An oldie but goodie . . .

This image is a familiar one for most of us. The cheerful red and white checked book is almost an icon to American home cooking. I actually own two different editions of this cookbook.
This picture is of the 1976 edition, the one I imagine my mother probably received for her wedding. The book that contained the one recipe that my family has probably made most over the years.
I remember making this recipe many times growing up.
The funny thing is, by the time I remember starting to make this recipe, the cookbook had started to disintegrate with much use and many of the most well-loved pages had fallen out. This particular page had not only fallen out, but was dog-eared, wrinkled, and a little discolored with grease. But, we always made the recipe from this little scrap of the original page. I'm sure we must have written it down other places, and at times one or more of us had the recipe mostly committed to memory. But we were always on the search for this poor little page. I think it's nothing short of a miracle that it never got lost. . . I wonder if my mother still has it?
I now make the recipe from a copy. But I never forget what the original looked like. I don't use my "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook for new recipes much--maybe I should? I actually really like it for: the substitutions list on the back inside cover, the "canning and freezing" section for its basic instructions, and a few very basic but essential recipes: white and hollandaise sauces, butter frosting, and angel food cake (from scratch--the ONLY way to go!). But I'll always be grateful for this one recipe because it will ALWAYS taste like my home:
CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS
1 c shortening
1 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 package of chocolate chips
1 c broken nuts (optional)

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixer. Mix flour, salt, and soda in separate bowl until well combined. Add to sugar mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop with spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen average-sized cookies. A tip from my dad: The cookies are better a little under-done, so don't let them get too brown. A tip from me: take a plate to someone else because if they sit around the kitchen you may eat them all yourself. Happy Baking!