Today I wanted to sit down and chat with you about a variety of topics. I give you an update on how I've been doing with the pregnancy and share some of the upcoming videos you can expect on The Daily Connoisseur. I also enlist your help regarding your recommendations for good cookware and comfortable sneaker-like shoes (a frequently asked question I get!).
I also share some funny stories from family life, and read a beautiful poem for you at the end to help usher us into the summer season. I hope you enjoy today's video and are encouraged by it.
Discussed in today's video: Too Many Pumpkins, Sam Edelman Gigi Sandal
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Regarding last week's freezer meal video, Amanda writes, "I've been making your freezer meals for the past 3 weeks and I love it Jennifer. The meals are so good and it makes my weekdays so much easier, knowing there is delicious meal for us when we get home from work/school is wonderful. Also, I love how much veggies your recipes use! My toddler daughter loves the broccoli! I take an hour or two on Sunday to prep the meals for the week- my favorite part is the tidy kitchen all week!"
Hi Amanda, I'm so happy that the freezer meals are working for your family. I love having them available as well and the kitchen does stay clean!
Thank you for watching today's video. Please chime in with any comments or recommendations you have. I would love to hear about your cookware recommendations and shoe recommendations. I would also love to hear your thoughts on all of the topics discussed. Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog! See you on Thursday for a bloopers video.
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23 comments:
Hello Jennifer,
I enjoyed your chat. Your story about your son's cleaning methods really made me chuckle~ I'm so sorry to hear about your back pain and your cold. I hope you will feel better soon. In my fantasy, your home-school schedule was less stressful than my own "commute to school" experience, but I see that you are exhausted as well! Thank goodness that the school year is over now, and it's time for all stay-at-home mothers to rest! My son graduated from high school; so that event was very exciting.
About cookware, when I was married, I used many of our cash wedding gifts to invest in cookware that would last us a lifetime. I am talking about Le Creuset cookware! It is pricey, and my husband questioned it at the time, but I was right! We've been married 15 years, and we still have the cookware. We also have a stainless steel stockpot that dates back to our wedding. It was left behind by the caterer~ Also still in good shape.
About aprons, I have three favorites. I like the British company called Ulster Weavers. They are occasionally featured on Zulily. I also have an apron from MacKenzie-Childs. My third apron is from Paris, nothing expensive, just a cute apron that I bought on the sidewalk as a tourist.
I'm looking forward to your future videos. I will need to reread the E.F. Benson book because it's been a while. Thank you for the poem~ You are a breath of fresh air!
Warm best wishes,
Alexandra
Hi Jennifer! So enjoyed today’s video and the beautiful poetry at the end! You look wonderful! I hope your back pain subsides soon! For cookware, I don’t have any experience with copper though I do think it’s beautiful. I have a mix of stainless steel and enameled cast iron and really love them both. They do get stained, but are fairly easy to clean. For anyone looking for more comfortable sandals I really love naturalizer brand! I wouldn’t say they are as comfortable as tennis shoes, but much more comfortable for me than a lot of other brands.
After using different types of non-stick cookware that all peel eventually, despite being very careful with utensils, we have found an excellent non-stick surface -- ceramic. We've used our ceramic lined cookware for three-plus years now and they are still in perfect condition. No marks, no chips, nothing sticks to them, and so easy to clean. We bought a mid-priced brand but all the major cookware manufacturers make them now. I love them.
I really like Cook's Standard multi-ply stainless cookware. It is often rated as good as All-Clad but at a budget price. Instructions are included showing how to cook with it so that food doesn't stick (mainly to pre-heat patiently). I have had mine for over 5 years and it looks as good as new. They also have a non-stick version that people seem to like too.
What fun and chatty video, I loved it! For your back pain, seeing a chiropractor might help. Also, the feet are the foundation of our body; during your pregnancy you might need more supportive footwear. I sure hope you find some relief soon!
Hi Jennifer - I really like T-fal Sensorielle Deux non-stick cookware. They are made in France and have lasted for years. Still look new. I prefer stainless steel regular cookware over copper. I have some that belonged to my mother, so they have seen lots of wear and are still in great condition. For comfortable shoes, my sometimes sensitive feet love two brands; Sofft and Earth. Both usually have nice cushioning in the sole and come in some very cute styles that look nice with a variety of clothing styles. If shopping online, there are often sales or specials and are very affordable and good quality. They are also sold at Nordstrom and other stores. I’m guessing your baby is a boy, only because you are wearing a light blue top in your video. Hope you feel better soon and get plenty of rest!
Hi Jennifer! I completely understand the requests for comfortable shoes and bless your sole (pun intended) that you are able to wear flats! For me as a dance instructor I’ve suffered multiple metatarsal breaks and continue to deal with tendinitis and swelling daily. The best and most fashionable shoe I’ve found are Dansko brand shoes - not the clogs - but cute strappy sandals, chic ankle boots, even tall sophisticated rain/riding boots. I find that the arch and heel cup give me the support I need and most all are sensibily designed with straps to keep the shoes secure to the foot. Although in the recent years I’ve also found some additional rising stars in the orthodontic shoe stores: Abeo, Artrex, Vionic, and if you can
stand a heel, Earthies.
Congratulations on your bundle of joy! I am trailing right behind you with our first at 21 weeks. Thanks for being such and inspiration as a successful business woman and mom - but please rest! We will understand.
Joy and Blessings, LJ
Dear Jennifer, thank you for this uplifting and lovely video. I especially enjoyed the poem and will try to find the book. I feel you with your backpain. My backpain in the lower back increased with every pregnancy. I had one miscarriage and have two wonderful daughters aged 17 and 19. But one important reason for me to stop having children was the severe pain in my back. I wish you all the best and hope that the pain will stop when your baby will eventually move a little bit in a different direction. My guess for your baby's gender is: another boy! All the best to you! Inga
Hello Jennifer,
I've never cooked with copper but my chef husband says stainless steel all the way. It needs to be fairly heavy with an aluminum core as this helps distribute the heat. They are super easy to clean and last for years. If food does stick really badly, I put some water and a little baking soda, heat it up, then let it cool before washing it. Makes clean up super easy.
I love my stainless steel cookware. However, we do have a really nice Danish non-stick set also that are "green". They are called scanpans (https://www.scanpan.eu). We have loved this set of pans!
These shoes aren't quite as dressy, but I love the Sanuk yoga mat flip flops and sandals. Some of the styles are dressier than others. They are super comfortable and give me the support I need.
I loved your video today. Please rest and take it easy. I'm looking forward to your 10 item videos next week.
Jennifer,
Shoes from Born and Naturalizer are always high on comfort and vary in styles from casual to work appropriate. Your followers are familiar with Garnet Hill, as you've had dresses from them in your 10 Items. They currently have a Born sandal similar to the Sam Edelman:
https://www.garnethill.com/b-c3b8rn-braided-thong-sandals/shoes-accessories/shoes-boots/495795?&defattribvalue=main
Stainless steel cookware is my preference. I've had the same "affordable" pans for 20 years. However, I buy 1 non-stick skillet every 5 years or so, for the convenience of non-stick. When choosing new ones, keep in mind how you store your pots and pans when choosing what sizes/styles. Also, I find that being petite, the weight of the pans are important, too.
Thank you for sharing your parenting anecdotes! I laughed out loud and shared the mopping story with both my daughters :)
Here's to enjoying something beautiful every day,
MKL
Hi Jennifer,
I hope you’ll feel better soon, back pain is no fun and I’m sorry to hear that it’s been bothering you. It may be something as small as a pulled muscle, but it can get very unconfortable.
About cookware: after decades of home cooking and going through different materials, brands and sets, I realized that rather than buying a large set, I really need specific pots and pans, based on my cooking preferences. I prefer to use the oven quite a bit rather than frying and I love soups/stews. In that note, here is my advice:
- invest in a All Clad stainless steel stock pot, steamer, and turkey roaster They have a copper core line that I prefer and wait for sales to save money.
- invest in a couple of Le Creuset cast iron pieces of 3 and 5 qts ( there are quite heavy and hard on your wrists when handling them) - these are great to go from stovetop to the oven and to the table at the end. Nothing matches a roasted chicken in a dutch oven��
- buy ceramic cookware for your everyday cooking : it’s safe, easy to clean and lightweight. It’s also reasonably priced.
I would not buy copper, it’s too complicated to clean. For baking, I prefer Gold Touch line from Williams-Sonoma. They also have a meatloaf pan that I love.
As for comfortable shoes, I am partial to Clarks. I used to be a teacher, on my feet all day long, and this brand would save my feet. This year they introduced a soft cushion collection that is very comfy and stylish.
Thank you for the video and the poem, you always bring joy. Happy Summer!
Hi Ladies, It was such a joy to wake up this morning and read all of your comments. Thank you for your recommendations! You are truly helping me on the hunt for new pots and pans. And I know your shoe recommendations will help other people who have asked the question to me before. I am so grateful for you and love reading your comments. I'll see you on Thursday for a Bloopers video! With love, Jennifer
Ah! Thank you for expanding the comment section beyond Google so promptly!
About cookware: I had read in Cooks Illustrated a review of various cookware, and All-Clad came out on top. I bought it, and I am still very pleased with my purchase. Quality is really important in this area. One caveat, though: I would not buy an already assembled "set". Most of it is stuff that you will never use, and that constitutes clutter. I bought my All-Clad at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, one piece at a time, using a 20% off coupon for each piece. I only purchased what I knew I would use. As the years progress, I have added things that were not in the original "set" anyway: a saucier pan and a grill pan, most notable. And one doesn't need non-stick. In fact, it can work against some recipes. You cannot develop a fond in a sauté pan that is non-stick, so you cannot add wine and make a reduction. A reduction is one of the quickest, easiest ways to make a delicious, impressive meal. If you want non-stick, a cast iron pan, well-seasoned, is indispensable. It truly doesn't stick, it gets better with age, and it doesn't emit harmful fumes (take that Teflon! In your face!)
What a great idea to have a gender reveal cake made up the way that you did-I wish I had thought to do that with one of my 3 babies!
I hope you get the chance to take things a bit easier Jennifer as your body is performing a miracle right now growing a baby. It can be exhausting and it’s always best to listen to your body.
Best wishes as always,
Sarah www.livechicandwell.com
Hi Jennifer, here in England lots of women wear Superga plimsols in either black or white which are comfortable but smart. The Duchess of Cambridge is regularly photographed wearing these and she always looks very chic.
I love reading poetry to my daughter and one of our favourite collections are The Flower Fairies by Cecily Mary Barker. The books were given to me by my grandmother, and there is a collection of poems for each season. The language and illustrations are beautiful and I think you would enjoy sharing them with your girls.
Kind regards,
Elizabeth
Hello Jennifer,
I really enjoyed this video and chat! I rarely have responses to your questions, but today I have two!
For pans, like others, I've found that I like to buy separate pieces that suit my cooking needs rather than a set. We did some research and realised that we most likely damaged our non-stick pans by using them on too high heat. So, we replaced them with a non-stick pan from Le Creuset, only to be used at medium or low heat with non-metal utensils. Then we bought a stainless steel pan from De Buyer, to be used with metal utensils. We also have an 8 qt pot from All-Clad, and we use the All-Clad lid and a glass lid from an old non-stick pot as our two lids. I guess it sounds a little bit high-maintenance to have two frying pans and two sets of cooking utensils, but we have found that they are wearing a lot better now that we have the right tools for the different type of cooking that we do.
I consider myself an expert in comfortable shoes ;) I have to wear custom insoles all the time, and so it has been quite an event, trying to find comfortable shoes that suit that need. Clarks has a lot of really comfortable shoes and many options where you can remove the insole and replace them with either Superfeet or custom insoles to improve the cushioning. I personally love the Keesha Rosa and Keesha Luca styles - they have a small heel which is necessary for some of us with foot pain, removable insole, and the Keesha Rosa especially looks really lovely with skirts or pants.
Thanks again for a great video, it really lifted my spirits to hear the funny stories and about your gender reveal party!
There are new non-stick pans lined with ceramic that are wonder to cook with and easy to clean. Also, I've had Permanent stainless cookware for 30+ years, and it's still amazing. They used to do home parties (which I've never attended); they are expensive but worth every penny if you can locate them!
Forgot to mention shoes - Hotter brand from England offers wonderful shoes of all types - dressy, casual, sandals, etc. Plus Altra sneakers are great for problem feet, Olukai Pehuea slip on are wonderful, and Munros are great, too! Having foot issues for many years, it's taken me a long time to find comfort and styles that I like!
Hi Jennifer! I’ve read your books and follow your blog and YouTube channel but I’ve never commented. I love everything you put out there for us and you’ve inspired me in many ways. I also have two daughters and a son, ages 6, 4, and 2 this week! I’m sure our boys almost share a birthday! The mop story was hilarious! I also homeschool, so I love hearing about that from you.
For cookware, we use cast iron skillets, griddle, and Dutch oven, and I have three all-clad pans. An 8qt pot, 3 qt saucepan, and 1.5 qt saucepan. It was more reasonable for me to get individual pans than a whole set. The smallest saucepan I even got when they did a factory defects sale. It was about 50% (maybe even 70%) off and I can’t even find what’s wrong with it!
I’m sorry to hear about your back pain! It is disheartening when doctors don’t have any answers or real solutions for us. I highly recommend looking into a chiropractor who does prenatal, and/or a physical therapist. I’ve used both during pregnancies and they were completely life-changing. They helped so much with pain and discomfort.
Blessings to you!
Monica, from Iowa
Hi Jennifer!
I have a few ideas for some of your questions:
1. I absolutely adore my All Clad stainless steel pots. I don't use the pans because I find them hard to clean. I actually end up using my Le Creuset enameled cast iron french oven in place of a non-stick skillet. I have a few of them and will use the larger or smaller ones depending on my needs for the day. They are SO easy to clean and they don't have the bad non-stick coating. Plus, they don't scratch!
2. I am a physical therapist and have a few recommendations for shoes. I suppose it all depends on what your lifestyle needs are. For instance, I can't wear open-toed shoes to work. I really love these brands for both sandals and actual shoes: NAOT, Mephisto, Merrell, Ecco. While they aren't the fanciest shoes, you can usually find something fairly attractive that can get you through the day without an actual sneaker, and then you can wear your designer shoes to dinner! I love ballet flats, but they aren't usually the most supportive shoes. For people with flat feet, you can get a partial-length over-the-counter dress orthotic by SuperFeet (sold at running shoe stores, Nordstrom, and Amazon of course). This makes the ballet flats so much more comfortable to me. For those people with high arches, this wouldn't be a great solution (you need the opposite of arch support!), so visiting a PT that can make a custom pair of dress orthotics can be really helpful. If you have a normal arch, lucky you!!
3. If your back pain persists, you can ask your OB for a referral to PT. I would try to find someone that specializes in women's health or at least someone that frequently treats pregnant women. It can be really helpful!
I absolutely love your channel and books! I recently found that I am pregnant myself and am anxiously awaiting your maternity 10 item wardrobe next week! All the best to you and your lovely family. Thanks for helping to make the world a better place! :-)
I recently bought the Josef Seibel Caspian shoes in silver and I love them! I think they are a good neutral and while I probably wouldn't wear them with a dress I feel they look a lot more "put together" than wearing actual workout sneakers.
https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/josef-seibel-caspian-sneaker/3147969
I benefit from perusing your website. Many thanks!
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