Ask Jules!

Need help with something?

JC Leg Up 6Sept18

Here’s the place to get your questions answered.

Just leave a comment below.

Jx

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607 Comments

    • Hi Kim!

      Caroline my assistant will email you when this is all done πŸ™‚

      Thanks for being part of Simple Meal Plans!

  • Hi Caroline
    I am participating in SSIBH.
    Jules gave us an address to enable accessing the content, unfortunately I didn’t write it down.
    Please will you send me how to obtain the information
    Thanks
    Shona

  • Hello Jules

    I can’t seem to find the Joy of Cooking class on the website. Could you point me in the right direction.

    Thanks

    Blythe

    • So sorry for being confusing Blythe!

      The Joyful Cooking material will be on a separate website – will explain everything in our first call next week.

      Excited to get started with you!

  • Dear Jules,
    Would you ever consider putting together “meat-less” meal plans? With recipes that are MEANT to be made without meat (but with dairy, eggs etc.) rather than simply substituting for the meat with a vegetarian protein source ? I am asking because I love your recipes and am a subscriber to your meal plans, but as a vegetarian/ pescatarian I find myself being disappointed when I have to constantly substitute. I wished there was the option of an entire meal plan with recipes that are just for ‘us’ non-meat-eaters… πŸ˜‰
    Just a suggestion πŸ™‚

    • I have done completely meat-free plans in the past Sunny –

      But decided to keep it simple because I do give the variations.

      Thanks for the suggestion though.

      What if instead of feeling disappointed about substituting – you chose to see it as a fun adventure?

  • I need to cancel my subscription with SMP. I have really enjoyed being a member of the Simple Meal Plan group. Thank you!

    • Hi Diane!

      Caroline will look after this and email you.

      Thanks for being a part of Simple Meal Plans!
      Jx

  • Hi Jules, When a recipe calls for neutral flavored oil, what do you usually use?
    Thanks!
    Amy

  • Hi Jules, I don’t want to lose touch with you.
    The thing is that I’m in a healmyknees (and body) class that started in mid January. It’s intensive and I have to stay with it. I like it tho it’s a bit challenging.
    Anyway, I can’t follow all the things you’re doing. Besides I don’t know where I would be in your process. It seems too complicated to follow. I realize I can’t be in 2 groups ( or 3 with Courtney’s decluttering group).
    We get back to Bainbridge Island WA on March 12th. Then I leave on a cruise to a river in Portugal with my wool embroidery teacher to work on a project. I will have to start the project before I leave on the cruise. Cruise is from March 27th to April 6th. I think I want to set up a coaching call with you. Not sure of the times available. I’m in Central time US. I guess that’s it for now. BTW, I have not managed to lose hardly any weight. I know what I need to do, eat less carbs. But I’m caving into 2 guys who like carbs. Anyway, Jules, looking forward to connecting with you. Big long-distance hugs. Lisa

  • Somewhere on the website you talked about burned food and it being dangerous to eat. So, does this mean, for example, if there is a burn (black or charred) on some fries I’m making they’re not good to eat? Where does one begin drawing the line?

    Thanks in advance for your reply.

    • GOOD question David – It’s one of those things that is cumulative – so having a little bit here and there isn;t a big deal but having lots of burnt bits over a lifetime causes inflammation and can be carcinogenic.

      So it’s up to you to trust your judgement on the amount

  • I’m curious, so thought I’d ask, what was your experience at El Bulli like? (It was a dream for you to go there?) Did you meet Ferran? (although I don’t think he speaks English) I imagine the town and the surrounds of restaurant were also quite amazing.

    • It was incredible David!

      Yes I met Ferran – he spoke a little English and was very charming in an unassuming way.

      Definitely a memorable experience πŸ™‚

  • Jules! It’s sat night. Just saw you and your Irishman at Onzieme. I booked w friends on your recommendation last year. The seasonal, wood fired menu was fab. Felt a bit hustled out by the waitstaff before their second sitting of the evening. I would’ve said hi if we’d not been mid course. Hope you guys had a lovely night too! Hannah

  • Jules! It’s sat night. Just saw you and your Irishman at Onzieme. I booked w friends on your recommendation last year. The seasonal, wood fired menu was fab. Felt a bit hustled out by the waitstaff before their second sitting of the evening. I would’ve said hi if we’d not been mid course. Hope you guys had a lovely night too! Hannah

  • Hi Jules,
    One of the ways I simplify my cooking and shopping is that I only buy 2 types of onions – yellow cooking onions and green onions (occasionally). I use the the yellow onions for recipes that call for shallots and leeks. Am I missing something or would you concur this makes cooking simpler.

  • Could you remove me from the weekly menu planning group. We have some medical issues in our family and I have not been able to make use of it recently.

    Thank you,
    Allegra From

    • Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell Allegra – My assistant Caroline will take care of this for you and email you when she’s back from holidays.

  • Hello Jules,
    Wishing you, your family, and Caroline a lovely summer holiday!!
    I am enjoying the content, while you are away.
    Best regards, Robin

    • Fantastic Robin!

      I’m still checking messages here (just taking a break from emails).

      Hope you are having a lovely Summer too.

  • just a minor annoyance: When I click through from your Monday email using the >> SEE FULL ‘RECIPE’ HERE << link, I land on the login page that requires 2 clicks (even though my login/pw is auto-filled) and then takes me to the page with my collections, thus requiring me to either find the recipe on my own or return to the email and click again.
    Can you all shorten this journey for me? thanks–Beth
    Elizabeth Kelly

    • Sorry Elizabeth – the only thing I can think is to log in first and then go back to the email.

      Will ask my tech guy if there’s something we can do from the settings as well.

    • Actually Elizabeth – I had a look at the settings myself – I’ve changed it so you should now get a message that says welcome back instead of redirecting you when you log in – let me know if that’s any better.

  • Hi Jules! I can’t seem to find the challenge chart for β€˜guilt free December’. Where can I find it?
    -thanks, Kim

    • Oh sorry Kim!
      It’s there on the replay page now (under the video in the ‘resources’ section)

      And I”ve also posted it in Circle – will create a new Imagine challenge folder this week – because there are prizes for my Naturally Healthy members πŸ™‚

  • Jules,

    I really love SMP, but I find I’m not using it enough to justify the cost right. Is there a way to pause or cancel my subscription?

  • Jules, if there is anyone who can help me it is you. And your awesome website. I am hosting a child’s birthday party in which dinner needs to be included. Originally we were going to go the fully catered route at the venue. But now I’m starting to think with all rsvps accepting, that self catering the way to go. The issue is whatever I bring for everyone to eat, it needs to be cooked / put together at home and transported to a place 2 hours away with no kitchen facilities. There are shops around. Can you point me to anywhere on this website to help guide me create something awesome for a group of 8 year olds. Any advice, warnings or good ideas will be gratefully accepted. Cheers, longtime lover of this website….Bella.

    • ooh Bella! That sounds like a tall order but we can find something for you.

      Is it just 8 year olds that you are catering for? Or adults as well?

      • Glad it is not just me questioning the viability of this. Guests include 8 year olds, siblings and parents. So basically everyone.

        I have had a lot of success with your Christmas menu. I’m trying to remember if that came from the stress free entertaining section. I guess I’m wondering if you have something similar with a non cooking picnic entertaining vibe. In no way do I want to stress you out with this question. I’m hoping there is a section on your website pre-written you can direct me to.

        The best I have come up with so far is shaved ham salad wraps. And then lots of junk food which I won’t go into here. Hahaha.

        Cheers, Bella

    • Glad it’s been fun Cheryl!

      My assistant Caroline will look after completing your membership and will email when it’s done πŸ™‚

    • Fantastic Doug! Will get Caroline to take care of this for you next week and email you when it’s all sorted.

      All the best

  • Hi Jules – If you are up for it, I’d love a recipe for injera. So many of your recipes would be good eaten Ethiopian style! I’ve tried traditional injera, but found it stinky, fussy, and difficult to cook. Maybe chickpea four instead of teff better? How do I get the bubbly, sourdough quality so I have the flavor and sponginess?

    • ooh I’m not familiar with Injera Melodee – will have to do some research. Thanks for the request!

  • HI Jules,

    I accidentally unsubscribed from the email notifying me that the meal plan for the week was posted via Apple’s auto-unsubscribe thing when I fumbled my phone. I can’t figure out how to undo it so I get the email again. Please help.

    Thanks,

    Erin

  • I’d like to cancel my recurring payments to you, but cannot find anywhere on your site to do that.

  • Hi Jules,
    Thanks for the salmon salad recipe-since it is Lent, the timing is perfect.

    I love that you call your honey your Irishman-makes me smile every time. My 17 yo son asked me on St. Patrick’s Day if we were Irish. So surprised me that he didn’t know we were – I have red hair and the fairest skin in North America!

    I am struggling with using the meal plans because I am cooking for just myself and somehow it’s just easier to eat salad or quinoa w/veg or some yogurt w/fruit. Do you have any words of wisdom? Thanks and blessings to you!

    Catherine

    • Hi Catherine!

      Hope you had a lovely St Patrick’s Day πŸ™‚

      If you’re struggling – you just need to question the thought that ‘it’s easier to eat salad or quinoa’. Could there be other things that are just as easy but are going to give you variety and better nutrition? It’s just that you haven’t discovered them yet.

      And then start small – just choose one recipe from this week’s meal plan. You can have your salad / quinoa on the other nights but just having one new meal a week will make a difference.

      And if you’re cooking for yourself – you actually have an advantage because you can save the second serving for another night – which will be even easier!

      How does that sound for a plan?
      Jx

  • Hi Jules,

    What is double cream called in the United States? Of course I always look at dessert first. πŸ™‚

    Thanks,

    Catherine

    • You actually can’t get double cream in the US Catherine – it’s one of the things I really missed when I was living in California. So you’ll have to make do with heavy cream. It will work just won’t be as rich (double cream is about 50% fat)

      Always good to look at dessert first πŸ™‚

  • Hi Jules,

    I am new to your Meal Plans and one of my concerns for my family is that my husband, adult son and I carry varying amounts of excess weight. I think that your focus in your recipes is low carb but you seem to use cream and mayo often. Also, I notice that your recipes only report carbs and proteins in the nutritional info guide. What is your take on fats? My husband and I also need to be concerned about cholesterol and I am wondering if your recipes cater for this at all?
    Kind regards,

    Heather L.

    • Thanks for reaching out Heather!

      If your goal is weight loss then I highly highly recommend experimenting with the low carb approach I follow for Simple Meal Plans.

      If you want to learn more about why and how low carb works then read this article from Diet Doctor https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/weight-loss

      When you eat low carb you need to get your energy from somewhere which is why I include fat in my recipes.

      With cholesterol, most people find low carb helpful for increasing their β€˜healthy’ HDL cholesterol and decreasing the unhealthy LDL cholesterol. Low carb also helps reduce triglyceride levels as well. If you’d like more resources on this let me know.

      Does that help?

      • Thanks, Jules. Sorry for my confusion over where to see your reply. I did receive an email with your second response. Thank you!
        Talking about confusion, it can be very hard to navigate the range of ways to approach diet, can’t it? I have read the resource you suggested.
        I think your lower carb approach is worth a try – in particular I think my husband and son eat too much carbohydrate, I eat less but I have benefited from the recipes already. So we’ll continue!

        Thanks for your help.

        Regards, Heather

        • So glad it got through this time Heather!

          Yes I know it can be hard to navigate the conflicting information out there – one of the reasons it’s conflicting is that we are all different – and what works for one person isn’t necessarily the best for another.

          The good news is you are the expert on your own body and situation so all you need to do is experiment until you find an approach that you’re happy with.

          If you have any more questions as you continue on your low cab journey, just let me know.

          I’m here to help you!

          Jx

  • My husband wants Keto- carnivore meals most every day. I am trying to get my young teen, athletic boys more veggies. Is there a way to β€œtoggle search” for Keto friendly recipes? Thanks!

  • So I made the juicy meatloaf….subbed carrots for zucchini. Was good but the meat was a bit tough. Used 90% organic beef. I may have kneaded it too much but I had to to mix in the carrot shreds. Also, made the tomato Pesto (Yum)…wasn’t sure what the consistency s/b. I was afraid to keep adding oil to make it a bit more liquidity. Mine was very thick. Overall very good meal…just need to tweak a bit.

    • Did you add the salt to the beef Loretta? It will make a difference to the texture. The other cause of toughness would be the type of beef – if it’s more coarsely ground it can make an impact. And carrot wouldn’t add as much moisture as zucchini – so that could be something else to experiment with.

      FOr the pesto – I like it quite chunky – but if you prefer a runnier sauce you can always add a little water at the end to get the consistency you want πŸ™‚

      Have fun tweaking and experimenting πŸ™‚

  • Hi Jules,
    It’s time to say thank you, again, for all you’ve done for me since I became a member. Yes, I’m eating better, and cooking is way simpler and more creative. But I’ve also discovered that the creativity you’ve unleashed in my cooking extends to other areas of my life. This morning I was able to come with a really good solution to the crazy-making sleeves on the sweater I’m knitting, and I’m certain that it’s because the training you’ve offered, the example you have set, has enabled me to think more freely, think better. So thank you. My SMP membership has truly been a worthwhile investment.

  • can I use a blender in place of processor?

    Love your food substitutions and explanations at the end of each recipe…awesome!

    • For liquid things like soups and sauces blenders can be used instead Loretta.

      But for most solid things, the food will get caught in the top of the blender and won’t come in contact with the blade so it won’t work.

      Glad you’re enjoying the substitutions!

  • Some of your pages are flagged as not secure and dangerous. Worried about moving forward to them for security reasons.

    • Thanks for letting me know Loretta – there’s nothing to worry about –

      It’s just that my tech guy hasn’t been able to update the SSL (security certificate) for my old URL (stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com). The new website (smp.to) is up to date for security – so it’s only old links that are causing the problem.

      Sorry to worry you. We are working to get it fixed.

  • Hi Jules, I’m wondering if you could give me some tips on poaching eggs. I’ve made the Malaysian Golden Egg Curry several times, and I find it very difficult to get the eggs to stay in one piece and to cook enough (my husband likes the yolks less than really runny). The eggs always seem to remain raw on top unless I somehow manage to get them turned over.

  • Hi Jules. I’m not getting any of your weekly emails, even though I’m a member. The last email I received was in October. I’ve sent a few emails to you about this but haven’t heard back. Can you please help me fix this as my inspiration is waning without the regular check ins. Thanks, Lisa

  • Hi Jules. ive had to give up milk and cream. but i can have butter (something to do with milk proteins)
    i want to make chocolate truffles. can i use butter instead of cream? or even avocado?

    thanks
    annette

    • Yes Anne you can use butter instead of cream or the other option would be coconut milk or other non-dairy milk. I wouldn’t recommend avocado though.

  • Hi Jules,
    I really enjoyed the mindful eating masterclass!
    I started using your tips at dinner last night and I felt so
    much better after eating ?
    Thank you so much for a great website.and all you do!
    Have a wonderful holiday ?
    Valerie

  • Hello Jules, I am preparing to quarantine for 2 weeks so that my family and I can visit, stress free, with my 88 year old mother in law. I have really appreciated the shopping list function but would also love a way to list recipes by ingredient in my collections so that I know which recipes to fix first to take advantage of perishable ingredients. Is there already a way to do this? Thank you so much for all that you do!

    • Wow Shauna

      That’s so lovely to are quarantining so you can visit your mother in law.

      There are 2 options >>

      1. You can move the recipes into different locations – so you could manually move the ones with the more perishable ingredients earlier in the week etc. Just click on the = sign next to each recipe in the collection and drag to move.

      2. You can add notes to the collection so you could write yourself a note as to which recipes to cook first.

      I’m afraid you can’t list or organise them by ingredient.

      Does that help? I can make a quick video explaining what I mean if you need more.

      Jx

  • Hi Jules.

    If I cancel my subscription will I be immediately locked out of my account or will I have access to what I have saved and then not be able to see any new recipes?

    • Glad you asked Susan!

      When you cancel you will have access to the site for as long as you’ve paid for. You won’t be locked out immediately.

      But then once that date is passed and your membership has expired you won’t be able to access anything.

      Jx

  • Jules,
    Love the recipes … if only prepared in my dreams! Would like to find a carnivore/keto recipe for mayo. I plugged “keto mayo” into the search and fell down a rabbit hole of wonderful keto recipes … but found nothing related to mayo. (Did enjoy the excursion, tho) What am I doing wrong? Many thanks, Laurel

    • Lovely Laurel!

      Here’s my stick blender mayo recipe – i make it all the time.

      It’s definitely keto I just haven’t called it keto πŸ™‚ Which is why keto mayo didn’t come up in the search results.

      Just shout if you need help with finding anything else
      Jx

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