The Skinny on Paula Deen

Deen was, in fact, so crippled by her fear of crowds that she spent a great deal of her young adulthood, even after her two sons were born, in her house. From there, she set up a catering service (her sons would deliver), called The Bag Lady. Her business success buoyed her in her struggle against agoraphobia, and she was soon doing well enough to start her own restaurant, The Lady & Sons, in Savannah.

I really didnt have an interest in being in the kitchen until after I was married, when I was 18. It didnt take me long to realize that Mama was not going to show up at my house every day and cook. From there, the learning curve was steep.

Thats right, a former lingerie model wrangled one of the foremost calorie purveyors onto the Food Network. The model, whod moved to Savannah, introduced Deen to Food Network producer Gordon Elliot. From there, it was culinary history.

Hot wings werent the only things that lent spice to that show; they had to bleep one of the expressions Deen used!

Its the parades 122nd year. "In my house, the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl Game have always been a grand tradition for ringing in the New Year," Deen told the Beverly Hills Courier. "To serve as grand marshal is a dream come true. Heres hoping her birthday is just as much fun!

To celebrate Paula we have compiled Our 5 Favorite Healthy Paula Deen Recipes.