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Friday, July 2, 2010

The I Hate To Cook Book Giveaway


Stayabed Stew, Skid Road Stroganoff, Chilly-Night Chili, Lovely Lamb Shanks.

These are just a few of the beloved recipes from Peg Bracken's classic, I Hate to Cook Book.

Written in a time when women were expected to have a full, delicious meals on the table for their families every night, the book offered women who didn't revel in this obligation an alternative: quick, simple meals that took minimal effort but would still satisfy.

Fifty years later, times have certainly changed - but the appeal of The I Hate To Cook Book hasn't. Updated and revised to fit the tastes of today, this new edition includes a forward by Peg's daughter, Jo and recipe updates for a whole new generation of women who hate to cook (and those who like it too)!

This book is for everyone, men and women alike, who want to get from the cooking hour to the cocktail hour in as little time as possible. (excerpt from back cover).

My Review:

Some of the recipes in this cook book are so - well, so simple - that they'd have any Cordon Bleu chef pounding his head with his omelete pan.

The thing about these recipes is this: they're here! You don't have to ferret them out of your huge, jolly encyclopedia cook book. And they'll get you through the month in just one chapter alone! The points that are special about them are these:

1. They all taste good.
2. They are all easy to make.
3. Each has been approved by representative women who hate to cook.
4. Some do two jobs. They involved either meat, fish or chicken plus a vegetable, so all you need is bread to make a meal.
5. Many can be made ahead.
6. Most of them are quick to fix.

Here's one classic example:
Sweep Steak
Makes 4-6 Servings

(So called because a couple of seasons ago, this recipe swept the country).

2-3 pound round steak or pot roast
both 1 - ounce packets in the package of onion-soup mix.

Put the meat on a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to wrap it in. Sprinkle the onion-soup mix on top of it, fold the foil, airtight, around it, put it in a baking pan, and bake it at 300 degrees for three hours or 200 degrees for 9 hours, it really doesn't matter. You can open it up, if you like, an hour or so before it's done and surround it with potatoes and carrots.

I absolutely love this book over my standard Betty Crocker classic cookbook, because as you can see from the example above, it's easy and tastes wonderful as if you have slaved away at a hot stove all day long. The book contains recipes for leftovers, vegetables, salads and dressings, potatoes, rice, potluck suppers, a girls' luncheon ideas, desserts, little kid parties, and last minute ideas for dinner.

It even provides a what to do section when your meal doesn't turn out exactly as planned. Can I say anymore? I could but I really have to recommend this book to anyone who loves or hates to cook. This book comes in Hard Cover and eBook formats.

I received The I Hate To Cook Book by Peg and Jo Bracken, compliments of Hachette Book Groups in return for my honest review. To sweeten the pot, they are offering, three lucky followers of mine the opportunity to win a copy, simply by leaving me a comment telling me what your interest would be in learning to cook.

Residents of the US and Canada only. No P.O. Boxes please. The giveaway will end on July 10th, so get cooking and leave me a comment.

For more information on this book, the author, read an excerpt, and where to get your wonderful copy, click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446545921.htm

14 comments:

  1. Oh, that's me. I hate to cook. I do it because I don't like to be hungry. Ha! So sign me up for the give-away.

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  2. what a fun cookbook...count me in, please :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  3. I love to cook and I love cookbooks but my daughter is the opposite. So if chosen, she would get this.
    gourdsrmylife(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  4. I'm always looking for great recipes that are quick, easy, and use pantry items. Thanks for the giveaway. Blessings, SusanD

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  5. Hmmm...I think this is the perfect cookbook for a girl like me.

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  6. I'm going to try this recipe. Thanks.

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  7. I love to cook, but after 45 years of doing it, I could use some new ideas.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  8. I love to cook but I'm interested in learning more gluten-free recipes or how to turn regular recipes into gluten-free using ingredient substitutions. My husband has Celiac disease and can't eat wheat so we have to be careful about what we cook. But I bet easy recipes like the ones in this cookbook would also be easy to turn gluten-free.

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  9. I would love to win this cook book. First of all I collect cook books, second of all, we all love to cook, and third it is always like a new easy recipe!

    Love and Blessings

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  10. I definitely would love to win this. Currently my bf does all the cooking. I would love to learn to cook more.

    Thanks for the chance.

    sharon54220@gmail.com

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  11. I'm just starting to live on my own so learning to cook anything would be ideal. Mainly things with lots of vegetables though since I try to eat healthy.
    andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  12. This is awesome! I do hate to cook, so this would be the perfect book for me. Thanks for the oppotunity!

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  13. I particularly hate to cook in the summer. This is an awesome book. Thank you so much for hosting these giveaways and reviews. You rock! Anne

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