Easy-to-make snowmen cookies for Christmas, yummy sweet potato pie for a nutritious dessert, and healthy ways to prepare vegetables and meat for delicious family meals – let Katie show you how to make them.

Katie, the key figure in an Extension pamphlet series known as "Katie Comes Calling," offers healthful tips and yummy, easy-to-read recipes for families with limited resources. The series was created about 34 years ago as a pilot program in Alabama. It was designed to serve as a tool to help county agents, dietitians and nutritionists educate the low-literacy public about nutrition. Using a fictional character named Katie, the series offers easy-to-prepare recipes and creative food preparation ideas.

The series has been in continuous distribution since 1971, going out by direct mail every other month to county agents across the state. It has become so popular that it is now used nationwide and has been requested by healthcare providers in 28 other countries. In 1993, the National Cancer Institute used a version of "Katie" in its "Tips on How to Eat Less Fat" NIH publication (#96-3910), says Dr. Evelyn Crayton, Extension foods and nutrition specialist.

Crayton currently heads the team of writers that creates "Katie." She says the series has grown steadily in popularity over the years. Since assuming responsibility for the bi-monthly pamphlet, she has received numerous letters addressed to Katie expressing thanks for the series and asking for more information on topics such as soybeans, a vegetarian diet or folic acid.

"Every ‘Katie’ is designed to help people have a better quality of life," says Crayton. "There’s a ‘Katie’ on how to cook vegetables properly for maximum nutrient retention, on food storage, on food purchasing, on budgeting and on planning meals for your family. They’re all designed to help low-literacy people help themselves and their families."

To be placed on a "Katie Comes Calling" mailing list, contact your county Extension agent.