Most of the clothing and accessories stores offer vintage products nowadays. A lot of people however think that vintage is old, thus used or that they should get a vintage piece because it is trendy. In reality vintage clothing refers to clothing created between the 1920s and the 1970s sometimes even 1980s. The specialty vintage clothing stores consider vintage clothing only the clothes created in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sometimes people refer to vintage clothes as retro clothes. This is not necessarily true because for example a gown created by a world wide known designer can become a vintage piece of clothing after only three or four years from the date it was first presented.
If you want to buy vintage clothing or accessories you should expect to pay the same price as the prices of the newest collection available or sometimes even more. The vintage market like almost any other market is divided in two parts: the first part is the authentic vintage products market which are more expensive but are both collectibles and let you make a fashion statement; and the second part is the reproduced vintage products market which offers cheap products that copy the design and the material, but that are actually produced very recently.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when searching for vintage clothes. Most of the times the size is given in terms of hip, waist, and bust measurements, thus if you only know your size you might not be able to buy the product. Carefully read all the details provided with the product. The authentic vintage clothes information will contain details about all the details of the product, existent damages, material made from, original color and present color, year of fabrication if possible as well as designer. They will also provide several pictures showing the product from different angles so that you can asses its condition.
A lot of times authentic vintage clothes are already worn, but in a great condition. They are called vintage clothes because they belong to a different period of times, and it rarely happens that people buy clothes and do not wear them at all and do not give them away. A new or almost new vintage clothing piece can be a very expensive item like an evening gown that one can wear only at certain occasions. A lot of famous people or not so famous but very rich people have event outfits they only wear once, but do not give them away because of different reasons. When this is the case their clothing products can become vintage clothing products that look extremely good and do not even look like they have been worn.
Know Your Vintage Clothing Condition
Because vintage clothing is not new, it's important that you properly understand the condition of a garment. Some sellers rely on a naming system that will help you assess what you can expect when you buy vintage clothing and accessories on eBay. Here's a listing of terms from the Fashion-Era Web site.
*Mint: An item is as perfect and pristine as when it was originally made and shows no sign of wear (mint condition is rare for vintage clothing).
*Near mint: An item shows only the slightest signs of wear.
*Excellent: An item shows typical signs of wear due to occasional use.
*Very good: An item is considered wearable but has some surface flaws (staining or soiling, for example).
*Good: An item is wearable but cannot be returned to excellent condition even if repairs are made.
Of course, the older a piece of clothing is, the more likely it will display indications of its age. Signs of wear should be expected. Although condition ranks as a main buying consideration for vintage clothing, it's not as crucial for older items.
Don't buy something that you consider inferior just because it has a well known brand name. Ask the seller to specify any damage or irregularities a garment may have. And don't rely solely on a condition term if you are unsure of the quality of a garment.
As for size, it's always a good idea to buy a little big. If a piece of vintage clothing is particularly old, it might not withstand stretching. What's more, don't rely on modern sizing. Because vintage clothing is from past eras, sizes will vary from decade to decade and from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Texas Judicial Cookbook
Delicious Read … Highly Recommended … 5 stars
The Review
From McLennan County’s Jim Lewis, judge, comes a quick and easy casserole. Hopkins County stew, Cheese Dip from Hill County, and Gobs from Ellis County edge the reader into the kitchen. Yes, Gobs. Chad Adams, judge, offers what appears to be a sure winner of a cookie. I intend to try them soon. Gobs along with Cornbread Salad from Freestone County will appear on our supper table this coming week. I know I can depend on Sheriff Ralph Billings’ yummy salad recipe.
Taco Soup, Rotel, Fruit Filled Tortillas, Hummingbird Cake, and Banana Bread all use ingredients found in most pantries. Tom Green County’s DPS Randy Swick offers Swick’s Love Muffins, muffins having chocolate chips as an ingredient are sure to be just that. Law Judge Al Gerson Jefferson County and his recipes for Braised Doves, Chicken Pork Jambalaya, Italian Batter Friend shark bites and Quailgerson indicate a man who likes to cook, likes to eat or perhaps likes to do both. Bean Dip, Crawfish and Rice, Pretzel Salad, Jailhouse Rolls, Chicken N Rice, Lasagna, I’m getting hungry. A Southern cookbook would not be complete with a recipe for Pecan Pie, and I found it: Jasper County Judge Joe Wilkinson submitted his recipe. Apple Dumplings, Fresh Apple Cake, Aunt Jean’s Coconut Pie, Rum Cake and from Kay Bailey Hutchinson Cousin Susie’s Perfect Fudge; this is one book for review that I will be keeping, and using.
“In 1999 the Historic Courthouse Preservation Program to provide grants to counties in need of courthouse renovations was established. The Texas Judicial Cookbook is a culinary tribute to these monuments of justice and leadership, fashioned by the hands of pioneering Texans. This compilation of recipes from residing judges, former judges and other state and county officials is enhanced by beautiful photographs of these historical treasures.”
Texas Judicial Cookbook is a spiral bound work of art. The recipes, 59, are the type I like most to see and use; family favorites which means in most cases the recipes are ones family and kids will eat, can be made from ingredients on hand and do not require long hours of preparation. The abundance of photographs included is lovely. Courthouses built in a time gone by when life was slower, beauty was revered and rotundas, stained glass and stone grace the structures are worth the price of the book whether the buyer is interested in the recipes or not. For a collector of cookbooks this is a treasure trove of beauty and recipes.
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County has one of the most beautiful of the courthouses included. The Romanesque Revival design by James Riely Gordon was built in 1895. A two page spread of pictures showing the building from several views, close ups and butterflies perched on blossoms in from of the building are breathtaking. Judge Millsap’s recipe for stew is offset with a close-up of the Courthouse tower as well as information regarding the architect and a note having historical interest are included along with a photo of judge Millsap.
The buildings run a gamut of Beaux-Arts, Classical Revival, Renaissance Revival, Second Empire, Texas Renaissance designs are a few of the designs brought to life by designers James Riely Gordon, Jaspar N Preston and Son, Henry Phelps are but three of the designers listed. It appears that Mr. Gordon is the designer designing more of the structures than any other.
Recipe ingredients include packaged cake mix, frozen pie crust, packaged tortillas, canned vegetables, Ramen noodles, canned soup, canned chicken broth, Bisquick, cool whip and pretzels. These are real recipes provided by real people to be used in real homes by busy working folks. I like this.
I am both history buff and collector of cookbooks. Texas Judicial Cookbook satisfied both cravings, and, unlike some cookbooks’ I have earmarked a number of these recipes to use with my family. I enjoyed reading about the various courthouses and viewing the photos of them nearly as much as I did reading the recipes. Meal time should prove ‘Texas’ for several days to come and will include salads, breads, entrees and desserts all made using these recipes.
I received a hardbound copy for review. Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend. Texas Judicial Cookbook will prove to a super addition to the personal kitchen cookbook shelf, as well as the reading lists for the home economics teacher, extension coordinator and 4-H leader.
Free Co-op Mailing Listing Service Helps Book Publishers & Self Publishers Sell Books
Publishers know they can save a lot of money joining others in joint or cooperative mailings. Co-op mailing is not a new concept or idea, but finding other publishers who want to mail to the same lists isn't easy.
A free service is helping publishers sell more books through cooperative mailings with other publishers. Publishers submit listing information, as to what kind of mailing they want to do, the nature of the books or items they want to promote, and contact information. DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, software and other items work easily here too. The information is published each month free in a newsletter for entrepreneurs and publishers - 'Helen Hecker's Biz Hotline.' We aren't involved in helping with any arrangements you decide on. We only help you find others who are interested in joining with you by publishing the information in the newsletter, free.
You arrange with others and send out your fliers in co-op mailings to, for example, public libraries, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, children's bookstores, hospitals, hospital gift shops, elementary schools, high schools, college libraries, college newspapers, colleges & universities, various departments in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities, to medical libraries, military libraries, museums, and Christian and religion-related lists, etc.
You arrange with others and send out your press releases to daily newspapers, editors, travel columnists, health columnists, medical columnists, weekly newspapers, major magazine and trade publications in the genre field of the book - business, health, medical, disability, travel publications, etc. I've mailed several of my own press releases, successfully, in one business-size envelope third class ( bulk mail) for many years, promoting several of our books, videos, DVDs, titles and services and reaping a ton of orders for us in return. We've had thousands of write-ups -articles, items and features in many publications over the years. I think the envelopes are opened in the mail room and the editors never see the envelopes that press releases come in. Also they'll never know if it arrived by priority mail, first class or third class (b
ulk) mail.
For many years I ran a sideline fee-shared cooperative mailing service to help our publishing company branch and other publishers, promote titles and sell more books through press releases to the print media (newspapers and magazines, for example) and news releases to the broadcast media (radio station talk shows, TV shows, Oprah, Today show, Good Morning America, etc.) Also we sent fliers to libraries, schools, hospitals, hospital gift shops, newspapers, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, etc.
The costs to do a co-op mailing are established by you and your co-op partners, for the amount necessary to do the mailing, then divided up and paid for well in advance of the mailing. This would include the cost of buying and printing #10 business-size envelopes, the cost of renting the labels, postage cost determined by the weight of the piece and other factors, and cost for the mailing house to do the mail out. All fliers are shipped directly to the mailing house with instructions on the box as to which mailing it's for. The lead person gives them instructions so they know the boxes are coming.
We've always had good results from cooperative mailings and many others have reported they have too. Publishers need to know what markets their genres fit into. No two books or products are exactly alike. So one can't compare the outcome for titles of books in mailings others have done, to their own titles and potential outcome.
Doing co-op mailings is a good way for book publishers, self publishers, (entrepreneurs and other types of business owners too) to distribute their press releases and fliers, and to save a lot of time and money. And this free cooperative mailing service is a good way for you to find other publishers with the same marketing goals.
A free service is helping publishers sell more books through cooperative mailings with other publishers. Publishers submit listing information, as to what kind of mailing they want to do, the nature of the books or items they want to promote, and contact information. DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, software and other items work easily here too. The information is published each month free in a newsletter for entrepreneurs and publishers - 'Helen Hecker's Biz Hotline.' We aren't involved in helping with any arrangements you decide on. We only help you find others who are interested in joining with you by publishing the information in the newsletter, free.
You arrange with others and send out your fliers in co-op mailings to, for example, public libraries, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, children's bookstores, hospitals, hospital gift shops, elementary schools, high schools, college libraries, college newspapers, colleges & universities, various departments in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities, to medical libraries, military libraries, museums, and Christian and religion-related lists, etc.
You arrange with others and send out your press releases to daily newspapers, editors, travel columnists, health columnists, medical columnists, weekly newspapers, major magazine and trade publications in the genre field of the book - business, health, medical, disability, travel publications, etc. I've mailed several of my own press releases, successfully, in one business-size envelope third class ( bulk mail) for many years, promoting several of our books, videos, DVDs, titles and services and reaping a ton of orders for us in return. We've had thousands of write-ups -articles, items and features in many publications over the years. I think the envelopes are opened in the mail room and the editors never see the envelopes that press releases come in. Also they'll never know if it arrived by priority mail, first class or third class (b
ulk) mail.
For many years I ran a sideline fee-shared cooperative mailing service to help our publishing company branch and other publishers, promote titles and sell more books through press releases to the print media (newspapers and magazines, for example) and news releases to the broadcast media (radio station talk shows, TV shows, Oprah, Today show, Good Morning America, etc.) Also we sent fliers to libraries, schools, hospitals, hospital gift shops, newspapers, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, etc.
The costs to do a co-op mailing are established by you and your co-op partners, for the amount necessary to do the mailing, then divided up and paid for well in advance of the mailing. This would include the cost of buying and printing #10 business-size envelopes, the cost of renting the labels, postage cost determined by the weight of the piece and other factors, and cost for the mailing house to do the mail out. All fliers are shipped directly to the mailing house with instructions on the box as to which mailing it's for. The lead person gives them instructions so they know the boxes are coming.
We've always had good results from cooperative mailings and many others have reported they have too. Publishers need to know what markets their genres fit into. No two books or products are exactly alike. So one can't compare the outcome for titles of books in mailings others have done, to their own titles and potential outcome.
Doing co-op mailings is a good way for book publishers, self publishers, (entrepreneurs and other types of business owners too) to distribute their press releases and fliers, and to save a lot of time and money. And this free cooperative mailing service is a good way for you to find other publishers with the same marketing goals.
Online Article Authors and Ezine Publisher Pick-ups
If you are an online article author chances are you are not very concerned about the true definition of what an Ezine really is. Nevertheless we should discuss this for a moment as it really does concern you. You see an Ezine is an electronic newsletter or magazine, which is sent out via email. As an online article author it is imperative that your articles get picked up, published and sent out in such Ezines, as many of them have 10s of thousands of permission based subscribers who may read your article.
Personally as a writer I do not care if an Ezine meets the True Definition of Ezine as long as it is picked-up by as many as possible. I would rather have the largest Ezines pick up my articles and send them to 10s of thousands of subscribers, yet I am just as happy if my articles end up on FedEx Intranet, Wal-Mart TV or the Jiffy Lube Franchisee network. After all with Wal-Mart being the Earth's largest employer, give me all you got right? They need content too and they send out electronic newsletters on their own networks to employees, vendors and management. To me I say these mass distribution electronic newsletters are Ezines if those folks with those networks want to call them that. Hey as an online article author that is fine with me.
So as the debate rages on in the world of online article submission websites, Ezine Publishing and definitional debris it is all good to me. I will keep writing as long as they keep publishing and every one is happy. The more places and methods of distribution the better so, consider all this in 2005.
Personally as a writer I do not care if an Ezine meets the True Definition of Ezine as long as it is picked-up by as many as possible. I would rather have the largest Ezines pick up my articles and send them to 10s of thousands of subscribers, yet I am just as happy if my articles end up on FedEx Intranet, Wal-Mart TV or the Jiffy Lube Franchisee network. After all with Wal-Mart being the Earth's largest employer, give me all you got right? They need content too and they send out electronic newsletters on their own networks to employees, vendors and management. To me I say these mass distribution electronic newsletters are Ezines if those folks with those networks want to call them that. Hey as an online article author that is fine with me.
So as the debate rages on in the world of online article submission websites, Ezine Publishing and definitional debris it is all good to me. I will keep writing as long as they keep publishing and every one is happy. The more places and methods of distribution the better so, consider all this in 2005.
Cookbook Publishing - The Basic Ingredients and the Secrets to Success
You are about to embark on the most exciting enterprise of your life -- publishing a cook book! You will soon learn that writing a cook book is truly a fun, exciting and challenging project – more than you can imagine. Like me, you can publish your own wildly successful cook book. And if you ask me if I think publishing a cook book is worth the time and effort? You bet I do!
My cook book, Fit to Cook – Why ‘Waist’ Time in the Kitchen? sold over 250,000 copies (with, I might add, less than 10% of those sales coming from book stores). However, I wasted a great deal of time, back-tracking and scrambling in order to sell all those books because in the beginning I did not have a complete grasp of the publishing industry and the process of marketing a cook book.
Before you rack your brain figuring out how to write a cook book, and more importantly, how to publish a cook book, take some time to thoroughly research the why and what you are writing about, who you are writing for and when is the best time to launch your book.
Whether you want to get published or whether you want to self publish your cook book, the same basics apply – you need a good understanding of the publishing industry. Without the basics, will you know if your contracts are in order, that your book is the best it can be and that your cook book marketing plan is actually an effective strategy? No – but, knowledge is power. It is crucial that you take enough time to educate yourself about the entire publishing industry.
Understanding publishing, and the marketing of books, will clearly help you to identify why you are writing a cook book. Perhaps you are writing a cook book just to record secret family recipes or to have all of your own favorite recipes in a book format; maybe you are writing a cook book for a community or church fundraiser; or best of all, your goal is to create a bestseller. Cook books that are written for a very small group do not require business and marketing plans because you already know how many books will be purchased and who the buyers are. However, if you are planning to publish your own cook book for the mass markets, you need to understand that you have moved beyond author to publisher. That means that you are now a business person whose primary goal is the creation of a product to sell. There is no point in printing a book that no one will want to buy.
When I began writing my own cook book, I naively thought that it would be a two or three month process, and that in no time I would have a book on every book store shelf in the country. Ha, ha, ha, chuckle chuckle… Experience is a great educator, but who says that you have to learn the hard way? Obviously I had no idea how to publish a cook book in the beginning! However, through this article and via the publishing course that I and my partners have created, I intend to help you avoid losing time and money.
How did I create such a successful cook book? The short answer is research, research, research, and then more research. Thankfully I had the wisdom to do the research before going to print. But research can, and did, take years.
In my experience, after I learned how to write a cook book I had to learn all about cook book publishing:
copyright
trademarks
ISBN numbers
cataloging in publication data
printing terms like cover stock, bindings, signatures and bluelines
learning how to obtain printing quotes, (crucial in knowing how many books you can afford to print)
barcodes
graphic design (makes the difference between great sales and no sales)
editing (cannot, and I mean cannot, be done by yourself, friends or family)
titles and subtitles (they can make or break a book)
title search (avoid duplicating someone else’s title)
distribution
Next, I had to learn about how to start a business:
business plan
incorporation
toll free numbers
corporate logos and identity
websi
My cook book, Fit to Cook – Why ‘Waist’ Time in the Kitchen? sold over 250,000 copies (with, I might add, less than 10% of those sales coming from book stores). However, I wasted a great deal of time, back-tracking and scrambling in order to sell all those books because in the beginning I did not have a complete grasp of the publishing industry and the process of marketing a cook book.
Before you rack your brain figuring out how to write a cook book, and more importantly, how to publish a cook book, take some time to thoroughly research the why and what you are writing about, who you are writing for and when is the best time to launch your book.
Whether you want to get published or whether you want to self publish your cook book, the same basics apply – you need a good understanding of the publishing industry. Without the basics, will you know if your contracts are in order, that your book is the best it can be and that your cook book marketing plan is actually an effective strategy? No – but, knowledge is power. It is crucial that you take enough time to educate yourself about the entire publishing industry.
Understanding publishing, and the marketing of books, will clearly help you to identify why you are writing a cook book. Perhaps you are writing a cook book just to record secret family recipes or to have all of your own favorite recipes in a book format; maybe you are writing a cook book for a community or church fundraiser; or best of all, your goal is to create a bestseller. Cook books that are written for a very small group do not require business and marketing plans because you already know how many books will be purchased and who the buyers are. However, if you are planning to publish your own cook book for the mass markets, you need to understand that you have moved beyond author to publisher. That means that you are now a business person whose primary goal is the creation of a product to sell. There is no point in printing a book that no one will want to buy.
When I began writing my own cook book, I naively thought that it would be a two or three month process, and that in no time I would have a book on every book store shelf in the country. Ha, ha, ha, chuckle chuckle… Experience is a great educator, but who says that you have to learn the hard way? Obviously I had no idea how to publish a cook book in the beginning! However, through this article and via the publishing course that I and my partners have created, I intend to help you avoid losing time and money.
How did I create such a successful cook book? The short answer is research, research, research, and then more research. Thankfully I had the wisdom to do the research before going to print. But research can, and did, take years.
In my experience, after I learned how to write a cook book I had to learn all about cook book publishing:
copyright
trademarks
ISBN numbers
cataloging in publication data
printing terms like cover stock, bindings, signatures and bluelines
learning how to obtain printing quotes, (crucial in knowing how many books you can afford to print)
barcodes
graphic design (makes the difference between great sales and no sales)
editing (cannot, and I mean cannot, be done by yourself, friends or family)
titles and subtitles (they can make or break a book)
title search (avoid duplicating someone else’s title)
distribution
Next, I had to learn about how to start a business:
business plan
incorporation
toll free numbers
corporate logos and identity
websi
Morris County's Appeal to New Yorkers
A commuter rail boom in the New York and New Jersey has enabled many professionals in the area to live further from the big city. One of the places they're moving is Morris County, New Jersey, a group of historic small towns 20 miles to the west. Settled more than 300 years ago, the area offers a well-established, attractive residential base, and solid property investment potential. Morris County includes more than 30 municipalities, and a wide variety of charming unincorporated areas. Homes here are often beautifully restored Victorian and Colonial-era buildings dating back to the early 20th century, which add to an already high quality of life in this attractive area.
Big City professionals also know Morris County for its wide variety of Fortune 500 headquarters, offices, and major facilities. Companies with operations here include AT&T, Honeywell, Bayer and Wyeth, BASF, Novartis, Exxon, and Colgate-Palmolive - good news for anyone who wants to avoid the daily commute to their corporate office job.
Many professionals who move to Morris County also find jobs here, and are able to confine their relationship with New York and New Jersey to weekend visits.
Morris County's uncrowded layout is another reason for its popularity. The county has less than 500,000 residents spread across more than 1,247 km and dozens of communities, which compares nicely to the urban sprawl of millions per square mile just to the east. Morris County's low density has put it in high demand with wealthy buyers - it's the sixth wealthiest county in the Nation by median household income, and tenth by per capita income.
Affluence with a taste for old world charm is part of the reason many of Morris County's older homes here have been carefully preserved. A wide variety of old mansions have also been converted into museums, art studios, and schools. When visitors come to Morris County, they make a point of checking out heritage buildings like Acorn Hall in Morristown, which dates back to 1853.
Big City professionals also know Morris County for its wide variety of Fortune 500 headquarters, offices, and major facilities. Companies with operations here include AT&T, Honeywell, Bayer and Wyeth, BASF, Novartis, Exxon, and Colgate-Palmolive - good news for anyone who wants to avoid the daily commute to their corporate office job.
Many professionals who move to Morris County also find jobs here, and are able to confine their relationship with New York and New Jersey to weekend visits.
Morris County's uncrowded layout is another reason for its popularity. The county has less than 500,000 residents spread across more than 1,247 km and dozens of communities, which compares nicely to the urban sprawl of millions per square mile just to the east. Morris County's low density has put it in high demand with wealthy buyers - it's the sixth wealthiest county in the Nation by median household income, and tenth by per capita income.
Affluence with a taste for old world charm is part of the reason many of Morris County's older homes here have been carefully preserved. A wide variety of old mansions have also been converted into museums, art studios, and schools. When visitors come to Morris County, they make a point of checking out heritage buildings like Acorn Hall in Morristown, which dates back to 1853.
What Makes a Good Cookbook
Although there are a few good cookbooks out there with no photography, most people think they are important. A cookbook without photographs is best appreciated by the master cook. Photographs serve two purposes. The first is to catch your eye and draw you in. A cookbook with quality glossy photos beckons you to try something new. That is what we want a cookbook to do for us. The second purpose of photographs in a cookbook is to show the end result, the goal of the chef, what the recipe expects you to be able to create. Most cooks need an accurate visual representation of the final product.
Everyone mentions clear instructions as one of the most important criteria.
Instructions must be neither too long nor too short. They must be easily understood the first time read. If unusual cooking terms are used, their should be a glossary.
Instructions must be complete enough to allow any cook to reproduce the results of the recipe author.
People are divided on how much personality a cookbook should have. Some think of their cookbooks like old friends, and they want friends with personality that shines throughout. These people want to get to know the author somewhat and find something to which they can personally relate. They want the cookbook to be engaging, with a unique reading style. They want to get lost in the pages to surface with a mouth-watering recipe chosen for the next meal, and they want to have enjoyed the journey.
Others view cookbooks as merely instruction manuals and prefer the author's personality not come into play. They want the recipes, the whole recipes, and nothing but the recipes. They don't like variations suggested for them, as they prefer to discover their own. These are the same people who do not care for too many photographs.
People are divided as to the importance of a theme. Some prefer the cookbook contain recipes for only one type of regional cuisine, while others want their cookbooks focused only on recipes that work regardless of area of origin. A few like cookbooks based on a favorite cooking tool, such as a crock pot or a food processor. Some are happy with just a collection of recipes not joined together in any type of unifying theme, as long as the recipes work.
Everyone wants a cookbook full of tested recipes that work. Well, naturally.
As far as favorite methods for choosing a cookbook, each person has their preferred method for choosing a cookbook to buy. If the person needs a cookbook that resembles a novel, then the photographs and writing style are of utmost importance. These people expect an interesting table of contents with witty chapter titles, a hefty author biography, and more side comments than actual recipe space.
For the people who see cookbooks as instruction manuals, there is a pragmatic approach to their cookbook choosing method. First, the index must be at least five times longer than the table of contents. Secondly, there must be more recipes and instructions than author biography or side notes. Thirdly, the cookbook must pass their personal recipe test. If you have a favorite chicken recipe, for example, then you will look for that recipe or a similar one and judge the cookbook on that recipe. Are the ingredients at least as interesting as your own recipe's? Does the cookbook have a unique ingredient that would enhance the recipe? Does it appear that the author really knows the recipe and can be trusted to offer quality recipes? These questions must all be answered in the affirmative before the pragmatist will purchase the cookbook.
Which type of cookbook reader are you, novel or instruction manual?
Everyone mentions clear instructions as one of the most important criteria.
Instructions must be neither too long nor too short. They must be easily understood the first time read. If unusual cooking terms are used, their should be a glossary.
Instructions must be complete enough to allow any cook to reproduce the results of the recipe author.
People are divided on how much personality a cookbook should have. Some think of their cookbooks like old friends, and they want friends with personality that shines throughout. These people want to get to know the author somewhat and find something to which they can personally relate. They want the cookbook to be engaging, with a unique reading style. They want to get lost in the pages to surface with a mouth-watering recipe chosen for the next meal, and they want to have enjoyed the journey.
Others view cookbooks as merely instruction manuals and prefer the author's personality not come into play. They want the recipes, the whole recipes, and nothing but the recipes. They don't like variations suggested for them, as they prefer to discover their own. These are the same people who do not care for too many photographs.
People are divided as to the importance of a theme. Some prefer the cookbook contain recipes for only one type of regional cuisine, while others want their cookbooks focused only on recipes that work regardless of area of origin. A few like cookbooks based on a favorite cooking tool, such as a crock pot or a food processor. Some are happy with just a collection of recipes not joined together in any type of unifying theme, as long as the recipes work.
Everyone wants a cookbook full of tested recipes that work. Well, naturally.
As far as favorite methods for choosing a cookbook, each person has their preferred method for choosing a cookbook to buy. If the person needs a cookbook that resembles a novel, then the photographs and writing style are of utmost importance. These people expect an interesting table of contents with witty chapter titles, a hefty author biography, and more side comments than actual recipe space.
For the people who see cookbooks as instruction manuals, there is a pragmatic approach to their cookbook choosing method. First, the index must be at least five times longer than the table of contents. Secondly, there must be more recipes and instructions than author biography or side notes. Thirdly, the cookbook must pass their personal recipe test. If you have a favorite chicken recipe, for example, then you will look for that recipe or a similar one and judge the cookbook on that recipe. Are the ingredients at least as interesting as your own recipe's? Does the cookbook have a unique ingredient that would enhance the recipe? Does it appear that the author really knows the recipe and can be trusted to offer quality recipes? These questions must all be answered in the affirmative before the pragmatist will purchase the cookbook.
Which type of cookbook reader are you, novel or instruction manual?
Do You Secretly Want to Publish Your Recipes in a Cookbook?
If you've ever secretly thought about publishing your recipes in a cookbook, you will want to read the following.
The popularity of cookbooks as a product that's easy to sell has continued to go up, along with the sheer quality of the recipes, the design of the book and the downright creativity of self-publishers.
Cookbooks have proven throughout the past 50 years or so to be much more than a collection of recipes. Cookbooks are a great public relations tool. They add to local history.
Cookbooks are an important documentation of a nation's heritage. They are a collector's item, a family's memoir and a way to maintain our sense of identity. Passing down recipes from generation to generation has long been a tradition whether published in a cookbook or not.
The cookbook market will never be saturated because the public is always looking for new recipes and for the best possible way to make food taste great.
With more and more cookbooks featuring color photography with their recipes and interesting sidebar information, cookbooks are even leaving the kitchen and finding a home on the coffee table.
Actually most cookbook buyers are referred to as armchair cooks. They really don't have time to cook but love to read recipes, read about cooking and food, and collect useful and beautiful cookbooks.
I know this is true because I have spent many a bedtime poring over the recipes in my cookbooks -- avidly marking recipes that I intend to try -- some day!
Food and cooking are a part of everyday life, making cookbooks a staple in every American and European home. Even in a weak or down economy, cookbook sales always remain strong.
Whether people buy cookbooks for casual reading or to fix meals, they continue to sell year after year. We live in a cookbook crazy culture. Actually 80% of cookbooks are sold by word of mouth.
And cookbook sales continue to climb every year. Some years it has been as much as 76%.
The third best-selling book in the world is the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. It ranks behind the Bible and the dictionary in sales. And many community and regional cookbooks have been published continually for more than 50 years.
The average American woman owns about 15 cookbooks and three out of ten
women collect cookbooks.
Ninety-seven million people gave or have received a book as a gift and the most popular category is cookbooks.
A fast and cheap way would be to publish your recipes is in a simple ebook, which you could do and still work from home. Another option which requires more capital would be in a self-published trade book. It wouldn't require color photographs to publish a great book with your recipes.
If you have a lot of money to invest in your own self-publishing business then consider publishing a cookbook with color photographs. The choice is up to you.
Promoting, marketing and selling self-published cookbooks can be a lot of fun. You can do public demonstrations of your recipes and give away free soup samples.
You can give away free recipes. You can print up free recipes on bookmarks with your cookbook information. You can print free sample recipes on your fliers.
As you can see, the cookbook market has always been a fantastic market. If you've always wanted to publish your recipes, this is a good reason to think about publishing your collection of recipes in a cookbook.
The popularity of cookbooks as a product that's easy to sell has continued to go up, along with the sheer quality of the recipes, the design of the book and the downright creativity of self-publishers.
Cookbooks have proven throughout the past 50 years or so to be much more than a collection of recipes. Cookbooks are a great public relations tool. They add to local history.
Cookbooks are an important documentation of a nation's heritage. They are a collector's item, a family's memoir and a way to maintain our sense of identity. Passing down recipes from generation to generation has long been a tradition whether published in a cookbook or not.
The cookbook market will never be saturated because the public is always looking for new recipes and for the best possible way to make food taste great.
With more and more cookbooks featuring color photography with their recipes and interesting sidebar information, cookbooks are even leaving the kitchen and finding a home on the coffee table.
Actually most cookbook buyers are referred to as armchair cooks. They really don't have time to cook but love to read recipes, read about cooking and food, and collect useful and beautiful cookbooks.
I know this is true because I have spent many a bedtime poring over the recipes in my cookbooks -- avidly marking recipes that I intend to try -- some day!
Food and cooking are a part of everyday life, making cookbooks a staple in every American and European home. Even in a weak or down economy, cookbook sales always remain strong.
Whether people buy cookbooks for casual reading or to fix meals, they continue to sell year after year. We live in a cookbook crazy culture. Actually 80% of cookbooks are sold by word of mouth.
And cookbook sales continue to climb every year. Some years it has been as much as 76%.
The third best-selling book in the world is the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. It ranks behind the Bible and the dictionary in sales. And many community and regional cookbooks have been published continually for more than 50 years.
The average American woman owns about 15 cookbooks and three out of ten
women collect cookbooks.
Ninety-seven million people gave or have received a book as a gift and the most popular category is cookbooks.
A fast and cheap way would be to publish your recipes is in a simple ebook, which you could do and still work from home. Another option which requires more capital would be in a self-published trade book. It wouldn't require color photographs to publish a great book with your recipes.
If you have a lot of money to invest in your own self-publishing business then consider publishing a cookbook with color photographs. The choice is up to you.
Promoting, marketing and selling self-published cookbooks can be a lot of fun. You can do public demonstrations of your recipes and give away free soup samples.
You can give away free recipes. You can print up free recipes on bookmarks with your cookbook information. You can print free sample recipes on your fliers.
As you can see, the cookbook market has always been a fantastic market. If you've always wanted to publish your recipes, this is a good reason to think about publishing your collection of recipes in a cookbook.
Clever Interactive Online Cookbook - Review of Low Carb Is Easy Cookbook
A good cookbook gets well used and eventually becomes filled with notes, papers, smudges and miscellaneous residue from family gatherings. It is repeatedly hauled on and off the bookshelf, and the better the recipes it contains, the more quickly it shows loving wear. However, I was recently introduced to a fresh, fun and innovative cookbook that I can’t wear out, no matter how much I love it. And that’s only the beginning of its advantages and delights...
As a low carber for many years I have found a great majority of terrific “low-carbed”
recipes online through forums, e-mail groups, friends, and various low carb
Websites. I can’t even begin to estimate the hours spent online gathering great
recipes. I had always had an idea in the back of my mind that it would be great to
have some way to organize online, some kind of online recipe book, and I am very
pleased to tell you that someone has done exactly that…and in a fun, organized and
very interactive way.
Low Carb Is Easy (www.lowcarbiseasy.com) is a clever meshing of an
interactive cookbook and an information Website. The cookbook software contains a
database of over 100 recipes tested and approved as low carb, low GI (Glycemic
Index), and tasty – with most being only three carbohydrate grams or less. And
these are recipes specifically meant for enjoyment and to offer instructions on foods
that can be tricky to recreate in a low carb version. Chapters cover Biscuits, bread
and cakes; Desserts and ices; Main courses - cheeses, eggs, fish and nuts; Main
courses - meat and poultry; Salads, soups and vegetables; Sauces, snacks and
sweets. All recipes come with complete nutritional information, including carb
counts.
Once you subscribe to Low Carb is Easy, you receive full access to all the
recipes and great customization tools for personalizing your cookbook:
• Existing recipes can be edited to suit your family’s needs, and the nutritional information will automatically update for you.
• New recipes can be imported and added directly to the cookbook.
• Carb calculator allows adjustments and updating for any ingredients or portion size changes you might want to make.
• Contents page can be personalized with your new recipes.
• You can print out individual recipes or the entire cookbook for real hands-on use.
The folks at Low Carb is Easy put a lot of thought into this online
cookbook, making it easy to use online and offline in print form. They have also
provided a wealth of information for serious cooks as well as those who want low
carb and low GI information, articles, measurement and reference tables, and
related resources.
I was delighted to find so much helpful information at my fingertips, but even more
than that, I love the idea of this easy and fun way to organize, update and tailor all
my recipes. If you have ever wished for a better way to control your individual
recipes, or keep your collection of favorites conveniently on your computer, then I
recommend taking a look at the Low Carb is Easy interactive cookbook. I
have found it to be a great solution…and no matter how well loved, there’s no wear,
tear, smudges or sticky spots to be found.
As a low carber for many years I have found a great majority of terrific “low-carbed”
recipes online through forums, e-mail groups, friends, and various low carb
Websites. I can’t even begin to estimate the hours spent online gathering great
recipes. I had always had an idea in the back of my mind that it would be great to
have some way to organize online, some kind of online recipe book, and I am very
pleased to tell you that someone has done exactly that…and in a fun, organized and
very interactive way.
Low Carb Is Easy (www.lowcarbiseasy.com) is a clever meshing of an
interactive cookbook and an information Website. The cookbook software contains a
database of over 100 recipes tested and approved as low carb, low GI (Glycemic
Index), and tasty – with most being only three carbohydrate grams or less. And
these are recipes specifically meant for enjoyment and to offer instructions on foods
that can be tricky to recreate in a low carb version. Chapters cover Biscuits, bread
and cakes; Desserts and ices; Main courses - cheeses, eggs, fish and nuts; Main
courses - meat and poultry; Salads, soups and vegetables; Sauces, snacks and
sweets. All recipes come with complete nutritional information, including carb
counts.
Once you subscribe to Low Carb is Easy, you receive full access to all the
recipes and great customization tools for personalizing your cookbook:
• Existing recipes can be edited to suit your family’s needs, and the nutritional information will automatically update for you.
• New recipes can be imported and added directly to the cookbook.
• Carb calculator allows adjustments and updating for any ingredients or portion size changes you might want to make.
• Contents page can be personalized with your new recipes.
• You can print out individual recipes or the entire cookbook for real hands-on use.
The folks at Low Carb is Easy put a lot of thought into this online
cookbook, making it easy to use online and offline in print form. They have also
provided a wealth of information for serious cooks as well as those who want low
carb and low GI information, articles, measurement and reference tables, and
related resources.
I was delighted to find so much helpful information at my fingertips, but even more
than that, I love the idea of this easy and fun way to organize, update and tailor all
my recipes. If you have ever wished for a better way to control your individual
recipes, or keep your collection of favorites conveniently on your computer, then I
recommend taking a look at the Low Carb is Easy interactive cookbook. I
have found it to be a great solution…and no matter how well loved, there’s no wear,
tear, smudges or sticky spots to be found.
Clever Interactive Online Cookbook - Review of Low Carb Is Easy Cookbook
A good cookbook gets well used and eventually becomes filled with notes, papers, smudges and miscellaneous residue from family gatherings. It is repeatedly hauled on and off the bookshelf, and the better the recipes it contains, the more quickly it shows loving wear. However, I was recently introduced to a fresh, fun and innovative cookbook that I can’t wear out, no matter how much I love it. And that’s only the beginning of its advantages and delights...
As a low carber for many years I have found a great majority of terrific “low-carbed”
recipes online through forums, e-mail groups, friends, and various low carb
Websites. I can’t even begin to estimate the hours spent online gathering great
recipes. I had always had an idea in the back of my mind that it would be great to
have some way to organize online, some kind of online recipe book, and I am very
pleased to tell you that someone has done exactly that…and in a fun, organized and
very interactive way.
Low Carb Is Easy (www.lowcarbiseasy.com) is a clever meshing of an
interactive cookbook and an information Website. The cookbook software contains a
database of over 100 recipes tested and approved as low carb, low GI (Glycemic
Index), and tasty – with most being only three carbohydrate grams or less. And
these are recipes specifically meant for enjoyment and to offer instructions on foods
that can be tricky to recreate in a low carb version. Chapters cover Biscuits, bread
and cakes; Desserts and ices; Main courses - cheeses, eggs, fish and nuts; Main
courses - meat and poultry; Salads, soups and vegetables; Sauces, snacks and
sweets. All recipes come with complete nutritional information, including carb
counts.
Once you subscribe to Low Carb is Easy, you receive full access to all the
recipes and great customization tools for personalizing your cookbook:
• Existing recipes can be edited to suit your family’s needs, and the nutritional information will automatically update for you.
• New recipes can be imported and added directly to the cookbook.
• Carb calculator allows adjustments and updating for any ingredients or portion size changes you might want to make.
• Contents page can be personalized with your new recipes.
• You can print out individual recipes or the entire cookbook for real hands-on use.
The folks at Low Carb is Easy put a lot of thought into this online
cookbook, making it easy to use online and offline in print form. They have also
provided a wealth of information for serious cooks as well as those who want low
carb and low GI information, articles, measurement and reference tables, and
related resources.
I was delighted to find so much helpful information at my fingertips, but even more
than that, I love the idea of this easy and fun way to organize, update and tailor all
my recipes. If you have ever wished for a better way to control your individual
recipes, or keep your collection of favorites conveniently on your computer, then I
recommend taking a look at the Low Carb is Easy interactive cookbook. I
have found it to be a great solution…and no matter how well loved, there’s no wear,
tear, smudges or sticky spots to be found.
As a low carber for many years I have found a great majority of terrific “low-carbed”
recipes online through forums, e-mail groups, friends, and various low carb
Websites. I can’t even begin to estimate the hours spent online gathering great
recipes. I had always had an idea in the back of my mind that it would be great to
have some way to organize online, some kind of online recipe book, and I am very
pleased to tell you that someone has done exactly that…and in a fun, organized and
very interactive way.
Low Carb Is Easy (www.lowcarbiseasy.com) is a clever meshing of an
interactive cookbook and an information Website. The cookbook software contains a
database of over 100 recipes tested and approved as low carb, low GI (Glycemic
Index), and tasty – with most being only three carbohydrate grams or less. And
these are recipes specifically meant for enjoyment and to offer instructions on foods
that can be tricky to recreate in a low carb version. Chapters cover Biscuits, bread
and cakes; Desserts and ices; Main courses - cheeses, eggs, fish and nuts; Main
courses - meat and poultry; Salads, soups and vegetables; Sauces, snacks and
sweets. All recipes come with complete nutritional information, including carb
counts.
Once you subscribe to Low Carb is Easy, you receive full access to all the
recipes and great customization tools for personalizing your cookbook:
• Existing recipes can be edited to suit your family’s needs, and the nutritional information will automatically update for you.
• New recipes can be imported and added directly to the cookbook.
• Carb calculator allows adjustments and updating for any ingredients or portion size changes you might want to make.
• Contents page can be personalized with your new recipes.
• You can print out individual recipes or the entire cookbook for real hands-on use.
The folks at Low Carb is Easy put a lot of thought into this online
cookbook, making it easy to use online and offline in print form. They have also
provided a wealth of information for serious cooks as well as those who want low
carb and low GI information, articles, measurement and reference tables, and
related resources.
I was delighted to find so much helpful information at my fingertips, but even more
than that, I love the idea of this easy and fun way to organize, update and tailor all
my recipes. If you have ever wished for a better way to control your individual
recipes, or keep your collection of favorites conveniently on your computer, then I
recommend taking a look at the Low Carb is Easy interactive cookbook. I
have found it to be a great solution…and no matter how well loved, there’s no wear,
tear, smudges or sticky spots to be found.
Christian Fundraising
Christian ministry has always resorted to raising funds to carry out the work of God. Since biblical times, fundraising has always been approached, to provide the financial support for various missionary works. However it is advisable to check out the Christian fundraiser before contributing, as several organizations have been unmasked that have been indulging in fraud practices in the name of God. It is important to maintain the greatest transparency possible in case of fundraising.
Christian T-shirts and other such items are used to promote fundraising by several organizations. Selling these items, either through brochures or via direct marketing, helps raise funds. Church sales are also used to bring about fundraising.
Several trends in the Christian community have had a profound effect on Christian fundraising. It has been recorded that the percentage of income given by the Christians has been on a decline with the current percentage in the range of 1.5 % to 3.5 %. There are very few that offer more than 10 % of their incomes. Most of the direct mail appeals are not directed personally but are integrated through clubs, events and other major donors and hence do not cover the entire spectrum.
However, there are certain positive trends that have emerged to boost the fund raising process. Renewed interest by church leaders and pastors to further their study in the field of biblical instructions on finances and charity is one such development.
Technology such as email, personal web pages and push technology is being used to inform existing and prospective donors about the projects, missionaries and their concerns.
Electronic donations, including automatic check withdrawals and Internet donations, are convenient methods to support missionaries, churches, and Christian organizations. The Christian Stewardship Association (CSA) is an organization that provides graduate level courses to professionals. There has been an increase in the strength of this organization in the recent years, with many Christians coming up with contributions.
Christian T-shirts and other such items are used to promote fundraising by several organizations. Selling these items, either through brochures or via direct marketing, helps raise funds. Church sales are also used to bring about fundraising.
Several trends in the Christian community have had a profound effect on Christian fundraising. It has been recorded that the percentage of income given by the Christians has been on a decline with the current percentage in the range of 1.5 % to 3.5 %. There are very few that offer more than 10 % of their incomes. Most of the direct mail appeals are not directed personally but are integrated through clubs, events and other major donors and hence do not cover the entire spectrum.
However, there are certain positive trends that have emerged to boost the fund raising process. Renewed interest by church leaders and pastors to further their study in the field of biblical instructions on finances and charity is one such development.
Technology such as email, personal web pages and push technology is being used to inform existing and prospective donors about the projects, missionaries and their concerns.
Electronic donations, including automatic check withdrawals and Internet donations, are convenient methods to support missionaries, churches, and Christian organizations. The Christian Stewardship Association (CSA) is an organization that provides graduate level courses to professionals. There has been an increase in the strength of this organization in the recent years, with many Christians coming up with contributions.
Need Money For The Church? Why Not A Cookbook Fundraiser?
Church fundraising isn’t easy, but has one major advantage to many other forms of fundraising. A large body of keen and enthusiastic people to draw from for the labor involved. In other words the people in the church.
Church fundraising is a great way of getting everyone in the church together in non devotional engagement for social activity, and at the same time to generate some money for the church. Because church goers are so enthusiastic about their membership of the church most of them are usually willing and keen to help out with any church fundraising required.
And of course lots of the congregation have skills which can be put to good use in most church fundraising activities.
Why not have a cookbook fundraiser? Collect together all the favourite recipes from members of the congregation. Give them a try your self if you wish, although this can be time consuming. Then decide on how many you want to put in your cookbook and pick out the best ones for the book.
There are various ways to sell your book. You could have it formally printed into a book. Or you could sell it more informally as a set of individual pages bound together into a book by various methods, such as tied with ribbons.
Now though, there is another excellent way to organise and ongoing fundraiser by selling your cookbook on the internet. Is isn’t that hard to do and there is usually someone in the congregation who will have the skills to design a website, compile an ebook, or online book, and make it available for sale.
Then when you advertise your book you can offer the website address to people as a place where they can buy and download it.
It is extremely cheap to offer a book this way, and costs less than producing a hard copy of a cookbook, so you can make it cheaper than the hard copy version.
And in the book and on your website you can have the option for people to tell their friends about the book so that they go to the site and buy it as well.
Of course for this to work it needs to be a great cookbook, so be sure you’re confident in the recipes before you offer your book for sale. It is well worth making sure that you get the recipes tested by members of the congregation to ensure that they are easy to make and worth cooking.
As with anything the success of your church cookbook fundraiser depends on the quality of the product.
Cookbook fundraising which offers a cookbook for sale is a great way to raise funds for the church. It can be fun, and a great way to get people together to undertake a great project. And if you put your book on the net then it can sell for years to come.
Just make sure you don’t put on too much weight trying out the recipes!
Church fundraising is a great way of getting everyone in the church together in non devotional engagement for social activity, and at the same time to generate some money for the church. Because church goers are so enthusiastic about their membership of the church most of them are usually willing and keen to help out with any church fundraising required.
And of course lots of the congregation have skills which can be put to good use in most church fundraising activities.
Why not have a cookbook fundraiser? Collect together all the favourite recipes from members of the congregation. Give them a try your self if you wish, although this can be time consuming. Then decide on how many you want to put in your cookbook and pick out the best ones for the book.
There are various ways to sell your book. You could have it formally printed into a book. Or you could sell it more informally as a set of individual pages bound together into a book by various methods, such as tied with ribbons.
Now though, there is another excellent way to organise and ongoing fundraiser by selling your cookbook on the internet. Is isn’t that hard to do and there is usually someone in the congregation who will have the skills to design a website, compile an ebook, or online book, and make it available for sale.
Then when you advertise your book you can offer the website address to people as a place where they can buy and download it.
It is extremely cheap to offer a book this way, and costs less than producing a hard copy of a cookbook, so you can make it cheaper than the hard copy version.
And in the book and on your website you can have the option for people to tell their friends about the book so that they go to the site and buy it as well.
Of course for this to work it needs to be a great cookbook, so be sure you’re confident in the recipes before you offer your book for sale. It is well worth making sure that you get the recipes tested by members of the congregation to ensure that they are easy to make and worth cooking.
As with anything the success of your church cookbook fundraiser depends on the quality of the product.
Cookbook fundraising which offers a cookbook for sale is a great way to raise funds for the church. It can be fun, and a great way to get people together to undertake a great project. And if you put your book on the net then it can sell for years to come.
Just make sure you don’t put on too much weight trying out the recipes!
Fundraising with Cookbooks
Cookbooks have been popular fundraisers for years. They started out with church and women's groups and have now spread like wildfire. It's because they can be produced by almost any size group, club, team, or nonprofit organization. Much of the increased popularity can be attributed to the use of the internet by cookbook publishing companies and the ease of producing a cookbook online.
Despite the spread of cookbook fundraisers, they remain a good source of fundraising income.
• A custom cookbook is unique to your group.
• They aren't overly difficult to produce.
• With the right marketing they sell well.
• They have a long shelf life and can be sold year round.
• They are a popular gift item around the holidays
How It Works
Custom cookbooks are, by far, the most popular option when it comes to fundraising with cookbooks. A custom cookbook allows you to use your members' recipes, personalize the cover, choose from different layouts, choose the binding, and include pictures in your cookbook.
Your group will collect recipes and pictures from your members, family, and friends and submit them to the cookbook company. The company prints your custom cookbook and ships them to you. Payment is required up front.
Getting Organized
Start with a little planning.
• Who will lead the project?
• What are the goals of your cookbook fundraiser?
• What will be the design of the cookbook?
Many hands will make light work with your cookbook fundraiser. A committee of 6 - 8 members will help spread the work with gathering/submitting recipes and with sales.
The cookbook publisher you choose will have an established process for you to follow.
Be sure you commit to a publisher, contact them, and understand their specific requirements before you start to collect recipes and pictures. Things to look for include:
• Guidelines
• Formats
• Pricing
• Payment plans
• Upfront costs
• Minimum order
• Shipping costs
• Typesetting arrangements
• Reprint procedures
• Scheduling requirements
• Free cooking hints and starter recipes for you to use
• Selling materials for your group
Profit Potential
The profit you make from your cookbook will vary depending on how large your order is. The more books you order the cheaper each one is. It will also vary depending on the makeup of your cookbook. Color covers, pictures, and overly large books (over 200 recipes) will increase the cost.
A good rule of thumb is expect to at least double your money. So, if your cookbooks costs $6, it should retail for at least $12.
Another rule of thumb is expect to sell 3 cookbooks for every recipe contributor. This will help you decide on how many cookbooks to order.
A great way to reduce the cost of your cookbook is to include advertising. Just a few ads can significantly reduce your costs.
Sales Secrets
There are several ways to increase the desirability of your cookbook which will increase sales:
• The uniqueness of your cookbook- give it a special twist.
• Cover design- choose a cover that has broad appeal.
• Keepsake quality- don't go cheap.
• Photos- everyone likes to see themselves.
• Keep it specific to your group- spreading the focus for your cookbook can make it bland.
• Proof read carefully- pay attention to the spelling of your contributors names.
• Customize divider pages- colored stock, artwork or photos add appeal.
• And above all- keep it personal and user friendly.
A technique used by some groups is to pre-sell your cookbook. Taking orders and collecting money before you order will reduce your out of pocket expenses when you publish.
Always order extra copies and make sure your cookbook information is stored by your publisher for reprinting later.
Other suggestions to increase your sales:
• Make it an annual event, bring out a new cookbook each year.
• Include sales coupon and ordering information in each cookbook for others who may be interested.
• Push your cookbooks at the holidays as a gift idea.
• Ask businesses and bookstores to sell your cookbooks.
• Display your cookbooks at all your meetings, events, and any time your group has a get together.
• Advertise in your newsletters, emails, website and any time you contact your members.
• Give cookbooks away as door prizes, raffle prizes or as an auction item.
Despite the spread of cookbook fundraisers, they remain a good source of fundraising income.
• A custom cookbook is unique to your group.
• They aren't overly difficult to produce.
• With the right marketing they sell well.
• They have a long shelf life and can be sold year round.
• They are a popular gift item around the holidays
How It Works
Custom cookbooks are, by far, the most popular option when it comes to fundraising with cookbooks. A custom cookbook allows you to use your members' recipes, personalize the cover, choose from different layouts, choose the binding, and include pictures in your cookbook.
Your group will collect recipes and pictures from your members, family, and friends and submit them to the cookbook company. The company prints your custom cookbook and ships them to you. Payment is required up front.
Getting Organized
Start with a little planning.
• Who will lead the project?
• What are the goals of your cookbook fundraiser?
• What will be the design of the cookbook?
Many hands will make light work with your cookbook fundraiser. A committee of 6 - 8 members will help spread the work with gathering/submitting recipes and with sales.
The cookbook publisher you choose will have an established process for you to follow.
Be sure you commit to a publisher, contact them, and understand their specific requirements before you start to collect recipes and pictures. Things to look for include:
• Guidelines
• Formats
• Pricing
• Payment plans
• Upfront costs
• Minimum order
• Shipping costs
• Typesetting arrangements
• Reprint procedures
• Scheduling requirements
• Free cooking hints and starter recipes for you to use
• Selling materials for your group
Profit Potential
The profit you make from your cookbook will vary depending on how large your order is. The more books you order the cheaper each one is. It will also vary depending on the makeup of your cookbook. Color covers, pictures, and overly large books (over 200 recipes) will increase the cost.
A good rule of thumb is expect to at least double your money. So, if your cookbooks costs $6, it should retail for at least $12.
Another rule of thumb is expect to sell 3 cookbooks for every recipe contributor. This will help you decide on how many cookbooks to order.
A great way to reduce the cost of your cookbook is to include advertising. Just a few ads can significantly reduce your costs.
Sales Secrets
There are several ways to increase the desirability of your cookbook which will increase sales:
• The uniqueness of your cookbook- give it a special twist.
• Cover design- choose a cover that has broad appeal.
• Keepsake quality- don't go cheap.
• Photos- everyone likes to see themselves.
• Keep it specific to your group- spreading the focus for your cookbook can make it bland.
• Proof read carefully- pay attention to the spelling of your contributors names.
• Customize divider pages- colored stock, artwork or photos add appeal.
• And above all- keep it personal and user friendly.
A technique used by some groups is to pre-sell your cookbook. Taking orders and collecting money before you order will reduce your out of pocket expenses when you publish.
Always order extra copies and make sure your cookbook information is stored by your publisher for reprinting later.
Other suggestions to increase your sales:
• Make it an annual event, bring out a new cookbook each year.
• Include sales coupon and ordering information in each cookbook for others who may be interested.
• Push your cookbooks at the holidays as a gift idea.
• Ask businesses and bookstores to sell your cookbooks.
• Display your cookbooks at all your meetings, events, and any time your group has a get together.
• Advertise in your newsletters, emails, website and any time you contact your members.
• Give cookbooks away as door prizes, raffle prizes or as an auction item.
Growing Roses - How to Succeed in a Mediterranean Climate
Getting the best out of your roses depends on choosing the right varieties, and planting them in the appropriate location. You cannot expect the rose bushes to perform well, if you've planted them in the shade, or the soil has not been properly prepared prior to planting. Nonetheless, a great deal depends on the horticultural practices you adopt season by season. However, successfully growing roses in a dry, Mediterranean climate is not as difficult as you might think if you carry out a few basic tasks properly.
Watering
Most of the cultivated varieties require regular watering in the summer. This does not mean though, that the bushes should be swimming in water. On the contrary, permanently saturated soil will cause the roses to wither as quickly as a lack of moisture. So ideally, watering should be spaced to allow the top soil to dry out to some degree.
Drip irrigation is undoubtedly preferable to using overhead sprinklers as the latter encourage fungal infections, while wasting more water as well. Roses in Mediterranean climates with the exception of some natural species, require water based on some 5-6 liters per square meter a day. This thirsty consumption rate, means that the number of rose bushes has to be restricted in favor of more water conserving shrubs and bushes. Replenish the organic mulch layer when necessary, to keep the topsoil cool, and further preserve water.
Feeding
Roses are hungry feeders in intensely cultivated conditions and need a ready supply of nutrient in order to grow well and flower profusely. It is not essential however to use immediately soluble, chemical fertilizer. In my opinion, it is better to create superior soil conditions by regularly adding compost or worm castings, than "juicing up" the plants with chemical fertilizer. When planting in poor soil, it may be necessary though to add some slow release fertilizer to the planting hole.
Pruning
In the mild winter climates typical of the Mediterranean and similar climates, there is no need to prune the roses almost down to the ground, as is the custom in cold winter areas. It is simply a waste of the plant's energy. Instead, you can take off a third to a half from the height of the plants. Old stems should occasionally be removed to make way for juvenile ones.
In mild winter regions, the roses should not be pruned at the beginning of the winter, but towards the end, shortly before the plants emerge from their dormancy. This is to avoid encouraging premature growth during the occasional warm spells in the winter, only for that growth to be damaged by late frosts. Such an occurrence, is the perfect breeding ground for rot to develop in the wood of the plants, as a result of bacterial or fungal infection.
Watering
Most of the cultivated varieties require regular watering in the summer. This does not mean though, that the bushes should be swimming in water. On the contrary, permanently saturated soil will cause the roses to wither as quickly as a lack of moisture. So ideally, watering should be spaced to allow the top soil to dry out to some degree.
Drip irrigation is undoubtedly preferable to using overhead sprinklers as the latter encourage fungal infections, while wasting more water as well. Roses in Mediterranean climates with the exception of some natural species, require water based on some 5-6 liters per square meter a day. This thirsty consumption rate, means that the number of rose bushes has to be restricted in favor of more water conserving shrubs and bushes. Replenish the organic mulch layer when necessary, to keep the topsoil cool, and further preserve water.
Feeding
Roses are hungry feeders in intensely cultivated conditions and need a ready supply of nutrient in order to grow well and flower profusely. It is not essential however to use immediately soluble, chemical fertilizer. In my opinion, it is better to create superior soil conditions by regularly adding compost or worm castings, than "juicing up" the plants with chemical fertilizer. When planting in poor soil, it may be necessary though to add some slow release fertilizer to the planting hole.
Pruning
In the mild winter climates typical of the Mediterranean and similar climates, there is no need to prune the roses almost down to the ground, as is the custom in cold winter areas. It is simply a waste of the plant's energy. Instead, you can take off a third to a half from the height of the plants. Old stems should occasionally be removed to make way for juvenile ones.
In mild winter regions, the roses should not be pruned at the beginning of the winter, but towards the end, shortly before the plants emerge from their dormancy. This is to avoid encouraging premature growth during the occasional warm spells in the winter, only for that growth to be damaged by late frosts. Such an occurrence, is the perfect breeding ground for rot to develop in the wood of the plants, as a result of bacterial or fungal infection.
Fannie Merritt Farmer - Mother of the American Cookbook
When a person, whether a foodie or just someone appreciative of good, well prepared food, thinks of delicious, innovative meals, the name Fannie Merritt Farmer springs to mind. Her story is one of determination in teaching the public that one did not have to be a professional chef to live an ideal life in the kitchen and around the house.
Bostonian Fannie Merritt Farmer (b.23 March 1857) was the eldest of the four daughters born to a strong Unitarian family headed by John Franklin Merritt and Mary Ann Watson.
Her parents strongly believed in a sound education for their girls and it was a given that each of them would complete college. Unfortunately for her, Fannie, while still in high school, suffered a paralytic stroke in her left leg, possibly an after effect of polio. Treated as an invalid for several years, she was not allowed to return to school.
30-year-old Farmer, not wishing to spend her remaining years languishing in bed, hired herself out as a mother’s helper to a prominent family friend, Mrs. Charles Shaw. Mrs.
Shaw urged Fannie to enroll herself in classes at the Boston Cooking School so that she might become a professional cooking instructor. Founded in 1879 by the Woman’s Education Association of Boston, the school emphasized a more intellectual, structured approach to the preparation of food and attention to diet, and in the course of time, women gained elevated status not merely as cooks, but as educated cooking instructors and authorities on health, whether it be for the normally healthy but also for the chronically ill in its guise as a post-Civil War school founded by philanthropists and reformers. Working-class women were given a chance to enter the professional work force when the job market for women was not at its optimum. With an emphasis on science and domestic skills, the Boston Cooking-School discretely encouraged upper-class women to learn a “respectable” means of supporting themselves in case of reversal of fortunes or demise of the husband. Mrs. Mary Johnson Lincoln, following the collapse of her husband’s finances, was one such of these women. Becoming a cooking teacher of renowned and the author of the original edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, she was an inspiration to Fannie Farmer. Farmer completed the school’s 2-year program in 1889 and went on to become Assistant Principal and then Principal in 1891.
Fannie Farmer’s first cookbook,a revised version of Mrs. Lincoln-s book, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, was published in 1896 and is still in print now. It was based on Mrs. Lincoln’s school recipes, without giving Lincoln credit for them. Farmer’s edition was concise and simple, with comprehensive scope. Its selling point was in how well food science was mixed with appealing recipes. Farmer’s book formed a systematic overview of cooking. The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook left, without a doubt, Fannie Farmer a woman of generous means. Because the publisher was leery of taking on a business venture designed by a women, they insisted that she pay all the initial printing costs. Because of this one-sided attitude, Farmer ended up retaining the copyright and profits and was in the position, if she chose, to make some men very uncomfortable for doubting her business acumen.
In 1902, Farmer left her position so she might open Miss Farmer’s School of Cooking.
Here she placed greater emphasis on teaching housewives and society matrons. Her new goal was to concentrate on healthy diets for the sick and the chronically ill, or disabled patients. Farmer was involved in training hospital dietitians and nurses as well as regularly lecturing at the Harvard Medical School. Farmer also published, in 1904, what she considered her magnus corpus: Food and Cooking for the Sick and Convalescent. Topics she touched upon here ranged from the breast feeding of infants to the consumption of alcohol to virtually a treatise on diabetes, while cajoling her readers to make pretty food presentations for the ill: serve a heart-shaped bread and butter sandwich on a delicate flowered dish rather than carelessly throwing down a chunk of bread and a ball of butter. She felt aesthetics helped the patient to make a quicker recovery.
For the remaining years of her life, Farmer continued to lecture throughout the country. Towards the end, she suffered two more strokes and was forced to return to her wheelchair. She lectured up to ten days before she died (15 January 1915). Her school continued to flourish under the leadership of Alice Bradley, until it closed in 1944.
If for nothing else, Fannie Merritt Farmer was revered by millions for her innovations in the manner in which a recipe was written. She standardized the size of measurements so that a cup was always a cup, no matter what substance was being measured. This brought a great deal more of accuracy so that theoretically, the recipe could be duplicated each and every time without all the guesswork that was expected, that little element of surprise! Her successes led to the public calling her the “mother of level measurements” or “the pioneer of the modern recipe.”
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Lizzie Black Kander created the famous cookbook that has been used for the last 100 years by all strata of American society. Originally written to teach newly arrived immigrants how to properly fit in with turn-of-the-century (20th) Milwaukee, these young women learned how to do everything domestic, from baking to cleaning in a manner equal to that of a well-assimilated resident. From this book sprang the famous Milwaukee Settlement House and its even more renown cookbook.
Bostonian Fannie Merritt Farmer (b.23 March 1857) was the eldest of the four daughters born to a strong Unitarian family headed by John Franklin Merritt and Mary Ann Watson.
Her parents strongly believed in a sound education for their girls and it was a given that each of them would complete college. Unfortunately for her, Fannie, while still in high school, suffered a paralytic stroke in her left leg, possibly an after effect of polio. Treated as an invalid for several years, she was not allowed to return to school.
30-year-old Farmer, not wishing to spend her remaining years languishing in bed, hired herself out as a mother’s helper to a prominent family friend, Mrs. Charles Shaw. Mrs.
Shaw urged Fannie to enroll herself in classes at the Boston Cooking School so that she might become a professional cooking instructor. Founded in 1879 by the Woman’s Education Association of Boston, the school emphasized a more intellectual, structured approach to the preparation of food and attention to diet, and in the course of time, women gained elevated status not merely as cooks, but as educated cooking instructors and authorities on health, whether it be for the normally healthy but also for the chronically ill in its guise as a post-Civil War school founded by philanthropists and reformers. Working-class women were given a chance to enter the professional work force when the job market for women was not at its optimum. With an emphasis on science and domestic skills, the Boston Cooking-School discretely encouraged upper-class women to learn a “respectable” means of supporting themselves in case of reversal of fortunes or demise of the husband. Mrs. Mary Johnson Lincoln, following the collapse of her husband’s finances, was one such of these women. Becoming a cooking teacher of renowned and the author of the original edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, she was an inspiration to Fannie Farmer. Farmer completed the school’s 2-year program in 1889 and went on to become Assistant Principal and then Principal in 1891.
Fannie Farmer’s first cookbook,a revised version of Mrs. Lincoln-s book, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, was published in 1896 and is still in print now. It was based on Mrs. Lincoln’s school recipes, without giving Lincoln credit for them. Farmer’s edition was concise and simple, with comprehensive scope. Its selling point was in how well food science was mixed with appealing recipes. Farmer’s book formed a systematic overview of cooking. The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook left, without a doubt, Fannie Farmer a woman of generous means. Because the publisher was leery of taking on a business venture designed by a women, they insisted that she pay all the initial printing costs. Because of this one-sided attitude, Farmer ended up retaining the copyright and profits and was in the position, if she chose, to make some men very uncomfortable for doubting her business acumen.
In 1902, Farmer left her position so she might open Miss Farmer’s School of Cooking.
Here she placed greater emphasis on teaching housewives and society matrons. Her new goal was to concentrate on healthy diets for the sick and the chronically ill, or disabled patients. Farmer was involved in training hospital dietitians and nurses as well as regularly lecturing at the Harvard Medical School. Farmer also published, in 1904, what she considered her magnus corpus: Food and Cooking for the Sick and Convalescent. Topics she touched upon here ranged from the breast feeding of infants to the consumption of alcohol to virtually a treatise on diabetes, while cajoling her readers to make pretty food presentations for the ill: serve a heart-shaped bread and butter sandwich on a delicate flowered dish rather than carelessly throwing down a chunk of bread and a ball of butter. She felt aesthetics helped the patient to make a quicker recovery.
For the remaining years of her life, Farmer continued to lecture throughout the country. Towards the end, she suffered two more strokes and was forced to return to her wheelchair. She lectured up to ten days before she died (15 January 1915). Her school continued to flourish under the leadership of Alice Bradley, until it closed in 1944.
If for nothing else, Fannie Merritt Farmer was revered by millions for her innovations in the manner in which a recipe was written. She standardized the size of measurements so that a cup was always a cup, no matter what substance was being measured. This brought a great deal more of accuracy so that theoretically, the recipe could be duplicated each and every time without all the guesswork that was expected, that little element of surprise! Her successes led to the public calling her the “mother of level measurements” or “the pioneer of the modern recipe.”
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Lizzie Black Kander created the famous cookbook that has been used for the last 100 years by all strata of American society. Originally written to teach newly arrived immigrants how to properly fit in with turn-of-the-century (20th) Milwaukee, these young women learned how to do everything domestic, from baking to cleaning in a manner equal to that of a well-assimilated resident. From this book sprang the famous Milwaukee Settlement House and its even more renown cookbook.
Fannie Merritt Farmer - Mother of the American Cookbook
When a person, whether a foodie or just someone appreciative of good, well prepared food, thinks of delicious, innovative meals, the name Fannie Merritt Farmer springs to mind. Her story is one of determination in teaching the public that one did not have to be a professional chef to live an ideal life in the kitchen and around the house.
Bostonian Fannie Merritt Farmer (b.23 March 1857) was the eldest of the four daughters born to a strong Unitarian family headed by John Franklin Merritt and Mary Ann Watson.
Her parents strongly believed in a sound education for their girls and it was a given that each of them would complete college. Unfortunately for her, Fannie, while still in high school, suffered a paralytic stroke in her left leg, possibly an after effect of polio. Treated as an invalid for several years, she was not allowed to return to school.
30-year-old Farmer, not wishing to spend her remaining years languishing in bed, hired herself out as a mother’s helper to a prominent family friend, Mrs. Charles Shaw. Mrs.
Shaw urged Fannie to enroll herself in classes at the Boston Cooking School so that she might become a professional cooking instructor. Founded in 1879 by the Woman’s Education Association of Boston, the school emphasized a more intellectual, structured approach to the preparation of food and attention to diet, and in the course of time, women gained elevated status not merely as cooks, but as educated cooking instructors and authorities on health, whether it be for the normally healthy but also for the chronically ill in its guise as a post-Civil War school founded by philanthropists and reformers. Working-class women were given a chance to enter the professional work force when the job market for women was not at its optimum. With an emphasis on science and domestic skills, the Boston Cooking-School discretely encouraged upper-class women to learn a “respectable” means of supporting themselves in case of reversal of fortunes or demise of the husband. Mrs. Mary Johnson Lincoln, following the collapse of her husband’s finances, was one such of these women. Becoming a cooking teacher of renowned and the author of the original edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, she was an inspiration to Fannie Farmer. Farmer completed the school’s 2-year program in 1889 and went on to become Assistant Principal and then Principal in 1891.
Fannie Farmer’s first cookbook,a revised version of Mrs. Lincoln-s book, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, was published in 1896 and is still in print now. It was based on Mrs. Lincoln’s school recipes, without giving Lincoln credit for them. Farmer’s edition was concise and simple, with comprehensive scope. Its selling point was in how well food science was mixed with appealing recipes. Farmer’s book formed a systematic overview of cooking. The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook left, without a doubt, Fannie Farmer a woman of generous means. Because the publisher was leery of taking on a business venture designed by a women, they insisted that she pay all the initial printing costs. Because of this one-sided attitude, Farmer ended up retaining the copyright and profits and was in the position, if she chose, to make some men very uncomfortable for doubting her business acumen.
In 1902, Farmer left her position so she might open Miss Farmer’s School of Cooking.
Here she placed greater emphasis on teaching housewives and society matrons. Her new goal was to concentrate on healthy diets for the sick and the chronically ill, or disabled patients. Farmer was involved in training hospital dietitians and nurses as well as regularly lecturing at the Harvard Medical School. Farmer also published, in 1904, what she considered her magnus corpus: Food and Cooking for the Sick and Convalescent. Topics she touched upon here ranged from the breast feeding of infants to the consumption of alcohol to virtually a treatise on diabetes, while cajoling her readers to make pretty food presentations for the ill: serve a heart-shaped bread and butter sandwich on a delicate flowered dish rather than carelessly throwing down a chunk of bread and a ball of butter. She felt aesthetics helped the patient to make a quicker recovery.
For the remaining years of her life, Farmer continued to lecture throughout the country. Towards the end, she suffered two more strokes and was forced to return to her wheelchair. She lectured up to ten days before she died (15 January 1915). Her school continued to flourish under the leadership of Alice Bradley, until it closed in 1944.
If for nothing else, Fannie Merritt Farmer was revered by millions for her innovations in the manner in which a recipe was written. She standardized the size of measurements so that a cup was always a cup, no matter what substance was being measured. This brought a great deal more of accuracy so that theoretically, the recipe could be duplicated each and every time without all the guesswork that was expected, that little element of surprise! Her successes led to the public calling her the “mother of level measurements” or “the pioneer of the modern recipe.”
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Lizzie Black Kander created the famous cookbook that has been used for the last 100 years by all strata of American society. Originally written to teach newly arrived immigrants how to properly fit in with turn-of-the-century (20th) Milwaukee, these young women learned how to do everything domestic, from baking to cleaning in a manner equal to that of a well-assimilated resident. From this book sprang the famous Milwaukee Settlement House and its even more renown cookbook.
Bostonian Fannie Merritt Farmer (b.23 March 1857) was the eldest of the four daughters born to a strong Unitarian family headed by John Franklin Merritt and Mary Ann Watson.
Her parents strongly believed in a sound education for their girls and it was a given that each of them would complete college. Unfortunately for her, Fannie, while still in high school, suffered a paralytic stroke in her left leg, possibly an after effect of polio. Treated as an invalid for several years, she was not allowed to return to school.
30-year-old Farmer, not wishing to spend her remaining years languishing in bed, hired herself out as a mother’s helper to a prominent family friend, Mrs. Charles Shaw. Mrs.
Shaw urged Fannie to enroll herself in classes at the Boston Cooking School so that she might become a professional cooking instructor. Founded in 1879 by the Woman’s Education Association of Boston, the school emphasized a more intellectual, structured approach to the preparation of food and attention to diet, and in the course of time, women gained elevated status not merely as cooks, but as educated cooking instructors and authorities on health, whether it be for the normally healthy but also for the chronically ill in its guise as a post-Civil War school founded by philanthropists and reformers. Working-class women were given a chance to enter the professional work force when the job market for women was not at its optimum. With an emphasis on science and domestic skills, the Boston Cooking-School discretely encouraged upper-class women to learn a “respectable” means of supporting themselves in case of reversal of fortunes or demise of the husband. Mrs. Mary Johnson Lincoln, following the collapse of her husband’s finances, was one such of these women. Becoming a cooking teacher of renowned and the author of the original edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, she was an inspiration to Fannie Farmer. Farmer completed the school’s 2-year program in 1889 and went on to become Assistant Principal and then Principal in 1891.
Fannie Farmer’s first cookbook,a revised version of Mrs. Lincoln-s book, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, was published in 1896 and is still in print now. It was based on Mrs. Lincoln’s school recipes, without giving Lincoln credit for them. Farmer’s edition was concise and simple, with comprehensive scope. Its selling point was in how well food science was mixed with appealing recipes. Farmer’s book formed a systematic overview of cooking. The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook left, without a doubt, Fannie Farmer a woman of generous means. Because the publisher was leery of taking on a business venture designed by a women, they insisted that she pay all the initial printing costs. Because of this one-sided attitude, Farmer ended up retaining the copyright and profits and was in the position, if she chose, to make some men very uncomfortable for doubting her business acumen.
In 1902, Farmer left her position so she might open Miss Farmer’s School of Cooking.
Here she placed greater emphasis on teaching housewives and society matrons. Her new goal was to concentrate on healthy diets for the sick and the chronically ill, or disabled patients. Farmer was involved in training hospital dietitians and nurses as well as regularly lecturing at the Harvard Medical School. Farmer also published, in 1904, what she considered her magnus corpus: Food and Cooking for the Sick and Convalescent. Topics she touched upon here ranged from the breast feeding of infants to the consumption of alcohol to virtually a treatise on diabetes, while cajoling her readers to make pretty food presentations for the ill: serve a heart-shaped bread and butter sandwich on a delicate flowered dish rather than carelessly throwing down a chunk of bread and a ball of butter. She felt aesthetics helped the patient to make a quicker recovery.
For the remaining years of her life, Farmer continued to lecture throughout the country. Towards the end, she suffered two more strokes and was forced to return to her wheelchair. She lectured up to ten days before she died (15 January 1915). Her school continued to flourish under the leadership of Alice Bradley, until it closed in 1944.
If for nothing else, Fannie Merritt Farmer was revered by millions for her innovations in the manner in which a recipe was written. She standardized the size of measurements so that a cup was always a cup, no matter what substance was being measured. This brought a great deal more of accuracy so that theoretically, the recipe could be duplicated each and every time without all the guesswork that was expected, that little element of surprise! Her successes led to the public calling her the “mother of level measurements” or “the pioneer of the modern recipe.”
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Lizzie Black Kander created the famous cookbook that has been used for the last 100 years by all strata of American society. Originally written to teach newly arrived immigrants how to properly fit in with turn-of-the-century (20th) Milwaukee, these young women learned how to do everything domestic, from baking to cleaning in a manner equal to that of a well-assimilated resident. From this book sprang the famous Milwaukee Settlement House and its even more renown cookbook.
Fannie Mae Will Not Face Criminal Prosecution
Fannie Mae will not face criminal prosecution for $10.8 billion in accounting errors.
The US Attorney for the District of Columbia told Fannie Mae that it won't file charges after a two-year federal investigation, said spokesman Channing Phillips.
"We advised them that we completed the investigation with respect to the company," said Phillips.
The end of the inquiry into the accounting errors reduces the threat of fines and lawsuits related to the manipulated earnings, first investigated in 2004.
The investigation led to the elimination of several top executives, including Chairman and Chief Executive Franklin Raines, and led to allegations of fraud.
Fannie Mae's regulator, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, and the Securities and Exchange Commission fined Fannie Mae $400 million in May and restricted the growth of its mortgage portfolio.
Former executives could stil face criminal charges. The SEC is considering civil charges against individuals. Chief Executive Daniel Mudd said that the accounting mistakes made by former executives have been found.
Fannie Mae intends to complete a restatement of earnings from 2001 until mid-2004 this year.
"We will continue to work closely and cooperatively with our regulators," Mudd said in a statement.
Fannie Mae guarantees about 20% of the $8.5 trillion residential mortgage market.
Freddie Mac, Fannie's cousin, disclosed $5 billion in accounting mistakes in 2003. Both Fannie and Freddie were created to increase money flow for home loans by buying mortgages and reselling them as securities. The firms make money on fees charged to lenders for guaranteeing loans. They also hold mortgage securities in their investment portfolios.
The US Attorney for the District of Columbia told Fannie Mae that it won't file charges after a two-year federal investigation, said spokesman Channing Phillips.
"We advised them that we completed the investigation with respect to the company," said Phillips.
The end of the inquiry into the accounting errors reduces the threat of fines and lawsuits related to the manipulated earnings, first investigated in 2004.
The investigation led to the elimination of several top executives, including Chairman and Chief Executive Franklin Raines, and led to allegations of fraud.
Fannie Mae's regulator, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, and the Securities and Exchange Commission fined Fannie Mae $400 million in May and restricted the growth of its mortgage portfolio.
Former executives could stil face criminal charges. The SEC is considering civil charges against individuals. Chief Executive Daniel Mudd said that the accounting mistakes made by former executives have been found.
Fannie Mae intends to complete a restatement of earnings from 2001 until mid-2004 this year.
"We will continue to work closely and cooperatively with our regulators," Mudd said in a statement.
Fannie Mae guarantees about 20% of the $8.5 trillion residential mortgage market.
Freddie Mac, Fannie's cousin, disclosed $5 billion in accounting mistakes in 2003. Both Fannie and Freddie were created to increase money flow for home loans by buying mortgages and reselling them as securities. The firms make money on fees charged to lenders for guaranteeing loans. They also hold mortgage securities in their investment portfolios.
Searching for Marlena's Cookery Book
Searching for cookery books on the net can have the same anticipatory pleasure as waiting for a meal in a fine restaurant.
Some years ago I unexpectedly came across a rack of books in a health shop. On it I found 200+ Vegetarian Pasta Recipes by Marlena Spieler, a Californian living in London. She is a leading food writer in the USA.
Her pasta book has proved to be delightful asset to a home where the resident vegetarian believes that vegetarianism is synonymous with consuming durum wheat.
Writers of cookery books can take a tip from Marlena: she gives the ingredients in Imperial and Metric in a column on the left of the page and in real-life, or American measures (cups, spoons and bunches) in another column. These twin columns lie atop the method, which is given in point form.
It is a very neat, very convenient and very simple way to present a recipe.
Marlena’s pasta book became a hearty staple of our rather vast bookrack in the kitchen. The book is showing signs of over-indulgence now: loosening pages, herb-and-olive oil splatters. (Tonight it’s Paglia e Fieno al Aurora for supper, otherwise known as Yellow and Green Pasta in a Creamy Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms and Peas.) Many thanks to Marlena.
She writes in such a charming way and with such magnificent enthusiasm for food that I decided to try and locate other cookery books she has written as well. These include The Flavour of California and the Flavours of Mexico. But the one that attracted me was Hot and Spicy.
I live in a place where chilli bushes enjoy the climate. In my herb garden grow jalapenos, habaneros, birds-eye and a number of other chilli bushes that are nameless to me now, which produces great handfuls of fruit at harvest time.
Sure, I have cookery books involving chillies, but I was looking for something more integrated.
A comprehensive search for Hot and Spicy on aBillionbooks booksites turned up a couple of copies, all of them too expensive for my taste. I created a want in Alibris and sat back to wait. In a day or two Alibris told me it had found the copy priced right. I ordered and waited with mounting excitement for it to arrive.
Hot and Spicy: Unusual, Innovative Recipes from the World’s Fiery Cuisines turned out to be delightfully funky. You don’t instinctively know to make Tropical Mango and Macadamia Salsa with Tomatoes and Lime (as made in the Caribbean, California and Hawaii). This cookery book not only teaches you that it exists but how to make it.
This salsa is served on a hearty, meaty fish, such as freshly grilled tuna. For the benefit of the vegetarian in the house it is marvelous on baked sweet potatoes too.
Hey, here’s Gratin of Macaroni, Cheddar Cheese and Chilli. Marlena reckons it’s recipe in this collection she has prepared the most, over and over again.
Maybe we’ll skip the Paglia e Fieno al Aurora and do Chillimac. Thank goodness for cookery books!
Some years ago I unexpectedly came across a rack of books in a health shop. On it I found 200+ Vegetarian Pasta Recipes by Marlena Spieler, a Californian living in London. She is a leading food writer in the USA.
Her pasta book has proved to be delightful asset to a home where the resident vegetarian believes that vegetarianism is synonymous with consuming durum wheat.
Writers of cookery books can take a tip from Marlena: she gives the ingredients in Imperial and Metric in a column on the left of the page and in real-life, or American measures (cups, spoons and bunches) in another column. These twin columns lie atop the method, which is given in point form.
It is a very neat, very convenient and very simple way to present a recipe.
Marlena’s pasta book became a hearty staple of our rather vast bookrack in the kitchen. The book is showing signs of over-indulgence now: loosening pages, herb-and-olive oil splatters. (Tonight it’s Paglia e Fieno al Aurora for supper, otherwise known as Yellow and Green Pasta in a Creamy Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms and Peas.) Many thanks to Marlena.
She writes in such a charming way and with such magnificent enthusiasm for food that I decided to try and locate other cookery books she has written as well. These include The Flavour of California and the Flavours of Mexico. But the one that attracted me was Hot and Spicy.
I live in a place where chilli bushes enjoy the climate. In my herb garden grow jalapenos, habaneros, birds-eye and a number of other chilli bushes that are nameless to me now, which produces great handfuls of fruit at harvest time.
Sure, I have cookery books involving chillies, but I was looking for something more integrated.
A comprehensive search for Hot and Spicy on aBillionbooks booksites turned up a couple of copies, all of them too expensive for my taste. I created a want in Alibris and sat back to wait. In a day or two Alibris told me it had found the copy priced right. I ordered and waited with mounting excitement for it to arrive.
Hot and Spicy: Unusual, Innovative Recipes from the World’s Fiery Cuisines turned out to be delightfully funky. You don’t instinctively know to make Tropical Mango and Macadamia Salsa with Tomatoes and Lime (as made in the Caribbean, California and Hawaii). This cookery book not only teaches you that it exists but how to make it.
This salsa is served on a hearty, meaty fish, such as freshly grilled tuna. For the benefit of the vegetarian in the house it is marvelous on baked sweet potatoes too.
Hey, here’s Gratin of Macaroni, Cheddar Cheese and Chilli. Marlena reckons it’s recipe in this collection she has prepared the most, over and over again.
Maybe we’ll skip the Paglia e Fieno al Aurora and do Chillimac. Thank goodness for cookery books!
One Pot Galley Gourmet Is A No Muss, No Fuss Cookbook
One Pot Galley Gourmet, by Becky Coffield, is a simple, unassuming, irresistible cookbook specializing in easy-to-prepare, nutritious and delicious one pot meals. The book is intended for those who don't have the time, or the inclination, to spend all day in the kitchen (or galley) preparing a meal.
The book offers informative, and often humorous, tidbits of information generously sprinkled throughout, as well as an engaging account of the origins of Mud Bottom Cake, a tantalizing chocolaty treat. Coffield also strongly encourages the use of natural/organic products. Valuable tips on canning fish and making soup stock from scratch are also included.
The book contains an excellent selection of beef, fowl, fish, vegetarian and pork recipes. These meals range from the hearty yet simple, like Beef and Barley Mix and Burgundy Beans, to the elegant Lemon Chicken Linguini and (my personal favorite) Salmon Linguini. The ample recipes are easily halved or quartered for fewer servings. The book is not slanted towards fad diets or eating (low carb, low fat, high carb, etc.) Rather One Pot Galley Gourmet embraces healthful, wholesome, nutritional meals that are, by and large, EASY TO PREPARE.
For boaters, each recipe carries a notation as to whether the recipe is a STOVE TOP, OVEN, BARBECUE, or SHOREPOWER meal. In addition, most of the ingredients used store well with little or no refrigeration and are usually accessible in most ports in the world. Also, a collection of bread recipes are included for those who venture far from stores and bakeries.
Drawing largely on the author's first cookbook, "You Can Conquer TMJ: Ideas and Recipes," which spent time considerable time addressing the issues of TMJD (temporomandibular jaw disorder) One Pot Galley Gourmet is a happy, fun read with more recipes, a half dozen or more bread baking recipes and easily concocted desserts. Coffield's creations will definitely not come close to the likes of t.v.'s popular personalities and their haute cuisine, but you won't find an easier, more nutritious, entertaining cookbook on the market than One Pot Galley Gourmet.
The book offers informative, and often humorous, tidbits of information generously sprinkled throughout, as well as an engaging account of the origins of Mud Bottom Cake, a tantalizing chocolaty treat. Coffield also strongly encourages the use of natural/organic products. Valuable tips on canning fish and making soup stock from scratch are also included.
The book contains an excellent selection of beef, fowl, fish, vegetarian and pork recipes. These meals range from the hearty yet simple, like Beef and Barley Mix and Burgundy Beans, to the elegant Lemon Chicken Linguini and (my personal favorite) Salmon Linguini. The ample recipes are easily halved or quartered for fewer servings. The book is not slanted towards fad diets or eating (low carb, low fat, high carb, etc.) Rather One Pot Galley Gourmet embraces healthful, wholesome, nutritional meals that are, by and large, EASY TO PREPARE.
For boaters, each recipe carries a notation as to whether the recipe is a STOVE TOP, OVEN, BARBECUE, or SHOREPOWER meal. In addition, most of the ingredients used store well with little or no refrigeration and are usually accessible in most ports in the world. Also, a collection of bread recipes are included for those who venture far from stores and bakeries.
Drawing largely on the author's first cookbook, "You Can Conquer TMJ: Ideas and Recipes," which spent time considerable time addressing the issues of TMJD (temporomandibular jaw disorder) One Pot Galley Gourmet is a happy, fun read with more recipes, a half dozen or more bread baking recipes and easily concocted desserts. Coffield's creations will definitely not come close to the likes of t.v.'s popular personalities and their haute cuisine, but you won't find an easier, more nutritious, entertaining cookbook on the market than One Pot Galley Gourmet.
Market Your Cookbook
Divine recipes, luscious photographs – this is your first cookbook and you look forward to those big royalty checks. So what's your marketing plan for this book? What are you doing to increase sales?
New writers often think the publisher arranges for all publicity. Not true. As the writer, you have most at stake so it will benefit you most to take a proactive stance when it comes to promoting and selling your cookbook.
Much of the research can take place while you are planning and
writing your book. Visit bookstores and study the cookbooks that are on the shelves.
Note the different types of cookbooks and who are writing them. Discern which books are your direct competition for sales. Create ways to make yourself stand out.
After your book is at the publisher but before it is released
contact magazine editors, ezine publishers and website owners. Ask if they will review your book and wait for a reply before you incur the cost of shipping.
Write articles or offer excerpts from you cookbook to magazines that cater to your audience.
Tap your local newspaper for interviews and reviews. Pick up the
phone and ask for a feature reporter (look for bylines in the
features, lifestyle, or Sunday special sections) and offer yourself up as the subject of an article.
Build a website using your name or your book's name as the domain. Take all those published reviews, articles, newspaper features and anything else anyone has said about your book and link to it, or excerpt it. You can also use quotes from reviews in any press release you send out.
Once your book is published call bookstores as far as you are
willing to travel and offer to do a book signing, cooking
demonstration or reading. Do not give up. Keep calling and planning and promoting. Bring along giveaways to book signings. Have bookmarks, recipe cards, or notepads printed up with your name, website and book cover prominently displayed.
Don't stop with bookstores. Check out cookware stores and gourmet shops that will stock your cookbook, and who might even welcome you to demonstrate your recipes on a busy Saturday.
Ask all your friends to help spread the word by joining food-related discussion lists, setting up book signings in their local bookstores, and writing reviews of your book.
C
New writers often think the publisher arranges for all publicity. Not true. As the writer, you have most at stake so it will benefit you most to take a proactive stance when it comes to promoting and selling your cookbook.
Much of the research can take place while you are planning and
writing your book. Visit bookstores and study the cookbooks that are on the shelves.
Note the different types of cookbooks and who are writing them. Discern which books are your direct competition for sales. Create ways to make yourself stand out.
After your book is at the publisher but before it is released
contact magazine editors, ezine publishers and website owners. Ask if they will review your book and wait for a reply before you incur the cost of shipping.
Write articles or offer excerpts from you cookbook to magazines that cater to your audience.
Tap your local newspaper for interviews and reviews. Pick up the
phone and ask for a feature reporter (look for bylines in the
features, lifestyle, or Sunday special sections) and offer yourself up as the subject of an article.
Build a website using your name or your book's name as the domain. Take all those published reviews, articles, newspaper features and anything else anyone has said about your book and link to it, or excerpt it. You can also use quotes from reviews in any press release you send out.
Once your book is published call bookstores as far as you are
willing to travel and offer to do a book signing, cooking
demonstration or reading. Do not give up. Keep calling and planning and promoting. Bring along giveaways to book signings. Have bookmarks, recipe cards, or notepads printed up with your name, website and book cover prominently displayed.
Don't stop with bookstores. Check out cookware stores and gourmet shops that will stock your cookbook, and who might even welcome you to demonstrate your recipes on a busy Saturday.
Ask all your friends to help spread the word by joining food-related discussion lists, setting up book signings in their local bookstores, and writing reviews of your book.
C
Children's Cookbooks
If you are teaching your child to cook what could be better than a cookbook made just for them. There are literally thousands of cookbooks out there that are written specifically for children.
These cookbooks incorporate bold text and lots of pictures to make it easier for children to ready. Several cookbooks write the recipes and use pictures for measurements so your child can have a visual explanation of the fractions involved in their recipe. The visuals are also helpful in teaching the abbreviations for items like tsp. tbsp. c. and more. The visuals help your child pick out the right measuring tool for the right ingredient. The visuals help prevent accidents like a cup of salt going into a recipe instead of a teaspoon.
Many favorite food network stars have contributed or created cookbooks for children. These cookbooks are inexpensive. Normally priced under $20 these books are an affordable addition to your collection.
Rachel Ray the star of 30 minute meals has put together a large collection of cookbooks. Rachel’s cookbooks include.
Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids
Everything Kids' Cookbook: From Mac ' N Cheese to Double Chocolate Chip Cookies-All You Need to Have Some Finger Lickin' Fun (Everything Kids Series)
Emerial Lagasse has also created cook books for children including.
Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup! Recipes for the Kid in Everyone by Emeril Lagasse and Charles Yuen
Sesame Street: Elmo's Magic Cookbook by Aleisha Allen, Heather Headley, Emeril Lagasse, and Alan Muraoka
A cookbook just for your child will empower them to explore the world of cooking. Cooking isn’t just about the food. It is about the culture of other countries. It’s about teaching mathematics. It also involves a little chemistry. Most of all cooking with your child creates a bond and memories that will last forever.
These cookbooks incorporate bold text and lots of pictures to make it easier for children to ready. Several cookbooks write the recipes and use pictures for measurements so your child can have a visual explanation of the fractions involved in their recipe. The visuals are also helpful in teaching the abbreviations for items like tsp. tbsp. c. and more. The visuals help your child pick out the right measuring tool for the right ingredient. The visuals help prevent accidents like a cup of salt going into a recipe instead of a teaspoon.
Many favorite food network stars have contributed or created cookbooks for children. These cookbooks are inexpensive. Normally priced under $20 these books are an affordable addition to your collection.
Rachel Ray the star of 30 minute meals has put together a large collection of cookbooks. Rachel’s cookbooks include.
Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids
Everything Kids' Cookbook: From Mac ' N Cheese to Double Chocolate Chip Cookies-All You Need to Have Some Finger Lickin' Fun (Everything Kids Series)
Emerial Lagasse has also created cook books for children including.
Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup! Recipes for the Kid in Everyone by Emeril Lagasse and Charles Yuen
Sesame Street: Elmo's Magic Cookbook by Aleisha Allen, Heather Headley, Emeril Lagasse, and Alan Muraoka
A cookbook just for your child will empower them to explore the world of cooking. Cooking isn’t just about the food. It is about the culture of other countries. It’s about teaching mathematics. It also involves a little chemistry. Most of all cooking with your child creates a bond and memories that will last forever.
Art Buchwald Lives On In Jewish Celebrity Cookbook
When Art Buchwald contributed a recipe for a wonderful gourmet dinner with an accompanying anecdote to a Jewish celebrity cookbook just four months before he entered a Washington, D.C., hospice last February, he did so in typical Buchwaldian fashion. The author and columnist who died on Wednesday night , January 17, wrote, "Go to Zabar's or similar delicatessen in your neighborhood. Take number for your turn at the counter."
Buchwald's "recipe" advises ordering chicken matzo ball soup, brisket with red horseradish, potato latkes and applesauce, noodle cake, and apple strudel. His "cooking" instructions call for taking the dishes home, putting each separately in the microwave oven, taking each out "at the buzzer," and arranging them "on your best china dishware." The entry concludes, "Serves three. If more guests unexpectedly show up at the last moment, go back to Zabar's." He also suggests serving the meal with "an honest, chilled Dr. Brown's Celery Tonic or cream soda."
His anecdote about the recipe was short and sweet: "This is the way I love to cook. Thousands of people in New York cook the same way."
The biography that accompanied his entry actually was an autobiography. In it, he claimed that, although he wasn't a war hero, "he looked very good in uniform." It went on to describe the start of his writing career: "While attending a French language school in Paris, Mr. Buchwald landed a job with VARIETY magazine. In January 1949, he took a trial column, called "Paris After Dark," to the offices of the European edition of the New York Herald Tribune. Buchwald sold the Tribune on the fact that he was qualified to write about the restaurants and nightlife of Paris because of the food he had eaten in the Marine Corps. They never checked his credentials, and, in time, he was considered the best-fed newspaperman in Europe."
Buchwald described himself in the biography as "the Charlie Chaplin of the international set. He was constantly being thrown out of parties and off yachts. He even traveled to the Soviet Union in a chauffeur-driven limousine to let the Soviet people see what a capitalist really looked like." Additionally, he claimed, "He went to Africa to find a white hunter so he could be considered a true-blue writer in a class with Hemingway." In conclusion, Buchwald wrote, "He is a workaholic and has no hobbies."
Today, this bio might include the fact that Buchwald entered the hospice after losing part of a leg because of circulation problems and refusing dialysis treatment. He was expected to die in the hospice. Instead, he rallied his strength and lived another 11 months on Martha's Vineyard entertaining friends and writing one last book. He attributed his prolonged life to eating McDonald's parfait's every day and to the corned beef sandwiches that were brought to him while he was in the hospice.
After his death, the New York Times Web site aired a video taken of him prior to his death, and Buchwald's last column, written prior to his death, was released on January 18th by Tribune Media Services. Given his love of food and his desire to be heard and read after he had passed on, he surely would have enjoyed having his recipe shared postmortem as well.
Buchwald's "recipe" advises ordering chicken matzo ball soup, brisket with red horseradish, potato latkes and applesauce, noodle cake, and apple strudel. His "cooking" instructions call for taking the dishes home, putting each separately in the microwave oven, taking each out "at the buzzer," and arranging them "on your best china dishware." The entry concludes, "Serves three. If more guests unexpectedly show up at the last moment, go back to Zabar's." He also suggests serving the meal with "an honest, chilled Dr. Brown's Celery Tonic or cream soda."
His anecdote about the recipe was short and sweet: "This is the way I love to cook. Thousands of people in New York cook the same way."
The biography that accompanied his entry actually was an autobiography. In it, he claimed that, although he wasn't a war hero, "he looked very good in uniform." It went on to describe the start of his writing career: "While attending a French language school in Paris, Mr. Buchwald landed a job with VARIETY magazine. In January 1949, he took a trial column, called "Paris After Dark," to the offices of the European edition of the New York Herald Tribune. Buchwald sold the Tribune on the fact that he was qualified to write about the restaurants and nightlife of Paris because of the food he had eaten in the Marine Corps. They never checked his credentials, and, in time, he was considered the best-fed newspaperman in Europe."
Buchwald described himself in the biography as "the Charlie Chaplin of the international set. He was constantly being thrown out of parties and off yachts. He even traveled to the Soviet Union in a chauffeur-driven limousine to let the Soviet people see what a capitalist really looked like." Additionally, he claimed, "He went to Africa to find a white hunter so he could be considered a true-blue writer in a class with Hemingway." In conclusion, Buchwald wrote, "He is a workaholic and has no hobbies."
Today, this bio might include the fact that Buchwald entered the hospice after losing part of a leg because of circulation problems and refusing dialysis treatment. He was expected to die in the hospice. Instead, he rallied his strength and lived another 11 months on Martha's Vineyard entertaining friends and writing one last book. He attributed his prolonged life to eating McDonald's parfait's every day and to the corned beef sandwiches that were brought to him while he was in the hospice.
After his death, the New York Times Web site aired a video taken of him prior to his death, and Buchwald's last column, written prior to his death, was released on January 18th by Tribune Media Services. Given his love of food and his desire to be heard and read after he had passed on, he surely would have enjoyed having his recipe shared postmortem as well.
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