Stacked Keys Podcast
The idea to talk to women who are out there living and making a difference is where the Stacked Keys Podcast was born. There are women who make a difference, but never make a wave while paddling through life. Immediately I can think of a dozen or more who impacted me, but I want more. I want to talk to those I don't know and I want to share with an audience that might need the inspiration to find their own beat. This podcast is to feature women who are impressive in the work world-- or in raising a family -- or who have hobbies that can make us all be encouraged. Want to hear what makes these women passionate and get up in the morning or what they wish they had known earlier in life? Grab your keys and STOMP to your own drum.
Stacked Keys Podcast
Elizabeth Cummings -- Balancing Dreams and Realities: Navigating Career Crossroads
Have you ever imagined turning the page on your current career to pursue a simmering passion? Elizabeth Cummings did just that, trading in epidemiology for the heat of the kitchen as a personal chef. In our enriching conversation, she serves up her story, blending the art of cooking with the essence of family life, and shares insights on finding that perfect balance. Her tale isn't just about culinary delights; it's a recipe for living authentically and embracing the courage to follow your dreams while dishing out love, one plate at a time.
From the nervous first steps of a career shift to the satisfaction of a well-seasoned dish, this episode is a feast for the soul. We chat about the excitement that comes from cooking with seasonal ingredients and the confidence that builds with every challenge faced in and out of the kitchen. It's not just about the food—it's about the people, the memories made, and the growth that happens when we step out of our comfort zones. Elizabeth's journey underscores the importance of mentors, and how the right guidance can turn a flicker of interest into a blazing passion.
Finally, we wrap it up by simmering down into life's grander themes—dreams of flying, the power of apology, and the adventures that local dining can bring. Elizabeth shares anecdotes that resonate well beyond the kitchen, discussing the importance of service, trying new things, and the invaluable lessons they offer. It's a reminder that whether you're contemplating a culinary enterprise or just striving for balance, it's essential to march to the beat of your own drum and live with authenticity. Join us for this heartwarming episode that's sure to feed more than just your stomach—it's here to nourish your spirit.
Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff
I'm walking all alone down my yellow brick road and I stomp to the beat of my own drum. I got my pockets full of dreams and they're busting at the seams going boom, boom, boom.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Stacked Keys Podcast. I'm your host, amy Stackhouse. This is a podcast to feature women who are impressive in the work world or in raising a family, or who have hobbies that make us all feel encouraged. Want to hear what makes these women passionate to get up in the morning, or what maybe they wish they'd known a little bit earlier in their lives. Grab your keys and three do my own drum.
Speaker 1:Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me, cause I'm doing my thing and I hold the key to all my wants and all my dreams Like an old song. Everything will be alright.
Speaker 2:Well, today I'm really excited to have a special guest. Elizabeth Cummings has joined us. Welcome, elizabeth. Thank you, I'm so glad to be here. Well, we are excited to find out exactly who you are and what you do and just kind of what your daily might be like. So, elizabeth, right out of the gate, if somebody were to ask you who you are personally and professionally, what would they say about Elizabeth?
Speaker 3:I'm a great cook and that's what I do. I'm a personal chef, so professionally I love to cook for people and personally I love to cook for people. So, it's kind of the best of both worlds.
Speaker 2:That is the best of both, for both your world and for the receiver. So have you always found yourself to be interested in all things cooking?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's it started off as just something that I grew up doing. You know, I didn't have a big family, I'm an only child. So it was, I remember in middle school, a way for my dad and I to just spend time together waiting on my mom to come home from work, and we'd have dinner ready when she pulled in the carport. So I learned how to pair like starches and vegetable and meat together from him, and it was just a great way to spend time with them too meat together from him, and it was just a great way to spend time with them too. But then, you know, it expanded to be more than that.
Speaker 3:My mom loves baking, so it was a good time to spend time in the kitchen with her. And that goes back to I was on the stepstool as a toddler helping make cookies and such at Christmas time and breads and such. But then her they're Italian and they loved cooking, of course. So I learned how to do a couple of things that way and it just expanded because everywhere you go there's always food and it's something that bonds people either the eating of it or the creating or both, and it's always a great topic of conversation. It's kind of like the weather. It's a good neutral topic. Everybody has an opinion about food.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's funny. I never compared it to weather, but I guess that's true. I mean, it's something everybody knows something about, even if you're polar opposites.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and even if you don't cook, or you don't know how to cook, or you just hate cooking, which is polar opposite for me you at least enjoy eating food because we all have to do it. Polar opposite.
Speaker 2:For me, you at least enjoy eating food because we all have to do it. Yeah, yeah, all right. So you had an interest in one growing up.
Speaker 4:A lot of us have that, but it sure doesn't send us down the professional road.
Speaker 2:So how did you end up that direction? And that's a brutal road to go down. I think isn't it. And that's a brutal road to go down? I think, isn't it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was an unplanned road for sure. So I originally went to school for a totally different career.
Speaker 2:I got my bachelor's in Georgia, at Kennesaw State in biology and then went to UAB for epidemiology and I did 10 years as an epidemiologist.
Speaker 3:Wow, it's totally different. But my stress reliever through school and hectic times with that career was always cooking. I didn't know what to do. I just felt like I needed to regain sense of balance. I found myself in the kitchen, so it worked out great. But then, you know, I met my husband and we had that food conversation. You know what's your favorite cuisine? He told me he liked Cajun food and I told him I learned Cajun cooking for him because I liked him and I wanted to keep him around from there into that.
Speaker 3:What is your dream job? If you won the lottery and you didn't have to worry anymore, what would you do? And I always said that I would open a restaurant. Well, the two of us together, we were doing well enough to where I was at a stale place with epidemiology, where it just felt like it was the same thing every day. I wasn't feeling fulfilled anymore. And he said well, why don't you look into pursuing this other dream of yours? I was like, okay, that's kind of scary, but maybe. So I went down all those usual paths of like okay, maybe I want to get a food truck or actually open the restaurant. I didn't have enough money to open a restaurant and when you open a restaurant you're married to that restaurant and I really like my family. I didn't want to reduce time with them. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So then he suggested personal chef, and I didn't really know anything about that, but I started researching it and it was just the perfect fit. It gives me the flexibility to be a wife and a mom and then also pursue what I enjoy.
Speaker 2:So it's been a great career shift.
Speaker 3:So tell me what personal chef means. Yeah, so I don't know for the listeners. If you're like me and you thought, oh, personal chef, that's for the super wealthy celebrities and they have this live-in chef that they can just call on, that's not it, that's a private chef. So it's a small distinction. But a personal chef comes in and they are your chef for the evening. So if you want to have a dinner party and not worry about anything except enjoying your guest at the dinner party, that's what I do. So I do the grocery shopping, I plan the menu, I prepare all the food, I serve everything and then I clean up afterwards, so you really do get to enjoy the experience just like everybody else.
Speaker 2:Wow. So you go down this road and do you just call people up and say, hey, guess what I'm doing? And then, because, because now you've entered into your own business and it can shift from becoming a hobby to a business, what was your stress? Reliever might become your stress. So how do you differentiate between all that? And how did, how do you make a go of it?
Speaker 3:So I've definitely had a lot of learning about running a business, because the cooking is the fun part, doing the events is the best part of it, but learning how to do the accounting and the marketing and the branding and all the things that go into the business side of it. There's been a learning curve and it's been a fun adventure because I do enjoy learning in itself. But there's been a lot of questions and a few mistakes, of course, like we all have when we're learning how to start a business, and lots of sounding boards from others that may have been there and I'm still learning, of course, but it's not. I was worried about that becoming a stressful thing again, and it's not stressful at all, about that becoming a stressful thing again, and it's not stressful at all. It's still my stress reliever, even if it's like oh, there's this complicated request.
Speaker 3:I'm not too familiar with how to work around it. I need to brainstorm on it, try to work that in. It's a fun challenge to me and I have a lot of great guinea pigs, so I've got five kids and they love it. When I come into the kitchen, I'm like all right, we're having a test dinner, I have a new idea or I've got a client request. I'm going to try to jazz up a little bit. I need honest feedback, and they love that part of it oh wow, all right.
Speaker 2:So we jump right to the balancing, and I've talked to a lot of moms that are also career oriented and they say balance is a fallacy that goes out the window. What's your opinion on that? And with five that I mean you're already outnumbered. How does balance fit into your mind and your daily?
Speaker 3:So I will say that it's easier that they're older. My youngest one is 10. My oldest one's 18, about to be 19 in April. So they don't need as much handholding as toddlers and such. So I imagine the balance would be a lot trickier if I was trying to learn about launching a business and doing all of that work while also having a lot more hands-on care. But most of them are teenagers. They've got their own part-time jobs, their own lives, and the one thing that still brings us all together is every night we're eating dinner at that table together and we usually play a game afterwards.
Speaker 3:So that's where I get that bonding time with everybody. If they want to help me in the kitchen, they're, of course, welcome, and I find I have more time than when I was in public health because I'm not working all day long. I'm able to restructure my day and pull pieces here and there to make time for them. So if one of them has you know my youngest one in elementary school she has a parent picnic. I'm able to actually go to that. Now I don't have to take hours out of my day because I'm leaving work to drive there and then drive back. I'm able to just go and have lunch with her like I want to. So they feel more fulfilled because they actually get to see me more and I'm able to see them get on the bus. Every day, most days, I see them get off the bus. It's been perfect, really.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow. And you're giving them an example of you've got your education, so education must be important to you. Um, so, as a, a leader, um, for your kids, do you? Do you feel like you're showing them different options of ways to to fulfill yeah, so my husband's from the trade world.
Speaker 3:He has done mechanics and industrial maintenance so he did not go to that university life. I definitely did so kind of polar opposites on that, so they already got to see the options that way. But what I'm also showing them is you're not locked into that career for 50 or 60 years. You don't have to decide when you're 18, what you're going to be for the rest of your life. You get to pursue multiple passions and be fulfilled. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But having that education.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know you start with that education first. You always have that to fall back on. If I wanted to quit tomorrow and go back into public health, I still have all that experience. I still have all that training. Nothing's stopping me. Might be harder to break back into where I was, but you know it's not as bad as if I had to go pursue the education at this stage in the game and then try to work my way into it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So what do you think the scariest thing is that you've ever done?
Speaker 3:Oh, scariest thing I was not prepared for that question talk about my business and my family all day long, but scariest thing um, I don't know if it's for sure the scariest thing, but the first thing that comes to mind. It was first time I went kayaking down the Coosa river and you know, they have that big rock right at the beginning of the journey that everyone jumps off of. So most people stop, walk to the side and jump off it. I don't know how high this rock is, but it's what? Maybe 20 feet in the air? I don't know. It's scary when you're just climbing up there and then you got to jump down in there. Well, I wasn't entirely sure of my swimming abilities at this point, so I did not grow up with a pool.
Speaker 2:A good time to think about it, elizabeth, I mean.
Speaker 3:Right, right. So I'm. You know, I didn't grow up swimming a whole bunch. I, as an adult, kind of was like treading water, doggy paddling, making my way, faking it till I make it type of thing. And here I am about to jump with everybody else, and of course I had to be like everybody else. I couldn't be the only dork with a life jacket on. I left that behind too, oh man. So making that jump, it took me a minute, but I did it and that was definitely oh my gosh, am I going to make this?
Speaker 3:But it was so fun, like that accomplishment, that satisfaction that, yes, I can do it, did come out of it and it helped me realize that there are fun things.
Speaker 2:I can do. If I just believe that I can, yeah, well, that can cross right back into your business of yeah I'm. I mean that you jump into something that you don't fully know or understand, but you've got sort of a skill set there that, uh, that you're relying on. So, yeah, um. So so the scary things. I mean you, you've got kids, you've got your career, you've changed your career, you know you're, you're cooking for people. You're not afraid that they're going to look at it and go, oh this is awful. I, I mean it's so you're dealing with something that's objective but yet subjective. So how does that play into your mindset?
Speaker 3:So lucky for me, I've been cooking for a long time, you know, since childhood, and not just for people that have to be nice and tell me that they like it. I've always welcomed actual feedback on my food and there have been some terrible dishes in those early days where it was not good, but I learned from those mistakes and I improved it and now I know how to avoid them and how to even fix things if I were to come into a situation of similar mistakes. I will say in the beginning, the ones that made me the most nervous about not liking my food were the ones that said oh, we used to live in Louisiana or we're hardcore Cajun cooks. Oh, my gosh, that's not my root. Like, my base is the Italian, I learned the Cajun cooks. I'm like oh my gosh, that's not my root. Like my base is the Italian, I learned the Cajun. What if they don't like it?
Speaker 3:But I cook all the time for people from Louisiana. I cook all the time for a variety of palates, just because we like to have dinner guests of our own all the time, and I feel pretty confident just because I have that frequent experience. But I bet there will be one day where someone does not like everything, but if I am serving it to my clients it's been served to so many people before that it's not my first go around with it. It's been tested, it's been modified, so I feel pretty confident going into all the events.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not your first rodeo on. Yeah, so, um, have you had an experience? Okay, so you're going into someone's home, are you bringing it cooked, are you going to their home and and right there performing your magic.
Speaker 3:So I come in with grocery bags. The only time I bring something pre-made is if it needs a lot of time to chill, kind of like a cheesecake. You know, I can't just make that happen in a couple hours. That's an overnight cooling process. But other than that, I come in with the fresh groceries that I just got on my way to your house and it's all made start to finish right there in your kitchen.
Speaker 2:So I cook, not professionally, but I have my tools, my this, my that, and every one of them is different. Every oven is different. Everything is so different. How do you not panic every single time?
Speaker 3:Well, part of it is just fun to experiment with different kitchen setups. Gas versus electric oven. Okay, there's minor changes on that. Convection versus regular. Okay, minor adjustments. Not a big deal. There have definitely been houses I've been to where I thought the oven was cooking. It was not cooking. That's a little panic inducing yeah.
Speaker 3:Or it's cooking, yeah, so sometimes you have to move it to the stove or you have to crank the temperature up, switch it to a broil, and sometimes the homeowner they don't use it very much, or maybe it's a vacation rental home so they really don't know anything about it. And I started carrying a thermometer with me so I can see what temperature that oven's reading, because sometimes it's running a little hot or a little cold, and that will definitely change things. But I do show up to all of my events with everything I need to prepare everything. Most of the time I leave everything in the car because we'll cook in their homes every day. They have pots and pans and things, but if, for some reason, they don't have a lot of kitchen gadgets maybe it's a vacation home or they just don't like to cook, so they don't have a stocked kitchen. I've got what I need, so it's not a worry about. Well, I find myself in a situation not being able to prepare things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Wow.
Speaker 3:So tell me what's your favorite dish that's a very difficult question okay what are your favorite dishes for you a little bit yeah you know, my favorite dish to cook is like it's such a difficult question to answer because my favorite changes with the season, you know, like when I've got fresh strawberries I love to make stuff that features that fresh strawberry taste, just like the summer vegetables. And sometimes it's just my mood. Maybe I really am enjoying making pasta right now. So, yeah, let's crank out some fettuccine or make some ravioli, but the ones that I get the most enjoyment out of are where I can break it down multiple layers and it has several steps to complete. I don't like the just one step. Okay, now it's done. Kind of like salad dressing. You throw it all into a jar, shake it up, it's done. You know, it's a nice part of the meal and it tastes great, but it's not as fun as something where you have to do this, now that, now that and time it just right.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's funny because so many of us just want that one. It's a lot more fun to just have it done I mean that's why these one pot meals have come into play and of having it, you know, be more of a process. And that can you kind of explain, maybe, how your process begins. I mean, you're beginning at the store. You're beginning or before you get to the store. So what's your process like?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I mean going all the way back to the beginning. It starts with a phone call, so I talk to whoever's hosting the party and find out about any dietary preferences. This could be a severe restriction, like an allergy, you know, shellfish or gluten or something, or it could just be a preference like we don't really like mushrooms, don't do anything with mushrooms. Whatever that preference is, I take that into consideration and I will build a menu around the dietary preferences for the dinner party. And most of the time, that menu is approved right away Like yep, this is exactly what we're looking for, let's move forward Other times, all right, well, let's tweak this, let's tweak that. Like oh well, we didn't really want filet mignon, let's do a chicken or something instead. Little tweaks here and there, not a problem, we end up with the perfect menu.
Speaker 3:The day before that event, I'm planning everything out, I have my grocery list, I have my materials list, I have notes to myself to make sure that everything is executed in the right order, and if I have helpers, I've briefed them on how things are going to go. Once we arrive, for the larger parties, usually about eight people or more I have at least one person helping me because if anything, I need more hands to bring stuff out. But more food takes longer to cook. So you need more hands on deck type of thing. But the day of I load up my car with whatever materials I need and then I go to the grocery store. If there's a specialty store that I can use, I like to do that. So I'll use specialty olive oil from the Vintage Olive in Montgomery. I'll go to Pepper Tree Wine and Steaks for their wine recommendations. I'll go to the farmer's market when they're in season trying to get those fresh local produce offerings, and my last stop is usually Publix or Winn-Dixie for all the other pantry items you know, like flour and yeast and such. And then I show up three hours before that cook time or that serve time and I'm getting everything prepared and at whatever time.
Speaker 3:Let's say you said six o'clock. You want the dinner party to start. That's when that first course is ready. Sometimes people are just relaxing and enjoying the evening. Maybe somebody is running late, maybe not. That's a flexible start time. You want to have another glass of wine and extend cocktail hour? Totally fine, we'll make that work, which is where it's kind of an advantage over going to a restaurant because they're not. They're trying to flip a table. They're not as flexible on. Oh yeah, take your time. You have me for the whole event. I don't have anywhere to be except serve you and make you happy. So once the courses are served, I'm cleaning up here and there, but trying not to detract from the table service. But afterwards, about an hour, your kitchen's clean Looks just the way it, sometimes even better than when I arrived. I love that. Sometimes things are a little scattered, but we try to clean up a little bit and then you just get to enjoy the rest of your evening. Sometimes the guests are hanging out after the event, sometimes they've already gone.
Speaker 3:I've had some fall asleep on the couch waiting because they had such full bellies but it really is just a relaxed evening where it's supposed to be stress-free, it's supposed to be enjoyable.
Speaker 2:I love that. And then I know that it just kind of depends from event to event of what kind of personality that takes on. Did you do you have the professional chef training or it's all been? Uh, you learn and you perform based on the hard work so it's definitely been, uh, just learning independently.
Speaker 3:I've learned from family members, I've learned from friends. Everybody's got some sort of cooking secret that is valuable, kind of like the Disney movie Ratatouille everyone can cook.
Speaker 2:Which is true.
Speaker 3:Everyone can cook, and they've all got their own approach to it. So it may not be the professional way to do something, but sometimes the professional recommendation isn't the best way. For some of these, especially like the Cajun cuisines or some of those more heartwarming dishes that you get and that's what I like to bring is that flavor and those great memories that you have through food.
Speaker 2:So do you have a mentor that you kind of have tucked back in the back of your head? I listened to a book yesterday or in the last few days and the character had Julia Childs as her little mentor, talking to her when she got into situations and events. So do you have something like that or someone like that?
Speaker 3:So I do have a mentor who I can call or text which I don't blow up his phone near as much Chef Andres. He had a lot of valuable insight for helping me launch my business and structure everything appropriately.
Speaker 3:So, he's definitely helped because he knows not just about the personal chef business but he also knows about the professional industry and if I have questions like how to scale things for larger events, he's been a great resource for that. But in terms of that little voice in the back of my head coaching me through some of those tough times or things, it depends on the situation and who I had the most experience with. When I'm baking, usually it's my mom's voice. If I'm, you know, doing some something more Italian-y, it'll be probably my grandmother or my grandfather's voice coaching me through it. It'll be probably my grandmother or my grandfather's voice coaching me through it.
Speaker 2:So it really just depends yeah, you come across so strong and so independent. What would your definition of being?
Speaker 3:strong, be Well. Thank you, let's see. So I guess strong is kind of hand in hand with that independence, you know, not relying on someone to make all the decisions and guide you every step. It's great to have sounding boards, but to be everywhere in every aspect, and even if you're wrong, it's an opportunity to learn. So as long as you're willing to learn and you've seen something through, it's better than just staying in one spot, worried that you're going to make a mistake and waiting for someone to guide you and make that decision for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, and then look back and go well, I could have done that. I was thinking that. Exactly, I could have done that. I was thinking that Exactly. I could have shifted into this role, but so do you find your daily scary.
Speaker 3:No, not at all. Every day is just a great day. Some days are busier than others and it might be stressful in terms of will I get it all done? But most of the time it's very relaxed and flexible. But that's kind of how I like to keep everything. I don't like a very stressful environment, so like if I'm in your kitchen cooking for an event. It's not like you're in a restaurant kitchen where there's that high tension environment. Oh my gosh, we need to get this done now. There's food dying in the window, type of thing. It's a that memory of cooking in grandma's kitchen. You know everyone's welcome in there, we're chit-chatting, we're having a good time answering questions and getting to know each other and every aspect of my life. I like to keep that way. Just keep it relaxed and enjoyable.
Speaker 2:You get a lot more done that way, yeah, and end up having a good day at the end of it. So the Cajun cuisine that that's where you're a big focus is correct. Yes, so do you regret going down that road sometimes, or? Not at all kind of defining who you are.
Speaker 3:So a lot of people love italian food, and myself included I. That's my default. If I don't know what I'm making, it's probably going to be something italian, but asian food when I learned how to cook it for someone I love. So there's a great base there. But it's also something a little more unique. You're not going to find that everywhere here. If we were in Louisiana or the Gulf Coast it would be more prominent, but it's harder to find Cajun food around here. So it allows me to bring a little more unique offering and maybe a little bit more of the special memories to your table too, as I recreate dishes that are tied to a trip or a person from that area, and then I always put that Italian twist on things too. So that's where the amore, part of Cajun amore came in there you go, there you go.
Speaker 2:So tell me, tell me what Cajun cooking is. You know, I have something pop in my head, but, and you know, so just give me a definition.
Speaker 3:So my long-winded definition it's not just really spicy food. There is so much flavor, which I think is true of Italian cuisine too. They use a lot of spices and that's what is really the hallmark of both. But Cajun food has a base of the Trinity. Just about every Cajun dish you make is going to have bell peppers, celery and onion. You can make it holy by adding the garlic in there. That'll be called the Holy Trinity, and then it's whatever protein you have on hand. There's a lot of seafood, of course, especially from the coastal areas, but there's the andouille sausage if something calls for sausage which has its own unique flavor, kind of like connective sausage has its own unique flavor flavor. Kind of like connective sausage has its own unique flavor.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of the crowd-pleasing foods. It's meant to serve a lot of people with the Cajun style. It's not. Oh, let me make one elegant, tiny little portion. It's. We're gathering everybody together. We want everybody at the table to enjoy this feast. So Cajun food is more than just is it really spicy? Now, if you're going to make it spicy, there's going to be cayenne pepper in it. But a lot of times people tell me they love Cajun food, they just don't like the spice, so I ease back on that cayenne yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, and in the South you kind of kind of know what that is. I guess it's. It's probably been watered down and mixed into other um other cuisines, but um, but it's, it's unique and it is about the festivities. So, um, how busy are you? I mean you could fill up every single night of your calendar in a year. How do you control the overwhelm?
Speaker 3:So it really depends on the time of year. Like December is my busiest month, for sure, and it's busier than January. Summer is busier than like September, but it really just depends on what people have going on. May is usually busy because there's lots of graduations and Mother's Day and anniversaries. The way I keep my personal calendar going well with my professional one is I look at both. If someone's asking me about a particular date, if we have something important for our family going on that day, I'm booked. That day I'm not taking anything. I would like to get to a point, preferably this year, where I have at least one or two other chefs that can take over events on their own. So that way my personal calendar is not affecting my professional availability, but it really is just when people like to have things to celebrate. So most of the time it's just Friday or Saturday night. There's the occasional Sunday, occasional weeknight type of celebration, but it's usually like those hot nights for going out to eat. Those are also days where people are willing to host a dinner party.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So do you have a way that you do? Are you a paper planner or do you have tools that you use to schedule yourself and kind of make sure you don't double book, or just how you plan your life?
Speaker 3:So I do have a software that I use for managing my clients and my events and invoicing and such. The only thing I really do on paper is my menu planning. I can't seem to do that online. I have to have and recipe development. I have the pen and paper and it's lots of scribbles and adjustments that way. But I gave up the paper planner a while ago because my phone's always with me and that paper planner may not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. It's a lot easier sometimes to think that you've got your schedule in your head and you don't, and that can be kind of catastrophic to a business. Well, let's switch just a little bit and kind of think personally and professionally but where do you go when you have to solve a problem? Where do you go in your head? Where do you go as far as to someone? What's your process in figuring out a problem?
Speaker 3:So my first step where I need to seek outside help is always my husband. He has been the sounding board for everything, whether it's from building a recipe to a tricky menu. Building a recipe to a tricky menu, major business marketing decision or other things, and even personally, how do I deal with this social situation. He's been a great, level-headed person to advise me on everything and he has a unique viewpoint on things. So he'll definitely make me think in a way that I hadn't thought before and I really value that. And I'd say, right behind him are my parents. I talk to them at least once a week and update them on everything, personally and professional, and sometimes they can chime in with their viewpoints.
Speaker 3:So I'm very family fit and I've even started getting some of the kids like well, how would you handle this situation? What do you think about family fit? And I've even started getting some of the kids like well, how would you handle this situation? What do you think about this idea? Like? I know you're only 12, but you have valuable insights to tell me what you think, because everyone does have something valuable to add when you're thinking about a major decision or if you're stuck on a problem.
Speaker 2:Wow. So that leads me into a little bit of talking about parenting. As a parent, what do you think is one of your most valuable skill sets to hand back to your kids?
Speaker 3:It's hard to pick one to be the most valuable, but I would say cooking is the most valuable skill set because you're always going to have to eat and if you know how to cook meals from scratch or as close to scratch as you can, you save money, which helps with budgeting a limited paycheck when you're first starting off in the world and you're not going to suffer from malnutrition because all you're eating is ramen and hot dogs. You're going to know about a well-balanced meal. You're not relying on multivitamin to keep you healthy. So I think knowing the basics of cooking, which also incorporates nutrition, is one of the most valuable skill sets. But cooking also incorporates so much more than just feeding yourself. It incorporates science lessons and math lessons, so it's so inclusive that it's the most valuable skill set to me.
Speaker 2:I like that. I like that and all the social aspects of it, because you, like you said, you're around the table at night and I can just imagine being a fly on your wall of hearing them talk about something that you make and maybe do it differently one time and and and they pick up on that. So I can imagine there's been uproars. That's funny.
Speaker 2:Um, now and when you, you've got the kids that are in various stages of life and you've made a career change and and you you mentioned I mean knowing nutrition and knowing how to budget there makes a huge difference in life, particularly, um, when you're starting out. What would you say? The difference between wants and needs would be?
Speaker 3:So need is. You know, going back to school when they first introduced that concept. It's what you absolutely need to survive. And unfortunately, a cell phone is becoming a need at this point and I cringe at that thought. But landlines don't exist. I mean, they might be in the occasional house still, maybe for an alarm system or something, but how else are we supposed to reach people? Jobs now will text you availability or questions about shift pickups and such. So a cell phone's kind of a need. Now a smartphone, that's a different story. It doesn't have to be fancy, but you do need cell service.
Speaker 3:And a want is something where it's really nice to have. It makes your life easier. Like I want some new cowgirl boots. I really love cowgirl boots and I would. I don't care that I already have three pairs. I want another pair, but I don't need another pair just because I don't have that particular color right now. So the wand is just it really nice to have, it makes you happy, but it's not absolutely necessary do you find yourself wanting the newest kitchen gadget or tool, or no, I try to keep it as basic as possible.
Speaker 3:I don't want my kitchen so cluttered with stuff that I can't find this one thing that I need. So if I can just have a basic set of pots and pans, cutting board and knife set, I'm good. I'd rather buy more plates and utensils, because I hate using paper plates. I really do. I don't care if we have 20 people over. Everyone's getting an actual dish.
Speaker 2:It changes the flavor, I think, of food just in how it's plated, presented.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you get like a plate full of pasta or a bowl of gumbo and it's in a paper bowl or a plate. It's soaking through and it's ruining the experience for you.
Speaker 2:So you are definitely an experienced eater or presenter in your food. I remember we have a friend who's a chef and when COVID hit he was like I am not doing this pickup and then when you know all the services came and stayed of you know the food delivery he's like presentation is my whole end result and I think he finally caved. But it was like I don't want to, I don't want to, and every time I take something away from a restaurant and I look at it in that container I think, oh, brian would not like the way this looks.
Speaker 3:So I will say that presentation, though, is more of a want than a need in terms of food. Like to me, it needs flavor, but you want a really good presentation, and if it came down to sacrificing one or the other, I'd rather sacrifice the way it looks than the way it tastes.
Speaker 2:Oh, there you go. Yeah, I remember early on when Tom and I got married, we did this I think spinach noodles had just kind of come out and we did this dish of the spinach noodles and the red sauce and it was like, oh man, hurry up and eat it before somebody drops over and thinks that we're having this nasty looking whatever.
Speaker 2:And that probably was out of tuna days too, so you know it probably was mixed in that. But we still laugh about that of just having that meal. Where you're like eat it in the dark, it'll be. Yeah, we've all had those, yeah, yeah. So what's your favorite dessert?
Speaker 3:and would you say right now is tiramisu, but I love a good cannoli too, and it's always a toss-up. But I love a good cannoli too, and it's always a toss up, but I love dessert. It's like favorite food. It depends on my mood and they're all delicious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, neither one of those are easy to make, are they?
Speaker 3:Cannolis. The shell is hard to make because you have to deep fry it, but you can get creative on the shell too. So when it's strawberry season, I like to haul out the strawberry and put the cannoli cream in there for a strawberry cannoli. And that cream is really easy to make. You're just draining ricotta and mixing in some powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla, and now you've got cannoli cream.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, wow, I look forward to strawberry season. I never thought about that so. So you really do take a food and and go creative on it I try to.
Speaker 3:I try not to go too far out of left field, try to keep with the classics, but sometimes a splash of inspiration here or there and it makes something fun and new to try.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So do you think you'll be doing this forever? You think this is, this is your calling?
Speaker 3:For the foreseeable future. Yes, Um, I have been thinking how long am I going to do this? Am I going to retire or will I do it till I die? You know how much life does Cajun Amore have? What's the future of it? And I think it's definitely something I can see growing. Like I said, have a team of chefs for multiple events per day, and maybe me, as I have the need to step more into an administrative role maybe, rather than doing as many of events. It really could go either way. But you know, we could talk about other dreams maybe one day having our own Airbnb where an add-on is a personal show of experience, or maybe a bed and breakfast or something. So we'll probably always be somewhat in the entertaining and hosting sector. So we'll probably always be somewhat in the entertaining and hosting sector.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it has potential for growth. Now, being a business owner is scary and kind of lonely sometimes. How do you handle that?
Speaker 3:I go to a lot of networking events. I never feel alone. We have a big family at home for when it's not work hours, but when it is, I go to networking events at least two, sometimes three or more times per week and I get to connect with all kinds of other businesses, whether they're business owners or they work in some other commission based field where they really need their referrals and they have a reason to network. So it helps with any feeling of loneliness. It doesn't ever get to settle in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so at some of these events do you go looking for a best friend sometimes?
Speaker 3:No, I like to make friends wherever I go. So some days you know, we all have those off days where we're just not feeling extra chatty or anything. But you start going to enough of these networking things and you see similar faces. So those are the days where you just buddy up with the one that you already know and you get that little juice of social interaction and, yeah, carry on with your day?
Speaker 2:yeah, because some days can can be lonely and I guess you can sit in a coffee shop and do some of your planning and that kind of thing sometimes. But where do you go for your inspiration?
Speaker 3:I usually stay really close to home. I like meeting with people at coffee shops, but it feels more lonely if I'm just working at a coffee shop because there's a bunch of activity around and then it's just me looking at a computer screen. I have lots of cookbooks that I love and a few websites that I can go to for inspiration. Usually it is just that inspiration like oh yeah, I forgot about this one way to do something, and then I start going off in a whole other direction.
Speaker 2:but oh wow do you read cookbooks?
Speaker 3:sometimes, yeah, I like to read in general, so every night before bed I'm reading a chapter of a book, but during the day I'm reading like a blog post, a recipe site, a recipe book. It really just depends on what's nearby, but I don't think I can go a single day without reading something cooking related.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So you kind of made me think of something that sounds like you have a routine of self-care, so would you? Would you say that you do have a self-care aspect to your life and maybe share some of what that might be?
Speaker 3:Somewhat I do like routine. You know we dinner at the same time every day. Just about everybody gets up just about the same time every day. You know, weekends are always a little bit off, but we're still within the ballpark of about an hour for everything. My best for self-care, I guess, is at the end of every day we're playing cards or a board game or something. Just like I said, after dinner we're just just hanging out together and then nine o'clock I don't care if it's the weekend or not we're going to bed, and that's in quotes. We're not actually sleeping, we're watching a show. That's just an unwind, mind purge time, and it's one, maybe two episodes and then I'm falling asleep.
Speaker 3:Sometimes I'm falling asleep during that first episode and pretending I didn't, but that's what the recaps are for on the next episode.
Speaker 2:Meg, just for you, yeah.
Speaker 3:But then when it's time to turn off the lights, I read a chapter because somehow I got a little bit more energy in me just to read that last chapter and start all over again. So it's just that routine of knowing.
Speaker 2:Here's how the day is structured yeah, so routine is more of your self-care. For sure recipe yeah, um, when's the last time you ever had to say I'm sorry to someone?
Speaker 3:that's a good question um, I'm sure it's not as difficult of a question as I'm making it out to be. I'm trying to think of a genuine apology, not just a oh sorry, I bumped into you type of thing. Yeah, yeah, it was probably one of my boys. He's been wanting to go shoe shopping and he misunderstood when we were supposed to be going and I said I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let you down. It wasn't actually going to be today. It is going to be tomorrow. I promise for sure it will be tomorrow, but I'm sorry I let you down, but it's not today, because I hate that misunderstanding and miscommunication and that disappointment.
Speaker 2:Look oh, and that. Look, oh my goodness, yeah, oh, yeah, look, can get you, can it for sure? Um well, do you ever want to just try places with somebody? Do you just kind of like you're tired of the, the, what you're doing, you're tired of the and not just say any reflection on your kids and family, but you're, you just want to trade with somebody I have not felt that feeling.
Speaker 3:I, yeah, I love the idea of it. You know, like those movies like freaky friday and such, where you get to change bodies with someone or trade places for a day. I love the thought, but I don't think I could come up with someone where be like oh yeah, I wish I could just be them for a day. I really am content and fulfilled that's great.
Speaker 2:You know that some um intentional living to be, to be content. Um so so, if I ask you to complete this sentence of we were put on this earth to, what would be your response to that? To them.
Speaker 3:I would say serve others. To me, happiness comes from doing things for other people and I know a lot of people have that sense of pride where they don't want that help. But when you allow someone to help you, they get joy out of that because they were able to help you and you get joy out of helping other people and to help you and you get joy out of helping other people. And if you think about the times where you've been really happy, you know whether it's helping a little kid tie their shoe or put on a jacket, or maybe help someone with their groceries, or even bigger, helping with homework, helping someone with a problem, just being an ear for them when they're going through a tough time, just being there in some aspect of service just brings a lot of fulfillment and I think that's why we're here is to interact with each other and be there for each other.
Speaker 2:That comes right back to your business model. It does To serve to be a part of people's events, to make their events and maybe change a whole situation because you're there absolutely can you tell if you need an? Yes, I love adventure.
Speaker 3:I love adventure. I love going to explore new places and new lifestyles, I think new food. I love just anything that is something different, as much as I love routine. If there's something going on, I'm probably going to find it and that's something I've been criticized for. My husband will say you'll keep me young because you can't stop moving and I will keep our calendar full. And he will tell me just schedule nothing for a weekend, like we just need to stay home and not go out and do things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, but yeah, I definitely like the adventure. So have you ever been on a like a, a foodie adventure? I mean you, you go find the unknown, the obscure kind of discovery, go intentionally going out to discover something.
Speaker 3:The closest I get is when I go to a different city. I do not go to any chain restaurants. I don't even want to look at what's recommended in like a hotel book or anything I want to. I don't even want to see what's the first pop-ups on Google. I want to find those places that maybe only the locals really know about, or something that is that hole in the wall and sometimes it is highly recommended too. But I do like to go to something that is that hole in the wall and sometimes it is highly recommended too. But I do like to go to something that's not, you know, olive Garden and every state type of thing. I want it to be one spot because they are doing it well and that's only found in that one area.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that that sounds like fun. That one area yeah, yeah, that that sounds like fun?
Speaker 3:what'd you do last year that you just would not do again? What?
Speaker 2:did I do last year it all flows together, you know um, or just not last year, but just some time, of something that you're like no strike, that never.
Speaker 3:That was a good shot, but no, we're not doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That's a tough one, because that's implying that I regret doing it. I know it's not what you're asking, because that is a difference, a subtle difference.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, trying and not liking it, that's something that you think of, that implying that you regret that and you aren't really living a life of regret.
Speaker 3:No, because there's always some sort of lesson or something. Because if I said I wouldn't want to do it again, well, I don't want it to come across as I hated it and I wish I never did it, because maybe I would be wondering if I should do it then.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow, I like that thought there. Elizabeth, how do people get in touch with you or follow?
Speaker 3:you, yeah, so we're on Facebook, instagram. There's a TikTok channel out there, but it's not as active as Facebook and Instagram, but it's at Cajun Amore, on all of those C-A-J-U-N-A-M-O-R-E, and then you can also call us 334-399-9064. And we have our website, wwwcajunamorecom.
Speaker 2:Okay, and one of the things that you said and I kind of want to go back and reiterate, want to go back and reiterate it doesn't. It's not something that is just for those with lots of money and so you're able to talk through menus, talk through price points, and there are a lot of options. Am I correct?
Speaker 3:I really are. I will say that everything is built off of a minimum service charge. So whether it's cooking for a couple up to five people, it's the same service fee, but after that it's a per person cost, and I've had people tell me that it's similar to going to a nice restaurant, so where you would spend the same or sometimes even more, depending on grocery cost going out to a nice restaurant for three or four courses. You could just have me come in and have a more relaxed experience and more personalized touch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and sometimes in our area, the things that are not necessarily available, right.
Speaker 3:Especially when we're talking about the high celebration moments like graduations. Especially when we're talking about the high celebration moments like graduations, I'm sure there's plenty of times people have called a restaurant trying to get a reservation and they're booked up and a lot of restaurants don't take reservations anymore. They just say when you're here we'll seat you, but other than that, you just have to wait.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that is very true. Well, I have one more question for you. If you had a superpower, you have it for 24 hours. You can use it personally or professionally. What would you choose? How would you use it? And I'm always interested in knowing why you would choose it.
Speaker 3:Well, since I only have 24 hours to use it, that changes things a little bit. I think I would choose to fly just because it's an adventure. You know. I would be able to soar through the air like a bird and just have that feeling of freedom without worrying about like a crash landing, like if I could fly elegantly like an eagle or something. It wouldn't be like paragliding or something where you have to worry about equipment malfunction. It's not like skydiving like oh no, I hope the parachute works.
Speaker 3:I get to actually fly myself and experience the wind beneath my somewhat wings.
Speaker 2:That's great. That's great, elizabeth. Thank you, it has been quite an amazing conversation.
Speaker 3:Yes, I really enjoyed it, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for the dreams and they're busting at the seams going find stacked keys podcast on spotify, soundcloud and itunes or anywhere you get your favorite podcast. Listen. You'll laugh out loud, you'll cry a little, you'll find yourself encouraged. Join us for casual conversation that leads itself, based on where we take it, from family to philosophy, to work, to meal prep, to beautifully surviving life. And hey, if I could ask a big favor of you, go to iTunes and give us a five rating. The more people who rate us, the more we get this podcast out there.
Speaker 1:Thanks, I appreciate it Like an old song Everything will be alright when I let myself go with the night.
Speaker 4:Gonna stomp to my own drum. Stomp to my own song, stomp hey. Gonna, put all my boots in the room. Gonna stomp to my own drum, st stomp to my own zone, stomp hey.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna sing it out loud and say it real proud. Nobody's gonna step on my cloud cause I stomp, stomp to the beat of my big drum. I got a big drum. Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me, cause I'm doing my thing and I got a big drum. I got a big drum. Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me Because I'm doing my thing and I got the key to all my walls and all my dreams?
Speaker 4:Yeah, because I'm stuck to my own drum, stuck to my own drum. Thank you.