10 Reasons to Love Gooseberry Patch

The idea of Gooseberry Patch started over the back fence of two moms, Vickie and JoAnn. They were looking for a way to make a little money, but still stay home with their young families. They took what they both loved to do -- cooking and crafting -- and turned it into a small business.

From their very first catalog, Vickie and JoAnn made a connection with readers. They found that lots of woman were hungry (sorry for the pun) for their brand of homespun and loved-filled goodness that Gooseberry Patch was delivering. The readers' letters and suggestions were incorporated into the books that followed.

Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are more than just, well, cookbooks. It's a community of woman (and yes, men) just like you and me.

Image: Vickie Hutchins and Jo Ann Martin from GooseberryPatch.com

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day we're told. Gooseberry Patch is here to help with delicious breakfast in lots of their cookbooks. They include ideas for entertaining or quick and easy ideas for busy mornings. Just take a look at some of the yummy ideas you'll find:

Spiced Harvest Pancakes are filled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and apple butter for a spicy take of Autumn any time of the year. From Quick & Easy Autumn.

Kicked Up Eggs are a scrumptious way to start the day with all it's cheesy ham and eggs goodness... and in just minutes, too! From Homestyle in a Hurry.

All these great recipes and books are available from Amazon - see below!

Creamy Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect way to start Christmas morning before opening the gifts. And it could be the start of a great Christmas tradition. From Quick & Easy Christmas.

Herbed Salmon Omlettes would make a great bunch ideas for for after church or a special occasion and it's so simple to make. From Gooseberry Patch Big Book of Home Cooking.

Miss Karen's Coffee Cake is one of those recipes you'll want to keep handy. It's a delicious treat with coffee in the morning. From Comfort Foods Cookbook.

All these yummy recipes and books are available from Amazon - see below.

Homemade gifts, especially of the yummy kind, are the best. They show how much you care through the love and effort you put into making something special. Gooseberry Patch has lots of ideas for gifts you can make and give, including "gifts in a jar." I love these ideas because you can give something delirious that can be enjoyed later (after all, one more tin of cookies at Christmas just might break the diet!). In many of books, you'll also find cleaver ideas for gift wraps, cards and tags.

Image: free tags from GooseberryPatch.com

Gooseberry Patch calendars and trackers are a fun and colorful way of keeping track of all the important events and appointments in your life. And yes, they're filled with recipes, too; something special for every month. And the artwork is so cute, too, with lots of homespun appeal. This year, Gooseberry Patch is offering a calendar, appointment calendar and a and pocket calendar, so you can keep track of events at home and on the go.

Oh, and don't forget, Gooseberry Patch calendars and planners make great gift ideas, too.

Gooseberry Patch has lots of easy ideas for quick and fast meal ideas. Just image creating Hot Buffalo Dip from 101 Slow-Cooker Recipes for watching the big game or serving up a delicious Honey Chicken Stir-Fry in a jiffy from Fast-Fix Meals.

The truth is, most of the meals you find in the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are fast and simple, because they have been shared by busy folks like you. Here's an example of a fast meal shared by Gooseberry Patch on their website.

If you'd like to buy the Country Quick & Easy Cookbook where this recipe came from, just click in the recipe card above. And for more fast and easy cookbooks, check out the selection below:

Images: Netlexis + free recipes from GooseberryPatch.com

It's probably the sweetest reason of all to love Gooseberry Patch... dessert! And there are lots of sweet, sweet treat in the Gooseberry Patch books. Imagine a book filled with cupcakes and brownies, like Taffy Apple Cupcakes or Triple Layered Brownies. You get these two and more in 101 Cupcakes and Brownie Recipes, plus baking tips.

Of course, Gooseberry Patch always includes easy recipes. Give Grandma's Brownies a try. They shared this recipe on Amazon from the Sweet & Simple Recipes

Grandma's Brownies

*1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
*4 eggs, beaten
*1 c. sugar
*1-1/2 c. chocolate syrup
*1 c. plus 1 T. all-purpose flour

Combine first 4 ingredients; blend well. Mix in flour; spread in a greased jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; cool. Spread with frosting; cut into squares or diagonally into diamonds. Makes 3 dozen. Frosting: 6 T. butter 6 T. milk 1-1/2 c. sugar 2/3 c. chocolate chips Bring butter, milk and sugar to a rolling boil in a small saucepan; stir constantly. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

And there's lots more great recipes where that came from. Just check out these Gooseberry Patch cookbooks at Amazon:

Image: free tags on GooseberryPatch.com

Many of the recipes in the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are shared by everyday people like you can me. That's the community of sharing that Gooseberry Patch has fostered. And it's easy to share, too, GP has a page where you can send in your favorite recipes. And if one is published, not only will you name be in the book with the recipe, but you get a nifty button to display on you blog.

You can count on Gooseberry Patch to keep the idea flowing. Just take a look at their newest books and what's in the works. And they're all easy to order from Amazon: