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The story of stonesoup

Hi there. My name is Jules Clancy. I love food. I love wine. And I’m the only person I know that is crazy enough to have degrees in both.

In 2005, I was working as a food scientist developing new products for a gobal cereal company when I discovered the world of food blogs. I’d always longed to write recipes for a living, however, it seemed like an impossible career to crack into. But anyone could start a blog... and so began stonesoup.

After a few months writing, I knew this was what I was meant to do. I invested in a digital camera and by trial and a lot of error began to take photos of my food. In January 2010, I took the next step on my blogging path and quit my day job to become a full-time blogger.

stonesoup is a blog that helps people become better home cooks by using a minimalist approach to cooking. It allows me to use my food science knowledge for good. I focus on reducing the number of ingredients, the amount of equipment, the number of steps involved, and the time we spend in the kitchen to a minimum so we can focus what’s important. It’s about simple, wholesome, delicious food that is easy to prepare and still fun and satisfying to eat.

Why the FREE e-cookbook? Over the past year I’ve been writing a series of recipes that have only 5 ingredients and take 10 minutes to prepare. They’ve been published in a number of locations.

I thought it would be useful to have these recipes all together in the one handy ebook that you can keep on your laptop or computer at work as an at-your-fingertips reference for when you need inspiration for what to cook for dinner.

If you do find this recipe book useful, I’d really appreciate it if you shared the love and forwarded it to your family and friends. Or better yet - send them the link to stonesoup (www.thestonesoup.com) so they can download their own copy and discover the wonderful world of food blogging themselves.

Love Jules x

what is minimalist home cooking?

I could make some dodgy jokes about minimalist home cooking being eating out all the time, or what happens when you’re in a country stricken by famine – but I’ll spare you.

In the stonesoup kitchen, the focus is on recipes that meet most or all of the following criteria:

minimal time

As much as I love spending a whole day in the kitchen, I’m always thinking about how I can do things more quickly and efficiently. This is where the 10 minutes comes in.

minimal number of steps

This is related to time but I wanted to spell it out separately. At stonesoup I’m always looking to minimalise the number of steps needed in a recipe. I strive to keep the instructions concise but easy to follow.

minimal number of ingredients

A long ingredient list can be daunting. This inspired me to create this series of recipes using 5 ingredients or less. There are no needless ingredients. Everything must perform a key function to get included.

minimal equipment

I’ve never been a fan of single-use kitchen equipment and I know that like me, most people are cooking in pretty basic kitchens. While some of the recipes in this book may be quicker and easier to prepare with a food processor, that’s as fancy as it gets.

There’s a section on how to setup a minimalist kitchen later in this book.

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WHEN WILL MY BABY BE READY FOR SOLID FOODS?

Most babies are ready for solid foods around six months of age. Around this time babies need more nutrients than they receive from breast milk or infant formula alone, especially iron. Signs that your baby is ready to start solids include:

Being able to sit up well with support

Being able to hold their head up

Showing an interest in food such as watching you eat and trying to reach for food when you are eating

Being hungrier and not settling well after a full feed.

TIPS

- A number of attempts on different occasions may be needed before a new food is eaten. Don’t give up on the first go, keep on trying and keep it fun!

- Continue breastfeeding (or feeding your baby infant formula) while introducing solid foods until your baby is 12 months old.

- It is common for babies to gag, with coughing or spluttering, while they are learning to eat. This is different to choking and is not a cause for concern. However, choking that prevents breathing is a medical emergency, so never leave your baby unattended while they are eating.

- See page 36 for food safety tips.

HOW DO I START?

Start with small amounts of iron-enriched infant cereal and/or cooked pureed meat, poultry, fish, plain tofu or legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas and red kidney beans). Then offer your baby a variety of foods from the five food groups that include a range of flavours, for example different types of pureed vegetables and fruit.

6 months
PUREE
MASHED
MINCED
CHOPPED
8 months
FINGER FOODS
12 months
FAMILY FOODS

TIPS

- Increase and vary food textures to help baby develop. Babies adapt quickly moving from pureed and finely mashed foods to lumpy foods.

- Introducing more textured foods reduces the risk of speech problems and fussy eating.

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Healthy Eating CHEAP AND EASY

Eating healthy foods is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family every day. When you eat well, you feel better. You have more energy. And you lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.

Many healthy foods like breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables cost less than other foods like chips and pop. So you can eat well without spending a lot of money or a lot of time.

That’s what this booklet is about. It covers the basics of planning meals, shopping and preparing foods. It also lists some places in your community that can help you save time and money on food, and tells you where you can find recipes for healthy meals.

Children NEED HEALTHY FOOD

Children need the right foods to grow and to stay healthy. They also need you to teach them how to eat well.

Eating well means getting enough foods from all four food groups:

- grain products (breads and cereals)
- vegetables and fruit
- milk and milk products like milk,
cheese and yogurt, and
- meats and alternatives like chicken,fish, nuts, beans and peanut butter.

You can help your children eat well by:

- setting a good example
- eating healthy foods more often
- offering meals and snacks at regular times, and
- giving your kids a variety of foods at meals and snacks.

Healthy eating doesn’t mean forcing kids to eat things they don't like, or making them eat everything on their plate. The important thing is to feed them well, and help them learn about healthy choices, so they can do the same thing for their kids.

Planning meals

One of the best ways to make sure you eat well is to plan your meals ahead of time. Planning ahead can help you:

- get enough of all four food groups
- add variety, so you’re not eating the same things day after day
- save money by buying only what you need
- use up foods that you already have on hand, and
- save time by shopping less often.

Planning is also a good way to get your kids involved in learning about healthy foods and making the right choices. Plus, they’re more likely to enjoy eating foods they pick out themselves.

...get your kids involved in learning about healthy foods, making the right choices and helping with food preparation safely.