I first came across this wonderful magazine while at my grandmother's house. I was digging through her immense magazine basket when I came up with this. I wasn't terribly impressed at first because it seemed so thin in comparison to the other magazines. Upon opening it, I was pleasantly surprised. Inside were some of the best recipes that even a young cook could master. I read the whole thing cover to cover without moving from my seat.

The Recipes
This magazine is geared toward country cooks. If you are of the gourmet caliber, I'd suggest the magazine Bon Appetit for you. Each of the recipes in this magazine calls for ingredients that everyone has heard of and most likely has on hand. Each recipe in the book is made two times before it ever makes it into the magazine. Once to test it for taste, appearance, etc., and once to photograph it. I found this little bit of trivia when I had a recipe published that I sent to them. It was called Squash Dressing in the "How I got my kids to eat Squash" section. I was so thrilled! When they publish a recipe that you send in, they send you their big hardback collection of recipes for the year for free! It has every recipe that was in the magazine for the entire year. At the bottom you will find my Squash Dressing recipe.

I have tried many recipes out of the Taste of Home and am always pleased with the results. They also have great tips in the magazine, such as how to use leftovers or how to fix a dish you might have ruined. They also have a nice recipe index on the back cover of every issue that tells you each recipe, categorized by type, that is featured in the magazine that month. Some included in the October/November issue are Heart-Shaped Coffee Cake, White Chocolate Pound Cake, Herbed Turkey Breast, Overnight Salad and Cheddar Potato Strips.

The Articles
The articles in this magazine are so interesting, you, too, will want to read it cover to cover. They boast over 1000 editors, at least one from every state and 10 Canadian provinces, which means that there definitely is something for everyone here. Along with specialized food articles that change monthly, such as "Going nuts with Walnuts," they have columns that appear in every magazine. Here are some that I enjoy:

Her Favorite Meal
Each month one of the one thousand editors gets chosen to present her favorite meal with a bit of history about herself. This month's editor chose a Thanksgiving themed meal consisting of Herbed Turkey Breast, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, Overnight Vegetable Salad and Holiday Pound Cake. The picture is full page, glossy and mouthwatering!

A Complete Meal in a Matter of Minutes
Each of these meals can be made and ready to serve in just 30 minutes. It is perfect for the working mom. The quick meal featured in this magazine was Fish with Cream Sauce, Garlic Green Beans and Pear Sundaes.

Cooking for One or Two
This recurring column is self-explanatory. Taste of Home recognizes that most recipes are made for 4 to 6 and have come up with a way to give people some smaller-sized alternatives. A sample of this month's choices are Creamy Twice Baked Potatoes, Tangy Glazed Chicken and Mocha Cream Puffs.

Cooking with Janaan
Janaan Cunningham is the food editor for Taste of Home, and this column is where readers write in to get answers to their cooking questions. The tips are always good and she is very knowledgeable. Sample questions include "How long can fully cooked ham be stored" and "May I substitute buttermilk for sour milk?"

Potluck Pleasers
These recipes are make and take. This is one of my favorite sections because my church sponsors a Wednesday night fellowship dinner where everyone brings a dish to share. Each time I've tried one from this magazine, they've gotten rave reviews. Some of the recipes from this section include Greek Pasta and Beef, Lemon Curry Deviled Eggs and Chocolate Oat Squares.

How I Get My Kids to Cook
This is the one I described above. Beside the column it has "From the Mouths of Small Fries" which include cute sayings about cooking from kids.

My Mom's Best Meal
Each month a reader sends in her memories and recipes of her mother's favorite meal. This is one of my favorite articles. This month's meal consists of Breaded Steaks, Squash and Pepper Skillet and Prune Bundt Cake.

Good Food That's Good for You
A healthful section that includes nutrition information and diabetic exchanges with each recipe. A sample from this section includes Cranberry Chicken, Walnut Wheat Bread and Marbled Cheesecake.

We Hid Something
In each issue a picture of a toothpick is hidden. If you find it, you send a postcard telling what page you found it on and they will choose 150 winners to get various prizes! This month's prizes include a Fondue Pot, Roaster Pan and a set of 100 cookie cutters. Each month they also choose one subscriber to receive maid service for a day! This is drawn randomly.

Recipe Contest
Each issue has one and this month it's Baking Chips in Sweet Recipes. The Grand Prize winner gets to choose a set of cookware, a food processor and stand mixer duo or dinner for 8 in her home cooked by one of their field editors.

Clip and Keep Recipe Section
This is a helpful section, since each page is divided into 4 recipes that are index card sized. This makes it easy to "Clip and Keep" them!

Touring Country Kitchens
This gives us a before and after look at a family who is remodeling their kitchen. It even gives the plans for their project so that you could do it yourself!

Taking a Trip with Food
Each month features a different state and cooks sharing recipes with an ingredient indigenous to the area. This month's state is Kentucky with Bell Peppers. Some recipes are Pepperoni Pizza Dip and Pepper Cheese Bread.

There are even more articles in this magazine. One unique feature of this magazine is that it does not publish any advertisements. This makes the cost slightly higher, but because you don't have to sift through bulky ads, you miss nothing.

Here is my recipe:

Squash Supreme Dressing

· 2 cups yellow squash, cooked
· 1 can cream of chicken soup
· 1 cup sour cream
· 1 carrot, grated
· Salt and pepper
· Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned bread crumbs
· Butter
· 1 small onion, chopped

Mash squash; add onion, soup, sour cream, carrot, salt & pepper. Butter casserole dish. Sprinkle layer of crumbs on bottom. Add squash mixture. Cover with crumbs and generously dot with butter. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes.








Recommended: Yes