Aunt Sammy was a fictional character created by the Bureau of Home Economics of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for a popular radio show called Housekeepers' Chat.

[3] Other family members and friends included Ebenezer, an uncle; Billy, a nephew; Percy DeWillington, a fussy eater, and the Nosy Neighbor.

"Backyard Gossip" might discuss nutrition, health, clothing, gardening, home life or social activities.

[8] The book Engines of Our Ingenuity stated: "Aunt Sammy wasn’t the voice of a single woman, but hundreds of women working from scripts at their respective radio stations.

"[9] The show included jokes, commentary on the news and household advice, but its main focus was to help rural women prepare nutritious meals based on simple recipes.

[10] Morse Salisbury, who was chief of the radio service fee for the USDA, was responsible for the friendly, chatty style of the Aunt Sammy character.

[8] Sammy would comment on current events, such as the 1926 visit of Queen Marie of Romania to the United States, which took place shortly after the show premiered.

[11] During the Great Depression the Aunt Sammy character stopped being used, and the radio program, renamed Homemaker Chats became "drier and more factual".

[13] By 1931, when Aunt Sammy's Radio Recipes Revised was printed, the cookbook had been enlarged and improved four times.