Virtuelicious

Pinky is a busy entrepreneur and single mother who just doesn’t have time to cook….until she fell in love with her slow cooker.

Slow cooking isn’t something that I have done a lot before so I couldn’t wait to get her on my show…not just because I knew that she would make a great guest but also so that I could pick her brains. And now I can’t wait to get mu slow cooker out!!

On the menu for today in Pinky’s house is butternut squash, chick pea and spinach curry so I asked her to go through the process step by step so that we can cook it ourselves. Guess what? She was right, it is really easy.

Pinky’s other favourites includes bolognese, stews and soups and her tips on making these are real game changers.

And Pinky just happens to be a fan of cooking with alcohol…both putting it in the dish and consuming it whilst cooking. A girl after my own heart :)

If you’d like to get in touch with Pinky you can do so here: www.netwomen.co

Last week I talked about my new meal planner journal. I’ll be publishing it soon and I just know you’re going to love it. Sing up here and I’ll let you know when it’s ready: https://mailchi.mp/690a91ed13a7/mealplannerpodcast10

And, as stir up Sunday is fast approaching I must get my Christmas Cake Kit’s ready. They take just ten minutes of your time in the kitchen and then the over does the work. Sign up here to get an email when they go on sale(oh, and did I say that you’ll get a cheeky 10% off just for registering interest): https://mailchi.mp/e151ba156b0c/lx746ujww4

Happy Cooking :) x

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

Hey hey hey! Can washing up every be a joy? I think not! BUT there are things that I have learnt along the way that makes it easier. And that’s how I managed to talk about washing up for nearly half an hour! Here’s some of the stuff I talk about: pros and cons of different sizes of dishwashers my favourite pans may favourite make of utensils https://www.josephjoseph.com what I put in the dishwasher and what I will NEVER put into the dishwasher! my favourite dishwasher tablets how I save time hand washing my pans my favourite scourer and why I think it’s worth investing: https://www.homebargains.co.uk/products/18302-elbow-grease-scrubbing-pad.aspx the best washing up gloves I have found. I got them cheaper elsewhere: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elbow-Grease-Household-Medium-Rubber/dp/B084D76GNB Harriet Holme left a cooking hack: such a good hack that I love…worth a listen to the episode just for that. Harriet is a nutritionist with loads of experience specialising in pregnancy..she’s even written books on the subject! I’m sure she won’t mind if I include a link to here freebies: https://linktr.ee/healthyeatingdr I have created a meal planner journal...well I have almost created it. But I couldn't wait to tell you all about it  because I think it's going to be sooooo helpful. If you're interested and would like to know when it goes live just click the link below...no obligation....just window shopping :) https://mailchi.mp/690a91ed13a7/mealplannerpodcast10 Lastly, here's the link to get to know when the Christmas Cake Kit is ready and get your 10% discount just for registering :) https://mailchi.mp/e151ba156b0c/lx746ujww4 Happy Cooking :) x --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

Love cooking but find you can never find that knife, saucepan or lid you need? Is cooking becoming a chore? 

I hear you...I've been there. And I've picked up a few nuggets along the way that may help you if you feel that your kitchen cupboards are in need of some TLC.

In this episode I chat about some of the considerations I think are important when deciding on what containers to buy or how to organise the containers in your cupboard...and don't get me started on that messy utensil drawer. I also share with you my longing for more pans and how I think it's worth having less to experience that sense of inner calm.

And...towards the end I unveil my new project - I have created a meal planner journal...well I have almost created it. But I couldn't wait to tell you all about it  because I think it's going to be sooooo helpful. If you're interested and would like to know when it goes live just click the link below...no obligation....just window shopping :)

https://mailchi.mp/690a91ed13a7/mealplannerpodcast10

I hoe you enjoy the episode.

Happy Cooking :) x

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

The fabulous Lisa Gillbe joins me to chat food and fashion…and believe me, this episode has had a hugely positive impact on me.

We thought it would be nice to kick back and have a chat about how food and fashion are important in making us feel good, something that’s especially important right now.

Lisa shares top tips for dressing in lockdown, how food and fashion provide us with the comfort we need right now. We even chat about how food and fashion move in cycles, reminiscing Angel Delight and 70’s orange.

Lisa is a fantastic stylist….since this chat I have been inspired to dress better and in fact I have completely rehauled my wardrobe..not by buying new clothes but by taking out the stuff that was no longer serving me well. And I’ve been making the effort to do my hair and make up…not much but just enough.

Grab a cuppa and join in the natter :)

You’ve got to check out her Instagram and Pinterest accounts and don’t miss Lisa’s style guide which is great for figuring out what body shape you are.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisegillbestylist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaGillbestyle

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/lisegillbe/_created/

Get the style guide here: https://www.lisagillbestyle.com

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

Busy mum and entrepreneur Wendy joins me to chat food hacks! And who better to share hacks than Wendy - she’s helps busy mums create positive lifestyle habits so they can feel more energised and fulfilled…how cool is that?!

We both love food and, as you will find out, we both love a natter, so we got together for a chinwag.

I love Wendy’s “just change one thing” mantra….which creates a domino effect.

Wendy shares her hacks for filling breakfasts, delicious lunches and fast dinners. She’s nailed cooking wholesome tasty food for the family even when she’s knackered and rushed off her feet.

This podcast is full of nuggets of good advice: when to have breakfast, how to add more protein to your breakfast, how to stay fuller for longer, lunches from leftovers, batch cook Sundays and how to deal with a lack of freezer space!

Check out Wendy’s “What type of busy mum are you?” quiz on her website - see the links below.

Happy Cooking :) x

Wendy Griffith’s website: www.wendygriffith.co.uk

Instagram: wendygriffith_livehealthy

Free Facebook Group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/betterhabitsforbusymums/

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

So many people I have spoken to love the idea of batch cooking but in practice it rarely works out. After all, who wants to spend half a day slaving over a hot stove only to eat the same meals over and over? 

Well, here's a different approach to batch cooking. I'll show you how to make it less daunting - by not aiming too high and only batch cooking for a few days we give ourselves the feeling of triumph so that we'll do it again and again. And by learning how to repurpose our meals we keep it interesting. 

Who said batch cooking was boring? 

Happy cooking :) x

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

Hey hey hey!

So today I'm talking about how to keep your meals interesting...how to add that va-va-voom to your dinners, how to switch up the same ingredients so you don't get bored and how to make balanced meals. 

And don't worry, you don't have to spend ages in the kitchen!!

Happy cooking :) x

P.S. Here's the blog I mentioned in the podcast: https://virtuelicious.co.uk/student-cooking-hacks/

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

It’s that time of year…students about to embark on adulting…which means cooking for themselves. So I thought I’d do a mini series on cooking hacks aimed at students…except that as I was editing the series I realised that these hacks are good for anyone :)

Today I’m covering breakfast and lunch: quick and easy ideas that are perfect to grab and go when you’re in a hurry.

Listen out for the tip on how to remember to take it with you and how to keep hot food hotter for longer.

Check out the cereal container I refer to in the podcast and the cooking hacks workshop. 

Happy cooking :) x

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

I take my hat off to Nicola...mum of three with another one on the way but she makes it look sooooo easy! Here are her tips to staying sane when it comes to feeding her family. And a few giggles along the way. Oh, and I'm stealing her freezer hack!

Happy cooking :) x

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message

Hey hey hey, today we're roasting veg....when we talk about meal prep quite often we think about batch cooking a main meal like a roast or lasagne...but what about the sides? 

Building on the last episode about food prep, in this episode we deep dive into prepping veg. We're talking specifically about roasting veg in this episode. I'm talking about how I prep different type of vegetables for roasting. 

Listen to find out how I make this meal prep a breeze...,you'll see that I am a lazy cook underneath it all :)

Happy cooking :) x

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/virtuelicious/message