Review of EveryDay with Racheal Ray Magazine

I love to cook and Rachael Ray makes it even more fun on the weekends and tolerable during the work week. Besides getting her cooking tips online, on television, and in her books, now you can "hear" Rachael once a month when she shows up in your mailbox in the form of a magazine. The colorful, glossy publication is a quick, enjoyable read that provides a wealth of great information to help out in the kitchen.

First off, I love the cover. There is always a creative photograph of Rachael and her pretty smile looking better than ever. And the best part as a woman is they show Rachael as a realistic, slender woman, not some anorexic model. She's inviting and friendly but not so perfect you want to hate her. She actually invites you to take a peak at the magazine. Plus the cover uses modern day fonts and attractive harmonious colors - the cover never hurts your eyes!

Once you open the magazine there is plenty more to love about it. A recently added feature on the table of contents page that I find useful is a photograph of the front cover. Each article title is accompanied by a page number helping you find an article that caught your attention without having to dig for it.

And there are plenty of sections in the magazine that are unique to the Rachael Ray publication. In the back is "Celebrity Fridge" which interviews someone famous and allows the reader a peak into a famous person's refrigerator. While it's not the most useful of content, it's a light, entertaining read that gives us insight into the celebrity, what they eat, their eating habits and it shows how human they are. They really do eat and many of things are the things that we eat everyday. And here I thought they had caviar all the time!

Then there is the "Pet Friendly" section that shows the absolute cutest dog you've ever seen (I say that every month!) eating one of Rachael's delicious creations. I love this section and I don't even have a dog. And I am not surprised that it is in the Rachael Ray magazine - from I understand, Rachael loves dogs. She's always talking about her precious Isaboo. Included in this section is a recipe, and sometimes, a special tip for preparing or serving it, and a close of photograph of it. I tell ya, the meals often look good enough to serve my guests! If you have a dog and want to start feeding them healthier foods that do not contain preservatives, then you'll love this section.

My favorite section, though, is "Wine Pairing." I love wine but I can't say I am overly experienced with it. I usually just go with my favorites, Riesling and Pinot Grigio, for no other reason than I like them. I have very little experience on what wine goes with what dish. Well that's why "Wine Pairing" is great. It lists a wine key that includes wine glass graphics representing different types of wine such as sparkling, red wine, light-bodied crisp whites, etc. Then each category lists specific wines that fall within those categories. A second charts lists numerous recipes in the current Rachael Ray magazine, along with the page number, the type of wine that goes with and a specific recommendation. I am going to keep this page handy the next time I want to impress my guests.

Now I know what you are wondering - Isn't the Rachael Ray magazine a cooking magazine, so what about the recipes? I am getting to that. First off, I love the handy recipe index included in every issue. Not only does it list the recipes and what pages they can be found on, it separates them into corresponding categories such as pasta, soup, meats, pet recipes, etc. And each section begins with a colorful photograph to help shift my eyes to what I am looking for even quicker.

Many of the delicious recipes throughout Rachael's magazine fall under the category that made her famous to begin with - 30 minute meals. Whether you are a busy stay-at-home mom or a working gal with a sporadic schedule (or even a on-the-go guy chef!), these recipes are great. I mean who wouldn't want to make a quick recipe so they could have a little extra time in their day?

And of course, the dishes are always delicious. Spicy lentil soup anyone? Or how about penne-wise pumpkin pasta or turkey sweet-potato Shepherd's pie? With each recipe you can expect to find a list of ingredients, a clear list of instructions for preparing the meal, the number of servings the recipe will yield, and a close up photograph of the completed dish that will make you want to make the recipe NOW!

The other great thing about Rachael's magazine - I've never sent the same recipe twice or anything even similar. Despite how much she works on her books and television shows, somehow she always manages to create new and original dishes. And all the while, she remains perky and upbeat, and stays nicely put together. I love some of the clothes and jewelry she wears!

The magazine is a great gift for only $19.98 as of the January 2008 issue. This gets readers a 1-yr subscription that includes 10 issues. And if you bucks are stretched, visit your local library to check out a copy.