This book is an amazing tool for "regular" moms like me, who want to feed their families minimally processed foods without a plethora of additives...but who also aren't health food extremists. I pre-ordered this expecting a quality cookbook filled with useful recipes...but it delivers so much more than anticipated!! Further down in my review, you can find a list of some of the recipes I'll be trying out first.
Every recipe has colored coded labels to denote when these special categories apply:
-Dairy-Free; -Gluten-Free; -Meatless; -Slow Cooker; -Make Ahead; -Freezer Friendly
The recipes that fall into either the "Make Ahead" or "Freezer Friendly" categories include a tiny extra section with the specific instructions for what's required to use these options. Also included is the recommended maximum length of time to store in the refrigerator and/or freezer.
Most of the recipes in this cookbook include 5-15 ingredients & consist of a few core ingredients - meats, fruits, and/or veggies - plus a handful of simple ingredients to add the flavor - spices, vinegars, cheeses, etc. Although this is a budget-friendly cookbook, I haven't found any recipes in it (so far) calling for cans of condensed soup or bottles of prepared salad dressing...Thank Goodness! Very few ingredients appear to involve extensive prep time, which is an obstacle I often hit using other cookbooks that focus on from-scratch recipes. I am disappointed that nutritional information is not included in this cookbook, since I have to be carbohydrate conscious due to a diabetes-related situation.
The following from-scratch recipes are just some that I'll be trying out. (The # in parentheses shows how many ingredients are listed in that recipe):
-Baked Apple Porcupines (7)
-Fire-Roasted Mushroom Marinara (8)
-Jalapeño Cheese Dip with Homemade Tortilla Chips (11)
-Honey Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough (8)
-Ale-Braised Pork Roast (13)
-Easy Homemade Hummus (8)
-Chocolate-Cinnamon Meringues (7)
-Fruit and Cream Tart (7)
-Broiled Bruschetta (7)
-Scalloped Potatoes (5)
-From-Scratch Refried Black Beans (6)
-Smoky Corn Salsa (7)
-Easy-Peasy Popovers (6)
-Garlic-Parmesan Texas Toast (6)
-Spready Cheese (13)
-Homemade Sourdough Hamburger Buns (12)
-Homemade Corn Tortillas (3)
-Oven Hash Browns (6)
-Malted Hot Cocoa Mix (9)
-Homemade Mayonnaise (6)
The product description on Amazon would have turned me off, if I had bothered to read it first. Many of the highlighted recipe titles sound a little too far outside the norm for my crew, who generally thrives on basic, down home, southern & Chesapeake Bay coastal food. I usually bypass all recipe titles containing the words: orange, asian, mint, or honey-ginger. But this little gem of a cookbook is chock full of a LOT more than that!
"Good Cheap Eats" hits the mark as a SIMPLE REAL-FOOD cooking reference that is both cost AND health aware. It's an excellent resource for preparing homemade replacements for many foods commonly bought already prepared in boxes or bags at the grocery store. There's no doubt that you could look elsewhere to easily find similar versions of the more basic recipes. What adds value here is that they're assembled together in one book, then further used as building blocks in a wholesome, complete, and budget-friendly meal.
As a mom of 3 young girls, I've followed the author's blogs on Good Cheap Eats & Life As Mom a while now. I consistently find the content she posts on both blogs to be relevant. She shares the kind of down-to-earth advice & invaluable guidance that can ONLY be gleaned from the veteran moms who are kind enough to pass along their wisdom to the rest of us. This book is yet another example of it!
FYI- I did NOT receive a free copy of this (or anything else) in return for giving my opinion - I actually bought it. You are getting an honest review here & not one written by a pro reviewer.
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