Now that the farmers market has slowed, a few of you have asked how we continue to plan simple, real food meals! I’m so happy you asked! In all honesty, I do not love to meal prep. Cooking each evening is such a happy time of day for me. I love to turn on the music and make a warm delicious meal when the sun goes down. Cooking is my grounding time of day after a day at work, however a gentle plan ensures we eat real food all week long.

First, I start with a source of inspiration. During the summer I base meals upon what is in season at the farmers market and during the winter season it may look like flipping through my favorite cookbooks, seeing what looks fresh at the grocery store or local butcher, or browsing my favorite chef collections! Today it is cookbooks!

I adore Athena Caldron’s Cook Beautiful and Ina Garten’s Back to Basics during the winter months. Both chefs do a beautiful job at teaching you technique in the kitchen. You can learn such lovely basics from these two cookbooks.

You can let your intuition lead. Your body will naturally crave the nutrients it needs. If you are flipping through cookbooks or looking at the produce at the store, you will naturally be drawn to certain meals and ingredients. You can trust this! Late fall and winter rely heavily upon warm, grounding foods like root vegetables, soup, and roasts.

Shop for as many fresh, package free ingredients as you can find at the market. Opt for food that has been grown locally or within the US to get as many nutrients as possible and reduce your carbon footprint. Bonus points if you bike to the market. Shop at your local co-op if your town has access and have grace upon grace for yourself.

Keep things simple! A cookbook can be a great foundation for inspiration and then let those skills you’ve learned in the kitchen shine. I love to use recipes for inspiration for flavors and cooking times vs rules to follow.

PS if you are looking for a little extra support to stock your pantry to support the fresh produce you bring home weekly, our class Simply Nourished is here to support you!