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TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Welcome to our most recent edition of TDF Weekly! It has been a wild and crazy week in The Food Nanny's kitchen. This week, I am sharing some of our favorite items and a little glimpse into my crazy life right now!

What we are wearing:

  • Anthropologie Zodiac Coin Necklace: After seeing a friend of mine wearing this, I had to have it! I decided to get the lion, even though that's not my Zodiac sign. The detail is exquisite and at such a great price!

My Life Lately:

As many of you know, I am writing a cookbook! Holy cow it has been nuts. I now understand why it took my mom 7 years to write her first book! It truly is so much work between coming up with the recipes, lots of trial and error, and more dishes than you can imagine. But the excitement in getting to share all of this with you makes it all worth it! I now know why it took my mom 7 years to write her first book. Here are some highlights about the book so far:

  • My (Lizi) family moved in to my parents home just before they left on their mission. Getting to write and cook in the same kitchen she did has so much meaning for me. I look up to my mom in every possible way and love following in her footsteps!
  • This cookbook is all about Kamut! Our love runs deep for this amazing flour, and so we decided to make things easier for all of you. It will have exact measurement specifically for Kamut, so no more guessing!
  • Some of the recipes in the book will be our favorites that you already know and love! But they will have updated measurements specifically for Kamut. And then we also have tons of new recipes. I am so excited to share them with all of you!
  • Finally, what you have all been waiting for! We are hoping to have the books available in late May, early June. Right now, we are wrapping up the photography portion. And once the design is completed, production will begin!

And now you know why things have looked a little different around here. As exhausting as this has been, it is all worth it to share our love for Kamut with as many people as possible. It is truly life changing. If you haven't tried it yet, grab one of our 5 lb bags and get cooking! We are so grateful to each and every one of you! And don't forget, keep cooking, your family is worth it.

xoxo!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Welcome to this weeks edition of TDF Weekly! We feel like we are finally getting back in the swing of things after the Holidays. How are you doing with cooking at least 3 times a week? Its not too late to get started! Now lets get to our post:

Favorite Items:

  • Crate and Barrel Marin White Dinner Plates: Des convinced me to buy these a while ago and I started with just 4 plates. Let me tell you, these are amazing! I will be buying more because I never want to use any other plates.
  • Our oven: We don't think a more beautiful oven has ever existed! Sr. Food Nanny fell in love with this oven while remodeling the kitchen last year. The brand is Ilve from Italy. If you are located in Utah, you can find them at Durdens.
  • 5 lb Kamut Bags: Did you see our new bags on instagram? We are so excited with how they turned out! In other exciting news, our 5 lb bags will soon be on Amazon! This is the perfect size for anyone just getting started with Kamut. We promise you will fall in love!

Take Note:

  • Australia fires: to begin, we generally keep things pretty light hearted around here. But from time to time, events happen that demand our attention. Right now, fires are blazing across Australia. 28 people have died so far as well as millions of animals. It is absolutely heartbreaking! If you want to help, there are many places taking donations including the Australian Red Cross.
  • Pinners California: I am so excited to announce that I will be at Pinner CA this year! I loved meeting so many of you in Arizona and Utah, so I have no doubt this will be amazing. Its from March 13-14 in Pomona. If you want to join me, use the code FOODNANNY10 when purchasing your tickets. This will save you 10%! Can't wait to meet some of our California Fannies.
  • Utah Hygge Retreats: Finally, you guys know how much we love all things hygge. On February 21-23, I will be joining this retreat and teaching a bread making workshop. It doesn't get more hygge than homemade bread! Click here for more information!

And that's it for this week! Keep cooking, your family is worth it.

xoxo!

TDF Weekly: New Years Edition

TDF Weekly: New Years Edition

Happy New Year Fannies! We enjoyed spending the Holidays with family, but are ready to get this year started!

For this weeks TDF Weekly, we decided to mix things up a little bit. On social media and all over the internet, you will find various views on New Years Resolutions. Some people love them, others hate them. I have seen people resolving to lose weight, to read more, to eat less sugar, and the list goes on.

We just want to add our two cents to this conversation! However you feel about resolutions, you will want to keep reading!

Families Eating Together

Last week over on instagram, I challenged you to cook at least 3 meals a week for our families. We got several messages saying that seemed a little low, and we agree! The Food Nanny way has always been to cook at home at least 5 days a week. We actually like to have the ingredients for 7 dinners just in case our plans change last minute. But that can seem so daunting if you are just getting started. Three days a week is the place to start, and then add on from there!

To start, studies show that there are tremendous benefits to eating together as a family. After pulling from several articles, we have compiled a list of why we feel so passionately about dinner time.

  • It helps boost nutrition.
  • Mealtime is an opportunity to connect as a family.
  • It gets kids involved in cooking and food prep.
  • Eating together improves self-confidence.
  • It adds structure to busy schedules
  • Teens who eat dinner with their parents twice a week or less are 3 times more likely to smoke, 3 times more likely to smoke marijuana, and 2 times more likely to drink alcohol as those who eat dinner at least three times together. (From the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse from Columbia University 2012)
  • "Mealtime becomes a way for families to bond. It shows children they have access to a caring adult." (From Dr. Harold Koplewicz, director of New York University's Child Study Center)
  • Kids perform better at school.
  • Better Nutrition
  • Better Language and literacy development
  • Fewer eating disorders
  • Families that eat together tend to have healthier relationships with well adjusted children.

Lizi's Message:

For years, the Food Nanny has been all about cooking for your family. This is still a huge part of our message, and always will be. But we also feel so passionately about families eating the same foods together!

First off, we are not big fans of fad diets. Sure, sometimes you need to cut back on certain things to feel your best. But food is not to be feared! There is no such thing as good food or bad food, just portion control.

With this being said, it is so important to eat what your family is eating. Use good clean ingredients like Kamut and our French Salt, and create a delicious meal for the whole family to enjoy. If you do this, you can reach your goals and still enjoy the foods you love!

Staple Meals

Finally, let's get started! Now that you see the importance of eating dinner as a family, we have some delicious meals for you. Almost all of our recipes are quick and easy. They were created to make your life easier! The biggest tip we have for you is to meal plan ahead of time. Knowing what you are making and having the ingredients ahead of time will be a game changer! Here are a few of our staple and quick meals to help get you started:

So what are you waiting for? Get and keep cooking, your family really is worth it! And guess what? You don't have to make yourself separate food to reach your goals. Join us and cook dinner for your family at least 3 times every week. Life is busy and it will sometimes be hard, but you can do it! We are so excited for everything to come in 2020.

Research:

To learn more about the above points, check out these articles:

- The National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse of Columbia University 2012

-My Fitness Pal: Why families should prioritize eating together.

-Family Dinner Time: Does it Matter?

-Rescue Dinner for Your Family: From Sr. Food Nanny

xoxo!

The Food Nannies

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Hello Fannies! We missed you last week! But after a wonderful trip to Mexico (more on that later) we are back to normal life around here! And with that, we have some fun things in store for you.

Gift Ideas

Do you still have some gifts to buy? Or maybe you still can't decide what you want this year. Either way, don't forget to check out our ultimate gift guide. We gathered some of our very favorite things that we think you will love too.

Christmas Treat Roudup:

Tis the season for lots and lots of treats! Whether you are looking for something to bring to a party, to share with neighbors, or to enjoy with family, we have you covered.

  • Dark Secrets: This is one of our favorite Christmas cookies. It puts a delicious spin on the traditional Mexican wedding cookie by adding a chocolate kiss to the middle. These are definitely crowd pleasers!
  • Gingersnaps with Vanilla Chips Frosting: When I think about Christmas cookies, these are at the top of my list. They look beautiful and taste just as amazing. People won't believe you made them!
  • Grandma's Sugar Cookie Cutouts: If you are looking for an absolutely amazing sugar cookie, look no farther. This is a family recipe that we have been making for decades. You can make it special for any holiday, making it perfect for all your Christmas parties.
  • Bread Pudding: No dessert screams comfort and home quite like bread pudding. This is the perfect things to serve when friends and family come to visit. The caramel sauce makes our recipe top notch.
  • Hello Dolly Bars: This has become one of our very favorite desserts. Just take one bite and you will be hooked!
  • Caramel Popcorn: We would put our recipe up against any! Popcorn is always a hit, and a nice spin on the usual desserts this time of year. Its the perfect combination of sweet and salty.
  • Peanut Butter Cookies: Finally, one of the best things about this cookie is all the variations. You can add a Hershey kiss or Reeses to the middle or even just add chocolate chips. But at Christmas time, our favorite thing to do is to dip half of the cookie into chocolate. It makes a basic cookie feel special and unique!

Mexico Trip

Did you catch my crazy, amazing Mexico trip with Abi last week? It was a nonstop party! And now we want you to come on a trip with us! Let me give you a little background on how it all got started:

A couple months ago, Abi joined me for a live. I introduced her to the unbelievable Mexican vanilla one of our Fannies sends us. Abi couldn't get over the amazing smell and taste! Somehow this transitioned to us talking about our love for Mexico, and next thing we know, people are asking us to take them on a trip. So we started getting the ball rolling for you!

Before putting a trip together, we wanted to make sure we could give you a vacation of a lifetime. So we went down and explored! We were spoiled by 2 different resorts and had to make lots of decisions on what we would do with you guys.

Our rooms were decked out in welcome gifts, rice art, and so much more. They even wrote out Food Nanny in the sand! I cried when I first saw it. We seriously ate like queens. After experiencing it for ourselves, we want to give you the opportunity. We know its not the easiest time to pay right before Christmas, but this is a trip you do not want to miss. Here are all of the details:

YOUR Trip:

We will be in Mexico for 6 days and 5 nights. We decided to go with the Live Aqua (All-inclusive) Resort Cancun in February. You can sign up here. Everything is built in to the cost, except for any shopping expenses. Each morning, we will start with some group yoga. You really won't have to think about a thing while there. Here is the schedule:

  • Day 1: Big welcome dinner at Live Aqua! This will give us all a chance to get to know each other!
  • Day 2: Relax and enjoy the beach! You will have a cabana where you can get face and foot massages. Then that night we are going to an unbelievable restaurant. It will be one of the best and nicest meals of your life!
  • Day 3: Next, we will head out on a Catamaran to a little Island. Once there, we will snorkel, enjoy lunch, and have a party! And then we will enjoy a nice dinner at the hotel that night.
  • Day 4: This will be our exploration day. We will take you to see the authentic handmade pottery we love! This is perfect for Mexican dinner night if you decide to buy some. Then we will be going on a taco tour. After trying 5 different restaurants tacos, you will learn how to make homemade tortillas! Following that, we will go to 5th Avenue of Mexico. Apparently, this is the best shopping Mexico has to offer.
  • Day 5: Lastly, its another relaxation day! We will spend time at the beach again, as well as head to the hotel spa. Everyone will get a 1 hour massage! I can't think of a better way to end the perfect girls trip.

So what are you waiting for? Snag your spot and come with us! Between Abi and myself, you are bound to laugh your way through Mexico. Finally, here are some things we want you to consider:

  • Come with a friend, sister, or mom to get the best price.
  • We are staying at an All-inclusive resort. So all the food and drinks you could want are already built in to the price. Plus, things like the boat ride, cooking class, and massage, are already paid for!
  • You MUST sign up by Friday, December 20th. Click here to do so and for more information on the trip. Come have the girls trip of a life time with us!

And that's a wrap! Happy Holiday's Fannies. Keep cooking, your family is worth it!

xoxo!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Hello Fannies! Can you believe December is already here? With Thanksgiving being so late this year, it feels like the Holiday season is just flying by! Heres a little sneak peak into our week:

Thanksgiving Week:

  • Before Thanksgiving this year, we released a Thanksgiving Menu for you. It came with our complete meal and a plan for the week. This wasn't just for you, it saved me! Getting things done ahead of time made Thanksgiving day so enjoyable!
  • This year, our Thanksgiving looked a little different! Two of the sisters joined Sr. Food Nanny in Europe. And Jr. Food Nanny celebrated with her own little family at home. After a nasty stomach bug, we were just happy to be feeling better in time to celebrate.
  • Didn't prepare your own Thanksgiving meal this year? You can still enjoy our plan at Christmas! Who wouldn't want to eat our unbelievable food at Christmas dinner? If you don't want the whole meal, then just pick out a few of the amazing sides!
  • Christmas Tree chopping: The weekend after Thanksgiving, we head out to the woods to cut down a Christmas tree! It is honestly magical chopping down your very own tree. We always go with a Charlie Brown style and love everything about it!
  • Decorating for Christmas: I'm not going to lie, Christmas decor doesn't always bring me joy! I do not like it to compete with the rest of the decor that I have. So I keep it simple, relatively neutral, and true to my own style! Figuring out your own style can be hard but it makes all the difference.
  • Christmas shopping! Its definitely that time of year! If you missed our post last week, here it is. We have compiled a pretty amazing gift guide for all the cooks in your life. Or lets be honest, a perfect list to treat yourself!

Fun Finds:

Next, here are some fun items we have found and are loving!

  • Food Nanny Cookbooks: Okay okay, this is obviously not something we just found this week! But we get asked all the time where to find all of our recipes. Both Book 1 and Book 2 make the perfect gifts for all the cooks in your life!

Can you tell that we had some fun at World Market this week? It is such a great place to snag some inexpensive and fun pieces!

Well that's a wrap for this week! Make sure to stay tuned over on Instagram throughout the week. There's always a party happening in our kitchen. Keep cooking!

Xoxo!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Hello Fannies! Welcome to this weeks edition of TDF Weekly! We love this chance to recap our week and share some of our favorite finds from the week. Let's get started!

What's Cooking:

  • Chewy Granola Cookies: To start, this is a recipe we have been using for years and it just doesn't get old. It has so many fun add ins, and has the best flavor! We enjoyed these with friends and family at a Cookies and Coke day! It was the perfect way to enjoy friends company without much work.
  • Chocolate Chex Party Mix: We are so excited about this new recipe! We partnered with Kroger to come up with a new recipe using Chex. This one is the perfect chocolate, nutty, combination. Give it a try!
  • Tamale Casserole: Next, this is such a fun and delicious option for Mexican night! We slightly tweaked the recipe recently, so make sure to check out the new online version.
  • Italian Peasant Soup: This has become one of our most popular recipes for good reason! It is absolutely delicious. Everyone who tries it loves it!

Favorite New Things:

  • Thanksgiving Meal Guide: Not to be dramatic, but this is a big deal. We are so excited about this! For the first time, we have created a complete Thanksgiving guide for you. Your menu is all planned out, and we even break down when to make what. This takes so much work out of the Thanksgiving meal. Which means more time with your family!
  • Madewell Saunter Sweatshirt: Next, I just bought this in navy and wear it as a pajama shirt. And it's now on sale! It is so light, you will never want to take it off!
  • Staub Mini Saucepan: We get asked about this little pan all the time! I keep it out on my stove because it is just too cute not to! Plus, I find myself using it all the time too when making sauce.

And that's a wrap! Have a wonderful week Fannies, we love you! We have so many fun things coming your way the next couple weeks so stay tuned!

xoxo!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Hello Fannies! After an exciting weekend at Pinner Conference AZ, we are so excited to share a few of this weeks favorite things.

Favorite Things from the week:

  • Pinners Conference in AZ: After last weekends conference, I had high hopes for a great couple days. And this weekend did not disappoint! I was able to teach so many people about who we are and what we are all about. I love introducing new friends to our message and products! If you can't tell by the picture, I get a little animated haha. Clearly I'm passionate about what we do! And I still don't have my voice back!
  • White Kamut Bread: Next, I make this bread just about every week for my family. It is so delicious and so easy. The best part is knowing how healthy it is for us. You can't beat the light taste and all the health benefits that come with Kamut. It is a white flour that has more vitamins and nutrients than your traditional wheat flour. I love making it in small loaf pans to make the perfect little sandwiches.
  • Anthropologie Aspen Graphic Tee: I wore this under a sweater at Pinners and I love everything about it! These tees from Anthropologie and perfect for layering.
  • Madewell Slip Skirt in Painted Spots: Finally, this is my absolute favorite skirt right now. I love how in animal prints are! This print just makes me so happy! I really do feel like this skirt just fits my personality.

Well Fannies, that's a wrap for this week! Don't forget to check out our new 2 week meal plan. Cook right along side us this week!

xoxo!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Hello Fannies! What a week it has been! Food Nanny Sr. joined our live last Tuesday! It was so fun seeing her and hearing a little bit about what she is doing. And here at home, it has been an unbelievable week. Here are some of our favorite things from this last week:

What I Did:

  • Pinner Conference: This last weekend was one I will never forget. It was incredible! To start off, I was asked to come early to go Live with KSL. It was such a blast! And I even met lots of you who learned about us from TV. One of my favorite things about doing what I do is getting to meet you guys. It makes all the hard work worth it! And it was the highlight of Pinners for me. You guys showed up, and that means the world! I even had the privilege of teaching, and we had more than 300 of you there. Thank you for making this such a special experience for me.

What I Wore:

  • Jcrew Park Blazer in Wool Flannel: Back in the day I wore blazers all the time! I kind of grew out of them, but now I'm back in. The new style of this blazer is amazing! It dresses up any outfit and makes getting ready effortless. I have this one in brown and absolutely love it.

What I Made:

  • Halloween Sugar Cookies: You guys, we do not do fancy! These cookies are pretty silly, but they have become a staple in our house. The kids look forward to decorating them every year. They may not be the prettiest, but they taste the best! The lemon extract is the perfect addition. You can make these special for any Holiday! I hope you had an amazing Halloween!
  • White Chili with Tomato Garnish: We would put this chili up against any! The white beans give it a little different flavor and its delicious. But what makes it the absolute best? The tomato garnish! So much fresh flavor, and the whole family will love it.
  • Baked Chicken and Potatoes Italiano: Italian night is always one of our favorites. But sometimes, I just don't feel like pasta! This is the perfect meal for nights like this. It is light, delicious, and so easy. I even love bringing this to people who are in need of a meal.

What I Used:

  • Danish Dough Hook: If you don't have one of these yet, you need it! It is honestly incredible. With all the bread and desserts we make, this tool gets a ton of use at our house. And honestly, I love it more than ever. With Christmas around the corner, this will make the perfect gift. But if you don't have one for yourself yet, treat yourself! This will change your mixing game forever.
  • White Mixing Bowls: Finally, these are your basic, every day bowls. I love them! I find myself pulling them out at just about ever meal. This should be a staple in every kitchen. They come in different sizes and are so easy to clean.

Well that is it for this week! We are heading to Pinners in AZ this weekend, so keep following along. And don't forget, keep cooking, your family is worth it!

xoxo!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

It is hard to believe its been a week since Senior Food Nanny headed off on her mission! She is already loving it. I miss her like crazy, but I am so thrilled she gets this opportunity.

Even with her gone, things are just as crazy and eventful as ever! I made some delicious meals, but the highlight was our Anthropologie event. Here are some of our favorite things from this week:

Anthropologie Event:

First off, I cannot say enough about this unbelievable event! Kate and Jenn at the City Creek Anthropologie were so wonderful to work with. The best part was meeting some of our beautiful Fannies. I shared our message and we enjoyed some delicious Food Nanny food together.

I just love what I get to do! Inspiring women to cook for their families and to enjoy what they eat is such a privilege. And being able to do what I love at Anthropologie, a store we love, was surreal!

Highlights:

This is what I wore for the night!

Now for the delicious food I made! I decided to keep things simple by doing a couple cheeseboards and cakes.

  • Cheeses: If you have a Trader Joes near you, this is the best place to buy the cheese and crackers for a board. They have a huge variety and at the best prices!
  • Beer Bread: Have you ever made our beer bread? It is out of this world delicious. Our version of beer bread has the perfect texture and taste. Flaky on the outside, nice and soft on the inside. We love adding it to all our cheeseboards because it goes so well with everything.
  • Strawberry butter: This butter is so simple to make, but transforms anything it is added to.
  • Almond Cake: Lately, this has become one of my favorite of our cakes. It has such a simple, beautiful flavor.
  • Strawberry Cake: Years ago, my mom created this cake. It has sense been one of our favorite and most popular popular recipes. The denseness of the cake combined with the sweet and fluffy frosting is the perfect combination.

It was a perfect night! For the first time, I made an appearance without my mom. I was so nervous! But people showed up to see me. And it turned out to be an incredible event. As always, thank you so much Fannies. We feel so blessed to have the best followers.

What We Made:

Here are a few of our favorite recipes we made this week:

And that's a wrap for this week! Don't forget to follow along on instagram!

xoxo,

The Food Nanny!

TDF Weekly

TDF Weekly

Welcome to another edition of TDF Weekly! We are so grateful to our loyal fannies. As things are changing around here with Food Nanny Sr. leaving on her mission, we are more grateful to you than ever. Okay, enough sappiness. Time for what you have all been waiting for. Here are some of our favorite things from this past week.

What we are Loving:

  • Baskets: If you have been following along for a while, you know we have a deep love for French baskets. While in France this summer, we found the perfect contact to be able to bring these to all of you. So starting today, you can grab one for yourself from our warehouse! We have a limited quantity so don't wait!
  • Madewell 9 inch skinny jean in Larkspur: Food Nanny Jr. here. I purchased these jeans over a year ago and still cannot get enough. Even after buying other pairs, I still keep coming back to these! Since purchasing them, I have now recommended them to several people, and they honestly look amazing on everyone! A good pair of jeans that will last is worth a little splurge, and these are definitely worth it.
  • Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor: This is another long time favorite of ours! The color stays on and your lips stay hydrated. You can't beat that! Our favorite colors are infinite raspberry, ultimate mulberry, and boundless nude. And this price cannot be beat!
  • Crate and Barrel Large Baking Dish: We have found our favorite casserole dish! Just this week we have used it to make cinnamon rolls and a casserole. It is inexpensive, does the job, and looks cute too!

What we are Cooking:

Some of our favorite menu items from this last weeks meal plan!

  • Cinnamon Rolls: Can you think of a more comforting food item? We love to make these for brunch. There are thousands of different cinnamon roll recipes but we would put ours up against anyone!

Well that's a wrap! Thanks for tuning in, and have a great week!

xoxo!