Finding recipes that are easy to make, delicious, nourishing and a joy for your family and friends to eat is like hitting the jackpot … and that’s what you’ll get on the show today. Joining me is Maria Lichty from the Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook and blog.  

Maria Lichty is the voice and home cook behind the food blog and cookbook, Two Peas and Their Pod. Rounding out Maria’s pod are her husband and sous chef, Josh, and her two adorable boys, Caleb and Maxwell. Maria shares her journey from wedding day to top food blogger, her adventures in the kitchen as she feeds a household full of all those guys, and some of our favorite recipes from her blog and cookbook. We’ll end with some great cookie ideas to prepare you for holiday baking. We’ll learn about her recipe for Asian-Glazed Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli,  Artichoke and Spinach Dip, and many more!

 

Show HIghlights:

 

• Getting to know Maria, her family, her blog, and her cookbook
• How Maria got into food blogging ten years ago, mainly to get through their wedding
• Maria’s background in learning how to cook at home with her dad
• How their blogging community has grown and changed over the years
• What family dinners are like in Maria’s home as she deals with picky eaters at times
• The most popular recipe on the blog: Dad’s Cinnamon Rolls
• How Maria defines her food focus and style
• How exposing kids to different foods helps eliminate picky eaters
• The process from developing recipe ideas to putting them on the blog or in the cookbook
• How Maria shares tips and tricks for getting confident and comfortable in the kitchen
• Maria’s top pantry staples: canned beans, pasta, whole grains, oatmeal, oils and vinegar, nuts and nut butters, canned tomatoes, and broth
• Maria’s “Feeling Toasty” breakfast ideas: avocado toast; toast with peanut butter, honey, and banana; toast with almond butter and fresh peach slices; and hummus on toast with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and feta cheese
• Maria’s recipe for Asian-Glazed Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli: made with olive oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fresh mint and cilantro, orange zest and juice, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes
• Maria’s Everyday Butter Lettuce Salad with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic or champagne vinegar, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper
• Maria’s Four Cheese Spinach and Artichoke Dip: made with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, frozen spinach, canned artichoke hearts, shredded fontina, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper
• Some of Maria’s kids’ favorites: Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs, Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake, Pesto Havarti Mac and Cheese, Enchilada-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, and Tomato Basil Soup with Cheesy Garlic Dunkers
• How Maria and Josh meal-plan with their boys on Sundays to help them take ownership of the process
• One of Maria’s favorite go-to cookbooks: Baking: From My Home to Yours
• Favorite desserts in the book: Why Maria loves the cookie chapter and the dessert chapter, and her husband loves the Key Lime Bars
• The next big adventure for Maria?
• A random question from the Mason jar about Maria’s favorite food city or town

Resources:

 

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com  

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/twopeasandpod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/twopeasandpod/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twopeasandtheirpod

 

Two Peas and Their Pod website: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/

 

Liz's better-for-you 7 Layer Bars: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2015/02/26/lightened-up-seven-layer-bars/

 

GIVEAWAY:

We are giving away a copy of the Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook to one lucky U.S. winner. To enter for a chance to win, tell me about your go-to, always-a-win recipe that you make when you're feeding your family ... or your friends. So family vs. cooking for a crowd. What's your favorite?

I'll pick the winner on December 4th at noon ET.