* In today's economy, people are dining out less---and eating at home more. But who has time to cook? Best-selling author Hall offers easy-to-follow recipes for simple and fast food that's as healthy for your family as it is easy on your budget. Ideal for small budgets and crazy schedules! 384 pages, spiralbound softcover from Nelson.
Average Rating: 3 out of 5 stars(3 out of 5 stars)
7 of 7 Reviews Showing:
2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Emily (Edgewood, KY), December 05, 2009
Since I’m always looking for new recipes to add to the cooking rotation, I was excited to review a cookbook for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program (http://brb.thomasnelson.com), especially one that focuses on fast and frugal cooking- something we’re all focusing on these days. The cookbook is broken down into nine main categories-Breakfast and Brunch, Appetizers, Salads, Soups and Chowders, Main Meals, Side Dishes, Breads and Biscuits, Desserts, and Beverages- and each contains 12-30 recipes. The book also contains an introduction in which the author provides a list of tips on being frugal grocery shoppers. After making several recipes from this book, here’s a list of pros and cons for it…
Pro: Almost every recipe comes with a picture, something that’s a must for this chef.
Con: However, the pictures were clearly taken by an amateur photographer and some of them make the food look rather unappealing due to poor lighting, etc.
Pro: Since the cookbook is focused on frugality, the author provides tips on how to turn leftovers into new meals.
Con: Since it’s also focused on fast cooking, a lot of recipes utilize convenience foods (like cans of chunk chicken breast or using boxed cake mixes), when it’s typically cheaper and healthier to make that ingredient from scratch.
Pro: For each recipe, the author provides a grocery shopping list, meal suggestions, and tips on variations.
Con: There just weren’t very many recipes that I was interested in trying. While I’m honestly a pickier eater than most, I also have a huge sweet tooth and I wasn’t inspired by any of the dessert recipes.
In sum, while I appreciate the aim for frugality and quick cooking, this cookbook just wasn’t for this cook. Two out of five stars.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kerry Jenkins (Jasper, AL), November 02, 2009
Book Review of Dawn Hall's Book
Ok, it's my first book to review and...it's a cook book. I know. What were you thinking, Kerry?
Well, it was an early Christmas gift to my cookbook collector (but never a user) wife. But she WILL LOVE this cookbook! Dawn Hall's Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook is excellent!
Let's start at the beginning...cookbooks need to be organized and categorized. DONE!
They need to be diverse in the menu offerings. DONE!
They need to be simple that a man can do it. DONE!
Hall goes a bit further for this caveman. On a side column of each menu states the pots or pans required, a departmentalized grocery list, time to cook, and, to keep my great manly figure, a full listing of health information including carbs and calories.
And the food's great! Alright, it's more than meat and potatoes...it's refined...and it took no more than 30 minutes, period!
Great menus. Great information. Great cookbook.
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Shawn (NY), October 23, 2009
The name of this book would catch anyone's eye. Cookbooks that say that they are fast and frugal and for busy people seem to be something that I feel many would be interested in getting. With the economy the way it is, many people are dining out less and eating more at home. Many people want fast and inexpensive meals to cook for their families. Dawn Hall shows home cooks how to prepare simple and fast food that's as healthy as it is easy on the budget.
I like that Hall gave her readers an introduction in which she shares her personal story and the inspiration for creating this cookbook. This cookbook is divided into nine different food categories, ranging from breakfast and brunch all the way to desserts and including beverages. Within each category ,the recipes are according to how long they take to make. Most of these recipes should take 10 to 30 minutes or less. For each recipe, she gives you a supply list which includes the grocery items, as well as the supplies you will need to make this meal. Hall includes helpful hints(ideas or easier ways of doing things) that might make things much easier. The nutrition facts are included(like how many calories,fat,protein,etc.) and show that the recipes are healthy. I really liked that feature. I was impressed with the frugalness of the recipes. Many times when you get cookbooks, the recipes are complicated and expensive, not with this book.
I think almost everyone would enjoy using this cookbook from time to time. I think this would be perfect for beginners and would make a nice gift.
2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Heather (Lanesville, IN), October 17, 2009
This cookbook's title has immediate appeal for many families trying to save money these days. Hall has cleverly organized it with suggestions for meal combinations and shopping lists. Each section has a mini index listing which recipes are 10 minutes or less, 15 minutes or less, 20 minutes or less and 30 minutes or less. Each recipe uses 7 or less ingredients.
BUT (this is a big "but" for us because of a family history of heart disease and strokes), the content is not for families who are conscientious about making healthy food choices for their families. Doctors and dieticians recommend reducing the amount of sodium in our diets but this cookbook's recipes range from 9 to 2157 mg of sodium per serving. The majority of them are 1000 mg or more of sodium per serving. The only sections that I found to contain mostly lower sodium recipes were the breads and biscuits, beverages and desserts. For me, I have found that I would have to adjust the majority of the recipes in the cookbook to be lower in sodium and made with fewer convenience items (like canned potatoes) so that I feel better about serving them to my family.
(Note: I received a copy of this book as a Thomas Nelson Book Blogger.)
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by s (missouri), October 15, 2009
this book was just ok for me I don't like canned veggies or meats so after I adapted the recipes using fresh or frozen veggies it was good not frugal but doable!
i would give this 3 stars i just wish somewhere on the front cover it said it used canned goods
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kim (Springfield, Il), October 05, 2009
I decided to try something new this time and review a cookbook. For those who know me that might give them a laugh, but the title of the cookbook is "Busy People's fast and frugal cookbook", and the word "busy" definitely applies to me. The author, Dawn Hall has promised her readers meals that are healthy, can be made anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, and meals that are perfect for those working within a budget.
First I have to say the cookbook is so cute that it would look just adorable sitting out on your kitchen counter. I also like that Hall gave her readers an introduction in which she shares her personal story and the inspiration for creating this cookbook. Hall divided the cookbook into nine different food categories, ranging from breakfast and brunch all the way to beverages. Within each category she divides the recipes up according to how long they take to make (10 to 30 minutes).
At present I have not tried to make any of the recipes, but I definitely plan to soon. For each recipe, Hall makes it easy as she gives you a supply list which includes the grocery items, as well as the supplies needed for the meal (tools, pans, etc). This is a great addition to a cookbook for someone like me. Hall also includes helpful hints along the way that might make your cooking experience a little more easy. Thank you Dawn Hall!
As I paged through the whole book, (I didn't read every single recipe word for word) one of the things that I noticed is almost all the ingredients for the recipes are simple, and are not food items that I have never heard of, or are very hard to find. I wouldn't say this cookbook is for the gourmet cook with a lot of experience, but I think almost everyone would enjoy using it from time to time.
Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Ashley (Central Ohio), October 05, 2009
I recently had the chance to read The Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook by Dawn Hall through the Book Review Blogger program (brb.thomasnelson.com) with Thomas Nelson.
I love cooking. So, when I saw that there was a frugal cookbook available to review, I of course requested it. The book claims that the recipes are delicious, healthy, and easy on a budget.
I would agree with that. I found several recipes that I liked and have even tried a few with great success. The nutrition facts are included and show that the recipes are healthy. Also, I was highly impressed with the frugalness of the recipes. A lot of time when you get cookbooks, the recipes are complicated and expensive. But, not this book.
Each recipe included a list of ingredients, directions, nutrition facts, a suggested shopping list, meal suggestions, and even a layout of how to make it (Like do this 30 minutes before meal, do this 10 minutes before meal, etc.). Some of the recipes even include hints to help you make it easier.
Overall, I was highly impressed with this cookbook. I am very happy to have received it and will be looking into finding more cookbooks from the author!
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