Happiness is Homemade, Y'all!: Heartwarming Stories and Tried-and-True Recipes from the Author of Alabama's Bicentennial Cookbook, Time to Eat, Y'all!

Book Synopsis: Hey Y'all! Happiness is Homemade, Y'all! is a beautiful full-color book which introduces readers and cooks to our Alabama culinary heritage with a unique insight into our steeped-in-tradition culture of the Deep South. Pull up a seat around our table and you will discover why these recipes are family favorites.

Every cook, whether new to the kitchen or seasoned, needs tried-and-true recipes in their arsenal. These recipes are easy for the new cook as well as the accomplished and have been handed down for generations. They are tried-and-true! Woven alongside my recipes are funny, heartwarming stories featuring my own family who has resided in Alabama since 1818. From eating Sunday Dinner at the children's table, to soldiers coming home from the war, to making-do in hard times, this book shows how food is at the heart of our history.

The Ugly Biscuit recipe is a favorite! Easy to make and delightful to eat - a proven hit! A perfect recipe to cook with your little ones, and children love to eat them, too! Add a little sausage gravy from the story, "Oh NOOO! Not the Gravy!" and you will have some mighty-fine eating for your family.

I have handed out the Yummy Chicken Pie recipe over 1000 times and people let me know often how they enjoy making this "yummy" dish for their family and friends. Nanny Swann's Chicken and Dumpling recipe is the ultimate comfort food and the recipe is easy to follow. Yes, you can make delicious chicken and dumplings! If you are hankering for something sweet, look no further than Granny Dera's Sweet Potato Pie or the Marvelous Mandarin Orange Cake, or Fried Apple Pies, or Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding, or No-Peek Coconut Cake.

While Happiness is Homemade, Y'all! gives a personal perspective into family traditions in Alabama, I hope it offers encouragement to rediscover and cherish your own family's culinary traditions. So, get in the kitchen with these tried-and-true recipes and gather your family around your table. You will find out what we already know here in the Deep South- that Happiness is Homemade, Y'all! Blessings and good-eating to y'all! Love, Danna