I've had this book for nearly ten years. The reason I'm looking at it again online is because I've used it to pieces, literally! I need a new one because mine is faded and falling apart. My family loves the recipes. Many are traditional like lasagne and chicken enchiladas and many are newer, more creative ideas. Honestly, we don't cook the recipes as fat-free. We live in Germany and fat-free food doesn't exist here so we cook with normal cheese, sour cream, tomato sauce, etc. and they taste wonderful. I use this book more than any of the others. There's a vegetarian section, side dishes, etc. They all taste great. You can't go wrong with this cookbook because it has a nice twist from the traditional Betty Crocker recipes.

Of all of this author's books, I find this one to be the absolute best! The recipes are great because you don't have to buy products that may longer exist (i.e. Betty Crocker low-fat frosting) now that the "low fat" craze has gone by. I love these recipes and can't wait to try them all.

If I'm going to cook anything, this is the book I grab first. You would never even know most of these recipes are low in fat if you were not specifically told. I have cooked many of them for people not concerned with fat content and they were shocked when I told them how healthy everything was! The only complaint I would have is that the portion sizes are sometimes much smaller than you would think, but that is not necessarily a bad thing since most of us were raised in households that ate portions that were way too large! I highly recommend this book for anyone who is bored by grilled chicken salad every day and is looking for some low fat adventure.

...I've had it as long as I can remember, and have always loved it.
The art is gorgeous, and the story is fun.
It's nice to see a story with a witch in it who isn't that sterriotypical evil old hag. Plus, the small details about witches, mostly true!
I cannot highly recomend this book enough! It will defanetly entice the imagination.

I have loved this book since I was a child and I still love to read it. Woodruff's Art is Great, you could spend hours just staring at the illustrations. I especially recommend this book to Pagan parents who want to read their child a story that doesn't paint witches as the malevolent brides of satan that many tend to hold. This woudl be a great way to warm your child up to the realm of fairy and magic in general.

My sister recived this book from our uncle many years ago I'v read it millions of times and my dad use to read it to my sister, my brother, and I all the time. The pictures are amazing and great for any age. The actual story is different from any other but it really is a book that everyone should read. Feel free to e-mail me At KittenHPD@aol.com with any questions about the book I'd love to tell you about it.

Ghost in the Rainbow is a compulsive read. I couldn't put it down. Because of my own battles with alcoholism and substance abuse, the path the heroine takes touched me deeply and even helped me to confront some of my own demons. That I should be so spiritually and psychologically helped by a book of crime fiction illiustrates how deeply real is Ms. Woodruff's understanding of life. After the vapid musings of many of the current bestsellers, Ghost in the Rainbow explores the extremes of human emotion with courage, humor and the rare sensibility of a Native American worldview. Without a doubt, one of the best novels of the year.

What a fabulous read! Woodruff deftly intertwines her thrilling search for a serial killer with the internal journey of Native American writer Myra Whitehawk as her life disintegrates around her. The book never loses momentum and provides us with moments of genuine feeling and insight. I highly recommend it!

This is a thrilling story of one woman's determination to learn the truth behind the murder of a young child. Her search for truth plunges her not only into the world of a psychotic killer but into her own inner world where she must confront personal relationships, alcoholism and her desperate search for spiritual peace. This is also a story of the bond between a woman and her dog that transcends both time and bounderies of this physical world. Myra Whitehawk is one of the most compelling characters in my reading experience, and Ghost In The Rainbow is a book you won't want to miss. I'm glad I didn't!

Orphan of Ellis Island is part fantasy and part historical fiction. The story is based on immigrants that came over from Italy to America for freedom and for families for orphans. This is a book filled with ongoing emotional events. We would recommend this book to people who like time travel and dramatic endings. So read Orphan of Ellis Island by Elvira Woodruff.

I'm a fifth grade teacher and our class reads this book during a unit on immigration. I've used it for two years and the students love it. Students who usually dislike reading moan with disapproval when I say "put away your books until tomorrow." It is exciting and is a great way to integrate instruction. Students who read about this time-traveling orphan express appreciation for their own families who are often taken for granted. Donna King, teacher on Long Island, NY

I rate this book five stars because it's adventurous,exciting,and it leaves you wondering what's going to happen next.I can only tell you a little because I can't spoil the book for you...but I can tell you this much.Well,it all begins when Dominic,an orphan,was on a class trip and he left the group...a boy named Salvatore died because of pits...when Dominic came off the boat at Ellis Island in 1908... Francesco used a pin to carve a ... Dominic found himself in the museum back in the year 1996. Sorry for skipping a lot of the story..but like I said at the beginning I can only tell you a little because I can't spoil the book for you. So you'll have to read the book to find out what parts of the story I did not tell you!

As a British ex-pat with a Yorkshire childhood, I found the book well written and containing a great deal of relevant North Country social history (1916 to 1933). The only distractions were the frequently used Americanism, sidewalk (pavement)and while the book emphasized a lack of education for working class children generalizations such as,"Every Lancashire child know that Chester means the site of a Roman Camp." The word "Charabanc" meaning a tour bus, was, and is, commonly used in the UK. The author spelled the word "Sharabang" (which is how the word sounds)to describe the same vehicle. I have been unable to find the word sharabang in the Oxford dictionary. These were minor irritants in an otherwise fascinating family history.

Forget ANGELA'S ASHES. THE ROAD TO NAB END is less bleak, it is witty and relieved by warmth and humor. The story of a city boy, born in the mill and growing up in grinding poverty is relieved by an unsentimental irreverence for conventional piety, enlivened by his forays into the gentle Lancashire countryside, the love of family and an impossible teenage romance.Bill Woodruff tells it as it was. I know because I was there. Although we both found our way to America, Blackburn of the 20's and 30's is indelibly printed on our souls.

This story had a special significance for me as the author's hometown, Blackburn, is also my hometown. He was 7 years younger than my father although they attended the same school. However, I am certain the book will be enjoyed by many people who do not have that same personal connection.
It is beautifully written, with the historical content merging skillfully into the story of family life.
The book will be of particular interest to anyone who grew up in an industrial area, not just in Britain; to Americans and Canadians who can trace their families back to the mill-towns of Lancashire or Yorkshire; to anyone who finds the 1900-1930 period fascinating; to anyone who remembers their own family's struggles against adversity, and to anyone who enjoyed Angela's Ashes - but would prefer a more down-to earth story with fewer funerals!

Exposes those who do not live in the islands, both young and old,to the customs and colorful surroundings of the Caribbean. The music is a toe tapping, finger snapping passage through the delightful illustrations. The wife ordered a book for herself and plays the CD while driving to and from work!

This is the perfect gift: kids love it and so do their parents! Great book & music for kids and cool tunes for Mom & Dad (or people like me without kids). Can't go wrong with this one.

This book is a fresh look at the daily things children encounter in the Caribbean. The tunes are varied - and never dull. It is hard to listen and NOT tap your feet or clap your hands and sing along - the words are right there for you! I've used it with my Kindergarteners, first grade, second grade, third grade and sixth grade...I'm a substitute teacher. All age levels loved it for different reasons. The sixth graders liked the "baracuda and his big sharp teeth". The older children enjoyed coloring the pictures as the songs played while the little ones loved Imelda and all her shoes. Lots of conversation on this one!
I think this is the best thing that's happened to us in the Caribbean in a long time. We didn't have music depicting our life and our childrens' world until now. Thank you Dee and Rachel.

I enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. As an African American woman who is a jewelry maker (as an avocation), I take art/craft/jewelry courses all the time. I meet many "artistic" black women. This book rang true. I have also never been to Paris or Europe, but from reading this book, I feel like I was there. The characters came across as interesting people - hurt, confused, but ultimately talented and able to pull it together. I hope Heather Neff writes more books.

Blackgammon is written in such a way which takes you from wherever you're reading it, to Paris, the Aix and Nice. I've never been there, and I have to say, I wish I could go even more now than I ever have before. The way the characters are woven together, you never know what's going to happen. The love, lust, happiness, tragedy and struggles are so real. I totally felt like I was right there, watching every event as it takes place. The way Neff wrote this book, is the same way she teaches, with strength, power, and passion. The story is believeable, and the book is phenomenal!

Heather Neff's beautifully written book about the uncommon relationship between two women pulled me in from the first paragraph. I didn't put it down for more than fifteen minutes from the time I started reading until I was finished with the book. Blackgammon's themes are universal-- women's friendship, love and loss, family, growing older but not always growing wiser-- and yet somehow this book makes them each seem new and mysterious. The characters' stories are intriguing and yet the issues they face are ones we can all identify with in our own way. I can't recommend the book highly enough.

Overall this book is just fine for someone interested in cooking with a DO. The mix of recipes is fine, but they just seemed to be missing something. They were all more or less of the "huck a good sized hen into the pot and cook for a while until done" variety. All of the recipes look tasty, though I would have liked to have seen a few more meat dishes, especially some more creative ones. Let's be honest, when you pay for a book you'd like to see more than "...put a 5 lb beef roast into a preheated Dutch oven, salt and pepper to taste, cook until done." Give me a little something to work with here! Inspire me! I can already cook a roast like this in the oven. Having said all of that, I would still reccommend this book. The vegetable dishes and desserts look fantastic and I can't wait to try some of them. As an aside, this is the only Dutch oven book I've seen with heart-healthy recipes as well as more traditional fare. Given that the average DO book requires the use of a metric ton of lard, this will probably appeal to a wider range of cooks.

The third edition of this guide is packed with quick recipes for busy cooks, showing how to make meals without a lot of fuss at either campsite or back yard. All that's needed is a Dutch oven: Woodruff provides beginners with the rest of the basics, from the oven's care and storage to using it to cook meals and wild game.

I found this book to have simple but interesting recipes. I passed it on to my husband who is off on his own for three months. He tells me that he has successfully made a couple of recipes without a problem and he is a blatant novice at cooking!

If you do, read Dear Napoleon, I Know Your Dead, But.... It is about a kid
and his best friend, Russell. Russell and Marty have to figure out how Marty can write to
famous dead people and get letters back! Would you believe your friends if they did the same? I think that everyone should read this book because it is simply great.

The kid in this story was different. He wanted to write to a historical figure rather than a sports star or musician--very unique for a kid's book. The book was interesting and I related to Martin because he was different than other kids. I highly reccommend this book to people who like history and have different perspectives. This was an excellent read--highly reccommended.

I noticed this book at a book fair in fifth grade, and brought it home, expecting (because of the title) a ludicrous, laugh-inducing romp through history. What I got instead was a touching, sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad book that had me fairly glowing with pleasure after I finished it.

This is definetely a worthwhile read, and a good buy. :-)

"The Good Carb Cookbook" is an excellent guide for enhancing your health through carbohydrate control. It can benefit you if you have diabetes/insulin resistance, or weight or heart disease problems (hypertension, high cholesterol/triglycerides) which have not been resolved from a low fat diet. I personally feel that it's also generally good diet advice for everyone, and have heard that Weight Watchers is now advising their customers about good and bad carbs.

"The Good Carb Cookbook" has two sections. The first explains that the carb kingdom is made of good carbs and bad carbs, and what the bad and good carbs do to your health. Woodruff then identifies which carbs are good vs. bad, then makes specific dietary recommendations which include proteins, carbs, fiber, and fat. Although not a really "diet", there are ranges for how many calories and grams of nutrients you should be getting.

The book is concise yet packed with helpful tips and specific food suggestions for cooking and eating out. There is also a fairly complete glycemic index appendix (Glycemic index is a number which indicates about how much/fast, relative to other foods, that a specific food will affect your blood sugar). I would consider it a good basic to intermediate diet guide. For people who don't want to read more than one nutritional/diet book, this is a good choice.

In the second part of the book are recipes which should help you keep your blood sugar low by controlling your carb intake/reaction to carbs. I haven't made a lot of the recipes yet, but of the few I have made, some (3 out of 5) are excellent. The ones that were not scrumptious tended to be simple ones that anybody could make (sandwiches, omeletes); it just needed to be put in the book as a suggestion of what you can eat without messing up your carbs intake.

Even though this is more of a cookbook than a dietary guideline (recipes are 2/3 of the book), the dietary information in here is worth the cover price alone. Although you do have to count calories and grams at first, I don't think this is beyond the average person's understanding. For $(...) you get information which will improve your health yet not get overcomplicated.

This cookbook has changed my entire approach to eating. It has helped me understand why I still feel hungry after eating a very filling meal and why eating the "bad" carbs makes me unsatisfied and crave sweets. I have followed the recommended way of eating for a week and feel unbelievably good. I no longer have intense headaches before I go to bed or when I wake up. I no longer feel as tired or irritable. While the first part of the book does feel somewhat like a medical textbook, it is all valuable information and has helped me more than I can say. I have also really enjoyed the recipes. They certainly don't make you feel like you are on a restricted diet. My husband has said that a few of the meals are the best I have ever made. So, for many reasons I am grateful to have found this book.

I just received The Good Carb Cookbook and started right in with three of the recipes. I made the Country Chicken Salad with canned chicken, apples and toasted pecans... VERY tasty. Also, the Tuna Spread with fat-free cream cheese and sour cream, celery, onions and black olives...VERY good. For supper I made the Citrus-Chicken....the spices and the sauce were THE BEST!! Everything looks so easy to prepare and what I have made so far has been wonderful! I am finding it hard to fit in all the calories I need for my healthy, desired weight since I am not eating the high calorie, BAD foods and sweets I normally eat. I am sure I will like this way of eating. Since I have just started I can't tell you about the weight loss yet.

I highly recommend this book for some really TASTY foods! You will not feel like you are on a weight loss diet. Good Luck!