Finding Betty Crocker

We had some good finds at the library this week. The kids listened to an Audio CD of Pippi Longstocking  written by Astrid Lindgren. They absolutely adored Pippi, just as I did as a child. I read It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff written by Peter Walsh and Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food written by Susan Marks.

This is a book detailing the history of Betty Crocker. Although Betty Crocker was not an actual person, many have thought of her as such. Her cookbooks, radio programs, and “personal” correspondence led American women to believe that she was the quintessential homemaker. In her early years, she offered wisdom and encouragement; and, in her later years she offered quick and easy baking solutions with the advent of convenience mixes. Thousands made the trek to visit the Betty Crocker test kitchens only to find that there was no “Betty.” Nonetheless, Betty Crocker has become a beloved household name; which is a triumph for brand recognition and creative marketing.

As a lover of both history and cooking, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I especially appreciated the war time wisdom that Betty gave to help feed families for less: something that we can all benefit from now, many decades later.  Having spent many years working in sales, I also was amazed by the marketing genius behind the Betty Crocker name.  And, the recipes included were the icing on the cake. So, if you enjoy reading about cooking nostalgia, this would be a good read for you.

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