Cheap. Fast. Good!

First, very notable for this type of cookbook is the minimal use of highly processed ingredients. There is the occasional can of cream of mushroom soup or packet of gravy mix, but not in every recipe. Excellent planning tips for shopping and storage. I think this book would be super for anyone who is new to cooking, as well as experienced cooks who need fresh ideas. This is the first cookbook I've seen where most of the recipes serve four, instead of six to eight. Maybe bad if you want leftovers, but great if you don't. With a husband who doesn't care for "gourmet" food, I really appreciate the emphasis on basic foods with a bit of a twist.

I bought this book at a kid's book fair from the 'Parents Table' because when I flipped through it every recipe caught my eye. I went home and feeling overwhelmed at life and meal planning sat down and checked it out. In 30 minute I had my meals for the next week planned straight from this cookbook. I've cooked ten of the recipes and each one was excellent--and my picky kids ate them! Nothing can recommend a cookbook more to me than my fussy kids eating the meals. The food is a little bland, but in the introduction it explains why and anyone can throw in a few more herbs and spices to dress-up these recipes---and I have to say the meals are fast, simple and easy---and my dinner budget for the first week was $100 and I didn't have to go over it (my family has three kids), and even entertained friends on that budget for two meals that week! I'm buying all their books as a result of the fabulousness of this book.

What's the one household budget variable that gives us the most grief? The mortgage is a set cost, so are the utilities (pretty much) but what really gets us is the food budget. We know we could do it better, but how do we do it? Do we sell the range and buy a wood stove, bake our own bread, and hoe our own rows? There are only so many hours in the day, and coming up with a good, fast home-cooked meal is a challenge, much less looking through the grocery fliers, and store-hopping for the best bargain. We've all heard that advice, and have asked ourselves, can't it be simpler? It can. That's where Cheap. Fast. Good. comes in. Aside from the fact that it contains quick kid-friendly meals (with a couple of good adult favorites thrown in for good measure) it's contains a brilliant, impressively well-thought out stratagey about how to save money, where and how to shop, and even a section on coupon clipping for dummies. If you're even remotely frugal at heart, you know you have to get a cookbook that is so single-minded on saving you money that it even has a section entitled "How to Eat on $100 a Week". Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross, authors of the equally useful Desperation Dinners have really outdone themselves in this selection, and it's a great place to start if you are really wanting--or having--to save money. I purchased this book a few weeks ago and find myself reading it even when I'm not needing a recipe, just to ratchet up my on my money saving techniques. The authors include a lot of text and asides to show you how to really save, including how to shop at a day-old bread store, how to store items to make them last longer, and just plain tips for making life a bit easier, such as their really good one for draining ground beef on page 128. Don't hesitate to buy this book. It's 500 pages of easier, quicker, cheaper for $13.95, and well worth every doggone penny. See my experiences with this book at moness.blogspot.com. I'm going to review individual recipes and keep at tally of how much they cost, including Shipwreck Skillet Dinner, Bayou Stew, and Camper's Chicken Pockets.

The title of this wonderful cookbook doesn't begin to tell the tale. It's packed with charming anecdotes, shopping and storage advice, cooking tips, hints for entertaining and feeding kids -- and that's all gravy on top of over 275 remarkably easy-to-make, nutritious and delicious recipes. This is big book in every way: full of information and insights about how to eat well for less, and how to plan, shop, and cook in the most efficient way possible. A bargain at $13.95 -- this is a budget bible of a cookbook that belongs up there on your shelf with Joy of Cooking and Fanny Farmer.

I just purchased the cookbook, Cheap.Fast.Good! and love it. I am a big fan of the Desperation Dinners authors and have read their newspaper column for years. I have made numerous of their recipes and many are now family favorites. I have a husband and 2 children and we eat at home most nights because it is cheaper and healthier. Not only does this book have great recipes but it also includes tips on menu planning and how to save money on food. I especially liked the section on a family of 4 eating on $100 a week. I can't wait to try that! I would definately recommend this new cookbook. I know it will be one of my favorites.