Karine Eliason

In at least one case, you already know if Make-A-Mix is for you: Are you the ultra-organized mom who inspires jealousy -- some would say, resentment -- amongst the other moms at church, the PTA, your child's preschool? Then this book is definitely for you. You can save quite a bit of money by making your own cookie mixes, Bisquick substitute, onion-soup mixes, soup and casserole starters, chicken broth, etc. For you, Make-A-Mix is a four-star addition to your cookbook library. (It isn't five show more stars, of course, because you're so organized and efficient that you could well manage to run the perfect household without it.)

However, this book might be somewhat useful -- a three-star cookbook -- to utter klutzes like me. As a teacher, I'm inclined to make up my mixes in the summer, when I have a lot more free time, and then save myself time and effort during the school year. Other less-than-efficient homemakers like me might find other times of the year when they're more at leisure when they can make mixes and save time and money. After all, it takes time to rush out to the grocery store for onion-soup mix and ground beef for last-minute meal plans. So it's definitely still worth buying.

For apartment dwellers and others who don't have a stand-alone freezer, this cookbook is of limited use. You might be able to make up a few seasoning packets, but, over all, it won't be worth the price for you. In your case, just check it out of the library and jot down the few recipes that might prove useful for you. show less

This little gem of a paperback gives you a set of recipes for making mixes that you can then use to quickly create your own family menus.

The first part of the book lists all the recipes for mixes, including Quick-Bread Mix, Meat Sauce, Pancake and Waffle mix, etc.

The rest of the book shows you multitude of ways to use the quick mixes. If you've ever priced out a tiny envelope of taco seasoning mix, or bread machine mix, or "homemade" potato soup mix, you can easily see how a guide like this show more can help you to save money and stretch your budget while delivering tasty meals to your family.

My only complaints about this book are:
I wish the table of contents listed each recipe individually for easy scanning

All of the photos of food are tiny. More, more, more full page photos! show less

I used to use this book a lot more. Some great mixes in here, like the one for chili seasoning and tacos, but I don't really use it that much anymore. I like using fresh spices more.

CMB

Make-ahead mixes. Preparing these is like cooking from scratch, because you can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and health needs. Use the mixes just like store bought.