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Stephanie O'Dea on Slow Living

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Sisällön tarjoaa Stephanie Hansen - @StephaniesDish. Stephanie Hansen - @StephaniesDish tai sen podcast-alustan kumppani lataa ja toimittaa kaiken podcast-sisällön, mukaan lukien jaksot, grafiikat ja podcast-kuvaukset. Jos uskot jonkun käyttävän tekijänoikeudella suojattua teostasi ilman lupaasi, voit seurata tässä https://fi.player.fm/legal kuvattua prosessia.

This week, we're excited to bring you a thought-provoking conversation with the wonderful Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling author and advocate for slow living.

In this episode, Stephanie O'Dea dives deep into her journey from being known as the "crock pot queen," where I first connected with her (see her Slow cooker Brussels sprouts and Apricot Brie recipes below) , to embracing a more deliberate and slow-paced lifestyle. While we are in the month of Crocktober and Stephanie’s book, “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow,” is never leaving my shelf, I also was really interested in her new “Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World” pivot.

Here's a quick look at what we talked about and… a recipe!

🌅 Morning Rituals & Solitude: Stephanie shares her love for early mornings, awakening as early as 4 AM to have personal time for journaling, yoga, and creativity. Her dedication to solitude helps her find mental space and clarity.

📚 Lifelong Learning: For Stephanie, being a lifelong learner is key to avoiding burnout. She emphasizes the importance of evolving and staying curious, contrasting repetitive tasks with the joy of discovery.

🌿 Redefining FOMO: Stephanie offers a new take on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by instead focusing on "Figure Only Myself Out." This mantra encourages self-awareness and individual happiness, away from societal pressures.

✨ Shift from Hustle Culture: In this hustle-driven world, Stephanie advocates for slowing down, unplugging from technology, and embracing authenticity in a world that often overvalues constant productivity.

📖 Slow Living: Now with her own podcast and new book "Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle Driven World," Stephanie inspires others to live intentionally and with purpose, championing quality over quantity.

We also touch upon the benefits of using a crockpot, societal expectations, and the importance of setting boundaries in both personal and professional lives.

If you're looking to slow down and cultivate a life filled with purpose and joy, this episode is just what you need. Make sure to tune in!.

Tune in to "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish" for more insights, and visit our website for past episodes. Whether you're sipping morning coffee or winding down for the day, we hope our conversations bring you inspiration and a fresh perspective.

P.S. We'd love to hear your thoughts on embracing a slower lifestyle. Reply to this email with your ideas or stories or favorite cookbook authors you would like us to connect with

Slow Cooker Very Best Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (ooh la la, fancy)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Use a 2-quart slow cooker.

Wash and trim the ends off of each Brussels sprout, and cut in half.

Toss into the cooker. Add butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3.

Stir well to distribute the sauce before serving.

Slow Cooker Brie with Apricot Topping

Ingredients

1 large round or wedge of brie (the round I used was 13.2 oz)1/2 cup chopped dried apricots2 tablespoons brown sugar2 tablespoons water-1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary1/2 cup chopped walnuts (if you don't eat nuts, simply omit)

Instructions

You have two choices here: you can use a 2-quart slow cooker or you can use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted oven-safe dish.If your brie has a really hard rind, cut the top part off. Put the brie into the crockpot (or the oven safe dish).In a bowl, mix the chopped apricots, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water and rosemary together.Spoon on top of the brie.Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts.If you are using an inserted dish with the brie in a large crockpot, you do not need to add water around the base of the dish.Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for about 3. Check after an hour just in case.When the brie is warm and as melty as you'd like, take it out. You aren't really cooking anything here, just melting it nicely.Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Stephanie Hansen [00:00:11]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people that are cookbook writers, people that love food. And today, we have kind of a special podcast. It is, my pleasure to talk with Stephanie O'Day. And Stephanie and I first crossed paths, boy, probably maybe 12 years ago when I ran across your book. You were the crock pot queen at that time. You had 365 days of slow cooking, and you had a crock pot book that is still in my kitchen. And I've recycled a lot of cookbooks, but not yours. Make it slow, cook it fast.

Stephanie Hansen [00:00:49]:

And you became sort of this crock pot personality. And I'm was checking in with you on a couple of crockpot things for Croctober, which is my favorite month of the year. And you were like, yeah. I can do crockpot things, but really, I've evolved into this other whole being of slow living. And welcome to the program. I'm so excited to talk to you.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:01:12]:

Absolutely. Thanks for having me. The the crock pot lady was super fun. I I liked being the crock pot lady, and it worked really, really well until all of a sudden, it just didn't. And I started to feel a little fake and phony in my brain and my body. Because as you know, in order to write for the Internet, you have to consistently, like, pump out content.

Stephanie Hansen [00:01:40]:

Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:01:40]:

And and after a while, I kinda thought, well, gosh, Steph, how how, how many pot roast recipes does the world really need? And, and it was tricky because it because that first cookbook, the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow cookbook, it spent 6 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and did really, really well. So my literary agent, my book publishers, they wanted me to consistently create recipes and and tweak them. And as you know, in order to write a quote, unquote, new recipe for the Internet or for a cookbook, you really just have to change the name and change an ingredient or 2 and and write, like, some some beginning and head notes and end notes and and call it a day. But it it really started to to not kind of align with my ethics and morals, and I felt really uncomfortable. And then it legit came to a head in 2016 with the the invention of the Instant Pot. Yep. And and all of a sudden, everyone's like, you've gotta translate your recipes from the crock pot to the Instant Pot to the pressure cooker. And so I bought 1, and I goofed around with it, and I get it.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:02:51]:

The the tech part is fun. It's it's really exciting for some people to cook a frozen chicken in 45 minutes at 5 o'clock at night. For me, it it it I didn't like it. Yeah. I I just my brain, my body wants to put the food on in the morning, 6 AM, 7 AM. I'm fully awake. I'm highly caffeinated. I can push a button and walk away.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:03:15]:

The idea of having to cook at 5 o'clock when I'm already hungry, the kids are already, like, hangry and frustrated, just it didn't work for me. So, so I got fired.

Stephanie Hansen [00:03:28]:

You fired yourself, though, in effect.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:03:31]:

Well, sort of. It's so sort of, except for the publishers legit did fire me.

Stephanie Hansen [00:03:35]:

Yeah. Well, you know, publishers fire people all the time. That's not a big deal. Yeah. So you're not feeling consistent with your brand, this thing you've built, this thing you've created and put all this energy into. And how did you know that what you liked was the slow living aspects of it and make that transition because I imagine that was pretty hard.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:04:03]:

Yeah. So I I took some time off from the Internet, and and I actually got a real job, which is great. Because once you're not worried about making money, you can be creative again. And and that's what ended up happening. And I sort of had this, like, voice of God say, hey, just because you can do something fast, it doesn't mean you should. And I live in Silicon Valley and so everything is fast. Yeah. The the people drive too fast.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:04:29]:

I joke with friends that, like, Tesla's are pigeons here. They're they're everywhere, and they do not stop. And I don't think it's good for humans. And I certainly can see it firsthand with children that doing things in a rushed way or feeling like you're behind or you have to catch up. And it feeds this feeling of inadequacy and franticness in your body that's not healthy. And so I started to to really think about it. And, I did a lot of research, took up yoga, took up meditation, did a lot of research on, therapy practices, trauma informed practices, and and started the Slow Living podcast in 2021. And, and from there, my new book is Slow Living Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Huzzle Driven World.

Stephanie Hansen [00:05:25]:

When you so you've got this whole brand now and all of these things. I imagine you had to, like, essentially start over and rebrand and become this new person that you always were this person, but leaning into that. And I'm it's funny that I'm talking to you today because I literally just had a con or a meeting this week about, like, oh, for SEO, you need to do this and you need to do that. And maybe we don't make so many recipes. Maybe we just do this. Maybe we like, exactly where the joy of what I do started, it has become a business. And I'm feeling that for you and myself. Like, this thing you love, this thing you start, this thing that feels so fun, and then you're just like, is this, like, am I just a bot here to just create all this stuff and have it literally just be like, okay.

Stephanie Hansen [00:06:23]:

I'm just a robot?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:06:25]:

Yeah. It's it's really something else, and and the Internet is not normal. And when you live and work on the Internet, you start to think that's real. And, and it it takes maybe some unplugging and some stepping aside. I really like nature. We're lucky in that our family has a cabin. And so just sitting on the porch and listening to the birds and watching the squirrels, I'm like, so that's actual real life. Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:06:53]:

This fake stuff is phony. And and so leaning into that, and then I have 3 children, and then I I'm just watching them and watching their wonderment, and and I want them to have hope and optimism for the future. And and sometimes, if you get sucked up in this kind of fast paced hustle culture, people think, oh, your kids will never be able to afford this or, oh, it like like, the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Like, I don't wanna raise my children with that thought process. So so deciding on purpose what it is you really want out of life, not the things you need to do, not feeding the Internet beast, but what is it you really want? What lights you up? Well, for me, it's, juicy afternoons where I can take a nap, plenty of time to garden, do yoga, being present when my children are talking to me and not feeling like, oh, I better answer this Instagram message. No. Probably the Instagram message is what you can put on pause and then paying attention to the babies in the room is what's important.

Stephanie Hansen [00:08:03]:

So let's talk specifically, about a couple of, I guess, we'll call them tips. I don't mean to simplify it to that level, but of how someone who wants to be more present can start moving into a slower living lifestyle. And then I wanna ask you because what's striking to me is we're talking about this slow living in a purpose driven life as it were, and yet you are recreating, like, this content again around this slow living practice with a podcast, with a number of books, with decluttering ideas, and ways to simplify your life. So it's sort of like this oxymoron too.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:08:46]:

Yeah. It's interesting. So I, the the the first tip and and my first suggestion would be to allow yourself to daydream and and to be to wander. Let your brain wander. Many people say

Stephanie Hansen [00:09:01]:

like, a deep breath when you said that because Yeah. It drives me crazy when, like, my husband does that because I'm like, we need to know where we're going. Like, what are you doing? What are you thinking? But for him, and he's a creative person. He's a writer. That's how he gets his energy.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:09:19]:

Yeah. Definitely for me too. Definitely. So so I am an introvert. And so I I love being alone in my brain. It's super fun in there. When I was little, I used to get in trouble for daydreaming, especially in class, and and doodling and all of that kind of stuff. But in order for me to have that brain space, I get up really early, and that's me time.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:09:44]:

So we're recording this 6:6 AM California time. I've been up since 4. And to many people, that sounds horrible, like like the definition of hustle culture, and and I get that. So how I marry the 2 is nobody wants anything from me at this time. It's me alone with my brain, my journal, my pot of coffee. I lay out my yoga mat. I stretch when I wanna stretch. I listen to my body.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:10:14]:

I write down ideas. Coming up with content for the podcast is a joy. There's so much I want to talk about and and and do it in in 20 to 30 minute segments that I don't see how that could get turned off, or I would feel burnt out because I'm a lifelong learner. I enjoy researching. I enjoy learning. I enjoy talking to you. Like, this is fun for me. This does not feel like work

Stephanie Hansen [00:10:44]:

Right.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:10:45]:

In in any way. Coming up with another way to make a a smoked jalapeno pot roast to does start to feel like work because I've already done that. Yeah. And and and I do believe in for lucky life is long, and and we continue to evolve and grow and change. My oldest is 23 today. And so this morning when I was journaling, I'm like, okay, well, where was I 23 years ago? What was I doing? What did I look like? What were my thoughts? What were my fears? And I'm so thrilled that I'm better, stronger, more confident than I was then. And that's what I would want for you and for your listeners is the idea that you have to cram it all in now. That's hustle culture.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:11:37]:

That's feeling as if you're behind or if what you're doing isn't good enough. If we're lucky, life is long. So where I am in 23 more years, I'll be in my seventies. Okay. Well, what does that look like? Well, I wanna continue to do yoga. I wanna garden. I wanna crawl around on the floor with my grandchildren. Well, in order to get there, probably, I don't need to work more.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:12:02]:

Probably, what I need to do is relax and make sure that I'm taking my supplements, and I'm drinking enough water, and I'm paying attention to my joint health and all of that kind of thing.

Stephanie Hansen [00:12:14]:

It is, it is a shift because I think, like, people unwind in different ways, but we're in this space where we don't really prioritize relaxation. You know? Like, there's always, like, places to go, things to do, closets to organize, meals to cook. Even, like, exercise has become, like, a hustle. Right? You know? Like, eve everything we do is framed in that I'll I'll call it the hustle culture like you did because I think people can really resonate with that. And it is hard to get off of that. And I find that the more I'm in it and the more I'm doing it, the less I even can observe what that would feel like. Like, I don't know how to relax. I used to.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:13:06]:

Yeah. And and it's tricky because not knowing how to relax first off, know what is it? Knowing is the first step. So good for you. Pay attention to that. Yeah. Because now you know what to work on. Unfortunately, what people do to turn off their brain is they turn to numbing techniques such as alcohol, drugs, endless mindless scrolling, and overconsumption. That isn't going to help your long term trajectory of a life well lived, of of life filled with kind of tranquility and peace, which in general, most people are actually chasing.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:13:47]:

They think they have to delay their happiness, their feeling of contentment because there's too much to do. So, so FOMO, fear of missing out, is what drives lots and lots of that. So this new book, is filled with acronyms, and that's because that's how my brain works.

Stephanie Hansen [00:14:05]:

Sure.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:14:06]:

And and my brain is super into acronyms because when I was about 7 or 8, my grandpa, who was in the military, told me that the word snafu had a bad word in it. So it's situation normal all effed up, but he actually said the word. So for me, like, my mind was blown that grown ups were hiding a bad word in another word. So, like, I've always rewritten acronyms. So FOMO for me and and for my readers is figure only myself out. Because when you know deep down inside who you are, what you stand for, what is important to you, and what makes you different is completely different than anyone else. So I'm glad that you brought up, like, exercise hustle. There are people at the gym hurting themselves because the the plan they're on says they have to do 25 reps, but their body needs to stop at 12.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:15:05]:

But they're they're pushing themselves, and they're actually creating damage in their joints because they're not listening to their own body. And and that's that's a problem that that you you have to decide what works for you when you're in a good mood and then consistently do that thing.

Stephanie Hansen [00:15:25]:

Yeah. It it's it's just interesting. You know, I think about this a lot that we've had the phone. I think we've had the phone for, what, like, I wanna say 15 years now, maybe 16. And it has changed so much in life, and I think about Steve Jobs sometimes. And just like, he put this amazing technology in our hands and in our pockets, And I wonder if he was still alive today, in some respects, how he would be ruing that day or how maybe he would be living intentionally differently. Because the phone is such a gift and the computer is such a gift. But at the same time, it can also be kind of a curse.

Stephanie Hansen [00:16:08]:

Are you good about, like there's different strategies for, like, time blocks. And, you know, like, you're gonna do this to this time and that to that time, and then you're gonna turn off your phone for this time. Like, in practice, do you do some of that to just give yourself space other than the early morning time?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:16:25]:

Yes. I so I do. I teach time blocking, and and I sort of liken it to a, like, a a classroom. Whereas this is circle time. This is recess time. This is that time. So, yes, I I can pay attention to that. And then I also wanna point out that, you're right.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:16:46]:

I don't think Steve Jobs would like this because he is a creative guy, and he would put on his calendar lots of brain breaks for himself to unplug and be alone with his thoughts, and he would go on long meandering walks. Again, I live in Silicon Valley, so I see this firsthand. And because of this, I am not an early adopter to any sort of technology.

Stephanie Hansen [00:17:13]:

Mhmm.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:17:13]:

I am hesitant and I am skeptical, and I wanna see how it works for other people and whether or not it's actually helping them or hindering them before I decide to go in. A great book that you might really like is, Harris Swisher's burn book, where it talks about the the early days of Silicon Valley and all of those kind of things. The the apps and the different sites are designed to addict you. And, you know this because I'm certain you have gone to to food blogging and and different conferences where they teach you how to keep the people on your site and and trick them into clicking this and doing this and and and wait. There's just wait. There's more. Yeah. And and that is is neat maybe, for the first little bit when you're learning how the tech works, but then later, it can really make you feel, uncomfortable.

Thanks for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:18:18]:

And and I want people to gravitate towards me, not feel like they were duped into something.

Stephanie Hansen [00:18:25]:

Yeah. It's so funny to hear you talk about what we're all chasing in a way that is almost harmful and damaging, really. And, yeah, I just I was on a trip recently, for 2 weeks on a boat and going to Croatia and seeing all these beautiful things. And I still had to work a little bit. And every morning, you know, I would sit and I would do a couple hours worth of work. And my husband looked at me one day, and he's like, well, you know you're a workaholic. Right? And I was like, really? He's like and he was like, oh, yeah. Totally.

Stephanie Hansen [00:19:01]:

Like, you get all of your value as a human from your work. And you're framing your whole life in this context of the workout put you've and he was like, at this point in your life, Stephanie, you've worked more than most people. So, like, your quality and quantity of work, you've already reached it. What's next? It was so surprising and shocking to me, and he was just laughing. He was like, wait. Am I the first person that's ever put this into your brain? And and we work from home, and we have creative lives. He's an like I said, an author, and I'm doing this food thing. I'm a broadcaster.

Stephanie Hansen [00:19:39]:

You just it catches up where all of a sudden, like, everything is just this one big ball of thing.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:19:47]:

Yeah. Yeah. And and especially if you are an entrepreneur and you have no choice, because you have that that sort of intrinsic belief system of the harder I work, the luckier I'll get, which is, I guess, contributed back to Eleanor Roosevelt, who's a lovely lady, and she's great. But I want you and I would want your readers and listeners to know that you're worthy no matter what. And I think, I think what happens and and sometimes it happens in school and sometimes it happens with our parents is we believe not doing anything means that you're lazy.

Stephanie Hansen [00:20:29]:

Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:20:30]:

And you can be a lump on a log, especially if you work on the Internet. You can be a lump on a log and still get paid, because you don't actually really know where the people are coming from, how they found you. So so I like to, to kind of, if I'm coaching someone, I give them a a triangle or I have them draw a triangle on a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. And on the left, you're listing all of the things that you're doing. So you're sending out your newsletter. You're you're updating some images. You're doing this. You're doing that.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:21:06]:

And then when your day is done, your day is done. And then the other side is the is the belief system that that God or the universe or whatever you feels good in your brain and your body will meet you halfway. You've done your part, but you can't be a control freak about the other part because because it's legit out of your hands. Yeah. And and maybe maybe for you, that would be helpful or uncomfortable. Probably putting some parameters on yourself that my day is done no matter what at insert time here, whatever feels good. Be because there's always something more to do. There's always more tweaking.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:21:52]:

You can always find a dead link. God almighty, there are so many dead links.

Stephanie Hansen [00:21:56]:

I do think too, like, some of this is changing because of society. You know? When we left work at, you know, 5:30 or 5 or whatever it was and you drove home, you know, for people that was I think an average commute was 22 minutes, which is why podcasts are 22 to 30 minutes. You you would have that time to unwind, and then you enter into your family life. With all of us, you know, many of us, creative people for sure, working from home and this culture shifting of working at home, and also that you should be available 247 to your employer, to your listeners, to your readers, whatever your situation is. There's been so much scope creep into our personal lives.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:22:42]:

Yeah. So if someone writes to you if you send an email and you don't get a response or a day and someone says, I was out of town just seeing this now. Are you mad at that person, or is your thought, good for you?

Stephanie Hansen [00:23:04]:

Good for them.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:23:05]:

Yeah. So what if you shifted that and decided to be proud of yourself for taking time off?

Stephanie Hansen [00:23:12]:

Yeah. And, also, like, why do we have to preface it with an excuse? 24 hours is an incredibly normal time to be responding to someone. We don't I do think about people's lives. You know? Like, what is happening in your life, in your real life? You just don't know what people are going through. You don't know what people's challenges are. You don't know what's happening with their kids. You don't know where their mental health is at. There's just so much that's unknowable.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:23:39]:

Yeah. No. It's absolutely true. So when you get to know yourself and you feel confident that you're doing the right thing, then it it however someone else wants to perceive you is on them. So, so with this new book, the the acronym for slow, because, again, super huge acronym junkie, is to simply look only within. And so if you know you're making the right choice for you, who cares what other people think? That that that's a them thing.

Stephanie Hansen [00:24:13]:

I am so glad that I talked to you today. And I know you've been super generous about allowing me to share a couple of crock pot recipes, and I'll do that because people come to me for recipes probably first and foremost. But along the way, we get to discover cool things about ourselves, about others, about the group of society that we live in. Right? And food is just a way of nourishing and creating community anyway. So I feel like, you know, this is an extension of that. When you, when you're a mom, I think time becomes so fraught with challenges too because you're supposed to give all to your kids, and you maybe even want to give all to your kids. Like, I feel like that's pretty natural. Do you feel like moms have a harder time slowing down?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:25:03]:

Yes and no. It's interesting. It it it depends on probably how they frame their mind. So for me, I am a okay to sit on the floor and play Candy Land and read a story and do a puzzle. I have a background in early childhood education and development. I I used to run preschool centers for homeless children, so I actually know how helpful that slowing down and 1 on 1 attention is for children. So I know that it's actually helping them in the long run. And so me putting my, like, desire to check email or something on pause in order to give that to them feels completely natural.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:25:49]:

So it doesn't bother me at all. I can see for some people might think that it's a quote, unquote waste of time and sort of an iPad. Give me 5 more minutes. Give me 5 more minutes. Shoving your child off consistently, has detrimental effects. It makes them feel as if their wants and needs aren't important. They start to mask and start to think that the grown up in the room, their parent or something, is more important. And that creates long term feelings of inadequacy, feelings of unworthiness, and feeling less than, which in a sense is why then people turn to the Internet, turn to Internet strangers, look for validation outside of them because they don't feel strong and stable within.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:26:38]:

So pay attention to that. As far as too much to do and not enough time to do it, I I do think when you're taking care of other humans, that's tricky. And so, again, that's why I personally like to set myself up for success in the day. I fill my own cup first. Even when I had babies in the bed and and nursing around the clock, I would try and roll away very carefully to then go spend some time, usually in the bathroom all by myself.

Stephanie Hansen [00:27:09]:

Your 5 minutes.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:27:11]:

My 5 minutes. Yeah. And I think that's really why I was so into the Crock Pot is, I could front load my day because I never knew who I was gonna pick up from school. Are they in a good mood? Are they in a bad mood? Is soccer practice gonna run late? Did someone twist their ankle and now all of a sudden we're going to the emergency room? Knowing that dinner was hot and ready and waiting was such a stress reliever. It also helped us stick to our budget, and and and kept us out of the drive through

Stephanie Hansen [00:27:45]:

Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:27:45]:

Lane and and ordering out and all of that kind of stuff. So it was very, very helpful and useful practical tool at the time when I had little babies in the house.

Stephanie Hansen [00:27:57]:

It's really you know, we start out thinking about you as the crock pot lady, but where we are with you today is really satisfying and and not unrelated. Right? Because you have different moons and phases of your life that all of the things you did before kinda prepare you and lead you to that road. It this has really been super fun to talk to you. I'm gonna get your book, Slow Living.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:28:22]:

Okay.

Stephanie Hansen [00:28:24]:

You have your podcast. And where do you want people to find you? Do you want them to follow you? Do you want them to not follow you?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:28:33]:

So yeah. So I I have really good boundaries for myself. So anyone can email me at any time. I am a real person. The website is stephanieoday.com, and the book is Slow Living Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a hustle driven world. Thank you for having me.

Stephanie Hansen [00:28:50]:

Oh, for sure. And do you ever get to Minneapolis?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:28:54]:

Oh, so I am really trying to create a book tour. So I would like to go to all of the places. That's one nice thing about my children getting older is is it opens up a lot more room to travel and not feeling guilty.

Stephanie Hansen [00:29:11]:

Yeah. Well, if you get to Minneapolis, let me know. I'd be happy to help, promote the word that you're here. And if you need anybody to spend time with or interview you, there's a lot of good purpose driven folks in the Twin Cities that are thinking about some of the same ideas that you're thinking about. So

Stephanie O'Dea [00:29:27]:

That sounds great. And then I can hug you in real life.

Stephanie Hansen [00:29:30]:

Yes. And it's always just good. You know, I feel like I have been following you for a long time, so it's really fun to catch up and see this transition for you. I'm excited about it, and I'm excited to help share the story. Just simply only look within. Slow down. I feel like you were divinely in my day specifically right on time. So thank you for being here, Stephanie.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:29:54]:

Absolutely. Thank you so much.

Stephanie Hansen [00:29:55]:

Alright. We'll talk soon. Bye bye.

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Sisällön tarjoaa Stephanie Hansen - @StephaniesDish. Stephanie Hansen - @StephaniesDish tai sen podcast-alustan kumppani lataa ja toimittaa kaiken podcast-sisällön, mukaan lukien jaksot, grafiikat ja podcast-kuvaukset. Jos uskot jonkun käyttävän tekijänoikeudella suojattua teostasi ilman lupaasi, voit seurata tässä https://fi.player.fm/legal kuvattua prosessia.

This week, we're excited to bring you a thought-provoking conversation with the wonderful Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling author and advocate for slow living.

In this episode, Stephanie O'Dea dives deep into her journey from being known as the "crock pot queen," where I first connected with her (see her Slow cooker Brussels sprouts and Apricot Brie recipes below) , to embracing a more deliberate and slow-paced lifestyle. While we are in the month of Crocktober and Stephanie’s book, “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow,” is never leaving my shelf, I also was really interested in her new “Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World” pivot.

Here's a quick look at what we talked about and… a recipe!

🌅 Morning Rituals & Solitude: Stephanie shares her love for early mornings, awakening as early as 4 AM to have personal time for journaling, yoga, and creativity. Her dedication to solitude helps her find mental space and clarity.

📚 Lifelong Learning: For Stephanie, being a lifelong learner is key to avoiding burnout. She emphasizes the importance of evolving and staying curious, contrasting repetitive tasks with the joy of discovery.

🌿 Redefining FOMO: Stephanie offers a new take on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by instead focusing on "Figure Only Myself Out." This mantra encourages self-awareness and individual happiness, away from societal pressures.

✨ Shift from Hustle Culture: In this hustle-driven world, Stephanie advocates for slowing down, unplugging from technology, and embracing authenticity in a world that often overvalues constant productivity.

📖 Slow Living: Now with her own podcast and new book "Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle Driven World," Stephanie inspires others to live intentionally and with purpose, championing quality over quantity.

We also touch upon the benefits of using a crockpot, societal expectations, and the importance of setting boundaries in both personal and professional lives.

If you're looking to slow down and cultivate a life filled with purpose and joy, this episode is just what you need. Make sure to tune in!.

Tune in to "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish" for more insights, and visit our website for past episodes. Whether you're sipping morning coffee or winding down for the day, we hope our conversations bring you inspiration and a fresh perspective.

P.S. We'd love to hear your thoughts on embracing a slower lifestyle. Reply to this email with your ideas or stories or favorite cookbook authors you would like us to connect with

Slow Cooker Very Best Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (ooh la la, fancy)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Use a 2-quart slow cooker.

Wash and trim the ends off of each Brussels sprout, and cut in half.

Toss into the cooker. Add butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3.

Stir well to distribute the sauce before serving.

Slow Cooker Brie with Apricot Topping

Ingredients

1 large round or wedge of brie (the round I used was 13.2 oz)1/2 cup chopped dried apricots2 tablespoons brown sugar2 tablespoons water-1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary1/2 cup chopped walnuts (if you don't eat nuts, simply omit)

Instructions

You have two choices here: you can use a 2-quart slow cooker or you can use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted oven-safe dish.If your brie has a really hard rind, cut the top part off. Put the brie into the crockpot (or the oven safe dish).In a bowl, mix the chopped apricots, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water and rosemary together.Spoon on top of the brie.Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts.If you are using an inserted dish with the brie in a large crockpot, you do not need to add water around the base of the dish.Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for about 3. Check after an hour just in case.When the brie is warm and as melty as you'd like, take it out. You aren't really cooking anything here, just melting it nicely.Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Stephanie Hansen [00:00:11]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people that are cookbook writers, people that love food. And today, we have kind of a special podcast. It is, my pleasure to talk with Stephanie O'Day. And Stephanie and I first crossed paths, boy, probably maybe 12 years ago when I ran across your book. You were the crock pot queen at that time. You had 365 days of slow cooking, and you had a crock pot book that is still in my kitchen. And I've recycled a lot of cookbooks, but not yours. Make it slow, cook it fast.

Stephanie Hansen [00:00:49]:

And you became sort of this crock pot personality. And I'm was checking in with you on a couple of crockpot things for Croctober, which is my favorite month of the year. And you were like, yeah. I can do crockpot things, but really, I've evolved into this other whole being of slow living. And welcome to the program. I'm so excited to talk to you.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:01:12]:

Absolutely. Thanks for having me. The the crock pot lady was super fun. I I liked being the crock pot lady, and it worked really, really well until all of a sudden, it just didn't. And I started to feel a little fake and phony in my brain and my body. Because as you know, in order to write for the Internet, you have to consistently, like, pump out content.

Stephanie Hansen [00:01:40]:

Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:01:40]:

And and after a while, I kinda thought, well, gosh, Steph, how how, how many pot roast recipes does the world really need? And, and it was tricky because it because that first cookbook, the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow cookbook, it spent 6 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and did really, really well. So my literary agent, my book publishers, they wanted me to consistently create recipes and and tweak them. And as you know, in order to write a quote, unquote, new recipe for the Internet or for a cookbook, you really just have to change the name and change an ingredient or 2 and and write, like, some some beginning and head notes and end notes and and call it a day. But it it really started to to not kind of align with my ethics and morals, and I felt really uncomfortable. And then it legit came to a head in 2016 with the the invention of the Instant Pot. Yep. And and all of a sudden, everyone's like, you've gotta translate your recipes from the crock pot to the Instant Pot to the pressure cooker. And so I bought 1, and I goofed around with it, and I get it.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:02:51]:

The the tech part is fun. It's it's really exciting for some people to cook a frozen chicken in 45 minutes at 5 o'clock at night. For me, it it it I didn't like it. Yeah. I I just my brain, my body wants to put the food on in the morning, 6 AM, 7 AM. I'm fully awake. I'm highly caffeinated. I can push a button and walk away.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:03:15]:

The idea of having to cook at 5 o'clock when I'm already hungry, the kids are already, like, hangry and frustrated, just it didn't work for me. So, so I got fired.

Stephanie Hansen [00:03:28]:

You fired yourself, though, in effect.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:03:31]:

Well, sort of. It's so sort of, except for the publishers legit did fire me.

Stephanie Hansen [00:03:35]:

Yeah. Well, you know, publishers fire people all the time. That's not a big deal. Yeah. So you're not feeling consistent with your brand, this thing you've built, this thing you've created and put all this energy into. And how did you know that what you liked was the slow living aspects of it and make that transition because I imagine that was pretty hard.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:04:03]:

Yeah. So I I took some time off from the Internet, and and I actually got a real job, which is great. Because once you're not worried about making money, you can be creative again. And and that's what ended up happening. And I sort of had this, like, voice of God say, hey, just because you can do something fast, it doesn't mean you should. And I live in Silicon Valley and so everything is fast. Yeah. The the people drive too fast.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:04:29]:

I joke with friends that, like, Tesla's are pigeons here. They're they're everywhere, and they do not stop. And I don't think it's good for humans. And I certainly can see it firsthand with children that doing things in a rushed way or feeling like you're behind or you have to catch up. And it feeds this feeling of inadequacy and franticness in your body that's not healthy. And so I started to to really think about it. And, I did a lot of research, took up yoga, took up meditation, did a lot of research on, therapy practices, trauma informed practices, and and started the Slow Living podcast in 2021. And, and from there, my new book is Slow Living Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Huzzle Driven World.

Stephanie Hansen [00:05:25]:

When you so you've got this whole brand now and all of these things. I imagine you had to, like, essentially start over and rebrand and become this new person that you always were this person, but leaning into that. And I'm it's funny that I'm talking to you today because I literally just had a con or a meeting this week about, like, oh, for SEO, you need to do this and you need to do that. And maybe we don't make so many recipes. Maybe we just do this. Maybe we like, exactly where the joy of what I do started, it has become a business. And I'm feeling that for you and myself. Like, this thing you love, this thing you start, this thing that feels so fun, and then you're just like, is this, like, am I just a bot here to just create all this stuff and have it literally just be like, okay.

Stephanie Hansen [00:06:23]:

I'm just a robot?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:06:25]:

Yeah. It's it's really something else, and and the Internet is not normal. And when you live and work on the Internet, you start to think that's real. And, and it it takes maybe some unplugging and some stepping aside. I really like nature. We're lucky in that our family has a cabin. And so just sitting on the porch and listening to the birds and watching the squirrels, I'm like, so that's actual real life. Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:06:53]:

This fake stuff is phony. And and so leaning into that, and then I have 3 children, and then I I'm just watching them and watching their wonderment, and and I want them to have hope and optimism for the future. And and sometimes, if you get sucked up in this kind of fast paced hustle culture, people think, oh, your kids will never be able to afford this or, oh, it like like, the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Like, I don't wanna raise my children with that thought process. So so deciding on purpose what it is you really want out of life, not the things you need to do, not feeding the Internet beast, but what is it you really want? What lights you up? Well, for me, it's, juicy afternoons where I can take a nap, plenty of time to garden, do yoga, being present when my children are talking to me and not feeling like, oh, I better answer this Instagram message. No. Probably the Instagram message is what you can put on pause and then paying attention to the babies in the room is what's important.

Stephanie Hansen [00:08:03]:

So let's talk specifically, about a couple of, I guess, we'll call them tips. I don't mean to simplify it to that level, but of how someone who wants to be more present can start moving into a slower living lifestyle. And then I wanna ask you because what's striking to me is we're talking about this slow living in a purpose driven life as it were, and yet you are recreating, like, this content again around this slow living practice with a podcast, with a number of books, with decluttering ideas, and ways to simplify your life. So it's sort of like this oxymoron too.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:08:46]:

Yeah. It's interesting. So I, the the the first tip and and my first suggestion would be to allow yourself to daydream and and to be to wander. Let your brain wander. Many people say

Stephanie Hansen [00:09:01]:

like, a deep breath when you said that because Yeah. It drives me crazy when, like, my husband does that because I'm like, we need to know where we're going. Like, what are you doing? What are you thinking? But for him, and he's a creative person. He's a writer. That's how he gets his energy.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:09:19]:

Yeah. Definitely for me too. Definitely. So so I am an introvert. And so I I love being alone in my brain. It's super fun in there. When I was little, I used to get in trouble for daydreaming, especially in class, and and doodling and all of that kind of stuff. But in order for me to have that brain space, I get up really early, and that's me time.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:09:44]:

So we're recording this 6:6 AM California time. I've been up since 4. And to many people, that sounds horrible, like like the definition of hustle culture, and and I get that. So how I marry the 2 is nobody wants anything from me at this time. It's me alone with my brain, my journal, my pot of coffee. I lay out my yoga mat. I stretch when I wanna stretch. I listen to my body.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:10:14]:

I write down ideas. Coming up with content for the podcast is a joy. There's so much I want to talk about and and and do it in in 20 to 30 minute segments that I don't see how that could get turned off, or I would feel burnt out because I'm a lifelong learner. I enjoy researching. I enjoy learning. I enjoy talking to you. Like, this is fun for me. This does not feel like work

Stephanie Hansen [00:10:44]:

Right.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:10:45]:

In in any way. Coming up with another way to make a a smoked jalapeno pot roast to does start to feel like work because I've already done that. Yeah. And and and I do believe in for lucky life is long, and and we continue to evolve and grow and change. My oldest is 23 today. And so this morning when I was journaling, I'm like, okay, well, where was I 23 years ago? What was I doing? What did I look like? What were my thoughts? What were my fears? And I'm so thrilled that I'm better, stronger, more confident than I was then. And that's what I would want for you and for your listeners is the idea that you have to cram it all in now. That's hustle culture.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:11:37]:

That's feeling as if you're behind or if what you're doing isn't good enough. If we're lucky, life is long. So where I am in 23 more years, I'll be in my seventies. Okay. Well, what does that look like? Well, I wanna continue to do yoga. I wanna garden. I wanna crawl around on the floor with my grandchildren. Well, in order to get there, probably, I don't need to work more.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:12:02]:

Probably, what I need to do is relax and make sure that I'm taking my supplements, and I'm drinking enough water, and I'm paying attention to my joint health and all of that kind of thing.

Stephanie Hansen [00:12:14]:

It is, it is a shift because I think, like, people unwind in different ways, but we're in this space where we don't really prioritize relaxation. You know? Like, there's always, like, places to go, things to do, closets to organize, meals to cook. Even, like, exercise has become, like, a hustle. Right? You know? Like, eve everything we do is framed in that I'll I'll call it the hustle culture like you did because I think people can really resonate with that. And it is hard to get off of that. And I find that the more I'm in it and the more I'm doing it, the less I even can observe what that would feel like. Like, I don't know how to relax. I used to.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:13:06]:

Yeah. And and it's tricky because not knowing how to relax first off, know what is it? Knowing is the first step. So good for you. Pay attention to that. Yeah. Because now you know what to work on. Unfortunately, what people do to turn off their brain is they turn to numbing techniques such as alcohol, drugs, endless mindless scrolling, and overconsumption. That isn't going to help your long term trajectory of a life well lived, of of life filled with kind of tranquility and peace, which in general, most people are actually chasing.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:13:47]:

They think they have to delay their happiness, their feeling of contentment because there's too much to do. So, so FOMO, fear of missing out, is what drives lots and lots of that. So this new book, is filled with acronyms, and that's because that's how my brain works.

Stephanie Hansen [00:14:05]:

Sure.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:14:06]:

And and my brain is super into acronyms because when I was about 7 or 8, my grandpa, who was in the military, told me that the word snafu had a bad word in it. So it's situation normal all effed up, but he actually said the word. So for me, like, my mind was blown that grown ups were hiding a bad word in another word. So, like, I've always rewritten acronyms. So FOMO for me and and for my readers is figure only myself out. Because when you know deep down inside who you are, what you stand for, what is important to you, and what makes you different is completely different than anyone else. So I'm glad that you brought up, like, exercise hustle. There are people at the gym hurting themselves because the the plan they're on says they have to do 25 reps, but their body needs to stop at 12.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:15:05]:

But they're they're pushing themselves, and they're actually creating damage in their joints because they're not listening to their own body. And and that's that's a problem that that you you have to decide what works for you when you're in a good mood and then consistently do that thing.

Stephanie Hansen [00:15:25]:

Yeah. It it's it's just interesting. You know, I think about this a lot that we've had the phone. I think we've had the phone for, what, like, I wanna say 15 years now, maybe 16. And it has changed so much in life, and I think about Steve Jobs sometimes. And just like, he put this amazing technology in our hands and in our pockets, And I wonder if he was still alive today, in some respects, how he would be ruing that day or how maybe he would be living intentionally differently. Because the phone is such a gift and the computer is such a gift. But at the same time, it can also be kind of a curse.

Stephanie Hansen [00:16:08]:

Are you good about, like there's different strategies for, like, time blocks. And, you know, like, you're gonna do this to this time and that to that time, and then you're gonna turn off your phone for this time. Like, in practice, do you do some of that to just give yourself space other than the early morning time?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:16:25]:

Yes. I so I do. I teach time blocking, and and I sort of liken it to a, like, a a classroom. Whereas this is circle time. This is recess time. This is that time. So, yes, I I can pay attention to that. And then I also wanna point out that, you're right.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:16:46]:

I don't think Steve Jobs would like this because he is a creative guy, and he would put on his calendar lots of brain breaks for himself to unplug and be alone with his thoughts, and he would go on long meandering walks. Again, I live in Silicon Valley, so I see this firsthand. And because of this, I am not an early adopter to any sort of technology.

Stephanie Hansen [00:17:13]:

Mhmm.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:17:13]:

I am hesitant and I am skeptical, and I wanna see how it works for other people and whether or not it's actually helping them or hindering them before I decide to go in. A great book that you might really like is, Harris Swisher's burn book, where it talks about the the early days of Silicon Valley and all of those kind of things. The the apps and the different sites are designed to addict you. And, you know this because I'm certain you have gone to to food blogging and and different conferences where they teach you how to keep the people on your site and and trick them into clicking this and doing this and and and wait. There's just wait. There's more. Yeah. And and that is is neat maybe, for the first little bit when you're learning how the tech works, but then later, it can really make you feel, uncomfortable.

Thanks for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:18:18]:

And and I want people to gravitate towards me, not feel like they were duped into something.

Stephanie Hansen [00:18:25]:

Yeah. It's so funny to hear you talk about what we're all chasing in a way that is almost harmful and damaging, really. And, yeah, I just I was on a trip recently, for 2 weeks on a boat and going to Croatia and seeing all these beautiful things. And I still had to work a little bit. And every morning, you know, I would sit and I would do a couple hours worth of work. And my husband looked at me one day, and he's like, well, you know you're a workaholic. Right? And I was like, really? He's like and he was like, oh, yeah. Totally.

Stephanie Hansen [00:19:01]:

Like, you get all of your value as a human from your work. And you're framing your whole life in this context of the workout put you've and he was like, at this point in your life, Stephanie, you've worked more than most people. So, like, your quality and quantity of work, you've already reached it. What's next? It was so surprising and shocking to me, and he was just laughing. He was like, wait. Am I the first person that's ever put this into your brain? And and we work from home, and we have creative lives. He's an like I said, an author, and I'm doing this food thing. I'm a broadcaster.

Stephanie Hansen [00:19:39]:

You just it catches up where all of a sudden, like, everything is just this one big ball of thing.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:19:47]:

Yeah. Yeah. And and especially if you are an entrepreneur and you have no choice, because you have that that sort of intrinsic belief system of the harder I work, the luckier I'll get, which is, I guess, contributed back to Eleanor Roosevelt, who's a lovely lady, and she's great. But I want you and I would want your readers and listeners to know that you're worthy no matter what. And I think, I think what happens and and sometimes it happens in school and sometimes it happens with our parents is we believe not doing anything means that you're lazy.

Stephanie Hansen [00:20:29]:

Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:20:30]:

And you can be a lump on a log, especially if you work on the Internet. You can be a lump on a log and still get paid, because you don't actually really know where the people are coming from, how they found you. So so I like to, to kind of, if I'm coaching someone, I give them a a triangle or I have them draw a triangle on a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. And on the left, you're listing all of the things that you're doing. So you're sending out your newsletter. You're you're updating some images. You're doing this. You're doing that.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:21:06]:

And then when your day is done, your day is done. And then the other side is the is the belief system that that God or the universe or whatever you feels good in your brain and your body will meet you halfway. You've done your part, but you can't be a control freak about the other part because because it's legit out of your hands. Yeah. And and maybe maybe for you, that would be helpful or uncomfortable. Probably putting some parameters on yourself that my day is done no matter what at insert time here, whatever feels good. Be because there's always something more to do. There's always more tweaking.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:21:52]:

You can always find a dead link. God almighty, there are so many dead links.

Stephanie Hansen [00:21:56]:

I do think too, like, some of this is changing because of society. You know? When we left work at, you know, 5:30 or 5 or whatever it was and you drove home, you know, for people that was I think an average commute was 22 minutes, which is why podcasts are 22 to 30 minutes. You you would have that time to unwind, and then you enter into your family life. With all of us, you know, many of us, creative people for sure, working from home and this culture shifting of working at home, and also that you should be available 247 to your employer, to your listeners, to your readers, whatever your situation is. There's been so much scope creep into our personal lives.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:22:42]:

Yeah. So if someone writes to you if you send an email and you don't get a response or a day and someone says, I was out of town just seeing this now. Are you mad at that person, or is your thought, good for you?

Stephanie Hansen [00:23:04]:

Good for them.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:23:05]:

Yeah. So what if you shifted that and decided to be proud of yourself for taking time off?

Stephanie Hansen [00:23:12]:

Yeah. And, also, like, why do we have to preface it with an excuse? 24 hours is an incredibly normal time to be responding to someone. We don't I do think about people's lives. You know? Like, what is happening in your life, in your real life? You just don't know what people are going through. You don't know what people's challenges are. You don't know what's happening with their kids. You don't know where their mental health is at. There's just so much that's unknowable.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:23:39]:

Yeah. No. It's absolutely true. So when you get to know yourself and you feel confident that you're doing the right thing, then it it however someone else wants to perceive you is on them. So, so with this new book, the the acronym for slow, because, again, super huge acronym junkie, is to simply look only within. And so if you know you're making the right choice for you, who cares what other people think? That that that's a them thing.

Stephanie Hansen [00:24:13]:

I am so glad that I talked to you today. And I know you've been super generous about allowing me to share a couple of crock pot recipes, and I'll do that because people come to me for recipes probably first and foremost. But along the way, we get to discover cool things about ourselves, about others, about the group of society that we live in. Right? And food is just a way of nourishing and creating community anyway. So I feel like, you know, this is an extension of that. When you, when you're a mom, I think time becomes so fraught with challenges too because you're supposed to give all to your kids, and you maybe even want to give all to your kids. Like, I feel like that's pretty natural. Do you feel like moms have a harder time slowing down?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:25:03]:

Yes and no. It's interesting. It it it depends on probably how they frame their mind. So for me, I am a okay to sit on the floor and play Candy Land and read a story and do a puzzle. I have a background in early childhood education and development. I I used to run preschool centers for homeless children, so I actually know how helpful that slowing down and 1 on 1 attention is for children. So I know that it's actually helping them in the long run. And so me putting my, like, desire to check email or something on pause in order to give that to them feels completely natural.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:25:49]:

So it doesn't bother me at all. I can see for some people might think that it's a quote, unquote waste of time and sort of an iPad. Give me 5 more minutes. Give me 5 more minutes. Shoving your child off consistently, has detrimental effects. It makes them feel as if their wants and needs aren't important. They start to mask and start to think that the grown up in the room, their parent or something, is more important. And that creates long term feelings of inadequacy, feelings of unworthiness, and feeling less than, which in a sense is why then people turn to the Internet, turn to Internet strangers, look for validation outside of them because they don't feel strong and stable within.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:26:38]:

So pay attention to that. As far as too much to do and not enough time to do it, I I do think when you're taking care of other humans, that's tricky. And so, again, that's why I personally like to set myself up for success in the day. I fill my own cup first. Even when I had babies in the bed and and nursing around the clock, I would try and roll away very carefully to then go spend some time, usually in the bathroom all by myself.

Stephanie Hansen [00:27:09]:

Your 5 minutes.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:27:11]:

My 5 minutes. Yeah. And I think that's really why I was so into the Crock Pot is, I could front load my day because I never knew who I was gonna pick up from school. Are they in a good mood? Are they in a bad mood? Is soccer practice gonna run late? Did someone twist their ankle and now all of a sudden we're going to the emergency room? Knowing that dinner was hot and ready and waiting was such a stress reliever. It also helped us stick to our budget, and and and kept us out of the drive through

Stephanie Hansen [00:27:45]:

Yeah.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:27:45]:

Lane and and ordering out and all of that kind of stuff. So it was very, very helpful and useful practical tool at the time when I had little babies in the house.

Stephanie Hansen [00:27:57]:

It's really you know, we start out thinking about you as the crock pot lady, but where we are with you today is really satisfying and and not unrelated. Right? Because you have different moons and phases of your life that all of the things you did before kinda prepare you and lead you to that road. It this has really been super fun to talk to you. I'm gonna get your book, Slow Living.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:28:22]:

Okay.

Stephanie Hansen [00:28:24]:

You have your podcast. And where do you want people to find you? Do you want them to follow you? Do you want them to not follow you?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:28:33]:

So yeah. So I I have really good boundaries for myself. So anyone can email me at any time. I am a real person. The website is stephanieoday.com, and the book is Slow Living Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a hustle driven world. Thank you for having me.

Stephanie Hansen [00:28:50]:

Oh, for sure. And do you ever get to Minneapolis?

Stephanie O'Dea [00:28:54]:

Oh, so I am really trying to create a book tour. So I would like to go to all of the places. That's one nice thing about my children getting older is is it opens up a lot more room to travel and not feeling guilty.

Stephanie Hansen [00:29:11]:

Yeah. Well, if you get to Minneapolis, let me know. I'd be happy to help, promote the word that you're here. And if you need anybody to spend time with or interview you, there's a lot of good purpose driven folks in the Twin Cities that are thinking about some of the same ideas that you're thinking about. So

Stephanie O'Dea [00:29:27]:

That sounds great. And then I can hug you in real life.

Stephanie Hansen [00:29:30]:

Yes. And it's always just good. You know, I feel like I have been following you for a long time, so it's really fun to catch up and see this transition for you. I'm excited about it, and I'm excited to help share the story. Just simply only look within. Slow down. I feel like you were divinely in my day specifically right on time. So thank you for being here, Stephanie.

Stephanie O'Dea [00:29:54]:

Absolutely. Thank you so much.

Stephanie Hansen [00:29:55]:

Alright. We'll talk soon. Bye bye.

Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

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