Reviews For Taste Of Home Magazine

I am not a gourmet cook. I cook because I need to eat! I'm not into gourmet, just good! This magazine is packed full of recipes that everyday people, like you and I, send in. It is then edited by people who submit. The colorful photos and detailed descriptions will make your mouth water!

When I buy a cookbook, I never know what I am in for, or if the recipes will be worth the hassle, so I don't buy too many of those. I got this magazine at work for free and WOW! was I impressed. These are simple easy, clear to follow directions, that even I can handle with no problem! I can create great meals that look and taste like I spent the day cooking and they are done in less that an hour!

Taste of Home Magazine also has a variety of helpful columns with loads of tips and information. Some sections they have featured include: herbs, country kitchens, chefs, etc. If it relates to cooking or your kitchen and organizing it better for You, you will find it in here!

For people like me who question everything, including cooking - Have you ever wondered if you could bake an Onion ring instead of frying it? You can, and it is simple and easy to do! I found this one in a section called "God Food that's Good for You..."

If you enjoy cooking even slightly or do it because you have to, if you like diversity in what you eat, changes in how things are prepared...This is the magazine you need! Try it, you won't be sorry!



Recommended:
Yes

When I was first married, I could make boxed macaroni and cheese, frozen pizza, canned ham, and homemade cheese soup. That was about all. I did my best. I followed cookbooks and made a lot of new things....some of them even edible. But I still never felt "accomplished" and found myself often taking home more leftovers from a potluck than I wanted. I kept thinking that experience would help - or maybe just the right cookbook. Lo and behold, it was both!

I discovered Taste of Home while visiting my mother. I was captivated by the wonderful photography and amazed that there was NO ADVERTISING!!! The recipes looked wonderful - and do-able. I poured over her copies for days and ordered a subscription as soon as I could!

This isn't another cooking magazine with fads and trends and weird ingredients. There aren't the traditional articles and the editors are real women who cook real food for real families! Taste of Home boasts over 1000 editors all across the country. Instead of articles, there are features: an editor's favorite meal complete with explanations and family histories; a meal that takes less than half an hour to prepare; potluck pleasers; meals that serve one or two; a budget meal; recipes for the weight conscious or diabetic; "My Mom's Best Meal"; "How I Get My Kids to Cook"; party themes; regional specialties; and more.....all of this in each and every issue!!!

I don't prepare everything I see; but, I've noticed that the more I read, the more I'm picking up *principles* about meal planning, food combinations, etc. - just as if I were cooking at my grandmother's knee on a regular basis. I may not make the recipe for quesadillas that I see in the magazine, but I'll take the idea and come up with Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas for dinner that night....whipped up from ingredients in my pantry!

As for the recipes I *have* tried, I have been amazed! I can honestly say that I have never prepared anything that didn't impress me with its results. I took a pie recipe to a church potluck and it was the talk of the class before dinner was even served! I made the most lovely trifle over Memorial Day weekend and my family and I have elected to make this our new, traditional Christmas dessert - I might even vary the ingredients and make another for Easter! My family went nuts over it.

That's the bottom line. I am not a gifted cook. My family did not spend a lot of time in the kitchen while I was growing up. Yet, I have a husband and eight children to please at dinnertime! Taste of Home helps me do this and gives me a painless education that allows me to be successfully creative, too! I think this magazine is perfect for the new or seasoned cook! A perfect gift for weddings, Mother's Day, Christmas...or yourself!



Recommended:
Yes

Taste of Home is without a doubt one of the best home cooking magazines out there today. It doesn't have the lush photography of Saveur or Gourmet, but what it does have more then makes up for this. One or two tries to cook the recipes it contains will convince you that 1000 editors can't be wrong. Thats right, 1000 of them and what a difference it makes. The recipes are clear, concise, easy, and so tasty. These are the kinds of recipes you want to take to a potluck and swear were handed down from your Grandmother's Grandmother. Although as popular as this magazine is getting, you'll probably be found out pretty quick.

The bonus coupon packs that come with a subscription are great, and the contests are the best. I spend hours looking for that toothpick each time in hopes of winning. Keep an eye out for the class schedule as well, the classes are so much fun, and the freebies they give you are just fabulous. I love all the different articles in Taste of Home, especially the Cooking for 1 or 2, and the ideas for making leftovers not get leftover.

This magazine makes a great gift for all sorts of people. And the only thing wrong with it is that there's only 6 issues a year. Of course if you combine it with Quick Cooking its sister magazine then you get 12 delectable issues a year.


Recommended:
Yes

Being a "City Slicker" you wouldn't think I would be able to fall in love with a home cooking magazine. Well, think again. "Taste of Home" is not just for the Country cook. This magazine is a MUST have for all cooks.

I purchased my first copy of "Taste of Home approximately 3 years ago--give or take a year. I have yet to be disappointed. I now subscribe to this publication. I've subscribed to Gourmet, Food and Wine and, of course, Martha Stewart Living. The recipes are designed to be prepared with ingredients on hand. With the other's you have to run out to a gourmet shop and look for hard to find items.

It's hard to find one specific thing in this magazine that I like. I love it all. In the first issue I purchased, I found a recipe for Apple Oatmeal Muffins that I STILL make today. I've started giving subscriptions as bridal shower or house/apartment warming gifts.

If you like "Taste of Home" you'll like "Country", "Taste of Home's Quick and Easy Recipes", and "Country Woman.


Recommended:
Yes

Taste of Home is one of those magazines that slips into your psyche the first time you read it. It captures your attention and your taste buds. From the well-written directions to the mouth-watering pictures, this magazine holds you spell-bound.

Taste claims that it has 1,000 editors spread throughout the country, and it does. Each month the magazine features editors from all over, telling us about what is new and in season in their area. I love reading each local person's description of fresh sweet corn, juicy watermelon and pungent onions as they become ripe in each region.

The recipes in Taste are usually written by the cook who makes them regularly. This ensures that information like "peel the eggplant from the stem end downward to keep the food moist" is included for the average (or novice) cook. Reading these recipes taught me to NEVER salt my beans before they had softened. Veteran cooks may think this is too detailed, but, trust me, it saved many a bag of beans. I used to wonder why my beans never got soft!

I really enjoy the recipe cards included in the center of Taste. Having the picture attached to the back of the recipe, for free!, is a boon for me. At times, I cannot visualize the finished product from the description; having the picture reminds me to do the nice finishing touches like cutting an apple-shaped hole in the top of a pie crust. Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but, cooking is as much for visual appeal as it is for taste.

Another nice feature is "Come into my Kitchen". This shows how various others have decorated their kitchens, and often includes hints and tips for storage of big and bulky items. One story included pictures of a set of handmade drawers that were used to store staples, including flour, sugar and oatmeal. While I may never use that idea, it is nice to have another alternative to canisters.

Taste of Home is on my never-ending subscription list. No matter how tight money gets, that magazine is always renewed!


Recommended:
Yes

I would love to grill portabello mushrooms in a balsamic
vinaigrette--but my husband and two children only accept food from the
pasta, meat & potatoes, or miscellaneous starch food groups. I was in a
cooking rut of bland proportions until my mother gave me a
subscription to Taste of Home Magazine for Christmas, which bills itself
as ?The magazine edited by a thousand country cooks?. The ?field
editors? are men and women from all over the U.S. who enjoy
traditional cooking.

Taste of Home is chock full of recipes for good, traditional home
cooked meals. The bimonthly magazine has a center section in which 32
featured recipes of the month are printed in an easy to cut out recipe
card format. Each issue features the winning recipes from a previous
month?s contest: recent contests have included recipes based on pears,
sausage, cake, chili, and pork. The cheesecake issue was one of my
favorites!

Most of the recipes call for basic, easily found ingredients. Some are
time consuming, but I have always met with great results. From
Firecracker Casserole (a spicy twist on a taco theme) to Chocolate
Strawberry Cream, from Linguine with Basil to Chocolate Truffle
Cheesecake, my family has responded enthusiastically to every recipe,
and I?m cooking for a tough crowd. The no-knead French Bread recipe
is a standby in our house now.

The magazine also features ?My favorite Meal?, a complete menu for
one of the field editor?s most loved meals, ?Cooking for One or Two?
(small recipes) , ?Cooking for a Crowd? (potluck recipes), a theme
party menu chosen from reader entries, an herb of the month, and two
pages of really good dessert recipes. ?Men Who Run the Range?
features recipes from guys who like to cook, ?Taking a Trip With
Food? focuses on a an ingredient particular to a specific region, while
?Good Food that?s Good For You? has healthy recipes.

There?s more: tidbits on kid-friendly foods, odd refrigerator decor,
features on people who run their own home-cookin? businesses, and a
reader forum where you can ask if anyone knows how to make those
wonderful honey-strip cookies you loved as a kid. There?s even a space
for embarrassing cooking stories and a spot for suggestions on jazzing
up leftovers.

Best of all, Taste of Home has no extraneous advertising. The only ads
are for other magazines put out by Reiman Publications. I also get Martha Stewart's magazine, and while it's entertaining, the ads drive me crazy and the recipes are never anything my kids (or husband) would eat.
Taste of Home is a very entertaining read, and really involves the reader not only through great recipe ideas but through little contests and the emphasis on reader input.

Taste of Home is a great addition to anyone?s ?cookbook? collection. I enjoy cooking again, and my picky eaters are slowly broadening their food horizons, largely thanks to Taste of Home.


Recommended:
Yes

My mother gave me a subscription to Taste of Home when I moved into my own home. I had been reading her issues for several years. The recipes themselves are great, but to be honest, that is not always the main reason I pick it up. Look at the other reviews for raves about the recipes. Here is why Taste of Home is in my house:

* I love reading the short bios of the "country cooks" who contribute to the magazine. I live in a big city, and these profiles make me chuckle. These women (and sometimes men!) are from the bygone days when church potluck cooking, 4-H volunteering, fresh biscuits in the morning baking, and livestock raising were the standard. I can't remember the last time I heard the term "Bake Sale," but the next time I want to make something to share with my co-workers, I'll turn to that column.

* Until Taste of Home came out, there was not a magazine of this quality that catered to the home cooking crowd. Sure, we like to cook nice things for company, but our food doesn't have to come from gourmet shops and follow monthly trends. The photography is good and the layout is pleasing to the eye. The suggestions for attractive place settings and table arrangements are good.


Recommended:
Yes

A Taste of Home magazine subscription was given to me by my mother (was she hinting?) several years ago, and I have kept renewing the subscription ever since! Taste of Home features recipes submitted by "a thousand country cooks" and features personal information about these "editors". It's just like getting the best recipes from grandmas, aunts, co-workers or neighbors across the nation!

These are not gourmet recipes! These are the recipes of family get-togethers, pot luck luncheons, church socials and everyday life. They are recipes that feature things you're likely to have handy, and don't require complicated cooking instructions or methods. Barbecued Picnic Chicken, Herbed Corn on the Cob, Potato Tossed Salad, and Easy Red Velvet Cake...ummm good recipes!

The full color pictures are attractive. The layout is simple, with one page or less features. The magazine is peppered with quick to read boxed paragraphs like "Proven Potluck Tips" or "3 Ways to Give Leftovers a Lift". Regular features include recipes with short articles like "My Mom's Best Meal","How I Get My Kids to Cook", and "Getting In the Theme of Things" (theme meals).

Of course my favorite section is the actual recipe card section, with an appetizing picture of the dish (can't cook without those color pics!)and the recipe on the back. I don't cut them out, but save the whole magazine as a cookbook. My favorite worn and spattered copies are the holiday season issues.

The magazine does not have advertising, which is a pleasant switch, but does come bagged with several ad circulars and booklets. The booklet is great, because it sometimes features coupons and more recipes for the advertised products.

The magazine has a certain level of "cornyness" about it, but that's part of it's appeal! It's almost like the Readers Digest of cookbooks with articles like "Men Who Run the Range" and "Something to Ponder Over the Kitchen Sink"! Guess the highest cornyness rating comes from the "find the toothpick" contest. Yes it's corny, and yes, you'll try to find it...you can't resist!!

From "stirring comments" to "just desserts", this magazine is great for the beginning cook to the "seasoned" kitchen veteran. It's just good American family food!



Recommended:
Yes

I subscribed to "Taste of Home" in 1995 after receiving a sample copy in the mail. This is one of the greatest magazines I have ever read. Of all the magazines that come into our home, this is the last one I would ever give up.

I like the fact that most all the recipes call for ingredients that I would normally have in the home. This makes it a lot simpler when planning meals.

In November my youngest daughter had a bridal shower for her sister in our home. After my sister-in-law jokingly asked if I was going to serve dinner, I decided, "why not." I then went to my magazine binders (I haven't thrown one magazine away)and started looking for recipes. I ended up serving Cherry Fluff, 3 Bean Baked Beans, Tarragon Chicken Casserole, Shredded Bar B Q Beef, and a Cheese Ball, all from my "Taste of Home" magazine. I got raves galore even weeks after the shower.

For Thanksgiving dinner I made a pecan fudge pie for dessert. I had requests for it again at Christmas, so being the good Mom that I am, I obliged.

The recipes are easy to follow and the pictures in the magazine are beautiful. It's a challenge to make your creations as pretty as the pictures, but I have found with the step by step directions, it isn't that hard.

The magazine has no advertisements which is a big plus for me. I hate spending money on a magazine and finding about a third of it is advertisements about Erectile Dysfunction, Depends, which sanitary napkin hold more water.

At the back of each issue is a recipe index which makes it easy to find the recipe you are looking for. They are classified under headings such as Desserts, Side Dishes, Soups, etc.

Another feature, "When the Gang's All Here..." has recipes that feed a large crowd. This is really nice when you need to prepare a dish for a reunion or a church dinner.

A fun thing they do, is hide a drawing of a toothpick in each issue. When a subscriber finds the toothpick and send in a postcard telling what page they found the toothpick on, they have a chance of winning a prize. All the correct answers are put into a cracker barrel and drawn out at random.

There are so many special things in this magazine that I can't begin to cover them all. If you love cooking, or just love food, and who doesn't, this is the magazine for you.

Above, I mentioned my magazine binders, "Taste of Home" offers their own attractive binders from the Reiman Country Store. If you are like me, I cannot stand to cut these beautiful magazine up, so this is a great way to keep them.

Thanks for reading my review.


Recommended:
Yes

Taste of Home is just one of many terrific magazines published by Reiman Publications. I've been a subscriber forever and actually look forward to them coming out with new magazines because I know I will want to order them, too!

The single greatest thing about TOH (and all the other mags they put out) is that there is no advertising. You don't have to wade through pages and pages of junk to get to what you really want to read. RECIPES! And there are tons of them in this magazine! The whole mag has a down home feel to it - you get to "meet" the people behind some of the recipes, which is nice, but there is not a lot of fluff. No articles telling you why you should eat this or why this is not healthy, etc. It is like getting a new cookbook every time an issue arrives.

The magazine is well written, the recipes are laid out nicely and you don't have to run to the store to buy ingredients because most of the recipes use things that you already have on hand.

The pages are not thin or flimsy and you feel like you are reading a magazine of quality. There are clip out recipe "cards" but I would never cut my TOH apart. I just save every issue.

It is fun, too, to read the fine print about where the "field editors" are. You would be surprised - even the smallest towns are represented.

Even the coupon packets that come with the magazine are interesting to read. Filled with tips and recipes and fun contests.

My only complaint with this mag is that they blow in a million subscriber cards. One would be enough, I think. I usually hold the magazine over the trash and give it a good shake to get rid of all the little cards before I read it. If that is the only bad thing that you can find to say about the magazine, they sure must be doing something right!

I highly recommend Taste of Home for anyone interested in cooking or recipe collecting. It's great for beginners and "old hands" alike. And, you can let your kids page through it without worrying about them coming across an article that is for adult eyes only, unlike many of the other magazines that include recipes.


Recommended:
Yes