Episode 2115 - Unleash Your Inner Chef at Home

Ignite family fun in the kitchen with Ashley Craft's new cookbook, Weeknight Wonders! 🌟 From the bestselling author of the beloved Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook series, this is your passport to delicious, themed meals that bring everyone together.

Weeknight Wonders is more than just a cookbook—it's a year-long adventure! With 52 weeks of themed dinners, you'll get 156 family-friendly recipes that celebrate cultures and holidays from around the globe. Imagine:

* Japan Week with homemade sushi rolls and instant ramen with a twist.
* France Week featuring fresh crepes and savory steak frites.
* Halloween Week with spooky spider dip and "scream" brownies! 👻

Cook, Play, and Make Memories! 🍽️

This book is designed to get the whole family involved, with helpful tips tailored for every age group, from the littlest helpers (3+) to budding sous-chefs (17+). Let your kids choose the next theme, gather ingredients, and bond over the joy of creating something delicious together.

Why You Need This Cookbook Now 🤩

* Solve the "What's for Dinner?" Dilemma: Say goodbye to boring meal plans.
* Combat Picky Eaters: Introduce new flavors and cultures in an exciting, engaging way.
* Create Lasting Family Memories: Every recipe is a chance to learn, play, and connect.

Get The Book: https://a.co/d/dQtgIq2

Bio: Ashley Craft is a bestselling author and expert on Disney Parks cuisine, celebrated for her "unofficial" cookbooks that bring the magic of Disney's food and drinks to home kitchens. As a child, she grew up just 15 minutes from Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and was so immersed in the park's magic that she could recite the Star Tours ride by heart and navigate the park without a map. This lifelong passion for all things Disney, including two internships at Walt Disney World, has made her a leading voice in recreating beloved theme park treats.

Through her popular blog, Ashley Crafted, and her series of bestselling books, including The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook and The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe Book, Ashley helps fans recreate nostalgic and iconic snacks like Dole Whip, Mickey Pretzels, and LeFou's Brew. Her "unofficial" approach focuses on developing easy, budget-friendly recipes from her own kitchen, making the magic of Disney accessible to everyone. Ashley has also expanded her work to include recipes from Universal Theme Parks.

A sought-after guest on podcasts and a featured author on platforms like Simon & Schuster, Ashley Craft is the go-to source for anyone looking to experience the flavors of Disney and other theme parks without leaving home. Her books have been featured on bestseller lists, and she continues to share her culinary adventures and expertise on social media.

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Discover the World of Ash Brown: AshSaidit.com & The Ash Said It Show
AshSaidit.com: A vibrant lifestyle blog and event platform, AshSaidit.com is your gateway to Ash's world. Here you'll find exclusive event invitations, honest product reviews, and a wealth of engaging content designed to inform and inspire. It's the perfect online destination to stay connected and get your daily dose of Ash's unique personality and insights.

The Ash Said It Show: With over 2,100 episodes and over half a million global listens, "The Ash Said It Show" is a powerful and popular podcast. Ash engages in meaningful conversations with inspiring guests, diving into topics that truly matter. Listeners gain valuable life lessons, encouragement, and practical advice to help them navigate their own journeys.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
What are goot? Grab the world.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is your girl, the one and only Ash Brown,
and this is the ashe It Show. Over twenty one
hundred episode since twenty fourteen, half a million streams around
the world. None of this is possible without you, guys,
So I thank you so so very much. Today we
have one of my favorite people. I mean, she's definitely

(00:25):
a contributor to those twenty one hundred episodes because we've
talked about all her wonderful cookbooks, a lot of them
inspired by some of our favorite places in the world.
And so today we're talking about a brand new cookbook
that dropped today September sixteenth. Woot, We've got Ashley Kraft. Hey, Ashley, Hey,

(00:48):
ash how's it going.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
It's going great. How are you? I'm great. I'm doing
really great.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
It is so exciting and this time of year is awesome.
And you know, we're still we're spending so much time
at home and I've been even getting into the kitchen
a little bit more, just preparing stuff. It's just easier, better,
cheaper in many aspects of it. Yes, but you know,
so many people know you so much from of course

(01:15):
your unofficial Disney and unofficial Universal Parks Cooks Books. So
how did that experience, particularly focusing on the creativity side
of things and the theme Parks, how did that influence
the concept for Weeknight Wonders.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
I think that that was kind of my first foray
into dishes that kids and families would really appreciate and
want to see served at home. Yeah, and this is
my first, you know, original work that isn't based off
of recipes from the theme Parks. So I was able

(01:55):
to compile the dishes that our family loves and find
new dishes that will become favorites. And it was really
fun to put together.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yes, and this book is about more than just recipes.
It's about family bonding and creating those memories. Now, can
you share any personal stories that maybe influenced this new cookbook?

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
So it was actually six years ago, like to the day,
that I came up with this idea, and it was
because I had really picky eaters in my home. So
this was in twenty nineteen. So my oldest Chios now twelve,
was six and he was such a picky eater that
he was like underweight, like super underweight, and so he

(02:44):
was needing to get medical help for how poorly he
was eating, and so I was willing to try anything
to try and get him to be eating the things
that we were having at the dinner table. And so
I came up with this thought that I said, maybe
if I can involve him and my other kids in
the cooking process, they would be able to see what

(03:06):
goes into a dish and then not be so afraid
of it and they could understand, Okay, I picked like
the spices that went into this. I saw it's mostly
butter and potatoes or whatever, like I want to eat this.
So that was my start of it. And I thought,
also if we could get his friends involved, that he
could see that his friends were eating the same kind

(03:28):
of foods that he was. So I created this thing
that I called the Cool Kids Cooking Club and.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
That became weeknight Wonders. Wow.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Now, like you, I'm sure many parents out there they
struggle with time.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
And energy on weeknights.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
What's your secret to making these themed multi dish meals
manageable but fun?

Speaker 1 (03:53):
So first of all, I.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Would say, try to only tackle one of the recipes
per day, so instead of it being you know, multi dish,
maybe only do one like fully cooked dish that you're
doing from the book and then maybe just add, you know,
a canned vegetable or fruit something like that on the side.
But you don't have to overdo it, but also make

(04:16):
it something to look forward to, because if your kids
are encouraging you to do it, then you're.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
More likely to be doing it.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
So if you say in the morning, as they're getting
ready for school, hey, guys, we're going to be making
a recipe tonight from Weeknight Wonders, they're going to be
hopefully excited about that and thinking.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
About it during the day.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Wait when they get home.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
They're going to remind you.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
So it's it's hard to miss if you've got your
kids saying, hey, you said we were going to make
this recipe, so let's do it.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
And what I also love about this cookbook is that
it kind of helps families and kids, you know, travel.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
The globe with all the themed weeks.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
From Japan weeks do you Know Friends Week? How did
you choose which cultures and which holidays to feature?

Speaker 3 (04:58):
I really tried to get a good sampling of most
of the globe. I actually like took out a map
and put little thoughts on all the different regions that
I was highlighting and wanted to make sure that I
was giving a good overview of the world, and just
kind of thinking, like, so, I live in Minnesota, and

(05:21):
I have a lot of neighbors who are from Somalia
and India, and I haven't been wanting to get to
know those cultures better because they are my neighbors. And
it gave me the thought, you know, Americans have neighbors
from all over the world, so I wanted to make
sure that we got a taste of those cultures so

(05:42):
that maybe if you just had a neighbor who moved
in from Brazil, you could say, oh, I've got this book,
that I might be able to find some common ground
to reach out and be friends with them.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yes, oh wow, So you know, going back to the
cool Kids Cooking Club and we have this book. So
what is your ultimate hope for weeknight wonders?

Speaker 3 (06:06):
I really hope that families can come together in the kitchen.
I think that's you know, my number one goal is
to just have have dinner time be a place of
joy and peace for families instead of a place that's
conflict and strife, which I think it can be for
a lot of families, and.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
I love that kids.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
Are getting the opportunity to learn more about other countries,
other cultures and maybe step out of their comfort zone
as far as their culinary taste.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
Right, and with fifty two themed weeks, I would hope
that the kiddos were helping you with some input. Were
they were they giving you their their takes on different things?

Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, for sure. I luckily have my own team of
taste testers in house, so I got lots of great
feedback from them.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Cool cool, cool ebes.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
And you know, for families that are considering, you know,
getting the book, of course, you know it's available today.
It's available pretty much everywhere. Correct, it's an Amazon, yes,
everywhere books are sold. People can get this up for
their families. And for that family with the picky eater,
what suggestions would you give to them today?

Speaker 3 (07:25):
So I really do think that if you can get
your children to help prepare the meal, that the chances
of them eating it just goes up exponentially because it's
something that they've created.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
It's an art.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
Project for them, and it's a living art project that
they get to be a part of, and the finishing
stroke on that painting is tasting it and so I
think like having those kids come in and say, which
you know, smell these spices? Which which smells good to you?
Do you think a little human and this is going
to be delicious? Do you want to try garlic powder?
Like you know, have them smell it, try it. Get

(08:00):
them involved, like they can chop something, they can they
can stir something, you know, whatever age they are, there's
something for them to do there, and they're going to
take ownership of that. And you'll be surprised at how
they want to not only eat that dish, but make
a dish the next day and the next day.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yes, Now, without taking away from anything else that's in
the book.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
For you personally, you're the author, you're the curator of
this book. What we stands out as your maybe.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Your favorite or maybe maybe there's two or three in particular,
which one stand out to you the most?

Speaker 3 (08:37):
Well, right when you said that, the first thing that
popped into my mind was Hawaii, which is one of
my favorites because I feel like it's the perfect blend
of dishes, especially if you like to host like I do.
I love having people over, and so it's so great
to be able to make the terioky chicken with the

(08:59):
macaroni south Lid and a pineapple upside down cake. I
mean it really all pulls together and makes.

Speaker 1 (09:04):
A delicious meal.

Speaker 3 (09:06):
I think you'll find many of the weeks are like
that too. That lends itself to having people over and
having a great time with family and friends.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yes, and of course, Ashley, let everyone know the best
way to get the book and to say in you know,
in contact or stay up to date with what you
have gone on.

Speaker 3 (09:25):
Yeah, so you can order the book wherever you like.
Quarto dot Us is where is the company that I
published through this time, Quarto Books, And so it should
be available, like you said, at any bookstore, especially on
Amazon or wherever you like. If you'd like to look
me up, my Instagram handle is unofficial Taste Tester and

(09:46):
I always love from hearing from readers, so.

Speaker 1 (09:49):
Shoot a message definitely.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well again, congratulations on yet another fantastical book, Ashley.

Speaker 1 (09:56):
I get excited every time. So much for having me.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
I love you. You're so wonderful and so successful and.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
Well, thank you so much, I mean too, I mean
pretty successful.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Ashley's on the line here, all right, watch that.

Speaker 3 (10:17):
Going on?

Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yes we do, and I appreciate each and every one
of you.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
Guys.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
Thank you so much for your love and support. Keeping
in mind.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
Anyone to tell you that you can't do what you
want to do, you look them square in the face,
you tell them, don't believe me. Just watch watch what
I do. Watch me make it happen, Watch me make history.
That's what we're doing this for the history books. Social
media is nice, but real life is so much better.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
Until next time, you guys,