A 92-year-old southwest Iowa woman has been featured on the Cooking Channel. Guelda Barker of Mount Ayr appeared on an episode of “My Grandmother’s Ravioli” that aired last Wednesday and again on Sunday. During the episode, Mo Rocca, the show’s host, answered Barker’s phone as Barker bustled about the kitchen.

Barker is a retired lunch lady and well-known in Mount Ayr for her cinnamon rolls. Her recipe for cinnamon rolls was featured on the show, but Barker also showed Rocca some of the greeting cards she paints. Barker told Rocca she took a correspondence course after her first husband died and learned to paint with watercolors.

“How come you didn’t pursue it as a career?” Rocca asked. Barker answered: “Well, I just felt like I couldn’t handle it and do chores and take care of children and can and all that.” Rocca followed up: “Do you regret not pursuing it as a career?” Barker said: Yes, I do, because I think I could have made a little money. I loved it.” She shared her recipe for canned meat, plus recipes for cinnamon rolls, “Addictive Cookies”, “7-Up Salad” and “Blue Ribbon Chocolate Cake”. (A link to the recipe can be found here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/cinnamon-rolls.html )

The episode is titled “Walking on Ayr” — a play on Barker’s hometown of Mount Ayr and it was filmed in mid-July during this year’s “Ayr Days” celebration in Mount Ayr.

(Radio Iowa)