Ep. 01: The Power of Persistence - Whitney Duncan
In this inaugural episode of Happiest Hour, my guest is recording artist, songwriter and reality TV star, Whitney Duncan. You may recognize Whitney from her single, “Skinny Dippin’” or from her appearances on Survivor, Nashville Star and The Amazing Race!
Ep. 01 The Power of Persistence - Whitney Duncan
In this inaugural episode of Happiest Hour, my guest is recording artist, songwriter and reality TV star, Whitney Duncan. You may recognize Whitney from her single, “Skinny Dippin’” or from her appearances on Survivor, Nashville Star and The Amazing Race!
Whitney shares about the power of persistence in both her personal and work life. We also cover:
• Being multi-passionate and finding balance between a variety of interests
• How to navigate the different career phases of a professional musician
• We unexpectedly took a deep dive into our family planning stories — including IVF struggles and pregnancy loss.
If you watch the live video of this episode on YouTube, you’ll notice that Whitney is pregnant! Her little bundle of joy came a few weeks early and she is now living the full-on mom life!
Follow along Whitney’s journey on her Instagram and listen to her music on Spotify.
Don’t Forget the Recipes!
We paired two delicious recipes with this episode. Grab them below. Cheers!
Hack for Super Creamy Hot Chocolate
Classic Roasted Root Vegetables - Perfect for your holiday table!
More Happiest Hour…
Jeb's Super Creamy Hot Chocolate
Music, friendship and food are three of my favorite things. When I first hatched the plan for my new podcast, Happiest Hour, I knew I wanted to chat with my guests over a delicious beverage and share recipes. In Ep. 01, my guest is recording artist, reality TV star, and super pregnant, Whitney Duncan!
I turned to my supporters in our private Facebook group to find a few good recipes I could share. They had some great suggestions!
One idea came from Jeb in Virginia. It’s really more of a hack than a recipe, but it’s a darn good way make simple hot chocolate super creamy and kid-friendly so that the whole family can get involved! This was a perfect choice for Whitney, my mama-to-be podcast guest.
A hand frother or a blender will be your best friend for this hack. And don’t forget the marshmallows!
Try this Easy Side…
Classic Roasted Root Vegetables
Add beautiful color and delicious nutrition to your holiday table with this quick and easy side dish!
This nutritious and delicious side dish will be the perfect addition to your holiday table! Get the easy weekend recipe paired with this week’s Happiest Hour episode here.
Catch the Episode!
→ More Happiest Hour Episodes
Ep. 01 - The Power of Persistence - Whitney Duncan
Classic Roasted Root Vegetables
This is the PERFECT side dish for your holiday table! And it’s easy as pie to make — except it’s more nutritious than pie. 😉 This rustic roasted veggie dish will add beautiful color to your plate.
Dan doesn’t even like cooked carrots, but he LOVES this dish. And can we take a moment to talk about fennel? I’ve been sleeping on fennel! One of Dan’s favorite recipes that I cook utilizes fennel seed, but I have never tried the real thing until recently. Now, I slice raw fennel into my salads, I use the fronds in homemade salad dressings, and I chop it into wedges for this beautiful dish. If you’re not familiar with fennel either, don’t let it intimidate you. Treat it just like an onion. Trim off the ends, peel back the top layer and you’re good to go.
Check out how easy and delicious getting your veggies in will be with this easy weekend side dish:
Try this Beverage…
Super Creamy Hot Chocolate
In Episode 01 of Happiest Hour, my guest, Whitney Duncan, and I tried this hack that will make your next cup of hot chocolate super creamy. Check out the drink recipe paired with this week’s Happiest Hour episode here.
Catch the Episode!
Ep. 01 - The Power of Persistence - Whitney Duncan
How the Happiest Hour was Born
How “taking over” Living with Landyn’s Instagram feed for a day planted the seed for the Happiest Hour Podcast and why shining a spotlight on the inspirational people in my life feels so important.
Catch the Trailer…
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to “take over” the Instagram page of one of my favorite lifestyle entrepreneur’s, Landyn Hutchinson of Living with Landyn. For one day, I shared what it’s like in a day-in-the-life of a professional singer/songwriter, my favorite life hacks, recipes, books, and most importantly (to me), inspirational people and organizations that have transformed my life.
I received a bunch of DM’s on my Instagram page asking me for more information and recommendations. I mean… what?! I’m a working singer/songwriter mom having a little fun playing “Landyn” for a day. I did NOT expect people to turn to me for advice on life or lipgloss.
One of the most popular questions I received from that day was: how do you foster such a strong sense of community in your life as an adult, and how can I find ways to transform my own life?
Sometimes social media can feel super gross and self-indulgent to me, but it felt so comfortable and fun to shine a spotlight on other people in my life. Then to go a step further and realize that by sharing about who and what inspired me was actually helping other people… whew! That felt fulfilling!
That’s when it hit me.
I took inventory about what was so meaningful to me about that Instagram takeover day. Authentic connection, fostering community, fun, food, drinks… well, heck. That sounds like one of my favorite things: happy hour!
“But better,” I thought to myself. What’s better than happy hour?
The Happiest Hour!
The idea for the Happiest Hour was conceived.
Lauren Lucas with her first guest, recording artist and reality TV star, Whitney Duncan.
I hope you enjoy this inaugural season of the Happiest Hour. It’s a space to find inspiration and feel authentically connected with the world around you. I interview the most inspiring people in my life in the fields of music, film, wellness, and creative entrepreneurship. You’ll find a shot of humor and a dash of down-to-earth grit in each episode. My guests and I don’t shy away from real talk! Plus, we pair a delicious beverage and an easy weekend recipe with each episode. You can find the recipes and more information about my guests right here on my website.
Find the Happiest Hour on your favorite podcast platform or watch the live interview on YouTube.
The trailer is available NOW! Click the buttons below to enjoy. ↓
Did you Miss the Takeover?
If you missed my Living with Landyn Instagram Takeover, you can still find it on the “LWL” highlight on my Instagram page! Just click below. ↓
The Latest on Happiest Hour…
Savory & Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
There are so many flavor variations out there for roasting pumpkin seeds. My personal favorite is a savory and salty seasoning that’s easy and delicious! I got the thumb’s up from my son, who loved the taste. My home smelled cozy and amazing during the roasting process, which is an extra bonus! Plus, I’m saving some money because nuts and seeds are expensive! I’ll eat a handful of seeds as a snack, sprinkle them in soup or on top of my salad for lunch.
Read on to get the recipe for perfectly roasted savory and salty pumpkin seeds.
When I was in college, my roommates and I would visit Gentry Farms in Franklin, TN and pick the perfect pumpkin, then carve a jack-o-lantern just before Halloween. I’m almost positive it was a Martha Stewart recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds that initially inspired me, and now I look forward to roasting my jack-o-lantern’s seeds every year. I doesn’t get more fall than that!
My two year old and I carved our jack-o-lantern this weekend and roasted the seeds. These days, I just go by memory for the recipe, so I’m sharing with you how I seasoned and achieved perfectly roasted pumpkin seeds.
There are so many flavor variations out there for roasting pumpkin seeds. My personal favorite is a savory and salty seasoning that’s easy and delicious! I got the thumb’s up from my son, who loved the taste. My home smelled cozy and amazing during the roasting process, which is an extra bonus! Plus, I’m saving some money because nuts and seeds are expensive! I’ll eat a handful of seeds as a snack, sprinkle them in soup or on top of my salad for lunch.
Read on to get the recipe for perfectly roasted savory and salty pumpkin seeds.
Recipe card for Savory & Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds by Lauren Lucas