Mark and I were married August 24, 1970. Up to that point I had never even boiled water. Mark, on the other hand, had a domestically inclined Mother and 3 sisters who also cooked. I realized pretty quickly that Mark liked to eat practically everything—and expected to eat regular, home-cooked meals.

My first clue was my wedding present from him: a brand new Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. So it was my job to learn to cook something pretty quickly.

Raising our three children was a challenge as they were all very picky eaters. I practiced with a lot of recipes, mostly greeted with responses such as ‘YUK!’ and ‘I hate that!’ I often noted that I had the best fed disposal in town.

Forty-five years into marriage, I can't really say that I'm a good cook, but I have collected some pretty good recipes over the years. What started as typing favorites into the computer for the kids has grown into this collection—preserved as a digital scrapbook for the next generation of gatherings around our family table.

Nancy (preface from the 2020 edition)