Feeling stressed with the holidays right around the corner? Let the queen of the kitchen, Paula Deen, help you host the perfect holiday party.

In an exclusive interview with Paula Deen, she provided insight as to what it takes to make a guest feel at home, and what the holidays are like in the Deen household.

With the holidays approaching, what’s something good to have on hand for unexpected guests?

“You know what has saved me? It’s my air fryer. I can do so many quick things in the air fryer. If I get caught without anything on my counter, which is seldom that that happens to me, I can take puff pastry and I can have fried cheery pies in this in like 10 minutes. It’s so easy.”

What tips can you share for eating healthy?

“I adore cauliflower and it has almost no calories but it has good nutrients for you. You can make a faux mashed potato out of cauliflower.” Deen continues, “I try to practice something that I think is the key to all successes in weight loss and that’s moderation—we can all have a cookie—it’s those other 5 that we want to eat after we eat our cookie that does the damage. And I think you have to have a cheat day—because if you deprive yourself for 6 or 8 weeks, when you finally get hat cookie or bowl of ice cream, you can’t quit. That one day a week is very important that you indulge.”

What’s a must-have for hosting a great party?

“A must-have is great guests because it’s the people and the fellowship that’s going to make your get together.”

Are your daughters-in-law scared to host the holidays with you being their mother-in-law?

“Yes, I think so. Maybe Claudia, Bobby’s wife—I don’t think she’d be frightened, but she’s a vegan. But it’s just natural that everybody winds up at Mom’s house, and I would be devastated if they took that pleasure away from me. I know I’m going to have to pass the gauntlet at some time, but I’m just not ready yet because I love feeding all my children.”

Do the Deens have a signature holiday dish? 

For Thanksgiving, it’s my grandmother’s cornbread dressing, and for Christmas it’s beef, turkey and ham.”

For more tips on entertaining and recipes for the holidays, check out Paula Deen’s latest cookbook, At the Southern Table with Paula Deen.