Customer Reviews

Not Just Beans: 50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When I recieved my book I sat and read it from cover to cover. The hints and tips and funny anecdotes add such a human touch to this cook book! The recipes are fun and easy to follow. I have made recipe after recipe and my family continues to be amazed at the culinary delights I present to them! The love and family history that Tawra has poured into this book make for an AMAZING kitchen tool. I have been a confirmed "Frugal" for a long time, but since reading the Complete Tightwad Gazette and using Not Just Beans, my family has NEVER been so well fed and my Tightwad grocery budget is EVEN lower! Thanks Tawra for putting this COMPLETE cookbook together!

I am a cookbook junkie and since adding Not Just Beans to my collection, I find myself turning to it before all the others. All the recipes that I've tried have been wonderful. I've easily been able to adapt many of them to lower fat recipes using 2% milk, light cheese, fat free sour cream, etc... The Jar Mixes section came in especially handy over the holidays and I received rave reviews for all the "Gifts in Jars" that I gave out. My daughter and I have had tons of fun in the Kids section making Slime, Play Dough, Finger Paints and Christmas Ornaments.

Best of all are all the time and money saving tips spread through out the book. I'm even making my own household cleaners thanks to this book. Bottom Line: Not Just Beans is a MUST HAVE for Frugalites everywhere!

NOT JUST BEANS is so packed full of money saving recipes it will pay for itself the first week you use it. Tawras humerous anecdotes make this book one that I often sit down with and read even when I'm not looking for a recipe. But something will catch my eye and suddenly I have the desire to whip something up. We have never eaten so well for so little money. Her recipes are easy, delicious and economical. You will wonder how you wasted so much money in the grocery store in the past. Her book is a way of life that we can all afford and at the same time eat like kings (and queens).

These days, too many recipes featured in magazines and cooking shows are "gourmet" - expensive and time-consuming. This book is different. It offers easy, money saving recipes and even some Jar Mix recipes for gift baskets. It is perfect for the cook who has to get good food on the table while staying within a budget. I think students, homemakers, single parents and anyone on a tight budget who wants to eat well would especially like this book. The only part that disappointed me was the meat section, which was just not as comprehensive as I would have liked. For example, there are no ground meat recipes that I could find. Ground beef is low cost and can be used in dozens of recipes. Also, crock pot cooking, a frugal and easy option, is not listed. However, this book is still well worth purchasing and anyone who uses it regularly will save money.

I collect recipes and preview many cookbooks, but purchase few. I like this one.

It has loads in helpful information on substitutions that I haven't found elsewhere. It has several other recipes for fun, kid friendly projects. It even has the recipe for the chemical garden that I remember my mom making with me when I was little! Now I can make it with my daughter. It also includes recipes for homemade cleaners, a big $$ saver! Many cookbooks have a handful of good recipes that I refer to from time to time, but this one really has a wealth of good general info, above and beyone its recipes, that I refer to time and again. The unexpected treat in this book is its warm-hearted wit. It's funny & sweet.

I've read criticisms of this book claiming that it contains unhealthy recipes. There's some truth in that, but I believe there's another side to the story. This book bills itself as containing recipes that were collected by a family over a long period of time. When I look back over my Mom's and Grandma's recipes, there are some real artery cloggers there too! Just as I do with my family's recipes, I adapt these to meet today's lifestyle--lowfat milk, lowfat cheese, leaner meats, applesauce for oil, yogurt for mayo, cutting the amount of sugar, bacon flavoring instead of bacon, etc. It's not hard to do.

This book is well worth the money.

I like this book for some of the tips--although I have noticed that a lot of the tips are "borrowed" from The Tightwad Gazette. Some of the recipes are, as well, without acknowledgements. My other reservations are about the nutrition value of many of the recipes. The emphasis is on fats, sugars, and white flour, as well as meat. I am vegan and was disappointed to find barely any vegetable dishes I could prepare--many call for cheese and some even recommend bacon fat! One facet of frugality is keeping healthy in order to keep medical bills down--this recipes would not help with that goal. I hope the next edition contains some healthier recipes, or suggestions on how to lighten existing ones. That said, i admire the author for self-publishing and working so hard on her writing with all the physical challenges she faces!

I ordered this book based on the many positive recommendations. It is just me? I don't like it. The recipes are not what I'd call frugal. Any recipe that uses two proteins, or two expensive ingredients, like meat and cheese, is not frugal imo, and there are plenty of recipes like that in this book. (Beef and Bacon over pasta, Hamburger Casserole--2 cups of cheese, Liver and Onions--bacon again, Oven Fried Chicken-uses a 1/2 stick of butter? etc.)

Most of the recipes are also pretty unhealthy, way too much fat. (Lots of butter, or worse--margarine, sugar, canned soup) Very few updated recipes that take into account all that has been learned about food and nutrition in the last two decades. Just note the above and use your imagination for the rest of the book. (Steak and gravy, Stroganoff, Potato Salad--bacon, mayo, eggs, Croissants- 1 & 1/4 c. butter and evap milk. Fat City! Hot Fudge Sauce- 3/4 c. margarine, 2c. sugar, 12oz. (whole)evap milk. Yikes!) If you cooked for your family out of this book, it's likely everybody's cholesterol would zoom right up. Unhealthy eating is not frugal, it's ultimately very costly.

The only positive thing I can say is that the book is inexpensive. That's frustrating though, because I'd like to send it back and the shipping cost is likely to nearly nullify the credit on my charge card.

There are many other books out there that much better represent frugal family cooking.

I use this book ALL THE TIME!! No need to make a special trip to the grocery store for ingredients, they're found right in your pantry. Tawra Jean Kellam has a freezer guide, tips on how to save $$ at the grocery store, time-saving household tips, a freezer guide, how to set a table, and how to save on herbs, to mention a few.

There are 16 chapters which include: breakfast, breads, soups and sandwiches, meats and main dishes, desserts, candies, sauces, beverages, jar mixes, a kid's section (edible play dough, slime, face paint, tub crayons recipes, etc), ingredient substitutions, herb guide, conversions, and much, much more!!

A definite must in anyone's kitchen!

I returned this book. Though the author cautions that home-made candy can be more expensive than store-bought, the book is heavily weighted toward candy and sweets. I found it of no use for actually making nutritious family meals.

I've read this cookbook cover to cover and have cooked several of the recipes--all were great, and the Whole Wheat Bread was excellent. Kellam's recipes are straightforward, clear and targeted to a middle American taste. Her advice on saving money is sensible and lends itself well to those who seek a more simple, low impact and frugal lifestyle.

If you have children, the craft and gift recipes alone are worth the price of the book. I'm very happy to have, in one place, recipes for craft dough, slime, brightly dyed pasta for crafts and more. There are excellent suggestions and recipes for edible gifts and making gift baskets, so helpful for teacher gifts, and so fun to make with children. This cookbook is a valued and much referred to part of my cookbook collection. A must have!