"A Labor of Love" With Sammy Moniz
Written by the beautiful, strong, incredible Mauri Konell
Sammy Moniz is Feeding the Frasers with Love
Before she was Mat Fraser’s sweetheart, Sammy Moniz worked a 9-5, coached and trained at multiple CrossFit gyms, and after a 15-hour work day, found herself unwinding in the kitchen. She was excited to spend her last precious hours awake chopping… cutting… dicing… spicing… she read cookbooks cover to cover, experimented and created new dishes to “fuel something within her.” Now, she is changing the world by being… her Self.
“I feel like as an adult, you’ve gone through school, you’re in your job, and yes, we’re learning daily and trying to better ourselves within our careers or within our relationships, but then there’s also still a need and a desire to learn. I think it feeds so much more than just the stomach for a meal. It feeds the creativity, the desire to learn and to be better. And not just to be better, but to be your best.”
This reminds me of something Brendon Burchard, “the world’s leading high performance coach,” recently said about “geeking out” on what you love: “let yourself dork out on something and go deep. Let that part of you that wants to obsess about and master something come alive again. A lot of people feel like life isn’t as interesting as it could be, even though there are millions of things to focus on and to do. Part of that reason is they are not going deep on anything. They are consuming everything at a superficial level and thus feeling no competency or fulfillment or the real joys of deep work and mastery. So explore your interests more deeply. I can’t imagine where my life would be if I didn’t allow myself to dork out about the topics and experiences of my industry.”
She didn’t do it for the “likes”
Sammy has been adding her “own personal flair” to recipes and cooking up a storm for years, but just last September, Sammy began sharing her personal creative outlet with the Instaworld by posting pictures and recipes of what she’s feeding the Fittest Man On Earth. She creates culinary and photographic masterpieces with her distinctive artistic style on @feedingthefrasers mainly because it’s a “cool collection for herself.”
The page features drool-worthy recipes, like chocolate chunk peanut butter bacon cookies, chicken marbella, “meat candy,” and CREAM CHEESE STUFFED BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST! She follows her creative impulses to make more adventurous dishes, like pb&j grilled cheese, apple ricotta pancakes with bacon butter, and pho dumplings, always adding a pinch of Sammy to give it her own style and special touch. Although it was never her intention, @feedingthefrasers just reached over 100,000 followers on Instagram and did a giveaway featuring Mat’s signed CrossFit Games jersey and Sammy’s signed apron. What I find most influential, however, is Sammy’s unwavering commitment to following her vision, staying true to her self and what fills up her cup, no matter what anyone else says.
“I would be doing this regardless. I would be cooking and I would be exploring and I would be creating. If I didn’t have a single follower, I would still be putting the content out there. I didn’t expect people to be so interested. But it’s also really cool that other people are interested, so it gives an added bonus and purpose of, ‘oh, people are waiting, people are excited to share and try it for their families. And then on the other side of it is… it’s just a creative outlet for me. I do it because 1) I like cooking, and 2) in terms of how I photograph things, I did it because I like it.”
Sammy is proof that when you follow what you love, follow your heart and your vision, follow what makes you happy and fills you up, then everything else will align. As a result, your self-fulfillment inspires other people to want to go out and do the same thing – to follow their hearts, express their unique creativity as human BEings, not human “do-ings.” It doesn’t have to be cooking, it doesn’t have to be CrossFit; when you follow whatever lights you up, without an expectation of trying to please anyone other than your Self, you will find greater success and fulfillment than you can imagine. To me, that changes the world in a major way.
You always remember the first bite
One of the things I’m most inspired by in Sammy is her affinity for creating that “first bite experience” over and over again. As a baker and a cook myself, I relate to her desire to replicate the incomparable, much anticipated moment of truth - when your diners take their first taste of what you created. On the other side of it, food connects me to memories in the way that only food can – I always remember who I was with, where I was, what I was feeling, when I relive experiences through special dishes and flavors.
“You always remember that bite, and that, ‘oh that was so good! I remember where I was and I remember who I was with!’ and so that the driving force of ‘ok, I want to get better at this,’ so that way when it’s, ‘oh I love that chili recipe you made last time,’ it’s not, ‘oh my gosh, what did I do? How and why did he like it so much?’ It’s more of, ‘oh, I know exactly what he’s talking about.’ And when I have family over for brunch and they want cinnamon rolls, they know that they’re going to get the cinnamon rolls they got the first time they had them.”
Inspired to create those repeated, memorable experiences, Sammy also says she adopted Mat’s “get better at everything” philosophy and applied it to her craft.
“Mat is so good at – if there’s something he’s not good at, he works at it. He doesn’t say, ‘oh man, I wish I was better at this.’ So that was kind of the inspiration behind, ‘I wish that I could elicit the same response when that first bite is taken,’ and that’s literally what I strive for every time I cook a meal. Are his eyes going to roll in the back of his head, and is it going to be a ‘oh my god, this is amazing!’ response? It’s my favorite thing to watch. I’m patiently waiting with my meal, haven’t taken a bite yet, and I’m like, ‘what’s he gonna say?’ You’re cooking and you’re trying to create an experience and elicit an emotion. That to me is just such a cool thing to want to be better at. I want it to be consistent. I want people to come to my house and be like, ‘what’s Sammy cookin’ tonight?”
Following her heart and living with purpose
Sammy’s creative genius doesn’t come from an idea, what she thinks would look good, or what other food bloggers are doing, it comes from pure love. In fact, that’s where Feeding the Frasers all began. I can feel her eyes light up and hear her big, humongous heart exploding through the phone as Sammy tells me about when she was in college and she organized monthly brunches for her family of five siblings, no matter how far away they lived from one another or whose dining room table they gathered around. Preparing, hosting and cooking helped Sammy discover her deep passion for sharing love and human connection through the unique, visceral experience food delivers.
“Food is experience and food is memory... I loved being around the (kitchen) island, snacking on some food and just enjoying the time spent together. And you realize, that’s what food does. Food brings people together.”
Sammy pours her love into everything she does, especially including her delicious creations to fuel the “well-fed Fraser.” For the past two years, the Fraser clan opted to stay in Airbnb’s during the weekend-long CrossFit Games, because of the invaluable experience of coming back every night to a home-cooked meal, “reminiscent of just getting together with the family.” She was also able to prepare all of Mat’s food for the long weekend, while always making sure she and the rest of the family were stocked up and satiated.
Sammy has not only honed consistency in her cooking, but her steadfast integrity and commitment to her vision, her family and her self shines so bright.
“I never really thought that this was something that would inspire people, and I think it’s really cool to see how it’s grown, and it’s really cool to have a little bit of purpose. We all want to have purpose in life, and my purpose is supporting my family in a way that is unique to me and in a way that no one else can. We all have our roles, the ones that are either assigned to us or that we claim as our own, and this one is like, ‘no this one’s me. I want this role, I want this purpose. I want this to be a part of my family,’ and it’s really cool that people are interested.”
Following your heart and your purpose is great and all, but what DOES the Fittest Man on Earth eat?
“He’s pretty relaxed with what he eats in terms of specifics, but he likes that I’m preparing whole foods…just good, homey food. It’s a lot of meat, rice and vegetables, and I try to get creative with the flavors. We love tacos and burritos, really any form of … you’re taking the same 12 ingredients and just mixing them up differently, and it’s a whole new dish. That’s what I love about Mexican dishes so much. We love the spice, we love the flavors, and I know that I can make it different every time.”
As far as diets go, Sammy advocates finding a personal definition of what works for each individual. It is an invaluable skill to be self-examined, to know how to fuel yourself to look, feel and perform your best, and she has learned to gather and refer to her personal collection of that data that influences the way she cooks and eats. She is clear that Feeding the Frasers is not a health-food page, and while she always cooks with fresh, whole foods, you may notice that her posts fluctuate with the tides of the CrossFit season. Sammy has perfected the art of supporting Mat with fuel for his training while maintaining the qualities of life that only the smell of homemade cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven can bring.
“I think everybody’s got their own barometer of what is ‘on track’ and what’s ‘off,’ and I think just reminding yourself of when you feel your best and what that means, and how you fuel yourself to feel that best…Everything is about balance. There are times when I’m on my version of ‘on track,’ and I make a recipe, and it’s like, I’m ok with allowing myself to enjoy this meal, even though it might not align with whatever track I’m on at the time… Just knowing that it’s ok, it doesn’t mean I’ve fallen off…You do what you have to do to be in the moment and be present…Also reminding yourself that food is experience, and as much as it is fuel, allowing yourself to enjoy and indulge on that balance scale. That’s what life is about. If you’re not living you’re dead.”
What’s next for Sammy’s culinary adventures?
Well, Feeding the Frasers was a sort of “happy accident,” and it has continued to grow organically, because she hasn’t put any expectations or limitations on it. Many high achievers cite the same growth mindset –they are always focused on the experience rather than the end results. There’s no doubt Sammy will continue to learn new tricks in the kitchen by sticking to her roots, her insatiable appetite for learning, and her incomparable, deep love for her family and her vision to be able to provide unforgettable experiences through her cooking for her own kids someday:
“I want to be the house where all the kids wanna come after school, because I make the best after school snacks.”
Did you heart just explode? Yep, mine, too.
Sammy’s creativity is clearly born from her heart. The greatest lesson I learned from Sammy is that, no matter what craft we feel called to – whether it be cooking, storytelling, acting, CrossFit, the circus! - following your own compass, staying true to your North Star, will always lead to self-fulfillment, happiness and success.
“It’s a mixture of - I’m an old Italian grandmother, and it’s like I’m a New England girl, but I was really stocked up on some Southern Hospitality, so it’s a combination of those two things all wrapped up in a 29 year old’s body. I just want people to feel loved and cared for, and I hope that that comes through in the work that I do for our athletes, and I hope that it’s received by my family and my friends. You know, I’m sure it is, and I know that Mat is for sure well-fed and filled with my love and attention, so I think that that’s important, that he obviously gets the most of it.”
Thanks to the instant delivery of social media, we’re all benefiting from your extraordinary love and care, Sammy, recipe after recipe.
Five more minutes around the kitchen island…
Sammy’s favorite food to eat:
*Does not skip a beat* “Tacos.”
Sammy’s favorite food to make:
“I’m really enjoying… this is a new thing… I’m really enjoying smoking meat. I’m learning a lot. That’s part of it, too. It’s a learning curve; it’s something that’s so new, it’s so time-intensive… it’s a labor of love. I’m not even manning the fire, the unit itself is taking care of the heat control, but still, there’s a lot of preparation, and you watch over it very carefully.”
Mat’s favorite food:
“He’d likely say tacos or enchiladas. We eat many things in taco form - breakfast, lunch, dinner, tacos are just… if there’s ever a question for dinner, it’s tacos. It’s a good go-to.”
Sammy’s favorite kitchen tool or gadget:
“My KitchenAid stand-up mixer. It’s in TN right now, and I really wish I packed it to bring home to Vermont to have it here. I didn’t realize how much I used it. That, and the silicone spatulas! They’re like baking spatulas, but I cook with them all the time. That’s probably the most used handheld tool. Just flipping eggs, or anything, those silicone cooking wands! OMG they’re amazing.”
Sammy’s favorite ingredient:
*Again, does not skip a beat* “Jalapenos.”
What’s always in the Fraser’s fridge:
“Jalapenos. I cut them up and put them in everything. I have a much greater respect for fresh herbs. I use them for everything - on top of cooked steaks, I’ll just sprinkle a little bit of fresh parsley. I put fresh parsley, dill, cilantro, whatever I have, in salad as greens. I think I’ve been using them so much more. You know, you need a tablespoon of fresh ‘something,’ and you have a whole bunch, and you’re like, ‘ok, what do I do with this now?’ So I just started using them as much as I can, and I’m really enjoying it, so I always make sure I have fresh herbs. We always have white rice, always. Carrots. I love raw carrots, I love cooked carrots, I love mushy carrots, I like roasted carrots. It’s a great, versatile vegetable, and I really have been enjoying cooking a lot with carrots. Frozen meats - we have a couple different meat delivery companies, and I think the nice thing about having those box deliveries, is… you go to the store and you get ground beef, you get chicken, and you make a recipe for that, but when you have a pork tenderloin or a chuck steak, or more random things in the freezer, it forces you to be creative. In the moment, when you’re at the grocery store, it’s hard to find that creativity, but if it’s in the fridge, it’s like, ‘ok, what can I make with what I have?’ It forces you to be more flexible, so I always have the freezer stocked. Butcher box is great, it’s a really cool system that they have.”
I thought you’d definitely say Black Forest Bacon:
“Oh my gosh! Strike carrots, because that black forest bacon for sure! I think it’s just because I haven’t been home in a month since the Games, and I haven’t really gone shopping and I haven’t used it! You’re right, I always have four things of it in the freezer, ready, so if I use one, next time I go, I buy two, just so I make sure we never run out.”
Connect with Mauri: https://www.instagram.com/p/BoIJnfChdy8/?hl=en&taken-by=maurihelena
Connect with Sammy Moniz: https://www.instagram.com/sammymoniz/?hl=en
Follow Feeding the Frasers: https://www.instagram.com/feedingthefrasers/?hl=en