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Laura McKenna

Laura McKenna

The Workday with Laura McKenna

Laura McKenna grew up in Ohio and got her first job in radio in La Crosse in 2005. She packed up her stuff, made the move, and has been in Wisconsin ever since! Her favorite season is winter but she loves to spend all summer in her vegetable garden. When she isn't in her pink kitchen cooking up vegetarian recipes, more than likely she's taking bubble baths, reading mystery novels (sometimes while in a bubble bath), cheering for THEE Ohio State Buckeyes, or officiating weddings! She married her best friend from college last year but they still don't live in the same house yet. Laura's favorite way to spend a Friday night is watching Dateline with her cat (Phil Dawson) on her lap. She's thrilled to be keeping you company during the workday!

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:  Heart Healthy February Food of the Day

2.17.2026

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Heart Healthy February Food of the Day

February is HEART HEALTH MONTH and every weekday from now until the end of the month, Laura McKenna is bringing you one simple food that’s easy to find in your favorite grocery store and even easier to incorporate in your diet. If you eat more of these foods, your heart will thank you! Wednesday February […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:  Heart Healthy February Food of the Day

02.17.26

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Heart Healthy February Food of the Day

February is HEART HEALTH MONTH and every weekday from now until the end of the month, Laura McKenna is bringing you one simple food that’s easy to find in your favorite grocery store and even easier to incorporate in your diet. If you eat more of these foods, your heart will thank you! Wednesday February […]

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Movie Review:  We Live In Time

02.16.26

Movie Review: We Live In Time

This doesn’t happen all the time but every once in awhile I will break the norm by watching a movie outside my typical crime/thriller/horror/courtroom drama. We Live In Time (2024) was sooooooo good. And so worth the change of pace. I don’t want to spoil anything about this Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh movie because […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:   Big Game Garbage Trick

02.05.26

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Big Game Garbage Trick

This is a trick that will work every time you host a party at your home- whether that be for the big game on Sunday or a holiday gathering. It never fails at every party- before you know it, the trash is overflowing. So take a few minutes pre-party to save a ton of time […]

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Movie Monday:   I’m not the only one…

02.02.26

Movie Monday: I’m not the only one…

I have two movie reviews to share with you on this Movie Monday but they really do go hand in hand. First, the movie I watched over the weekend: Final Destination: Bloodlines As a big fan of the very first Final Destination (2000) and the logging truck scene from Final Destination 2 (2003), I set […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:  Glass or Metal Pans- which is better for baking?

01.27.26

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Glass or Metal Pans- which is better for baking?

For me, I prefer a metal pan for my cakes and a glass pan for my brownies but I really couldn’t put my finger on why. Then I found this great video and it makes total sense! Want to share your favorite recipe? Email anytime, Laura would love to hear from you: [email protected] tune in weekdays […]

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Movie Monday:   One of my favorite Scream Queens gets romantic…

01.26.26

Movie Monday: One of my favorite Scream Queens gets romantic…

It’s no surprise that I love a good suspense movie- be that a thriller, a horror movie, or a courtroom drama. Bring it on and put them all on my Must Watch Movie List. So I’ve come to really like actress Maika Monroe. If I see her billed on the casting list, I know it’ll […]

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If you love Dateline like I do, here’s another True Crime series you’ll binge through…

01.22.26

If you love Dateline like I do, here’s another True Crime series you’ll binge through…

You know my favorite thing to do on a Friday night is watch Dateline (especially if my man, Keith Morrison, is the host). But what to watch every other day of the week? I found something that fits the bill! If you like True Crime shows, too: Check out CABIN IN THE WOODS. I’ve already […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:   Laura’s Favorite Buffalo Chex Mix

01.15.26

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Laura’s Favorite Buffalo Chex Mix

If you’d like to spice up the party with some Buffalo Chex Mix, no need to use any recipe but this one. It’s soooooooooo good! When I was home in Ohio for the holidays, my aunt made some for my Dad and I. We DEVOURED it! I had to have the recipe. She shared the […]

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Movie Monday:   The 83rd Annual Golden Globe Winning Movies

01.12.26

Movie Monday: The 83rd Annual Golden Globe Winning Movies

Last night the 83rd Annual Golden Globes were held and like many years, a few movies cleaned house! One Battle After Another, Hamnet, The Secret Agent, and KPop Demon Hunters were among the top winners. Motion Picture, Drama: Hamnet Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:   “Where Ya BEAN All My Life Dip” Recipe

01.06.26

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: “Where Ya BEAN All My Life Dip” Recipe

Mix all ingredients in a small crock pot and melt down to a creamy consistency. Serve with tortilla chips. WHAT YOU’LL NEED:-1 block of cream cheese (regular, not low fat)-1/2 can black beans, rinsed & drained-1/2 can pinto beans, rinsed & drained-1/2 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained-1 can of diced tomatoes, juice and all* […]

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Movie Monday:   My most anticipated movie of the year

01.05.26

Movie Monday: My most anticipated movie of the year

I cannot wait for this. You know that when I’m at home, I have Court TV on my television non-stop (except for the occasional break for Friday Night Dateline and football), so I watched both of Karen Read’s trials. There were two in total, counting the retrial which just wrapped up this summer. Currently there […]

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Movie Monday:  This one’s for the football fans!

12.29.25

Movie Monday: This one’s for the football fans!

I love a good sports movie- especially those that are based on real people and real teams. Even though we’ll have to wait until Thanksgiving 2026 to see the new John Madden movie starring Nicolas Cage, I think it’ll be worth the wait! The new movie will be based on the NFL coach’s life and career. […]

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Movie Monday:  Every busy lady needs to take a holiday break and watch this movie

12.21.25

Movie Monday: Every busy lady needs to take a holiday break and watch this movie

As you all know, I’m not one to watch a sappy Hallmark Christmas movie -so don’t worry, there’s minimal sappiness here. Just a really cute holiday movie. If you’ve ever felt like your holidays are nothing but madness and planning and prepping and wrapping and running… you’re going to love Oh. What. Fun. (2025). Michelle […]

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Recall Alert:  Crayola Magnetic pip-Cubes

12.10.25

Recall Alert: Crayola Magnetic pip-Cubes

If your kids have these or you were planning on wrapping one for Christmas, there’s a recall because the magnets could come loose. CreateOn Crayola-branded pip-Cubes are magnetic building cubes sold in Bold Colors and Glitter in sets of 24 or 27 cubes. The Bold Colors cubes are red, green, blue and yellow. The Glitter […]

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Movie Monday:   Inside the Golden Globes movie nominations

12.08.25

Movie Monday: Inside the Golden Globes movie nominations

The 83rd annual Golden Globes will be held on January 11th, hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser. They’ll air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. Jacob Elordi, Amanda Seyfried, and Jeremy Allen White were all double nominees for their acting in both film and television categories. I wasn’t a fan of Sinners (2025) but that movie earned […]

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Recall Alert:  Shredded Cheese

12.03.25

Recall Alert: Shredded Cheese

More than 1.5 Million bags of shredded cheese has been recalled due to potential metal contamination. The bags were sold at major retailers like Walmart, Aldi, Target and other stores in the area (as well as stores across the US & Puerto Rico). The affected products include five different styles of shredded cheeses sold in […]

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Movie Monday:   Wicked Part 3-The Prequel?

12.01.25

Movie Monday: Wicked Part 3-The Prequel?

Wicked fans, don’t put your pink and green too far back into the closet because you might need it again. I’ve heard there is a new prequel book in the works from the author who penned the “Wicked Years” series. And you know Hollywood- if there is money to be made, they’re going to keep […]

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Laura McKenna’s 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

11.25.25

Laura McKenna’s 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake Recipe: This is the easiest dessert you’ll ever make (and it will seriously impress all your guests)! It’s so simple to make and takes just 3 ingredients.    Compare it to other typical cakes made with eggs and oil and it’s surprisingly low fat, too!  I love a good pumpkin pie […]

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Movie Review:  Drop

11.24.25

Movie Review: Drop

I’ve always thought one word titles of books and movies usually end up being the best. There are always exceptions, of course. I remember seeing the previews for Drop (2025) earlier this year and thinking- “Ohhh, that looks good! And it’s a one word title!” So when my parents were in town for the weekend […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:  Every holiday host NEEDS this!

11.21.25

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Every holiday host NEEDS this!

Planning The Perfect Holiday, Party, or Picnic just got so much easier with this simple idea! I have been a HUGE fan of this website for years!   If you’re just hearing about it for the first time, get ready because this is going to take your holiday hosting and party planning to a whole new level.  […]

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Movie Monday:  A Lifetime Movie?

11.17.25

Movie Monday: A Lifetime Movie?

I can’t even believe I’m about to say this but I watched a Lifetime movie with Mom over the weekend… and… it wasn’t bad. I never thought I would be saying that. It all happened when she was flipping through the channels and landed on the beginning of a Lifetime movie. I rolled my eyes […]

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In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna:  Pumpkin Cookies

11.12.25

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Pumpkin Cookies

Thank you so much for using the Civic Media app to send messages to me- especially messages like this: I knew you’d all love my new favorite soup. If you missed that recipe, CLICK HERE for Laura McKenna’s Black Bean Pumpkin Soup. My soup calls for a bit of canned pumpkin and I put the […]

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Movie Monday:   We’ve found the King & Queen of  Music & Movies

11.10.25

Movie Monday: We’ve found the King & Queen of Music & Movies

Michael– the Michael Jackson biopic- is set to release in April of 2026. Yet the movie about the King of Pop is already breaking records. The teaser trailer for Michael has racked up over 116 million views globally in its first 24 hours.  That makes it the largest 24-hour launch ever for a teaser trailer […]

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Pro Travel Tip

11.06.25

Pro Travel Tip

I was watching the news last night and they were talking about the number of flights being cancelled already and how much that number was set to grow throughout the weekend with the government shutdown. They had a travel expert talking about travel tips for airline passengers. There was one in particular that made so […]

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