What's with the Aug./Sept. 09 issue?

Taste of the South has great recipes! TOH used to be my favorite mag, but not anymore. So sad it had to change.

In what will likely be my first and only post...

I've been a long-time subscriber (not sure how long, but I've got a storage tub full of back issues) since my Mom got tired of me borrowing her TOH and got me my own subscription, which I kept up, often renewing 3 years at a time. Subscription runs out in December, I'm not renewing.

I can accept a limited amount of advertising, if it's pertinent, but the last issue was 1/4 advertising, and some of it had a negligible connection to cooking (4 page ad for a cholesterol drug). The layout is jarring, the writing is rudimentary, the recipes are insulting to someone who likes to actually COOK, and most importantly, the features I used to enjoy are now gone - Man in the Kitchen, Cooking with Game, the "Do you Have..." column. The magazine has totally lost its identity, and with it, my interest.

I accept that Taste of Home is NOT a men's cooking magazine, and evidently they have no interest in attracting or keeping male readers (especially since they have virtually no male editors, and all the forum groups are grannies and June Cleavers), but now there's nothing left of the old Taste of Home to make me want to continue subscribing.

Gourmet Magazine just went under, so I'll have to console myself with my Bon Appetit and Food Network magazine, neither of which really replaces Taste of Home, but the Taste of Home I remember doesn't exist, either.

I completely agree about the Aug./Sept. issue, and the new one is even worse. I was really shocked at how much advertising was in it. I didn't really mind it when they first started ads, as there were only a few, but now it's just too much. And I too, love and miss the old format. I don't know if the new format is to look more "modern" and fit in w/ all the other cooking magazines, or if they're trying to draw in a younger crowd, but I'm a 22 year old wife of two years who loves to cook and I much prefer the older style. It just had a "homier" feel to it. I've only been subscribing for 2 or 3 years, but I have almost every back issue from yardsale and ebay finds. I love to just sit down and look through the older ones. I got my new issue in the mail yesterday and it took me only about 5 minutes to look through it. Very disappointing.

 I also agree that TOH isn't what it used to be!!!!!!  I really enjoyed the recipes in the columuns and so many on a page.  I will not be renewing when my subscription comes due.  Not sure about S&D yet.  That may go to the wayside also.  Guess I will go to the website for new recipes.  I do find the recipe search very good---sometimes I print off too many recipes to try and they are still in my recipe drawer.

I have old issues of TOH, from when I first started with the magazine, in my sewing room.  Guess I will "recycle" some of them by revisiting the old magazines.  With the way TOH is going in it's new format, my old magazines may be worth some money!!!!!

I too just recieved the Oct/nov issue of TOH and its my 1st issue on my renewal. What a JOKE! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It reminds me of a "Family Circle" kind of magazine. I absolutely HATE IT! I want the old one back!

I also have saved my old TOH magazines, and am sooo glad I did, I look back on them and its fun to go through them again. I really hope they are listening to our complaints... I AM NOT renewing nor is my mom or friends or in laws, they hate the new magazine too. I am so upset about this!

PLEASE CHANGE IT BACK!!!  Maybe when they see renewals go way down they will figure it out!

The ads don't bother me as much, because most of them either have recipes, or are cooking oriented.  What bothers me is that the "down-home, country-cooking" feel is gone, with more emphasis on entertaining and gourmet food.  I miss certain columns like "getting into the theme of things" and "getting to know herb".  It used to be more interactive, and now it's like the other glossy cooking magazine, which I never subscribed to.  I will not be renewing either.

On another note, what are these bankrupcy notices I keep getting in the mail about RD?

As I mentioned in a previous post, my husbands grandfather gave me my first TOH subscription as a gift in the premier years (early 1990's). My mother in law and I noticed the change together, and we were both disappointed. I don't know who formats the magazine pages, but they are "too busy". It is not a nice clean format. The eyes are to busy trying to focus on what is on the page. The Aug/Sept 09 issue has way too much advertising (like every other page). I miss the old features like "men in the kitchen", "our favorite prayer", "does anyone have"...I understand a small amount of advertising, but geez. Did they inform subscribers about the changes, and ask us what we  wanted them to keep? I enjoy the recipes, but even my MIL noticed the recipe cards are formated differently, and the recipes not on cards are in columns on the page, so you have to rewrite them on a card to fit them in her recipe box. There are more recipes on columns then previously too. I still haven't decided if I am going to resubscribe, but I think TOH should be told how unhappy we are. They need to listen to their subscribers.

I was a Cooking for 2 subscriber since it's inception, and boy, do I miss that magazine!! When I read the last TOH, and it described only how to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for a mob, I was once again reminded what a special magazine Cooking for 2 was.

Attn. Countryenough: You will still be able to access this website. There are "some" recipes that are for subscribers only, which you would not be able to view.

Quite frankly I don't even miss those subscriber only places since I dropped my LONG TIME subscription, as did my mother and daughter. There are pleny of others along with those awsome recipes if you click on "Community" in the search.

 

I too got mine in 2 or 3 year commitments and when I noticed it going "in the tank" the last year of my contract I decided enough is enough. If I took out another 2 years who knows what would be left of the shambles of a layout and I'd be stuck. I've looked on news stands to see if they are listening to the public but have not been disappointed that I dropped my subscriptions. The last issue I got had full page photos of a tomato with little content. That did it for me!

 

To the gentleman who posted (Podunkboy)...Very well written and totally understand but there are places for you to hang out on the BB. Would love to have you join in the discussions in a forum you find appealing. Your writing is well thought out and very interesting.

 

Tippytoes

i totally agree with a lot of people who have already mentioned not liking the new format of TOH. My family used to get issues back in the early 90's and i loved those issues. They have such a cozy, homey feel to them. I don't understand why TOH is trying to appeal to younger readers by changing. First of all, I'm 18 and the older issues are the one i love. When my subscription was renewed recently i was really dissapointed to see the changes that were made. Second, I don't see the point of trying to appeal to a different audience. There are already magazines that cater to that demographic, and so by conforming TOH loses its unique edge that provided it with its own niche market. Now its just become like every other magazine out there.

I'm also very disappointed.  I recently subscribed.  Thank goodness I didn't pay too much for the subscription.  This is my first time I subscribed hoping it was going be the same as the older issues I was getting from the Thrift store.  Everyone should send them an email and complain.  That's what I did.

I've moved on to Cook's Illustrated and loving it.  Not a lot of recipes but very interesting reading.

I'm also going to try Cook's Country

Hey Cherib,  I agree with you.  I wrote a letter to TOH complaining about the new format.  Whatever happend to our magazine?  It was the biggest selling cooking mag in the US.  Now it is just a shell of its former self.  Everything I loved about it is gone.  For the first time in almost 15 year, I am thinking of not renewing my subscription.  Wonder if there is any chance we will ever get our old TOH back.