Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food

It just could have been better.<br /><br />While I enjoyed reading parts of this, I have to admit, I skimmed a lot. It was just so dry. <br /><br />I wanted to feel something. And I just didn't. <br /><br />The Betty Crocker cookbook was something I escaped into as a child. I would pour over the pictures and menu descriptions and dream about the day that I would entertain and put out such a gorgeous spread. My friends and I would laugh about how Betty suggested making braised celery as a side dish. Um. Yuck. The Christmas cookie pages were stuck together from use. I would read and reread the pages of hints. I knew, deep down, that Betty wasn't a real person. But, as a kid, I wanted her to be. I wanted to be her.<br /><br />The idea of this book intrigued me, but I think I liked the illusion that Betty was and not the reality. The disappointment and realization that she was just a created marketing tool, I could have lived without. I know this shouldn't have been a surprise, but it felt a little bit like realizing as a child that your teacher had a life outside school.<br /><br />I guess this rules out for me the Pillsbury Dough Boy tell all that just might hit the shelves.<br />

Born out of an advertising campaign for Gold Medal flour, Betty Crocker and the women who portrayed her over the years became a staple in the American household. In the early days, women responding to the radio broadcasts received a wooden recipe box with recipes. When the great depression hit, Betty Crocker helped women economize. During the war years, she showed women how to make the most of their rations. I found myself wanting to ask my deceased mother about her memories of the earlier incarnations of Betty Crocker. While my mom always used Gold Medal flour, I wondered why many of her recipes called for Duncan Hines yellow cake mix rather than Betty Crocker. I remember asking her once why she used Duncan Hines instead of Betty Crocker, but she didn't really have a good answer. Duncan Hines came later than Betty Crocker though. It's still an interesting culinary and social history read, focusing mainly on my mother's era.

A truly eye-opening look at the making of an American icon. I think we tend today to brush off or mock such kitchen staples as Betty Crocker, but it was amazing to read about the impact a fictional character had on the morale and skills of several generations of cooks, bakers, and homemakers, for good or ill. In some ways, she promoted a Stepford wife-like lifestyle for her followers, yet with the introduction of Betty Crocker's one-step and quick-step baking mixes and other time-saving food mixes, she freed women from the stove.<br /><br />One thing's for certain: We know who to blame for the obesity epidemic we're currently suffering. Dieticians, nutritionists, and psychologists are having to fight against decades of "Love is food" advertising, perpetrated for the most part by Betty Crocker and her ilk. The overwhelming number of pamphlets and cookbooks produced in the name of Betty Crocker, enticing and exhorting wives and mothers to show their love to their families with delicious food has been pervasive for the better part of a century. No wonder, then, that many people turn to food for comfort. After all, Betty Crocker says it's okay, and that's okay for me!<br /><br />Okay, so I may be exaggerating...slightly. However, reading this book definitely makes one aware of how our culture became food-obsessed, and how the creation of a fictional spokeswoman for a once-small flour company became the heart and soul of America's kitchens.

This is really fantastic. And interesting. And AMAZING. I mean... Betty Crocker, as a campaign, is wildly successful- and it has shaped so many people's lives! It's incredible. To think that all those recipes, radio shows, Hollywood appearances and connections, and millions of letters were all oriented around one carefully managed, fictional woman.... aaaaah @____@<br /><br />I also simply enjoyed looking at the Betty Crocker recipes, adverts, and pictures speckled throughout the book, as well as the letters that were sent from fans to Betty Crocker. Ooooh, you've gotta love that warm fuzzy domestic housewife aesthetic.

This was a very interesting study of the famous advertising symbol and how strong a support she was during both the Depression and WW II. An icon among advertising creations, Betty Crocker's inception and evolution is really interesting.

Very enjoyable look at an icon. This is a well writen look at the history behind one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

If you are a home cook, chef or just like food I think you'll find this book very enlightening and interesting. Learning about who Betty Crocker really was (I had always thought she was a real woman) and who was behind her creation was fascinating. The book even has a few appetising looking recipes at the beginning of the chapters. Reading it makes you want to go and do some baking, with or without a cake mix.

What an interesting book. I can't believe how much history I learned. Not just about the company but how Betty Crocker affected MN and the country. It was an easy read. Fun and the pictures and the recipes were wonderful. Yes I tried just about all of them We loved the quaking pie.

I enjoyed this book, especially the early years. Well researched.

Read this book about 10 years ago, before my Goodreads days. I remember REALLY liking it. For some reason, I even think I heard the author speak at our church. For anyone who loves cooking, history and more. Entertaining and informative.