Taste of Home

The Taste of Home Mobile App

Free and Fabulous

by Joi

Taste of Home App

Hi, my name’s Joi (“Joy”) and I’m the queen of Apps. Nice to meet you.  Just a year ago, I had zero idea what an app even was or how an app worked.  I didn’t have any sort of device that used apps, so I had no reason to familiarize myself with them. THEN, apps were only things other people talked – as I hoped they didn’t notice the clueless expression on my face.

The best husband in the world got me an iPod Touch about 6 months ago, though, and I haven’t been the same since.  Lady Clueless has become Lady “Do You Have This App, ‘Cause I Do!”

As a foodie who thinks, talks, or associates with food nearly every waking hour, it’s no surprise that some of my favorite apps are food-related. A recent favorite is the excellent Taste of Home App.  It’s like taking one of their wonderful cookbooks or addictive magazine with you everywhere you go.  Suffice to say I’m delirious.

The Taste of Home app literally puts thousands of outstanding seasonal and holiday recipe collections from Taste of Home readers in your hand. Beloved and cherished family favorite recipes from  everyday cooks like you and me. And it’s free. Free! So…

  • Recipe apps are GREEN – no paper involved whatsoever.
  • The Taste of Home app is budget friendly – heck, at free, it’s more than just budget friendly, it’s downright budget seductive!

From Taste of Home:

The Taste of Home app allows cooks to take Taste of Home recipes, relevant to the current season or holiday, wherever they go. Recipe collections range from slow cooker, potlucks and barbeques to holiday cookies and cupcakes with something new for every season, event and holiday. Users can browse, save favorites, email or even share their favorite seasonal recipes on Facebook.

Additionally, hundreds of everyday recipes are included, so no matter where they are, cooks will never be without inspiration. The mobile app will be updated regularly with Taste of Home‘s recipe collections to provide fresh content and help users usher in each new season or holiday with relevant recipes to make the most of local, seasonal ingredients. Similar to the Taste of Home publications and cookbooks, the recipes included in the app will reflect the evolving American palate, as it includes reader-generated recipes.

“With access to a vast collection of recipes and the ability to search for local, seasonal ingredients, the Taste of Home app is an asset in the kitchen, but particularly useful when you’re on-the-go,” said Catherine Cassidy, Editor in Chief of Taste of Home. “We created this app to inspire every level of home cook, who we celebrate in our books and publications. This is the perfect tool for those cooks who wish to use technology to embrace the current season or holiday offerings, and it conveniently arrived just in time for the farmers market season.”

 

Taste of Home app features include:

What’s in Season
The seasonality and sourcing of ingredients is inarguably more important today than ever to home cooks in America. Therefore, the Taste of Home app offers members of the mobile cooking community insight into which local ingredients are fresh at any moment. Users simply tap a map to select their state, and a list of fresh, seasonal ingredients available in the area is automatically populated. The View Recipes button within this section reveals recipes associated with the seasonal ingredients. This is an exceptionally brilliant asset for home cooks who wish to take advantage of the season’s freshest produce in their area, particularly during the summer and autumn harvests.
                  
Featured Recipes and Collections
Displayed within the Seasonal tab on the Taste of Home app are Featured Collection and Featured Recipe sections, providing relevant recipes for holiday-inspired or seasonal meals. The recipe collections appear in a Bookshelf element, which uses an intuitive selection process and provides indicators of which collections are newly available.

Recipe Showdown
Taste of Home editors will select seasonal recipes to contend against one another each week. The app users can vote for their favorite and then view the corresponding images and recipes. Home cooks are encouraged to weigh in on their favorite dish each week.
         
Recipe Options
The Taste of Home app allows users to easily find and follow recipes at the tap of a finger. Recipes in Summary view provide an image, brief description, important nutritional information (including calorie, fat, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, carbohydrate and protein counts) and rating of the recipe, provided by the Taste of Home web community. If the user chooses to learn more about the recipe, the Directions view includes servings, prep time, ingredients and easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. Sharing options include adding the recipe to the user’s Favorites, Email or Share with Facebook.

Facebook
The Taste of Home brand has a large and loyal Facebook following, and the app was designed to interact with that community seamlessly. In addition to sharing recipes via Facebook, Taste of Home cooks may also view the Taste of Home Fan page feed directly from the app to see what recipes other Taste of Home Fans “Like” and are posting comments about on Facebook.

Search
The Taste of Home app offers several methods for home cooks to sort and organize recipes. Users can browse the recipes based on ingredients they have on-hand in their pantries like chocolate or cranberries, or they can choose a more specific category option. The possible filters include: Course, Cooking Style, Cuisine or Holiday, which includes occasions such as 4th of July or Bridal Shower.

The Taste of Home mobile app is free to download to iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad devices at Apples iTunes store here. Android users can access the app here.

Tailgating Recipes for the Win!

Taste of Home's August & September Issue is Packed

by Joi

Taste of Home Tailgating Issue

Two of my favorite things in the world: Denver Broncos Football and Taste of Home Magazine.

As a college football and basketball fanatic, I’m always excited to see the calendar inch toward fall.  As an NFL fanatic, I’m especially excited this year – you never know how much you love something until you think you’re going to lose it.  I mean my Denver Broncos may have had a few (few?) disappointing years but where would I be without them?!

All fall sports fans know the rules:

  • you’re team is always NUMBER 1, even when they’re nowhere close
  • to not wear your team’s colors is a total violation
  • each game day is a holiday
  •  you have to, have to, have to provide outrageously delicious food… come on, who doesn’t have great food on holidays?!

Usually, each August I begin scoring the world for great tailgating and game day recipes.  I look high, I look low, I search the far corners of the world. Exhausting.

This year, one of my favorite magazines of all time, Taste of Home, is saving me the wear, tear, and mileage. They’ve compiled an outstanding issue filled with recipes that’ll make your game day and tailgate parties the talk of the entire state.  They were cool enough to mail me a copy of this wonderful issue so I could see for myself how great it was before recommending it to my readers.  They ended up being even cooler than I expected because they sent along a bonus magazine that I’ll tell you about in an upcoming post.

Here’s what you can expect in the August/September Issue of Taste of Home:

Fantastic in 5 – Contest Winners (p.63)
For its annual Shortcuts issue, Taste of Home challenged its massive network of home cooks to submit their best recipes featuring just five ingredients. The resulting recipe guide offers cost-conscious and speedy dishes that are test-kitchen-certified to be as delicious as they are streamlined. With imaginative recipes like Caramelized Fennel Tarts, Orange-Pecan Salmon and White Chocolate Brie Cups, readers can bypass the grocery cart, fill only a small shopping basket and have a dinner on the table in no time.

Chop, Chop! (p.41)
The Taste of Home Test Kitchen put food processors to the test to determine which of these time-saving appliances came out on top. Check out this guide to see which processors we fell in love with. We also give you insider tips for getting the most out of your appliance and some processor-friendly recipes such as Over-the-Top Cherry Jam and Thin Crust Pizza Dough.

Paradise Is Paved – Tailgating Secrets Revealed (p.20)
It’s no secret that tailgaters take their food very seriously. But the secrets revealed in this feature story are tried and tested tailgate tips from some undisputed tailgating professionals across the country like Joe Cahn, the official “Commissioner of Tailgating,” who has been on the road for 15 years perfecting his craft. A tailgate menu guide with recipes like Fired-Up Polenta Shrimp Rounds, Steak Teriyaki Quesadillas, Mini Pear Crisps and Baja Chicken & Slaw Sliders will have you second-guessing the typical tailgate fare of hot dogs and chips.

RoadFood: Everything and The Kitchen Sink (p.77)
Taste of Home’s “RoadFood” columnists, Jane and Michael Stern, traversed the country in search of delicious “kitchen sink” creations celebrated by America’s cooks and restaurants. Taste of Home readers provided their own recipes for hearty, rustic and boldly flavorful one-pot dishes like Southwest Frito Pie and Fresh and Spicy Cioppino.

Across the Table from Jamie Oliver (p.86)
Join third-generation chef and Food Revolution leader Jamie Oliver as he sits “Across the Table” to answer questions about his must-have kitchen gadget (his speed peeler), his favorite meat dish (a pork shoulder roast), his sweet tooth solution (organic dark chocolate), his advice on healthy eating and getting kids started in the kitchen and more.

PLUS: There’s always room for more
Sip, Splash, Nosh – Don’t miss the fabulous summer drink and snack recommendations (p.29), perfect for making the most of the remaining days by the poolside.
Sunday Dinner – Take a cue from Italian traditions and invite extended family members to Sunday night dinner (p.32). With amazing recipes like Roasted Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Family-Favorite Pasta Sauce, Three-Cheese Garlic Bread and Marvelous Cannoli Cake, you won’t have to do much convincing to bring a crowd together.
Homegrown Chefs – Hear the extraordinary stories of young chefs who got started in the kitchen early and haven’t looked back (p.46). Kids like Tom Reynolds set aside video games and started cooking and baking, much to the surprise and delight of their parents. Check out Tom’s recipe for incredible Spanish Beef Hash.

Even if you aren’t into football, college basketball, game days, or tailgating (I’ve heard of people like that), you’ll FLIP over the great recipes in the August/September issue of Taste of Home. For example, there’s a recipe for Four-Cheese Baked Ziti that I can’t wait to try.  They have it paired with a great looking salad with Buttermilk Dressing.

Here’s their recipe for Buttermilk Salad Dressing:

Combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 cups 2 percent cottage cheese, and 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 2 3/4 cups.

Other recipes that made it to my MAKE THIS MONTH list are:

  • Rice Stuffed Pork Chops
  • Buttery-Onion Corn on the Cob
  • Loaded Flank Steak
  • Baja Chicken & Slaw Sliders (you should see these!!!)
  • Steak Teriyaki Quesadillas
  • Sweet & Tangy Pulled Pork
  • Crispy Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups
  • Mini Pear Crisps
  • Grilled Veggie Tortillas

The rest of the recipes? They’ll just have to wait until next month. Maybe.

There’s also a cool section on making and taking deli-quality sandwiches and wraps in your lunch box. These honestly look more delicious than any deli or fast food sandwiches could ever hope to look. The Hummus & Veggie Wrap Up has my name all over it and the Bistro Beef Sandwich would make my husband weak in the knees.

Taste of Home Issues are more than just excellent recipes, though -which is one of the reasons I’ve always loved the magazine so much.  They’re about community – a community of like-minded individuals who are determined to keep the joy of cooking alive and well.  They’re also about family – very, very much about family!  You’ll always find outstanding recipes and tips for bringing your family together, while creating memories that each person will hang onto forever.

You’ll frequently find health and nutrition news as well as product reviews, contests, and just general fun.

In this particular issue, for example, their “Health Briefs” include the newest findings on Soy, and a quick & simple five step (“High Five”) plan to prevent childhood obesity and keep your kids healthy and fit.

Grab the August/September issue of Taste of Home today!

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