1998-2004 – Secret Recipes Bulletin, a series by Gloria Pitzer

1998-2004 – Secret Recipes Bulletin series by Gloria Pitzer

1998-2004 – Secret Recipes Bulletin was a series written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, Marysville, MI). There were 7 “Bulletins” in all – most were double-sided, 8½” x 11”, full-page collections of recipes inspired by specific restaurants or “name brands”, plus tips and historic information – that sold for $1 each and are NO LONGER IN PRINT.

1998-2002:

Bulletin #101 – Imitations of Old Country Buffet or Hometown Buffet Specialties – 18 recipes

Bulletin #102 – Imitations of Boston Market Dishes – 17 recipes

Bulletin #103 – Imitations of Bob Evans Restaurant Favorites – 17 recipes

Bulletin #104 – 20 Different Cookies from One Recipe! – Based on a basic recipe for a Mrs. Field’s-Style cookie, which Gloria called “Mrs. Meadows’ Soft Cookies”; plus, 20 options to go with it! This bulletin had a one-page, 8½” x 14”, legal-size format.

2003-2004:

Bulletin #105 – Imitations of Fred Sanders Favorites – 14 recipes

Bulletin #106 – Imitations of Bill Knapp Favorites – 11 recipes

Bulletin #107 – Imitations of J. L. Hudson Favorites – 11 recipes

1997 – Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Folder – Chicken Soup & Other Comfort Foods

1997 (Fall) – Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Folder – Chicken Soup & Other Comfort Foods

1997 – Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Folder – Chicken Soup & Other Comfort Foods was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this was an 8.5” x 11”, 6-page folder of perfect soup and comfort-food recipes for the cold, winter-weather months. It sold for $2 a copy until 1999, when the folder was down-sized to 4-pages, which included 29 recipes. This edition of the folder sold for $1.50 each until it sold out in the Fall of 2000; during which time Gloria started developing a series of “Bulletins” in a similar fashion.

1986 – Granny Square How To by Gloria Pitzer

1986 (Fall) – Granny Square How To by Gloria Pitzer

1986 – Granny Square How To was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this 4-page folder of crochet patterns and projects (for vests, sweaters, purses and hats) had an 8½“ x 11” format and sold for $1 a copy. It was meant to be “Number 1 in a series” that could be collected in a 3-ring binder, like the Gloria Pizer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter. However, the series never came to fruition as Gloria had a number of other publishings happening at that time as well. Thus, the project was put on a back-burner, to simmer. I have not found any other issues to the series.

We’d love to hear from anyone who has any of these folders still! Please, write to: [email protected]

1992 – 50 Truly Unique Recipes by Gloria Pitzer

1992 (Fall-Winter) – 50 Truly Unique Recipes by Gloria Pitzer

1992 – 50 Truly Unique Recipes was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this limited edition folder has a 12-page, 8.5” x 11” format full of 57 recipes from apple pie spice to zucchini milk, using unlikely ingredients with great success. It sold for $3 per folder.

1986 – This is Not a Cook Book by Gloria Pitzer

1986 Oct – This is Not a Cook Book by Gloria Pitzer

1986 – This is Not a Cook Book was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this book has a 120-page, 5.5″ x 8.5″ format and sold for $5 each. There are no recipes in this book; however, it is filled with a unique collection of Gloria’s trademark humor, “Food for Thought”, feel-good stories, inspirational quotes and other things to smile about!

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “It’s Gloria Pitzer’s Food for Thought”
  • Printings: 1
  • Years: Oct 1986 – Dec 1987
  • Recipes: none
  • Pages: 120
  • Size: 5.5″ x 8.5″
  • Price: $5
  • Used copies on eBay: none found
  • Used copies on Amazon: none found
  • ISBN: unknown
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT

1979 – Gloria Pitzer’s Dieter’s Digest

1979 (Dec) – Gloria Pitzer’s Dieter’s Digest

1979 – Gloria Pitzer’s Dieter’s Digest booklet was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this little booklet had a 24-page, 5.5″ x 8.5″ format filled with dieting information, inspirational and humorous stories and healthy recipes. It sold for $1 per issue.

1975 – Gloria Pitzer’s Snow Thyself

1975 – Gloria Pitzer’s Snow Thyself

1975 – Gloria Pitzer’s Snow Thyself was a sort of “self-help” book written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Happy Newspaper Features, Pearl Beach, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this book was sub-titled “The 1975 Happiness Handbook” and had an 8.5” x 11” format with 16 pages full of feel-good stories, quotes and meditation. No information could be found regarding the price for which it sold.

Fun Facts:

    • Sub-Title: “The 1975 Happiness Handbook”
    • Printings: 1
    • Years: 1975
    • Recipes: none
    • Pages: 16
    • Size: 8.5″ x 11”
    • Cover: Paperback
    • Price: unknown
    • Used copies on eBay: not found
    • Used copies on Amazon: not found
    • ISBN: unknown
    • NO LONGER IN PRINT

1974 – The Big-Little Cookbooklet by Gloria Pitzer

1974 – The Big-Little Cookbooklet was a small-sized booklet written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Happy Newspaper Features, Pearl Beach, MI) & was part of a limited series called “Dumb Little Cookbooks – Reliable Recipes for Reluctant Cooks” from Gloria’s Homemaker’s Newsletter. NO LONGER IN PRINT – This book has a 5.5” x 4.5” format of 48 pages with 22 recipes for low & no sugar dishes, desserts, main dishes, salads and side dishes. The booklet also has 15 “write-your-own-recipe” pages, plus extra “cook’s notes” pages. The booklets were assembled and decorated by hand and sold for $1 each.

Fun Facts:

    • Printings: 1
    • Years: 1974
    • Recipes: 22
    • Pages: 48
    • Size: 5.5″ x 4.5″
    • Cover: Paperback
    • Price: $1
    • Used copies on eBay: not found
    • Used copies on Amazon: not found
    • ISBN: unknown
    • NO LONGER IN PRINT

THE HISTORY OF “Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter”

1974 – Gloria Pitzer’s Homemaker’s Newsletter – written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Happy Newspaper Features, Pearl Beach, MI) – started as “a monthly compendium of fact and fancies”, as Gloria referred to it, adding that it was “the almost-magazine…not quite a newspaper…that can build into a book.” NO LONGER IN PRINT – this was, originally, a small, 3-ring binder-style publication, printed in a 5.5” x 8.5” format with 12 back-to-back pages packed full of “food for the table and food for thought”, household tips, humorous quips and cartoons; plus, a “Readers Swap Shop”. The newsletter originally sold for $0.50 per issue, as well as $2.75 for a 6-month subscription or $5 for a 1-year subscription.

Over the decades, the newsletter evolved with the changing times – the name slightly changed a few times, as well as the size and number of issues printed in a year; plus, of course, the cost grew with inflation too. By 1976, it was being published monthly in an 8.5” x 11”, 10-page format and sold for $0.50 per copy or $6 for a 1-year subscription. By 1978 the name slightly changed to Gloria Pitzer’s National Home News Magazine, though the format remained the same; and it sold for $7 per 1-year subscription.

In 1980, Gloria Pitzer revised the newsletter again, getting right to the heart of cooking – reducing the number of ingredients to comply with your time and, most of all, your budget. While the format size remained the same, the name was changed to “Gloria Pitzer’s Monthly Cookbook of Secret Recipes”. Each copy contained about 100 recipes and sold for $1 per issue, or you could subscribe for a full year.

Starting with the Summer issue of 1984 (Jul-Aug-Sep), the newsletter was published quarterly under the name Gloria Pitzer’s Cook’s Quarterly, still in an 8.5” x 11” format with up to 20 pages full of “Food for Thought” & “Thoughts on Food”; plus, household hints, short cut cooking tips and recipes for imitating favorite restaurant dishes and grocery products at home. It sold for $10 per 1-year (4 issues) subscription or $2.50 for a single issue.

By 1986, the newsletter was being published every 2 months under the name Secret Recipes Newsletter. Still in the 8.5” x 11” format, the 12-page publication boasted at least 50 recipes per issue along with humorous stories, “Food for Thought” and news on nutrition, restaurants and product reviews. It continued to sell for $10 for a 1-year subscription of 6 issues (or $2 per single copy) until 1989, when the price was raised to $12.50 for a 1-year subscription (or $2.50 per single copy). Then, in 1991, the price went down to $12 per year and $2.50 for single copies. The bi-monthly newsletter was temporarily retired after the March-April 1994 issue.

However, in 1995, the publication was back by popular demand under the name Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Quarterly for $16 per year (4 issues) with 20 pages per issue; each issue featured at least 75 recipes for imitating famous restaurant dishes and grocery products at home; plus, more “Food for Thought”, household hints and cooking tips. But, by 1997, the publication went back to the bi-monthly, 12-page format under the old name, Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter and sold for $16 per 1-year subscription (6 issues) or $2.75 per single copy.

In January 1998, the newsletter went back to being a monthly publication with the name shortened to Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes. The 8.5” x 11”, 8-page format was still full of “Food for Thought”, household hints and tips, famous restaurant recipes and grocery products you can make at home. During its last year of publication, it sold for $18 per 1-year subscription or $2 per single copy. It was permanently retired, after 27 years, with the December 2000 issue.

“Every issue is like getting together for coffee with friends!” SM – Gloria Pitzer

We’d love to hear from anyone who still has old copies of her original newsletters! Please write to us at: [email protected]

The Inception of “Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes”

1972-1976 – The development of the “Original 200” – a recipe card collection by Gloria Pitzer

(July 1976 ad for Gloria Pitzer’s 4×6-inch recipe cards.)

1972-1976 – “Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes” began with a unique collection of about 200 recipes (each printed on 4”x6” index cards, ready for filing), which Gloria developed and tested in her own kitchen – recipes for making famous fast-food dishes and favorite supermarket products right at home; with the intention to save households money on their “entertaining” & “grocery” costs. This photo (above) is a copy of one of her own ads [as seen on the back of her bi-centennial cookbook, Gloria Pitzer’s The American Cookery Cookbook (July1976)], for how to buy these recipe cards at $0.25 each or 5 for $1. These are NO LONGER IN PRINT!

We’d love to hear from anyone who still has her original, individual recipe cards! Please write to us at: [email protected]