We're not sure why deep-frying the Thanksgiving Turkey is so popular. It might be an ongoing obsession with Southern cooking, or a collective weakness for culinary gadgets. Or, perhaps the inherent excitement of cooking a whole turkey in several gallons of hot oil in your own backyard is just too much to resist. No matter the reason, we're fully on board with the deep-fried-turkey craze and here's why: Not only does deep frying produce a juicy, flavorful bird, but the whole process takes less than 2 hours and it frees up tons of oven space for all your favorite side dishes.

OvenFried Sweet Potatoes made with Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning and fried in the oven for 45 minutes.

There really is nothing more satisfying than sipping on a cold glass of sweet tea after a long afternoon of playing on a hot summer day.

As a child, when I heard the screen door slam and the melodic chimes of ice cubes chinking against crystal, I knew my mama’s sweet southern syrup was on its way.

One swallow of this strawberry sweet tea brought me straight back to the 90's where my days were spent crabbing off the docks, swimming in the pool, and soaking up the scorching New Orleans sun.