Reba McEntire Shares Meals and Memories in Book, ‘Not That Fancy’

Reba McEntire is a country music legend, a spirited Broadway talent and a long-running sitcom star. She’s hosted awards shows, coached young singers on NBC’s The Voice and helped revitalize her hometown of Atoka, Oklahoma, with Reba’s Place, a restaurant, bar and live music venue that opened last year.

But wait, there’s more — she’s also an author! In Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots, McEntire treats fans to a decidedly delicious glimpse at the memories and the meals that continue to fuel her. From working the land with her family to tackling Broadway for the first time, McEntire dishes on the moments that made her a household name — alongside recipes for the dishes she enjoyed along the way.

“The best stories are usually told around a dinner table,” McEntire tells AARP. “Stories and food just go together. And if there’s a little wine or a cocktail involved, the stories usually get even better.”

Here, AARP catches up with McEntire about the book, her new restaurant and the lessons that continue to lead her forward.

What role did cooking and food play in your upbringing?

Growing up on the ranch in Oklahoma, we didn’t eat Michelin-star-chef-prepared meals. Mama made do with what we had … and it usually involved a lot of ketchup and mountain oysters.

In the book, you say you learned early that “the work is in the waiting,” from ranching to rising in the music business. What does that adage mean to you now?

So much of this business is a hurry-up-and-wait process. Waiting to record or film, and then waiting for it to be released after you’ve done the work. And sometimes things don’t pan out the way you hoped they would. That can be humbling when something you’ve worked so hard on, like a TV show, doesn’t get picked up. It teaches you patience. It teaches you about believing in something bigger at work. That’s where my faith comes in.

In the foreword, Garth Brooks praises your business acumen as much as your kindness and talent. What’s one piece of advice you would give your younger self?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Half the stuff I stressed out about and lost sleep over, I don’t even remember. In the moment, everything seems bigger than it really is.