When Amy Horton of Athens started her Facebook page “Amy’s Down Home Cooking” as a place to share recipes, trade cooking tips, post pictures of meals and as a way to have good, clean fun, she had no idea the group would gain almost 4,000 members in less than five weeks.

“It started out with me sharing my recipes,” Horton said. “Then I asked others if they wanted to share. It has just blown up.” 

A number of the group’s members are from Limestone County. However, Horton said members are sharing their ideas from as far away as Canada and Germany. She added that those who have family members in other states such as California and Illinois are also enjoying the group.

As the page grew, members of the group requested that Horton put together a cookbook containing the shared recipes.

“That’s what I’m working on now,” Horton said. “Each person will get credit for their recipe in the cookbook.” 

It doesn’t stop there. Horton is giving $3 of each sale to St. Jude. “There have been so many children in our community who have recently got sick and I want to do something for them.” Horton said.

The cookbook “Amy’s Down Home Cooking,” published by Morris Publishing Company,  will cost $15 and should be completed by mid-October, early-November. “Cookbooks will be here in time for Christmas,” Horton said.

She added when she posted she was taking pre-orders last Friday night within 45 minutes, she had 100 sold. She will continue to take orders for the next two weeks.

She believes a lot of the book’s acclaim comes from the fact that most of the meals can be prepared for under $25 and are designed for working moms and dads who don’t have a lot of extra time on their hands.

“There will be a second volume,” she said. “The books only hold a 150 recipes and we have thousands.” 

The popularity of the group has also encouraged Horton to start a blog, amysdownhomecooking@blogspot.com.

Fact is, she just enjoys cooking. “I always cooked with both of my grandmothers,” she said.

Before the group was created Horton would share what she was cooking on her personal Facebook page. Then, people started asking to see pictures and  wanted to know how the dish was prepared.

So instead of continuing to post the meals on her personal page, she created the group.

At first, she added 10 of her friends. “That was on a Thursday night,” she said. “By that Sunday night it was over 700 people.” 

Horton is shocked by the groups’ fanfare.

“I was about to fall out,” she said. But, one thing’s for sure, she’s happy to share what she’s learned with others in Limestone County and beyond.