Kelly Rowland on the breakfast tradition she calls 'beautiful bonding time' with her sons: 'We figure out the recipes together'
Because food connects us all, Yahoo Life is serving up a heaping plateful of table talk with people who are passionate about what's on their menu in Deglazed, a series about food.
As a child, Kelly Rowland recalls an after-church tradition that left her full and happy: Soul Food Sundays.
"I remember those because it was very specific," the 41-year-old actress and singer tells Yahoo Life. "It was a quick breakfast and then you went to church ... [my church service] was at least until about noon so I was really hungry by the time it was lunchtime."
"I remember one specific place in Houston called This Is It Soul Food where we would go there, have Soul Food Sundays, eat everything under the sun and be so happy," she says. "Then we'd go for ice cream."
Rowland is currently filming Fantasy Football, a film about a teen who learns she can control her dad's moves on the football field through a video game. She says while she always hoped to carry on the Soul Food Sunday tradition with her own sons, Titan, 7, and Noah, 15 months, her schedule is "kind of insane right now."
"I haven't been able to [start Soul Food Sunday with my sons] but right now I actually make pancakes from scratch on Sundays," she shares. "It's Titan's favorite thing because he likes these better than the ones I get from the box. Sometimes I like to cheat but he knows now and when he sees all the ingredients out he is so hyped."
Rowland, who served as the celebrity ambassador for the Disney Dreamers Academy earlier this year and recently released a children's book titled Always With You, Always With Me, says pancake-making has proven to be a perfect time to bond with her sons, especially her oldest.
"He's reading off the measurements and learning what the ingredients do and asking so many questions," she says. "It's just a beautiful bonding time that I have with my baby."
When she's on the set, Rowland, who spoke with Yahoo Life as part of her work promoting Silk's plant-based beverage, creamer and yogurt alternatives, says she has to avoid the craft services table, swapping out favorites like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for smoothies she makes in her trailer with a blender she ordered online.
"I can go a little crazy, especially if I'm working," she says. "On set right now, because I'm filming, there are so many snacks. When you go to craft services there's just a plethora of things to choose from and you're like, Wow, I have to get my life together.'"
"I really am trying to be good," says Rowland, explaining she is sensitive to dairy. "I know I've gotta scale back. I've gone so ham with everything whether it's fried food or dairy or whatever ... with the way I know I love to eat I know I just have to make different decisions at times because I can see my body is reacting to it, Silk Nextmilk has helped with that."
A recent splurge the Grammy-winning artist says was well worth it, however, happened while filming in South Africa.
"I went to a restaurant [where food was prepared by] chef Wandile Mabaso and he made the most beautiful meal," she recalls. "The flavors were bursting from his food — it was so insane. There was this delicious corn soup and we had quail and honestly I am so ashamed because I was literally licking my fingers."
"The chef came out and explained the meal and the wine pairings so beautifully," she adds. "It was like art and poetry at the same time and he was so talented."
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