From Pen to Plate: Creating an Imaginative Children's Cookbook with Chanel Miller

But if it's something you're passionate about , if you put in the work and if you be patient , I just feel great things can happen .

Each week , I'm bringing you interviews with accomplished and talented moms who have made their creative dreams a reality . I talk to writers , artists , musicians and entrepreneurs who have successfully found a way to do what they love while raising the ones they love .

Some of the writers I talk to are New York Times bestselling authors , while some are self-published first-time authors . I also share my own insights and resources to help you navigate the unique challenges of being a mom who creates .

So , whether you're an early bird or a night owl , a seasoned pro or just starting out , I want you to know that you can pursue your creative passions and be an amazing mom at the same time . Grab a cup of coffee , a notebook and get ready to join our community of like-minded moms who are on a mission to live intentionally and create with purpose .

This is the Moms who Create podcast , and I can't wait to share this journey with you . Hi everyone , and welcome back to this week's episode of the Moms who Create podcast . So are your kids starting school this week ?

I'm both so sad that they'll be gone all day , but I'm also really excited that I'll get like five hours a day in the silence to work on all the things . But I'm gonna like fiercely miss them . Isn't motherhood weird ? Because it's weird . It's every emotion at once , happening 24-7 . It doesn't make sense . Well , but here we are .

Today's guest is author of an amazing children's cookbook and kit , chanel Miller . Chanel's writing passion ignited in Detroit at a young age , driving her to excel in contests and creative programs .

Graduating from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a double major in psychology and criminal justice , alongside a minor in communications , she took an unexpected path into social services , aiding underprivileged youth in group homes .

This experience fueled her desire to make an earlier impact on children's lives , leading her to the Georgia Institute of Technology's Child Study Lab as a research assistant . In this role , chanel contributed to groundbreaking research in early autism detection , co-authoring articles in prestigious journals .

Simultaneously , she became a co-instructor at the University and pursued a master's in public policy from Georgia State . Chanel's journey took personal turns as she married and became a stay-at-home mom , launching the blog them Three and Me , which blossomed into self-publishing endeavors , including Kit Day Cuisine and From Sand to See and Back Again .

She talks about her unique self-publishing journey from not just wanting to do a book but an actual kit , including not just a cookbook but an apron measuring cups , and you know there is a lot to that I learned . So I hope you enjoyed today's episode . I hope you learned from Chanel and I also hope that she inspires you . Enjoy today's episode , chanel .

Thank you for joining me today . I got your email about a children's cookbook and I was like what ? And I was talking to my husband . I said have you ever seen like a children's cookbook , like one for them , that like talks to them in their language , they can cook things or make whatever ? And he was like because I talked to him about all the moms .

I talked to him and he was like that is brilliant .

My husband actually started a like a family furniture business where we repurpose and resell home and office furniture , and so my little division of that is making old things look glam again .

We really specialize in office furniture so I'll do a customized desk with , you know , funky tops and , you know , for homeschool furniture , chalkboard tops so kids can write on them just all types of really cool , fun things . So my favorite store is actually Home Depot is strange enough , but it is .

I love to walk in and just smell the wood and if I have a paintbrush I am just ecstatic . So that is creatively like paintbrush , computer pen writing . I am in a cup of ice matcha . I am absolutely I love it Happy .

I started off well . I now have kids , right , but I always kind of had this passion , I guess , for kids . I really didn't look at it like that way until I had kids of my own . So before becoming a mom my last area of profession , really before becoming a mom I worked at Georgia Tech and they have a child study lab . Shout out to them .

I don't know if I can do that , but they was amazing . It was an amazing place to kind of work . So I worked there in the child study lab at Georgia Tech and I worked on a great NSF grant to look at early development and autism and we did research to kind of help detect developmental delays in children and autism and we did a whole big research study .

I got to work with kiddos . I got to actually feel like I was doing something that was really , really helpful . And the lab manager over there , audrey Sutherland , under the direction of Agatha Rosga over there , they're just great people and it was there that I learned that I just loved feeling fulfilled about what I'm doing .

Before then I worked in a group home and helping kids that were in the system and then kids that were aging out the system . So I was working in the independent living site to kind of help them get re-accommodated into life , and so I always had even before then I mean , it was just always working with kids .

I don't know I got ran a basketball camp in college , like I always had this . Well , I shouldn't say I ran it , but I ended up being the director over at basketball camp for the women's basketball team . I played college basketball so I always just had it was just this ongoing game in my life .

I got my BA in psychology and double majored with criminal justice , with the minor communications , with the hopes of going to law school and that kind of changed . But I wanted to really work with children advocacy . So I kind of just had this throughout my life , this ongoing theme of working with kiddos .

And so when I became a mom and kind of just really tapping more into this creative side and writing , I did writing with making books for their homeschool , just writing little stories for them . We tell these bedtime stories that are elaborate . Well , sometimes they make up a scene . I make up a scene . It just keeps going and going and going .

So it just yeah .

My mom would take me to the Nike outlet store and I would get all the things .

I had got a scholarship from high school and actually I'm originally from Detroit , so our high school basketball team in Detroit had a long history of winning state championships and winning . So yeah , I started early on in life , third grade , and I just played and it took me through college .

My plan was to play professionally , go overseas and different things like that , but after college I just took a different direction in life and wanted to do something different . But for what it did it was amazing , that's awesome .

I went to start my masters and about a year in with my masters I got married , had kids , moved to a house . On a very short time time span I had a year left in my master's program . The last semester was over Before the next semester happened . I'm pregnant giant and I end up having my daughter , and so I was talking to my husband .

He was like , yeah , you know , finish out school if you want , that's something that you want to do . But I think I became a point in my life where I am responsible for this little human life , and in the beginning it was my first kid .

You know we had a couple things that made me really nervous , like when she was first born , but it really wasn't a big deal . Like some jaundice she had to be hospitalized . Just you know some little things , but my focus kind of really shifted .

You know , like my previous profession was very focused on , like me and these goals that I had , right , and now I'm responsible for this little bitty human and it's kind of like I don't know . I wanted to be present for everything . And you know , like I said , I'm a wife too and I have this home and this kid .

So I just kind of wanted that area to be my focus . So that really started my motherhood journey and from there I just ended up being a stay-at-home mom and working . You know , doing things I do things at home sometimes , but really focusing in on that . So we started to homeschool and from there I started to kind of retap into this writing thing .

My first love for writing started in the third grade . You know I did writing contests or rhetorical contests , all things , and then kind of tapered off a little bit , but it just kind of re-ignited this fire I had to write . Once I started writing things for the girls .

So so , continuing to fast forward , when my daughter turned about for something like that , she wanted to . She loved to cook Like she . Mommy , I want to help cook , I want to cook . She's always cooking in the kitchen . So I wanted to . So I was like , okay , you know , I want to get her something .

So I went on Amazon and I researched , like cookbooks for kids . But I already had this vision , because we're already very hands-on in our homeschools so we do a lot of activities , a lot of things that I kind of like to allow them to kind of like , create and kind of do their own things as well .

So I wanted the same thing to kind of do in the kitchen at that time . So I had this idea in my head . So I went to Amazon , of course , because if it doesn't exist on Amazon , it doesn't exist , doesn't exist right , because Amazon is just where I find everything right .

And so I researched it and I literally could not find not one thing even remotely close to what I wanted . And this was two years ago . So that's really where the journey started , two years ago . And so this it's been like this two-year path trying to kind of get where I am today . It's been a doozy .

So first , starting off , I'll just decided I was going to go the regular route , right ? You know , everyone uses KDP or Ingram Spars to kind of self-publish .

But I had this grand idea at the time I didn't realize it was that grand , but like actually making it come , come into play or come into like , conceptualizing the idea was more difficult than I dreamed of in my head . So KDP and Ingram Sparks , like well , we only publish a certain type of book , it has to be paperback or hard copy .

We don't do everything that you really want . So my idea is kiddos are messy , right , so you have them in the kitchen , they're just going to , they're going to spill something , they're going to do something , especially when this book is , a child as young as three can use it . So I wanted it to be dry , erase or can be easily wipe , wipe , wipeable .

I wanted it to be spiral binding so it can just be easy for their hands to flip . I wanted these big , bright pictures to be bold and kind of like glossy , catch their attention . So I had all these things . I wanted it to be and I also I wanted to come into , come in a kid so that a parent can basically have the child , can have everything they wanted .

So all these things and Ingram Sparks and KDP and along with some other publishers , was like um , a lot , we don't do all of that . So that started my journey like okay , so how do I do this ?

So I kid you not , I came up with like a 30 point like self publishing plan that I just kind of jotted down and wrote and I and I started from there and I contacted publishers . I use Alibaba a lot . I did upwork , write , contacted like editors and illustrators and designers .

I end up using a illustrator that is a really good friend of mine who is awesome and I just started from there and it was a journey like just learning all the ins and outs of child children toys . For example . The book and everything in the kit is CSPC certified , which is it's lead free .

It's tested with an independent , independent testing agency that's approved by the , by the government , that that tests for every all types of chemicals to make sure it's safe for consumption . And , honestly , a lot of places are supposed to do that but no one checks the certificates guys .

So if you ever have like a toy that you're wondering and you want to contact the company , you can do that . You know a lot of things and I learn from learning .

A lot of times agencies or people don't check unless something happens that's bad , but really to have these things in place , so really I wanted to do that regardless , because I'm a mom and I wanted to make sure . I like to make sure that the things that I have for my children are safe .

So when I put out a product , I wanted to make sure it's safe and not hazardous . So we got all the correct certifications certifications , which was a whole , an entire process in itself . And then I wanted to make sure I went through like to make sure the regulations and trade commissions for some sending it from China was it was up to par .

It was just so many ins and outs that I just did not see from when I first started two years ago . So for any mom out there that wants to do it , you can do it , but it can be . It's a process , like it really is a process , but you're able to . Like I didn't think when I first started to have this idea like , oh yeah , let's do this .

And then I got into it . I'm like , oh yeah , let's do this .

Yeah , the whole self publishing process is just rigorous anyway . But like you took it above and beyond , doing all of this and then all of these testings , I don't even know anything about that , to be completely honest .

You know , towards the end I developed a really good team that kind of helped with different things , even with , like the advertising and just for moms out there too , like they do have . They have whole companies that take care of this for you .

But those whole companies come with a whole invoice and a whole bill and sometimes , you know , for different people have different situations . It may not be practical but it's possible . If you have the patients , if you have the time you develop . I have like the best support system I could ask for that I couldn't even pay for it .

If I paid for a company to do this , they wouldn't be as great as my support . I mean , they're absolutely amazing . So it's possible . If you want to do something , go out there , read about it , research it , take your time , be patient . Everything doesn't have to happen immediately .

Like I said , this has been a two year process for me , when I had a lot of ups and downs and learning . You know , when the there was a strike with the , with the shipping shippers union , Porter's Union , out in California , which held up more shipping . So there was constant bumps and a rose .

Like I said , I'm doing shipping all this myself from China , so that was just multiple that happened . However , if it's something that you're passionate about , if it's something that you want to do , I'm here to tell you that it is absolutely possible if you just be patient and you know , keep going .

And your quotations like dream passion , anything is because you don't know where to start , and that can be just really like daunting , like I don't know , I'm not a professional , or I'm not a professional writer , I'm not a professional artist , but I really want to do this . I don't know how . It'll never happen .

Like , like you said , google , YouTube , I've literally learned Okay , I went to school for art , but I've learned everything about self publishing just writing everything from Google and YouTube , other podcasts , other people . That's done it . You know writing communities online .

Just because you don't know how to do something doesn't mean you can't figure it out . If you want it badly enough , you can absolutely figure out and do it like you . Like you did this and this is just . It just blows my mind and is it release now ? Is your cookbook and is the kit out now ?

So it comes with a lot of fun things . And what makes the book truly unique , you know I think , is the color cutting coded measuring cups . So a child doesn't have to read . They can see a picture of a bag of flour and the one cup measuring spoon . But our one cup measuring spoon is green .

So if they know that , so it teaches them colors , you can see it . If it's anything with two teaspoons , it's a picture of our two teaspoons that come in the kit .

So they know that's count one , two , so you need two of the purple teaspoons , and so they're able to take the lead in the kitchen and they can probably say I don't cook with mom , mom cooks with me , like they can actually take the lead . And so on top of that , there are 10 short stories in there that you can read with your kiddo .

That directly relates to the recipe . So , on the blueberry muffin recipe , there's a fun short story about my daughter , one of her best friends , going blueberry picking and having some fun at the end and ask do you want to move blueberry muffins as well ? So it has the stories that parent that the parent and child can share together , has activity pages .

It has fun , fun facts , that to learn about different food facts . It's just a lot of fun things in the kit , in the cookbook . So it's a cookbook and activity book so you and your kid can have hours of play . So it's , it's , I don't know . It's really close to my heart . Like you know , I said is it was made for my daughter Most high willing .

It will be the first in a three book series . So the first that my oldest , the second to my middle and the last one to my youngest , each with a specific genre cooking . So the first is all breakfast recipes . So the second lunch , the third maybe dinner or , you know , maybe even dessert . She can be , he wants to be . So so yeah .

You know , overall you know you can't tackle everything in like one book but just to kind of have parents that learning to , like you do , homeschool or if you just want to interact with your kid , or more issues I really wanted to really facilitate that , that parent child interaction , which I feel that in these days and these times , spending time with your child

doesn't have to be this elaborate thing . It can be just something fun and cool and just to kind of , you know , facilitate that positive growth . And that was my goal .

You know , everything works for different people , but I think it's a mindset thing , you know . I think sometimes even early on , when being a mom , you have this thing to where you talk about , you know self care and make sure you have time for me and balancing everything right .

And for at least for me , it changed when I think it affected me , because I kind of think of me as these different things , like I'm a mom , I'm a wife , I'm a sister , I'm a . You know , I'm all these different things right , and I kind of shifted my thinking and thinking .

Instead of thinking myself as pieces , I thought of myself more as one whole , if that makes sense . So balancing for me , just because I'm only one person , it's only 24 hours and these things make up me , but not one thing is me , and so to to for me , balance is I just bring

. My children are a part of me . My job is trying to be your author is a part of me , my , my , me being a wife is a part of me , so I include them , like I include my children and my creative process . So if I'm writing , you know , I know that , hey , I'll give them a pencil .

Sometimes it's just scribble scribble wheel may sit down and they write why I write . Or if I'm painting , I say I know they're going to make a mess , let me leave this one thing over there for them to paint . And I try to include them as much as I can . I work my creativity into my schedule , so everything I add to my life has to fit within my life .

I know that's probably . I don't know if that is kind of like two , just like whoo , but it's kind of . It's so . That's kind of how I look at things now . And so I feel like sometimes , with being a mom , life can be overwhelming and things can happen .

But I really think sometimes a mindset shift , knowing that you know you only can do what you can do in the time that you have and and create , in treating ourselves as just this one individual and not trying to stretch , saying like , okay , well , if I'm a mom , I have to do this . And if I'm a wife , I have to do this .

And if I'm a sister and a best friend , I have to make time for them and I have to do this . And so each , each of these different aspects of my life has a different , you know , behavior . I guess you can say with it . But if I just say , whoa , I am one person who acts , who acts in like these different avenues , but I'm still the person .

So I kind of think of my balanced life as that , and I don't know if that makes any sense . No , I think so there is , but that's kind of what helped me , yeah .

I think that's kind of what you were , you were saying too , and I like that mindset . Oh , hello , little one .

No , you just need a pencil and a notebook and jot down . I have to have everything that I have Now . I have a laptop . I have to have everything that I have , and because of that , you have to have my ideas . You know , the funny thing is , when it was , when it came for this book , I wasn't going to do it . I did what everyone else says .

Like you know , maybe one day I was on the phone and I was talking to one of my good friends and I said I was telling her my idea and she goes you should do it and keep in mind , this friend is a freaking rock star , a faith , I mean .

She is a real estate agent , she is a mom , she has autistic children , she is a blogger , and I'm like you know , when she told me , yeah , just do it . And I'm like , yeah , I think so Maybe one day . She goes , no , no , just do it , just start . I'm like , yeah , that's a good idea , I'm gonna look into it . She goes , no , just start .

So I'm like , okay , and literally it just started from me going to the bookstore and looking at books that were similar to my idea . Then it came to . You know , I the girls just went to sleep , I had 30 minutes . Let me Google , you know how to do this and let me YouTube this .

And it just really started as 20 , 30 minutes every day , just not I wouldn't say every day , but when I had time to look into things , and so just , just , just , you can just do a get a . Your first thing is you need a good support system , you need a good team around you . Lean on your .

If you have , like that , one friend or family member , lean on them to . You don't need a lot , you just need an idea and just just start . And three , be patient . Like I said , this was a two year journey from me . Just because you say I have this idea and start doesn't mean it's going to happen right away .

But if it's something you're passionate about , if you put in the work and if you be patient , I just feel great things can happen .

I'm going to get it for my kids I have a three year old and she just turned six , and my , my three year old , loves to do things like she's very like high energy . I want to help you in the kitchen . I want to do all this .

Like I said , I'm going to fast cook , but like I want a teacher and that teachers are , you know , like colors , numbers , all that so I'm excited to get it for her too .

One thing about Amazon that you didn't know you can't do along pre-order if you don't do KDP , so you can't pre-order some things . But then there's a whole thing about pre-ordering books . So just keep that in mind . I know I said I didn't go through KDP .

So if you are author , you want to self publish , there are restrictions on pre-orders through Amazon if you don't use KDP .

So even this last month , as I'm getting proofs and everything I'm learning like , oh I can't do this , I have to do that . Ingrid Spark doesn't do this , kdp does that . Don't do this or they'll cancel each other out . Like you know , there's so much .

So I get it , but it's worth it , because you know when you're , when you're kits out and when you see it on Amazon , when you see it online , you're just going to be like whoa , and all of that hard work in the past two years is totally going to be worth it . So I'm really excited for you , chanel .

You get learning about different foods , food safety and kitchen safety rules . So you get all of that only up to the release date and as a bonus you also get a visual grocery list . So you know the whole .

The book is all about kids taking the lead and so with the pre-order you also get a get a grocery list that allows , that allows the kid to look at pictures of food , and so we . It comes with a printout of about 80 different common of common food items that the child can go in , look and say I want to get that .

They can cut it out , they can put it on their list and so they can go grocery shopping with you . You can either laminate it or you can do printouts , but allow them to kind of go grocery shopping with the parent without having to write down things and you get entered into a drawing to win a personalized embroidered apron and chef hat .

So so , yeah , you get all of that with your , with your , which is about a $40 value with your pre-order , for free up until book release if you pre-order .

It's this really wonderful passion project that I think is going to do really well . Just a reminder that my second children's book , my Day the Pumpkin Patch , comes out in less than a month . Oh , I'm so excited . Follows my favorite time of year and I can't believe that I got to write a book about the best time of the year . It comes out September 5th .

My illustrator , hailey McAndrews , is amazing and I can't wait for you guys to see the book and get it for your children . I really appreciate it If you if you did want to buy it . If not , it's fine , but if you do , that's more fine . Thank you again for listening . I really do appreciate you so much for your support , more than you know .

I'll see you next week .