For those of you who may find yourself suddenly out in the real world or perhaps newly married only to find that neither of you cook, I have a life saver for you! Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (each edition since the 50's has been dubbed new) will teach you how to fry eggs, mash potatoes, cook noodles and then when you're ready, Pork with Fennel and Pancetta. 
I like to see what I'm cooking before I go to all the effort, so I like all the pictures. Also helpful, it tells you how long it's going to take to prepare and cook the meal, and that there are 522 calories in one slice of pecan pie... or maybe you didn't want to know that. So, forget that last perk... This book includes easy recipes for crock pots and bread machines for those of us who would like to save some time. Each chapter has informational tutorials on kitchen appliances and ingredients and how they are used. And if you started making something and realize you don't have an ingredient, there is a list of "Emergency Substitutions" in the back. Another thing that is good for, the list tells you how much onion powder is equivalent to one whole onion and similar substitutions.
Family favorite recipes that I have laminated in the book (because this book is a binder, pages can be removed, so I took advantage) are Coffee Cake Muffins, Biscuits Supreme, Oven-Fried Parmesan Chicken, GarlicChicken Stir-Fry with Cashews, and Pecan Pie, of course.
By the way, those pictures aren't actually from the book they are just what I could find online that look similar to the recipes mentioned. Mmmm... I think I'm going to make Parmesan Chicken later! Salty!
