Laura McKenna

The CFW 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 back keeping you company during the workday on 105-7 CFW!

Pinned

11.20.2024

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. […]

All Posts

11.20.24

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

11.18.24

Movie Monday: 2 Thrillers that Laura McKenna says are worth a watch

If you are fan of thrillers, I watched two good movies back-to-back on Saturday night. STRAW DOGSI started with the James Marsden and Kate Bosworth version of Straw Dogs from 2011. I honestly didn’t even know there was an original Straw Dogs with Dustin Hoffman from 1971 until I did some digging. This one has […]

11.13.24

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Laura’s Favorite Sweet Potato Bake

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. It’s become a family tradition of ours and the great part is- it’s easy! This dish was a recipe handed down to me by Wanda Hoffman (one of my favorite bosses from my old college days of working at the local bank […]

11.11.24

Movie Monday: Before You Give Your Kids The “Wicked” Dolls, Read This

We all make mistakes here and there at work, right? Maybe you sent an email to a .com instead of an .edu or forgot to attach the .pdf file or word document when you sent out the pamphlet for your upcoming presentation. Those things can easily be remedied. This recent mix-up with the Wicked movie […]

11.06.24

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Mama Linda’s Broccoli Casserole

This is a staple at every Thanksgiving at the McKenna household (and every Christmas, too!) This is my family’s absolute FAVORITE holiday side dish. I know it will soon be yours, too! My Mom (Linda) hates to cook and if SHE can do it, you definitely can! So trust me when I say, this is super easy […]

11.04.24

Movie Monday: Watcher, The Watcher, The Watchers… What Watcher Was I Watching?

I watched a really great slow-burn suspenseful movie on Saturday night but I have the darndest time remembering what movie I watched because there are so many that have basically the same title (released around the same time). The Watchers is a movie that stars Dakota Fanning and was released in 2024. I’m intrigued but […]

11.01.24

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: The Best Grilled Cheese

Sunday is National Sandwich Day and a survey was recently conducted to ask what people would choose as their favorite sandwich. The number one answer: Grilled Cheese! So here’s some tips I’ve gathered over the years: MAKE SURE BUTTER REACHES ALL THE WAY TO THE EDGEThis tip came from a former co-host of mine that […]

10.28.24

Movie Monday: Some Scary Movie Reviews

I spent the weekend blowing my nose, eating soup, drinking Throat Coat tea, and watching scary movies! I came across a couple of them that I had never heard of before and I think they’re worth a watch. Are either of them going into my BEST SCARY MOVIES OF ALL TIME category? No. But if […]

10.24.24

Laura McKenna’s “Husband Conversations” Volume 1

On the phone with my husband last night and I said: “I really want a Turtle Sundae.” He immediately said, “No you don’t. You might think you do but that’s way too messy.” Confused, I said: “What? They’re not any messier than…” He cuts me off with: “No. No. We’d have to get an entire […]

10.21.24

Movie Monday: Deadpool & Wolverine Knock Barbie Down One Notch

Barbie was the queen for awhile but it looks like the snarky foul-mouthed antics of Deadpool and Wolverine have reigned supreme. And they’re not done yet. Deadpool & Wolverine just passed up Barbie ($636.2M) at the domestic box office to become the 12th highest grossing movie of all-time with $636.3 million.They’re not done yet raking in […]

10.17.24

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Pasta Sauce

October 17th is National Pasta Day! Let’s talk sauce…. IF YOUR RED SAUCE IS TOO ACIDIC…If you notice that your homemade pasta sauce is a little too acidic, instead of adding additional white sugar to counteract the bitterness- use a carrot! Take a full-size peeled carrot and place it into your pot of tomato sauce […]

10.14.24

Movie Monday: Movie Inspirations for Halloween Costumes

It’s spooky movie season so it’s only fitting for scary movies to dominate the convo…. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be a popular Halloween costume choice for both young and old, but not exactly the Beetlejuice character himself. Shrunken Head Bob tops the list of the most searched Halloween costumes of 2024, according to Google Trends. Terrifier […]

10.09.24

THE BEST Best Man Wedding Toast

I always joke that I have 100 jobs (and I might be slightly exaggerating…it’s more like 98 or 99). In addition to being on the radio, I also officiate weddings. Over the weekend, I heard quite possibly THE BEST wedding toast in my entire life (and I’ve heard a lot of them). Logan, the Best […]

10.07.24

Movie Monday: Keanu Reeves – His next big role in real life

Keanu ReevesKeanu Reeves: Actor and now….Racecar Driver?!?! He just made his racecar driver debut over the weekend at the Indy Motor Speedway and finished 25th out of 35 drivers! He drove the number 92 BRZRKR car which promoted his graphic novel “The Book of Elsewhere.” Is the new Joker a joke?Joker: Folie A Deux didn’t […]

10.01.24

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: International Coffee Day Tips & Tricks

On Sunday, we celebrated National Coffee Day. Today is International Coffee Day. To all of us coffee lovers, every day is coffee day! Here’s a few tips and tricks to be an at home barista with minimal skills and even less effort. COFFEE ICE CUBESI am an old school 12-cup coffee pot type of coffee […]

09.30.24

Movie Monday: Legally Blonde…starring YOU!

One of my all-time favorite movies stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. It’s Legally Blonde! The original masterpiece came out in 2001 and took the world by storm bringing in 140 million dollars at the global box office. Was it the infamous “Bend & Snap”, the adorable chihuahua Bruiser, or Reese Witherspoon herself that made […]

09.23.24

Movie Monday: Fall begins and we’re already talking about Christmas movies!

Is it too early to talk about Christmas movies? I think so but apparently Hallmark does not. They’ve announced their line-up of 47 new holiday movies that you can watch and stream across their cheesy, I mean expansive, network of: the Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Hallmark+. Their 15th annual Countdown to Christmas begins on October […]

09.19.24

The 2024 National Toy Hall of Fame Nominees

You can vote for your favorite toys now through September 25th at toyhalloffame.org. The 3 toys that receive the most public votes will make up a “Player’s Choice” ballot that will be tallied along with ballots from 22 historians and other experts. This year’s toys that are up for induction are: -Transformers-Hobbyhorse (Stick Horse)-Phase 10 card […]

09.17.24

Laura McKenna’s In The Kitchen Tip: Cleaning Microwaves Without Chemicals

There’s nothing nastier than a microwave with caked on gunk from one too many sauce explosions. Eww! First, keep it from happening by getting yourself one of those domed microwave covers. It’s easy to throw those in the dishwasher or rinse them off in the sink (compared to scrubbing out the microwave after every plate […]

09.10.24

Recall Alert: Check Ya Eggs! Check Ya Juice!

Check Ya Fridge! I used to work with a great chef that would famously yell out “Check Ya Sauce!” if there was an unattended skillet sauteing on the burner. He would remind those in the kitchen to “Check Ya Milk” to make sure the date was fresh before adding it to a recipe. So I […]

09.09.24

Movie Monday: Beetlejuice isn’t clowning around!

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was the movie to finally take down “Deadpool & Wolverine”. It brought in $110 million in its opening weekend. That’s now the second-best September opening of all time! Can you guess the first? I’ll give you a hint. It was a movie back in 2017. It brought in $123 million on its debut […]

09.06.24

The Best (Commercial) Moment From Last Night’s Ravens & Chiefs Game

I am so excited that football season is back in full swing. Talk about a GREAT game last night with the Ravens losing to the Chiefs by a toe: 27-20! But the moment that melted my heart was a commercial they slipped in for dog food. It seems they usually save these super sweet, tear-jerker, […]

09.02.24

Movie Monday: The new Jurassic Park & Rosemary’s Baby

“Jurassic Park” fans, get excited! We now know the name of the upcoming new Jurassic movie! While it won’t be out until July 2025, they have released some pictures for “Jurassic World Rebirth”! Check them out HERE! Also, for the scary movie fans like me: The prequel to Rosemary’s Baby will be out September 27th […]

08.29.24

More Herbs, Less Salt

I am not one to normally shy away from Garlic Salt. Salt on popcorn is pretty delicious, too. But on this August 29th, it happens to be “More Herbs, Less Salt” Day. (Which really is a thing, I’m not just making that up.) If you happen to pick up a Mrs. Dash (which is a […]

08.23.24

What’s Old Is New Again…

They always say everything will come back in style if you give it time. Clothing… And music… And even music on social media. Yeah, like how Myspace did it back in the day. Instagram is now letting people add a song to their profiles. This new feature allows you to select a clip of your […]

08.15.24

Check Your Chip Day

August 15th is National Check Your Chip Day- reminding pet owners to microchip their furry friends and to check to make sure their microchip information is up to date. If you already have a pet that’s microchipped, you might not think twice about this day but it never hurts to double check the info attached […]

08.07.24

Recipe: Laura McKenna’s Parmesan Zucchini Disks

I love to garden and grow zucchini! These zucchini disks are one of my favorite things to make as a snack, a side dish, or sometimes just the entire meal. They’re so delicious and seriously so easy to make! It helps to use zucchini picked at a medium size. Too small and you won’t get […]

07.31.24

Lunch Meat Recall

I know my lunch is safe from this recall (being a vegetarian and all) but I did want to pass this along to anyone who might have packed a sandwich. Trying to keep you all safe… More Boar’s Head deli meats are being recalled after being linked to the recent listeria outbreak. This includes 71 […]

07.23.24

Recipe: Laura McKenna’s Ohio Buckeyes

July 23rd is National Peanut Butter and Chocolate Day and there’s no better way to celebrate than with BUCKEYES! I know what you’re thinking: What’s a buckeye?It’s actually a nut that looks very similar to these edible ones. However, don’t try to bite into the real thing. That will definitely not end well for you. I grew […]

07.17.24

Laura McKenna’s Movie Review: Longlegs

Long LLLLLegs! Much to the annoyance of everyone around me, including my mom, I just randomly kept singing “Long LLLLLLLLLegs!” in outburst fashion ever since we purchased our tickets for Tuesday afternoon’s showing. Mama Linda is in town visiting and what better movie to take your mother to than a serial killer movie called “Longlegs”, […]

07.09.24

Few days left to save on stamps!

Just a friendly reminder that postage goes up on Sunday. So you might want to stock up on some Forever Stamps (especially if you have Thank You notes or invitations to send anytime soon). The price for a first-class Forever postage stamp is currently 68-cents and will bump up to 73-cents on July 14th. It […]

06.25.24

In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Witch’s Brew For Your Garden

Your garden will love my Witch’s Brew…. 1. Start with your cauldron (or soup pot😉) full of water. 2. Add in a bunch of banana peels. 3. Bring to a boil and let it brew for awhile. 4. Cackle as you cook. 🧙‍♀️ 5. Then cool, straining out the banana peels. 6. Once cool, pour […]

06.20.24

Cancer Zodiac Signs- it’s time to shine!

To all my fellow Cancer Zodiac signs, it’s time to celebrate! June 21st marks the start of the sun traveling through our constellation. The entire reign of Cancer runs through July 22nd. Make no mistake though, us crabs are a complex bunch. We are the life of the party but we really enjoy our alone […]

06.12.24

Who Knew? Popcorn

If eating popcorn made you a corn expert, I would be well on my way to scholar level knowledge at this point in my life. Yet somehow, just this past weekend, I found out why some gourmet popcorn just tastes, well… better! It’s not the price tag. It’s not even the powders or butters or […]

06.04.24

National Hug Your Cat Day… is every day!

June 4th is National Hug Your Cat Day. I’ve always been a cat hugger (and a cat smoocher but I’m not sure if there is a special day for that!). Pretty much every day is Hug & Kiss Your Cat Day in the Laura McKenna household. I feel like with everything that my kitty as […]

05.29.24

THE SPELLING BEE… and that one word that still haunts me

The 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee is happening this week in a 2-night event beginning with the Semifinals on May 29th at 8/7c and the live Finals on May 30th at 8/7c. You can watch it on the ION network (which is free over the air) and on most cable networks. I’m always amazed […]

05.24.24

Laura McKenna’s Favorite Picnic & Party Planning Site

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 party planning to a whole new level. Your life will be changed forever because it takes so much stress out of the whole party planning process. […]

05.19.24

Laura McKenna’s Movie Review: Ricky Stanicky

First, let me start by saying Comedy movies are not my thing. One of my favorite former co-hosts even coined the phrase that I was “The NFL”- The No Fun Laura. While that has always made me laugh (because I am fun, dang it), it’s true when it comes to my taste in movies, TV […]

05.10.24

Mama Always Said

With Mother’s Day on Sunday, we invite you to be part of the show by telling us what your MAMA ALWAYS SAID. Those little tid-bits of knowledge that your Mom would say again and again sometimes were met with an eye-roll, I’m sure. Yet as each of us have grown up, I think they ring […]

05.10.24

A Little Bit About Laura McKenna

I’ve lived in Wisconsin for almost 20 years now after moving to this great state for my first job in morning country radio back in 2005. Stop number one in my radio career was La Crosse, WI. Since then I’ve done mornings in Stevens Point/Wausau, Green Bay, and all over Minnesota, too! And now […]