And Ice:We all cleared out space in our freezers for our meal-prepped meals that we knew we would be bringing home, but we didn’t think about how we were going to keep our meals cold (and safe) as we were preparing them. We ended up getting some boxes and filling them with ice, but that wasn’t the best solution. We decided the easiest way to solve this problem the next time is for each guest to bring their own cooler and ice to transport their meals home in to get int o the freezer.…and just in case you missed it, here’s one more chance to get your FREE printable guide that will make planning your meal prep party a breeze!

Top 10 mealtime tips from the planned, prepped, and productive podcastMeal prep isn't just for dieting (and there's lots of different types) -Meal prep is a tool to save your sanity, and while it can also help you maintain a specific diet it's about so much more than that! You also don't have to stick to matchy matchy containers of chicken and broccoli, anything you can cook you can meal prep to save your sanity! Other episodes that talk about meal prepTypes of meal prepHow meal planning and meal prep helps you avoid food wasteThe key to mastering family mealtime is to make meal planning and meal prep a habit, slowly over time-Habits are so underrated, and while more time-consuming than big goals, they are easier to create and stick to if you have the patience and perserverance to stick it out!Other episodes that talk about habitsKeystone habitsWhy you should focus on habits instead of goalsUse paper recipes and don't let your phone in the kitchen-This is my biggest productivity tip in the kitchen.  you say you're using your phone to cook, but really you're shopping that cute new swimsuit online, don't let the distraction kill your productivity and frustrate you.  Paper recipes for the win!Other episodes about productivityWhy moms should minimize information overloadFinding purpose in productivityLeftovers aren't the enemy, in fact when managed properly they can save you loads of time in the kitchen-Don't dread leftovers, plan for them and plan them into your life, learn to repurpose them, and watch how much easier meal prep becomes when you are using everything instead of wasting things!Other episodes about leftoversHow to handle holiday leftoversSmall changes add up to big results-No change is too small, check out the episodes above about habits for more!Ditch all-or-nothing thinking, some is always better than none-All or nothing thinking is the enemy of success in the kitchen (and tbh in most aspects of mom life) don't be a victim to it.  Make this your mantra.  Some is ALWAYS better than none.Other episodes about mindset and mindfulnessHow to make dinner when you don't feel like itMaster mealtime mindsetYou choose what and when, your kids choose if and how much-This comes from Ellyn Satter and this advice is gold.  If you can stop defining your success by whether or not your kids (or ahem your spouse) likes what you cook, you will already feel so much more effective in the kitchen. Other episodes about feeding kidsKids in the kitchenCreating healthier f

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a crazy to-do list, why not learn to take advantage of the family rhythms that you already have to perfect your days and find more peace and productivity. Family Rhythms 101: Improve productivity and find more peaceDo you ever feel like you are drowning under your to-do list (please say you are raising your hand, because I know I am!)How many of the things on your list are things that you actually find yourself doing time and time again.  What if you started to lean-in to the family rhythms and routines you have to help you know what to expect and find time to do the other things on your to-do list? Well that’s what my guest Sarah Dalton of your simply big life has to share with us on this weeks episode of the podcast. Inside this episode on family rhythms you’ll find: The biggest problem facing individuals (especially moms) when it comes to finding productivity and feeling peace in the homeThe simple framework for creating simple and sustainable rhythmsWhat an effective weekly planning rhythm looks likeHow to make your planning rhythm fit into our current seasonAbout the guest Sarah DaltonSarah Dalton is the founder of Your Simply Big Life, an online community that empowers women to step out of overwhelm and take ownership of their day. Her mission is to help busy moms make the most of their time and energy so that they can go after their big goals and be present for their family.Sarah is the creator of the Peace and Productivity Planner as well as her online course Peace and Productivity Foundations, which help moms to gain clarity around their priorities, design rhythms, and learn how to stay focused throughout the day so that they can get things done, have time for themselves, and enjoy the life they are creating.Sarah is also the host of The Peace and Productivity podcast where she has weekly conversations with like-minded women, in addition to weekly solo episodes where she offers inspiration on all things time management, productivity and living an intentional life.Resources:COURSE: https://www.yoursimplybiglife.com/course Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-simply-big-life/id1513416972 Instagram: @Your_simplybiglife Free resource: Find your core values 

Cooking in the summer is a drag, no one wants to do it! Listen in to this week's episode where I share my favorite recipes that don't require you to turn on the oven, stove, and in most cases even the microwave!Link to Recipes: Charcuterie boardsRotisserie chicken ranch wrapsSushi bowlsCeviche tostadasTurkey BLTSCaprese sandwichRotisserie chicken cobb saladItalian sub sandwichRotisserie chicken cucumber avocado saladBlack bean corn and rice salad

I've been drooling over the home edit's projects for two years now, and it was finally time to do it myself! I gave my kitchen the home edit and I'm here to tell you all about what I learned, what was worth it, what wasn't necessary, the whole shebang! Resources: Everything large binEverything narrow binThe bathroom editStacking produce binsClear egg containersDish pansThe Home Edit BookBetter Homes and Gardens pantry containers

Please tell me I'm not the only one who ends the week by throwing away too much sad wilty produce? I have gone so far as to avoid planning certain dishes because I know the produce won't last long enough to actually make them. I decided it was time to learn how to *actually* take care of and store produce, and the results have been astounding! Listen to the episode to save your produce from certain death today ;)Resources: How to store tomatoesHow to store celery

Want to up your protein with out eating copious amounts of chicken breast? Look no further!Listen in as I go through my favorite ways to up protein throughout my day! Resources: Ultra-filtered milkAbbey's kitchen whipped egg white oatmealBuilt bars (puffs)Cottage Cheese DipsProtein PowderProtein recommendationsSkinny Dipped Almonds

Meal planning and meal prep are tools, not solutions.  Learn how I use these tools differently at different seasons in my life in a behind the curtains look at how I'm transitioning from summer meal prep to the school year. Announcement:  The planned, prepped, and productive podcast will be going on a hiatus until further notice.  See resources below for how to keep up with planned prepped and productive while the podcast is away. Resources:Summer Lunch Menu Meal prep in minutes course (get now before it closes!)Follow on instagram: @plannedpreppedandproductiveFollow on facebook: /plannedpreppedandproductiveSign up for email updates: callmebetty.com/subscribe GWi2Utj6XKh3hyni6c9q