All it took was a cup of butter, a cup of sugar and a sweet southern drawl, y'all.
The Tournament of Roses Association announced Paula Deen will be the Rose Parade Grand Marshal.
"I'm pretty much speechless," the famous Food Network celeb chef said. "I can't wrap my mind around this, y'all."
Deen will follow in the footsteps of Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, who rode down Colorado Boulevard last year with his wife and two daughters as part of the annual armada of flower-draped floats, marching bands and prancing horses.
Deen said she was a Rose Parade "virgin." She watched it on TV several times but has never been to the event and to be selected Grand Marshal was a great honor for her and her family.
"I have two sons…and I've finally impressed them," she said. "Maybe mama is cool after all."
Deen hosts a pair of shows on The Food Network -- "Paula's Home Cooking" and "Paula's Best Dishes." She will lead the Jan. 1 parade, which is themed "Building Dreams, Friendships & Memories." The Georgia native is known for her down-home personality and Southern cooking. She began her career by creating a meal-delivery service in Savannah, Ga., then cooked at a Best Western hotel before opening her first restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah.
Last week, Evanne Elizabeth Friedmann, of La Canada High School was been named the Rose Queen from among seven members of the Royal Court. The Royal Court members were chosen from a field of 31 finalists. More than 1,000 teens and young women applied for spots.
The Grand Marshal of the Parade is an honorary position selected by the President of the Tournament.
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The Tournament of Roses Parade will take place New Years Day.
