Martha Grace Blackburn was born on January 6, 1925 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was an infant, for some unknown reason an older sibling gave her the nickname "Mooky," which was shortened to "Mook" as she grew up. After a brief career as a secretary during World War II, she married her high school sweetheart, Harold Fay Mills, when he returned from service in the Pacific Theater, U.S. Navy, 1946. Over the years, Mook raised their five children while Fay operated first the family hardware business and later several other successful businesses. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1996. Sadly, Mook passed away after a brief illness on May 1, 1999.

Mook had such an engaging, vibrant personality and a clear love for life and those around her that her spirit endures. Like all traditional Southern wives and mothers, she was an excellent cook. Over the years, she took a basic cheese straw recipe and adjusted amounts and types of cheeses, flours, spices and other ingredients until she achieved a taste and texture that were beyond comparison. Her cheese straws were always in great demand for parties and other occasions in Tuscumbia, although she produced them only for family and close friends.

Recently, the Mills family began to explore the possibility of making Mook's cheese straws available commercially. After two years of research, and the invaluable assistance of the Shoals Commercial Culinary Center (a commercial kitchen located in Florence, Alabama), Mook's straws are now available to the public. In converting the recipe to commercial processes, we have taken great care to ensure the finished product has the identical taste and texture as the straws that came from Mook's own oven on Lafayette Street in Tuscumbia. If they weren't exactly the same, we wouldn't be offering them. We use only ingredients Mook mandated - she would have stood for nothing less. Our standard of quality control has always been and will remain - "Would Mook have approved of this?" If she wouldn't, then it's not going on a retailer's shelf.

To guarantee freshness, a 90-day expiration date appears on each bag. An inner zip-loc liner further ensures the product stays as fresh as possible. Mook's Cheese Straws can be frozen, but we recommend quick use after thawing in order to maintain their natural taste. They are available in 2-oz, 7-oz, 12-oz, and 32-oz bags. We hope you and your customer's enjoy Mook's Cheese Straws!