ittle House on the Prairie
. Just saying those words evokes in fans a comforting nostalgia and a sense of family. And, yes, even love. For me,
Little House on the Prairie
means “home” in the truest sense of the word. That's where I grew up. I often tell people that I grew up in the seventiesâthe 1870s!

I was Laura. Laura was Melissa. We were melded together. I hunted frogs, fished, rode my horse, played with Jack the dogâall
off
camera. I did the same on camera, but off camera was even more fun. Don't get me wrongâthe work part was fantastic, but it was also serious business. For me, at the tender ages of nine through nineteen, to be taken seriously and to help collaborate on the making of that show was a great gift. I felt respected and trusted. I felt capable. I felt special.
Little House on the Prairie
shaped me into the person I am today. Not only did I learn life lessons from behind the scenes, I also learned them from the material we were filming.

People are always asking me questions about those wonderful
Little House
daysâin fact, you'll find many answers to FAQs in the pages that followâbut one of the things I'm asked about most often is the food. Food was such a big part of the show, and the questions range from “What did they really eat back in those days?” to “What did they serve at Nellie's restaurant?” to “What were you really eating when you filmed the dinner scenes?” (The surprising answer: It was often Kentucky Fried Chicken!) Because there is such interest in this subject, I started thinking a lot about prairie food and my own recipes. I have a large family (and there are a lot of men in it), and they love nothing more than when I make a big, comforting meal that they can dig into. So included in this cookbook are all the prairie classics: fried chicken, baked ham,
corn bread, apple pie, and many more. When I can, I try to put a healthy spin on the dishes, for our modern lifestyles, as in the Very Veggie Soup (
this page
) and the Greeny McGreen Green Salad (
this page
). I've also included recipes for some of my long-time personal family favoritesâsuch as Puffy Oven Pancake (
this page
) and My Tuna-Noodle Casserole (
this page
). Some of these family favorites would fit right into the prairie world, while others are more contemporary in their ingredients or preparation. I love nothing more than to see my family truly enjoy a meal I've prepared. It fills up my mom/wife heart. I hope these recipes will do the same things for you and the people you love.

Aside from these nearly eighty simple and delicious dishes, I've also included lots of stories, anecdotes, and images that show and tell what it was like behind the scenes of our show. I've tried to answer all of the questions from fans and tell them the things they've wanted to know. So, aside from a scrumptious collection of my favorite recipes and some insanely beautiful photos of them, you'll also be able to peek behind the scenes of
Little House,
which was such a significant part of my life for so many years.

Fans of the show tell me how
Little House
made them strive for all that really matters in life: family, love, community, faith, respect, and tolerance. I am a fan, too, and I think that a large part of the appeal of the show is because it has always grounded us. Each episode has a lesson, a message. Life gets rough. There is a lot of turmoil in the world. Times change. Technology changes, but
Little House on the Prairie
lives on because the stories are simple. Love thy neighbor. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Believe in yourself and others. And, maybe even the most important, prepare a delightful family dinner that everyone can sit down to together at the end of a long day and share. Some people might describe these ideals as simplistic, but I think it's the opposite. It is easier to be cynical, closed off, and angry. It is much harder to be open, loving, kind, and generous of spirit.

Little House
fans know this. That is why they are so loyal and constant. All over the world, people watch our show because they want to be reminded of what it's like to feel.
Little House on the Prairie
opens people's hearts. It definitely opened mine.

I miss my
Prairie
family and think of them every day. Especially my Pa. This one's for you, Mike. I do hope I've made you proud.

Love,