1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Hi. This is Laura Vanderkam. I'm a mother of four, 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: an author, journalist, and speaker. And this is Sarah Hart Hunger. 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: I'm a mother of three, practicing physician and blogger. On 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: the side, we are two working parents who love our 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: careers and our families. Welcome to best of both worlds. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Here we talk about how real women manage work, family, 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: and time for fun. From figuring out childcare to mapping 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: out long term career goals. We want you to get 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: the most out of life. Welcome to best of both worlds. 10 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura. This is episode one hundred and fourteen. Today, 11 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: Sarah and I are going to be interviewing Cassie Joy Garcia, 12 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: who is the brains behind the Fed and Fit blog 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: and also the author of a new cookbook called Cook Once, 14 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: Eat All Week, which, as we all know, is sort 15 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: of the goal in cooking is to spend less time 16 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: on it and still have fresh, healthy dinners. So I 17 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: know a lot of our listeners are going to be 18 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: very excited to listen to her story building her business, 19 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: building this brand, solving problems for busy parents, and how 20 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: she runs a business as the mom of a toddler. 21 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: There may also be a little bit about what she 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: feeds the toddler. We were pretty impressed by better than 23 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: what I feed my kids. But so, yeah, what are 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: you eating these days, Sarah? Yeah, so I thought it 25 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: would be fun to kick off with Well, you guys, 26 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: you know we we we outsource these food episodes because 27 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: Laura and I vote do a lot of outsourcing of 28 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: our own meals at home, and we know that you 29 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: all are looking for information if you're more doing it 30 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: yourself or you know, other methods other than having someone 31 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: do it for you. But I thought it would just 32 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: be fun to kind of share what we're doing currently, 33 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: and I wrote down what we ate last week so 34 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: that you could get kind of a real flavor. Pardon 35 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: the double on tong, sorry. So, our nanny still does 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: the shopping ninety percent of the time. Sometimes we'll pick 37 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: up some extra stuff on the weekend, but it's generally her. 38 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: We tend to shop at both Whole Foods and Public's 39 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: intermittently because I do have some things that I prefer 40 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: at Whole Foods that I'm picky about. And she still 41 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: does most of the cooking, and sometimes I do cook 42 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,839 Speaker 1: on a weekend. I will say since Genevieve was born. 43 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: That's happened less and less I miss it. Unlike Laura, 44 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: I actually really do enjoy cooking. I used to really 45 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: enjoy just sort of getting cut of zen and putting 46 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: on music. Now i'd probably be putting on a podcast 47 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: and chopping stuff and making something with my hands. So 48 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,239 Speaker 1: I do look forward to my kids being a little 49 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: older and maybe taking back some of that responsibility, or 50 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: at least doing more on the weekends for fun. But 51 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: that's where we are right now. And last week, on Monday, 52 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: we ate salmon, sweet potatoes and green beans, which is 53 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: a very common Monday meal in our household, just because 54 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: it's you know, I'd rather eat the fish fresh and 55 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: it's just so easy. On Tuesday, we ate a recipe 56 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: from the book Dinner Illustrated, which is by the America's 57 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: Test Kitchen Team, and I also found it on the 58 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 1: Bloe The Frugal Girl, and it's a fantastic cookbook because 59 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: most of the recipes don't have a ton of ingredients 60 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: and I love that about it, and they're good. So 61 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: we had this chicken tigamasala with it has cauliflower in 62 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: it and it has white rice and my kids love it, 63 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: so we had that on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we had 64 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: just kind of a regular spaghetti with meat sauce that 65 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: our Nanni made, I don't know if she used a 66 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: recipe or not, and we had broccoli with that. And 67 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: then on Thursday we just had leftovers of Tuesday's dinner. 68 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: And on Friday we had leftovers of Wednesday's dinner. And 69 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: on Saturday, Josh and I were out and the kids 70 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: ate scrambled eggs that I made and toasted vegetables from 71 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: the freezer, and then on Sunday we well, it was 72 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: a kind of not the most random week because we 73 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: kind of had a hurricane warning and all this kind 74 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: of stuff was going on, but we heated up two 75 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: frozen pizzas from the freezer and had them with some 76 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: salad that we had in the fridge. So yeah, that 77 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: was our week last night, So what do you guys 78 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: up to these days? Well, we often will have a 79 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: frozen pizza night when we're doing this, well, on say 80 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: a Sunday night, we'll have the Dejorno's four cheese pizza 81 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: for the kids, that's the one they like, and then 82 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: find something more adult friendly for us. Oh, we totally 83 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: ate the pizza just so yeah, I mean it was 84 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,119 Speaker 1: like it was Amy's brand. But yeah, well I've tried 85 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: to find a good frozen pizza that I like. I mean, 86 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: it was something with some greens and veggies, and I 87 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: don't know, I haven't cut across one that I'm really 88 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: into yet, So if anyone else, we weren't really into it. 89 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: But it was just like, this is food and it's 90 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: there and we can have a salad with it and 91 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 1: be I like the Trader Joe's flatbreads, so they have 92 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: that Truffle black Truffle flat bread pizza, which is decent. 93 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: So but I try not to actually go to Trader 94 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: Joe's that often because then I wind up buying fifty 95 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: snack foods. Yeah, fifty snack foods, and I really just 96 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: don't need that in my house because it's not a 97 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: great idea. What were we eating, Let's see, So Sunday 98 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: night we ate steak Michael grilled, and we also grilled 99 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: zucchini from the garden. We had tomato salad from the 100 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: garden that was kind of fun, and corn also on 101 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 1: the grill. So that was a good dinner and the 102 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: kids ate that too. Right, yeah, well everyone except Alex, 103 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: but that's its own special fun. On Monday night, No, 104 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: that was Monday night because we're recording this Labor Day week. 105 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: Tuesday we had salmon. Our nanny cooked a big piece 106 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: of salmon that Michael had brought bought it. Wegmans had 107 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: that with carrots and broccoli. Last night it was Tuesdays. 108 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: We had taco Tuesday. I had taco salad so let 109 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: us ground beef, sour cream, veggies. The kids had it 110 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: as actual tacos. Done a lot. That's a very popular 111 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: they like to make the tacos. I have a taco 112 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: salad and everybody's happy. Yeah. We do a lot of 113 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: make your own pizza Night. That's a favorite for the 114 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: kids that they get the dough and can shape it 115 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: out however they want put the amount of sauce and 116 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: cheese that they wish to have on it. My daughter 117 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: actually puts strawberries on her pizza on make your own 118 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: Pizza Night, which is not a combination I would have 119 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: thought of. It's kind of a white pizza with strawberry. 120 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: She doesn't put a lot of sauce on it. At first, 121 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: I was picturing tomato sauce and it was kind of 122 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: cringing that I can do strawberry. She could do some 123 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: like skip the sauce and maybe add a little goat cheese, 124 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: maybe little honey, you know, maybe goat cheese and Bosomaic 125 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: with the strawberries would work. But Islamic, I don't think 126 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: that's what she does. I think she just does the 127 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: mozzarella and the strawberries, and that's that's how she likes. 128 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: Thank you. You know, that's what we're eating. We've had 129 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: a couple unfortunate changes with the grocery store situation in 130 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: that our local acme closed. This is very sad because 131 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: it was a two minute drive from the house, or 132 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: you could walk there, and so now you actually have 133 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: to drive more like ten minutes to get to the 134 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: grocery store, which it's not obviously horrible, but it does 135 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: add time, Like you can't run there when you realize 136 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: you forgot sour cream in the course of making dinner 137 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: or something, which too bad. Yeah, it was too bad. 138 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: What winds up happening is our nanny or Michael will 139 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,919 Speaker 1: go to Wegman's, or Michael likes to go to Costco 140 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: and a big shop. At some point, I sort of 141 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: discourage the costco because I feel like we wind up 142 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: with stuff we don't use, because it's like Wegmans has 143 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: normal groceries in addition to the giant sizes, whereas Casto 144 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: it tends to be more just the giant sizes and 145 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,679 Speaker 1: I don't know, massively overspin there. But that's an entirely 146 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: different story. Our current, Our current you know struggle. Well, 147 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: listeners may guess when I'm asking Cassie about feeding kids, 148 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: Alex is just really difficult on this and he always 149 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: has been, possibly one of those like texture avoidant children. 150 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: I really hate the idea that that's an actual thing. 151 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: I would prefer not to put a symptom name on this. 152 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: It's just say like he's a piggy eater. Yeah, he'll 153 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: get over well you can. You don't have to put 154 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: a label on it. Now, just call and we get 155 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: vegetables in him by doing squeeze pouches. Like he'll eat 156 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: a squeezy pouch that's aimed at nine month old children, 157 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: but that has apple sauce and spinach, and my five 158 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: and seven year old love those poaches. Yeah, so you know, 159 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: no spinach ones, but they like they'll eat the oil 160 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,679 Speaker 1: shame in the pouches. So since he will eat the pouches, 161 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: we only buy ones that have veggies in them too, 162 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: And then he has to if he wants his apple sauce, 163 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: he has to get it with spinach and butternut squash 164 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: and whatever else. So that's how he's getting that stuff in. 165 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: We massively praise like licking or putting tooth marks on 166 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 1: actual fruits and vegetables. He's skinny, but he is growing, 167 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: so I am just kind of hoping that he'll grow 168 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: out of this over time. My older, my little brother 169 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: was a ridiculously picky eater. He would only eat stuff 170 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: like pizza and orange juice as a kid, and now 171 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 1: as an adult, we have conversations about the difference between 172 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: Sushwan spice and other Chinese spices, and so he fully 173 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: grew out of it. He fully grew out of it. 174 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: I've seen a lot And as for patients, I've seen 175 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: a lot of patients get so much better over the years, 176 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: especially when you get like a little farther into older 177 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: school age. They start paying so much more attention to 178 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: what peers are doing. And I don't know, maybe you 179 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: should haven't watched a little bit of master Chef if 180 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: he'd be interested, like just like, he probably wouldn't, but 181 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: maybe he would for a couple of minutes and be like, hmm, 182 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: those are kids and they're like into this, maybe this 183 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: is interesting. But I mean I feel like, I feel 184 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: like you have so much time and things may change, 185 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: and I think it's great that he's getting it in pouches. 186 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: Some kids don't get it at all. Trust me, I 187 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: have so many patients like I see what a lot 188 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: of kids eat, particularly kids with diabetes, because they bring 189 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: in these food logs. And there are like fifteen year 190 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: olds where I swear to God, I'm like, are you 191 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: really living on mini muffins and gatorade? And like the 192 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: occasional cheese stick and bacon? Like what? There are older 193 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: kids that never even do the squeeze pouches. So if 194 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: you're even getting them in that form, I think you're 195 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: doing great. Well. I see. The thing is I love food, 196 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: so it actually bothers me on subblet little that my 197 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: children are not into all kinds of different flavors and textures. 198 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: And but it might come later, or it may come 199 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: in some of your kids and not others. You know, 200 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 1: I love food too. I think I do. I think 201 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,599 Speaker 1: my kids like food. They're Genevieve is the most picky 202 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: toddler that I've had, so I'll be interesting to see 203 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: how that evolves. Because the other two I felt like 204 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: at that age you could just give them like anything, 205 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: and she is a little bit more discerning and also 206 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: likes to throw it on the floor more than the other. 207 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: I guess this is the thing that kids are just 208 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: so different, and so this is I mean, one of 209 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: the things we like about Cassie, how positive she is 210 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: about everything. Just you know, you get a kid who 211 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: will never in a million years like the taste of say, 212 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: blue cheese. Right, these are that's one kid, and then 213 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: there's others who are like, ooh, let me try mustard, 214 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: let me try pickles, let me try bosomac, like all 215 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: these stronger flavors. And these are not the same kids. 216 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: It's not that you did one thing with one and 217 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: one thing with the other. So I don't know, you 218 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: kind of get what you get on this. But yeah, 219 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: and again, when your end gets bigger. So we'll have 220 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: to see if Cassie, when she has if she chooses 221 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: to have more kids, if they're all the same and 222 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: they're all going to be as adventurous as her first one. 223 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 1: But yeah, we're very excited for you to hear this interview. Well, 224 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: Sarah and I are excited to welcome Cassie to the program. So, Cassie, 225 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: can you go ahead and introduce yourself to our listeners 226 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 1: and talk a little bit about your career path for 227 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: our listeners who maybe haven't read your books yet. Yeah, 228 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: I would love to, so, Cassie Joy Garcia. I am 229 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: a certified nutrition consultant, but I really started fed and 230 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: Fit as just a personal blog back in twenty eleven 231 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: as a way to share healthy recipes that we're working 232 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: for my body and help me turn a real corner 233 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: corner in my health. And so folks started finding bedfit 234 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: dot com asking great questions, and I tried to give 235 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: better answers. So dug into the research and the literature, 236 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: developed a nutrition program called the Feedfit Project, which featured 237 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: in my first book, which hit shelves in twenty sixteen, 238 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,959 Speaker 1: which is self titled and then Cook One Seat All Week, 239 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: My latest book hit shelves this past spring April of 240 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. I was like, what year is it? It's 241 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: been one of those days it has, it has, but 242 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: that was really an effort. It's a great example of 243 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: what we're doing with bedfit now, evolving from personal blog 244 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: to online editorial that's really aimed at solving our reader's problems. 245 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,319 Speaker 1: You know, what are the things that you keep running 246 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: up against in your life. And one of the things 247 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: that they kept saying was why this is so hard 248 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: to get a healthy homemade dinner on the table. It's 249 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: so expensive, it takes so much time. I feel like 250 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: I'm not spending time with my family so that I 251 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: can cook them food. And some folks were cooking three 252 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: dinners a night because of dietary restrictions, and so we 253 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: aim to solve that problem. So that's really what we 254 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: do now. And then bedinfit dot com is a place 255 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: where we solve, you know, mini problems every week. Lots 256 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: of problems being said, and you have really built quite 257 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: a following over the years. I think I came to 258 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: know you. I kind of got interested in sort of 259 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: the paleo lifestyle, you know, when everyone else did back 260 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: in like twenty fourteen or so, and I came across. 261 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: I loved your positivity, I loved your energy, I loved 262 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: your kind of not black or white approach to a 263 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: lot of it. So I've really it's been really cool 264 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: to see your career just explode, because not only are 265 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: you an author, but you are you know, just fairly 266 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: known in that world. And I know you get lots 267 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: and lots of traffic from a lot of different directions. 268 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,839 Speaker 1: So I think our listeners will be very excited not 269 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: only to hear your meal strategies because they are always 270 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: asking for that, but also to you know, learn about 271 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: your journey, especially because you now have a toddler. Is 272 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: that correct. Yes, I have a little girl. Her name 273 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 1: is Grayson. We call her Gray. I really wanted to 274 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: name her gray, and then every time I introduce her 275 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: to someone, I say her name's Grey short for Grayson, 276 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: like I gave her toys. Yeah, but yeah, that definitely 277 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: changed a lot of things and forced me to actually 278 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: delegate and I built myself an maternity leagu which is 279 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: a whole other conversation, right, because when you own your 280 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: own business, you can't just tell your team bye. You 281 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: went thirty months. So it was a really interesting adventure 282 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: and it's changed a lot, but in a really great way. 283 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: And at the same time, we I mean, I don't 284 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: think you've dialed things back, if anything. Do you feel 285 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: like it's motivated you to move forward or tell us yes, absolutely, 286 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: you know I feel like so. About a little over 287 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: half of our readers are parents of young children, and 288 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: it has it's and now I can relate to them 289 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: even more so, and so it's fueled my fire to 290 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: I can I hear their pain and feel it even more, 291 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: and so that's definitely motivated me. But forcing me to 292 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: delegate after I had my baby last January also made 293 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: me realize. It sounds like such a obvious thing, but 294 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: I was like, wow, the power of all of these 295 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: people combined. If I just let really smart people do 296 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: great work that they enjoy, you know, we can actually 297 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: scale what we're up to here. And so yeah, we 298 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: have been able to really put the pedal to the 299 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: metal and I'm not having to work crazy hours like 300 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: I did before I had a baby, and it's and 301 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: I think the products are getting better and better. And Cassie, 302 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: how old is your daughter? Exactly? She is nineteen months 303 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: nineteen months, So over the past sort of you know, 304 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: year or so, as you've been introducing food, real food 305 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: to her, I'm curious how that process works for somebody 306 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: who is professionally trained in nutrition and how you approach that, 307 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: and any tips you might have for our listeners who 308 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: are going through that. Now, you know, I say do 309 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: what you can. And I know all kids are different, right, 310 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: Some kids are gonna want to explore and eat a 311 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: whole lot. I am lucky that Grayson just happens to 312 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: be a good eater. I mean say good eater. I 313 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: actually kind of hate that phrase. She eats a lot 314 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: and for the most part, she also has her days 315 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: when she's feeling picky, and it just happens. I think 316 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: parents need to just give themselves a little bit of 317 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: a break, do their best. We give Grayson what we eat, 318 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: we just chop it up smaller. I think it's important 319 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: to remember too that babies, babies, toddlers, their taste buds 320 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: are similar to ours. And if we wouldn't eat the 321 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: goop because it's bland and not exciting, there's a good 322 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: chance that they won't, and so I try to keep 323 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: that in mind. I have a four Greens soup on 324 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: bedfit dot com and it's what it sounds. There's spinach, collars, kale, 325 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: charred and a bunch of great lemon juice, not a 326 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: whole lot of salt, some broth, and it is a 327 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: great green for food for people, and it's delicious. Adults 328 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: eat it and we're like, ah, I never thought all 329 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: these greens would be so delicious. And so I think 330 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: that just keeping that in mind that our kiddos want 331 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: their food to taste good also, and then we just 332 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: try to I try to give her at least what 333 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: I think of as very nutrient dense foods once or 334 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: twice a day. So liver worst for breakfast. I was like, 335 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: this poor child is going to go to school. When 336 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 1: they're actually sharing about what they're eating for breakfast, you'd 337 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: be like, wait, you don't eat liver for breakfast. Well, 338 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: this is the child of a nutrition us here right, 339 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: you know it is awesome. My husband was like, we 340 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: need to call it breakfast meat or something where our 341 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: daughter's not gonna face it's bacon and quote marks, Yeah, 342 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: she's gonna say your bacon looks weird. My bacon looks 343 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:52,400 Speaker 1: really different. Oh that is crazy. And did you do 344 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: you know commercial baby foods orre you grinding up your own? 345 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: I'm curious what you guys did a mix. You know, 346 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: when I was pregnant or breast Gray was breastfed for 347 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,719 Speaker 1: six months. By that, I mean I breastfed her for 348 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: fourteen but only breastfed for six months. And in that 349 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 1: period I think maybe maybe a lot of first time 350 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: parents go through this. I thought, oh, I will never 351 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: give my daughter a pouch, And boy did we give 352 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: her pouches. Pouches are very are awesome, awesome. You know, 353 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: when I finally walked down the baby, I'll read the 354 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: ingredients is like, you know what you're like, it's organic 355 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: butternut squashed and spinach, Like this is okay, exactly Why 356 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: am I sacrificing two more hours of sleep so that 357 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: I can make the same thing we did a mix? 358 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: You know, I used to miss supplements and tried to 359 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: not make that as a base and yogurts things like that. 360 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: We give her those as are all prepackaged little chewy 361 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: snacks sometimes when she was ready for it, but for 362 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: the most part, you know, when we were cooking from home, 363 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: she eats that as well. But there have been the 364 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: road trips where we're like another pouch. There's nothing wrong 365 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: with it. That is good to know that even a 366 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: nutritionists will we'll go that route, and we have been 367 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: known to subsist on pouches and ritz crackers. So my 368 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 1: kids may or may not have eaten M and M's 369 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: yesterday morning for breakfast. But that's another story. That's not 370 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: normal Jesus for breakfast, you know, but sometimes it happens. 371 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: I have learned anything goes you go, Mama. Sometimes you know, 372 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: you do deliver worst one day, and then the eggs 373 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: the next day, and then the third day maybe something else. 374 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 1: So that's awesome. So that's evolved with time. Do you 375 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: feel like it's changed the style of your cook I mean, 376 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: I know you say you eat what she eats, but 377 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: do you find yourself gravitating to more efficient cooking than 378 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: you used to? Or like, is that what helped you 379 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: develop the cook ones eat all week technique or is 380 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: that something that you had kind of been thinking about 381 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: all along. That's a great question. You know. I tinkered 382 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: with this meal prep method of cooking components in bulk 383 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: and then assembling them together. I tinkered with it almost 384 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: from a curiosity standpoint. There's got to be a way 385 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: to make this more efficient. And then after I had 386 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,199 Speaker 1: my daughter, I was like, no, there's actually has to 387 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: be awake, this more efficient, this has to work, and 388 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: so I worked on it before I had Gray, and 389 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: then after I had Gray, I just maybe once or 390 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: twice a week, I will make a nice pork roast, 391 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,400 Speaker 1: you know, and sear it and then bake it. And 392 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,880 Speaker 1: there's this I love to cook, obviously, it's what I do, 393 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: but I mean there's this romance to it, and I 394 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: really enjoy it. But I can only do that now, 395 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 1: or only want to do that now maybe two times 396 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: a week. The other times I just want dinner on 397 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,719 Speaker 1: the table. And so it definitely informed my cooking style. 398 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: You know, I'm definitely more of a I'm finding ways 399 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: for shredded chicken and ground beef like you've never seen 400 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: before because I can scale that. And that's definitely something 401 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: that comes across in her new cookbook, which for our 402 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,239 Speaker 1: listeners again is cook once, eat all week, which of 403 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,239 Speaker 1: course is like the holy grail for many of our 404 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: listeners of like, well, I'd love to cook once and 405 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: eat all week. This is a question we get a 406 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,400 Speaker 1: lot on this podcast of how to make dinner take 407 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: less time and you know, have leftovers for lunches too, 408 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: which you address as well. And one of the different 409 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: things about your technique is you're not about saying, Okay, 410 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: spend all Sunday cooking and put this stuff in your 411 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 1: freezer and then reheat it through the week. You have 412 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: a slightly different technique. So can you talk about that 413 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,719 Speaker 1: a little bit. Yes. So when we sat down, I 414 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: was like, let's put all of the problems on the table, 415 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: as far as getting dinner on the table and the 416 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: meal prep problems, right, some of them were it takes 417 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: spending four to six hours on my feet in the kitchen. 418 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: A lot of people meal prep on a Sunday, So 419 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: I'll just use that as an example, right, spending a 420 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: small fortune on groceries, the hours that go into planning 421 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:42,719 Speaker 1: these meals and then writing the grocery list, and then 422 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: rewriting the grocery list, you know, making it an order 423 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: of the store, and then to your point, they are 424 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: eating leftovers all week long, which is fine for a 425 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: lot of people. A lot of people will find with 426 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: the rents and repeat method. But for me and for 427 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: a lot of our readers, and a lot of the 428 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: feedback we got was by the time when rolls around, 429 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: they're sick of it. There's a stick of their food, 430 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: they're sick of just reheating, and they're ready to order 431 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: take out pizza anyways, And so that was one of 432 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: the riddles on the table. Also family friendly and versatile 433 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: depending on dietary needs. And so we have all of 434 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:18,439 Speaker 1: these little parts and pieces, and I thought, there's got 435 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: to be a way, there's got to be a way 436 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: we can make all of this work. And so that's 437 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: that's really how we honed the concept. So we do 438 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: we take we focus on a protein, a vegetable, and 439 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: in most cases of starch, sometimes it's a second vegetable. 440 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: So three components, and your prep day is then cooking 441 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: those components. So if it's chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli, 442 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: then you would roast the chicken or birotissory if you're 443 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: in a pinch, if you would cook the chicken and 444 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 1: then deconstruct it. You would bake the sweet potatoes, all 445 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: of them. Get a whole bag of sweet potatoes. Just 446 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 1: go ahead and bake the whole thing. And then the broccoli. 447 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: Let's say we're gonna steam half of it and the 448 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: other half we're gonna roast. Okay, so it gives you 449 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: two different treatments, and that chicken. I'm going to walk 450 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: you through how to shred the breasts, but keep the 451 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: legs and the thighs and the wings intact because we're 452 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: going to turn that into something different. So and then 453 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: maybe also on prepday, you whip up a couple sauces, 454 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: but that's it. So we're aiming for an hour, hour 455 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: and a half max. Then when it comes time, you're ready. 456 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,160 Speaker 1: Monday night, everyone's home from school, you get home from work, 457 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 1: and you want to spend that time with your family 458 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 1: or doing whatever it is you want to do. You 459 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,120 Speaker 1: can spend ten to fifteen minutes. Then assembling these components. 460 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: Let's say it's into a buffalo chicken casserole. The baked 461 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 1: potatoes go on the bottom, the shred of chicken on 462 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: the top, some broccoli sprinkled in there for nutrition, and 463 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: then we put one of the sauces you made a 464 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,959 Speaker 1: buffalo sauce, and then bake it and the oven cooks it. 465 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: But it's like a fresh meal, it's not a leftover. 466 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 1: It's enough to feed. But the way we've written it 467 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: is for a family of four. And when I wrote 468 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 1: these portions was I thought four husbands just to make 469 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:58,399 Speaker 1: sure that nobody went hungry. So if you have, I 470 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 1: don't know if I think my husband eats quite quite 471 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: a lot, so that informs some of the large serving sizes, 472 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,439 Speaker 1: so that could be enough for dinner and lunch the 473 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 1: next day if you want. And then you get to 474 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 1: do that two more times, and they're totally different meals. 475 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: Maybe it's a taraiaki chicken bowl one of them, so 476 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: it's a very different meal. And the last one maybe 477 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: is some sort of a Greek sheep pan dinner. So 478 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,439 Speaker 1: hopefully you're not bored. It doesn't feel like leftovers, but 479 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: it's easy and quick to assemble. I think that's so 480 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: cool because I mean, the freezer meals were definitely are 481 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: definitely a big trend as well, and people love that. 482 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,119 Speaker 1: But like Laura has pointed out that, you know, it 483 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: can take a really long time to thought out a 484 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: freezer meal, so sometimes it doesn't save you as much time, 485 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: whereas if you've prepped stuff, whipping it together theoretically could 486 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:43,919 Speaker 1: be faster and have more of a fresh taste to 487 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: it than something that's been sitting in the freezer. Nothing 488 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: against freezer, but yeah, no, but I mean we've definitely 489 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: investigated this, and you know there's ones we've looked at 490 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: of like, you know, you can cook one day and 491 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: eat all months, and I'm like, well, okay, by the 492 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: last time you're pulling out that chicken casserole from the freezer, 493 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: you may be wishing to move on from the chicken castle. 494 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: But just to give our listeners an idea, you know, 495 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: Cassie was mentioning some of this, like you shred a chicken, 496 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: like she's got three recipes here in a row from 497 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: it that you'd make barbecue chicken and rice casserole, white 498 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: chicken chili, and then chicken and broccoli fried rice. I mean, 499 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,640 Speaker 1: so you have basically like three different kind of ethnic 500 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: profile flavors even in a row. It's not the same 501 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: meal at all, which I think and I can honestly 502 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: say though sound pretty kid friendly, like your kids are 503 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: pickier than mine, Laura, but my probably eat all of those, yeah, 504 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: or even just thinking about something like ground beef for 505 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: ground port. You know, these things can be assembled as 506 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: components with sauces in a lot of different ways, so 507 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:48,440 Speaker 1: it's a lot of cool variety and it's different. Cassie, 508 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: I feel like you came up with like I haven't. 509 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: I haven't seen something like this really, so you should 510 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: feel proud. I am proud, you know. After I wrote 511 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 1: Fed and Fit, I felt like I left everything on 512 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: the table. It's like I said it all. I don't 513 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: ever I have to write another book. You can write 514 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: another book of the same sort of thing, because I 515 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 1: can tell you people will keep coming back to this topic. 516 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: I think we've talked about meals a number of times 517 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: on this podcast, and get we get in trouble because 518 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,239 Speaker 1: neither Laura nor I really do our own cooking. So 519 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: we need people like you to come on and explain 520 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 1: that there are strategies that can work for very busy 521 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: families in addition to outsourcing, which can also be great. 522 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, I'm all about it, you know. And that's 523 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: why it came down to you. I thought this is 524 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: something that I think the word they need, the world needs, 525 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: Let's do it. I signed the book contract two days 526 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: before my daughter was born. Well, she was two weeks 527 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,959 Speaker 1: past her due day, and I was bored. Yeah, like, 528 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 1: I'm going to go make a book contract. Why not'll 529 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:46,439 Speaker 1: that's why I'll fill my time. This makes sense. It 530 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: was meant to be that's why she waited so long exactly. 531 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: So I'm really really glad we did it though, and 532 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 1: definitely have plans to expand it. Yeah, okay, I have 533 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,640 Speaker 1: two more questions for you. One is, do you have 534 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,160 Speaker 1: a favorite week, a favorite ingredient combo that you can 535 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,439 Speaker 1: share from your cookbook. I will throw out that I 536 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: saw a recipe on your insta for Hawaiian instant pot chicken, 537 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: was like, Oh, my kids would be all over that. 538 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: But I was curious if you had like a favorite 539 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: that you liked to showcase. Oh I'm so excited. I 540 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: can't remember exactly what week number it is off the 541 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: top of my head, but the ingredients are it's a 542 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: beef roast and kale and polina. There's a polento week 543 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,959 Speaker 1: in there, and now that we're coming, we're almost peaking 544 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,600 Speaker 1: in the fall, it's almost the right time for it. 545 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 1: But there's this like rustic beef polenta castle role in 546 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,360 Speaker 1: there with caramelized onions and a balsamic reduction. And there's 547 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: another one that's these stuffed poblano peppers with barbacoa flavoring 548 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: on that seasoned beef. That is so good, you guys. 549 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,479 Speaker 1: That does sound perfect for fall We're going to hit 550 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: Fallen in South Florida in about November, but for those 551 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: of you further north, December, possibly December. And that sounds amazing, Yeah, 552 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: totally cool. Okay, So our last thing is that second 553 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 1: to last thing. Maybe we would love to hear a 554 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,679 Speaker 1: day in the life of Cassie. Now, I'm sure you 555 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,439 Speaker 1: have a lot of variability to your days given what 556 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 1: you do, but you are someone who has really built 557 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: a company, and you do have a toddler at home, 558 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: and everyone's always curious to how those pieces are put together. 559 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: So we would love you to go through a typical 560 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: day in the life. So it is, man, I wish 561 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: it was, I wish it were Rinse and repeat an 562 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: ideal day. I'll start there is wake up before my 563 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: daughter wakes up, Right, isn't that always the goal? Yes, 564 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,959 Speaker 1: wake up at least an hour before, have coffee, hammer 565 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: out a few emails, and then when Gray wakes up, 566 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: we cook breakfast together and our whole family goes on 567 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: a walk. We have a great Pyrenees named Gus who's 568 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: very red. His schedule must be abided by and so 569 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: we all go for a nice long walk as a family. 570 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: In chit chat about our day, which is something awesome 571 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 1: and I've been doing since we've been since we dated. 572 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: And then I will well, Grayson just started school air 573 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: quote school right for a one and a half year old, 574 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: and so she'll go to school now for the first 575 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: half of the day, and then we'll pick her up 576 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 1: and bring her home for a nap. But she goes 577 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: and she plays with other kids and learns some fun 578 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: songs and things, and then I work in the morning, 579 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: and then as soon as she wakes up from her nap, 580 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: I'm off the clock. And that was really hard for 581 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: me because I don't know if I'll dug into any 582 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: of the Enneagram stuff ever, but I'm an Enneagram three, 583 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: which means I'm essentially addicted to constantly doing things. It's 584 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 1: very easy for me. So I have to time block 585 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: and Mommy starts exactly when she wakes up from her nap, 586 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: and that's a firm i'll get back to you tomorrow 587 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: kind of way that we have to do it. And 588 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 1: then I'm just with her all afternoon. We'll go to 589 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: splash parks in the summertime and go run errands, and 590 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: then we do dinner together. That sounds like you made 591 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 1: it work, and I guess it's because you've built so 592 00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: much kind of ahead of time that you're now able 593 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: to have enough of things going. So your worktime's a 594 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: little bit truncated, but you probably get a good four 595 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: or five hours in there and then maybe one to 596 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: two more during the nap, so you're able to kind 597 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: of keep things going. Yes, exactly, I would say right now, 598 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: when Gray is at this stage, I'm probably putting in 599 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: a computer time with my computer open, maybe twenty five 600 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: ish hours a week. And then, as y'all know, you're 601 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: also working whenever you're on your phone, answering emails and 602 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: firing off messages to team members, and so it definitely 603 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 1: rounds out to a good full time effort that I 604 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,959 Speaker 1: do in the margins. Yeah, and I have a question 605 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: about you building it as a business. So you mentioned 606 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: that you had learned to delegate more, which is great. 607 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: That's an awesome skill for business owners to develop. I'm 608 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: very curious how you scaled that up. What were the 609 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: first things that you started delegating As you realize, okay, 610 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: fed and fit is not just me anymore, it's got 611 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,240 Speaker 1: to be bigger. What were the first things that you 612 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: decided to send out the easiest ones. I went with 613 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 1: the easy one easy ones first. So I'm not a 614 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: gifted baker. I am. I can cook anything savory all 615 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: day long, but dealing with chemistry and coming developing baking 616 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: recipes is a challenge for me. I remember, I put 617 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: together this perfect paleo pie cress is what I called it, 618 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:24,479 Speaker 1: because it took me twelve iterations. Just I'm a slow learner. 619 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: It's a lot of pie. There's a lot of probably 620 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: a lot of bad pie the first few times, right, Yeah, 621 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: this is nothing to be jealous of. It was a 622 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: lot of bad pie. So I delegated developing some of 623 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: those more persnickety recipes to folks. One team member in particular, 624 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: her name is Amber, who's very gifted at that, and 625 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 1: so it was a really obvious one. And then as 626 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: time went on, realizing the team's skill sets and what 627 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 1: everybody could really contribute and really enjoyed just happened to 628 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: really compliment what I wasn't good at and didn't enjoy. 629 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 1: And so that's how we started. And then just developing 630 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: programs and ideas. I want to offer a lot of 631 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: autonomy to my team, members and help so that they 632 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: feel real ownership. So they have an idea for a 633 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: free e course, go for it, go develop it, do 634 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: the research. We'll work on it together and then we'll 635 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: plug it into the content calendar. So just slowly and 636 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: surely through that kind of effort. Cool. Well, we always do, Sarah, 637 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 1: Shall we do our love of the week? Yes, we 638 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: always end with this, and it can be anything. It 639 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: can be a food item, it can be a concept, 640 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 1: it can be a weather pattern, or it can be 641 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: some specific product. Would you like me to start? Yeah, 642 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: why don't you start, Sarah? I actually changed it so 643 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: with me change. It was going to be sheet masks, 644 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 1: but and then I decided that they were making my 645 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: face too cold. So I will share another beauty product. 646 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 1: This is called Kosa Sport and it is a clean 647 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: beauty line and they like it's from Sephora, but my 648 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: friend Amy gave it to me and they make these 649 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: really amazing tinted lip bombs. Because I'm not a lipstick person, 650 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 1: but these just are really kind of subtle colors. And 651 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: this one's called Pulse and I really like it. So 652 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: that's my lovel Yeah, So my love of the week 653 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: is my cross pen, and I think someone must have 654 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 1: given it to me because I never would have bought 655 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: it on my own, so it must have been given 656 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 1: as a gift, like speaker swag type stuff. But it's 657 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: really nice. Like I had been using those ink Joy 658 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 1: paper mate which are also very good. This kind you 659 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,360 Speaker 1: can just get a target, but this is a step up. 660 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: I've apparently now upgraded my pen experience entirely, which could 661 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: be the start of a rather expensive habit life. It's 662 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: too short for bad pens. I guess life is too short, 663 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 1: so I need to sort of savor this pen experience. 664 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: But yeah, I got to say that I hide this one, 665 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: that I'm not letting anyone take this one off my desk. 666 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: So I'm enjoying my cross pen. Cassie, how about you? Okay, 667 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: I'm so glad y'all went first because I was noodling 668 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: while you were talking. I can, I say an audiobook? Yeah, 669 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 1: of course, of course, So yeah, I and I am 670 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:05,239 Speaker 1: a voracious audio book listener, and the one I'm on 671 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,240 Speaker 1: right now is so what I needed. It's called Radical 672 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: Candor by Kim Scott. Have y'all read it by chance? 673 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: I've heard of it? Okay, so it is. It's it's 674 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 1: like medicine that I need. It's not going down very easy, 675 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: but it's really good information for me, especially if you're working, 676 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: if you work with people in a professional setting that 677 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 1: you just want to figure out how can I how 678 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 1: can I really tell them? How can I say the unsaid? 679 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,879 Speaker 1: And or even if it's just friends, or if your 680 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:38,799 Speaker 1: book you're working on building a team, or heck, if 681 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 1: you have any sort of a public facing business, you know, 682 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: like how do I communicate to my clients and my 683 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 1: readers and my customers. I think it's a really great download. 684 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 1: It's an actual book if you like to read real 685 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: books too, But I'm a I like I prefer the 686 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: audiobook versions. And when do you listen to audiobooks? So 687 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: do you have a lot of time in the car? No? 688 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: I listen to them. Well, I listened to them whenever 689 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: I'm house cleaning house, so sometimes that overlaps when my 690 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,840 Speaker 1: daughter naps. I'll listen to them when I'm folding laundry 691 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:10,800 Speaker 1: and gosh one else. And then when I'm driving in 692 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: the car commuting to places, if I'm headed to go 693 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 1: meet a team member for a coffee or something like that, 694 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: it's my audio book Time great way, is that time 695 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: what we love? Well, Cassie, Yeah, yeah, Cassie, thank you 696 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: so much for joining us. And again everyone can check 697 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:28,279 Speaker 1: out her book Cook once, Eat all week, and you 698 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 1: really will cook once and eat all week in a 699 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 1: way that's very efficient. You're still getting fresh meals, so 700 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 1: we really appreciate you coming on. Thank you so much 701 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 1: for having me. Well, that was an awesome interview. And 702 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: now we come to the question section, which Sarah labeled 703 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: this one as juicy. So I guess that's our transition 704 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 1: from food because this is not food related at all, 705 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: all right, she said. This listener writes in that after 706 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: seeing it mentioned on your blog, I started listening to 707 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: the Marriage, Kids, and Money podcast. A recent guest who 708 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: was a fire or enthusiasts that remember that means financial 709 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 1: independence retire early described his family as fifty percent savings rate. Now, Sarah, 710 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 1: I know your goal is to make smart money decisions 711 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: and not explicitly aim for fire, but and I'm making 712 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 1: an assumption here, presuming you don't save at an ultra 713 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 1: high rate with super low spending, how do you avoid 714 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,799 Speaker 1: feeling guilty or less than for the choices you make 715 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 1: is part of it a numbers game. So for instance, 716 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 1: if you're a fire family taking home eighty k annually 717 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 1: and saving forty K, and I'm a dual career couple 718 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: making two hundred k annually and saving forty k, our 719 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:36,479 Speaker 1: savings rates look a lot different, but our actual money 720 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: in the bank is the same. My family, as much 721 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: I seem like yours is. My husband and I both work. 722 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: We are in a very comfortable living but spend a 723 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,919 Speaker 1: lot on childcare and a not insignificant amount on conveniences. 724 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,840 Speaker 1: And without the childcare and other conveniences, we wouldn't be 725 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: able to have the higher ending careers that we do. 726 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 1: Perhaps the lesson here is you do you? But people 727 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: are so reticent to talk about money in any way 728 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: that vague generalities she's saying don't work. It seems so 729 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:03,720 Speaker 1: unsavory to acknowledge that one both earns and spends substantial sums. 730 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,319 Speaker 1: I feel very unmoored from the conventional conversation. So how 731 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 1: do you wrap your head around the unique financial situation 732 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:14,320 Speaker 1: you are in? Although thinking about it's probably not that unique. 733 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: I mean, there are lots of people that are probably 734 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 1: in a similar conversation, and I will go ahead, and 735 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 1: she said it's unsavory to acknowledge that one and earns 736 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: and spends substantial sums. You know, we earn and spend 737 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: substantial sums. There you go. And I'm not going to 738 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: give very very specific numbers, but I feel comfortable sharing some. 739 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: So I wrote her back, and I'm going to kind 740 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: of read my response because I think I said it 741 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: more eloquently than I'm going to prattle on right now. 742 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: So I wrote, I guess I don't feel terribly guilty 743 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,000 Speaker 1: because I don't see fire as dogma, just a collection 744 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: of ideas. I know that we are in a very 745 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 1: expensive period of life right now, especially as it relates 746 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: to childcare, and I accept that, and I try to 747 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:56,919 Speaker 1: mitigate that to some extent by living below our means. 748 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: In other ways, we were saving a close to the 749 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:04,160 Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty percent mark, but are currently around ten percent. Yes, 750 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: our financial expert would not approve. That is mostly due 751 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: to our house issue, because we are sort of bleeding 752 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:13,560 Speaker 1: into the one we are still trying to sell in 753 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:17,120 Speaker 1: a market that's not fantastic. I hope that someone buys 754 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 1: it by the time this airs. It really is a 755 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: lovely house. And a wonderful place to live, and I 756 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: think whoever buys it will be happy. But it is 757 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: still on the market, so anyway, I'll feel more comfortable 758 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,320 Speaker 1: once we're back up to around twenty percent, which is 759 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,480 Speaker 1: our goal. Looking at what we spend, I just guess 760 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 1: I don't think we need huge amounts of money in 761 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,399 Speaker 1: retirement in terms of like the amount that is outflowing now, 762 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: because more than half of our money inflow goes directly 763 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:42,920 Speaker 1: to child related cost and by retirement, I don't think 764 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: that will be the case. I'm not counting college since 765 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 1: we have separate savings for that, and again, so I 766 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,279 Speaker 1: know nobody likes to give out numbers, but those are 767 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: kind of the ones we have right now. It is 768 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: a lot in and a lot out, but it is 769 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,280 Speaker 1: a reasonable amount saved too, and we're all happy, eating 770 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,080 Speaker 1: good food, taking some nice vacations, and enjoying life. And 771 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 1: I will add that our now did take the kids 772 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:03,000 Speaker 1: while we were on call this past weekend, and I 773 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:06,399 Speaker 1: said to Josh, like, oh, you know what, like when 774 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 1: your kids are out of the house, work might be 775 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 1: I don't know, less stressful in a way than it 776 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 1: even is now. Like maybe I'll even want to work more. 777 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:15,799 Speaker 1: I mean, of course, you don't know what your health 778 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:17,879 Speaker 1: is going to do and what your you know, maybe 779 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 1: your efficiency is going to go down as those gen 780 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 1: Z kids, you know, get so fast with technology, and 781 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:24,120 Speaker 1: maybe I won't be able to keep up. I don't know. 782 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: But the idea that like, let's say all my kids 783 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:30,160 Speaker 1: are adults and then I'm just working like nine ten hours, 784 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,839 Speaker 1: even like that's so much free time, like more than 785 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 1: I can even imagine right now, free time to maybe 786 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: outsource less things, and free time to you know, enjoy life. 787 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: So I guess I'm really not aiming for fire, and 788 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,320 Speaker 1: I think that's okay. But I still find those ideas 789 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 1: really interesting and valuable, Like it's just a different perspective 790 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: of looking at the world, just like I still think 791 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:53,560 Speaker 1: sometimes it's interesting to read about people who are vegan 792 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,799 Speaker 1: or paleo, even though I don't do those things either. Yeah, 793 00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: I mean all that, I'd add to that because I 794 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 1: agree entirely. It's what Sarah said. You know, if you're 795 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: saving fifteen twenty percent of your income, that's great, and 796 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: most people don't hit that, and certainly if you're saving 797 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: percent of a larger income that's going to be a 798 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: pretty high amount, and as your expenses will probably go 799 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: down over time, there may be other sources of income 800 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:23,760 Speaker 1: as well over the years, whether that's pensions or employer 801 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: contributions or social security if that's around. I mean, but 802 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:29,440 Speaker 1: you know, it's stuff that's there. I have a funny 803 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 1: thought about I've been somewhat obsessed with the fire people too, 804 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:36,440 Speaker 1: just because it's like, you know, it's so interesting a 805 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:38,919 Speaker 1: community that it really gets into this. But I find 806 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: there's so funny definition. So I've been listening to the 807 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: How to Money podcast. I know Sarah listens to that too. 808 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,520 Speaker 1: They had a lady on as a guest who had 809 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:50,440 Speaker 1: just written a book about growing up in rural China. 810 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: I'm very little and now she's a millionaire in Canada, 811 00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:57,160 Speaker 1: and that's awesome, traveling the world, lovely life, great story. 812 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:59,879 Speaker 1: But she said something really funny about the whole finance 813 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 1: independence thing. She said, well, you know, you're trying to 814 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: get to this number quickly, and so you're trying to 815 00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 1: earn a lot of money to get there. She's like, 816 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: but you know, if you have a passion project on 817 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,759 Speaker 1: the side that you'd like to do in retirement and 818 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,120 Speaker 1: this brings in some amount of income, Well, this is 819 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,680 Speaker 1: less money that you have to have in your portfolio. 820 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:17,839 Speaker 1: And she said something like, well, you know, so if 821 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,960 Speaker 1: you have five, you know, five thousand dollars a year 822 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 1: that you're making on your side passion project, well that's 823 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars less you have 824 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 1: to have in your portfolio. And I found this so 825 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,160 Speaker 1: hilarious because I'm like, well, what if you're supporting yourself 826 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:34,399 Speaker 1: already in a job you love, like, then that means 827 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:38,120 Speaker 1: your portfolio could be zero and you'd be financially independent 828 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 1: by that definition, which is clearly not the case. But 829 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 1: so much of the FI movement defines work as something 830 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:52,600 Speaker 1: you don't want to do, and I fundamentally disagree with that. 831 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:55,840 Speaker 1: I think that work can be awesome, it can be wonderful, 832 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 1: it can be a huge source of joy and meaning 833 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:02,279 Speaker 1: in your life, and so I'm not against financial independence. 834 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 1: I've definitely prioritized building up savings. You know, I think 835 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 1: probably we could retire in the next few years if 836 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,520 Speaker 1: we wanted to. We're not going to because we both 837 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: love what we do, so why on earth would we 838 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:16,960 Speaker 1: do that? So anyway, That's that's my little thought on that. 839 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:22,359 Speaker 1: I think for many people, aiming to have a couple 840 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:26,360 Speaker 1: years at least of expenses built up will give you 841 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 1: a lot of the same mindset of freedom that actually 842 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:34,000 Speaker 1: having you know, twenty five x expenses in you know, 843 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:38,560 Speaker 1: treasuries or something ridiculous that is some of the hardcore 844 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:43,279 Speaker 1: financial independence people believe in. You'll still feel a lot 845 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:45,360 Speaker 1: of that same level of freedom. Like if I do 846 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 1: want to try a different job, if I do want 847 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: to start a business, you know, as long as I 848 00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:51,880 Speaker 1: know my family has expenses to live on for a 849 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 1: couple of years, like, most likely we'll find something else 850 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 1: in that time, particularly if you have professional skills that 851 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:01,279 Speaker 1: are in demand. So that's a good goal to aim for. 852 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:05,600 Speaker 1: You know, retiring at age thirty five is up. Well, 853 00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:11,040 Speaker 1: that ship has sailed. That ship has sailed. Oh my gosh, no. 854 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 1: I think it's fascinating. And actually the number of physicians 855 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:17,120 Speaker 1: that are into FI has been a very funny and 856 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 1: interesting thing to explore. And I guess some part of 857 00:43:20,239 --> 00:43:21,920 Speaker 1: me is a little sad because I feel like more 858 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:25,040 Speaker 1: energy needs to be going into career crafting and fixing 859 00:43:25,239 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 1: these careers rather than figuring out ways for people to 860 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:31,480 Speaker 1: end them at age forty two, because that was a 861 00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 1: lot of specialized training. Now each person is allowed to 862 00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 1: do whatever the whatever they want, so that I'm not 863 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:39,600 Speaker 1: like judging any one person, but it is symptomatic of 864 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,480 Speaker 1: maybe a problem in the industry and the healthcare system 865 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:46,200 Speaker 1: overall that hopefully at some point we'll get addressed before 866 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:48,800 Speaker 1: everyone leaves where everyone quits at forty two, because that 867 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:51,680 Speaker 1: would be a problem. All right, Well, this has been 868 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: best of both worlds. We've been interviewing Cassie Joy Garcia 869 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:57,239 Speaker 1: and then talking a little bit about financial independence at 870 00:43:57,239 --> 00:43:59,279 Speaker 1: the end. We'll be back next week with more on 871 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: making work in life I fit together. Thanks for listening. 872 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 1: You can find me Sarah at the shoebox dot com 873 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:10,759 Speaker 1: or at the Underscore Shoebox on Instagram, and you can 874 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:15,080 Speaker 1: find me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. This has 875 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:18,360 Speaker 1: been the best of both worlds podcasts. Please join us 876 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,800 Speaker 1: next time for more on making work and life work together.