Always Put in a Recipe and Other Tips for Living by Evelyn Birkby

     I really enjoyed this book. It's the best thing I've read in awhile. It was written by an Iowa homemaker who lives in a rural community of southwest Iowa and has written a weekly column for the local newspaper for years. I guess what I liked most about it was the fond memories it evoked from my own childhood growing up on the farm. Cold winters, hot summers, animals and vegetables, playing in the grove, cooking, mowing, and the happy times with family.
     The book consists of a compilation of Evelyn's best columns. Her style is open and down to earth. She shares mostly the good times, although like any life, there were sad times too. There are recipes included, because as Evelyn says: "Food serves a much broader purpose than just feeding the body. It is a conduit to friendship, a setting for fellowship, a way to receive recognition when certain dishes are praised, and a connection with generations through shared recipes."
     Her adventures as a writer started when she had young children. So a record of her life flows though the columns. Now, sixty-three years later, she is still recording the lives and interest of those around her, and has put those columns together in this book for our reading delights!