Dolly Parton Shares Sweet Childhood Memories That Sparked Her Inner Chef

When you come from a large family, it can be overwhelming. Lots of kids often mean lots of messes and even more chores. Sometimes, older siblings will help take care of the younger ones just to give their parents a break. Even though it can be chaotic, it is also a lot of fun—just ask Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton Is One Of 12 Kids & Has Beautiful Childhood Memories

Dolly and her 11 siblings were raised with little money but a lot of love in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. She and her sister, Rachel Parton George , collaborated on a new cookbook of family recipes. Dolly and Rachel said they learned to cook “out of necessity.”

Dolly told People that with so many kids in the house, everyone had to pitch in.

“We’d have to climb up on the chairs to peel potatoes, turnips, or whatever. We were really helping out when Mama was not well, or in bed with a kid or having a new baby or whatever… so my first [lesson] came out of just really being a necessity of us helping mom as the older girls,” Dolly told People .

The sisters’ new cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin,’ includes 80 recipes from the Parton family’s kitchen, including a “Slaw of Many Colors,” a point of her hit song Coat of Many Colors . Their strawberry shortcake calls for a “Dolly Dollop” whipped cream, which Rachel told people as “A generous helping, how’s that?”

Dolly said that while she eats a bit healthier at 78, their cookbook is filled with delicious recipes.

“Southern food is healthier than people assume it is, anyway,” Dolly said. “And Rachel has a way of not going overboard these days. You can learn to cook good southern food without putting as much grease, lard, bacon grease, whatever you do, or butter.”

Good Lookin’ Cookin’ A Year of Meals- A Lifetime Of Family, Friends, and Food will be available on September 17.

This story’s featured image is by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for American Greetings.

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