Book Description
In the newest addition to the universally beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the charming and ever-resourceful Precious Ramotswe finds herself overly beset by problems. She is already busier than usual at the detective agency when added to her concerns are a strange intruder in her house on Zebra Drive and the baffling appearance of a pumpkin. And then there is Mma Makutsi, who decides to treat herself to dance lessons, only to be partnered with a man who seems to have two left feet. Nor are things running quite as smoothly as they usually do at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Mma Ramotswe’s husband, the estimable Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, is overburdened with work even before one of his apprentices runs off with a wealthy woman. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is a visitor who forces her to confront a secret from her past. . . .
All this unfolds against the sunlit background of Mma Ramotswe’s beloved homeland, Botswana–a land of empty spaces, echoing skies, and an endless supply of soothing bush tea.
Customer Reviews:
Delight in Cheerful Ladies!.......2007-08-14
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, the sixth book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith continues to delight the reader, by allowing us to visit the enchanted world of Botswana through the eyes of the number one lady detective Precious Ramotswe. We peak into a foreign world which seems oddly familiar. It is a world we knew during days of Andy Griffith and Leave It to Beaver. This time however we see the world through African eyes.
Precious Ramotswe, is a Botswanan lady of traditional build and traditional values, even so she is modern enough to establish her own detective agency, something unheard of in Botswana. Precious is a shrewd woman with an innate sense of right and wrong . She holds to traditional Botswanan values, while solving any puzzle or predicament which her clients may present her.
She is not with out help and support. Precious is newly married to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni who is a mechanic with strong values of service and care. Also in the cast of characters is Mma Makutsi, Precious' associate. Mma Makutsi is a more modern woman, but one who values hard work. Together they create a truly delightful mix of personalities.
When the personalities combine with the everyday details of Botswana, slices of each characters life and personal dilemmas and the puzzles which the clients present , the reader can delight in a true literary dish that is not to be missed.
A reader of In the Company of Cheerful Ladies cannot help but wish to travel to Botswana and meet Precious Ramotswe.
Mystery and Laugh Out Loud Funny.......2007-08-09
O Boy! Want some mystery? Good clean humor? No violence? Precious Ramotswe, a traditionally-built woman without apology, and her pals are here for us. She and her assistant, Grace (who gets advice from her colorful designer shoes), are very entertaining and many times, laugh-out-loud funny. I read the entire Ladies' Detective series in a couple of weeks. The books average about 200+ pages each. Set in modern Botswana and written by Alexander Mccall Smith, the reader may be encouraged to visit Botswana and Her people.
Excellent Author.......2007-07-05
Keeps your interest all the way through the book, in fact, throughout the whole series.
Pumpkins, green dancing shoes, and decrepit white vans..........2007-05-16
Alexander McCall Smith has outdone himself in this book! Even if you haven't read the entire Ladies Detective Agency series, you could dive in with this one and be totally satisfied. Don't be put off by a slow start...the beginning will slow you down to Botswana time, but unexpected things soon begin to happen and by the end of the book, several different plot threads are nicely tied up with bows (except for two, which remain unresolved...perhaps for the next book).
Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi usually solve the problems of others, but in this book Mma Ramotswe has a terrible problem which at first seems insoluble. It threatens her marriage...but ultimately, with help from an unexpected source, it is resolved.
Grace decides to go to dancing school -- to dance, certainly, but also possibly to meet a cultivated man. She does meet someone. If you have ever done likewise, you will love the description of the first dance lesson, Grace's feelings at what transpires, her decision to be kind even though she gets stuck with someone who seems to have no dancing ability whatsoever. McCall Smith is unparalleled at setting up moral dilemmas full of the complexity and the humor of everyday life, and resolving them in ways that warm the heart and delight the brain.
The relationship between Grace and Precious (glimpses of their differences and their mutual judgments of each other, coexisting with their loyalty and devotion) takes on new depth in this book, as does the relationship between Precious and J.L.B. Matekoni, and between J.L.B. and Grace, who make a surprising discovery together (one of the two plot threads left unresolved).
Several lesser subplots twine around these stories like morning glory vines. At the end of the last chapter, Grace says to Precious, "We have never had so much happen all at the same time. It is better for things to happen separately." Precious agrees...but I think the reader may disagree! McCall Smith delights us with his plot juggling and I for one can't wait to see what comes next.
If this is your first time reading the series -- it's wonderful. Otherwise, repetitive & tedious........2007-04-28
The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is charming. This is the sixth installment I've read. Unfortunately, 60% of the content of this edition has been covered in the first three books, which I found frustrating.
If you have read other novels in the series, you may skip wholesale passages of this book -- literally turn over pages and just scan them. The plot is not advanced, and the book is cluttered by the repetition. I became frustrated with the lack of plot movement over entire chapters. What was sweet and tender in the first three books has become tepid and stagnant by the sixth.
However -- if this is your first time reading the series, you may become entranced and probably will want to read the rest as fast as possible. Read the first three books next.
Book Description
In the newest addition to the universally beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the charming and ever-resourceful Precious Ramotswe finds herself overly beset by problems. She is already busier than usual at the detective agency when added to her concerns are a strange intruder in her house on Zebra Drive and the baffling appearance of a pumpkin. And then there is Mma Makutsi, who decides to treat herself to dance lessons, only to be partnered with a man who seems to have two left feet. Nor are things running quite as smoothly as they usually do at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Mma Ramotswe’s husband, the estimable Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, is overburdened with work even before one of his apprentices runs off with a wealthy woman. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is a visitor who forces her to confront a secret from her past. . . .
All this unfolds against the sunlit background of Mma Ramotswe’s beloved homeland, Botswana–a land of empty spaces, echoing skies, and an endless supply of soothing bush tea.
Customer Reviews:
Not nearly as good as its predecessors.......2006-01-07
Last year I discovered the Ladies Number One Detective Agency and fell in love with Mma Ramwotse and Mma Makutsi and everyone in their Gabarone world, so much so that I've made plans for a trip to Botswana. I've read every book in the series. I couldn't wait for the next book to be published, and was so very happy to receive it as a Christmas present.
What a disappointment. I suspect that Mr. McCall Smith's publishers were after him to keep writing, that he had writer's block, but dredged up enough ideas to write a book anyway. In his previous efforts, although lots of things were happening and many subplots were going on, somehow everything came together as part of a whole. This book just seems disjointed. One of the events that occurs early in the book is never even resolved! (spoiler coming--kind of) Mma Ramwotse finds that a man has hidden under her bed. You wait the whole book to find out who he was and why he was there, but you never do! For such a compact book, this is not good.
Hopefully he'll return to his previous skill in the next episode(s).
"A life without stories would be no life at all.".......2005-09-21
Mma Precious Ramotswe, warm-hearted proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana, is drinking tea at an outdoor café when she witnesses the theft of a bracelet. In her haste to apprehend the female thief and return the bracelet to the poor vendor, she leaves her table without paying her bill. The waitress hurries after her, accuses her of intentionally neglecting her bill, and then offers to "forget" about it if Mma pays her an extortionate fee.
Distressed by what she sees as the loss of Botswana's traditional values, Mma Ramotswe believes fervently in setting a good example, respecting others and promoting friendships in her own life. Recently married to Mr. J. L. B. Matekone, proprietor of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe runs her detective agency (where she doles out homespun advice and often serves as a "mother confessor"), takes care of two orphaned children, mentors Mma Grace Makutsi, her assistant, and endeavors to get the two apprentices at her husband's garage to become responsible citizens. A special pleasure in this novel is the introduction of a wonderful, new character, Mr. Polopetsi, a man with a sad story who will undoubtedly be further developed in later novels.
Throughout the series, plots and subplots serve primarily as vehicles for character development and the exploration of cultural values. In this novel Mma Ramotswe has a deep secret, not shared even with her husband, and she is desperate to have it remain a secret. Her house is broken into, her car is stolen, and Note Makoti, her first husband, returns to Gabarone. Mysterious goings-on occur in Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni's former house, now rented; the detective agency looks for a missing man from Zambia; and Mma Makuti finds herself receiving the attentions of a clumsy suitor. While these events may not be very exciting when regarded on a large scale, they are significant in the lives of these ordinary people trying to live their lives with dignity.
Reading this series is like returning to a familiar neighborhood to meet old friends. In simple, direct prose and a leisurely pace, the author recreates the colorful lives of a repeating set of characters who treasure relationships, treat each other with respect, and possess inherent good sense. Full of gentle humor and much wisdom, the novel emphasizes the richness of a traditional life without including the violence, sex, or horror which fill other "detective" novels. Warm, witty, and nostalgic, this series is happy reading, and this novel is a fine addition to the series. Mary Whipple
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In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (Audio))
Alexander McCall Smith
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
 General
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| Contemporary
| Literary
Women Sleuths
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
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General
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ASIN: 1419338846 |
Average customer rating:
- I LOVE this book!
- Wonderful!
- An Excellent Book
- not GREAT, but good enough
- In a word: Dull
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Cup of Clay (Taliswoman, Book 1)
Carole Nelson Douglas
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Douglas, Carole Nelson | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
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Seed upon the Wind (Tallis Women, No 2)
ASIN: 0312851464 |
Customer Reviews:
I LOVE this book!.......2003-12-16
i first came across cup of clay while doing a book report for my ninth grade class, and was stunned when the story knocked me off my feet. i dug through a million layers of sellers to get the second book, and have written letters to carole nelson douglas begging her to write the third. ms. douglas, if you're reading this - BLACKMAIL YOUR PUBLISHERS! finish the story!
Wonderful!.......2000-11-16
I disagree with some others who found this book lacking! I enjoyed the second as well, and I am desperately trying to find a 3rd!
An Excellent Book.......2000-08-02
I have always despised novels that tried to mix fantasy and reality, but Cup of Clay was a wonderful breath of fresh air. The characters are neither perfect nor heinous, but realistically flawed. Though some elements of the plot were predictable, there were quite a few unexpected twists. Finally the unique setting and culture drew me into the world of Veil and kept me enthralled until the end. The pleasure continues in the second novel "Seed upon the Wind" and I am anxiously awaiting the third book in the series.
not GREAT, but good enough.......1999-03-24
I'm a VORACIOUS reader. And this was good enough. I've had books that were so bad I couldn't get through the first chapter, much less finish the book. But, I liked this book, and the follow-up book, and I'm waiting for the third now. Granted, when I read this I was still in Highschool. Trying to find a fantasy book that entertains as well as feeds a highschool girls sense of growing feminism is hard to do. Usually, the women in fantasy books are extremes. Either powerful beyond belief or weak beyond bearing. Alison is just normal. Yes, she's hypocritical in that she adores Native American philosophy and doesn't like the Desymene society. But that's true to her character. She's a Caucasian female of the 90's who is a reporter. A lot of caucasians (and other ethnicities in america) enjoy saying "Oh, I have *Indian* in my family" but they don't truly understand or respect the traditions that ARE very similar in some instances to the Desmeyne traditions.
Either way, I enjoyed this book because it appealed to the girl in me who wants to do something special, to be something special, and who wants to save the world...even if it's not my own.
In a word: Dull.......1997-06-20
Cup of Clay is just that, dull. The characters are flat and uninteresting. The plot is so predictable, I knew how the book would end after the first fifty pages. I not sure if I'm more amazed that the book was published or that I finished it. I would have been much more entertained, if I had quit half way through and just written the rest of it myself. If you find this book, my advice is: Don't waste your time
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Clay Revisions Plate Cup Vase
Vicki Halper
Manufacturer: Seattle Art Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0932216269 |
Average customer rating:
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Cup of Clay
Manufacturer: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HWNBYS |
Average customer rating:
- Good book. Want more.
- some good ideas, but painful to read
- Excellent book
- Feminist fantasy
- THIS BOOK WAS GOOD BECAUSE IT HAD A GOOD PLOT.
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Cup of Clay
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9993834963 |
Customer Reviews:
Good book. Want more........1999-07-27
Entrancing. This is one of the books which moves slowly, but doesn't seem like it. Some plot elements are never fully explained (the wolf pack, Eli, the cup itself) but since there are more books in this series, the incompletion is more tantalizing than annoying. The heroine is one of the few in fantasy who does not annoy me with either her passivity or her stealy, "feminine" belligerence. And the idea of having children accompany the main characters throughout their adventures - very refreshing! Any average hero would feel obligated to rescue children from the evil guys, but who would accept them as comrades and friends for the rest of the book? The whole woman-disguised-as-a-man idea is nothing new in fantasy, but this time I was as surprised as the main character to learn what everyone thought of her. Most side characters are well drawn, especially the old-lady sidekick and the Littlelost. The ending is painful, twisting, and sickenly beautiful. My only complaint is that I never grew much sympathy for the male lead. He was too devoid of compassion of any kind. I hope for his sake and everyone else reading about him that he goes through some big dynamic change in the next part of the series.
some good ideas, but painful to read.......1998-11-25
A little reminiscent of Donaldson's white gold trilogy, in the corruption of the land, but there's no explanation given for the corruption. In fact, there's no explanation given for most of the things that happen, including some pretty confusing ones. The main character seems to take being dropped into a fantasy world pretty calmly, except when she's demanding to know why nobody told her something before. There are a couple plot twists which are nicely sprung, but they're overshadowed by a number of plot directions which just seem inexplicable.
Excellent book.......1998-09-07
From the reviews of this book, I guess you either love it or hate it. I personally found the book to be very imaginative, containing interesting concepts and ways of thinking that i have only seen in M. Lackeys works before.
Feminist fantasy.......1998-08-06
This is an excellent example of a fantasy novel which is all too rare. The heroine is not "buxom" or beautiful or neglected in her own world. She is independent and resourceful, not unafraid but fearless at times. When she finds herself in another world, she doesn't go looking for the first helpful person, male or female, to throw herself upon. Instead she relies on her own wits and strength (she knows tae kwan do)to overcome the situations she's thrust into. She battles with the macho guy who interferes with her journey and bests him at a contest. In fact, she's so androgynous to the inhabitants of this new land they think she's a boy! Thank God for a writer who can tell a great story and give the reader a character to proudly empathize with!!! This is a hard to find book and it's been written up by writers who seem to think it's got cult status. Look for it!!! And for the third in the trilogy coming out soon...I hope.
THIS BOOK WAS GOOD BECAUSE IT HAD A GOOD PLOT........1998-03-29
CUP OF CLAY WAS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS YOU CANNOT PUT DOWN. FROM THE VERY FIRST IT WAS GRIPPING. IT REMINDED ME OF BOOKS BY ANDRE NORTON, AND MERCEDES LACKEY.
Average customer rating:
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Venus Plus X
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0440193605 |
Amazon.com
In Venus Plus X, Charlie Johns, a 20th-century man, awakes in a future in which hunger, overpopulation, bigotry, and war have been eliminated--and gender has vanished. Everything humanity knows about its divided nature is no longer true--and perhaps never was.
Theodore Sturgeon and Philip Jose Farmer were among the first SF writers to deal with sexuality in an open, adult manner. Sturgeon's approach was further distinguished by his uncommon awareness of sexual diversity and his passionate belief in the healing power of love. His story, "The World Well Lost" (1953), was the first SF work to present homosexuality sympathetically, and Venus Plus X (1960) was among the earliest SF works to explore and challenge gender-role stereotypes, and surely the first to do so with a vision of a single-sex, androgynous human race. --Cynthia Ward
Book Description
Charlie Johns has been snatched from his home on 61 North 34th Street and delivered to the strange future world of Ledom. Here, violence is a vague and improbable notion. Technology has triumphed over hunger, overpopulation, pollution, even time and space. But there is a change Charlie finds even more shocking: gender is a thing of the past.
Venus Plus X is Theodore Sturgeon's brilliant evocation of a civilization for whom tensions between male and female and the human preoccupation with sex no longer exist.
As Charlie Johns explores Ledom and its people, he finds that the human precepts he holds dear are profane in this new world. But has Charlie learned all there is to know about this advanced society? And why are the Ledom so intent on gaining Charlie's approval? Unsettling, compelling, and no less than visionary, here is science fiction at its boldest: a novel whose wisdom and lyricism make it one of the most original and insightful speculations on gender ever produced.
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-25
An interesting look at society and how gender influences it. The
protagonist, Charlie Johns, in this story winds up in the society of
Ledom. In Ledom shumans only have one gender, and manage to
function quite happily in that fashion.
While there, Charlie is given a decent background briefing on their culture and technology.
Charlie is confused, and begins to suspect something might be rotten in the state of Denmark.
Agenda Driven.......2006-02-05
I felt ambushed by T. Sturgeon after I finished this book. It starts out as a fun, interesting time-travel adventure, but as the novel goes on, you get the uncomfortable sensation that Sturgeon has a sexual/gender agenda, and he certainly does. I liked a lot of the inventiveness of the little bubble-world, but stepping back from the book afterwords, it really is a perverse little bubble world. After finishing the book I went back and read his introduction, and Sturgeon strikes me as a bit of a nasty man. And what was the deal with the ending? Was that actually a nuclear war that was dropped like an A-bomb on the final page for no reason other than send the reader off with a bad feeling??
I'll give it two stars for colorful scenes and events but I felt Sturgeon purposely laid a downer on me.
Consciousness-raising, perhaps, but not enough fun.......2004-06-19
Charlie Johns wakes up after a plane crash only to find himself in a strange new world of advanced technology, unique social forms, and a conspicuous absence of gender. That's right, folks, all the citizens of the land of Ledom are functionally both male and female and consequently there are no longer two different sexes. Charlie's (and our) guide is a man/woman named Philos, a historian who wants Charlie's unbiased opinion about their utopia. At Charlie's side, we learn about Ledom's architecture, its clothing styles, its scientific achievements, its educational system, its worship of children, and of course, its total lack of sexually-derived problems, a theme that is driven home again and again.
For contrast, there are brief interludes that provide snapshots of life in 1950's-era America. These scenes invariably point out the failings in 20th Century society that the Ledom have ostensibly solved by abandoning two separate sexes. Many involve the subtle and almost harmless-seeming ways in which women are subjugated to men. Of course in today's climate of political correctness, many of these practices are dying out, but when this book was written in 1960, Sturgeon was expressing some pretty radical notions, (i.e. that financial competition between men was fundamentally sexual, or that it was not necessarily "natural" that a woman's place was in the home). There isn't much shock value in this book today, but it was the general availability of ideas like these that led to the massive social changes of the '60's and early '70's.
As the story is told from Charlie's point of view, we readily sympathize with his confusion, his loneliness, and his fear in this radically alien environment. Where is he? When is he? What happened to the world that he spent his life in? And what hope does he have of ever getting back? The gradual unraveling of these mysteries provides the tension that drives this fairly short novel. Not short enough, perhaps, since the lack of action and thinness of the characters wears pretty quickly. Skillful as Sturgeon is at making his point, he rarely manages to capture this reviewer's imagination. The beginning and middle sections of this book both seemed unnecessarily slow. Only toward the very end does the plot pick up as Charlie starts getting closer to finding out the truth about Ledom.
As is too often the case with Sturgeon's novels, he comes up with a truly brilliant idea for a story, but stretches it beyond his own ability to keep it interesting. Fans of "classic" science fiction will enjoy this novel, and those whose gender consciousness needs raising may find this book enlightening; but for the most part, time has caught up with the ideas in this book, and it isn't successful enough as an entertainment to stand without their psycho-social punch.
A precursor to Storm Constantine's Wraeththu.......2004-05-08
Theodore Sturgeon was really bold and brave advancing gender and sex issues in the tame 1960! Love the description of the strange society and the ever-intriguing finale. This book predates Left Hand of Darkness of Ursula LeGuin and the Wraeththu series of Storm Constantine.I'd have appreciated less socio-anthropological dissertations and a more dynamic plot. The "everyday's life" inserts are really dull and uninteresting. But the time-travel story and the description of the androgynous Ledom is perfect! Charlie Johns' reaction on apprehending the truth reveals the age of the book, but for some aspects it is still shocking!
Deconstructing gender.......2002-09-16
"Venus Plus X," by science fiction giant Theodore Sturgeon, tells the story of Charlie Johns, an ordinary modern man who is whisked to the land of the Ledom, a new breed of human hermaphrodites. Charlie is challenged by his hosts to learn all about their culture; through his eyes, the reader also discovers the brave new world (to borrow a phrase) of the Ledom.
Sturgeon covers Ledom technology, religion, history, anatomy, and education. He includes an ironic parallel narrative about an ordinary 20th century human family; this second narrative frequently comments on our own culture's obsession with gender.
"Venus" is a compelling story of love, loss, and knowledge. It is part of an intriguing science fiction tradition of deconstructing societal ideas on sexuality and gender; for companion texts in this vein, try Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" and Carolyn Ives Gilman's "Halfway Human."
Average customer rating:
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VENUS PLUS X
Theodore Sturgeon
Manufacturer: Sphere Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K5PS4I |
Book Description
Move over Betty Crocker--101 Things to Do With a Cake Mix will amaze your friends and leave them Jell-O green with envy! From Snickers Surprise Cookies to Christmas Rainbow Poke Cake, it's the best thing to happen in the kitchen since your last romantic rendezvous! So what are you waiting for? Grab a cake mix, whip up some goodies, and throw some flour on your face so it looks like you spent days in the kitchen.
Customer Reviews:
101 Cake Mix Recipes.......2007-09-25
The first of 2 booklets.
Good basic recipes taken a step further.
Easy to use.
I love the spiral binding, it's easy to keep open.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE.......2007-07-30
THERE ARE SOME NICE RESCIPES, AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING SOME OF THEM, BUT IT IS A VERY PLAIN AND SIMPLE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES, AND IF THE CAKES COME OUT DELICIOUS, THEN IT WILL BE WORTH IT...BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANT....PLAIN, SIMPLE,AND DELICIOUS!!
Fun little book.......2007-03-21
The recipes in this book are fun and easy to follow. The spiral binding allows the book to lay flat - no worrying about trying to prop the book open to read the recipes. I even rediscovered one of my favorite cake recipes that my grandmother used to make (and found out it was incredibly simple). I recommend it if you like cakes (and other sweets, since you can make more than just cakes) or love to bake.
THE BEST COOKBOOK FOR BAKING EVER!.......2006-07-07
I tell you what, this cookbook RULES. I got married with ZERO skills in the kitchen, and I married a man who loves good baked goods. I was like "Sheesh! HOw do I learn how to make yummy stuff, when I haven't clue one how to begin, & we're broke.... it's not like I can experiment with expensive ingredients & make a bunch of mistakes & turn out gross cakes."
THIS BOOK was my total salvation & I am not kidding! I literally use it EVERY WEEK. I have had this book for probably 4 years and I have developed A GREAT reputation as an EXCEPTIONAL breads & cake baker!! NO KIDDING.
I bring refreshments at church every other week for after service, & people RAVE about my stuff & can't wait until I am Treats Lady the next time.
YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY the corn bread. It is THE EASIEST thing in the WORLD to make; my children can make it. And it tastes soooooooo good! The loaves bake up so pretty; I even give it as gifts. One lady was like "What makes this SO GOOD? DO you put cream in it? butter?" NOPE! NEITHER!
And I don't give ANYONE my recipes from this book OR give this book as a gift. because the recipes are SO EASY that it would blow my cover as a great baker! I just tell everyone the recipe is a SECRET whenever I bring a super-good treat somewhere!!
My mother in law is a total from-scratch cook & does all recipes the LONG way. EVEN SHE cannot duplicate the results I have gotten from THIS BOOK!
EASY! FUN! And I have NEVER had a recipe flop from this book.
YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY IT! YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!!!!!
OK book.......2006-05-07
I love to bake but found this book to be missing some very important features. The number of servings per recipe is not included along with other important measurements. The cooking times are also way off for some of the recipes. It's a good book for creative ideas.
Book Description
What could possibly top the New York Times best-selling cookbook 101 Things to Do With a Cake Mix by Stephanie Ashcraft? Why, more delicious cake mix recipes of course! Coming this spring, it's 101 More Things to Do with a Cake Mix! Stephanie Ashcraft has done it again, serving up more lovin' for every busy dessert-lover's oven. 101 More Things to Do with A Cake Mix includes simple and delicious recipes-all using cake mix as a main ingredient-for sweet rolls, breads, cookies, cakes, trifles, ice cream sandwiches and cakes, dessert pizzas, and much more. With a delightful variety of recipes to choose from, there's a sweet treat for every occasion. Don't miss out on what will surely be another New York Times best-seller! RECIPE: Banana Split Pizza 1 white or vanilla cake mix 1 egg 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup powdered sugar 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 8 ounces whipped topping 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained 2 bananas, thinly sliced. 1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced 1/2 cup chopped nuts Caramel ice cream topping, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, egg, and butter together. Mix in flour. Spread dough thinly to cover a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes or until a light golden brown. Allow to cool completely. Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and whipped topping together. Spread over cookie layer. Top evenly with fruit and nuts. Drizzle caramel ice cream topping over top, if desired. Store in refrigerator. Stephanie Ashcraft, author of 101 Things to do With a Cake Mix and 101 Things to do With a Slow Cooker, was raised near Kirklin, Indiana. She received a bachelor's degree in family science and a teaching certificate from Brigham Young University. Since 1998, she has taught cooking classes for Macey's Little Cooking Theater in Provo and Orem, Utah. She and her husband, Ivan, reside in Provo with their children.
Customer Reviews:
101 more more more.......2007-09-25
Well thought out recipes.
Clear and easy directions.
Easy to find ingredients and many already on hand.
I only wish there was a photo of the finished recipe.
The Hectic Chef's Best Friend.......2007-01-16
As an ocean going chef the "101" cookbook series is the chef/cook's best friend. I found a collection of these very handy cookbooks on my last ship and I knew I had to have my own copies. The ship was short handed and it ran out of basic cooking & baking supplies. These cookbooks gave excellent and simple meal preperation and desert ideas with the few supplies & staff we had on hand. It's all common sense but these ladies take the brain damage out of meal & desert planning. Most importantly, the crew was always satisfied. I'd recommend the series for the beginning cook or one that is short on time.
Another Winner by Stephanie Ashcraft.......2004-12-06
Stephanie Ashcraft's mother taught her "that anything could be made with a cake mix." It does seem to be true. This tiny, easy-to-read cookbook has recipes for everything from Red Raspberry Dream Cake to Peaches and Cream Pudding Bars.
There are a few helpful hints on page 9 that teach you a few tricks about baking cakes, making chewier cookies and keeping fruit fresh. I've never used glass or stoneware baking dishes for cakes, so that is a new idea for me. I've been buying my cake pans from "Jane's Cakes & Chocolates." The results were rather stunning when I used the pans she sells.
What amazed me about this cookbook is the sheer simplicity of the recipes and the absolute beauty of the results.
Some of the recipes you might enjoy:
Orange Rolls
Sweet Banana Bread - only 4 ingredients
Butterscotch Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Blueberry Swirl Cake
Chewy Peanut Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you love this cookbook, try the first 101 Things to Do With a Cake Mix. I can highly recommend the recipe for Pistachio Pound Cake. It turned out to be "Moist, chocolaty, pistachio, dream cake." My relatives were impressed. It is not every day that I try a new recipe and then bravely take the cake to a party, but these books are winners. The ingredients are little more than a cake mix and a few ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
All I have left to say is, you will get requests for the cakes in this book. I look forward to trying more of the recipes as soon as I can get to the store to buy more cake mixes and instant puddings.
LOVE the binding on these cookbooks. Great to cook from and everyone loves the recipes. I just made the Pistachio Cake again this November.
~TheRebeccaReview.com
P.S. Also look for the 101 Things To Do with a Slow Cooker books. Wonderful recipes for home cooking in the winter.
Books:
- Kill Your Darlings: A Novel
- Killing Floor
- Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories, 1896-1904 (Penguin Classics)
- Lettering in Crazy, Cool, Quirky Style (Klutz)
- Light While There Is Light: An American History (Sun and Moon Classics)
- Little Lord Fauntleroy
- Little Lord Fauntleroy
- Long Time Gone: A Novel of Suspense
- Loyalty in Death (In Death)
- Manor of Death (A Domestic Bliss Mystery)
Books Index
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