Martina McBride, 58, Shares Her Wacky Family Recipe and Why She’s ‘Really Enjoying’ Life Now (EXCLUSIVE)

For Martina McBride, the holidays are all about good food and precious time with family. The four-time winner of the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year honor not only knows her way around a recording studio, but she also knows her way around the kitchen. “I love to cook and have people over and set a whole vibe,” Martina tells Woman’s World as our cover girl (get your copy here!). “I love to host Thanksgiving.”

Martina, who has authored two cookbooks, says there’s one dish that has long been a favorite in the McBride household. “I have this strange family recipe we call Fluff Salad—it’s from the ‘50s. We only make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a jar of Kraft pimento cheese, half a can of pineapple tidbits, half a bag of marshmallows and a carton of Cool Whip. It sounds so weird, but it’s delicious. I even put it in my cookbook because it’s been in our family forever.”

Martina admits she also likes to indulge in carb loaded dishes that she doesn’t routinely serve. “I love mashed potatoes and gravy. We don’t have mashed potatoes very often, so that’s kind of a special thing,” she smiles. “Sometimes for Christmas I’ll make a pot roast and sometimes I’ll do that for Thanksgiving because it’s easier than making a turkey. When I cook a turkey, I bake my turkey, put it in the oven and it makes the whole house smell amazing. We only cook a turkey once a year and so every time I do, I have to go back and relearn how to do that.”

The Midwest native says sometimes her family stays home in Nashville and other years, they visit family in Kansas. “A lot of years we’ve gone to my brother-in-law, John’s brother’s home. His wife cooks a big Thanksgiving dinner and she’s done that for many, many years. It’s always wonderful.”

Martina McBride remembers her childhood

Going back to Kansas brings back memories of her childhood in a little town called Sharon. “I lived out in the country on a dirt road and my grandparents—my dad’s mom and dad—lived a mile down the dirt road,” she recalls. “So my grandma would always host Thanksgiving. All the cousins would come, and it was a big house full of people. She would cook all day and my Thanksgiving growing up was going to my grandparent’s house. It was in south central Kansas, maybe 10 miles right above the Oklahoma border in the middle of the state.”

Martina says her holidays will be a little more laid back this year, but she recalls a time when juggling her career and festivities was especially hectic. “One of the craziest Thanksgivings was when I did the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York early in the morning,” she says. “Then we flew home to Nashville that day, I cooked a whole Thanksgiving dinner, and got on the bus to start my Christmas tour later that night. I don’t know how I pulled it off!”

The words that guided her

Reflecting on her whirlwind journey, she shares advice that has guided her through the years. “When I started out, someone told me, ‘Take your time and soak it all in.’ Basically, stay in the moment. Life goes so fast—especially juggling a career and kids,” she says. “It’s important to stop, soak in the moment, say ‘Wow,’ and enjoy it.”

The 14-time Grammy nominee has been married to her husband John since 1988, and they have three daughters, Delaney, Ava and Emma. “Life is just different now. It’s not as busy,” she says. “I look back now and think there was a time in our life when we were so busy. My husband and I traveled to move our youngest daughter to California, and we traveled for two weeks. I was like, ‘How did we do all of this with three little kids and all of this stuff?’ I have a simpler life now which I’m really enjoying.”

Part of that simplicity comes from her ability to prioritize and say no. “I feel like I’ve always listened to my gut instinct, but I used to have a hard time disappointing anyone. Now I realize if I can’t put everything I have into something, it’s not going to be good for anyone. I think as women especially, we tend to think we need to be everything to everyone, and we feel guilty if we can’t do that. Saying ‘no’ without over-explaining is kind of a superpower.” 

Even though life is simpler, Martina remains active. She’s still performing and has also launched her own wine. “I love wine, and we created this beautiful rosé that’s so drinkable yet really elegant—and at a great price point,” she says proudly of her Luna & Finn line, named for her black cat, Luna, and her daughter’s dog, Finn. “Soon we’re going to add more wines to the line—we’re working on a couple of reds and a white. We’re so proud of it!”

As she prepares for the holidays, Martina has much to be thankful for these days. “Family comes at the top of the list,” she says, “but besides that I’m grateful for my health. I think as we get older that becomes on the top of your mind. I’m grateful for my health and my family’s health and well-being.”

Known for such hits as “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing,” “Wild Angels” and “My Baby Loves Me,” Martina is also thankful for the career she’s had in country music. “I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve chosen songs and recorded songs that mean something to people,” she smiles. “I feel like I’ve built a career of songs that have really stood the test of time and are meaningful. One of the greatest things about what I do is hearing people’s stories about how a song has affected them in their life and so my musical legacy is my song choices. I’m really proud of that.”