If you're on a low budget, just starting to cook, or even just want some new recipes to try out than this cookbook is right for you. Learn what to stock up on, what kitchen tools to buy and what they do, tips to prepare food, over 60 recipes, and much more.
I thought this was a great cookbook for beginners, or even someone whose been cooking for a while. There were a lot of helpful tips and shortcuts. I'll definitely be referring back to it for reference.
Disclaimer, I am an 85 year old unreconstructed foodie who has been cooking since I was 13. My parents married during the Depression and when I read the current selection of Depression era cookbooks I am reminded with the meals we had when I was growing up.
I read cookbooks to get ideas and improve my cooking but this book was a disappointment. The recipes and advice are basic and I find the dependence on various canned items, especially canned vegetables as not particularly nutritious or inexpensive.
As an alternative I would suggest using a basic textbook for a high school Home Economics class a better source for similar information.
Title and marketing are a bit off on this one. It was more a beginners guide to cooking from scratch then a cookbook of recipes that are inexpensive to make. Yes there was useful information about how to assemble a cheap kitchen of working utensils and stock the cupboards. Only my expectations of recipes I could use while living in poverty wasn't met. Liked the tip of frying canned vegitables. Going to have to try that.
I chose this book because I am searching for recipes that are not only easily prepared, that my family will like, but also they don't break the bank with expensive ingredients. This book has those types of recipes. I have already prepared a couple, with good results. I have borrowed the companion books and I hope I won't be disappointed. Thanks for reading. GOD bless you !
From the description in the introduction, this writer is very young. The book needed an editor, badly. I did not find many of the recipes and suggestions interesting, as most of them involved processed and canned foods. They may be cheaper but they are not very healthy. If you are looking for a guide to good, scratch cooking, don't bother with this book.
Some of the recipes looked good. The problem with this book is that half of it contains tips on saving money, either on utility bills or shopping. She talked a lot about canned or frozen things. What about fresh store produce on sale or a farmer's market? What about growing it yourself? The prices of things are pre-covid. Who can afford to buy beef or ham anymore?
Completely out of dare and 99% of advice is to shop at Wal-Mart. Buy cheap Chinese crap for your house at Wal-Mart. Basic recipes. Sounds like how I got through college with ramen and macaroni and cheese.not really imaginative., and misses farmers markets and co-ops.
The author is young, 18 and already has a child. She started young though I'm not criticizing her. I thought this book would give me some ideas for cutting my food budget. This book is more for teens and young adults who don't yet know how to cook. As has been said, she uses a lot of canned and processed foods.
She covers so many different area's of cooking. I'm not a biginner have cooked for over 50 years and still found new recipes and she explains everything step by step Anyone can cook her recipes!
This is one handy little cookbook using items found in most pantries!! It gives basic instructions on many recipes we rarely make at home any more, such as gravies and rice baked meals. Why use a cream-of soup when the gravy fixings are right in your pantry ...and cheaper!!
This is a great cookbook for someone that wants to stretch their money or someone that is just starting out on their own. This is the way we used to cook
Wished I had copies of this when the kids moved out. Could have handed them this instead of all the phone calls because they didn't pay attention when I was having them work beside me in the kitchen.