Make it Easier

Happy Monday! 

Before I get into what I’ve been thinking about this week, I wanted to share an opportunity to take a class with me in person, if you live in the LA area. I’ll be at Elizabeth Lamont in Palisade Village on Thursday, May 4th from 11 am to 1 pm for a “Coastal Italian” cooking class.  Reserve your spot here!

One of my favorite expressions is “How you do anything is how you do everything.”  So what I want to discuss as it relates to cooking and eating can really apply to any aspect of your life.  One of the constant themes in my classes is “Make it Easy for Yourself.” 

• Make it easy to eat the way you want to eat. 

• Make it easy to cook more often.  

• Make it easy to cook quickly.

• Make it easy for your kids to eat the food you want them to eat.

Etc etc etc.

I think about challenges people face with cooking and eating and although there are not solutions for everyone, there are ways to make it easier to achieve your goals.

These are some of the strategies that have helped me when I was coming up with excuses.

• If you don’t want to snack on cookies in the afternoon, buy and prep some vegetables and keep them in containers in the fridge. No time to cut veggies? Buy them already cut.

• You never use your food processor, even though it would make your life so much easier? Move it to prime real estate in your kitchen.

• Always scrambling to pull dinner together? A meal plan makes a major difference.

• You love salads but never make them because it’s annoying to wash and dry lettuce? Wash the lettuce when you get home from the market. And while you’re at it, make a triple batch of your favorite vinaigrette and freeze two.

• You never have people over but you want to? Why? Too much work? Do a potluck. Or brunch. Or a happy hour.

• Lately, I have found that I am not getting enough stuff done/losing productivity. I am now scheduling tasks onto my calendar like appointments.  I’ll keep you posted!

• Last summer, it occurred to me that I consistently waited until the last drop to buy gas for my car and it would make me late for different things to get gas at the last minute. I decided to make my life easier by filling up the tank whenever it was most convenient and even if I only needed ½ tank (or less!)

• In general, I try to simplify my life as much as possible and create systems for the things that are important to me.  Feel free to chime in with something that has made it easier to do the things you want to do!

If you don’t follow me on Instagram, I just posted this amazing Spinach Artichoke Garlic Bread.  

Ingredients:

-2 shallots

-1 clove garlic

-10 oz artichoke hearts frozen/defrosted or packed in water, drained

-10 oz frozen/defrosted chopped spinach, squeezed dry (I do this in a nut milk bag) or 10 oz of fresh spinach, steamed in a little water until wilted and excess water squeezed out

-⅔ c grated Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

-4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

-½ cup plain Greek yogurt

-½ cup Vegenaise or mayonnaise

-salt and pepper to taste

-optional: hot sauce!

-small loaf of ciabatta or your favorite bread

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a food processor, coarsely chop the shallots and garlic. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend.

3. Spread the dip on your favorite bread and bake for 10 minutes.

4. Broil at the end for 3 minutes or until golden.

xxPamela