Growing up, I had a very busy social life. It wasn't until I was a sophomore in high school that I asked Mama if I could come into the kitchen and have her teach me how to cook something.

Of course, I will continue to share my favorite Southern recipes, just like my mama, grandmother and family shared with me over the years. And now, I'll be adding a little bit of a lighter touch to some of these wonderful dishes.

I think no matter what the occasion may be, you can never go wrong by showing up at the dinner table with a hot plate of fried chicken.

Stone-ground grits are wonderful, but because they take so long to cook, I usually go with quick cooking grits - which I also love. But I never make the instant kind - some things a Southerner just won't do!

The first thing I did was give up sweet tea because I drank so much. I'd start drinking at lunchtime and wouldn't set it down until I went to bed. When you calculate how much empty calories and how much sugar I was consuming, it was staggering. So I haven't had a glass of sweet tea in three years.

If you've got a good idea and you're willing to do whatever it takes to pursue it, keep your head up and eyes open because you don't know when opportunity will come knocking.

Cooking has always brought me a happiness that I didn't think was available. I just fire up the stove, and things start to fade away.