Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book: Celebrating the Promise, 14th Limited Edition "Pink Plaid"

I was looking for a "Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book", since this was a trusted book, while growing up. I bumped into this Celebrating the Promise edition, and chose to get it for the cause...then maybe get an original later. I am very happy with this decision. The 5 ring binding and cover are very sturdy, convenient and beautiful. I wish all of my cookbooks came in this binding...when you open to a page, it stays there! I appreciate that the organization is also very nice and beautifully illustrated throughout. All the recipes include nutritional information. Each section has a tab for fast and easy locating. The Sections... - "Celebrating the Promise": includes a short yet informative section dedicated to breast cancer awareness, 80+ recipes submitted for the cause (covering several areas) with nutritional information for each recipe, along with tips and quote from famous people...all for inspiring women. - "Cooking Basics": full of great and helpful, easy to understand tips for the new cook and even the not-so-new (as a quick, trusty reference guide). These tips include: helping choose the right tools & equipment, food safety, food storage & making meals ahead, common staples & specialty ingredients defined, meal planning, measuring, nutrition, place settings, seasonings, table setting basics and techniques used. - The recipe sections: "appetizers & snacks", "beans, rice & grains", "beverages", "breads", "cakes & frostings", "candies", "canning & freezing", "cheese & eggs", "cookies & bars", "desserts", "fish & shellfish", "grilling", "meat", "pasta", "pies & tarts", "poultry", "salads & dressings", "sauces & relishes", "slow cooker recipes", "soups & stews", "vegetables & fruits", "20-minute meals" - *Index: each section has it's own index, then the last tab has a full index. This is very convenient and user friendly! *all of the recipe selection's (except the "Celebrating the Promise" section) index and main index provide helpful little color bubbles indicating: 'no fat', 'low fat', 'easy', 'fast', 'vegetarian' & 'whole grain'; when it applies to a given recipe. This is extremely useful for those who desire or need to follow more restrictions. I'd highly recommend this cookbook, whether you are getting it for yourself or a woman in your life (family, friend, coworker, bride-to-be, etc...). It would be a great gift to any woman, regardless of age or cooking skill.

Yeah, sure the binding broke after a year of being thrashed around the kitchen. No big deal, just go to a Home Depot or Lowes and get a 3/16" x 1/4" ALUMINUM BINDING POST (Don't use nylon, it'll break off, and any other metal will corrode/rust if you get it wet. You're in a kitchen, there IS water!). You stick the post through the old rivet hole and put the screw in the 3-ring binder hole and screw it into the post. Wicked easy! The people who rated 1-3 stars based solely on binding issues should have a ruler applied to their knuckles. This thing was mass-marketed, of course it's going to have a few poor copies. If you don't want to "go through the hassle" of a mini-project, just use it outside the cover, it all stays together in the rings, anyway! Received as a gift, I'd lent this to my friend, and she moved from Massachusetts to Florida. She had been using it so often, I decided to buy her a copy of her very own! Very nice to find out that her newer printing included the celebrity chef recipes, smoothies, and full page color photos, just wish mine had come with it, too! The cookbook is great, tons of recipes that are easy. In true BHG fashion, the basics are always printed in the back so you never have look or feel silly not knowing a cooking technique.

I was given this cookbook as a wedding present 6 years ago. Although I was an intermediate cook, I appreciated the approach of the book: basic to advanced. There is a recipe for how to bake potatoes and creme brulee. This is the one of two cookbooks I have outside my own personal ones. It is my go to book for things like 'apple pie spice' or when I need a basic recipe. It is the gift I give for weddings now, regardless of the cooking ability of the bride or groom.

I ordered this cookboook from Bookarama, Inc. and when the gift was opened Christmas morning all of the contents spilled out onto the floor. The book was put together in a very shoddy fashion. The two pop rivets holding the contents together were weak and both pulled through. I contacted the company by email and informed them that I wanted a replacement and what steps did I need to take. Three days later I received an email telling me to return the book, state the reason for return and in approximately 30 days I could expect a refund. I replied to their email that I did not want a refund, I wanted a replacement and to please send me a postage paid label and I would gladly return rhe merchandise. I am not going to pay for return shipping. I am still awaiting a reply. The company in it's email did not include a POC or a phone number with which to call. I looked up Bookarama on the Yahoo Search Engine and called them, only to receive a recorded message instructing me to reply to their email for all returns. I did not even have the opportunity to talk with a Customer Service Rep. I feel like I received the royal run around and I will NEVER purchase another item from this company and definitely will not recommend them to any of my friends. Their workmanship leaves much to be desired and I do not see where they stand behind their products, nor do they pay attention to their emails. I finally took matters into my own hands, drilled out the defective rivets and repaired the cookbook myself, afterall this was a Christmas gift. TB Lloyd II, USN (ret)

Great and easy to follow recipes

I was amazed to find this cookbook at such a bargain price. I wanted an everyday cookbook with easy to make recipes. I read through the reviews and first ordered the America's Test Kitchens Family Cookbook, but when it came I was very disappointed with it. Hard to read, cluttered content on the pages. So I went back and read about some other cookbooks. I was able to look inside the BH&G New Cookbook at the content and said "That is exactly what I wanted!" I then saw that the Pink Plaid editions had the same content, but was in the Bargain Books at a price that couldn't be beat! I ordered it and two days later it was here, in great shape and I am thrilled with it. A couple of the corners were bent a little, but most of my cookbooks show signs of being used anyway. I put some wide clear tape on the corners to reinforce them and I expect the book will last for years! The ATK Family Cookbook will go to my son in Calif who is a "foodie" and he will love it, I am sure, so not a wasted purchase, either.

Very nicely laid out book. I like this one better than the original, which I just ordered another of. I like that this has a lot of new recipes. I love this book. Glad I found it and to top it off soooooo cheap. 1 cent + 3.99 shipping. Brand new book still in the wrapper! The buy of the century for me!

The recipes in this book look good. I bought this in the bargain section for a great price however, the book arrived a bit dinged up and someone had run a green marker across the bottom pages . . . I assume because this was a sale item. I was ok with that because it was not a gift. When I opened it up, the binding came apart and it was something that I could not fix. I was not ok with that problem and sent it back to Amazon. I know this review isn't helpful in terms of the recipes since I didn't make anything but I wanted others to know what they might be getting since I read that others also had this problem with the binding. (I was hoping to get a "good" one) I have gotten some fantastic books in the bargain section but this wasn't one of them.