[.ca] Block Parties & Poker Nights: Recipes and Ideas for ... (ISBN 0609807889)

What an adorable book!:
Not only am I a new neighbor, but I am a terrible cook, and Peggy Allen's book is full of fun and super-simple recipes that I cannot wait to try out on the folks next door! It's also well laid-out and enjoyable to glance through. Flip through it, you'll see what I mean.

The MidWest Gets Hip!:
Tired of mindless cocktail parties and little black dresses? Thirsty for real connections with real people who don't follow the weekend's box office grosses? When millenium malaise and terrorist stress get to be too much, a jello mold really is the only answer. Now there's a book for all of us East Coast/West Coast fashionistas who have come to realize there's hipness to be mined in them thar Midwest hills. We just need a little guidance. And no better tour guide is Peggy Allen. She makes her Kentucky Derby party more of a must-have invite than the Oscars! You go, girl! Buy this book and make old-tyme parties hip new fun.

Run, Don't Walk - Away!:
I read the other reviews before I wrote this, and I couldn't help but notice that NOT ONE of the "reviewers" said anything about the recipes. Why? Because they are terrible! Let me explain: I am a cookbook reader, collector, cook and baker. I read/review and try cookbooks ALL THE TIME. This cookbook is terrible! The recipes just do not work - and I've tried a lot of them. As far as ideas go, if you want to get really chummy with your neighbors, then buy this book - that's where it gets 2 stars from me.

Review of Peggy Allen's "Block Parties and Poker Nights":
This book is filled with practical suggestions that don't have to cost a fortune to implement. The author offers a broad range of ideas requiring varying degrees of prep work depending on how much time you have available. It's laid out simply and works well as an easy reference guide.

Great book for new neighbors:
My family recently moved into our first home in the suburbs. We're on a very busy street without sidewalks so none of the kids on the block knew each other. This book has really helped us learn how to connect to our new neighbors. We started throwing neighborhood parties for all occassions, and the kids on the block finally know each other. This book has so many fun and inventive ideas, adorable drawings, and easy recipes that work well for crowds. Three new families have moved in this year and the book has given us wonderful ideas to welcome them! (We now bring welcome baskets that include a list of important places in the area.) I wish someone in the neighoborhood had read this book before we had moved in!