Episode Summary: “STRETCHING YOUR MEAT w/ @shannon_stokely”

Podcast: The Carpool with Kelly and Lizz
Episode Date: December 12, 2025
Guest: Shannon Stokely (@shannon_stokely)

Main Theme & Purpose

This lively episode continues “The Homemaking Series,” spotlighting “real mom” strategies for stretching grocery budgets, minimizing food waste, and thriving in motherhood. Hosts Kelly and Lizz welcome viral Instagram mom Shannon Stokely, known for her resourceful, unfiltered kitchen content showing how to stretch a single protein like pork across multiple meals. The episode is filled with practical homemaking hacks, candid conversation about the realities of social media, influencer fatigue, and creative problem-solving in both family life and the kitchen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Life Updates (00:01–11:49)

• Preschool Dollar Store Field Trip Fiasco (00:40)
  • Kelly recounts a chaotic trip to Dollar Tree, noting kids’ budgets were too small for inflation-impacted prices.
    • “There was nothing for $1.25. Nothing!” (Kelly, 01:48)
  • Suggests schools adapt to inflation realities and that she'd fund the difference.
• Car Seat Challenges (02:18)
  • “It really should count towards your CPST certification.” (Liz, 02:51)
• Press-on Nails & Nail Industry Worries (03:13)
  • Liz experiments with “heinous” stick-on Christmas nails—commits to testing their durability.
  • Kelly ponders if press-ons and glue-ons will hurt nail salons.
    • “I just don’t think a manicure should cost $65.” (Kelly, 04:32)
• Screen Time and Kindle Love (05:57)
  • Kelly is moving away from scrolling; swears by Kindle for faster sleep and delightful reading.
    • “The worst part about reading is starting the book.” (Kelly, 06:41)
  • Casual book club musings.

2. Mom-Hacks, Influencer Culture & Industry News (11:49–18:06)

• Base Model Luxuries and Relatable Content (11:49)
  • Lizz loves the homemaking series: “My favorite content is regular people being influencers...” (Liz, 12:15)
• The Fall of the Relatable Influencer (13:05)
  • Kelly and Liz discuss the recent backlash against beauty influencer Jaclyn Hill.
  • Key insights: People are fatigued by unrelatable, luxury-focused influencers; they prefer down-to-earth, “real-life” hacks.
    • “Her responses were just kind of tone deaf... people’s appetite for influencers in general...” (Kelly, 15:56)
    • "It doesn’t make me feel great about myself... Doesn’t make me feel good." (Liz, 17:49)

3. Base Model Luxury Segment: Skin Care Consistency (18:25–20:25)

• Kelly admits struggling with maintaining a consistent skincare routine, resolves to use up current products before rewarding herself with new ones.
  • “I want to get a better skincare routine… but I would like some different products... I don’t know what a retinol is.” (Kelly, 19:23)
  • Caution from Liz about retinol: “You can get what’s called retinol burn…” (Liz, 20:04)

4. Car Advice Segment: Small SUV Recommendations (20:25–23:03)

• Listener Paige asks about upgrading from a Hyundai Elantra to a small AWD SUV, noting likes/dislikes of Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4.
• Kelly’s Take: “Don’t get the CX-5”
  • “Every week I feel like I do consultations of people regretting their Mazda CX-5 purchase.” (Kelly, 22:03)
  • Recommends Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, and Subaru Forester instead.

Interview Feature: Shannon Stokely

5. Introducing Shannon—Mom Life, Viral Reels, and Stretching Ingredients (24:42–27:50)

• Viral Beginnings & Motivation (25:46)

  • Shannon started posting for connection during a lonely, young motherhood (“Had my kids back to back... all my friends did not have kids.” – Shannon, 25:50).
  • She’s grown to over 60k followers in six months.

• Philosophy: “Messy, sweet, unfiltered mom life. Stretching ingredients and sanity daily.” (Kelly quoting Shannon, 26:48)

• Stretching Ingredients: The “Stretch That Meat” Era (27:03)

  • Advocates buying meat with the intention to use it across several meals, maximizing both dollars and time.
    • “Take three different vegetables and... use them for the same recipes... saves money and saves time.” (Shannon, 27:03)
  • Encourages creative reuse: brown bananas for bread or syrup; using every last ingredient.

6. Pulled Pork, Four Ways (28:08–30:14)

• Shannon details her viral reel:
  1. Tostadas (“My favorite—definitely a Tex Mex family.” – Shannon, 28:26)
  2. BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Substituted crockpot mac & cheese when she forgot slaw)
  3. Enchilada Bake/Casserole (“Not rolling, just dump and go”—Shannon, 29:39)
  4. BBQ Pork Pizza (Great way to use “minimal pork” at the week’s end)
  • Key point: prepping veggies (cilantro, onions) at the week’s start, using throughout.

7. Freezing and Thawing Pork—Logistics Made Easy (31:05–32:17)

• Shannon’s method for prepping and freezing pork:

  • Shred, portion into freezer bags (around 1lb each), cool before freezing.
  • Thaw in fridge overnight for best results.

  “Don’t throw away your bones! Use them for broth.” (Shannon, 32:17)

8. Cooking Intuition Over Recipes (32:28–33:41)

• Kelly and Shannon agree: Too many people rely on recipes instead of learning basic kitchen skills.
  • “If you’re trying to make your pantry work longer, it’s not always going to fit into an exact recipe.” (Kelly, 33:30)

9. Finding Mom Community & Starting on Instagram (34:12–35:10)

• Shannon’s advice for lonely moms:
  • “You’ve got to be able to take the heat.” (Shannon, 34:12)
  • Seek out mom communities online; support and reciprocate engagement.
  • Liz adds: “It’s not all sunshines and rainbows on the [Internet]... you’re definitely opening yourself up to criticism.” (Liz, 34:38)

10. Ditch the Drive Thru: Chicken Orzo Bake (35:30–36:46)

• Shannon’s go-to easy dinner:
  • Rotisserie chicken pulled apart, homemade bone broth, orzo, cream, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes/spinach or veggie of choice, Italian seasoning.
    • “I do minimal veggie cutting, for sure.” (Shannon, 36:08)
  • “My toddlers love it—it’s one of their favorite meals!” (Shannon, 36:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Motherhood is super lonely. I’m a young mom... all my friends did not have kids... I wanted to make more moms feel less alone." – Shannon Stokely (25:50)
• “I feel like we all go to the grocery store and we buy things based off a recipe. So why not make recipes that use similar ingredients, similar meats, vegetables?” – Shannon Stokely (27:03)
• “Every week I feel like I do consultations of people regretting their Mazda CX-5 purchase.” – Kelly (22:03)
• “Her responses were just kind of tone deaf... people’s appetite for influencers in general...” – Kelly (15:56)
• “We need to get more comfortable cooking like that, because if you’re trying to make your budget or your pantry work longer, it’s not always going to fit into an exact recipe.” – Kelly (33:30)
• “You’ve got to be able to take the heat... be confident in yourself as a mom, as a person, whatever you post online.” – Shannon (34:12)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:40 – Kelly’s preschool field trip (Dollar Tree drama)
• 03:13 – Liz's Christmas press-on nail saga
• 05:57 – Kelly on screen time, Kindle, and reading
• 11:49 – Lizz on “real life” content vs. classic influencers
• 13:05 – Jaclyn Hill/Influencer drama & cultural discussion
• 18:25 – Base Model Luxury: Skincare consistency
• 20:25 – Car buying advice: Small SUVs for future-proofing
• 24:42 – Introduction of Shannon Stokely
• 27:03 – “Stretch That Meat” concept explained
• 28:08 – Four ways to use pulled pork
• 31:05 – Tactics for freezing & thawing proteins
• 32:28 – Learning to cook without strict recipes
• 34:12 – Mom community on Instagram & handling criticism
• 35:30 – Ditch the Drive Thru: Chicken Orzo Bake

Guest Info & Where to Find More

Shannon Stokely:

• Instagram: @shannon_stokely
• Up next: Freezer meal series and more on how to maximize budget and time in the kitchen.

Closing Tone

The episode is loaded with practical kitchen advice, compassionate encouragement for overwhelmed moms, and a refreshingly real take on the homemaking hustle. Kelly and Lizz’s signature sister banter keeps it light, even as they dig into serious topics like inflation, social media stress, and household efficiency.

“There’s room in the car for everyone!”