My Story
Louisiana-born Susan Apple Graass was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show with her award-winning State Fair of Texas’ Blue Ribbon Lemon Cake, baked 3,000 petits fours for the VIP Party of Super Bowl XLV, and competed on the Food Network show, Bobby’s Dinner Battle with Grace-anne Greenblatt where they were awarded “Best Home Cooks of Dallas”.
Susan grew up cooking in her mom, Billie’s kitchen for a houseful of company, raising chickens, gardening with her father, sewing with her sisters, Cindy and Sandra, cooking big pots of Red Bean and Rice, planning family reunions, and visiting her Texas cousins down on Hornsby Bend. Simple times. Good times. The Louisiana lifestyle enriched by the community of cousins, neighbors, and friends . . . real community . . . with lots of love and happy feelings!
During her junior year at Texas Christina University, Susan declared her major as geology. For sure, she was on track to graduate in four years with a possibility of going into business with her father, Boots Apple, a petroleum engineer. During her spare time at TCU, she cooked, sewed, and sketched new fashion designs. When Susan’s interest in Geology began to wane, she enrolled in cooking, sewing and pattern-drafting college classes. It was a turning point. With her original dress designs, Susan launched a startup in her TCU dorm room, sold dresses out of the trunk of her car, and graduated on time. Over a 20-year period, the little startup grew to a thriving apparel business with annual sales of one million dollars.
While cooking for her family of six for 20 + years, Susan blended her passion for cooking and TCU Home Economics degree to test new cooking techniques, ingredients and kitchen equipment. These proved to be helpful in “Getting dinner on the table”.
Over the years, Susan has enjoyed planning neighborhood block parties, celebrating birthdays, planning decorations for VNA’s Celebrity Chef, planning TCU Alumni parties, and cooking with The Boys & Girls Club. These are a few of the ways she has duplicated her fondest childhood memories while striving to unite communities with lots of love and happy feelings!
After Oprah’s show, Susan was inspired to start a blog, www.susanapple.com. In 2018, it morphed into www.mytexaskitchen.com.
Susan Apple Graass has served on the Texas Christian University Alumni Board. She is a member of Junior League of Dallas, National Charity League, P.E.O. and Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Since 2011, her business has been certified with the Women’s Business Council.
Susan loves cooking, baking, designing, gardening, photography, Texas history, discovering restaurants and farmers markets across the country, and spending time with her husband, Jim Graass and their children, James, Catherine, JT, and Ben.
Sweet As A Candy Apple
Sweet as a candy apple . . . and so much fun to make! Staying home for Halloween? No worries. Enjoy some time in your kitchen with your family. Candy Apples is an extraordinary culinary project. If you can boil water, you can make Candy Apples. With just a few more...
The Next Best Thing To Being In New Orleans
The next best thing to being in New Orleans is cooking your favorite creole cuisine at home. Grillades and Grits is New Orleans quintessential choice for breakfast or brunch. Grillades and Grits, pronounced "gree-yahds", are medallions of various meats, usually veal...
Drapes Are Beautiful Inside And Out
Drapes are beautiful inside and out. During our uncertain times, families are focused on building spaces that bring comfort and improve everyday quality of life. Before the coronavirus pandemic, everyone wanted patio spaces that would work for entertaining. Our needs...
Happy National Pasta Day!
Happy National Pasta Day! Surprisingly, homemade pasta is easy to make. Four Simple Ingredients: Flour Eggs Olive oil Salt Equipment: Silicone baking mat Rolling pin Happy National Pasta Day! Pasta A delicious pasta, takes about 30 minutes to make it and some time...
It Is Patio Season
It is patio season! Cooler weather is on the way. We are enjoying football games on TV. I am cooking more comfort foods and we are dining on our patio. So . . . now is the perfect time for a patio makeover! Five tips for a patio makeover on a limited budget: Select a...
The Real Heart Of Cajun Gumbo
The real heart of Cajun gumbo is the roux! Gumbo, a hearty dish that's part stew and part soup, is the official state cuisine of Louisiana! In south Louisiana, where seafood is plentiful, seafood gumbos are popular. In north Louisiana, where I grew up, chicken and...
What Do You Call A Cake Without Butter?
What do you call a cake without butter? An Angel Food Cake Happy National Angel Food Cake Day! My Texas Kitchen's tips for making the perfect Angel Food Cake. This Coffee Angel Food Cake is a State Fair of Texas Blue ribbon winner. Bake one today in honor of Big...
Chili Is The Official State Dish Of Texas
Chili is the official state dish of Texas. The change of season, autumn is a time for a bowl of chili. It's the perfect dish to accompany falling leaves, football, family, and friends! Chili with Toppings Chili is a great dish for football game watching with friends...
Nothing Says Home Like The Smell Of Baking
Nothing says home like the smell of baking . . . especially biscuits! A true southern staple for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ever since I can remember I have been baking biscuits. Always searching for just the right recipe, ingredients and mixing techniques to...
Oh My Pies!
Oh My Pies! There is something about fall, the change in season and the opening of the State Fair of Texas. It reminds me of growing up in Louisiana and cooking. I especially enjoyed making the famous Natchitoches meat pies. They were one of my favorite things to...
Louisiana-born Susan Apple Graass was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show with her award-winning State Fair of Texas’ Blue Ribbon Lemon Cake, baked 3,000 petits fours for the VIP Party of Super Bowl XLV, and competed on the Food Network show, Bobby’s Dinner Battle with Grace-anne Greenblatt where they were awarded “Best Home Cooks of Dallas”.
Susan grew up cooking in her mom, Billie’s kitchen for a houseful of company, raising chickens, gardening with her father, sewing with her sisters, Cindy and Sandra, cooking big pots of Red Bean and Rice, planning family reunions, and visiting her Texas cousins down on Hornsby Bend. Simple times. Good times. The Louisiana lifestyle enriched by the community of cousins, neighbors, and friends . . . real community . . . with lots of love and happy feelings!
During her junior year at Texas Christina University, Susan declared her major as geology. For sure, she was on track to graduate in four years with a possibility of going into business with her father, Boots Apple, a petroleum engineer. During her spare time at TCU, she cooked, sewed, and sketched new fashion designs. When Susan’s interest in Geology began to wane, she enrolled in cooking, sewing and pattern-drafting college classes. It was a turning point. With her original dress designs, Susan launched a startup in her TCU dorm room, sold dresses out of the trunk of her car, and graduated on time. Over a 20-year period, the little startup grew to a thriving apparel business with annual sales of one million dollars.
While cooking for her family of six for 20 + years, Susan blended her passion for cooking and TCU Home Economics degree to test new cooking techniques, ingredients and kitchen equipment. These proved to be helpful in “Getting dinner on the table”.
Over the years, Susan has enjoyed planning neighborhood block parties, celebrating birthdays, planning decorations for VNA’s Celebrity Chef, planning TCU Alumni parties, and cooking with The Boys & Girls Club. These are a few of the ways she has duplicated her fondest childhood memories while striving to unite communities with lots of love and happy feelings!
After Oprah’s show, Susan was inspired to start a blog, www.susanapple.com. A year ago, it morphed into www.mytexaskitchen.com.
Susan Apple Graass has served on the Texas Christian University Alumni Board. She is a member of Junior League of Dallas, National Charity League, P.E.O. and Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Since 2011, her business has been certified with the Women’s Business Council.
Susan loves cooking, baking, designing, gardening, photography, Texas history, discovering restaurants and farmers markets across the country, and spending time with her husband, Jim Graass and their children, James, Catherine, JT, and Ben.
My Story
Louisiana-born Susan Apple Graass was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show with her award-winning State Fair of Texas’ Blue Ribbon Lemon Cake, baked 3,000 petits fours for the VIP Party of Super Bowl XLV, and competed on the Food Network show, Bobby’s Dinner Battle with Grace-anne Greenblatt where they were awarded “Best Home Cooks of Dallas”.
Susan grew up cooking in her mom, Billie’s kitchen for a houseful of company, raising chickens, gardening with her father, sewing with her sisters, Cindy and Sandra, cooking big pots of Red Bean and Rice, planning family reunions, and visiting her Texas cousins down on Hornsby Bend. Simple times. Good times. The Louisiana lifestyle enriched by the community of cousins, neighbors, and friends . . . real community . . . with lots of love and happy feelings!
During her junior year at Texas Christina University, Susan declared her major as geology. For sure, she was on track to graduate in four years with a possibility of going into business with her father, Boots Apple, a petroleum engineer. During her spare time at TCU, she cooked, sewed, and sketched new fashion designs. When Susan’s interest in Geology began to wane, she enrolled in cooking, sewing and pattern-drafting college classes. It was a turning point. With her original dress designs, Susan launched a startup in her TCU dorm room, sold dresses out of the trunk of her car, and graduated on time. Over a 20-year period, the little startup grew to a thriving apparel business with annual sales of one million dollars.
While cooking for her family of six for 20 + years, Susan blended her passion for cooking and TCU Home Economics degree to test new cooking techniques, ingredients and kitchen equipment. These proved to be helpful in “Getting dinner on the table”.
Over the years, Susan has enjoyed planning neighborhood block parties, celebrating birthdays, planning decorations for VNA’s Celebrity Chef, planning TCU Alumni parties, and cooking with The Boys & Girls Club. These are a few of the ways she has duplicated her fondest childhood memories while striving to unite communities with lots of love and happy feelings!
After Oprah’s show, Susan was inspired to start a blog, www.susanapple.com. In 2018, it morphed into www.mytexaskitchen.com.
Susan Apple Graass has served on the Texas Christian University Alumni Board. She is a member of Junior League of Dallas, National Charity League, P.E.O. and Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Since 2011, her business has been certified with the Women’s Business Council.
Susan loves cooking, baking, designing, gardening, photography, Texas history, discovering restaurants and farmers markets across the country, and spending time with her husband, Jim Graass and their children, James, Catherine, JT, and Ben.