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#Sponsored The holidays have a way of bringing everybody back to the table, and for Monica and her family, the kitchen is where some of their favorite memories are made.

In this special holiday edition of ESSENCE’s Roots & Recipes, the Grammy-winning singer invites us into the kitchen as her family prepares a holiday staple and shares the stories and traditions behind it.

From the recipes passed down through generations to the moments that make every family gathering memorable, Monica and her loved ones celebrate the connections that keep them grounded in where they come from.

Presented by Coca-Cola®, this episode is a reminder that some of the best family stories are shared over a meal.

Category

🎈
Fun
Transcript
00:00Yeah.
00:02Hey, Mama.
00:03Hello, hello.
00:03I'm bringing the corn.
00:04Good.
00:05I got the Coca-Cola.
00:06All right.
00:07Hi.
00:08I'm Monica.
00:09And this is my mother, the one, the only, Nana.
00:14Hello.
00:15And this is Roots and Recipes with Essence and Coca-Cola.
00:18It's the holidays.
00:19So we're making two recipes that are always on our table.
00:23Southern fried corn and sweet potato souffle.
00:27Well, first things up, Mama.
00:28We got to shut the corn or is that my duty today?
00:31We'll share.
00:32Say less.
00:33Holiday meals were always filled with family.
00:36Food was always amazing because you can't cook twice if you can't cook the first time in my family.
00:40And I cut up and milked down.
00:44But some people do both down.
00:46The corn recipes started with my mother, but I think each generation put their own touch to it.
00:53My grandmother was always in the kitchen.
00:56When we would wake up for school, she would already be making biscuits from scratch, full breakfast.
01:01I don't think I ate fast food until I was much older.
01:05I was 11 years old when I was signed and I was 13 when I started touring and moving around.
01:10And as great of a blessing as that is, coming home, not just on the holidays, was so important for
01:16me.
01:16It is the center of who I am.
01:18It's where people don't just say yes.
01:20They tell me when it's no.
01:21Mom, you're cooking without me?
01:23You weren't in here.
01:24That's my daughter, Leah.
01:25And she loves to cook.
01:27What are we making?
01:28You know we don't have any family dinners without Nana Souffle.
01:32You can take over. Here.
01:33Okay.
01:33From watching my mom and grandma cook, I just get to spend good quality time with my mom and learn
01:40new things.
01:40I make room for these moments because they're needed.
01:43When I am with my family, I lack nothing.
01:46And I'm going to continue to always make time for that.
01:50And I would hope that Leah is able to remember that home is her safe place.
01:53You can always come back here to find that peace, that solace, and that love that sometimes you just don't
01:58find out in the world.
02:00Watching Monica teach Leah is kind of bringing back memories of me teaching Monica and my mother teaching me.
02:09It's not only the flavor, but I think it's the love that we put into it.
02:14The importance of having these recipes is because one day they won't be here to make it.
02:20So being able to make it once they're gone, it's like still having them around in a sense.
02:26And that's just such a great connection.
02:29Okay, Nana.
02:30Leah is setting the table.
02:31So you know what we could do?
02:32We're not drinkers, but we can create some mocktails with our Coca-Cola.
02:36All right.
02:37Coca-Cola does it.
02:38I'm making a cozy holiday mocktail.
02:41Add ice, add the spice coconut creamer, add espresso, ginger syrup, and of course, top it with Coca-Cola.
02:49Just pour a little chocolate sauce and finish with a cinnamon stick.
02:55That's actually really good.
02:56And I'm making a polar bear.
02:59Add ice, add cream, vanilla syrup, and then pour in the Coca-Cola holiday creamy vanilla.
03:07Mmm.
03:09This is good, too.
03:10We did that.
03:11You know, the food is ready.
03:13Let's eat.
03:14It is time to eat.
03:15Let's eat.
03:16I received so many things from the women before me because I come from women of strength.
03:20I learned so much from my mom and I don't take less than I deserve because of her.
03:25That was probably one of the greatest gifts she ever gave me.
03:28Let's make a toast.
03:29Family over everything at our house.
03:31Making family recipes just connects the generations in so many different ways.
03:38From our family to yours, this is Roots and Recipes.
03:42Connect, uplift, and refresh.
03:45Presented to you by Coca-Cola.
03:49For the big, small, short, tall.
03:53For the thinkers and the doers.
03:57For old friends.
03:59Coca-Cola.
04:01For everyone.
04:03You may hotels and be resuming.
04:04Matter of fact, means I go through trailblazer and Grab and cbee.
04:04We all look forward with then.breathing.

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