5 stars Cookbook
After looking through this cookbook, I placed an order for my own copy so I could return this copy to the library. I saw a post on Facebook about this cookbook so I put a hold on it at the library and after looking through it, this is definitely a keeper. I will tell you that I haven’t read any of Rachel’s other books so, I am now looking into them but right now, this one has my attention.
I am not a fancy cook as I eat normal food. Once in a while I will try something different, if the mood strikes me but I have to psych myself up for it. This week I bought some beet chips at the store, I said bought, I haven’t eaten them yet but I have them in my possession as they looked good and I liked beets (a lot!) and they’re baked, so hopefully, they’re not too bad. After thumbing through this cookbook and reading quite a few pages, I really think I could make everything in this book! It looks all normal, it looks pretty easy, it’s comfortable food without a lot of fancy ingredients and it looks like food that my friends and family would eat. This cookbook looks like a winner to me.
In sections that are pretty typical: snacks, dips, casseroles, potluck, slow cooker, parties, etc., I found many recipes I am excited to try. I also was excited about the parties section and the sips section. The parties section has a listing of 10 different types of parties and for each of the parties, the author gives suggestions on how to host them. From decorating, to food, the author has great suggestions and pictures to help make the party a success. In the sips section, there are 10 drinks to create from moonshine, gypsy, margarita popsicles to patriotic punch. There are some that are nonalcoholic too.
Let’s talk about the recipes. The illustrations in the cookbook are different, I thought. The author shows us a variety of illustrations for each recipe, and yes, each recipe has illustrations. Each recipe has a series of illustrations (3-5) that show the progression of the recipe as you follow the steps plus a final product illustration. This makes the cookbook bright and colorful inside. There is a little blurb and serving size information for each recipe but nutritional value is not provided. The ingredients and preparation are listed and they are easy to follow.
What I like about cookbooks are, they may have the same title of a recipe that you have tried before but the ingredients are a bit different. There are some recipes whose names look familiar: Loaded Baked Potato Salad, Seven Layer Salad, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Chili Cheese Dip, and Spaghetti Salad but following this author’s recipe and/or using her other suggestion, these just might make this dish stand out.
I thought the Breakfast Scramble, Raspberry Peach Dump Cake, and the BBQ Root Beer Chicken sounded amazing- just to name a few. I can’t wait to get my copy in the mail.
One Chapter 