Reviews (2)

Very similar to Betty Crocker's!
While this is a fine cookbook, my wife and I were startled to find that many of the recipes contained herein are virtually identical or very similar to ones found in "Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker" book.Even some of the pictures are the same! Pillsbury + Slow Cooker = YUMM!
I have a cookbook collection that exceeds five hundred titles. Ten of my books are from Pillsbury and I have never been disappointed.When I received a card from Pillsbury announcing the newest in their collection, I immediately ordered it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Electric cookery, Slow    4. Electric cooking    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    8. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Reviews (6)

Some good ideas
This is a pretty good cookbook for learning how to cook in bulk and for the freezer. The recipe selection is good, and the layout is nice. I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but I definitely like this cookbook better than others I have (in terms of ones for freezing meals). If you are in a cooking group, this is a good starter cookbook.

Great organization but not kid friendly
The book is very well organized with easy to follow instructions. The resources chapter is great for people just starting out. I've been cooking freezer meals with friends for several years but am always interested in adding new meals. This book is definitely not for those that have young children. Some of the recipes are "Blue Cheese, Walnut, and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken" and "Pureed Carrots with Ginger". Now some of the meals are family friendly, but not enough for me to really use the book a lot. So if you're looking for some sophisticated freezer meals for adults, this is the book for you. If you are looking for kid and family friendly recipes I would recommend "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" by Martinez, Howell, & Garcia and "The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet" by Slagle.

Yummy and worth the effort!
Bottom Line: This book is for freezer meals in quantity (6, 12, 18 meals).This is NOT "dump chicken".These are entrees from scratch that won't kill you with difficulty.Lots of good ideas on organizing your food exchange group.Worth it, even if you're just cooking for your own freezer.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Methods - Quantity    3. Quantity cookery    4. Make-ahead cookery    5. Methods - Quick & Easy   

Reviews (4)

Addicted to this Cookbook
I learned about Debra Ponzek from a Nick Jr. Newsletter at my child's daycare center in Connecticut.I tried her Cowboy Cookies recipe from the article and I was hooked on Ponzek.It's pretty cool that she is a Connecticut resident as well.I love the fact that recipes are kid-friendly with adult appeal.No smiley faced plates,...just yummy food.I've only had the cookbook for 3 weeks and have enjoyed the following recipes:tuna, pasta & celery salad, fresh mayo,spinach salad with dried cherries, almonds, & blue cheese, ham, cheddar & tom quesadillas, arugula and proscuitto pizza, aux delices marinara, rigatoni with ricotta, tomato, and basil, two simple sauces of basil-lemon pesto and sweet tom marmalade which i served with pan-seared tilapia, and vegetable fried rice.My hands-down fave has been the pizza.The aux delice sauce is my fave to date & i've made many from the food tv network chefs.

Recipes for living and for food
In our family, we always believed in the sanctity of "the family hour" - that time of day when food became the bridge by which we passed on our culture and our beliefs.This book presents wonderful, helpful ways of creating that bond again with our grandchildren.Brava, Debra!

A MUST HAVE Cookbook !!! - so many amazing recipes !!!
My wife and I recently picked up this cookbook and were amazed at the number of excellent recipes.Most cookbooks I have bought recently have a fraction of the number of recipes that are in "The Family Kitchen" by Debra Ponzek.We especially love the easy directions and stories behind each recipe. Each recipe lists tasks the children can perform which is a great way to keep my kids (wife, grandparents) busy.Buy this book for the excellent selection of recipes and especially the traditional chocolate cake recipe; IT IS WORTH THE INVESTMENT!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Cooking / General   

Reviews (4)

Simple, easy, wonderful in every way
This book was given to me by my sister as a part of my bridal shower gift.This is quite possibly the most useful gift I recieved.As a new homemaker and wife I have faced reality that I need to learn to cook and this book has come in handy just about every week.The recipes are easy and most ingredients you will already have in your cupboards and fridge.I also like the fact that they don't take long to make especially when everyone in your house works, the last thing you want to wait for is dinner!I highly recommend this to anyone and would also think it would be good for kids since the recipes are so easy.Five stars!

Best of the series - more variety
If you told me that someone had made a book of recipes that only take five ingredients and three steps to make I would not have believed it contained so many delicious recipes.From appetizers, to breads, to brunch, soups, salads, sandwiches, vegetables, side dishes, main dishes, and sweets just about any type of recipe is represented here.This is a great cookbook for the novice cook or people in a hurry.The recipes are so simple that even a young teenager can prepare a complete meal without any problems. Finally - a super simple cookbook!
This is really a neat book!Just like the title says, all recipes contain 5 ingredients, some even less.The main chapters are: Appetizers & Beverages; Breads, Brunch & Breakfast; Soups, Salads & Sandwiches; Vegetables & Side Dishes; Main Dishes; and Sweets.There is a page to take notes next to the main dish chapter, plus the main dish chapter gives suggestions as to what side dishes and/or desserts to serve them with.The last half of the main dish chapter is entitled "Your Guide to Left-Over Turkey, Chicken and Ham" with recipes using up the leftover meat you might have. There is also a couple pages in the Sandwich chapter that gives "new and different combinations" for sandwiches, a page listing 6 "special sandwich spreads" and a basic hamburger recipe along with a page and half of creative ways to spice up the average hamburger. All in all, I think this is a really cool book, despite the fact there are no pictures, especially if you are really busy or don't want to take the time to fool with long complicated recipes! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Quick & Easy    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Essays    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Specific Ingredients - General    7. Cookbook    8. Quick and easy cookery    9. Recipes   

Reviews (16)

boring and inexact
the recipies in this book are plain and uninspired.they are also inexact.in the recipie for Tuna Noolde Casarole it calls for a bag of pasta.What type of pasta? How big a bag.I put a 1 lb bag of egg noodles in and tried to put it in the recomended size container, didn't fit.The sauce is also not nearly enough for the quantity (if you use 1 lb of egg noodles).

One proof short of ready for publishing
There are great recipes in this book - cookies for each month, craft ideas for kids, etc.However, there are so many little things wrong with this book that one more good proof read would have caught. There are tips for taking the fat out of recipes on the same page as a recipe for lasagna that calls for TEN cups of cheese. There is great vagueness throughout in the measurements.What is "one small package" or "one small can?" There is a recipe for roast that calls for 90 minutes of cooking time and various other ingredients but makes no reference to the weight of the meat used.Lots of reliance on hot dogs, cheese whiz, canned soups, etc. That said, if you sift the obviously weak recipes out, there are some good solid recipes in this book.You just need to look for them. I got this book on deep discount for less than $5, so all in all, it's been worth it.

Great little book
This is an interesting read and a good cookbook.Like others have mentioned - it has recipes grouped for every day of the year, like a calendar.It also has cookies of the month to start off every month, and also has craft recipes for kids.No pictures of the recipes but it does have every type of recipe you can imagine in it that are "normal" for "normal people".No gourmet, just great food. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Health & Healing - General    4. Methods - Quick & Easy    5. Cookery    6. Cooking / Quick & Easy    7. Cooking/Health & Healing - General    8. Dinners and dining    9. Menus    10. Quick & Easy    11. Quick and easy cookery   

Reviews (5)

2500 short & simple recipes.Simple the way they should be.
50 categories of recipes.And 50 recipes in each category.That's 2500 recipes.How do you fit 2500 recipes into 477 pages?You write real small.Which means that each recipe is very short (a small paragraph the size of a want ad generally).This is not bad.In fact it's very good.How complicated can a recipe that short end up being?And simple recipes are best. A fabulous cook book
Extremely easy, fast, and excellent tasting recipes.The sauces and marinades alone are well worth the cost of the book.Some recipes are quite mundane, while others offer new and unexpected (but yummy) combinations of things.

My Favorite Cookbook
I love this cookbook because the recipes are easy, original, taste good and are flexible.When I have assorted odds and ends in my refrigerator, Ican always find a recipe in this book which will make use of them.Thewriting style is entertaining and I have learned more about cooking fromthis book.I have a lot of cookbooks, but this is the first one I reachfor when I am doing general cooking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Methods - Quick & Easy    3. Cooking / General    4. Reference    5. Cooking    6. Quick and easy cookery   

Reviews (31)

Best Cook Book Ever!!
I have used this cookbook to prepare healthy meals for my family and found it to be both educational and convenient. It is a useful aide in organizing cupboards, spices, & the refrigerator. The entire family gets involved in the process. We all need to take responsibility for our eating habits.
Lickity Split Cooking by zonya foco
Great cookbook for busy people.Excellent healty food choices and a good cookbook for new and experienced cooks alike.

Likety-Split Meals
This was well informed book. It was very easy to follow. And the food I tried to make turned out great! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Diet/Nutrition    4. Health & Healing - General    5. Low-calorie diet    6. Low-fat diet    7. Methods - Quick & Easy    8. Quick and easy cookery    9. Recipes   

Reviews (20)

This is doable!
Finally, a raw food (un)cookbook I can use! I'm not much of a cook, or perhaps I should say food-preparer, but I can do these recipes.The ones I've tried so far are very good.They don't require extremely unusual ingredients (which I don't have access to here) or expensive machines.I give this book five stars.

Skinny Book
Good for someone who wants to look through some of this info quick.

Disappointing
This book doesn't really accomplish what it states... being a raw book for busy people.This book doesn't save time over lots of other raw books and recipes.There are some good recipes but, not that many of them.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Quick & Easy    4. Cooking / General    5. Health & Fitness-Diets - Special Conditions    6. Raw food diet   

Subjects:  1. Cookery, International    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. General    6. Methods - Quick & Easy    7. BG-JUVENILE PROP - BG-JUVY PRESCHOOL    8. Cooking / General   

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Methods - Quick & Easy    4. Methods - Special Appliances   

Editorial Review

Anyone facing an occasional dinner for one, making solo brown-bag lunches, or living alone will find Toni Lydecker's Read more

Reviews (5)

Serves One: Simple Meals to Savor When You're on Your Own
A pretty complete cook book. The beginning is really good for beginning cooks. The recipes are basic and substitues are provided in some cases. The only thing missing is the nutrional values which could be helpful for people with special needs.

Worthwhile and accessible "middlebrow" book for the novice and intermediate solo cook
Even with my limited experience, (but I've dated and lived with some very good, experienced cooks), I can tell that about half the recipes in this book are uninspired, workaday fare. They are there to fill out the pages and create a thicker book that the average cookbook shopper will think gives more "bang" for the buck.
Small on perishibles, big on fast successful bites.
What if you're cooking just for yourself? Try the completely revised edition of Toni Lydecker's SERVES ONE: SIMPLE MEALS TO SAVOR WHEN YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. The tendency is to revert to canned, boxed or fast food when you're alone - or to eat leftovers of the same food for weeks. SERVES ONE presents over a hundred fast bite- sized meals which quick quickly. First build a staples shelf from canned goods and condiments. Then, think small on perishables, shopping for a few days only. Then use SERVES ONE to whip up gourmet delights. Color photos mid-book add to the excitement and appeal.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Cookery for One    4. Cooking / Cookery for One   

Reviews (4)

Must have for parents of all ages!
While shopping for a relative's baby shower, the catchy title of this book caught my eye. Mother of a four year old, I realize how challenging the beginning of motherhood is, as well as how challenging it remains. Time for elaborate cooking is nonexistant, espcially while working full time, and this book offers many timesaving and smart tips. The recipes are easy and taste wonderful. It is the first cookbook I have read cover to cover!

Grandma loves cooking the recipes too!
The easy-delicious recipes made me really look good when we took care of the exhausted-new parents and baby for two weeks.
not just for Moms!
It's about time a sensible cook book for young parents is available.We now have 3 children, 2 full time jobs and have used the One-Armed cook regularly. The simple, yet healthy recipes are easy to master even for an 'amateur' like myself.The authors emphasize an organized approach to the kitchen which makes meal time a pleasure.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - General    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Parenting - Motherhood    7. Cooking / Quick & Easy    8. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Editorial Review

Do restaurant menus featuring full-color food photos kick your salivary glands into high gear? Angela Wilkes's inviting, heavily illustrated cookbook offers the same satisfaction of seeing exactly what you're going to get--along with the ensuing hunger pangs. Children can follow each recipe step by step, with photographs that show what you're supposed to do, how to do it, and when. Thankfully, the 60 recipes are appealing dishes the whole family will want to eat, from Salade Nicoise and Filled Crepes to the more basic Tacos and Guacamole and Spicy Chicken Burgers. The chapters include: "Before You Start," "Kitchen Rules," "Super-Fast Snacks" (Cheater's Pizzas, Crunchy Crostini, Fruit Smoothies), "Speedy Meals" (Classic Omelettes, Vegetable Soups, Chicken Curry and Rice); "Delightful Desserts" (Lemon Cheesecake, Fruit Crumble, Tiramisu), "Treats and Sweets" (Oat Bars, Chocolate Dips, Macaroons), "Picture Glossary" (Grilling, Stir-Frying, Marinating), and a helpful index. The book provides quantities of ingredients in both imperial and metric measurements and clearly organizes the ingredients lists. The overall effect is dazzling--youngsters will find themselves right at home in the kitchen, whipping up simple or elaborate dishes with confidence and glee. Read more

Reviews (8)

The Reason Why I Cook Today
I am an 18 year old girl who first got this book about 10 years ago. I recently bought it again because my parents gave it away without telling me. The recipes in this book are so fun and innovative that they made me find my love for cooking at such a young age. Now I cook dinner every night. Parents: if you want your kids to get involved in cooking actual meals, buy them this book! You won't regret it! And to those who say that the recipes are too complex for kids, they aren't giving their children enough credit. Your kids are probably smarter than you. So get this book and open your children's eyes to the wonderful world of cooking.

Make adjustments
Do you really beleive potatos are ready in stove in 20 minutes?
Special Education Cooking
I am a Special Education teacher.I use this cookbook all the time for my readers and non-readers.The pictures are great and easy to understand what they need to buy.The directions are easy to follow.The recipies are made from common items that are easy to find in a grocery store.It is the most used cookbook that I have in my room!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Cookery    4. Cooking    5. Cooking & Food    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Quick and easy cookery    9. Safety measures    10. Food & drink / cookery: general interest    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / Cooking   

Features

• Large Print

Reviews (1)

Four ingredients =200+ recipes!
Easy and quick recipes for newly diagnosed diabetics or anyone wishing to monitor their carbohydrate and fat intake. Useful food exchange and serving size information for each item. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Health & Healing - Diabetic & Sugar Free    4. Methods - Lite    5. Methods - Quick & Easy   

Editorial Review

Julia Child may have been responsible for helping American cooks ease into French cooking techniques, but it was Pierre Franey who brought it all home with his Read more

Reviews (1)

Delicious, but longer than 60-Minutes!
As always, Franey's recipes are delicious. Everything we've cooked, so far, has been quite an enjoyable meal.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Quick & Easy    4. Quick and easy cookery    5. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Reviews (7)

A must have for children, and adults, who want eat better and live longer!
I'm sorry to say that I complletely underestimated this book when I first purchased it.I was teaching a class on nutrition to children and it had come highly recommended.I'm embarrassed to say, but half way through my first day of teaching it to children I realized how this book had information that I needed!No exotic ingredients, excellent instructions, and a fun read.I had the pleasure of speaking with Jaque Pepin once and I mentioned this book to him...he started grinning immediately. It turned out that he'd had a similar experience with this book.It comes with my highest recommendation!

"regular" easy to make, family pleasing recipes
A lot of other veggie cookbooks have meals that while delicious, include unusual ingredients, and lack the foods you grew up on.This book has great recipes that compare to things you loved when you were a kid and include ingredients already in your kitchen. My little one really enjoys the stuff I have made from this book and as a working mom I appreciate the quick easy recipes.

I wish I'd found this book years ago...
I wish I'd found this book years ago not for my kids, but for me. The meals are easy to prepare, and I LOVE the section on packable stuff. Also, the recipes are visibly labeled: vegan, vegetarian, vegan option. Helpful for me since I don't do dairy.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Quick & Easy    5. Nutrition    6. Specific Ingredients - Natural Foods    7. Vegetable Cookery    8. Vegetarian - General    9. Vegetarian cookery    10. Vegetarianism    11. Health & Fitness / General   

Reviews (1)

Over 300 shortcut recipes show how to bring home-cooked meals into the world of fast, hectic schedules
Over 300 shortcut recipes show how to bring home-cooked meals into the world of fast, hectic schedules with tips on how to streamline and improve the parts which take time - such as in a 10-Minute Vegetable Curry dish which remarks curry usually takes up too much time - but a jar of curry sauce does most of the work for you, leaving just chopping veggies and grilling flatbread for the 'homemade' touches. Another plus: recipes are gathered from culinary traditions around the world, so there's lots of choice and variety, from Chicken with Candied Pecans to Couscous Stuffed Peppers.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery, International    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. General    6. Methods - Quick & Easy    7. Quick and easy cookery    8. Cooking / Culinary Arts & Techniques    9. Main courses   

Editorial Review

Jamie Oliver's Read more

Reviews (15)

recipes are definitely off
The first few times I made things from this book, they seemed off.But Jamie is such the grab and go and not really measuring cook.So I gave him the benefit of the doubt.Then I tried one of his bread recipes... the Banana and Honey Bread (p.245) and using the basic bread recipe (p. 236).Starting with the banana recipe, he says to puree 6 bananas and add water to equal two cups.6 bananas pureed came out to way more than two cups... then I didnt know what to do about the water.In the basic bread recipe, there it calls for 2 TABLESPOONS of level salt and 2 TABLESPOONS of level sugar.The sugar I could understand, but I had to read the salt one over and over again.I dont even use 2TBS of salt for a roasted chicken and I like salty foods.Then the banana recipe did not call for the removal of the salt from the original recipe.Needless to say, the bread did not turn out well was quite salty, among other things.In retrospect, I think this book has suffered from the conversion from the British system of metrics to the American measurements.I was really disappointed in how much energy and time and enjoyment I had poured into this book and Jamie Oliver, when someone did not care enough to proof the book and ensure that recipes were accurate and usable. I was so disappointed that despite the small fortune I used to collect the books, I decided to give them away with the belief that you should use the book for inspiration, and for recipes that do not call for exact measurements, otherwise, this is not really a cookbook but a selling of a celebrity or personality.I was truly disappointed.

Jamie Does Cooking with the Family. Highly Recommended
In every way imaginable, this third Jamie Oliver cookbook proclaims that he has arrived as a celebrity chef, husband, father, and all around swell lad made good. His name on the cover is about three times the size of the book's title, `Happy Days with the Naked Chef', the book is dedicated to his two children, Little Henners and Jakey Bakey, and photos his nibs with his wife, Jools appear throughout the book. On top of all this, there is a much broader representation of international flavors in these recipes based on trips to the Orient, echoing the influence of Japan on the culinary thinking of Joel Robuchon.
The recipes don't turn out right
I don't know why the recipes in this book don't turn out right.Every recipe I tried has been a disaster, not to mention required an extremely expensive list of ingredients (porcini mushrooms and arugula anyone?).Jamie Oliver puts on a great show, but the food just doesn't seem to live up to the "easy peasy" hype. His "My favorite curry" with "Lemon rice" took almost 3 hours from prep to finish and tasted horrible.I won't be buying another Jamie Oliver book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. Naked Chef (Television program    6. Naked Chef (Television program)    7. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Reviews (215)

Great Concept,, Pretty Good Food
I bought this book along with Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way and Saving Dinner for the Holidays last year.
4.5 Stars, great recipes, great concept, but not perfect for me
I have found a lot of great recipes in this book! For a while we tried using the weekly list but had a few problems. Many of the ingredients can be expensive, including quite a bit of meat, etc. and also several dinners per week did not appeal to my family, so I couldn't use the weekly list because I had to weed out the ingredients that were needed for the recipes I wasn't going to be making. So it ended up being easier for me to go through each recipe and make my own list which defeated part of the purpose of the book. There are lots of recipes in here that I have made more than once, but there are also many recipes that I have never tried again, or would never try in the first place. So if you are looking for a good recipe book, you'll find one here... but if you are looking for the weekly meal plan/grocery list deal... you probably will not be happy with this.

Too small
Didn't realize that this was a small paperback. Would not have purchased it.The content is good and informational. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Dinners and dining    5. Methods - Quick & Easy    6. Reference    7. Cooking / General   

Reviews (3)

This book is the greatest!
This book is the best! My mom got this book for me when it first came out and I lost it at college. I can not belive that I found it again. I have looked everywhere for a book like this. If every one ordered this book no one would not know how to cook. My dad is a Cheif and he likes to make receips from this book too.
YUCK!!!! Just a BAD book!
After trying 2 recipes, I thought that I was a pretty bad cook. So, I asked my friend, a very good cook, to try a couple more recipes. She had the same results. Disgusting!! These recipes must not have been kitchen tested. Mine as well just boil some chicken and dump a can of cream of mushroom soup on top. The results would be better.Stay away!

I hate to cook...I love this book!
I would rather clean the bathrooms than cook. However, after 20 years of marriage and two teenagers in the house, I've found that I do occasionally have to cook a meal. Thankyou ,God, for this book. I have so impressed everybody with my new gourmet dishes. Great recipes like Tex-Mex Chops, Tangy Spinach Salad,and Mississippi Mud Pie. No lie sweetie pie, it's all with 4 INGREDIENTS OR LESS. Trust me, NO-ONE WILL EVER KNOW! Anybody with the smallest amount of talent for cooking will think this book is a joke...but I know there's alot of people out there like me that will put this cookbook before all others. Do you skip any recipe that requires mincing garlic, grating orange rind, involving capers, or blanching?? Me too. Buy this book. Impress everybody. Take the Chocolate Truffles or Carmalitas into work. Enjoy your new reputation as a great cook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Lite    4. Methods - Quick & Easy