Steel Magnolias Podcast

The U.S. has approximately 3.8 million acres of salt marshes. Three-quarters of them are in the Southeast, including a vast interconnected 1 million-acre stretch from North Carolina to Florida.   Fresh off of a trip to Charleston, Laura Beth is  excited to talk about these coastal wonders!     ** If you enjoy these conversations, would you take a second to give us - 5 star review? Thank you in adv...

A southern staple that says ‘welcome!’ Today we are talking about cheddar baked into flour to create the nostalgic cracker we all love, cheese straws!   We also had the chance to chat with Cathy Cunningham, CEO of Mama Geraldines. Mama Geraldines is the best-selling cheese straw in all of the United States.  Distributed in the masses we got to hear the back story, the hurdles, and share the joy th...

If you find value in these conversations, check out how you can further the podcast's work at  Patreon.com/SteelMagnolias   A big thank you to these supporters that have been with us for a year: Bob & Melinda of Seymour, IN Cassie of Spring Hill, TN Jamie of Huntsville AL Mariann of Midlothian, TX   Have you ever gone to a farmer’s market and found yourself perusing tables, baskets and bin...

We know not to judge a book by it’s cover, but PLEASE do not judge a southerner based on what you’ve seen on TV!  Today we’re discussing the stereotypes that are all wrong and a few that are absolutely right when it comes to how southerners are portrayed on TV. This should be fun!    A favorite moment we mentioned from “Designing Women” -  https://youtu.be/tQnpEHcrO2A Too funny not to watch!   If...

Find out how you can get a bonus episode (and other perks!) by joining our Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/steelmagnolias   Key lime pie is officially the pie of Florida. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best  known and it’s a delicious part of summer! But have you heard of sour orange pie ?  Floridians have the luxury of access to a lot of oranges...

We went exploring in the Mississippi Delta this past weekend so we are sharing all the unique wonderful things we found in Oxford, Clarksdale and Greenwood, Mississippi!   We took the Nachez Trace Parkway from Franklin, TN to Tupelo, MS and highly recommend grabbing this resource:  “Explore the Nachez Trace” via  ScenicTrace.com   Check out  Ground Zero Blues Club  and  The Delta Blues Museum   Pr...

Down in Alabama, the season is now upon us for what the locals have deemed a “jubilee. ” During a jubilee, hundreds of flounder, crabs, and other aquatic animals come up into the shallow waters along the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay.  Join us as we dive (see what we did there?!) into this phenomenon as well as what makes soft shell crabs so special.     If you’d like to  join our Patreon Commun...

Today we have special guests Neil and Stan Thrasher; two lifelong southerners with plenty to say about life in the South.   Neil Thrasher is a country music singer/songwriter. His songs have been recorded by some of music’s most successful acts including: Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Randy Houser, Ronnie Dunn, Tyler Farr, Reba McEntire, and...

We’re excited to discuss Foxfire. A nonprofit that is dedicated to the preservation and documentation of southern Appalachian culture and they’ve been doing this for over 50 years now. Foxfire started in 1966 at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School when an English teacher had students go out and talk to neighbors and elders to find out what their lives were like when they were growing up in Northeast G...

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Elizabeth Heiskell. Elizabeth is a Mississippi cook and caterer, founder of  Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix , regular  TODAY  show contributor, and author of  What Can I Bring?  and  The Southern Living Party Cookbook . Her latest book,  Come On Over!: Southern Delicious for Every Day and Every Occasion , is available NOW!!    Connect with Elizabeth He...

You can connect with us on Instagram  @SteelMagnoliasPodcast  or join our mailing list:  https://bit.ly/32ObA86 Seems appropriate that we’d talk about any radio show that’s the longest running in history, producing shows each week right here in the South… but especially one that’s right here in our back yard of Nashville, TN. Excited to talk about the Grand Ole Opry!   Check out Ken Burns’ documen...

What started as an effort to plant more azaleas in Mobile, Alabama has now blossomed into a prestigious group of women chosen every year to represent the city.  A southern tradition for 88 years! Let us introduce you to the Azalea Trail Maids!   Great resources to learn more about them: https://mobileazaleatrailmaids.com   NPR’s “The Dress Hasn’t Changed, But the Girls Have”:  https://n.pr/3tuzAJr...

Sean Dietrich, aka "Sean of the South" is a c olumnist, novelist, and podcast host, but more importantly than that, he's  just an awesome southerner. We sat down with him to discuss his new book you, The Incredible Winston Browne , as well as writing, Billy Graham, and the attributes of a true steel magnolia.    Subscribe to his blog here: https://seandietrich.com   Enter to win a copy...

It’s the most sought after ticket by golf fans…. We are talking today about The Masters held annually at Augusta National Golf Club in AUGUSTA, GA.   Special thanks to these contributors: Curtis Barman, John & May Bumpus, Jeremy Carlson, Charles Phillips, Bill Reeves and Mark Stiver    7 Famous MASTERS Golf Tournament Recipes You Must Try: https://bit.ly/3sIRHLl   Follow this link and set up a...

Gumbo, the official cuisine of Louisiana, is a thick stew which consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Cajun/Creole "holy trinity" ― celery, bell peppers, and onions. It's sometimes hard to get your hands on a great gumbo recipe, so we took a cooking class to immerse ourselves in this spicy goodness!   ___ Join our patron supporters for...

Let’s walk through the Biltmore Estate, America's Largest Home, built by George Vanderbilt. Just a modest 8000-acre estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. Check out the book, “ Biltmore Estate - The Most Distinguished Private Place ” Great podcast with short episode on Biltmore:  See America Plan your visit -  https://www.biltmore.com Join our newsletter  HERE Follow us  on Insta...

We’re taking on a divisive topic amongst southerners: bar-b-que sauce.  Everyone has an opinion on this so we should probably tread lightly. We are giving away a sauce gift set this week on our Instagram account. Enter & Follow us  @SteelMagnoliasPodcast Check out these other referenced episodes:  Southern Hot Sauces ,  Southern Sauce , and  BBQ  If you’d like to  join our Patreon Community  t...

The year was 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee and record producer Sam Phillips launched his record company, Sun Records. Two years later he found the one and only Elvis Presley. He went on to record Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Junior Parker, James Cotton and on and on. Join us as we talk about where rock and roll was born.   Read about the recen...

There’s a lot of good food that comes out of the South, but today we wanted to share the sauces that often times take those dishes to the next level! Special thanks to Y’all Company and Captain Rodney's for sending us the sauces we requested to taste for this episode!   Check them out here: Y’all Company:   https://yallsauce.com Captain Rodney's:  http://www.captainrodneys.com/   If you’d...

We are 1 year into the pandemic and we are taking inventory or how people have been offering hospitality during a worldwide health crisis. We polled our listeners to let us know what they've have been doing to practice hospitality and as expected, we got some great responses!   Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken : https://bit.ly/3qLHa0T Souper Cubes : https://www.soupercubes.com Caribu...

A not-so-sexy subject, yet one that we thought these critters deserve as they are definitely a part of life in the south! Opossums or  “white beast” are actually a help to gardeners because they  eat pests like beetles and slugs, and also help control tick populations. If you’re ready, try some Arkansas Possum Pie:  https://bit.ly/3tYS59l   “Why the Possum Has a Large Grin”  https://amzn.to/3u0iZ0...

How delta tamales got here is still a mystery. Some say migrant cotton harvesters from Mexico introduced the Mississippi Delta region to them in the early 1900’s, which made African-American residents start making them too! They are a notable cuisine in the South and today we are diving into these delicious wrapped foods! Great resources on tamale history: “ Delta Hot Tamales ” by Anne Martin  “ A...

On today’s episode we will share about our recent trip to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY.  Now through March 9, 2021 they are featuring an exhibit on "Southern Quilts". The American South has a rich quilting history steeped in tradition and passed down through the generations.    We also spoke with American quilt Society certified appraiser, author, curator, and award-winning qui...

Today’s Pep Talk was inspired by the video you can see  here . Keep at it y’all!    Field peas, crowder peas, cream peas (along with blackeye peas) are all part of a larger species of beans commonly called “cowpeas” or “Southern peas.” Despite their names, none of these varieties are actually a pea! WHAT?!? Let’s discuss.. If you’d like to support us on Patreon and take part in perks like a monthl...

In case you missed it, New Orleans will hold Mardi Gras this year although a little different! This southern festival is next month and if you want to hear more about it go back and listen  here .  Today’s special guest Elizabeth Passarella is a contributing editor for Southern Living, where she writes the “Social Graces” column. A former editor at Real Simple and Vogue, she has written about food...