Rule 026 | Keep Your Marriage Spicy By Heating Up The Kitchen

Gerard and Jessie are joined by Sonja and Alex Overhiser who share their story of going from a fast-food duo to becoming the bloggers and podcasters behind A Couple Cooks. In this episode, you'll hear us chat about shopping carts full of cereal, adopting a flexitarian eating style, and how to form some serious solidarity around food. 

Connect with the Overhisers at the following links, and let us know if you have suggestions for a couple you'd like to hear on a future episode of the show!

Recipes: www.acouplecooks.com 
Podcast: www.acouplecooks.com/podcast 
Instagram: @acouplecooks
Facebook: @acouplecooks
Twitter: @acouplecooks

Quick reminder that the registration for our Great Love Getaway opens on Sunday, February 14th! Mark your calendars and sign up to come on vacation with us in April!

 

Alex's Dinner Party tips from episode 26:

  1. Find a partner! Spouse, friend, sister… Probably not your clumsy little brother, but totally fine in a pinch.

  2. Remember the reason for gathering. Guests aren’t coming to judge, they’re coming to hang out. (Food is important, but quality time comes first.)

  3. No new recipes. Try out the fancy stuff on sweetheart before busting it out to impress guests.

  4. Ingredient check-in. Email guests about their current eating preferences, pick a main dish that you’re excited about and build a hearty list of side dishes from there.

Sonja's round-up of healthy Comfort Foods: 

Crispy Baked Fries

So Cal Pizza

Healthier Chocolate Milkshake

Raw Brownies

Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

More quick bites:

  • Getting shamed in the check out line at Trader Joe’s... Is this a thing?
  • Jessie can’t live without this pantry staple, and Gerard freaks out when he finds out that she’s secretly been buying in bulk.
  • Cereal stands in as the "crouton" in this healthy Vegan Kale Ceasar recipe on S+P!
  • Sonja + Jessie geek out over a reality show indulgence, but the inspiration for their kitchen success is much more refined
  • Decoding dietary restrictions for dinner parties is not always easy. Listen in for tips from two couples who are quite familiar with this delicate dance.
  • Alex suggests letting veggies be the star, and Jessie is always getting inspired by the meatless ideas at A Couple Cooks.  
  • Flexitarians need friends too. The Peppers are pleased to know they're not alone when it comes to opinionated eating.
  • Picky partners are pulled apart by pulp preferences.
  • We’re all still figuring out how to navigate eating and cooking choices when our families are regularly confused. (Parents: If you’re listening, we love veggie burgers just a little less than you think.)
  • Jessie spills the beans about loving her greens. (Or anything that grows out of the ground, really.)
  • The Overhisers answer a question sent in by a listener named Jeff. He asked about how to best support his spouse through her healthy eating and weight loss changes.
  • Roasted celery IS delish. Chop coarsely with onion and cauliflower, add turmeric, garlic + salt/pepper. Pop under the broiler for 25 mins. (Add cannelini beans at the end, throw the whole thing onto a bed of fresh greens, toss with balsamic vinegar and you've got Jessie’s favorite weekday lunch!)
  • Turgor Pressure: The pressure of water pushing the plasma membrane against the cell wall of a plant cell. (You might be surprised at which Pepper turns out to be this week's biggest nerd.)
  • Lentils are one of our favorite superfoods! This recipe for Lentil + Artichoke Stew on ACC is a staple at Casa de Pepper. If you’re looking for something that feels a little more splurgey, go for Sonja’s crispy baked french fries without the guilt.
  • Listen in to hear why The Overhisers kicked calorie counting and ignoring the nutrients in order to prioritize a healthy relationship with food.
  • Back in Ep 11, we talk about how much we suck at cooking together, but Sonja + Alex have inspired us to try again! (Will report back on how that goes.)
  • We use a word association game to get to the bottom of why The Overhisers are better together.
  • Sonja grew up training to be a classical musician, and Alex’s creative childhood makes him a little more "freeform" in the kitchen.
  • Great Love looks different for everyone, but our favorite couple that cooks have some pretty beautiful things to say about what it means for them.

TRIGGER QUESTIONS: 

  • If you could fill an entire Trader Joe’s shopping cart with one item (completely free), what would it be?

  • Have your eating habits changed at all since getting together with your partner? 

  • Which indulgent comfort food needs to be "healthified" next? (Share your answers with Sonja + Jessie in the FB group and we'll try to whip up a recipe for an upcoming episode!)

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