How do working parents manage to cook thoughtful, home-cooked meals while balancing everything else — and still have time to bake, plan ahead, and enjoy the process?

If you’ve ever wished you could get delicious meals on the table without the stress, this episode is for you. 

This week, we’re talking with two home cooks, who happen to be our real life “Food Friends.” Sam and Malin share their tips on how they get dinner on the table without spending hours in the kitchen. 

Whether you’re packing lunches for kids, stocking your freezer for busy weeks, or trying to rediscover your joy in everyday cooking, this conversation offers real-world inspiration for how to make it happen.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn: 

1. Creative solutions for meal prep and packed lunches – from scratch-made baked goods to recs for premade items from Trader Joe’s and Costco
2. Quick weeknight recipes that work EVERY time, like an endlessly modifiable one-pot rice dish and creamy spicy tomato beans 
3. Two takes on home-cooked classics, like: spaghetti bolognese, muffins, and even birthday cake!

Press play now to learn practical ideas you can actually cook this week!

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Links:

Sam’s favorite recipes and recommendations:

The Lunch Tiffins Sam’s been using for years 

Lunchbox Harvest Muffins by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Apple, Fennel Salad by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking

Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake by Sarah Jampel for Bon Appetit

French Yogurt Cake from Bon Appetit

Marcella Hazan’s Spaghetti Bolognese

Creamy spicy tomato beans by Alexa Weibel for NYT Cooking (unlocked)  

Pistachio Bundt Cake from Kitchen Confidence with Lili 

Claire Ptak’s Buttermilk Banana Bread from The Kitchn 

Trader Joe's Dolmas and Cesar Dip

Eat Smash Foods’ Protein Bites

Malin’s favorite recipes and recommendations:

Jamie Oliver’s eggplant parm from NYT Cooking (unlocked)

One-pot salmon and shitake rice by Hanna Asbrink for Bon Appetit

Shanghai style pork zongzi from The Woks of LIfe, aka “Chinese Tamales” similar to Malin’s mom. Malin omits the 5-spice powder.

Sesame jellyfish salad from Allrecipes. Malin suggests soaking the jellyfish in several changes of water and adding julienned broccoli stems. 

Mimi Thorisson’s bolognese recipe 

Tomato bruschetta by Ali Slagle for NYT Cooking (unlocked) – use garlic oil in lieu of raw garlic for a more delicate flavor

Chocolate date bran muffins by Kendra Vaculin for Bon Appetit

Malin’s Spumoni Cake for her daughter’s birthday

• Cherry almond cake layer made with Fabbri Amarena cherries (cake only - not buttercream)
• Pistachio cake layer (cake only -not cream cheese frosting)
• Chocolate cake layer (cake only - not frosting)
•  Pistachio cream filling on one layer (made with Arnett’s pistachio butter)
• Another layer had vanilla buttercream with Fabbri Amarena cherry syrup and cherries

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Looking for an in-person Food Friends experience? Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!