Before Crisco cornered the market on cans of hydrogenated fat, there was Spry…and its folksy spokeswoman, Aunt Jenny. This 1942 Spry recipe booklet is filled with Aunt Jenny’s pithy confidence-boosters for inexperienced young housewives, like “Nothin’ to makin’ Pie Shells if you follow these easy pointers!” and “Every step of these recipes is so clear, so easy….even brand-new brides win loads of praise on their Spry cookin’!”
This was a war-time booklet, of course, so there’s also advice for the homemaker on keeping her family “buoyantly healthy” as part of her patriotic duty. Most of the dessert recipes use minimal sugar, a consequence of wartime sugar rationing. Step back to a simpler time, and enjoy.
The Bride's Primer 