Patches Books

This cook book is great. I'm a guy who struggles when it comes to cooking. But since I've started using The Collard Patch, life in the kitchen has become much more exciting and much easier. I give it two thumbs up!! I also have Flavored with Love. I got that one first. When I saw The Collard Patch I knew I had to get it too.

That's what I told myself a few months ago. I like to feed my family good food. We eat lots and lots of vegetables. The price of groceries is going out of sight! I don't plan to stop feeding my family as many vegetables as they will eat. Just as I am needing to spend more money at the supermarket, the price of gasoline is crazy.

A friend of mine told me about The Collard Patch by Cheatham and Elliott. This book is the answer to my problem. It seems so simple. The Collard Patch is teaching me to take a new look at everything my family does with food. I read in the book about ways I could grow food in my own yard. We went to work planting collard greens in our front yard flower bed. We put gardening boxes in the back yard.

We put collard greens all around the front. The back yard gives us as many vegetables as we can eat. We've got collard greens, turnip greens, beets, carrots, onions, tomatoes, zucchini squash, and watermelons. We even put stuff in the freezer. My children love all this fresh food.

We've lost weight at our house. All the work in the yard garden is giving us good exercise. Another thing that's helped us is the way The Collard Patch is showing us how to cook. We don't use nearly as much fat meat and bacon grease as we used to. Now we use olive oil and canola oil, and not much of that. The book is teaching me how to make stuff taste good a whole new way.

I recommend this book to anybody who needs to eat better for less.

I don't think I've ever had collards the same way twice. I've tried to cook them, and I've been less than happy with the results. Well, here is a book with much about collards (headless cabbage.) There is plenty of lore on growing, cleaning and cooking these healthful and delicious staple of Southern cooking. I am sure if I don't find a way to make them come out to the elusive way I like (cooked down, not greasy, a bit of sweet and sour) then this book wasn't at fault. There are hundreds of recipes, from basic greens a la various Southern cooks to sides like cornbread and biscuit. One thing I didn't know; pot likker (the cooking liquid) is not a feature of collards. That is for turnip or mustard greens. Collards are cooked in a minimum of water. Hmmm.

This sunny and delightful book will guide you along to the collard patch.Not a rushed introduction to the collard green, but a nice long and friendly visit to the rearing up of seedlings and growing up with collard greens in the backyard.
This is not just a recipe book but a book with lovely and fun farm stories,some Biblical quotes,recipe contributions from some of Mary Lou and Pauls many friends.
This book features many nutritional facts,fun facts and historical facts on this vegetable.It induces the reader into a relaxed,pleasant smooth ride into the country.
I read this book slowly,devouring a distinct southern flavor.It is written in a easy friendly style.A book being friendly ? You will quickly grasp the authors love for sharing recipes, stories of their friends meeting at the grocers or at church and exchanging recipes and suggestions for cooking collard greens in recipes they acquired from famous restaurants including appetizers and snacks,which was my favorite.
This is a book you will want to spend one long,lovely summer afternoon with, maybe beside a brook or under a shady tree.Although I didn't read the book in such a sweetly pleasant environment,I felt as though I had.
One suggestion I enjoyed and like to share is "don't discard the leftover liquid,instead make the easy soup", since the pot is already flavorful,you don't rinse and waste any precious flavors.
One of my favorite recipes was The Glorious Collard recipe and The Collard Green Puffs. I am looking forward to baking Apple Collard Raisin Pie.
This is a quality piece of work and I enjoyed every minute reading it.You'll love it for its healthy recipes,fun stories and joining the authors in a nostalgic look back with their childhood stories and pets.
Highly recommended ! Read slowly and enjoy.

Long a mainstay of America's southern cuisine, collard greens are becoming popular nationwide as it can be grown in many different horticultural zones across the country. Indeed, about half of all commercially available collard greens are now grown in Californian fields. For those unfamiliar with the culinary uses of collard greens there is now available a cookbook dedicated to this nutritious, dark green, leafy vegetable. "The Collard Patch: Collard Country Cookbook and Reader, Collards and Cornbread Y'all Will Love" is the cooperative work of Mary Lou Cheatham and Paul Elliot. The first section explains the history, handling, nutrient values, and other issues relevant to collard greens. Then presented is an impressively diverse series of 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes featuring an Ingredients list, Preparation instructions, and Equipment/Utensils required. Of special note for each recipe is an 'info block' of Nutrition Facts that includes the number of servings, as well as calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, and miscellaneous additional information of value to health conscious consumers. From Perfect Collard Greens; Spinach and Collards; Netherland Salad; and Mexican Collard and Black Bean Soup; to Huevos Collards Picantes; Collard and Shrimp Quesadillas; Collard Biscuits; and Apple Collard Raisin Pie, "The Collard Patch" is a compendium of recipes offering gourmet quality dishes suitable for any dining occasion. Of special note are the various cornbread recipes that are also featured, making "The Collard Patch" a very special addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

The cover was great but the other patterns inside I don't like as well and will probably not use.

Good and informative book for everyone who like Paperpiecing
A lot of new inspiration and easy to work with

Carol Doak's Simply Sensational 9-Patch Stars: Mix and Match Units to Create a Galaxy of Paper-Pieced Stars

This is the best thing I have seen on paper piecing. Carol is the expert.

Until now I had never attempted paper piecing, but with this book it was so easy. Tips, CD, pictures, the designs, were out of this world. Love all the possibilities using just a simple square then combining them into a 9 patch block. Thanks Carol

We ordered this for my wife who is all wrapped up in quilting. This is one of several of Carol Doak's books, and it is especially interesting bececause it reports that C. Doaks has and sells a special paper for paper piecing, which save the whole house from being covered by very tiny pieces of floating paper. All of C Doak's books have many, many patterns of various styles and colors from which to choose. She is very impressive!

I found this wonderful book at my local library the other day. I loved it so much that I just had to buy a copy of my own! The book is fantastic with beautiful color pictures. The recipes are simple to make and so delicious!
A must have for anyone who loves a yummy homecooked meal. It would make a great gift for just about anyone who loves to cook and bake.

This was a great book with many good recipes. The pictures are fabulous and the recipes are easy.

I think it's a great book---love the photos!They look good enough to eat. The variety in the book is really good.

I absolutly love this book... the pictures are AMAZING, the recipes are easy and inspirational, even the little hints, story lines and ideas scattered throughout the book offer a true "down home" feeling - making you feel like your sitting across the table looking into the eyes of an old friend and relishing all her untold secrets. Thanks so much! ~Bev S.

I really am enjoying this book. I've only had it about a month and have found many recipes that I want to try. It has beautiful pictures throughout the book which is always a plus with me. I like seeing what the final product will look like with a recipe. Gooseberry really did a nice job with this book.

With a trip to Vietnam pending in the near future I was desperately searching for the kind of book that would be both personally/anecdotally compelling as well as giving a sound overview of what Khe Sanh was all about.I found everything and more in this book.
Whether you wish to experience an "arc-light" strike metres from your dug-out (apparently it makes a loud honking noise rather than a whistling sound -a terrifyingly graphic detail) or survive a direct strike on a bunker (time standing still as the vacuum sucks out garbage) then this is the book for you.
I would recommend that this be read with Mark Woodruff's magisterial "Unheralded Victory" as this book puts the human face on the 'grunt' in Khe Sanh. It corroborates the wider picture of Khe Sanh's role both as a disrupter of the Ho Chi Minh trail and as bait for the NVA.
Michael Archer's simple narrative, lacking pretention and pretense, is completely captivating as we follow one man's chaotic descent into a patch of hell.
The details included are so specific that you know this guy was "there" and that his everyday valour was indistinguishable, even commonplace, set against those around him.
It's also hilarious as he details the practical jokes, the farcical living conditions and the sheer comical callousness that war engenders (peeing on captive VCs, kicking an ARVN out of a helicopter in the middle of a battle, dropping sandbags to terrify a sergeant as he runs to the can, the hygienic deficiencies of Pig and Old Lady etc.)
It also catalogues the lesser known battles of Khe San Village and Lang Vei which I will now definitely add to my itinerary (only an hour from Hue apparently!)
I inhale history books as a rule but especially relish well-written, personally involving, uncensored first-hand accounts of battle. The devil is in the details as Tolstoy affirmed rather than in the sweeping map-driven generalities of war-planning. This book takes you there and back.
It also has a very tragic and sobering thread that ties the book together revolving around the death of Archer's best friend Tom Mahoney (still MIA after all these years). The photos of this young man are enough to make you weep.
Archer's final summing up of his experience is a testament to all young men who go to war for the first time:
" I did not enlist in the Marines out of patriotism, nor was I really concerned about the welfare of the South Vietnamese. I was going for the adventure, to prove myself."
It's that personal need to confront one's destiny that makes so many young men sign up to go to places where people want to kill them.
Will we be revising our view of today's Iraqi debacle in 40 years? If it produces writing as fine as this then at least it will have some positive legacy. I fear though that that will be about its sum worth.

I served at Khe Sanh, including about a montrh in the ville with CAC-O in August of 67. I was lucky enough to rotate home in September of 67 before it hit the fan. This is a well-written book that brought back a lot of memories of times gone. Those who enjoy military sea-stories will like it.

As the author of the books "On Killing" and "On Combat" I try to read every first person historical narrative I can get my hands on, in order to understand what happens to the individual in combat. This book is one of the most powerful and authentic first person narratives to come out of Vietnam. This book powerfully captures a vital piece of history, but it is also a very valuable contribution to anyone who would study the behavior of men in war.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

Hard to believe this is partly about the same unit that deserter/traitor Terry Whitmore was in and wrote fiction about. Well written but far too short to really tell all that happened but hopefully more will be revealed in the future. Stephen I. Busby, Bravo 1/1 1967-1968

A well-written, emotional description of the the siege of Khe Sanh, one of the preeminent battles of the Vietnam war. 6000 U.S. Marines surrounded by 40,000 North Vietnamese, under continuous fire for 77 days. Living like rodents in underground bunkers, between almost constant incoming artillery fire, the Marines emerged at every chance and gave it back to them, in spades. Despite seeming insurmountable odds, Khe Sanh never fell, and when the final tally was in, the number of enemy dead was staggering. Compared with 1000 Marine casualties and 750 South Vietnamese casualties, the North Vietnamese Army lost more than 12,000 men in their failed attempt to overrun the indomitable Marines at Khe Sanh.
A great piece of military history preserved in a fine book. A must read.

I own several Gooseberry craft/cookbooks, and do the majority of my cooking from them. I have NEVER been disappointed with any recipe I have made. They are simply the best!

I have recently started to collect Christmas decorating/gift making books and this series is by far the best I've come across! The instructions in these books are clear and easy and they show a picture so you can see how it will look. They include many gift mixes and food gifts, which I love and friends and family have always appreciated. Most of the ideas in this book can be accomplished in an afternoon, except for some of the cross stitch and crochet patterns. I am not a huge fan of country decorating; in fact my house is very contemporary. But most of the decorating tips in this book can easily be worked into any décor. If you want to find easy, fun, quick and wonderful ideas for the holidays buy these books, you won't be disappointed. Books 1, 2 and 3 are my personal favorite. The fourth book is great to have, but I found that the recipes in that book were better than the decorating, it was a little more country and old fashioned than the other books!

I found this book to be just wonderful. I wasent abel to use all the info before our family get together, but I plan to use it for next year.

Thank You for a wonderful book.

This was my first purchase of Goose Berry Patch books ,there are so many ideas from the begginer to the experienced crafter . Craft ideas you can personalize to your own taste, these craft projects are easy to follow and most could be family holiday projects or charity fundraisers .For the frugal crafter , projects are not expensive to create , many ingredients you may already have in supply , as an added bonus great holiday recipe book .This book would be perfect as a gift!

I enjoy crafting as well as cooking and this book has both. I have made 5 or 6 of the recipes in the book and have alwasy gotten raves! I use this book for making many of my handmade holiday gifts and I think their instructions could not be more simple. If you love handmade items and good food idea, this is the book for you.

My grandson is totally in love with Miss Spider Books. He carries them around with him all the time. When his dad tells him to get a book to read at bedtime (or anytime) he ALWAYS gets one of his Miss Spider Books. He loves this one even more because the three book come in a case with a handle so it's easier for him to carry them around, where they slide and fall out of his little hands.

These are great books. I've bought them as gifts for several friends' kids. The pictures are colorful and beautifully drawn, the language is clever, and I keep noticing new little details every time I read them to my daughter.

I love every Little Miss Spider book for the wonderful stories, but especially the illustrations. David Kirk's angles and perspectives on each page combined with unique color saturate your visual senses. His use of "camera angles" and points of view are fantastic. He is one of the inspirations I use when I draw.

I was originally given Miss Spider's ABCs as a gift when my daughter was born. I LOVE it. Even when she was an infant she seemed to be captivated by the brightly colored illustrations. Now at 6 months she reaches for the pictures and always gives a big smile at the ending "suprise!" I then bought Miss Spider's Tea Party (board book edition), and she really seems to love the rhymes. I am now here buying Miss Spider's New Car and wishing I had just bought the set (for only like $2 more!) to begin with. These books are great for even babies, but I know she will enjoy them as she grows older and can understand them better as well.

Even after almost three years, I still love to read and re-read these books to my girls. David Kirk's artwork is rich and deeply textured and the words (particularly in Miss Spider's ABCs) are unusual, roll of the tongue, and, in my experience, pique children's interest -- I particularly love introducing my girls to "hummingbirds hide inside irises" and "jumping june bugs kiss katydids" His books are where poetry meets art for the under five set. Added plus: I get a break from chanting "Brown, Bear"! For this alone I am grateful.

I love this cookbook. It's my favorite Gooseberry Patch cookbook thus far. I plan my meals a month at a time and shop according to my list of meals for the month. I was able to plan 45 days of meals from this one cookbook. The recipes are easy to follow and have, like the title states, "Five ingredients or less", which makes the planning and preparing so much easier! I highly recommend this cookbook.

I bought this book for a granddaughter that is gettng married. I have one myself and I know it will be great for her--because I love my copy. Clarice Bostick

This book is the best cook book that I have EVER purchased. I Immediately I thumbed thru the pages and found that this book is divided into seasons, in order to take full advantage of the seasons growing cycles. Cherry Lemon Limaide in Summer. Cranberry chicken in the Autumn.. Chicken and dumplings for those cold winter nights, and Citris suprize awaits you in the spring.
Beyond all of the wonder recipes, they also give you tips that can turn ordinary household items into wonderful table displays. Mason Jar + unwrapped peppermint candies + a simple votive candle and some raffia string and you have a wonderful sweet smelling addition to your holiday table.
If you are concedering buying just ONE book to give or are like me and have an extremely triing, busy schedule and you want something quick to serve.. This book by the Great people from Gooseberry is your answer.

Thus far, everything in this cookbook is GOOD and HANDY (I have only had it a week or so, and have already used it three times, to the neglect of my other Gooseberry Patch cookbooks!) It's lots of fun just to read the recipes, which are both mouth-watering and almost TOO easy. Clear, simple instructions will please even the most novice cooks. I also loved how this book was organized by season: lighter, fresher dishes in the summer section; cozier, comfort-food dishes in the fall and winter.

The recipes are also extremely inexpensive to make, and in many cases, by using the staples you probably already have. In other words, this book is a no-lose situation! I'd choose it as a gift for any newlywed, college student, or family-on-the-go.

There are even really cute ideas for dressing up and changing flea-market finds, and other simple crafts and decorating ideas that even a fumble-fingers such as myself can handily accomplish.

Only one very minor complaint...it seemed that some seasonings were left out of a few the recipes, simply to keep them under 5 ingredients. But the basics here are so good I wouldn't have minded if they called for 10 ingredients.

UPDATE: Today I made the recipe for BIG Chocolate Cookies on Page 57. Something went wrong, or there was poor editing in temperature or ingredients, or SOMETHING. I ended up with a huge, gloppy, inedible mess. I've been baking since age 9 and have never had such a failure as this particular recipe. Gah!!

My mother-in-law got me this cookbook for Christmas last year (what kind of a signal is that?! lol) and I love it! I know I'm not the greatest cook out there, but this cookbook has such great recipes (and so incredibly easy!!!) that even I get compliments on my meals, salads, appetizers, and desserts! My favorite is the 3 ingredient Speedy Peanut Butter Cookies--a big hit at my daughter's Vacation Bible School!

If you can only get one cook book (ever!), GET THIS ONE!!!

of Gooseberry Patch cookbooks because I really like (most) of them. This one is no exception. It is filled with recipes that real people really cook, with ingredients you probably have on hand most of the time. It is rare to make one of these recipes and not have it turn out well.

And, I like this cookbook because it is readable. It's fun to sit down and read all the "Serve It Up With Style" suggestions, things like making herbal tea without even boiling water or creating personalized votives to brighten up dinnertime. Quick, easy, fun.

The book is not just dinner casseroles, either. It begins with breakfast and brunch, then has 5 more chapters, each devoted to a different main ingredient--poultry, seafood, beef, pork or vegetable. In the back, there are casserole and baking pan measurements, quick fix casseroles, basic lists for pantry and refrigerator and casserole equivalents (i.e, 1 medium potato = 1 cup).

Another winner from Gooseberry Patch.

This is a great casserole book!!!! I LOVE casseroles & this cookbook has SO many recipes. Truly a good choice to buy!

This book is full of recipes that are new to me. My family loves casseroles and these are great.

First, let me say that I am a HUGE Gooseberry Patch fan. Currently I own six of their books: Slow Cooker Recipes, Best-Ever Casseroles, What's for Dinner?, Come on Over, One-Pot Meals and From Grandma's Kitchen. I just LOVE the books. The recipes are very easy, not too fancy, don't take long and always taste good. They are easy to read and the spiral binding keeps the books open flat. I think out of all of the books, I have only made one thing that I didn't care for. They are just great, great books to have around and I love the little tips on each page, the way that every book is broken up by meats and categories and just all of the other little helpful charts and equivalents that are in each book. In my opinion, they are just great additions to any cookbook collection and I love having them in my kitchen.

I have probably used this one more than any other GP book that I have. I have made Finnish Pancakes, Baked Apple Pancake, Amish Baked Oatmeal, Nutty French Toast Bake, Broccoli-Chicken Lasagna, Dilly Tuna Casserole, and Mom's Broccoli Casserole, and all were fantastic. The recipes are laid out well, easy to prepare and the ingredients are basic and not hard to find. Most of the stuff you probably already have in your refrigerator or pantry. The breakfast dishes I have made are fantastic and a lot of them can be made the night before so you can pop them in the oven when you wake up, which is awesome for a lazy weekend. And everything reheats perfectly which makes for great leftovers to take to work during the week.

Now, are they gourmet? No. There are a PLETHORA of other casserole books out there that are if you are looking for something that will take you two hours to prepare before you even get it in the oven (like the crab and artichoke casserole I made last night from another book). But if you are looking for a nice, basic casserole book without too many processed soups and that won't take you too much time to prepare, this is a very good one.

Way to go, Gooseberry Patch!

I just love Gooseberry Patch books and so does my best friend whom I bought this for, for Christmas. However, the day it arrived, I had to go through it and used one of the recipes for supper that evening. Almost kept it for myself!

I love the whole series of Gooseberry Patch books. They give great tips & ideas such as decorating.

The Cozy Home Cookbook, is filled with recipes, decorating ideas, and cute stories certain to bring cheer to you and your family.

Recipes are organized by Season. "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter," and include favorites such as Cabinet Mountain Inn Rolls, Hayride Popcorn & Peanuts, Mother's Pasta Fagioli and Gingered Cranberry Sauce. Each recipe is accompanied by a cute note and a 'woodblock' style illustration.

Bring Cozy Home Cookbook into your home or give it as a gift to a close friend. They'll love it. I heartily recommend all the Gooseberry Patch Books. They are all delightful!!!

This is a fantastic book. I have yet to make a recipe where I am not asked repeatedly for it. Wonderful!

I own several Gooseberry craft/cookbooks, and do the majority of my cooking from them. I have NEVER been disappointed with any recipe I have made. They are simply the best!

A cookbook no kitchen should be without! Tons of wonderful recipes!

There is no doubt that this is the best Gooseberry Patch book I have seen. I love the others but this one.. using pictures instead of drawings just stands out. I agree though with another reviewer that the picture placement in relationship to the recipe is a little bit confusing. But do not let that stop you from buying this wonderful book. I love the idea of putting salad in glass canning jars.. very cleaver indeed! This is a cookbook you can read... as my best friend Jeannie and I have done for years.
My all time favorite cookbook is Cooking From Quilt Country and this book reminds me of it. I don't think you can go wrong buying this book, and who knows.. maybe Jeannie will find a copy in her mailbox!

I am very rarely surprised by a cookbook, but I was this time. I am ordering it as a Christmas gift for all my family members that cook. The recipes are just one step up from easy and the pictures make your mouth water. This is the kind of cookbook that I will not put on the shelf.

This cookbook is a nice departure from Gooseberry's usual style. The photographs are beautiful and showcase the recipes well. The recipes are organized by season and you can almost feel the weather change as you read through the book. There are many recipes I can't wait to try. A nice addition to my cookbook collection - one that will be used and not just look good on my shelf.

Finally a great cookbook with beautiful, vivid pictures of a finished product. i love many cookbooks but the one thing I am usually diappointed with is no photos. I want to see the end so I have an idea where I am going while cooking. This books provides great ideas and gives you fabulous pictures. This is a wonderful addition to anyone who loves comfort or southern food. My favorite section is the Autumn/harvest section simply perfect pumpkin recipes to die for.

I love this cookbook.I have purchased many Gooseberry Patch cookbooks through the years. I like the pictures in this one, although sometimes due to their placement, it is a little difficult to find the recipe that matches the picture. I like this cookbook because it contains so very many of my favorites and those I like to serve to family and friends. I am not a gourmet cook, just like to prepare delicious, low-fat meals. This cookbook has so many favorites together in ONE cookbook. I don't have to take a lot of time rounding up recipes. It makes preparing my grocery list easier.