Bizymoms: What were the challenges you faced when you first started your business?
ML: Creating the book itself was the first challenge. It was a full 2 years in the making. I never realized how much work it takes to write a book and test 85 recipes to perfection! The book not only has to have really valuable content, it has to be researched, organized, reorganized, proofread, and tested. and each recipe takes at least several attempts to get it right. After the book and the recipes are completed, the business really begins-- getting it out there. The publisher, media, agents, managers. The Sneaky Chef is much more than a book, it's becoming a brand. It's a blast, but there isn't much time for much else beyond work and family these days.
Bizymoms: What do you find most interesting in your career?
ML: The most interesting part of my career is definitely the feedback I get from parents across the country, thanking me for giving them the simple solution they've been looking for to the problem of getting their kids to eat healthier. Sometimes I feel like I've invented the new sliced bread! It's really a thrill. What gets me back in that kitchen every single day are these emails from grateful moms that fill my inbox every morning, and the excitement they share with me over their successes. I'm embarrassed to tell you some of the comments I get, but here's a couple that are just too good not to share: One mom said she was "going to erect a monument in my honor!" Another wanted me to have a Nobel Prize for the peace I'd brought to her dinner table! Now that's rewarding : )
Bizymoms: What is the hardest part in you career?
ML: The hardest part of my career is practicing what I preach. Some people think that just because I've written a parenting book, I've mastered life with my kids now. After I finish laughing, I always respond that I still have to bite my tongue at the dinner table to keep from bribing or fighting with my kids to eat their veggies straight up, even though I'm sneaking them into their foods all the time. We're definitely making progress, but there just is no magic bullet to getting a kid to eat a brussel sprout!
It’s also challenging to work from the kitchen, which can overtake your life 24/7. I love cooking so the time flies. But the rest of the family doesn't necessarily feel that way. Again, setting boundaries between family time and work time is the key.
And if there's one thing I've had to learn, it's how to stop multi tasking and focus entirely on my kids when it's time to.
Bizymoms: How do you balance your career and family?
ML: I balance career and family by making my children a part of my work.
I’m certainly busier now, but I always try to include my kids in the process of writing and testing recipes, ideas for the book, and even fun promotions they can participate in like filming TV segments. They had a thrill recently when they were literally a foot away from me, off camera, on the Today Show!
I have also made a commitment to turn off the Blackberry and cell phone when it’s family time, and not let interruptions creep into our special time together. But I have to admit, working from home can sometimes be trickier than going to an office, and it takes a real commitment to keep those boundaries clear. My dream has always been to be able to work from home so I could be with the kids yet still express my entrepreneurial passion.
Bizymoms: What is your mission?
ML: My mission is no less than to transform the way America feeds its children - one meal at a time. To give parents the simple tools to do this and to bring peace back to the dinner table.
Bizymoms: What are some ways you come up with new recipes?
ML: The way I come up with new recipes is to look at what kids love to eat – whether it’s on a kids’ menu in a restaurant, or in the packaged goods aisle in the market, I start with kids’ favorites and then try to hide the good, healthy stuff in those dishes. Kids will want to try the Sneaky Chef version because it looks and tastes the same as their favorite foods. But trial and error is the key here! Kids are not at all “diplomatic” in their reactions to the new recipes I test, and I know immediately what works and what doesn’t. Unlike polite adults, kids will more or less say “yuck” and not eat what you serve them if it tastes weird. Now that I have The Sneaky Chef basic vegetable and fruit purees (White, Orange, Purple, and Green Purees), I try to match them up with foods they will hide in – for example, green goes well in brown dishes like meatloaf and meatballs, orange puree goes well in red sauces, white puree in white things like mashed potatoes and mac ‘n cheese.
Bizymoms: Where should someone start when trying to develop healthier cooking methods?
To start feeding your kids healthier, you have to stock your kitchen with some basic staples and do a tiny bit of planning. It's all laid out clearly in the book – you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Take advantage of the experience of someone like me who's been through it already! The Sneaky Chef uses simple, quick "make-ahead purees" of veggies and fruit, which can be stored in the freezer for months and ready to add to kids' favorite meals in less than a minute. Preparation is the key and the way I designed the method, it requires no more than 30 minutes a week. Once the purees are on hand, using them at every meal is a cinch. Also, I know it sounds old fashioned, but menu planning for the week really does work wonders – it pays itself back in time savings and makes everything from food shopping to nightly cooking a lot easier. Anything else is basically what I call "crisis management" – just reacting to the next situation that happens. Once you start planning a little, you'll wonder how you ever had time NOT to!
Bizymoms: What are the main benefits of healthy cooking?
ML: What AREN'T the benefits of truly healthy cooking? Our kids will be stronger, healthier, more attentive, and have better moods. I ask myself how I feel when I eat right. I feel great, and I know my kids feel great too, although they're not as aware of it. I see it in their behavior though, and in their moods and energy level--even how well they sleep. When kids' bodies are receiving a variety of nutrients from fresh, unprocessed foods, they'll have stronger immune systems, fewer everyday illnesses, and longer lasting energy. That translates to happier, healthier kids across the board. And one less trip to the Pediatrician’s office will make up for any extra time in the kitchen slipping the good foods into kids’ meals.
Bizymoms: What is the best approach for moms to encourage kids to enjoy their meals?
ML: The best approach for moms to encourage kids to enjoy their meals: don't force them to eat EVERYTHING and don't deprive them of EVERYTHING.
80/20 rule. Give in sometimes. Would you be thrilled if your kids would eat 80% of what you wanted them to? Pick your battles. That's why sneaking works so well. It takes the pressure off...
Bizymoms: What is your best advice for moms with picky eaters?
ML: Moms of picky eaters (and who isn’t?) should try not to get too frustrated with the child and certainly not bribe, threaten or force the child to eat something. That’ll only make matters worse. I know it’s difficult, but the more we “act” like we don’t care, the better the chance the child will try the new foods. Pressuring kids can lead to a power struggle that no one wins. Of course, we can’t give up either. Slipping the healthy foods into the few foods your picky eater likes will ease kids into eating better without the battle. Then you can take your time educating them about the virtues of eating those foods straight up, without the pressure of feeling that if they don't, they won't have eaten anything healthy today at all.
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