Jennifer Garner and her mom make West Virginia recipe on Today Show

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Jennifer Garner’s mom made her Today Show debut this week and gave some life advice about everything from traveling to cooking from a West Virginian’s perspective.

Although originally from Oklahoma, Jennifer’s mom Pat, who is 86, lives in Charleston, West Virginia, where she raised her children.

Jennifer said during an interview that aired on WBOY Monday that her mom is “pretty special” and taught her some of her most valuable life lessons. Garner said her mom is not judgmental of people or things, that she is “gifted at giving to people,” and that she doesn’t believe in guilt—all things that Jennifer said she instilled in her daughters while raising them in West Virginia.

“When I was younger and I was thinking I could never really try to be an actor, my mom said, ‘Just live in New York. What are you doing? Living in New York is a much smaller leap from West Virginia than me moving from Oklahoma to anywhere.’ So she always encouraged us ‘go, go have your life,'” Jennifer said during an interview on Today.

Pat called Jennifer and her other daughters her “life’s work” even though she has had plenty of her own adventures and has been to all seven continents and all 50 states.

Pretend Cooking Show

On Pat’s newest adventure, the mother-daughter duo, who have a “pretend cooking show” on social media , brought their culinary talents to the Today Show to make “Barbara’s blackberry cobbler,” a West Virginia recipe by Jennifer’s childhood friend’s mother who they say “could do everything.”

Pat said it’s her go-to potluck recipe because it’s easy and delicious, and although she was excited to share the recipe on the show, she said, “But now, they’re going to see the recipe, and what else—what can I take to the potluck?”

So West Virginians, Jennifer says, “Charleston, West Virginia, leave the cobbler to mom.”

From scolding Jennifer to explaining why she buys blackberries at the store instead of picking them like she used to, Pat has some incredible moments during the segment.

You can watch their cooking segment in the player above and their full interview on Today’s website .

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