My First Cookbook and Teena in the Kitchen

By Pamela Barker

Please indulge me as I write about my very first cookbook. But, first, may I return to how fortunate I was to have three strong women in my life as I grew up. All three were great cooks and I loved being in the kitchen with them, but I loved so much more about them.

Today I post about one of them, my Mother.

As I have previously mentioned, I learned so much from her during her lifetime. As I sat on the kitchen counter, I watched her swiftly conjure up delicious dishes, before she sent me on my mission of setting the table, properly.  She never prolonged the preparation of food, as it was not her mission in life.

She had beautiful clothes, hats, handbags, gloves and all tended to be classic in design. She had her own way of expressing her style. Growing up, I watched as she dressed in her fabulous after-five attire, her hair, nails and makeup done to perfection. Now, having said that, she had probably spent part of the day doing volunteer work, ensuring our home was spotless (she liked to move furniture with regularity), and spending time doing planting and tending to our beautifully landscaped yard, front and back.

She accomplished much on any given day, but enjoyed dressing up for the evenings, and I watched and learned. 

A stickler for how I spoke, I was never allowed to say, yeah, ain't, or other slang terms. It was always television, never TV, and the word muggy was not allowed, -- it was a humid day.

Although I loved dolls, and had a vast collection, it was more about dressing them up than playing typical doll games. Instead, you could find me writing, directing,, set decorating and starring in many front-porch (it was a perfect stage) elaborate productions. On occasion, I played jax, teacher (rarely) or office manager. All of this is to say, I did have a slight interest in cooking, and my Mother had little interest in me doing exactly that.

​Enter Imperial Sugar Company in Sugarland, Texas.

My interest was piqued when they offered two cookbooks for kids (girls on the cover, of course). My Mother saved labels from the sugar packages and I sent away for, “My First Cookbook,” then years later, “Teena in the Kitchen.”

Interesting how my Mother knew me. Those cookbooks are still with me, in pristine condition. In other words, she knew I was about my stage productions, not cooking. Honestly, I'm not even sure I made one recipe, but I suspect I asked my Mother to make one.

Through the years, I learned to cook and my Mother approved. I love to cook and Gerry and I do it together.

I lost my Mother when I was 38, and on her last Thanksgiving, she told me it was time for me to make Thanksgiving dinner, -- ALL of it not just some side-dishes. This missive from her included dressing (which I had never made). Under her watchful eye, I did make the dressing and although it was not her dressing, I was pleased.  She was pleased.

I am sharing photos of the little books.