Does the thought of cooking at Christmas time fill you with dread? Do you feel the pressure to cook the perfect meal?

Christmas can bring added pressure and expectations so in this episode I discuss the pressures surrounding cooking at Christmas time but I also offer advice on how to manage the stress and prep ahead. Plus I have some great simple but effective homemade tasty Christmas gifts ideas.

Here is one of them - Simple Granola Simple Granola - Cookidoo® – the official Thermomix® recipe platform

The facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/letsthermomix/

Following me on Instagram my_food_for_thought_

Find out about me and how I work as a Thermomix advisor myfoodforthought.co.uk

Email the show notpastaagain@hotmail.com

00:16 The Christmas Spirit: Embracing the Season

04:10 Navigating Christmas Pressures: Expectations and Realities

09:25 Strategies for a Stress-Free Christmas Kitchen

15:58 Personalized Gifting: Making Christmas Special

In this episode, Sam discusses confidence in the kitchen by sharing personal experiences and insights on how various life stages, particularly parenthood, can impact one's confidence in the kitchen. Sam explores the challenges faced by many when it comes to meal preparation and the emotional toll it can take. Sam offers practical advice to build confidence, including meal planning and simplifying recipes, and highlights the transformative role of the Thermomix in enhancing Sam's cooking skills and confidence.

The facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/letsthermomix/

Following me on Instagram my_food_for_thought_

Find out about me and how I work as a Thermomix advisor myfoodforthought.co.uk

Email the show notpastaagain@hotmail.com

Chapter markers

00:16 The Role of Confidence in Cooking

04:39 Personal Journeys: Confidence in the Kitchen

12:07 Impact of Parenthood on Cooking Confidence

14:50 Strategies to Build Kitchen Confidence

17:30 Embracing Change: The Thermomix Experience

Sam interviews Ellie, a busy working mum, about the role of meal provider in her home. We discover that Ellie spends a lot of time in the kitchen after school pick up but how does she really feel about this daily task and why eggs are always top of the go to dish!

Send a voicenote to feature in the show. I would love to hear your recipes, tips, stories of managing a busy life and being the main meal provider. If you prefer then you can send an email and I will read it out in the show. Use the email notpastaagain@hotmail.com

Join the social channels

https://www.facebook.com/groups/letsthermomix/

Instagram my_food_for_thought_

Find out about me and how I work as a Thermomix advisor myfoodforthought.co.uk

Chapter markers

00:16 Introduction and Sam’s week in the kitchen

02:23 Welcome Ellie

02:55 Ellie’s family life and cooking background

08:20 Daily kitchen dynamics and food prep

12:30 Guilt and time constraints in cooking

18:00 The impact of a Thermomix in Ellie’s kitchen

25:30 Dream meal and future aspirations

27:21 Closing

In this episode I explore more around the overwhelm that putting food on the table can bring and share some knowledge on how to overcome it plus the pressure to cook healthy, tasty meals the whole family will enjoy.

Send me a voicenote to feature in the show. I would love to hear your recipes, tips, stories on managing a busy life and being the main meal provider.

If you prefer then you can send an email and I will read it out in the show.

Use the email notpastaagain@hotmail.com

Join the social channels

https://www.facebook.com/groups/letsthermomix/

Instagram my_food_for_thought_

Find out about me and how I work as a Thermomix advisor myfoodforthought.co.uk

See the recipe for Chunky Bolognese here Chunky bolognese - Cookidoo® – the official Thermomix® recipe platform

Browse Cookidoo here https://cookidoo.co.uk/foundation/en-GB

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:20 What do I mean by overwhelm in the kitchen

02:08 Is this what your daily life looks like?

04:25 Understanding the sources of overwhelm

08:15 Strategies to combat meal preparation stress

11:56 Meal planning and the tools for success

14:21 Share your recipes and get in touch

What is Not Pasta Again all about? It's all about helping you flourish with food. It’s about the emotional aspect around having to provide 3 meals a day for yourself or the whole family and sharing advice and knowledge I have gathered over the years which have eased all of these pressures.

I hope to build a community of like minded people who feel they are currently facing one or some of these issues….

Stuck in a rut with meal choices

Lacking confidence in the kitchen

Overwhelmed with the daily responsibility to provide a meal

Catering for dietary requirements

Trying to provide regular healthy meals the children will enjoy

Controlling the food you eat

Food waste and how to adapt your meal prep to reduce this

If this is you, I really hope the podcast series helps and you find inspiration in the kitchen again. While you listen to the episode why not join

The facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/letsthermomix/

Following me on Instagram my_food_for_thought_

Find out about me and how I work as a Thermomix advisor myfoodforthought.co.uk

Email the show notpastaagain@hotmail.com

Chapter markers

00:00 Introduction

01:42 The Emotional Aspects of Cooking

02:30 Flourishing with Food: Overcoming Kitchen Overwhelm

05:20 About Sam

06:10 Why is this podcast called Not Pasta Again?

07:44 Building a Community around making it easier in the kitchen

Are you fed up with constantly having to come up with meal ideas for your family?

Not Pasta Again podcast is for you if you are busy juggling the demands of work, family life and the daily battle of what to cook for dinner each day.

This podcast is all about helping you flourish with food. Whether that is understanding better what food you are eating, bringing joy back into cooking, giving you confidence in the kitchen, eating without feeling guilty and redefining the meaning of convenience when it comes to putting food on the table.

Join me Sam Parker, on a journey to help you flourish with food and redefine not only how we feel about the role of being meal provider but bringing joy back to the dinner table.

I hope to build a community so we can share ideas on how to ease the pressures in the kitchen, ask questions and be a part of the show. Follow this podcast series and follow me on Facebook and Instagram so you never miss an episode.

My Food For Thought | Your Thermomix Expert

https://www.facebook.com/groups/letsthermomix/

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