Customer Reviews

75 Years of All-Time Favorites: An Anniversary Recipe Collection from America's No. 1 Home and Family Magazine (Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen)

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I love this book! It's visually very appealing, and while it has receipes from years gone by, they are all updated and very tempting. Everything I've tried from this book turned out successful and all have become my family favorites. It's a beautiful book and would make a nice gift to a cookbook collector as well as a valued resource in your own collection.

Drawn from the pages of Better Homes And Gardens magazine, this compendium of main dishes, side dishes, breads and desserts is gorgeously illustrated with full-color photographs and each recipe is carefully laid out with an ingredients list and step-by-step instructions that can easily be followed by even the most novice kitchen cook. From Appetizer Cheesecake, Mexican Chef's Salad, and Tropical Fiesta Steak, to Meatballs Stroganoff, Sizzling Vegetable Sandwiches, and English Toffee Ice Cream, 75 Years Of All-Time Favorites is a classic cookbook and a welcome addition to any kitchen shelf.

In 1922, Better Homes and Gardens magazine arrived in readers' homes for the first time as "Fruit, Garden and Home." The name was changed in 1924. The back issues of Better Homes and Gardens chronicles the rich historical perspective of America's love of cooking. This is actually a collection of the best recipes in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. There are more than 230 recipes. Some are classic, some are new. They were chosen to celebrate the magazine's 75th birthday.

There are also winning recipes from reader contests, favorite recipes chosen by readers and carefully selected and tested recipes that reflect food favorites from each decade. Nutritional facts are included with every recipe. Low-fat symbols are found on healthful recipes and original artwork from past issues of the magazine is a nice touch.

A unique "Menu" section helps you plan a special-occasion meals. The recipe suggestions are from chapters throughout the book. You will also find recipes for breakfasts, snacks, salads, appetizers, breads, cakes, cookies, main dishes, side dishes, sauces and desserts.

Some of my favorite recipes include: Almond Twirl Bread which you could really dress up for the holidays with candied fruit or edible flowers, Holiday Shrimp rounds and Winter Fruit Bowl. I am working up the courage to make the Italian Crème Cake, which really is not that hard to make, but has a few layers. The Coffee Éclairs are also to die for and are filled with coffee ice cream. You will also find the recipe for French Silk Pie on pg. 279. I made the Pumpkin Cake roll and loved it. You could make it for a party in October. If you want to impress your guests to no end, do take a look at the Almond Raspberry Torte. It is called a "showstopper" for a good reason. It will also serve 16 people.

I won this cookbook but would have bought it if I had seen it in a store. The cover is red, white and blue with that delicious picture of a shortcake with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries playing in whip cream. Who could resist?

Better Homes and Gardens has a recipe contest all the time and you can enter your recipes, well one day I decided to enter a contest and actually won something! If you have a good recipe, subscribe to their magazine and enter the contests and you never know what might happen. One of your recipes might be in an anniversary edition one day. My recipe isn't in this cookbook, but maybe it will appear in some form or another one day and will be a fun surprise.

"I wish you happy memories and happy moments in your kitchen! And remember, what you cook today will be tomorrow's fond memories when your children look back and pick their all-time favorites." -Jean LemMon, Editor in Chief

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

~The Rebecca Review

I must be very honest. I thought that I would like to try so many of the recipes contained in this cookbook after looking at the wonderfully appealing pictures of recipes over and over. First, I tried the Maryland Fried Chicken. After mixing the ingredients and following the directions throughout the recipe, it turned out that there was a pretty large amount of ingredients left. Although this may have been on my part, as a new home cook, much of the coating for my chicken slid off and ended up on the bottom of the frying pan. However, the chicken tasted wonderful, and my family and I loved it. I was just displeased that part of the ingredients ended up going to waste. After making the chicken, I decided to try the Hidded Cherry Cookies. Again, there were left over ingredients- this time it was melted chocolate. Frustrated, I did not try any more recipes from this cookbook.