Paula Deen: Hey, Laura!

Laura Theising: Hey! How are you?

PD: I’m great; how are you?

LT: Good! My mom is going to die that I’m talking to you right now.

PD: Oh my gosh. Well, I tell you what. My children were so impressed with you. They came home singing your praises about your cookies.

LT: Well, that’s very sweet. They were very nice. They had lovely things to say about you, as well.

PD: Well, thank you. In fact, I got to have one of your cookies. My daughter-in-law, Ashley, for Bennett’s first birthday, ordered the cookies from you, and they were incredibly beautiful and delicious.

LT: Aww, thanks. Thank you.

PD: Well, I tell you, I was just amazed. They were such a high caliber, as far as their decoration and all. They were just great.

LT: Well, thank you.

PD: So tell me about yourself.

LT: Okay, well we haven’t lived in the area very long, but I love it down here. I am sad to leave if we end up leaving, but my husband is in the army. That’s what brought us down here, and that’s, of course, how I met your boys at the army spouses event. And I have three children, so if I’m not baking cookies, I’m being a mother.

PD: What are their ages, Laura?

LT: Eli is 9, Lillian will be three soon, and I just had Ben, who is 5 months old.

PD: So you’ve got your hands full!

LT: [laughing] I do!

PD: So you won’t be happy to leave the heat if you have to relocate?

LT: I love the heat! [laughing]

PD: You love the heat?

LT: Well, I don’t love it, but we’re from Indiana, so right now it’s still snowing up there. Every time I call my parents, I’m like, ‘Well, I’m standing outside right now.” So I’m liking it down here.

PD: Well, good! Well, I’m so interested to know… have you always loved to bake?

LT: I have! I have always loved to bake. Before whenever I would make them with my mom and grandma and everybody, we would just sprinkle sugar on them before we put them in the oven. We just would randomly make them for the holidays and whatnot. Now, I didn’t start actually decorating cookies like this until my husband actually. We had a long distance relationship. He went to West Point in upstate New York, so we were far away from each other through college. So I started making him cookies. My husband and I grew up together, we’re from the same hometown…

PD: Aww…

LT: …so we’ve known each other for a long time. We were friends before and we started dating then I started to make him cookies, and I would write little notes on them. So that’s where the decorating came from. And then later on when he was deployed, we would always write little messages on his cookies and I thought, “You know, I think I’m really good at this.” So then I started doing it for my kids’ birthday parties and holidays when I hosted, and people just started to go crazy for them, so I just thought, “well, I’ll start making them more often.” And then when we were at our last duty station was when it really started to blow up because a couple girls started asking me to make stuff for battalion fundraisers and things, so I started to make them more detailed, and it kind of turned into a whole thing.

PD: Wow, wow. Well, do you see yourself someday with a storefront?

LT: Yes, yes. I would love that.

PD: Yes, well, I was going to ask you where you wanted to take this because you definitely have a talent.

LT: Well, thank you. I would say that is definitely a very, very big dream of mine, but it’s obviously not something I am thinking about immediately just with the kids being so small.

PD: Yes, yes.
LT: And my husband is gone so much that it’s kind of hard to kind of have my own thing right now.

PD: And you obviously don’t have any family down here.

LT: We don’t, no. Both of our families are about 10 hours away. But they’ve both been really good. They will jump on a plane and come see us at any moment.

PD: Oh, well, that’s great, that’s great!

LT: Yeah, they have been really helpful still.

PD: Well I saw, like I said, Bennett’s cookies, and they were so intricate. I can’t imagine how in the world you can do that.

LT: [laughing] Patience.

PD: Did you just teach yourself?

LT: I did, yes, I did. Well, I kind of enjoyed the challenge so each time I would make them, I would look up different ideas, and I would kind of challenge myself and think, “Well, I bet I could do that.” And then I kind of got a little bit more intricate. A lot of my ideas, I found on Pinterest, and then I would sit down and try to do it and be pleasantly surprised. And now, I feel like I, well, I wouldn’t say I can do anything, but I definitely feel more confident. So I definitely think I enjoyed the challenge at first and really enjoyed and kind of taught myself.

PD: So is there anything you’ve learned since you started? What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned?

LT: Umm… I’d say probably that I just continue to surprise myself. When I first started this, it really was just a little hobby, and I would just do it occasionally for friends. And now, it’s just gotten to be something I hadn’t even planned on it even being at first, you know?

PD: Yeah.

LT: But it’s really become such a great outlet for me because, right now, I really am only a mom—not that that’s a bad thing—but it’s a good outlet for me because it’s something that now that I’ve done it for so long, it comes very naturally to me, and I don’t have to put a lot of thought into it. I can just sit down after the kids go to bed, and it’s something for me, for myself. It’s something I’m proud of that I have for myself. I tried to make this a full-fledged business for a while, but I kind of took a little break from it because my husband’s deployment was nixed at the last moment, so we decided to have another baby!

PD: Oh, wow!

LT: So I kind of put everything on the back burner and took a little break, so now I just recently have kind of thrown myself back into and have kind of gone full steam ahead. And it’s gotten to be, down here in Georgia, it’s gotten to be bigger than I ever hoped or dreamed it would be.

PD: Good for you! How many days a week do you find yourself baking, Laura?

LT: Oh, every day.

PD: You do? You get orders every day?

LT: And lately, well, I will say, it was really busy for Christmas, and it’s really busy right now for Valentine’s Day.

PD: Oh, that’s right.

LT: So I do think that it does pick up tremendously around the holidays. And a lot of people have been repeat customers, which makes me so happy, so they are already on the books for the next holiday and the next holiday, so that’s been really nice.

PD: That is great. You know, the first sale is good, but the second sale is fabulous.

LT: YES. It means they’re happy with it and coming back for more!

PD: Yes, there you go! Your cookies—can you bake them ahead and put them in the freezer and then decorate them?

LT: Yes, that’s what I do usually.

PD: I was going to say, that would be so hard. You know, I bake a lot of cookies. Mine are delicious, but they’re not necessarily pretty. [laughing]

LT: [laughing] Hey, that’s what my husband says is the most important part.

PD: But I would be thrilled if I could make a cookie that was delicious AND beautiful. I mean I was blown away with Bennett’s cookies. I would actually love to see just how you do it. I’m that impressed. Well, I hope that you find a way to turn this into something that could really be big for you. When I started my business, my children were grown—they were like 19 and 21. So my hat is really off to you. I can’t even imagine doing this with three babies. I just can’t imagine you doing it. You must have the patience of Jobe. [laughing]

LT: [laughing] I don’t know about that! I would say I don’t really sleep a lot, but I don’t know how patient I am!

PD: Well, you really impressed me with the cookie I’ve seen. It was delicious.

LT: Well, thank you. That’s very sweet.

PD: And if there is anything I can ever do to help you, I would love to. I would be delighted to do it.

LT: That would be very cool. Ok, well I appreciate this so much. This was such a cool experience for me.

PD: Well, you can call me any time. You know, I found that in my little business, I started it with $200, so I had no room for errors.

LT: No, you did not.

PD: Yeah, I couldn’t make a mistake down to the cantaloupe. I had to really look at ‘em good, check ‘em because I couldn’t afford any losses. But every day I found that I had the opportunity to grow as my little business grew. And then one day I was like you. I said “holy moly!” So I hope that before too long this can really take off for you.

LT: I hope so too. Well, can I ask you a few questions now?

PD: Yes!

LT: I guess my first question—I guess I thought you had started your business when your children were younger.

PD: No, a lot of people, a lot of people think that, Laura, but no, I was not nearly that brave; plus, I was pulling out of a 20-year ride with agoraphobia—

LT: oh, gosh!

PD: Yes, so I wasn’t much good to anybody.

LT: Oh, goodness. Well, my first question was how you managed being a mother and running such a successful business, which obviously you were still a mother when your boys were older, but a little bit easier. Well, actually mother says it’s harder when they’re older and you don’t know where they’re at!

PD: You know, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life because I pulled my children into what they call my dreams, not theirs.

LT: Yeah.

PD: And they really couldn’t comprehend that I was fighting for our lives. Because my sons, they didn’t have a passion—no money to go to school and they certainly didn’t have the grades to go to college. So I dragged them every day, and then one day, it happened. They fell in love with their business.

LT: Which is so neat!

PD: I was so fortunate, but it had its repercussions. Jamie told me one day, “I just want my mama back.” And I said, “Well, son, she’s gone.”

LT: [laughing] Yeah, things have changed!

PD: “She is gone.”

LT: Well, I will say, I never thought I could do it until you just have to do it.

PD: Yes, until you have to do it! Is your husband an officer?

LT: He is, yes.

PD: What is he?

LT: He is a Captain. We’ve been in for 8 years, so, yeah, he’s a Captain, and if we stay in, he’ll make Major in the next two years, which is kind of how the timeline goes.

PD: Well, that’s great! How old are you, Laura?

LT: I will be 30 in 3 weeks.

PD: Well, happy early birthday!

LT: Thank you!

PD: Listen, you’re still so young. You know, I was 42 when I started my business—

LT: Well, that’s reassuring!

PD: Yeah, and I may as well have been 92!

LT: Please! 42 is young!

PD: Yeah, I didn’t realize how young I was, but I had lost my daddy when he was 40 and my mother when she was 44, so in my head, I was old.

LT: Wow, that’s young.

PD: Yeah, I didn’t think of myself as being young; I thought of myself as being very old and thought, “how am I going to do this?” And I worked like a dog—16, 18 hours a day, every day of my life. For years, I went without even a day off because I moved into the Best Western after a year and a half, and I was required to serve three meals a day, 7 days a week, and I was still operating The Bag Lady!

LT: Wow…

PD: It was tough, but you know, I’d do it all over again.

LT: Would you?

PD: Yes, yes. Because it’s an area where women have the ability to make just as much as a man.

LT: Yes, amen!

PD: If you’ve got a good product and you’ve got passion and you’ve got the desire to fight because it’s definitely a fight. Every morning you wake up, it’s definitely a battle.

LT: Yes, yes. I guess another question I was wondering—whenever you were first starting, was there a pivotal moment or this moment where you thought, “I’ve really got something. I know this is going to be successful; I’m going to take this to the next level and not just be a small local business”?

PD: You know, I kind of always thought of myself as a small business, but….

LT: Well, in a way you still are because you still have the restaurants and stuff.

PD: Yeah, I still have a great desire to make it you might say. [both laugh] But there were a couple of moments. I think it was 1999 we were voted by USA Today the #1 best meal that they had eaten that year. We beat out Paris, we beat out Chicago, New York, everybody—our little humble buffet.

LT: That’s awesome.

PD: Yes, every December they run a big article about the best meal they had eaten that year, and we took it. We took that title that particular year, and that was so thrilling.

LT: I bet.

PD: It was so thrilling. But you know, there are still a lot of things I want to do, Laura, and I just turned 71.

LT: Did you really? You look good! [laughing]

PD: Thank you! I can’t believe I’m 71 years old, but there’s still a lot I would like to do!

LT: Like what?

PD: I would love to do an animated film. I would love to lend my voice to an animated movie. I’ve got a book in me that I would love to get written.

LT: That would be really neat.

PD: Yeah, so if my body will just participate [both laugh] with my mind.

LT: Hey, you’ve got a lot of time left!

PD: I hope so! I hope I have 20 years left.

LT: Well, my husband’s grandpa just turned 93 and is in perfect health, so you just never know!

PD: Oh, my gosh. Isn’t that wonderful! Yes, all my grandparents lived a pretty long life. My mother’s father lived to be 65, and he was the youngest of all the grandparents. Well, I just wish you all the luck in the world, and like I said, if you ever just want to talk, just give me a call and we can walk through it and see if we come up with something!

LT: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

PD: Please thank your husband for me for his service, and thank you and all the other partners out there for staying behind and so graciously accepting the responsibility of maintaining that normalcy for the children who don’t get to see both parents on a daily basis.

LT: I sure will, and thank you so much.

The post Savannah has a New Sugar Momma appeared first on Paula Deen.

This Paula’s Perfect Plate starts out slow and easy with a breakfast favorite of 2 eggs over easy and a side of whole-grain toast! Next up is a mid-morning snack rich in protein and healthy fats to keep you satisfied: almonds, peanut butter, and celery. Lunch is one of my favorite hearty soup recipes, Salmon Corn Chowder, followed by a light afternoon snack of a Whole Wheat Muffin topped with Sliced Pear and sprinkled with Gorgonzola Cheese. All of this deliciousness leads right up to dinner when you will enjoy Paula’s delicious Southern hoecakes that perfectly sop up her Shrimp and Greens from her latest book, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat.

This menu has my mouth watering and my taste buds satisfied!

For more information on how you can build your own perfect plate, click here.

If you would like more information on my H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Ladder, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Hoecakes appeared first on Paula Deen.

Today’s Paula’s Perfect Plate is dedicated to the magical city of Savannah. This delicious menu blends robust flavors, exciting variety, and ample servings to create a menu as unique as its inspiration.

The day begins with a Savannah Omelet with Shrimp, Cherry Tomatoes, and Scallions with a side of fresh fruit, followed by a yummy mid-morning snack of lightly salt-and-peppered tomato slices and a helping of low-fat cottage cheese. You will not be disappointed with lunch when you enjoy Paula’s Eggplant Lasagna and my Grape Salad. In the late afternoon, treat yourself to my Protein-Rich Spinach Salad. Finally, wrap up the day with a dinner to die for… Cowboy Rib Eyes with Caramelized Mushrooms and Shallots with a heaping serving of steamed broccoli with lemon wedges!

It’s hard to believe that this Savannah-inspired menu is also part of a perfectly balanced day’s nutrition!

For more information on how you can build your own perfect plate, click here.

If you would like more information on my H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Ladder, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Oh, Savannah, How We LOVE You! appeared first on Paula Deen.

Everyday {inspiration} is about embracing moments and sharing love through family, food, fashion, home, health, and design.

I found everyday {inspiration} in this delicious Paula’s Perfect Plate menu.

The day begins with a simple and easy combination of healthy cottage cheese, fresh strawberries, and organic honey. The morning snack is a delicious combination of eggs and tuna, while lunch is a culinary masterpiece of grilled shrimp with a delicious watermelon salad. The afternoon snack doesn’t disappoint either thanks to my chocolate-dipped fruit with sea salt. Finally, dinner is Paula’s grilled pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa and steamed lemon broccoli. See? Everyday {inspiration} can be found in every bite!

To learn more about Paula’s Perfect Plate, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Everyday Inspiration appeared first on Paula Deen.

Today’s Paula’s Perfect Plate is a delicious example of how small steps can add up to wonderful change. Enjoy a day that begins with Eggs Florentine, from Paula’s Perfect Plate, for breakfast, followed by a morning snack of crunchy almonds; lunch is Paula’s delicious Quinoa Salad served with grilled chicken, followed by an afternoon snack of carrots and hummus. Finally, wrap the day with an amazing Seared Ahi Tuna served over Paula’s Colorful Broccoli Slaw.

This Paula’s Perfect Plate is an example of a flavorful, balance of healthy fats, low-fat proteins, and healthy carbohydrates.

Enjoy the benefits of a small-step transformation, and watch your life AUTO-MAGICALLY improve!

For more information on how you can build your own perfect plate, click here.

If you would like more information on my H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Ladder, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Auto-Magically appeared first on Paula Deen.

For many puppies, their first experience with a kennel is when they are spayed or neutered. If so, understandably the cage may be associated with fear and post-operative pain. If their second cage experience is in a room full of nervous barking dogs while you are on vacation, the stress of being separated from you paired with the anxiety of being surrounded by other “inmates” in doggy “prison” may push your pup to the breaking point. Nervous colitis, gastritis, anorexia, vomiting, ceaseless howling, digging, or biting the cage door are many of the common physical manifestations of an overly anxious boarder.

Initially, a kennel is a sanctuary for sleep: a crib with blankets and favorite toys, softened by mom or dad’s soothing eyes the first several visits. The kennel is also utilized as a holding chamber, to be used whenever you need to teach them to hold their pee for five to ten minutes before taking them back outside again. His cozy spot quickly becomes the last place in the world your puppy would ever consider using the bathroom.

Later it becomes an indoor den, which keeps your mischievous teenager from developing bad habits whenever you are away, to neutralize bad behavior should it develop (i.e. counter surfing, sleeping on the couch, finding new things to chew on, and many, many more).

Another scenario to consider is this: you’re going on a week-long vacation with the kids, and it’s your nervous pup’s first time boarding. The next day you get the call you’ve been dreading—your puppy has been barking non-stop and digging incessantly when he isn’t having diarrhea in his kennel. “Can someone pick him up?” It’s a vacation ruined—another obvious and preventable event in the development of adult-onset separation anxiety.

You cannot undo the above scenario; the unmanaged anxiety associated with separation from you can last a lifetime. The key is to expect it, be a great teacher, and prepare your young companion for the great big world ahead. The payoff? You may very well enjoy guilt-free vacations for many years to come. Otherwise, expect a house sitter or other well paid personalized boarding option to be a part of your future – and expect a couple of your early vacations to be cut short.

Dr. John Schoettle was born in Pennsylvania and raised on Saint Simon’s Island in Coastal Georgia. A graduate from Auburn University, John has lived in Savannah since 1992. He founded Innovative Veterinary Medicine in 2006 and has been caring for Paula’s pups ever since. An animal lover like Paula, John is active in Savannah’s animal community and plays dad to a black lab named Blue and a Hurricane Katrina rescue dog named Bayou.

The post Blue Dog Blog: Crate Training appeared first on Paula Deen.

So many of us carnivores shy away from the idea of vegetarianism because it simply does not appeal to our taste buds, and the idea of never again enjoying a thick, juicy steak seems ridiculous! However, sticking to a plant-based diet a few days a week could lead to a restructuring of your entire metabolic profile and a reduction in risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and more—not to mention an improvement in weight management.

A semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet is one that is plant-based with the occasional inclusion of meat products. So, rather than saying, “I’m a vegetarian,” say, instead, “I’m a flexitarian,” and enjoy the best of both worlds!

Although the day begins with eggs, I consider this a semi-vegetarian menu—I guess it depends on your idea of vegetarianism. Regardless, this menu is no sacrifice, as it is packed with flavor and loaded with health benefits.

It all begins with Paula’s Eggs Florentine out of her book, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat. Next, enjoy a morning snack with my delicious Cucumber and Tomato Salad. Lunch is rich with flavor and variety thanks to Paula’s hearty Zucchini Boats and a fresh, steamed vegetable medley. In the early afternoon, take time out to snack on some steamed edamame dusted with sea salt. Finally, enjoy my Lentil Soup with Spinach and a whole grain baguette for a satisfying and delicious dinner.

For more information of designing your own Perfect Plate, click here!

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!

Robin Shea

xo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Protein from the Plant Kingdom! appeared first on Paula Deen.

If you are a person that feels hungry between meals, here are two things to consider:

1. QUALITY: The quality and combination of the nutrition you are consuming at each meal greatly affects satiety. In order to stay full and satisfied for longer periods of time, consume all three macronutrients at each meal (healthy fat, lean protein, and fibrous carbohydrates). If your meals are imbalanced or lack quality nutrition, the result will be premature hunger, extended digestion, lethargy, weight gain, disrupted sleep patterns, and more. Click here to download a handy printout with helpful reminders.

2. SNACK: Snack all day long! I eat like an infant, opting to have five to six 300-to-400-hundred calorie meals (snacks) a day. I always feel full and satisfied, my blood sugar is stable, and my energy stays elevated all day long. (No wonder babies are such happy little beings!)

Take a look at this Paula’s Perfect Plate and SNACK ON!!!

Start the day with Paula’s hearty, delicious and perfectly balanced Savannah Omelet with Shrimp, Cherry Tomatoes, and Scallions. Follow that up with a morning snack of fresh tomato slices, and a lightly salted hard-boiled egg. Lunch is equally as delicious with my Protein Spinach Salad and Cold Summer Soup. Next, enjoy a mid-afternoon snack of raw almonds and cottage cheese. This snack will keep you feeling satisfied right up until dinner when you will enjoy Paula’s Scallop, Pineapple, and Vegetable Skewers.

Eating healthy is never a sacrifice when you plan, prepare, and practice the basic rules of The 80/20 Lifestyle.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!

Robin

xo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Snack Your Way Through The Day appeared first on Paula Deen.

1)    Embrace the harvest! The end of summer is also the peak of harvest, so rather than stressing out about complicated recipes, allow Mother-Nature to create flavor for you! OR

2)    Run home to (unhealthy) familiar. If you are new to Healthy Lifestyle Transformation and you have not yet made it through a complete calendar year, the change of seasons can often derail your new habits.

Here is my advice to survive the end of summer without running home to the unhealthy familiar!

1)    Keep meals simple, fresh, flavorful and easy.

2)    Plan your meals.

3)    Make frequent quick shopping trips.

4)    Enjoy seasonal foods that are at their peak of flavor.

This Paula’s Perfect Plate is packed full of harvest freshness beginning with a heart-healthy breakfast of fresh-sliced vine-ripened tomatoes (lightly salt & peppered), blanched almonds blended into freshly wilted spinach and 2 scrambled eggs topped with Parmesan cheese. Your morning snack is equally as delicious and full of crazy-delicious flavor: a whole-wheat muffin with pear, gorgonzola and walnuts drizzled lightly with honey. Lunch is one of my favorite recipes from Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, Arugula and Peach Salad with Poached Chicken. Your afternoon snack is sure to satisfy with another one of my favorite Paula Deen recipes, Beet and Vidalia Onion Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing. Finally, to wrap up this flavor-packed day, we have two recipes from my Pareto Stone Recipe Collection, Salmon Corn Chowder served with a Broccoli Sunshine Salad.

For more information on how you can build your own perfect plate, click here.

If you would like more information on Robin Shea’s Pareto Stone Cookware, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Easy Breezy Summer appeared first on Paula Deen.

This weeks Paula’s Perfect Plate is a rich, indulgent, flavorful look into culinary joy & happiness. It starts with Paula’s Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach followed by a morning snack I created, Chocolate Dipped Fruit with Sea Salt and Pistachios. Next is a very indulgent lunch—my delicious Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions and Pancetta Pizza on a Whole Grain Crust. Our afternoon snack is a bit lighter because we loaded our morning and afternoon with most of our indulgent calories. Nonetheless, my Crisp Chickpeas are perfect to snack on or throw in a salad. I wrap this day up with Paula’s amazing Greek Chicken Kebabs resting on a bed of mixed greens!

This Paula’s Perfect Plate is a bit more indulgent than most but still falls into the framework of a healthy day. I went a bit over on my carbohydrates and salt (not much), and I fell a bit short on my protein—all in all though, the perfectly imperfect day.

Remember, if we micro-manage every aspect of our nutrition and remove all wiggle room, we may also be eliminating the joy & happiness that is so very important to long-term, sustainable weight management!

For more information on how you can build your own perfect plate, click here.

If you would like more information on my H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. Ladder, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

The post Paula’s Perfect Plate: Perfectly Imperfect appeared first on Paula Deen.