Customer Reviews

Apple Betty and Sloppy Joe: Stirring Up the Past with Family Recipes and Stories

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I couldn't stop smiling while paging through this book. There are recipes, yes, and if you grew up in the 50s or 60s, they'll bring you back to your childhood, but it is so full of family memories told by all four sisters, and loving tributes to their Mom and Dad and to each other, that you will feel warm and happy, and then will want to run to the kitchen to make a Jello "salad." What a wonderful family scrapbook the Sanvidge sisters created, and how lucky we are to get a glimpse into their childhood. Highly recommended!

This is a great cookbook filled with very traditional recipes you almost can't find in cookbooks today. In addition, it is like taking a step back in time to life like it used to be. It is a very entertaining book to read and my eleven year old daughter loved reading it as well. Well done!!

In Apple Betty & Sloppy Joe, the Sanvidge sisters recall their Northeastern Wisconsin upbringing. Nominally, this book gathers the best and most memorable recipes from the sisters' 1950's childhood, from the everyday meals to the dishes that appear only once a year. While the recipes provide a focus (and many are, indeed, worth trying), this book's heart really comes from the anecdotes and asides that surround the recipes. These narratives provide a glimpse into 1950's small-town middle America and, more specifically, the Sanvidge family.

While Apple Betty will not be recognized as one of the year's most important books, it is a fun and breezy read and a book that provides more insight than would, perhaps, be expected. With both the recipes and the stories, we are reminded of the many ways in which our culture has changed in only the past few decades. In 1950's Oshkosh, for example, pineapple was exciting and new, but cooking with the seasons was commonplace. Changes beginning and in process during the time period covered by this book are quite important to where we are currently as a nation - both socially and gustatorially. Apple Betty does not provide an scholarly analysis of these processes and precursors, but a keen reader will find much on which to ruminate. I also found Apple Betty refreshing in its coverage a period of time and segment of culture that has seen too little recent non-cynical treatment. Though there are many reasons to dislike the 1950s, it is nice to consume at least some media that references this time period in a non-serious manner without being condescending. Apple Betty is a delightful book that just may have you paging through your photo album or your local church fundraiser cookbook before you finish.

This cookbook takes you back to the 1950's and 60's when life moved at an easier pace and families gathered around the table. The family stories laced throughout the book are great; who made the best chicken pie and who made made the best creamed potatoes.

I think today we forget that in prior years people made the best of what was in season, what they managed to catch, and what they had on hand. This book provides a snapshot of how one family did it. A number of the recipes remind me of those I grew up with.

Well worth a spot on your cookbook shelf.
David Stahr

"Apple Betty & Sloppy Joe" is so fun. I'm from Oshkosh, WI so many of the stories take me back to the places mentioned. I bought one for myself and one as a gift. I know the recipient will love it. The family stories are reminicent of home and the recipes familiar with many my Mom made in "the old days".

What a cute book. I didn't live in Oshkosh that many year ago, but I bought the book for my Mother-in-law who grew up in Oshkosh. I browsed some of the recipes and stories and it looks great, especially if you grew up in Wisconsin. I'm sure you will relate to this kind of cooking.

This cookbook is great. Easy to follow recipes which use everyday ingredients sprinkled with heartwarming stories. LOVE IT!!!

This book was bouhgt as a Christmas gift. It arrived promptly and in excellent condition. She loved the book.