Melissa Sperka learned to cook, like many people, from her mother and her grandmothers. For generations, her family made gathering around the kitchen table for meals an important part of every day-something to look forward to and cherish. She's passing these values on to her own children, and to the many readers of her blog, Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Sperka's grandparents lived on the food they grew and harvested on their Virginia farmland. Her mother continued this tradition as her mother did before her, canning, freezing, and cooking fresh produce from her backyard garden. Everyone was welcome at the supper table: family, neighbors, and friends alike.  Pull up a chair, encourages Sperka, and become inspired to cook with recipes such as these:

• Puff Pastry-Wrapped Smokies
• Sweet-Tomato Glazed Meat Loaf
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken Spaghetti
• Granma's Famous Blueberry Icebox Pie
• Jalapeno Jepper Jack Corn Bread

This cookbook is a labor of love, paying homage to those who instilled in her a love for cooking and baking Southern-style.