Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there, sunshine. Welcome to the Power On Plants podcast. We're your host, jared and Anita Roussell, and we're absolutely head over heels for whole plant foods and helping you navigate this incredible plant based journey. That's because our lives have been completely changed by plant based goodness. We used to struggle every day with excess pounds and low energy, vascular disease, joint pain and lack of sleep, just to name a few, and even though we're medical professionals, we still weren't getting practical answers that actually worked. So we dug into the research, we started living what we learned, and now we both have our lives back, and that's what we want for you, too. The truth is, you can do this, and it's not hard. You just need a way that will bring real and lasting change, and that path. It has to be simple and enjoyable, and it's got to be delicious too. So are you ready to live your life to the fullest? Then you're in the right place, because living without limits that's what Power On Plants is all about. So pull up your chair, grab a matcha latte and let's get started. Jared and I love kids. We have four kids of our own. In case you didn't know, we have been parents for oh my word 18, almost 19 years, Almost 19 years now yeah, Our oldest is 19,. she graduated high school this year. All four are homeschooled. Two are adopted from Asia. So our kids are 11 to 18, and time has just flown. And so, mama, I want to encourage you, no matter what age your children are or listen, if you're listening your children are grown. You're an empty nester and you've got grandkids, or you've got nieces and nephews. Get them into the kitchen with you.

Speaker 2: 1:43

I'm going to tell you because today you can become the fun grandma or the fun aunt.

Speaker 1: 1:48

Absolutely. And today, jared and I are going to tell you five of the top reasons of why you need to be getting the children in your life into the kitchen with you. I'm really excited about this episode, so we're going to jump right in. And the first point that I want to make here is you are going to save so much time, especially if this is your children, but also your grandchildren when you get your kids into the kitchen and they start learning and they can do a portion of the meal. It could be like an appetizer, it could be a portion, as in just chopping some of the ingredients for you, washing some of the ingredients for you. It's amazing.

Speaker 2: 2:28

But what if one of them is six years old?

Speaker 1: 2:30

Oh yeah, totally can do it.

Speaker 2: 2:32

Right, but if the knives are, they dangerous? We got you covered. There's actually an awesome set of knives. They're plastic but they cut produce amazingly well, but they don't cut little fingers. And we'll actually we'll put a link to our favorite ones in the description for the show.

Speaker 1: 2:49

You're going to love these knives. They have so much fun cutting with these and you don't have to worry about, like Jared said, the little fingers getting hurt and they feel so good, you know. This brings me to step number two. So you saved a lot of time. You've gotten them in there, but now they're building confidence even from a young age. But even teens can build their confidence getting in the kitchen cooking you, noticing the great job they're doing and patting them on the back or telling them you know, I'm really proud of you. You did a great job preparing this portion of the meal. Whatever they did for you build their confidence and their skills in the kitchen at the same time. And the third reason you want to get your children in the kitchen is to make memories together. It is amazing how many memories can be made funny, singing funny songs, sharing things together, dancing, busting a move in the kitchen together. No, not with knives, please don't do this with knives.

Speaker 2: 3:45

That's exactly where my mind went.

Speaker 1: 3:47

I knew it did. I can tell by looking at you.

Speaker 2: 3:49

I want to start objects in the kitchen. You just got to be careful.

Speaker 1: 3:52

Right, your eyes are getting a little bigger, but we have busted a move a time or two in the kitchen, definitely. So much fun can be made around the island or just standing there chopping things together talking about your day. It's such a fun way to be more involved in your children's lives and, again, all children can do this. You're gonna learn way more about them than if their face is stuffed into a device.

Speaker 2: 4:16

Oh, definitely, without a doubt, and if you don't want them chopping, one thing that we also do is we'll have people grabbing ingredients. Hey, you grab me a bag of this, you grab me a jar of that, and they're grabbing the ingredients as you're dumping it.

Speaker 1: 4:29

Oh yeah, so easy.

Speaker 2: 4:30

So that, right there could easily cut your time in half. But they're helping Again. They're getting a sense of pride of being there helping to prepare the meal. But they're also learning skills. Even if maybe they're not chopping, they're still seeing the ingredients. They're seeing what's involved with the making of that meal.

Speaker 1: 4:45

Absolutely. They can serve, they can set the table. There's so many other things that they could do. I mean, we could go on and on about the different things that they can do. But the third point is you want to make those special memories together, because they will not soon forget it and neither will you. These are the things that last a lifetime. And then, step number four plant spiritual seeds. You want to get your kids in there, because they're more open, they're listening, you're doing things together, you're getting a meal together and you can ask them hey, what have you learned in the word lately? What's God been showing to you? If you're not to that point with them where they're really having regular time in the word, it's a good time to encourage them in that by sharing what you've been learning. Hey, you won't believe what God showed me today in the word. It was so cool. Let me read this to you guys real quick and let's talk about it while we cook the meal. I mean, it's just such a fun way to get more of the word into our everyday lives.

Speaker 2: 5:43

Something else you could do that just came to mind is that you could listen to the word maybe If you have Bible on tape or we've even seen where some people have that put on YouTube and you just kind of play the audio in the background, listening to things together.

Speaker 1: 5:56

Yeah, or some good scripture songs I mean, there's a lot of good scripture songs or you use that time to teach them an old hymn that you absolutely love, or that was their grandmother's favorite. Maybe if they didn't get to know her, it's a great way for them to get to know her by learning one of her favorite songs while you guys are preparing the meal. Step number five you're gonna be teaching them the best nutrition course that they could ever get, because you're gonna take all the plant-based skills that we're teaching you and you're gonna show them the simple way to do these things. It doesn't have to be everything from every 200 and something episodes, it's the same. We tell you just one thing. Just take that one thing, girl, and you do the one thing You're gonna teach them in the same way. Today, I'm gonna show you how to pre-wash and pre-chop bell peppers so we can freeze these and have them to last us in these gallon bags for months. We can keep putting them for months into all these different dishes. That's gonna help mommy save time. It's gonna help grandma save time. Or do like our member Robin did. She sent me a picture the other day, y'all, if you have not seen it. You've got to go to our Instagram and check out the picture of her little granddaughter. She just had to make waffles, just like Miss Anita did in the cookbook, and she wanted to make the special waffles. And she texted me and said "'She sent her mom a note this morning telling her "'I made breakfast. These are the best waffles "'I've ever put in my mouth. They're so good'". That's how simple I make it. So a little one I mean she is young. Y'all look at the picture. We're not talking about a teenager here who's fully capable Young children are fully capable of cooking most of the recipes in this cookbook.

Speaker 2: 7:35

And earlier we talked about her youngest being 11. She's been doing this since she was around six.

Speaker 1: 7:39

Yeah, six years old, maybe even a little earlier, and at one point in time, she had her own little restaurant, which she has sadly kind of retired now.

Speaker 2: 7:47

But she oh, five stars in breakfast, Five stars in breakfast yes, oh my word and she did that for years, but she had all these different recipes that she was making for us while we were paying her. I still love that model. She didn't have any cost and ingredients.

Speaker 1: 8:03

Yeah, right, and she's making me, but it was her time. It was her time, so but seriously, I mean the child's working, getting in the kitchen. She knows how to make banana bread. She's got stuff on her menu from our cookbook like the banana bread, the carrot cake gems. She's got the breakfast cookies on there. She's got a chocolate drink, a peanut butter cut milkshake. She's got you name it I mean it's on there strawberry shake, you've got it was a legit menu, it was full blown like, even the full meals, the big meals and stuff like that. I'll make you this, I'll make you that 10 cents a quarter kick, yeah, I'm paying her. You better believe I paid her to make my meals. But you don't have to have them do it all and they definitely don't have to be paid. Most of the time we never paid them. They stood right there beside us and learned the skills and now they have the skills and ability, when they go out of the house and they're grown, to do this on their own, to know how to take care of their body, to keep it healthy, the natural way that they actually enjoy, because they know how to make brownies they like, they know how to make the foods that stick to their ribs, that make them feel good, they taste great, and they know it's not hard to do. And they're still amazed. I mean, they're still amazed. The kids walk up to me some days and I say you know, I can't believe we got in there and we made that thing and it tastes just like our old favorites. Every time I think there's something that we're not going to be able to make and they think of it like something that we just haven't ever done since we left that way of eating and all of a sudden we come up with this new way and they're just floored. It's just so much fun to watch them learn and discover together.

Speaker 2: 9:34

Our oldest a year ago. She wanted biscotti, so she found a recipe, adapted it and it's amazing, it's just completely fantastic and she did that completely on her own.

Speaker 1: 9:45

It is the best biscotti recipe. But she gained those skills by just getting into the kitchen and learning one thing at a time.

Speaker 2: 9:53

But the beauty of doing it this way is that they're learning it, it's fun, they're spending time with you and it's just what they know. It's just what they do, so they don't have to have that moment of crisis where they feel like they have to make this change, learn all these skills at one time that they don't have because they have it and they did it in a fun way, right, and now they, like you said, they have those skills for a lifetime and you set them up for success.

Speaker 1: 10:17

I want you to think about that for a minute. How is this going to change their life? What are they going to be able to do in their lifetime? They're God calling Okay. What are they going to be able to do that they couldn't have done before? Think about all the things that God may have in store for them down the road. If they can't think clearly, if they're tired, if they're constantly battling health struggles and weight struggles right Health struggles.

Speaker 2: 10:39

That's huge.

Speaker 1: 10:40

How are they going to be able to do the things that God's called them to do If they don't have the energy or feel? Good, it's the same with you, right? So we have the ability to set them up from early on, from the time that they're super young. So this is just what they do, it's just what they know. And if they're teenagers, get them in there and don't think it's too late. Let them start testing and trying and helping you pick out recipes and try new things, because we have clients, we have family members who've watched us do this and have adopted it, and now the teens cook their own meals. I mean, it's amazing. They come up with their own ideas and we're talking gone, 100% plant-based, because it tastes so good. They couldn't believe it, they couldn't believe how easy it was, how great it tastes and it is just a game changer in so many ways. So you want to get your children involved. Number one, because it's going to save you so much time. Number two, because you're building your children, your grandchildren and your nieces and nephews confidence in the kitchen as they stand beside you, learning kitchen skills, skills for nutrition, for life. Number three you're going to make incredible memories together that you would never make any other way. Number four you're going to plant those spiritual seeds. Listen, mom and grandma, now is the time. Okay, let your light shine. Shine onto these little precious ones and plant the seeds for future generations to come. And it all starts right here, in your kitchen. Step number five teach them the best nutrition course that they're probably ever going to get, because you're going to give them the love of cooking and you're going to show them how easy, how simple and how delicious whole plant foods can be. And that is what we're all about. Sister, when you get in the kitchen with your kids and grandkids, snap a picture and post it on Instagram and tag us at Power On Plants Official. Now, if you're not on Instagram and you're like most of us because I can promise you, most of us are not social media lovers. I've talked to y'all. I know you, you're like I'm trying to get off social media then I want you to just get on the app that you're listening to us on and I want you to just write one to two sentences and tell me what was the one memory that you built in the kitchen with your child or your grandchild or your niece or nephew, that you're never going to forget and that you're so thankful you were able to make. These memories are special. You're never going to forget them. So take a moment and write one or two sentences inside a review of the app that you're listening to us on right now. It would mean so much to us because we love nothing more than celebrating your big wins with you. Have a great day, sunshine, and we'll see you in the next episode.