Quick & Easy Books - Page 35

Quick & Easy Banner Designs

Carol Jean Harms

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Concordia Publishing House Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $5.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Religious
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Book arrived Monday. . . banner hanging in church by Sunday 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I had wanted to start a banner ministry for years. After our pastor mentioned it to me, I decided it was time to jump in and do it. I purchased this book and another by the same author. I received the books on Monday and had a banner ready by Sunday. The timesaving and money saving tips are wonderful. If I were to have tried making one on my own without this book, I would have never gotten finished. The directions are clear and easy to follow. If you have been thinking of starting a banner ministry for your church, this is the book to start with.

Love this book!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I've used this book for numerous banners. The designs are wonderful...very easy to duplicate and look beautiful. So many books only have one or two ideas that really get my attention. This one is loaded with not only great designs, but beautiful wording. It's a real favorite of mine.

Editorial Review:

Beginning banner makers can now create meaningful banners qucikly and easily using this comprehensive instruction and design book. This book offers more than 200 original designs for Christian holidays and events including baptism, the Lord's Supper, confirmation, marriage and more.

Real Food, Real Fast

Sam Stern

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Candlewick Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $6.70

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Sports & Activities -> Cooking

Editorial Review:

Teen celebrity cooking sensation Sam Stern reinvents the term "fast food" — thanks to these quick-and-tasty recipes that entice kids to cook for themselves.

British teen Sam Stern is a great cook, and he’s on a mission to get everyone else doing it. Now that his COOKING UP A STORM has stirred up a storm of attention, he’s offering REAL FOOD, REAL FAST to lure all those time-pressured teens away from their fast-food fixes. Once again, with his engaging conversational tone — and the help of his friends — Sam breezily runs through dozens of recipes, using real ingredients and simple techniques. But what makes these dishes a cinch for even cooking-resistant kids are the cool tabs that indicate preparation times of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes. Brilliant!

The Best of Cooking with 3 Ingredients

Ruthie Wornall

List Price: $16.95 By: Cookbook Resources Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $0.88

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Simple, quick, minimal cleanup - a winner 4 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

This is a great cookbook for those with little cooking experience. Most other cookbooks have one, or at the most two recipes per page because of the space needed for complex preparation instructions. That is not the case at all with this cookbook. These recipes are simple enough that they only require two to four sentences to explain how to prepare the dish from start to finish.

Of course, when you are limiting yourself to only three ingredients you find that you end up with a lot of side dishes and vegetable recipes. But, there are plenty of main dishes so a well-balanced meal can be prepared. A few of my favorites include Rosemary-Roasted Potatoes, Honey-Orange Glazed Chicken, and June Ballard's Cajun Chicken. To keep the ingredient list to just three the recipes take advantage of many mixes like box cake mixes or stuffing mixes. Basically it hits all the high points for the new or hurried cook - quick and easy to prepare, goof-proof, minimal cleanup, and tasty results.

Another nice feature is the section with complete menu suggestions. Ruthie Warnall has compiled a suggested Valentine Dinner Menu, Easy Dinner for New Brides, Easy Sunday Dinner, Quick Gourmet Dinner, Pot Roast Dinner, Turkey Dinner, Chicken Dinner, and Romantic Dinners for Special Occasions. Each of the dinners contains only items from the cookbook and so are all easy to prepare with minimal fuss.

Comb bound so it lies flat when you are working with it, it is a recommended read for new cooks (or college kids just out of the house) and those with a tight family schedule.

Editorial Review:

Best of 3 Ingredient Cookbooks combines the best 800 recipes from nine cookbooks written by bestselling author, Ruthie Wornall. There are only 3 ingredients in every recipe and the author promises you can’t ruin any of them. They’re easier than simple and they’re family tested, tried and true. With 10-minute dinners, 10-minute party menus and 5-minute crock pots suppers, you’ll have the extra time you need for the rest of your day.

Duncan Hines Complete Cake Mix Magic

Jill Snider

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Robert Rose Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $15.55

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Baking -> Cakes
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Baking -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Baking -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The 300 best cake mix recipes, in a new concealed wiro format!

Cake Mix Magic and Cake Mix Magic 2 have sold a total of 300,000 copies and still continue to sell. The books' winning recipes transform a basic cake mix into a great cake that tastes homemade, simply by adding a few readily available ingredients.

Complete Cake Mix Magic combines these two original cookbooks with 30 new recipes, and is now full color throughout.

Here is a selection of the great cakes:

• Single-Layer Cakes: Apple Crisp Cake, Triple Lemon Cake, Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cake
• Multi-Layer Cakes: Black Forest Cake, Apricot Hazelnut Cake, Mocha Toffee Cake
• Tube and Bundt Cakes: Chocolate Macaroon Ring Cake, Butterscotch Swirl, Hummingbird Cake
• Special Occasion Cakes: Choo Choo Train Birthday Cake, Chocolate Yule Log, Pumpkin Pie Squares
• Cookies: Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Crispy Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Hazelnut Biscotti
• Bars and Squares: Raspberry Dream Bars, Toffee Chocolate Bars, Cherry Cheesecake Bars
• Frosting, Fillings and Glazes: Very Peanut Buttery Frosting, Chocolate Ganache, Lemon Butter Cream

These 300 recipes provide results that taste homemade in less than half the time it would take to bake from scratch. Practical tips and techniques throughout the book ensure perfect results every time.

(20051019)

The Fondue Cookbook

Gina Steer

Amazon Price: $17.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 65 new & used starting at $1.67

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Cooking by Ingredient -> Sauces, Salsa & Garnishes
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Pretty Good 4 out of 5 stars.
139 of 145 people found this review helpful.

This book contains some good ideas for different kinds of fondue. The only thing that is lacking are fondue recipes in which the food does not cook in oil. I have a few recipes of my own in which the meat is cooked in broth and was looking forward to finding out more.

Nice book, down to earth 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I just received this book after wanting it for a couple of years. The recipes appear to be fairly refreshing and not to much of what I would call "frou-frou" type of recipes. I like the salad suggestions as well.

Fun Recipes 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Just reentered the fondue world and the recipes are terrific. It's more than cheese and chocolate.

Editorial Review:

Fondue has enjoyed a rebirth of popularity among culinary trendsetters. This cookbook goes beyond the traditional bread-and-cheese routine--its 80 recipes feature fresh flavors from around the world, beautifully presented in mouthwatering color photos. The Fondue Cookbook is the perfect gift for hosts and hostesses, gourmet cooks, and even novice cooks.

Italian Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes or Less!

Robyn Webb

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: American Diabetes Association Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $7.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Natural Foods
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

New ideas for serving meat, pasta, vegetables and fruits 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 22 people found this review helpful.

Webb's Italian Diabetic Meals In 30 Minutes Or Less provides some new ideas for serving meat, pasta, vegetables and fruits in Italian dishes. From Garlicky Shrimp and Broccoli to Italian Chicken Salad With Walnuts, meals focus less on the pastas Italian foods are known for and more on less fattening, healthier main course fare more accessible to diabetics.

Editorial Review:

Every luscious Italian entree one can think of is here, made healthy and diabetes-friendly thanks to food master Robyn Webb. Who can resist sinking a fork into veal marsala or salmon with leeks and mushrooms? Some of the 150 dishes are low in carbs, and all of them are easy to fix—many can be cooked in one pan! It comes with complete nutritional analysis and meets all ADA guidelines. Meals include pastas, meats, vegetarian dishes, and light desserts, all with a taste of Tuscany.

Dessert Express: 100 Sweet Treats You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

Lauren Chattman

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taunton Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $10.81

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Baking -> Desserts
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Meals -> Sweets -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General

Editorial Review:

Though constantly pressed for time, moms want to bring something homemade to the table--Dessert Express allows them to indulge their family and still get to soccer practice on time. Mother of two and former pastry chef Lauren Chattman is here to save the course most people crave. Molten Chocolate Cherry Cake, Homemade Mallomars, Bourbon Brown Sugar Fudge, and other tantalizing treats are among the 100 from-scratch recipes that just about anyone can prepare in a half hour or less. Her secrets?

Downsize: make only what you need for that moment
Turn Up the Heat: focus on baked goods that do well in hotter ovens
Chill Out: use ice or a freezer to quickly cool down dishes
Think Outside the Oven: make good use of waffle irons, frying pans, and other alternatives
Use Convenient Ingredients, Get Organized, and more

Dessert Express offers 100 deliciously indulgent recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth in 30 minutes or less.

Dip It! Great Party Food to Spread, Spoon, and Scoop

Rick Rodgers

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: William Morrow Cookbooks Amazon Marketplace: 61 new & used starting at $0.63

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Cooking by Ingredient -> Sauces, Salsa & Garnishes
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Meals -> Appetizers
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Next time you party, try a dip. Or two. Or three. Rick Rodgers, renowned cooking teacher and cookbook author shares 95 of his favorite dip recipes in his new book, Dip It!

Of course there's the classic onion soup mix, but why not make Rick's updated recipe with onions? For a Super Bowl or tailgating party, you'll score big with bowls of tortilla chips served up with meaty Hot Beef and Pinto Bean Chili Dip.

There are plenty of vegetarian spreads, too. Scoop wedges of pita into Moroccan Eggplant and Tomato Dip. The Faux Cheese Fondue will be a hit with cheese lovers. Rick also offers plenty of lighter dips such as the Two-Alarm Salsa or Three-Bean Salsa. Need an elegant dip for a special occasion? Try the Pesto Mascarpone or the silky smooth Double Salmon Dip. And many of these dips do double duty -- use them to bring a little something extra to your sand-wiches.

And what's homemade dip without crunchy, crispy dippers? There are recipes for homemade versions of Potato Chips, Herbed Breadsticks, Tortilla Chips, and much more. Also included is a complete list of vegetable dippers that will add snap and color to your table. Rick also offers lots of helpful entertaining tips from do-ahead recipes to creative dip holders.

So have a party. Take a dip with Dip It!

Kids Cook 1-2-3

Rozanne Gold

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $2.90

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Sports & Activities -> Cooking

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent recipes that need work 3 out of 5 stars.
18 of 23 people found this review helpful.

From my early years, I cooked a lot. Starting in fifth grade, I had a budget and full responsibility for our family of five's dinner every Wednesday, from shopping to cleanup. Mostly I used the Fannie Farmer cookbook.

Realizing many contemporary young people lack such background and are unaccustomed to food preparation, I think this book's idea of good recipes that appear unintimidating is excellent. The appearance however is deceptive, the execution, inadequate.

A book intended for children needs to be written and edited so children themselves can absorb its information at their level of experience. Rozanne Gold's book offers a selection of delicious, real foods children will enjoy and enjoy sharing, but not the care required to impart necessary directions

Making this cookbook actually work for children wouldn't take a whole lot of effort. As it is, it guides adults who want to cook with children more effectively than it meets the needs of children themselves.

Although illustrated, it's sophisticated style may appeal to the rare child, but not to children in general, and the small type is neither inviting, nor, particularly on the orange and fruit smoothie blue background pages, easy to read. Swapping some of the generous empty space for larger print would help. But beyond visual appearance, the information itself needs to be redone with children in mind. Seriously.

Besides the fact that many children fail to read introductions at all, this book's introduction, containing the main part of its minimal safety precautions and disclaimers, takes way too much for granted. It warns,"be sure you have a parent or kitchen buddy to help you," but if this book is intended for inexperienced children, specifying safety directions within recipes more frequently would be prudent.

It does warn children "to read a recipe slowly and carefully all the way through before you get stated" which, of course, is always wise, but the recipes themselves could ensure better advance comprehension if equipment were listed instead of tucked into directions (how disappointing to find the zest grated from three lemons, sugar and buttermilk won't become sorbet if an unavailable ice cream maker, required in the last line, was overlooked. Well, the tomato sorbet for the shrimp cocktail earlier in the book didn't need one, how was I to know. . . )It's asking a lot really.

Diagrams and more thorough instructions for many procedures would be sensible. Say it's a nine year old's first encounter with a "large knife", is it adequate to instruct, "cut the carrots in half across the width. Cut the slender half lengthwise into 4 long pieces?" Instead of the pretty sketch of a carrot, how about a diagram showing the carrot flat side down being cut as directed? A line drawing of the "slit down the entire length of the tenderloin, leaving 1 inch on each end uncut" would help a child who's never considered such a maneuver before too.

How does the child determine the skillet IS "hot."

How are young cooks supposed to tell how much more kosher salt to add to their boiling water until it "tastes as salty as the ocean?"

I'd like steps built into the numerous poultry recipes to minimize the possibility of salmonella contamination.

How does a small person know how to "remove" a roast chicken from the oven the first time, or "transfer" it to a cutting board?

Then in the confusing directions for making quick gravy, do we have the child pouring hot fat from the roasting pan through the strainer into the small saucepan, or has it cooled? Approximately how long might it take for the juices to thicken and how thick might a child think is right without some approximation or description? And what the heck is the young novice to make of "If using butter, add a tablespoon of cold butter to enrich the sauce" (it's sauce now, not gravy) if our recipe hasn't said we ARE using butter or not, and do we plop the cold butter right into the boiling juices and splash ourselves?

Similarly, why are no tips given for pouring hot jelly into the 8X8 pan?

I wonder how long it might take, and how committed a child would need to be, to "scrape the peel [of a 4-inch piece of ginger] away with the edge of a spoon. "

What size do we suppose "a medium-sized bowl" might be?

If a child has not prepared a fresh avocado before, is it reasonable to begin instructions "scoop the avocado flesh from the hard skin" with no hints on how to open it and remove the pit?

Children might even need to be told to cut off scallion roots, not simply to discard the green part and chop the white part.

Details about the round of parchment for the springform pan would be nice.

If the young chef is not to let the brown butter turn black, it would be a good idea to mention how. (And couldn't more of the recipes use olive oil in place of so much butter?)

Reminding children their fondue cherries still have pits would be thoughtful. A little advice on "transferring" the molten chocolate to the fondue pot would be wise as well.

"Cook it until it is reduced by half" needs a bit more explanation, and I'm not even going to tell you about the two-sentence explanation for separating eggs. . .

Is it enough support to tell a child faced with a fresh pineapple only " Cut the pineapple into little cubes (about 1/4 inch)"?

These are only a few examples. I'm not trying to pick on these splendid recipes but they just won't do; they need to be thought through better for children to use independently.

Having only three ingredients per recipe implies manageable simplicity, but many of these recipes are more complicated than one might expect. Take oatmeal, for example: After cooking the cider syrup for 25 minutes, or arranging to rewarm it if it was made ahead, "cook [oats] over medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes longer, until the oatmeal is the desired thickness. Meanwhile, whip the remaining cream using a wire whisk. . . until soft peaks form" --pretty demanding for even an experienced cook to finesse and still "serve immediately."

How about divulging first-time tips on dividing ground meat into 12 or 16 evenly sized balls or the puff pastry sheets into 12 pieces.

Some of the ingredients are unlikely to be on hand. Some may be unfamiliar, and essential information is omitted:

How much is in a bunch of fresh mint anyway, in case we're picking our own?

okay, we know we need 5.2 ounces of Boursin cheese, but do we know what to look for at the grocery store? Comté? Even fresh goat cheese seems a little mysterious with no further comments.

garlic oil?


Sometimes less is more, but here it's not.

Kids Cook 1-2-3 claims it is "easy to follow," but it needs more complete, more careful instructions. It really does.

Editorial Review:

Learning to cook can be fun and easy! This cookbook is for kids, but beginning cooks of all ages will love the simple and delicious recipes for every meal--all with only three ingredients each.
With more than 100 easy-to-follow recipes, kids can prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts and more, while learning about fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques. From the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich to crunchy wasabi salmon, young cooks will gain confidence as they prepare homemade soups, delicious macaroni and cheese, and a heavenly chocolate mousse cake.
Award-winning chef and author Rozanne Gold inspires everyone to get cooking! Using her signature, keep-it-simple approach to cooking with fresh, natural ingredients, you won’t need a gourmet kitchen or any experience to get started. With just 1-2-3 ingredients per recipe, you can make amazingly creative meals and feel like a very accomplished cook.   

Comfort Foods: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals

Rachael Ray

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lake Isle Press Amazon Marketplace: 70 new & used starting at $2.31

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Baking -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Baking -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Zesty Warmth for Winter and Days When You Need Perking Up! 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I come from the school of thaw it, zap it, and throw some fresh herbs and spices on top. That's how I usually create a meal in 5-10 minutes. Let's face it; I'm impatient when it comes to cooking.

But on certain days, I fondly recall comfort foods that just hit the spot and left me feeling warm all over . . . no matter what the weather was outside. The frozen foods you can buy normally don't convert well into comfort foods. I have a few simple recipes I've developed for myself, but these dishes don't have the complexity of flavors and appearance that would make them feel like REAL comfort foods.

Having been impressed with Ms. Ray's 30-Minute Meals, I decided to see what this book would provide. I was pleasantly surprised by several things:

1. Many of the dishes that I enjoy in restaurants but don't know how to make are included (such as Italian Wedding Soup, Portuguese Sausage and Greens Soup, Creole Chili, Smoky Chili, Everything Jambalaya, and Swedish Meatballs).

2. The complexity of the instructions is just right for my elementary skills. I find myself intimidated by cookbooks that assume I know what I'm doing in the kitchen.

3. Unlike 30-Minute Meals, not every dish features either garlic or garlic and anchovies.

4. There's a rich repertoire of spices, herbs, prepared sauces, alcoholic beverages, and mustards that nicely matches my preference for zest in my food.

5. The dishes are "spiced" up both in terms of ingredients and appearance. For example, she recommends putting sweet pickle relish in your burgers (along with a little onion, cayenne pepper sauce, and steak sauce) while you baste with ketchup and steak sauce. I never would have thought of sweet pickle relish as an ingredient . . . even though I love sweet pickle relish on burgers.

6. Seeing her imagination at work inspires me to toss in even more of my favorite flavors into various dishes. It's like getting your license to drive alone for the first time!

Unlike 30-Minute Meals, Ms. Ray sometimes also gives you an accompanying dish to complement the entree. I think that's a nice touch. After all, a whole meal needs to work together so that you enjoy each item more.

For those who haven't done the dishes before, I especially treasured her advice about what order to do things in. It would be easy for me to forget to start the rice first . . . which would destroy the 30 minute timetable. While I'm not sure that an amateur like me can do all of these dishes in 30 minutes, I felt pretty confident that 40 minutes would always be enough time.

Although I often cook only for myself, if I freeze the left-overs the extra time I spend on these healthy, good-tasting dishes, the extra time I spend won't add more than about five minutes in preparation time per meal. I think that's worth it to step up from the sameness and blandness of thawed, zapped food.

Editorial Review:

This collection of greatest hits featuring popular comfort foods includes a buttery Chicken Fricassee, zesty Pepper Steak, and Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese.