Martina McBride

Rachael Ray: You have a ton of dairy in your fridge, and you grew up on a farm—have you ever milked a cow?

Martina McBride: Not only do I know how to milk a cow, but I know how to herd a bunch of cows, too, which is a life skill that I think may come in handy someday.

RR: So, who drinks all that milk?

MM: Well, my girls [ages 2, 9 and 13] drink milk, and I use the heavy cream and cheese for cooking—I'm not a big baker, though.

RR: Me neither! I'm baking challenged. What kinds of things do you cook, say, on a weeknight?

MM: At the beginning of every week, I like to sit down and figure out what I'm going to make. I probably try at least two new recipes a week. But I have my standbys—jambalaya, meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

RR: Do you have any picky eaters in your brood?

MM: No, actually. They'll try at least a bite of everything I make, so they like some pretty sophisticated foods.

RR: Oh yeah? Like what?

MM: Well, I'll make dishes like sun-dried-tomato and zucchini tart, and they'll say, "Mom, this is kind of a grown-up food, but it's pretty good."

RR: Too cute. I notice you have baking soda in there—do you think that works?

MM: I really do. I pour it down my garbage disposal, too.

RR: And it absorbs odors in the sink? What a great tip!

MM: Yeah, it's pretty amazing stuff.

RR: I see a few chocolate sauces—whose are those?

MM: Those are my husband's. He's a chocoholic. The thing about my fridge is, it's a family fridge, so there's a little of something everybody likes in there.

RR: With three kids, I can't imagine you have time for dinner parties, but if you could have anyone, living or dead, to dinner, who would you invite?

MM: So many people ... but the one who always comes to mind is Patsy Cline. I would love to have been around when she was alive. You hear stories about how outspoken and feisty she was. I bet she was lots of fun at a dinner party.

RR: One last question: You have a new holiday album out—do you like eggnog?

MM: It's not a traditional thing that we have at the house, but I have been known to sip a nog now and then!

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