144. Meal Prep for Microbakery Owners, with Cassy Joy Garcia
The simplest way to do meal prep when you run a microbakery is one short prep day where you cook three things at once: a pork shoulder in the slow cooker, a bag of sweet potatoes in the oven, and a big pan of roasted vegetables. Those three things turn into at least three meals, so dinner is mostly made before your bake days even start. That is the plan my guest Cassy Joy Garcia gave me when I asked her what a worn-out baker should do with the couple of hours she has left after a market weekend. Cassy is the New York Times bestselling author of Cook Once, Eat All Week and her newest book, The Protein Meal Prep Plan, and I have cooked from her books almost every single week for a couple of years. We talked about what to eat when you work straight through lunch, why she pairs protein with fiber, and the freezer dumpling soup she takes from 13 grams of protein to about 45. We also got into running a business with three kids at home, why you are the best person to tell the story of your own bakery, and how to stop treating your wins like a fluke! Key takeaways One prep day, three things. Cassy's example is a pork shoulder in the slow cooker, a whole bag of baked sweet potatoes, and roasted bell peppers and broccoli. Mix and match them all week, like a loaded potato with barbecue sauce one night. Give yourself a lunch zone. You already keep snacks your kids can grab without asking. Keep a spot in the fridge and pantry with food ready for you, too. Make three jar salads at a time in 24 ounce wide-mouth mason jars. Dressing goes in the bottom, crunchy vegetables next, and lettuce at the very top. Plan for the week you do not prep. Cassy keeps frozen soup dumplings, a jar of broth and canned chickpeas on hand. Half a can of rinsed chickpeas plus the broth takes the dumplings from 13 grams of protein to about 45, with about 15 grams of fiber. If you add protein, add fiber with it. Cassy says piling on protein alone leads to digestive trouble. Set an alarm to eat. When Cassy was working hard on her health, she set one on her phone for 12:45 every day. Do not write off a great month or a great launch as chance. Cassy calls that the fastest way to unlearn from your good results. Text the win to someone you love the moment it happens. You are the best person to tell the story of your business and your product. After more than 15 years, Cassy says she is still learning that one. Small things that save her time: a car basket that holds everything going to and from school, doubling a meal she is already cooking for a meal train so one goes in her own freezer, and giving her husband a login to the grocery cart. Come build a bakery that fits your life alongside us in The Bread Winner Inner Circle: https://www.carolinebower.com/innercircle Links to things you might like! Cassy's blog, Fed and Fit: https://fedandfit.com Cassy's new book, The Protein Meal Prep Plan: https://link.amazon/B019JjMIB Follow Cassy on Instagram (@fedandfit): https://www.instagram.com/fedandfit/ Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/144-how-to-feed-your-family-on-the-busiest-bake-weeks/id1753979437?i=1000793839422 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwRtIBvNc10 The Bread Winner Inner Circle: https://www.carolinebower.com/innercircle Download the FREE guide and checklist, Your First Steps to a Successful In-Home Bakery: https://www.carolinebower.com/checklist Grab the Profit & Pricing Calculator: https://www.carolinebower.com/calculator Join my email list: https://carolinebower.myflodesk.com/newsletter Find all of my sourdough microbakery favorites, including packaging, pans, and bins: https://www.carolinebower.com/links Send me a voicemail on SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/breadwinnerpodcast Follow me on Instagram (@carolinebower_sourdough) for more microbakery tips: https://www.instagram.com/carolinebower_sourdough