Desperation Entertaining!

I have all 3 books by these authors and this one is my favorite. The recipes are good for both entertaining and cooking for your family. Although, the recipes are not quite as quick as the Desperation Dinners cookbook, they are still quick, easy and usually use common ingredients. I do agree with the other reviewers that this book is heavy on dips. But, when you are entertaining a dip is a very useful addition to the menu. For recipies that are more complex, the authors show you how to break the prep and cooking into steps. I found this to be a great help since as a mom of little ones I usually cook in spurts. We have tried a number of recipies from this book and have found them to be excellent. I have been in search of a good meatloaf recipie and I finally found one in this book. The Fastest Fruit Salad recipie is also excellent and gets rave reviews everytime I make it for a potluck. The Blue Jay Point Pasta is also very yummy and is great to freeze. I highly recommend this book to people who like to entertain and like to cook a nice meal without becoming stressed out.

I have Desperation Dinnners but this cookbook is great for entertaining.Have made several easy things from here which certainly makes entertaining much easier.A must have along w/other Desperation Dinner cookbook.

I would rate this a low five or a high four. My big complaint about this cookbook and it's fellow one "Desperation Dinners" is that sometimes there is so much advice and hints, the recipe kind of gets lost on the page. But having said that, these are great cookbooks. They are full of easy to follow recipes, time savers, hints and helps. The recipes require normal ingredients and rarely anything fancy. Every meal I have made has turned out fantastic. And this book lives up to it's name, in that almost every meal in this book can be served to company. Well worth the money. Enjoy

I'm a frequent "Desperation Dinner" cook. I was excited to find Desperation Entertaining. All of the recipes have turned out great. My family and friends have loved them. I made the BLT Dip and Cajun Barbecued Shrimp for New Year's Eve. They were the first things to go. I couldn't keep my kids out of it. Best of all, they didn't taste like a quick fix. My friends can't believe I don't slave in the kitchen all day with the dishes I make from this book.Don't be afraid to try the unusual, like peas in guacamole, you may be pleasantly surprised. I look forward to the next "Desperation" edition.

Alicia and Beverly have done it again! Desperate cooks everywhere now have no excuse not to entertain friends and family at home. More than a cookbook, this book provides how-to tips on organizing, planning ahead, and menu selection. Most dishes serve 8, so the dishes could also be made for dinner -- with leftovers. If you follow their advice you'll be able to serve tasty meals for guests with minimal cooking skills and only some effort. I've used quite a few recipes and find them easy to follow and everything tastes good!