Rating: 
Summary: Quick, easy, delicious
Review: As a wife, mother, grandmother and food stylist, I appreciate the work that Sandra Lee has put into her book. It has minimized the time that I need to spend on dinner and maximized the time that I am able to spend with my family. We have enjoyed the Southwestern Turkey Chili and the Corn Bread, the Dijon Chicken and Mushrooms. The Raspberry Trifle with rum sauce and the Berry Cookie Cobbler are delicious. My daughter made the Gooey Mud Pie for her father-in-law's birthday and it was declared the best birthday dessert ever. This book is a MUST for singles, newlyweds, working couples and empty nesters who want good, tasty food with minimum fuss. Food purists may be put off by the simplicity of the recipes, but in the real world of work, carpools and hurried routines...this book is a treasure!
This is a book that I will enthusiastically recommend to friends.
Rating: 
Summary: This book does everything but the shopping.
Review: As the mother of three active children who also works full-time, I have always found preparing quick and healthy meals a challenge. Then I saw Sandra Lee on the "Today" Show. I immediately bought her book. I have tried a number of cookbooks that promise quick, delicious meals in 15 or 20 minutes and most of them are a disappointment. They "conveniently" forget to include prep time so it ends up taking hours to get dinner ready or else the food is bland or the ingredients are a chore to find. This book isn't like that. The prep and cooking times are spelled out and are pretty realistic. I can have most meals on the table in less than half an hour. The price for speed is the use of pre-packaged ingredients but frankly after my husband and I drag ourselves home after another long day at the office, every little thing we do not have to do ourselves is a godsend. I think it is great that Sandra controls quality by using name products. They are easy to find and make shopping easier. And the food really does taste homemade. I have three words to say about this book - buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful shortcuts
Review: Delightful, delectable, quick meals that taste like they were made from scratch. Most, if not all, of these meals can be made in thirty minutes or less and nobody will know that you didn't spend hours in the kitchen. The recipes are clearly explained and easy to follow so that anyone can be a success in the kitchen. Divisions include breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, cocktails, soup, salads, snacks, gravies and sauces, and even a short section on pet foods. Try the biscuits and gravy for breakfast (preparation time of about 15 minutes) or the Dijon Chicken and Mushrooms for dinner (preparation time of about 30 minutes) or perhaps the Cheddar Potato Soup (preparation time of about 15 minutes). If you find yourself often in a hurry and trying to put together a delicious meal in a short time then you will not be disappointed in this book. Granted it takes a lot of short cuts to get you to the end result with a minimum of effort, but it does not sacrifice taste to do so. The only thing that I did not like about the book was that it was not spiral or comb bound. So, it was hard to keep it lying flat so you can actually read it. Still it fills such a unique niche that it is a recommended read.
Rating:
Summary: This is your second cookbook
Review: Everybody needs two kinds of cookbooks. One cookbook for when you want to cook a meal from scratch and a second cookbook for when you want to cook a meal from scratch but don't have time. This is your second cookbook. It gives you quick, easy to make meals when you are short on time but want something better than fast food or TV dinners. And you don't give up taste
Rating:
Summary: Grade A in my book
Review: I am a college student. I can't afford many cookbooks because they're expensive but Amazona[.com] had this one at a good price. I am graduating in the spring and need to learn how to cook so I thought this book would help me ease my way into it. Now that I've tried it I doubt I will cook any other way. Its just too easy. I can fix an entire meal, clean up the kitchen and still have time to go out or do something afterward. I would have to give it a definite A.
Rating:
Summary: Recipes so easy the kids can help!
Review: I am a single mom with two kids to feed and a boss that thinks I should work 50 hours a week just like the guys. This book lets me feed my family hot delicious meals no matter how late we get home or how much we have to do. And the recipes are so easy the kids can help. It is also great for those weeks when I do not have the kids and have to cook for one. I could pop in a Lean Cuisine or make pasta yet again but this book has many ideas more creative than that. It has reasonable portions for single servings and I can take any leftovers for lunch. It is a bargain.
Rating:
Summary: Good for both experienced and inexperienced cooks.
Review: I am not an impulse buyer, but I saw this book in the bookstore and knew it was for me. I used to cook big meals every night. But now I keep my grandson, who is nine months old, and I just do not have the time or energy to cook like I used to. The book is well organized and gives helpful information, even for experienced cooks. There is a lot of variety, which comes in handy when you are cooking every day for a family. The Dijon Chicken and Mushrooms is one of my husband's favorites. The Southwestern Turkey Chili and Cornbread saved the day when friends dropped by to watch the game. My son and grandson love the French Apple Raisin Sandwiches. They don't know I cut corners. They think I make it all from scratch. I am not about to tell. Though I might slip my daughter-in-law a copy of the book for Christmas. I almost hate to share my secret, but this one is just too good to keep to myself.
Rating:
Summary: I'm not a food writer and I love this book!
Review: I bought this book having no idea it had sparked such controversy. I just identified with the concept and thought the recipes looked pretty simple and sounded good. So far,the book has delivered. The recipes I've tried have taken anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to fix and have tasted far better than I expected. I think they are pretty impressive for a half hour's investment. I can fix a semi-homemade microwave lasagna quicker than I can run to Vons for Stouffers. So what if the book uses branded products? They're just a recommendation. I assume the author has tried these products, found them to be high quality, and is passing that information on. That used to be called being helpful. If you wnat to use White Lily Flour instead of Gold Metal, make the switch. I doubt the food police will come knocking on your door. And if using packaged food as a shortcut offends you, don't do it. Buy the New Joy of Cooking and cook yourself euphoric. To me, the joy of cooking is having time to enjoy a meal with my family and then using the time I saved to help my kids with their homework. Just my opinion -- and my priorities. If that makes my lifestyle "sad" , so be it. I'm a single working mom , not a food writer, but then I don't claim to be.... --- Mom of Four
Rating:
Summary: A Great Gift Idea
Review: I got this book as a shower gift. My fiancé grew up with home-cooked meals every night, and I just graduated from a hot plate in the dorm. Needless to say, I was a little intimidated. Not anymore! What I like the most about this book is that the recipes are so unique and explicit. It tells me how long it takes to prepare the ingredients, then how much more time to cook it. I love the brand names. I don't know what brands are the best, so it's nice to get advice from the person who invented the recipe. It's also nice to have recipes for every meal, not just all pasta or chicken like some cookbooks. It even has party food for when we have people over (like maybe my in-laws). I may be a beginner, but this book makes me look like a pro. I highly recommend it to give as gifts or to use for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Gift Idea
Review: I got this book as a shower gift. My fiancé grew up with home-cooked meals every night, and I just graduated from a hot plate in the dorm. Needless to say, I was a little intimidated. Not anymore! What I like the most about this book is that the recipes are so unique and explicit. It tells me how long it takes to prepare the ingredients, then how much more time to cook it. I love the brand names. I don't know what brands are the best, so it's nice to get advice from the person who invented the recipe. It's also nice to have recipes for every meal, not just all pasta or chicken like some cookbooks. It even has party food for when we have people over (like maybe my in-laws). I may be a beginner, but this book makes me look like a pro. I highly recommend it to give as gifts or to use for yourself.
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