Whether your mom prefers lighter fare, like fish and seafood, or something a bit more decadent, like steak or pasta, we’ve got tons of great Mother’s Day dinner recipes to help you shower mom with kindness (and flavor!). These Mother’s Day entrées are the perfect centerpiece for any special dinner. Just add some fresh salads, side dishes, and sweets to round out your Mother’s Day menu.

What do you have planned this Mother’s Day? Will you be doing the cooking? We’d love to hear what (or where!) you’re eating and how you’re celebrating this special day. Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Mother’s Day, y’all!

The post Mother’s Day Dinner Ideas appeared first on Paula Deen.

1. Feed her! Whether it’s by taking her out to her favorite restaurant (or one she’s been dying to try) or, even better, cooking a thoughtful meal full of her favorite dishes, it will leave both her heart and her stomach happy.
2. Plan a family photo session or maybe one for just you and her. Get silly in front of the camera, and you’ll have more than just the memory of your day together—you’ll have something tangible to share with her. Plus, as a bonus, you can relive the day all over again when the proofs come in!
3. Treat her to breakfast in bed! Sleeping in and not having to cook breakfast? Most moms can’t think of a better gift!
4. Show mom how much you appreciate her by taking some of the stress off mom’s shoulders! Fill up her gas tank, do the grocery shopping, clean the house—when you handle some of these simple but burdensome tasks like these, she’ll appreciate your appreciation!
5. Experience something new together! Experiences have a way of bonding people together, so take a hot air balloon ride, go to a concert, skydive, or take a cooking class together, and you’ll create memories to last for a lifetime.
6. Every mom has a honey-do list. Consider tackling a big project on the list that she’ll be so thrilled to see completed. We’re talking cleaning the garage, organizing a closet, or maybe even a woodworking project.
7. Plan a party for her and the other special moms in her life—her mom, her sister, her best friend, and, of course, those moms’ children. She’ll adore being surrounded by her closest loved ones.
8. Whisk mom around the town with a day filled with her favorite activities. Soak in some quality time at a spa or a museum together, treat her to a shopping spree, or play a round of tennis with her.
9. Of course, we can’t forget about the old standby! Treat mom to a gift that is thoughtful and special. Don’t just buy another robe or sweater, unless you know she really wants one. Consider buying her something that she wouldn’t typically buy for herself or something that she’s been talking about for a while. Has she wanted new tableware? Does she have an empty place on her wall that she has been wanting to fill? Could she use a day to treat herself? Get personal with it!
10. And last, but certainly not least, be sure to let her know just how special you think she is. You can write her a letter, make a list of all the reasons you love and appreciate her, or turn it all into a craft project. Just be sure the day doesn’t pass without you taking the time to thank her for being such a thoughtful mother.

How will you be celebrating your mom this Mother’s Day? Or what would you like your family to do to celebrate you? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 10 Ways to Make Mom Feel Special on Mother’s Day appeared first on Paula Deen.

From appetizers to desserts and everything in-between, these easy Thanksgiving recipes will taste great—and make you look great while they’re at it. We promise—no one will know that you just threw these together before you walked out the door.

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving—staying home and relaxing or getting together with family? We’d love to hear your plans. Let us know in the comments below, won’t you? How ever you choose to spend it, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!

The post Last-Minute Dishes to Bring to Thanksgiving Dinner appeared first on Paula Deen.

When I became a grandmother and held Jack in my arms for the first time—I can’t even begin to describe how good it felt. It’s a love greater than I could have imagined. I still remember Jamie & Brooke sharing their big news with me. The whole family was gathered around the table on New Year’s Day, full of food and tired from cooking, when they made the announcement. It probably won’t come as any surprise that I flew out of my chair like I was on fire and grabbed the two of them and danced with joy. Truly, I thought I’d be 90 before I had my first grandbaby and, even then, wondered if I’d ever have any more. Never in my wildest dreams did I guess I’d have eleven just sixteen years later!

I think my favorite thing about being their Guinny is that I can just love, love, love them and then head home afterwards. I get to give them unconditional love without having to be the disciplinarian—my relationship with each of them is built on giant heaps of love. Whether I’m just eating ice cream with and watching every miraculous movement of my little babies or crabbing, playing games, or heading to the amusement park with my bigger boys, we just always have fun with each other. You know, had I known having grandchildren was so good, I’d have had them first! But as each baby grows into an amazing young person, it’s wonderful to see how our relationships evolve. Each one of our relationships is different and special in its own way.

Though no matter how our relationships differ, a few things are consistent throughout, and those are the lessons I’m tryin’ my best to impart on them. Of course, I try to teach them about getting in the kitchen and cooking, but the most important lessons are those I pass on outside of the kitchen. I try to teach them about forgiveness, to laugh daily, and to never take themselves too seriously. And above all, I try to teach them to never be ashamed of their ability to show love. Kindness, compassion, and love are what makes life so worthwhile, after all.

Speaking of showing love, it’s funny how things change as we get older, including how we celebrate Mother’s Day. When I was a young mom, I felt fortunate if I got some pretty flowers or if I was treated to a nice lunch, but now, even though I’m of course still a mama myself, I prefer to make the day all about the young moms and my Aunt Peggy. I’d rather do the cooking and hosting and spend my time showering the other wonderful mothers in my family with love than have any fuss made over me, and I’m sure I’m not the only grandma who feels this way. The way I see it, I had my fair share of Mother’s Days, and now I’m ready to let the women doing all the heavy lifting have theirs.

No matter how you’re spending the day this year, I’m wishin’ a very Happy Mother’s Day to all you mamas and grandmamas out there!

Xoxo

Paula

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1. Waste not, want not. Growing up with parents and grandparents who lived through the Great Depression, I was taught at an early age not to be wasteful.
2. Help those you can because you can’t take it with you when you go. Giving back to my community and communities where I operate businesses has always been a goal of mine. There was a time when I had very little, and now that I’ve been so blessed, I want to help those whose shoes I’ve been in.
3. Goals don’t mean anything if you’re not willing to put in the work.
4. When your time comes, you’ll wish you had spent more time with loved ones and less time working. Having had a thriving career later in life, this is something I’ve really come to embrace in the past few years.
5. Money can’t buy happiness or solve your problems. Take it from me, you’ll still have problems—some of them may just look a little different.
6. True friends stick by your side no matter what.
7. If you can read, you can cook. Cooking can be as easy as following a recipe (and paying attention). Once you’ve followed enough recipes, you’ll likely feel more comfortable to start experimenting.
8. Say yes—you never know where it can lead you!
9. Follow a recipe to the T the first time. After that, you can make it your own to suit your family’s tastes. If you jump the gun and make changes before you really know what to expect, you’ll never know if it was for better or for worse.
10. Don’t take everything so personally. Not everything bad that is done to you is done out of spite or cruelty. It often says more about the person doing the bad thing than it says about you.
11. There’s no more special relationship than grandchild and grandparent. There’s less pressure and a lot more spoiling when you’re a grandparent rather than a parent. I’m a proud Guinny to eleven of the sweetest children you’d ever meet, and my relationship with each one is so very different.
12. Check the expiration dates on your spices. Most of us keep our spices well past the expiration date and end up with spices lacking in flavor.
13. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
14. Find what you’re passionate about and pursue that as a career. If I’d known when I was younger I could make a career out of cookin’, I may have had an easier go of things in those years before I started The Bag Lady.
15. If you can’t forgive yourself, you can’t expect others to do the same.
16. Accountability is important, but so is grace.
17. It’s never too late to find true love. As someone who found the love of her life in her late-fifties, I’d encourage those of y’all who haven’t yet found your person to keep the hope alive!
18. Family isn’t just blood—it’s those you love unconditionally. Michael and his children aren’t my blood, but I love them just the same. My friend Bubbles is the sister I never had. We all need to just open our hearts and expand the definition of the word “family.”
19. Food isn’t just fuel—it’s comfort, love, and kindness too. Food can say a lot if we let it!
20. Moderation is the key to life. A friend of mine told me about the 80-20 rule in nutrition where you eat healthy 80% of the time and can enjoy those less healthy items 20% of the time, but I’d say that rule applies to all aspects of life.
21. Admit when you’re wrong. Nobody is perfect.
22. There will always be someone better than you at something, so accept that fact and learn from them because the more you compare yourself to others, the more unhappy you’ll be.
23. Surround yourself with positive people because positivity is contagious.
24. Don’t take your loved ones for granted—you don’t know how long you’ll have them. Having lost my parents at an early age and my brother Bubba in 2019, this lesson is one of the most important I can share with y’all.
25. You can’t let fear hold you back. Speaking as someone who suffered from agoraphobia for years, I can tell you that it’s easier said than done, but working through that fear helped me to change my whole life.
26. You never know how your smile or laughter can brighten someone’s day, so do it as often as you can.
27. Aim for minimalism or at least your version of it. Having a lot of things won’t make you happy, so try to just keep what you need, what you use regularly, and those few items that truly do bring you joy.
28. Everyone has something to teach you. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they come from, I promise you that you can learn something from them.
29. Always be prepared for unexpected guests. I always keep a pound cake or some other baked good handy and my freezer is always stocked with the basics.
30. God always has a plan.
31. Learn from your failures, and if possible, learn from the failures of others around you.
32. Speak less and listen more.
33. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Lord knows I don’t! Life is more fun if you can laugh at yourself.
34. Take a stand for what you believe in.
35. Words mean something, so think before you speak.
36. Cook with love, and you’ll taste the difference.
37. People deserve second chances. I’ve been given my share, and I work hard every day to prove I’m worthy of ‘em.
38. Follow the golden rule: treat others as you’d like to be treated.
39. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness.
40. Be humble—we all put our pants on one leg at a time. Having more fame, success, or money doesn’t make a person better than any other.
41. You’ll never please everyone. Instead of focusing all your attention on those that take issue with you, focus on the positive relationships you have.
42. We are all worthy of love. God made us in his image, and there’s no better image than that.
43. The best kitchen tools can be found right on the ends of our arms. That would be our hands, if there was any question.
44. It takes as much bravery to walk away from something as it does to stay. “Quitting” gets a bad rap, but leaving something toxic, whether a bad job, a bad relationship, or something else, takes real courage.
45. The only thing in life that is constant is change.
46. Forgiveness is free.
47. You can forgive someone without making excuses for or approving of their behavior.
48. Don’t judge a book by its cover—you don’t know their story, where they came from, or where they want to go.
49. Stick an oven thermometer in your oven to make sure it’s calibrated properly. Your baked goods will thank you!
50. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
51. Bad habits can be hard to kick, but it’s worth doing! It took me years to quit smoking, but I’m so very glad I did it.
52. Take a good long look at your priorities. If you aren’t prioritizing what is most important you, you need to work on rearranging your list.
53. Everyone has a story to tell—be an advocate for them to tell it. Not all of us have a voice, so if you do, help amplify the voices of others.
54. You’re your own biggest critic.
55. You don’t have to know everything. I may be a cooking “expert,” but I’m not afraid to admit when I don’t have a good answer! After all, no one likes a know-it-all.
56. Your past doesn’t have to define your future.
57. Show gratitude to those who help you, whether they do so in a big way or small. I know I wouldn’t be where I am without help from friends, family, and strangers, and I always do my best to give thanks.
58. The best things in life are free. Kindness, love, compliments—they don’t cost a dime!
59. You can’t be in control of everything—you’ll waste a lot of time and energy trying to be.
60. Everything happens for a reason. We may not like it and we may not understand it in the moment, but in time, we will.
61. Stop wishing time away because before you know it, it will all be gone.
62. Learn to say no—you can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t have to.
63. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. People are capable of change, and it’s up to all of us to encourage that growth.
64. Leave your comfort zone—greatness never comes from staying in your own little box.
65. Stop making assumptions. I know y’all have heard that old saying…
66. Experiences are better than things. My family has been fortunate to take some wonderful trips together, and the memories we made on those adventures mean so much more than any material gift ever could.
67. Friendship is a two-way street. I’ve had friendships that fizzled over the years because I was afraid to reach out first.
68. You’re only as old as you feel—and it’s ok if you feel older some days than others.
69. It takes more energy to hold a grudge than it does to forgive.
70. Count your blessings—you may be surprised at how blessed you truly are.
71. Simplicity is often better than complex—especially where food is concerned. Some of my favorite recipes in the world are some of the easiest I’ve tried.
72. Success rarely happens overnight. Even if a big break can change things overnight, the hard work had to start long before.
73. In my book, kindness and compassion trumps success and intelligence any day.
74. Healthy, open and honest communication is the key to any good relationship, whether that’s personal or professional. The other person isn’t a mind-reader, and it’s important to remember that.
75. Take time for yourself. You can’t be there for everyone else if you’re never there for yourself.

Did any of these lessons speak to your heart? Do you have any to add to this list? I sure would love to hear ‘em. Leave me a note in the comments section. Until next time, this 75-year-old is sendin’ y’all love and best dishes.

Xoxo,

Paula

The post 75 Life Lessons I’ve Learned Over My 75 Years appeared first on Paula Deen.

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Because of all that they do, moms deserve so much more than just one day of celebration, right? So while we should be showing our gratitude each and every day (and hopefully we all are!), the very least we can do is make Mother’s Day really extra-special, right?

Whether you want to treat her to an at-home spa day, do that chore she’s been dreading, make her a special heartfelt gift, or something else entirely, it’s so important that we take the time to show her how much we love & appreciate all she does for us. But since food is the way to our stomachs, and since that’s something we learned from our moms, we’re starting by treating her to a fabulous Mother’s Day lunch! After all, they’ve packed a million lunches for us over the years and cooked some really wonderful suppers too, so shouldn’t we return the favor every now and then?

If you’re in need of some Mother’s Day recipes, you’ve come to the right place. From shrimp, crab, and salmon, to salads, chicken, and even an incredible tomato pie, with these Mother’s Day lunch ideas, your mom will leave lunch feeling a whole lot of love.

The post Mother’s Day Lunch Ideas appeared first on Paula Deen.

From tasty homemade snack mixes and must-love desserts to the ever-important main courses, we’ve got plenty of recipes that kids will eat that aren’t chicken tenders or buttered noodles. Which recipe will you try first—the veggie-packed mac & cheese or the Baked Crescent Sandwiches? Honestly, if you ask our kids, you can’t go wrong with either.

Do you deal with picky eaters? What tips do you have for getting them to eat? Do you have any can’t-fail recipes that your picky eaters love? Share them in the comments section below!

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Likely you’ve already planned an elaborate meal for Thanksgiving, and the thought of adding a few Thanksgiving appetizers to the mix may feel overwhelming. That’s why every one of these Thanksgiving appetizer recipes is simple and easy to delegate to those who refuse to leave the kitchen without offering a bit of help. Plus, as a bonus, many of these will keep just fine sitting out for a bit if you’re entertaining guests throughout the day. Set them out in the living room & dining room, and they’ll keep people satisfied and out of your way!

Do you typically serve appetizers on Thanksgiving? If so, what do you typically serve? Will you be trying any of these easy Thanksgiving appetizers? Let us know in the comments below!

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We thought we’d make life a little easier and take some of the time, effort, and guesswork out of dinner by pulling together some quick family meals that even your picky eaters will love for this busy back-to-school time of year. From Sesame Chicken Strips and Cheeseburger Casserole to Gentleman Joes and an Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, there are back-to-school dinner recipes for everyone.

Here’s hoping this list of recipes helps. Happy cooking, and, more importantly, happy eating, everyone!

Do you have any quick family back-to-school dinner ideas to share? Let us know in the comments below.

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