Last month when I was away, part of the experience that I thoroughly enjoyed was food shopping and cooking for myself. I know that might sound crazy but I have never lived on my own. I went from my childhood home to my first apartment with my husband. I have cooked for thousands of people both professionally and for my own friends and family. I have always had to consider someone else’s needs as well as my own, so this was the first time I shopped and cooked solely for myself and it was amazing.
Knowing that I was going to be cooking in a small kitchenette with limited appliances, I decided I would pack some of my personal favorite Pinch of Fancy spice blends to help add some excitement. When I went shopping in Sedona knowing what my schedule would be for the week, I intentionally grabbed items that would reheat well and/or be able to be used for multiple things. That evening, I cooked and shocked noodles, sautéed mushrooms, sweated onions, marinated chicken, roasted potatoes, made crispy chickpeas, roasted vegetables, pan roasted chicken, made mushroom sauce, and made a noodle salad with half the sautéed mushrooms and a bag of shredded cabbage salad mix that I quickly sautéed and everything was seasoned with Pinch of Fancy spices.
What I ended up with in the end after meal prepping was a delicious chicken dinner with roasted potatoes, veggies and a mushroom sauce, that I ate that night as well as having leftovers for another meal of the same that just needed to be heated in the microwave. I had extra chicken to cut up and add to my noodle salad that was lunch for 3 days which could be eaten hot or cold. I had mushrooms and onions cooked for a quick omelet in the morning and a few odds and ends that ended up being either snacks or added to another meal. All of this food lasted me for most of the week and when I went shopping again later on in the week, I only needed to pick up a few things to get me through till my last day. Everything I made was delicious and by adding the different spice blends along the way, I didn’t feel like I was eating leftovers and every meal was satisfying and I didn’t feel as though I was denying myself anything.
It is a fun experience to use these unique blends not only on different items on the same plate but also, some flavors pair really well together by complimenting and enhancing each other’s flavor profile. I test and utilize my spices on a weekly basis to create new ideas for recipes to add to the website as well as the 10-piece sample set. It just so happens to feed myself and my family at the same time. 😉 That is a win win in my book.
Hit reply and let me know what you make with your Pinch of Fancy spices. If you’re feeling like you want to share with others, join the For the Love of Food Facebook group and share your pictures and start a conversation. We are here to support each other and inspire new ideas.
Btw, in case you’re wondering, the spices that I had with me in Sedona were Chef’s Magic, Humble Hero, and Oh Mama!
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Here to Inspire,
Kristin
