“I’ve loved the Folk Center for a long time,” she said. “It always seemed like a great place to work – and it is.”

Now Alice spends her days making biscuits, hoe cakes and tea cakes for the visitors. She shares stories of the old wood cook stove, the pie safe, the ice box and the other wonderful treasures from a time past that make up the collection in the kitchen. As she cooks on the wood stove and talks, she gets to hear stories from the visitors. People love to share their memories of family, kitchens, food and growing up.  Children love the kitchen, too.

“One little girl spent a long time in here yesterday,” said Alice, smiling. “She asked questions and helped me with the cooking. Then we went outside together and ground some corn. At the end of the day she came back and asked me if she could take home the corn she ground.”

Food is central to life and community in the Ozarks. Alice’s family is no exception. She has compiled and printed three cookbooks of family recipes.

“I can’t keep the Biscuit Cookbook in stock,” she said, “they sell as fast as I make them up.” She also has mixes for different old-fashioned foods, such as cinnamon raisin biscuits, blueberry pancakes and bean soup for sale in the Country Kitchen. Her newest item is braided rag rug style trivets. Alice braids the rags at home in the evening.

Crafting is a long-standing family tradition. Alice’s husband, Larry owns and operates Chambers Cabinets in Shirley where he uses hardwoods to create beautiful custom cabinets.

Even with the long commute from Shirley, Alice is loving her new life in the Country Kitchen. Between the people, the stories and the good food, she’s found what she was searching for.

“The Folk Center is a stress-free zone,” she said with a smile. “Everybody’s just so happy and relaxed. It’s really some place special.”