Thank God it’s Monday, once again. I always look forward to every Monday, as they’re my 52 Chances a year, in which I get to share Memories of My Mom with you. Therefore, I love to say: “Happy Monday to one and all!”
Again, October has a lot for me to celebrate, especially in relation to Mom being the Secret RecipesTM Detective. This is National Business Women’s Week and it’s still Women’s Small Business Month.
Plus, as I’ve also mentioned several times before this, October is National Cookbook Month, National Book Month, Positive Attitude Month, and Self-Promotion Month. It’s definitely Mom’s best month, personified.
In addition to all of those celebrations, Wednesday is National TV Talk Show Host Day (also Johnny Carson’s birthday). Plus, Thursday is National Food Day. Additionally, Saturday, being the fourth one in October, is National Make A Difference Day.
Once more, I have to say, “Mom embodied all of these observances and more”, as she definitely made a difference in the food industry, too. While she wasn’t a TV talk show host, herself, Mom knew her fair share of them, just from being on some of their shows.
It was the TV talk shows, on which she appeared during her first 20 years in business, that catapulted Mom’s unique recipe business the most – locally (in the Detroit Metro area), nationally, as well as worldwide.
The first one she was on was “AM Detroit”, with host, Dennis Wholley; at WXYZ-TV, Channel 7, in Detroit, on November 14, 1974. That was soon followed by Bob Hynes’ show at CKLW-TV, Channel 9, in Windsor, Ontario (just across the river from Detroit).
On Christmas Eve (1976), Mom was interviewed, at our home in Algonac, by Jack McCarthy of WXYZ-TV, Channel 7 (Detroit, MI). She also appeared on national TV talk shows like the Phil Donahue Show (twice), ABC’s Home show (again, twice), CNN News, and PM Magazine.
On each show, she demonstrated her talents by imitating some of our favorite “junk foods”; such as KFC’s fried chicken, Oreo cookies, Hostess Twinkies, Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more.
After Mom’s FIRST appearance on the Phil Donahue Show, in 1981, when she demonstrated several of her popular fast food imitations; our small-town post office was inundated with about a million letters from viewers wanting more of what she had to offer.
The “offer”, as was mentioned throughout the show, was a sheet of sample recipes from Mom’s collection and ordering information for her books and newsletter in exchange for a self-addressed stamped envelope. We expected a lot of mail but never considered there would be over a million letters. I called it “Hurricane Donahue”.
As chaotic as it was, in the end, Mom recognized that the Donahue Show opened a lot of doors for her that might never have happened, otherwise. It brought her unique style of “copycat cookery” to the attention of MILLIONS of new eyes, worldwide, fairly quickly (and that was before household internet).
Mom felt very fortunate and grateful. The small family business boomed and, even though the experience nearly crushed our family’s cottage-style operation for Secret RecipesTM, all parties involved eventually survived and benefitted from the wild experience. However, Mom swore she’d never do another national TV show again.
Nevertheless, during the 1980-1981 winter season, while we were living in St. Clair, Mom had another at-home-interview with PM Magazine’s Detroit TV crew. She also appeared on Detroit’s Noon News show, on WDIV-TV, Channel 4 (Detroit, MI) that same winter.
Those TV talk show appearances brought her additional media attention and her fan base quickly and steadily grew larger. Then Mom’s FIRST appearance on ABC’s “Home” show, hosted by Rob Weller, came in February 1988, thanks to her good friend, Carol Duvall, who set it up.
The show pleasantly surprised Mom with an in-person introduction to the famous Wally Amos, himself, who was so impressed with her imitations of his cookies that he asked her not to go into the cookie business. Mom told me it was one of the most thrilling and memorable experiences she ever had.
So much so that she agreed to be on the show again in March 1991. However, that show didn’t go as well, for Mom, and it bittered her against doing anymore TV cooking demonstrations. After the one bad experience Mom had on ABC’s “Home” show, in 1991, Mom swore again that she wouldn’t do anymore TV talk shows.
On Memorial Day, 1990, a CNN News crew came out to our St. Clair home to film an interview with Mom. She thought they did a wonderful job in capturing her story and talents. They even returned the next day to film more, including some of her radio visits that she did by phone from her desk, in the office just off of the kitchen.
Within a couple of hours of the CNN crew leaving our house, Mom started getting phone calls from Connecticut and Los Angeles, where the film had already been on the news. She was so grateful for CNN and the new friends she made there.
In October 1990, Mom appeared on Detroit’s local Kelly & Company TV talk show [WXYZ-TV, Channel 7 (Detroit, MI)] with the hosts, husband and wife team, John Kelly and Marilyn Turner. She had so much fun with John and Marilyn that she agreed to appear for a SECOND time, soon after. That show was on May 8, 1991.
As much as she loved Johnny Carson, Mom even turned down an appearance on the Tonight Show, before he retired. However, she did quickly become friends with fellow Michiganders, Pam and Ed McMahon. Below is a brief story Mom wrote about the happier, first occasion she had on the “Home” show.
MORE FROM MOM’S MEMORIES…
As seen in…
The Copycat Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; April 1988, p. 3)
TALKING FOOD
I KNOW I SAID I would never do another television show after the Donahue experience (July 1981), but when my good friend, Carol Duval, called me and asked me to give [ABC’s] ‘Home’ show a try, I was glad that I finally agreed.
The most exciting part of the experience was being completely surprised by a visit on stage from Wally Amos, who (in 1975) founded the world’s first cookie shop!
The ‘Home’ show [people] had brought him into Los Angeles just to meet me and sample my version of his product, which I was preparing on that show. I was absolutely delighted with the sample tin [I received] of his assorted cookies…
In my BETTER COOKERY Cookbook [1982], I give you accounts of unhappy experiences with companies who’s legal advisors had us quite frightened at one time, for having attempted to duplicate their secrets in my own kitchen.
Wally Amos – like Harland Sanders [of KFC], Jack Sanders (…the famous confectionary), …Arthur Treacher, the people at White Castle Hamburgers, and those good folks at General Foods – as well as McDonald’s own Paul Duncan have given me encouragement [and] appreciation for having attempted to compliment them with flattery.
In 1993, Mom somehow agreed to be on Phil Donahue’s show, once again. Only this time, the show was not allowed to give out any of her contact information. She just wanted to give the audience some free recipes, have fun with Phil, and do a few cooking demonstrations.
Consequently, that episode smashed all records for the most requested transcripts ever. The producer sent Mom the plaque they had received for the achievement. Even though home internet was not a common place thing, at the time, people still found us. We received a lot of mail, again, but it wasn’t as bad as the first time she was on the show.
In 1993, Mom agreed to do an infomercial with Guthie-Renker Corp., out in California, to promote the Recipe Detective’s cookbooks. It was set up like a TV talk show, called ‘Ask Mike’, similar to Phil Donahue’s and Rob Weller’s interviews and cooking demonstrations.
It also included appearances by Wally Amos, as an on-the-street reporter, getting people to taste-test Mom’s imitations compared to the real products and give their personal reviews or comments, just as Donahue’s and Weller’s audience members did, as well.
The infomercial was produced and directed by Positive Response Television but the project ended up being shelved, as Guthie-Renker wanted to change too much about Mom’s cookbooks, regarding looks and content, which infuriated her as it had with all of the publishers she turned away after her first appearance with Phil.
Plus, there was other drama, as well. In the end, it was a big disappointment and a really unpleasant endeavor for all parties involved. The infomercial never publicly aired, however, our family was given several copies of the infomercial on VCR tapes (that shows how old our technology was at that time).
Once again and finally for good, Mom refused to do any more TV talk shows. She never gave in again and never regretted the decision, continuing to turn down offers from other big, national TV talk shows like The Rosie O’Donnell Show and The Late Show, with David Letterman. Mom found that radio talk shows fit best with her wants and needs.
LAST THOUGHTS…
Tomorrow is National Color Day. Thus, next week I’ll be writing about celebrating color, as Michigan goes into its biggest wave of fall color change. Color can affect our lives in so many ways. Mother nature’s colorful beauty is no different, as fall brings on comforting memories.
Thanks for visiting! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my memories of my mom, her memories, and other related things. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I’m also on Facebook – @TheRecipeDetective.
IN CLOSING…
In honor of October, being National Pork Month, AND Thursday, being National Food Day, here are TWO of Mom’s secret recipes – one for “Watergate Inn Pork Loin Roast”, plus her “Quick Pan Drippings Gravy”. Both are in her self-published cookbook, The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes© Book (Secret RecipesTM, Marysville, MI; June 1997, p. 50).
[NOTE: As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to re-share it.]
P.S. Food-for-thought until next Monday…
October observes a lot of things, including these food related celebrations:
Eat Better & Eat Together Month, National Apple Month, National Applejack Month, National Bake and Decorate Month, National Caramel Month, National Chili Month, National Cookie Month, National Dessert Month, National Pasta Month, National Pickled Peppers Month, National Pizza Month, National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, National Pretzel Month, National Sausage Month, National Seafood Month, Pear and Pineapple Month, Rhubarb Month, Spinach Lovers Month, Tackling Hunger Month, and Vegetarian Month.
Other October observances that aren’t directly food related but could be kissing cousins, include…
Halloween Safety Month, Italian-American Heritage Month, National Arts & Humanities Month, National Fire Prevention Month, National Kitchen & Bath Month, Polish American Heritage Month, and National Reading Group Month.
Since yesterday kicked off the third week in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Kraut Sandwich Week, National Friends of Libraries Week, National Forest Products Week, Free Speech Week, and National Retirement Planning Week.
Today is… National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. Additionally, as the third Monday in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day.
Tomorrow is… National Make a Dog’s Day and National Nut Day.
Wednesday, October 23rd, is… National Boston Cream Pie Day.
Thursday, October 24th, is… National Bologna Day and United Nations Day.
October 25th is… National Greasy Food Day and Sourest Day. Plus, as the last Friday in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Breadstick Day.
October 26th is… National Tennessee Day, National Pumpkin Day, and National Mincemeat Day. Plus, as the last Saturday in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Trick or Treat Day.
October 27th is… National American Beer Day. Plus, as the fourth Sunday in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Mother-in-Law Day.
Have a great week!
…43 down and only 9 more to go!
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