Today, I am writing about Kenzi’s just released
Paleo Meal Prep: Weekly Meal Plans and Recipes
to Eat Healthy at Work, Home, or On the Go

Paleo Meal Prep is why after nearly two years I have become quite a fan of Kenzie Swanhart cookbook author. Thanks to her videos, I am also liking her more as a representative for the Ninja Foodi Family and other culinary presentations.

EVEN if you are not strict PALEO – but are working towards eating a bit healthier, this book is useful. The key is planning and Kenzie has focused wonderfully on the prepping and planning.

PRO: The recipes, primarily guided by Paleo rules, are interesting to those who are not adherents to Paleo for many reasons.

1. Those I have prepared tasted good. (It will take another month or so to work thru them all)
2. The relative novice home cook should be able to
   (a) follow the directions with nominal assistance – especially if you take the time to review her videos using Paleo Meal Prep recipes. (LINK NEEDED)
   (b) find most if not all the ingredients are already in their kitchen and if not are readily available in your favorite grocery store (I checked Safeway & Aldi)
   (c) sub (especially protein) other ingredients to make it your own. (Tiplet: always follow the recipe written if you are not allergic to any ingredients the first time and make notes so you can decide how to adjust next time. )
3. For those who know how picky I can be, I found absolutely nothing to disagree about. Just a ting or two I might have done differently.
4. Not an official NinjaKitchen book, there is enough information to make these recipes “Foodi Friendly” (I will be using the 6.5 quart and digital oven in my kitchen.
5. These recipes very much lend themselves to my preferred method of Pot-In-Pot that I will be writing more about in my GAB Group
   Food Craft – The Making & The Methods.
   Or find follow me on GAB @wheat

CON: If I Ruled The Universe and Clearly I Do Not.
and some might say I am pretty darn opinionated – so will likely be quite surprized to read I only found two things I wish were different.

(1) It would be helpful to have included details for freezing so those who need to make ahead and want to build “diversity” into the diet will have an idea how to best plan and prepare.

(2) This is said with an understanding of the effects more photos would have on the cost of the book. With that cost consideration in mind.. I would hope that over the coming months Kenzie will consider sharing finished dishes for each recipe, referencing which book, the name and page number.

It took me awhile to write this review because my first efforts were even too Food Geeky for me.

Bottom line? I bought the Kindle version after reading thru unlimited, trying several recipes and getting positive feedback so I would be able to reference it later. I suggest you do the same.

Wheat Amazon Affiliate Idea Lists
https://www.amazon.com/shop/wheatcarr
if you interact with links I may earn money

How to Cook Without a Book:
Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart
author: Pam Anderson

Successful Food Craft is always a multi-step process.

It has been my observation that the “iffy” things about recipes found on the internet is always the technique details or more accurately – the lack of technique details.

This book may be quite worthwhile both as a “refresher” and for those who need some help learning to customize a recipe
It does not matter what pan or appliance is needed, because all recipes start with “prep” and that seems to be where many of us tend to go astray.

Or, like most smart cooks, either you make it once to see how it works for you and yours

Or, need to make advance adjustments, based on taste or even allergy considerations.

I was pleased to find it once again (mine was damaged in a broken pipe incident) on Amazon.

This is a link* to the “used copy” Amazon Listings.
I have had good luck “so far” .
https://amzn.to/37LROvH

Hardcover: 290 pages
Publisher: Broadway Books; 1st edition (April 4, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0767902793
ISBN-13: 978-0767902793
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 1 x 9.4 inches

*This is an affiliate link and might result in a commission if you purchase this book.

I do not mind our local businesses adding what we all hope will be a temporary surcharge. Either those that “stayed open” so the rest of us could “Stay Safe” to “flatten the curve”.

Yes I’ll Pay a “Covid Surcharge without whining. It is NOT price gouging, it is FAIR, Reasonable and maybe necessary if you plan to practice what you preach to Buy (Your Country) now, or “after this is over”.

Hard to say who was smarter, those who created a surchage which seems to imply the fee is temporary or those that changed their prices, knowing the increased costs are not going to go away. Probably those listing the fee, because those who raised prices will likely be targeted by the hate squads as price gouging.

My premise is “Buy American-Made” can also be “Buy Canadian-Made” or “Buy German-Made” or “Buy Japan-Made” is equally acceptable . Buy from the nation where you live as a first choice. Let’s just get back to buying what we need even if it means a bit of patience till we can afford to support our local and overall national economy.

After reading a good bit of whining about it, more than a little of it posted by the same people who have posted one or more “buy American” statements or meme… This current media induced knee jerk reasction does not bode well for the “After this is over, buy…” movement. But then if they are planning to wait until this is over, well they will not have to live those words now will they.

A theme I learned as a child, along side having “cheap can cost you dear” pounded into my head by the same parents. So where possible I do walk the walk. Including limiting our dining out choices to those available to us in our immediate local area or at the very least in the county were we paid property taxes.

I do not believe in buying direct from another country. If I can’t live without the item for some real or perceived need, then I am obligated to purchase thru a US distributor – one that creates some kind of jobs for US Citizens.

Increased costs are what caused US business to move production outside our borders, that and the need to keep prices competitive.

If the costs of increased pay to your home nation mean paying more for a product, then we should recognize that. If it means making sure that the terms of special visas are met, particularly those where the sponsor is required to prove they cannot meet fill the job with a qualified Citizen. Then yes to that.

If we truly want our home country to return to economic health, then yes, we need to be prepared to pay a fair price so that those who brings us goods and services are adequately compensated.

Not An affiliate link: but worth a read.
It seems to be discussing a “stove top” Pressure Cooker, so I do disagree with the “you have to watch it every second” when it comes to the Ninja Foodi (and mostly for all other electric Pressure Cookers)

Mushy Vegetables can be overcome, but yes, that does take both planning and a bit of “tending” Still, as the article says, if flavor is important to you, then yes, it is worth that extra few minutes once or twice during the hour it takes to get something “Freezer to Table” in about an hour most of the time.

And since Home cooking is all about superior flavor, then according to Good Housekeeping’s Paul Hope Pressure Cooking is better

Frugal Beginner’s Tiplet: Meal Planning
McCormick Spice has always been a decent brand and has a pretty good newsletter. This week , their topic is Meal Prepping The kind that helps you eat healthier and less expensively with home cooked meals inside of picking up Drive thru on the way home.
This article is very basic but may help those new to “Frugal Living” get started. This is a recipe from their website that could easily be prepped ready to slide into my Ninja Foodie Oven – It was not needed to make any significant changes, to take advantage of the Ninja Foodi Digital Oven’s capabilities. I tend to follow the concept presented by Janet Zimmerman to leave temperatures the same but start checking for “desired degree of doneness” at about 3/4 the time suggested by the recipe.

Speaking of Janet Zimmerman concepts, another of my favorites is that the “rule of thumb of reducing temp by 25 degrees F should be replaced by using a percentage.
It has been my experience that 15% works for me and still following the check for doneness beginning at 3/4 the suggested time.
Sheet Pan Chili Chicken Tacos | French’s

updated 2020-April-5