Rating: 
Summary: Life Saving Book with the WRONG TITLE
Review: The worst thing I can say about this book is the title. They completely missed their market when they titled this book "Where's Mom when I need her". While marketing to a college student may seem smart it is only a small piece of the market this book should have targeted. In reality this book is the most aptly targeted to the stay at home mom who is trying to live frugally and save money. Many moms out there are buying books such as "Miserly Meals" and "Tightwad Gazette" in an attempt to find ways to save money and make simple meals for their family. Also many of us did not grow up learning to bake from scratch and how to make our own mixes for things. This book is actually the best one out there for that purpose. It should have had the word Frugal in the title or Cheap/Inexpensive and it should have been marketed more for the moms than the kids. I bought this book years ago as a young mom because my mother never taught me these things. We never learned how to cook or bake or any of those things. This is absolutely hands down the only book you will ever need for saving money and learning the basics of baking, cooking. Excellent book. Editors totally dropped the ball on who to market to and probably lost the author untold dollars as a result but nevertheless the book is amazing!!!
Rating:
Summary: Terrific book for new brides or anyone recently on their own
Review: This book has provided me with many affordable, simple, and crowd-pleasing recipies as I learn to cook for my new husband and weekly for a group of fourteen! The medical tips, cleaning information, and measurement guides have saved me a fortune in calls home to mom! This is a wonderful gift for any new bride, with room to add your own favorite recipies in a number of categories.
Rating: 
Summary: Needs more precise recipes.
Review: This book is a pretty good primer for the new housewife, in that the recipes are generally small and there is lots of other useful information regarding nutrition and household maintenence and laundry. They even include water-purification methods and how to make your own Windex. My complaint is with the recipes, and they make up the bulk of the content of this book. While very diverse, the recipes are very sparsely worded. They generally go something like "put the first five ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Then add the next two incredients and make a dough. Then spread the dough into a baking dish and cook at 450 until done." For a novice cook, this can be a little bit distressing. Some of the recipes are also very salty. Aside from the problem of the recipes, the book is a worthwhile investment. I would recommend it more as a "guidebook to life" than as a cookbook.
Rating:
Summary: Where was the BOOK when I needed it? =o)
Review: This book is absolutely amazing! It's the book I have always needed. I only wish I had gotten it when I was first on my own. I have only been "on my own" ( and married with my own house now ) for 4 years, and have learned a lot of hard lessons by experience... but this book has taught me a lot more! If I'd had it to begin with maybe I wouldn't have had to go through some of those hard lessons. This book can never take place of a wonderful Mom, but for some people it will probably be the mother they never had. Everything in it is simple and easy, it's got tons of yummy looking easy recipes, tons of tips for EVERYTHING, and even has a section on health, like what vitamins do what for your body, and what foods you can find them in, as well as a bunch of nutrition tips. I would DEFINATELY reccomend this book for anyone just starting out on their own, and even those who have been on their own for a long time, because there's so much information in this book that even the veteran "on-their-own'ers" could learn a thing or two!
Rating:
Summary: Where was the BOOK when I needed it? =o)
Review: This book is absolutely amazing! It's the book I have always needed. I only wish I had gotten it when I was first on my own. I have only been "on my own" ( and married with my own house now ) for 4 years, and have learned a lot of hard lessons by experience... but this book has taught me a lot more! If I'd had it to begin with maybe I wouldn't have had to go through some of those hard lessons. This book can never take place of a wonderful Mom, but for some people it will probably be the mother they never had. Everything in it is simple and easy, it's got tons of yummy looking easy recipes, tons of tips for EVERYTHING, and even has a section on health, like what vitamins do what for your body, and what foods you can find them in, as well as a bunch of nutrition tips. I would DEFINATELY reccomend this book for anyone just starting out on their own, and even those who have been on their own for a long time, because there's so much information in this book that even the veteran "on-their-own'ers" could learn a thing or two!
Rating:
Summary: A great gift for young people leaving for the first time.
Review: This book is now my gift of choice for high school graduations. It is comprehensive yet simple, practical yet interesting. I have been a homemaker for 25 years and still learned new things from this book. We now use several of the recipes regularly, especially the Orange Banana Sauce for pancakes and the Dump Cake. The hardback version with the vinyl cover and the pockets is well worth the extra cost in convenience, cleanliness, and longevity.
Rating:
Summary: Pair It Up With...
Review: This book picks up where, "On Your Own For The First Time" leaves off. These two books paired together and your child is set! On Your Own gives advice for resume writing, insurance, credit, room-mates, interviewing, shopping for cars, leases, legal matters, personal investing, etc. These two books together make the perfect graduation gift or even for the newlyweds....
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Assume
Review: This book, although it contains the occasional helpful hint, makes the dangerous assumption that the College "Mom" only has an interest in her child's nutrition, laundry, and other areas of the "female domain." I am apalled that this book, and its companion, was written in the 21st century! In our household, it's Mom who has the tool kit, not dad. Furthermore, it is an outrage to assume that the financial planning is not something that should be jointly managed by both parents. Don't waste your money. It's trash.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Assume
Review: This book, although it contains the occasional helpful hint, makes the dangerous assumption that the College "Mom" only has an interest in her child's nutrition, laundry, and other areas of the "female domain." I am apalled that this book, and its companion, was written in the 21st century! In our household, it's Mom who has the tool kit, not dad. Furthermore, it is an outrage to assume that the financial planning is not something that should be jointly managed by both parents. Don't waste your money. It's trash.
Rating:
Summary: It's a must-get!
Review: This is a wonderful book for anyone! The recipes are easy and delicious. I always have the ingredients in my cupboards! It's a staple for kids going out on their own.
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