Jill Bond is a big name in Christian Homeschooling circles. Her success in homeschooling her own children and at the same time being active in her community and among homeschoolers at large owes a great deal to the ideas which she outlines in this book. The book, subtitled A Home Management System, is primarily about a concept called "mega-cooking", i.e. cooking in larger quantities and freezing portions for later use. There are many advantages to this, especially in the areas of saving time (it doesn't take much longer to cook a double or triple batch) and money (take advantage of bulk pricing and be less dependent on convenience foods). I also like a lot of the underlying philosophy and appreciate the encouraging words and Mrs. Bond's poignant reminders of the dignity and importance of motherhood. To a certain extent, however, we found the recipes incompatible with our family's likings (for example, we don't use Velveeta).

The author of the popular Miserly Moms, a guide for frugal family living, has done it again! Jonni McCoy has written a stand-alone but complementary book that helps families to enjoy well-prepared, nutritious meals while keeping their grocery expenditures under control. Most homeschooling families live on one income, and we need all the help that we can get in controlling our expenses; this cookbook can help us to do just that.

Each of the more than 200 recipes includes a full nutritional analysis, a cost-per-serving analysis, a "Kitchen Tip", and both preparation and cooking time estimates. Recipe categories include a full range of choices from Appetizers to Vegetarian Main Dishes to Slow Cooking to Desserts and Snacks. The recipes are easy to follow, instruction and ingredient lists are clear, and no special ingredients, appliances, or techniques are required. Why not serve Boston Chicken with Oven-Roasted Vegetables for $1.25 per person tonight? Or consider Ultra Chocolate Muffins with Raspberry Butter for $0.17 each in the morning? You can invite your dearest friend over for Lemon Cheesecake and Russian Tea for just $0.54 per serving. What possibilities!

Most people think that frugal meals must be high in carbohydrates and fat and low in protein, but that is not the case with the wonderful recipes in this book. My own family has several dietary restrictions, and there are numerous recipes that are tasty, nutritious, AND meet our needs. This new cookbook may be just what you need to bring some excitement back to family meals and meal preparation time. At the same time, you will be able to keep your food budget under control, leaving a little more to put into your book budget!

Pam Young and Peggy Jones were the original "slob sisters" and "SHE"s (Sidetracked Home Executives). Their homes were disorganized, untidy, and definitely not conducive to peace and joy – until they found a way up and out of the chaos. To share their discovery with other SHEs, they wrote this now-classic book.

The book has two great strengths: Its authors write from their personal experience, which makes it easy for anyone else who is not "B.O." (Born Organized) to relate, and it is written with delightful humor. It is so engaging and motivating that, while reading it, you'll find yourself restraining an impulse to tidy a room or scrub a floor. Or maybe you shouldn't restrain yourself. In any event, the book will make you want what they have: a clean, organized, happy home.

To climb out of the chaos in their homes, Pam and Peggy realized that they needed a new set of habits. They devised a system of index cards, described in the book, with chores to be done daily, weekly, monthly, and semi-annually. They also describe index cards you can set up for your children, at ages 3, 5, 7, and 8, with suggestions for additional chores to add as they grow.

While nothing in this book is directed specifically at homeschoolers, there is nothing that couldn't work just as well in a homeschool family as any other. The ideas for children's file cards would be especially helpful in a homeschooling family.

This edition (2001) also suggests alternatives to the file card system. You could use your own PC to set up checklists, or, as the authors suggest on their website (www.shesintouch.com), you could turn to Marla Ciley at www.flylady.net for no-nonsense instruction in building new, more orderly habits. Marla read Pam and Peggy's book some years ago as she sought a way out of her chaos, then took their ideas (with permission) and ran with them on the web.

But no matter which system you think you might prefer, pick up this book if you are looking for an enjoyable and motivational introduction to the art of getting organized.

This book is available in either three individual volumes or a newer paperback compilation. The books are collections of individual Tightwad Gazzettes, a newsletter filled with thoughts and ideas about saving money, getting out of debt, living on one income, etc. Some of the ideas seem a little extreme, but Mrs. Daczycyn explains that she has had people in very desperate situations call her for advice. She feels that it's worthwhile to include all of these ideas as they may be helpful to some. Most of the ideas, however, are very creative way of stretching a dollar and will be helpful to many. Also, the ideas are indexed so that you can easily go back to the recipe for homemade playdough or her statistics on the money/time saving comparisons of owning a dishwasher or washing by hand. She does have ethical lines she won't cross just for the sake of saving money, but most homeschoolers won't agree with EVERYTHING she says - she feels that public schools and network television are GREAT deals. You may be surprised to discover that the books are rather engaging. One of my sisters-in-law even described them as "addictive."