CookingForDummies Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1)

MMMMM... Brownies

Reviewed: Sep. 11, 2010

W-O-W is right!! These brownies are phenomenal. Chewy and deeply chocolatey. Followed recipe exactly. Doubled it to make a 13x9 pan to bring to a family meal... then made it again in the smaller pan to keep for ourselves! Used all organic ingredients (butter, flour, eggs, chocolate).

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2 users found this review helpful

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Reviewed: Mar. 13, 2010

These are delicious & nutritious! BACKGROUND: When I was in Ohio visiting my cousin, after a show we went to this hole-in-the-wall burrito joint & she told me "You HAVE to try the sweet potato burritos"! I was game...and they were so yummy....so that's why I looked this recipe up. Followed it exactly (Trader Joe's black beans instead) and L-O-V-E-D it...whole wheat tortillas too!

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2 users found this review helpful

The Best Thai Coconut Soup

Reviewed: Mar. 10, 2010

PHENOMENAL flavor! Followed exactly as directed except subbed chicken for the shrimp. I only had 2 cans of coconut milk (one regular and one light) and it came out fine. Tastes just like it's from my favorite Thai restaurant! I found my lemongrass @ Whole Foods at only 1.99 lb. Not bad!

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1 user found this review helpful

Six Threes Ice Cream

Reviewed: Sep. 25, 2009

I made this for a family barbeque and it was a big HIT! Followed recipe exactly. I was able to get local fresh milk with a high butterfat content. YUMMY! Icecream was unbelievably smooth & creamy. The banana flavor definitely stands out over the citrus. We had leftovers and it was delicious even 2 days later (let stand at room temp to soften). I prefer a more strong citrus flavor, so next time I'll try one less banana & adding some lemon or orange extract like another reviewer suggested. THANKS for sharing this recipe :)

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1 user found this review helpful

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2004

Wow! This was a terrific recipe. So simple to prepare and tastes similiar to the flavored nuts you see being sold in the mall this time of year (winter holidays). I did take other reviewers advice and added about a teaspoon vanilla and it was great. (But I don't know what it would've tasted like without the vanilla either!) I'm going to make these again and try pecans next time. Thanks for a great recipe!

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1 user found this review helpful

Joey's Peanut Butter Cookies

Reviewed: Dec. 10, 2003

Like the famous tiger says, "They're Grrrrrrrreat!" I just got done making these. The last batch is in the oven right now! I followed the recipe exactly. I used organic sugar & peanut butter, but I don't really think it affects the outcome in any way (just healthier!). They're soft and taste Mmm-mmm! They have a terrific peanut-buttery taste. I read reviews for OTHER peanut butter cookie recipes and most of the complaints were b/c the cookies weren't peanut-buttery enough. Well, NOT WITH THIS RECIPE! So if that's a problem for you, try this recipe. (I sprinkled mini-choc. chips on a dozen and they turned out great too!)

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6 users found this review helpful

Apple Crisp II

Reviewed: Sep. 18, 2003

I thought this was a fantastic apple crisp recipe. Contrary to other reviews, I found that I had plenty of the topping and did not need to double it! In fact, I had more than I needed. Just shows how we all have varying opinions, so you just have to try it for yourself to find out what suits your needs! The ONLY thing I had to change was the 1 cup sugar which is sprinkled over the apples. I only used 1/3 cup and to us, that was plenty sweet. We used Rome apples which already have an average sweetness. I guess if you use Granny Smith or other tart apples than you may want the full 1 cup sugar. Otherwise......it was GREAT!!!!!!!

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2 users found this review helpful

Atlantic Corn Chowder

Reviewed: Dec. 19, 2002

My DOG loved it. I added a can of beer too.

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14 users found this review helpful

Ground Beef Shepherd's Pie

Reviewed: Dec. 19, 2002

Good recipe! I've never made shepherds pie before and I was delighted with the results! As far as the other reviews about not enough seasonings: Salt and pepper don't always need to be listed in a recipe, a good cook will sneak a taste as they go and add seasonings as desired. Each family has different tastes. That's what I did...a little dash of sea salt, ground pepper, onion powder, dried herbs etc... Very versatile recipe, used ground turkey instead, we're not big on beef.... but that didn't really change the recipe at all. I do agree with "more mashed potatoes" that way you'll have enough to spread over the ENTIRE top of the dish. THANKS GINGER!!

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4 users found this review helpful

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Reviewed: Dec. 15, 2002

W-O-W!!!! I'm speechless. Just when I was beginning to give up my faith in this website. I mean, come on...half the time the reviews are great and you make the dish and you're SOOOO disappointed. NOT WITH THIS RECIPE! These cookies are the hot-diggidy-dog of all chocolate chip cookies. They're better than bakery or coffee shop cookies (and better than refrigerated cookie dough too). We definitely need to double the recipe next time! I think what makes it stand out from other recipes is the extra egg yolk (without the white) and more brown sugar than white sigar. I think those two ingredients help with the cookies chewiness texture and make it not so cakey. FYI: Take them out of the oven after 13 minutes....otherwise they'll be too done, even though they may not look it. AND I recommend following another reviewers suggestion and DO NOT grease the cookie sheet, it makes them wierd around the edges. THANKS ELIZABETH!

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400 users found this review helpful

Granola Bars III

Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2002

The first time around I used the full 3/4 cup brown sugar and I personally thought it was too sweet, but all the women at work loved them! Don't put too much weight on my mention of the brown sugar though ---- because I always lower the sugar content for my little who's only 2 yrs old. I try to make healthy snacks for her with just a touch of sweetness, not too much! So we use 1/4 cup brown sugar, but we still use ALL the honey! They are slightly moist and chewy and can be made with such a variety of nuts and dried fruits that it can always be a different batch than before!! Thanks for a terrific recipe.

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67 users found this review helpful

Bake Sale Lemon Bars

Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2002

These turned out great! Fresh lemons, fresh dutch butter..mmmm! I made them for the women I work with, who are very picky by the way. They loved them. As for myself, I think the recipe is great. The amount of crust and the amount of lemony part are perfectly even, not too much of either. Great lemon flavor and not too sweet! Thanks--Rachel

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1 user found this review helpful

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Reviewed: May 26, 2002

This recipe is fast, easy, and relatively inexpensive! I'd agree that it's more like a side dish...but it depends on the size of the family and what size meals you're used to. Very tasty, I added more freshly grated parmesan than it called for cause I love cheese. I added LOTS of fresh basil (cause I had some I needed to use up) and more fresh diced tomatoes too. It's a very tasty recipe!! Something different for a change.

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2 users found this review helpful

Banana Crumb Muffins

Reviewed: May 4, 2002

The muffins turned out great! And this was despite my wierd alterations....I had no egg & substituted 2 tbsp. tofu for the egg....substituted 1/2 cup of the white flour for whole wheat pastry flour...ALSO...I only had 2 bananas so I added about 4 tbsp. applesauce to make up for the missing banana....& last but not least....I only used 1/2 cup sugar as opposed to the 3/4 cup it called for!!! Even with these changes, the muffins are perfectly moist, golden brown and VERY sweet! Not missing a thing (I added cinnamon & freshly ground nutmeg too). Thanks for the recipe :)

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3 users found this review helpful

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

Reviewed: Apr. 27, 2002

WOW! So easy to prepare and tasted GREEEAAAT! I'm totally loving this website, and I like the idea of feedback so you can really get an idea of whether or not a recipe is working to it's fullest potential or not. Well---this recipe made really tasty fluffy pancakes, we added blueberries. Others suggested adding vanilla, but we were out. Even without vanilla they were very good. I'll be using this recipe from now on. I also substituted 1/2 cup of the regular flour for some whole wheat flour to make them a little more healthy (sprinkled some wheat germ in there too). The whole wheat flour didn't effect the fluffiness or texture one bit! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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1 user found this review helpful

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

Reviewed: Apr. 26, 2002

WOW! I usually make pizza dough in my bread machine and it turns out good. But we just moved and my bread machine is in storage. So I decided to make my own from scratch. I'm VERY PLEASED with the results of this recipe. I only made a small alteration to make it a little healthier (used some whole wheat pastry flour) and added some basil and oregano to the dough for Italian flavor! This is SOOOOOO good---I will never use my bread machine to make pizza dough again!Thanks Jay....I'll be using this again & again & again......

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1 user found this review helpful

Best Brownies

Reviewed: Mar. 11, 2002

I'm normally a lover of the brownies that come from a mix! Nothing can compare to the yummy taste of fattening brownies from a mix in a box. I like the way they always turn out fudgey and moist. BUT, I was home one day and was craving chocolate. So I hopped onto this website and found this brownie recipe. I had all the ingredients in my kitchen, it seemed so easy that I knew I couldn't mess it up! They turned out GREAT! I've made them once more since then and they are the only homemade brownies that taste close to the boxed ones....and since I'm using fresh-er ingredients they're probably more healthy (hee-hee) too! Thanks for sharing this recipe. BTW: I never made the frosting, but it sounds good.

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2 users found this review helpful

Sugar Cookie Drops

Reviewed: Jan. 2, 2002

These turned out pretty good, they were slightly crunchy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside! I did what one of the previous reviewers had suggested and I colored my decorating sugar by combining it in a bag with a few drops of food coloring. Then I rolled the dough balls in the colored sugar! We did pink, blue, green and yellow...it was a rainbow of delicious sugar cookies. Yum!

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2 users found this review helpful

Vegan Split Pea Soup I

Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2001

Good split pea soup recipe. I added some veggie boullion (spelling?). Very filling, sticks to your bones! Good to make in the fall/winter. I made mine in the slow cooker so while I was at work it cooked. I added a little water to it when I got home and it was smooth and yummy! I ended up freezing some since it makes a LOT. A+++

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31 users found this review helpful

Portobello Sandwiches

Reviewed: Sep. 5, 2001

These were very yummy, they were inexpensive to make which is always a plus. They took up very little time and are really good for you too. It's nice to have variations for us non-meat eaters, or even those who just want a change of pace! Thanks for allowing us all to take advantage of your recipe!

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2 users found this review helpful