• Christine on August 27, 2012

  There are a couple recipes in this book that make the regular rotation at my house, namely Asian Honey Chicken & Garlic Lime Chicken (I highly recommend them both). This is a book filled with basic, simple recipes to serve on a daily basis when you gather your loved ones around the dinner table. The ingredients are all easily obtained and mostly inexpensive. This is not the cookbook to turn to for flavor innovation or new & exciting recipes. But if you're looking for dishes that both you and your picky/fussy tablemates might all like so you can sit down and eat a meal together, I'm sure you'd be able to find several that fit the bill in this book.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Apple chicken

  • Christine on August 27, 2012

    I really hate to give a bad review, but this is the only recipe I have ever made and hated so much that it went straight in the trash (and I really hate wasting food!) I made it probably 5 years ago -- that's how memorably bad it was. I loved the idea of it, but the flavor combinations just did not work. Don't count this whole book out though -- there are many delicious recipes in it -- just skip this one!

• Asian honey chicken

  • Christine on August 27, 2012

    This recipe is a family favorite I've made many times. I usually cut the amount of chicken in half and double the amount of carrots and peppers because I like those proportions better. I also usually substitute a chopped, sauteed onion for the scallions, but that's just a matter of preference. Make sure you marinate the chicken for the full amount of time suggested. I've made it on the fly before, but the flavor is not as good as when the chicken has had time to absorb all the delicious flavors of the marinade.

• Garlic lime chicken

  • Christine on August 27, 2012

    This recipe is another I've made many, many times. My husband really likes it and has even been known to make it himself. We usually cut it in half since it makes quite a lot. We love to serve it with skin-on, garlic mashed potatoes.

  • Globegal on October 05, 2014

    I've made for years. Even serve it to company. Use thighs with skins on as don't like breast meat. The sauce is delicious. Freezes well so generally double the recipe.

• Crocked barbecued beef

  • blisstone on December 19, 2011

    This is no highbrow recipe, but as crock and barbecue combined go it's one of my go to. The meat comes out right, and her use of balsamic adds a perfect twang. I use Amy's BBQ sauce and it works well with the balsamic, I don't know if you would like it with a sweeter type of bbq sauce. I generally find a lot of her recipes great for the weekday drudge or for the amateur, however there is a "safety" in her seasoning that can very easily be remedied with a little experience, that said this particular recipe requires no tweaking from me.

• Chicken lo mein

  • Christine on August 27, 2012

    This is an easy, basic recipe and the flavors are exactly what you would expect. There is nothing earth-shattering here, just a simple, tasty weeknight meal. I usually substitute shredded coleslaw mix for the cabbage to make life a little easier.

• Oven fries

  • Sycamore on May 19, 2013

    page 258