Show 'N Tell Tuesday: 78 Year Old Southern Family Cookbook

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This is a cookbook from Crossett, AR. My great Aunt, Aunt Nennie lived there long before I was born (not sure about the exact years of when she lived there.) Aunt Nennie was really what I considered my "grandmother." She is my Mom's Aunt - my Grandmother's sister. I never knew my Grandmother. She died 6 months before my parents got married, so growing up Aunt Nennie was always like my grandmother. This is a cookbook that my Mom has had as long as I can remember. Obviously it came from Aunt Nennie since she lived there in Crossett. I'm not sure if this was my Grandmother's and my Mom got it when she died, or if Aunt Nennie gave it to my Mom - I need to ask my Mom about that. Either way it is special to me because it has been in our family and because of the many wonderful recipes my Mom has prepared from it. It is a good 'ol Southern cookbook! Another thing I just LOVE about it and that is SO special to me, is that over 20 years ago, when my Mom first cooked some of these things, she wrote in this cookbook. She wrote if something was good & also made any side notes as to how she prepared the dish. I love the fact that my Mom's handwriting and special notes are in this cookbook. That is something she has always done, write in her cookbooks, and I have started doing that too. I think it is a neat thing to do and something that you can pass down to your children. I'm sure many cookbooks have been passed down in families, but to have the writing of your Mother or Grandmother in it, makes it that much more special! As you can see from the pictures, this cookbook is over 50 years old. It was actually revised and published for final print in 1959, a year after my Mother was born.  In 1931 the recipes were being gathered and compiled, as well as edited, so if you count that, this cookbook is actually 78 years old!!! WOW!!!  It is still in really good shape and I can tell that it has been taken care of. Some of the pages have come apart from the binding, but other then that, it is in good condition. I thought the Hershey's page was interesting because often times we forget that some of the basic, well known products we use to cook with have been around longer then we realize. 

I cherish this cookbook and the things my Mother, Grandmother, and Aunt Nennie prepared for our family. This is not just a cookbook, it is a book of love. I think that there is no better way to show love for your family then to cook a meal for them, and that's what this cookbook means to me! 

If you can read it good enough - try one of these good 'ol Southern, home cookin recipes! The Household hints are helpful too!