Christmastime Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole FamilyA Holiday Celebrations Book (Creative Crafts) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was so helpful to me as a full time working mother with a 7 year old daughter. The crafts were simple to do, yet looked like we had spent days in the making. What more could a mother want! My daughter loved making the easy decoupage christmas balls almost as much as my in-laws loved receiving them. The candy land house was our schools answer to the dreded gingerbread house (the frame is made from a six pack carboard container) I cheer the author who can put together such a well written & workable book. In closing I am off to the kitchen to whip up one of the fabulous recipes! I would say wish me luck, but I have confidence in the Snow White Bunnies being the perfect answer.

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What's For Dinner? Review

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(More customer reviews)I have bought other menu style cookbook but this one is the only one I can't seem to break away from. Why do I want to break away from it? Too many of the recipes use canned soup and the overall diet is high in saturated fat. Why do I love it? Because it gets a number of courses on the table with so little effort, it looks impressive and although I think many of the side dishes are only so-so, my (grown) son has loved almost every meal I've made from this book. I also save money using this cookbook. The recipes call for inexpensive, easy to find and familiar ingredients. Also much thought has been given towards incorporating left-overs into the menus, from roast beef to that bag of potatoes. There is even an ingredient index in the back of the book. I have other cookbooks that are advertised as being "budget" but the author of this cookbook seems to understand that waste is a bigger budget buster than buying chicken breasts, for example, instead of chicken thighs.
If you like economical cooking that is ridiculously easy to make, fairly healthy but uses canned soups and packaged foods a lot in the menus, you might like the online weekly meal plans on e-mealz. (Be sure to put in the dash. You want e-mealz, not emealz.) They have several different meal plans to choose from and it costs $15 for 3 months. They even have plans for certain stores like Walmart where they tell you what brands to buy in order to get the best price.

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Betty Crocker's Entertaining Basics: Learning to Entertain with Confidence Review

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(More customer reviews)I received this as a gift and was going to give it to my son. Then I looked at it and decided I could not give it away so am ordering one for him. Very easy to use, clear cut..shows what you need and then the recipe in a clear, concise format. Many helpful tips throughout the book. Don't be fooled by the title. I do not entertain much anymore but am enjoying the recipes. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

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A complete guide to the basics of entertaining at home with confidence and ease -- filled with 100 of the best recipe choices for entertaining and lots of tips to make it all look perfect.The four elements of a great party are the Entertaining Equation: Good Company + Good Food + Good Setting + Good Planning = Great Time! Betty Crocker's Entertaining Basics: Learning to Entertain with Confidence details all the steps to take to guarantee that a party adds up just right.One hundred of the best recipes to prepare for a party are here, from appetizers to desserts (all photographed) in an easy-to-read and easy-to-follow format. Plus, you'll find more than 25 easy Set the Scene" decorating ideas (all photographed) for making festive additions to the table such as: a picture frame serving tray; illustrated menu-, buffet-, or placecards; rustic cast-iron candleholders; iced decorated wine bottle.And, there are more than 80 how-to's (all photographed) explaining basic and slightly more advanced cooking techniques such as: pressing out pizza crust dough; layering lasagna ingredients; cutting and seeding a jalapeno chili."

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The Beach House Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I love the Beach House Cookbook. It's filled with summer classics with a twist like the BLT salad with buttermilk blue cheese dressing which was a great hit. This is a real staple cookbook for me this summer. I've given it as a host gift a couple of times. My hosts loved the delicious photography and were inspired to cook from its easy recipes.

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A great day at the beach calls for great foodespecially delicious, quick dishes that leave time for fun in the sun. Barbara Scott-Goodman serves up more than 75 recipes for sensational meals for those spending a weekend at the coast or for whom the seaside is home. Recipes for appetizers, soups, sandwiches, main courses, salads, desserts, and cocktails feature farmstand fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and shellfish, and meats for the grill that celebrate summer's bounty. Steamed Mussels in Tomato-Fennel Broth and Chicken & Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Asian Peanut Sauce make for delightful post-beach fare. Fire up the barbecue for Grilled Swordfish with Mango Salsa andvoil!instant backyard beach party. For dessert, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie or Brownie Sundaes with Raspberry Sauce are guaranteed to please. With photos that capture the beauty of both the coast and the cuisine, The Beach House Cookbook offers all the right ingredients for fabulous diningwith an ocean view.

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Finnish Touches: Recipes & Traditions Review

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(More customer reviews)Now in a revised and expanded edition, Finnish Touches: Recipes And Traditions blends Finnish traditions and lore with mouth-watering recipes. The first half of Finish Touches is devoted to engaging anecdotes, thoughts, and introductions to beloved Finnish cultural icons such as the sauna. The second half proves authentic Finnish cuisine ranging from Kaljakeitto (Finnish Beer Cheese Soup); Klimpit (Finnish Dumplings); and Rieska (Finnish Flat Barley Bread); to Sillisalaatti (Herring Salad); Lammasmuhennos (Finnish Simmered Lamb); and Illmapuuro (Finnish Air Pudding). Color and black-and-white photographs enhance this joyous and highly recommended celebration of Finnish cultural and culinary heritage.

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This book updates and adds new essays, photos, information, and recipes to the content of our popular 80-page Fantastically Finnish. Now 160 pages, this book presents a concise history and reference to Finland today as well as discovers more Finns in the United States and Canada. Joanne Asala tells about searching for her Finnish heritage, with tips for resources. There are reprints from Inkeri Väänänen-Jensen's Inkeri's Journey that speaks to growing up Finnish on Minnesota's Iron Range and Finnish foods. Recipes have been added to the food section, and there are 16 pages of color photographs.

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Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)If you keep a garden journal, you'll want to buy this now so you'll know what to add to your vegetable garden for next year. It is full of beautiful pictures, cooking hints, a little farming philosophy, and literally cooking for all seasons.
Although the recipes are geared toward a colder climate than what we have in Ohio, our vegetable crops are the same. And we here in Ohio think our maple syrup is as good as you get anywhere. So I was happy to see maple syrup in recipes.
It is not a vegetarian cookbook but does contain several recipes you can serve your vegetarian friends.
This would make a wonderful present for any vegetable gardener you know.


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Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal Recipes is a collection of over 150 original recipes designed to follow the seasons. Whether you are a home gardener, a farmers' market regular, or a member of a community-supported agriculture program, this cookbook will serve as a seasonal guide to using the foods available in your region. Each recipe includes useful "Harvest Hints" that explain how to find, purchase, prepare, and preserve fresh and seasonal ingredients. Within each chapter you will find information about sustainable food, small family farms, and how to reduce your carbon footprint by buying local foods. There are also appetizing food photographs and inspiring stories of farms, orchards, and farmers' markets throughout the northeast.

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Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book after reading the review and article in the spring 2010 Stitch magazine. They included the Magic Apron pattern. Based on the review, I expected a lot more in the way of sewing techniques and patterns. This book is really just a reprint of Inspirations, a booklet put out by the Women's Institute and Mary Picken. The information is fun to read and much of it still applies today. However, the patterns are not as numerous as I expected, nor are they varied. 5 of the patterns are for aprons. Others aren't even patterns, just directions for monogramming or an article about cross stitch. The author could have deleted the 2-3 essays at the beginning of each chapter and added more crafting/sewing articles, which is what I purchased the book for. Including some of the lessons so often mentioned in the book would have added to it enormously.
If you're looking for more of a historic peek into the time period, this is a great book. If you're looking for a vintage pattern/techniques book, this is not the book for you.

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Betty Crocker Celebrate: A Year-Round Guide to Holiday Food and Fun Review

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(More customer reviews)I looked at both Celebrate by Sheila Lukins and the BC Celebrate book and I chose the Betty Crocker. It has more family type of recipes that would be appealing to both adults and children. The Lukins book is good for adults only. It had many, many recipes there's no way you'd get a kid to eat. I also like the BC one better because it had decoration suggestions, table settings, etc that were more doable and cost effective. I like both books but if you have kids you have to go with the Betty Crocker Celebrate book.

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Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays: Christmas with Martha Stewart Living Review

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(More customer reviews)Martha's Holiday book this really touched my heart. My mom has always grown Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus, chapters 4 & 5 really were a delightful surprise. I now know the Christmas Cactus the I have is called "White Christmas". When I told my mom about the charts, she was so interested in the book (she lives in Ohio and we live in Fl.) that I am immediately sending her one for Christmas. My son is a personal chef - so we all love to cook and I love to decorate. The pictures are great as usual, but I think I like the charts about the topic in each chapter. They are beautiful and informative. It was great to see the different types of pine cones and citrus. The best part is that even if you don't use these ideas during the holidays - the things you have learned will be useful all year and will be great to share with friends and family.
Some items may have been in Martha Stewart Living - that's great that the special ideas have been put in this holiday book to keep and treasure. (I don't keep every magazine - I will treasure this book).Thanks again to Martha!!!!

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If the words "classic Christmas" make images of Christmas cactus, fruitcake, and roast turkey dance in your head, then Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays will make all of your yuletide dreams come true. Arranged in ten chapters with such names as "Cranberries," "Nuts," "Citrus," "Leaves," and "Pinecones," this festive compendium of holiday ideas and recipes is certain to show you how to make every Christmas one to remember. In "Winter Berries," berries are used to make wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. In its own chapter, fruitcake has been reinterpreted so it will never run the risk of being left uneaten. "Leaves" shows how to make keepsake gifts out of embossed leaves and cards, and throughout the book there are clever packaging and wrapping ideas to suit every taste and budget.From now on, when you think of a classic Christmas, you'll think of Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays.

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Fresh from the Market: Seasonal Cooking with Laurent Tourondel and Charlotte March Review

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(More customer reviews)Seasonal cooking has become the 'in' thing to do. From local farmers markets to high end restaurants, people are beginning to understand the importance of eating local, seasonal foods. In Fresh From The Market, Laurent Tourondel brings seasonal foods to the table in some very elegant and unique ways.The cookbook is divided into seasons and then subdivided into the type of course so that if you are looking for a spring appetizer or a fall desert, it is easy to find. There are also some sample menus in each section so that if you would like to entertain you don't have to wonder which main course should go with which soup. I loved the brilliant photographs that are on almost every other page. To me, a photo of the recipe really helps me imagine how the final meal should be presented.One thing I thought was truly unique was the inclusion of seasonal cocktails! In summer you might enjoy a Watermelon Martini but in the fall you should try a Blood Orange Margarita. I also liked that the author discussed not only seasonal fruits and veggies but included seasonal meats and cheeses which I really had never thought of being 'seasonal' before now.The one big drawback for me was the complexity of the recipes. The ingredients are not difficult to find and the directions are very clear and easy to follow but the meatball recipe had 18 ingredients in it! I am sure that they taste MUCH better than my 6 ingredient meatballs but as a mom with small kids and a hectic schedule most of these recipes would not be made on a daily basis. I would certainly try them for a special occasion, though, and not all the recipes are complicated. There is a recipe for fresh blueberry pancakes with orange blossom maple syrup that sounds easy and the BLT, Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwich sounds amazing and I look forward to trying it!Overall, this is a very well put together, beautiful cookbook and if you have serious amounts of time to devote to cooking than these recipes will be perfect. If you enjoy entertaining and dinner parties, you will wow your guests with these menus but if you are looking for a simple way to prepare all that zucchini from your garden this is probably not the cookbook for you. While I don't have that much time on a daily basis I will certainly keep this cookbook handy to amaze my guests the next time we have company!My thanks to Wiley Publishing for allowing me to review their books.Disclaimer: I received one copy of this book from the publisher in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation and all opinions are mine and mine alone.


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101 Autumn Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)What a fun and enjoyable book!!! The recipes are so varied and easy to follow. The pictures of the recipes are outstanding. I have truly enjoyed the Honey-Pecan Chicken. It reminds me so of a now closed restaurant in the St. Louis area. The creamy tomato soup is so simple to make and oh so tasty!!!! The sweet potato soup and pumpkin chowder are absolutely wonderful and warming to make. The overnight cherry oatmeal doubled as a dessert at our house and everyone was so amazed and how simple and easy it was to make and it tasted wonderful. My uncle put some whipping cream on top and let it melt down and truly enjoyed himself. I would really recommend this wonderful Gooseberry Patch cookbook to anyone's collection.

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Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season Review

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(More customer reviews)As a cocktail lover, I found this book a bit disappointing. The drinks are pretty, and the recipes do call for fresh ingredients. I have no doubt that they are tasty and would be big hits at upscale restaurants and bars. However, as someone who appreciates a wide variety of liquors and liqueurs as cocktail ingredients, it is disappointing that nearly all these drinks call for flavored vodka and juice. I was hoping for a little more variety, and a little less garnish.

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Today's diners and drinkers are seeing a bold new integration of culinary art and cocktail culture. Market-Fresh Mixology shows how fabulous additions from the farmer's market, garden, or pantry can elevate classic cocktails to the next level. It introduces an entirely new dimension to the ideal of seasonal cocktails, with a clean, contemporary approach that uses fine spirits and fresh ingredients to create cocktails for every occasion. Hot day? Blustery night? Snowbound? No matter what the weather, season, or event, Market-Fresh Mixology offers a recipe, from the refreshing summer mojito to the cozy hot buttered rum, that's as easy to follow as it is delicious. With its gorgeous full color photos, the book is a treat for the eyes, but it's also eminently practical, with tips on cocktail mixing techniques, garnishes, enhancements, glassware, and bar tools, as well as amusing lore surrounding classic cocktails.

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Simply in Season Expanded Edition (World Community Cookbook) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this book in so many ways. The recipes are not only organized by season, but the outside page boarder color matches the index color of the section (green - spring, red - summer, etc). If I want a recipe for something that just came out of my garden in July, I can flip the red edged pages and be pretty sure that my veggie in in there. The first page in each section contains a listing of all the recipes, and the side border of the pages has all of the produce listed that may be in that section with the items for the recipe page listed in black and the others (not on that page) grayed out. I think the thing I love most about this book's format is that each ingredient is listed with the directions for that item immediately following. The next item (or set of items) is then listed with those directions following, etc... I don't have to look up and down several times while making my dish to get the job done. Oh, and the recipes are wonderful! I highly recommend this book.

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This new, expanded edition of Simply in Season features new recipes that use locally grown and fairly traded seasonal foods. Its stories and simple whole foods recipes explore how the food we buy and eat also affects our local and global neighbors.

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