11 issues/yr.

[ethecat]

I'm never a big fan of combined month issues, but does anyone else wish that CL would combine Nov/Dec. issues instead of Jan/Feb? Personally, I get so busy during November and December, I really don't have much time to remember to pick up the latest issues when they hit the stand or much time to read/use them once I get them. I think if I had an issue covering both major holidays, I could maybe plan better or get inspired earlier. After the holidays, I really look forward to new issues to break up the winter doldrums of January and February.

Just wondering what everyone else thought.

[reneeinnorthwes]

I actually like the combined Jan/Feb instead. In November there are typically lots of Thanksgiving ideas and December often includes great ideas for Holiday meals. I'd rather have a combined Jan/Feb since I typically cook less at that time of year anyway.

Generally I'm looking for cooking ideas around the holiday's and a CL magazine helps!

[hockeymom]

I completely agree.

I've always wondered how far in advance the magazines are produced - i.e. is the reason there is no separate February issue because CL shuts down for the holidays? Just a thought....

Laurie

[ethecat]

I do agree that a Nov/Dec. issue would probably be huge and not really the best idea. I guess after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I hate to wait until March for a new issue of CL. The combined issue never holds my interest for 2 months.

[hockeymom]

just to clarify, I agree with you, ethecat.

I hate waiting until March. I am always ready to start cooking a lot after the holidays, once things setlle back down to normal routines. That's when I'm really ready to try new things!

Laurie :)

[sneezles]

Originally, CL had combined issues for Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb making for only 10 issues/year. Don't recall exactly when that changed though. I don't mind the Jan/Feb combination though as it gives me a chance to "catch up" with recipes I haven't gotten around to making...

[KLynn]

They used to combine July and August too, years ago. If two months have to be combined, that would be my preference. By the late summer, I am ready to be out of a hot kitchen anyway!

But of course we would ALL love 12 issues a year! I keep thinking one year we will get just a January issue in the mail, and CL will have finally arrived at 12 issues/year.

[Grace]

They actually used to combine issues every two months and were only published 6 times a year. Then they went to like 8, and they combined Jul/Aug and Nov/Dec, but then they had a special "Holiday" issue too.

But I completely agree that I'd far prefer to have a combined Nov/Dec issue since most of the holiday meal ideas they have can be used for whatever holiday, and then come the dead of winter - Jan and Feb where there isn't much else to do but cook, one issue for both months doesn't keep my interest at all. A long winter seems ridiculously long when you're waiting for that March issue to FINALLY arrive in the mail!

For our supper club, we go out to a restaurant for one of our meetings (either Jan or Feb) because we can't cook from the Jan/Feb issue for our meetings twice - just not enough stuff for that.

[ethecat]

Catching up with older issues is exactly what I do while waiting (..and waiting...) for the March issue.

Like hockeymom, I am ready to try new things once the holidays are over. During the stress of the holidays, I generally stick to the tried and true-once they are over, I am ready to experiment!

Boy, I am sure glad they stopped the 10 issues/yr. I only suggested the Nov./Dec because things are so busy during those months that the wait would not seem as long.

[nalani baker]

Originally posted by KLynn
They used to combine July and August too, years ago. If two months have to be combined, that would be my preference. By the late summer, I am ready to be out of a hot kitchen anyway!

But of course we would ALL love 12 issues a year! I keep thinking one year we will get just a January issue in the mail, and CL will have finally arrived at 12 issues/year.

YES 12 ISSUES A YEAR!!!!!Now that I could definetly go for. No matter what I hate waiting for issues to come. I'm already getting impatient for Nov and it's still October. My family has come to like something different ALL THE TIME. So if I make a dish twice in the same month the critics come out along with whinning( we already had that and you make that all the time)But, thinking back to Nov/Dec or Jan/Feb it doesn't matter which it is for me I'm just glad they only do it once,now.:D

[HRJ]

I'm always amazed that CL hasn't moved to 12 issues a year -- I guess they just don't have the advertiser support.

From a business standpoint, I doubt they'd want to combine the November and December issues at this point -- there appears to be lots of advertising to support both of those months, because of the holidays. Personally, I like having separate issues, one focusing on Thanksgiving and the other on the winter holidays.

While I hate that long wait until the March issue appears, January is traditionally the slowest month for advertising, so I guess that's why they combine it with Feb. I usually get the CL annual from DH as a holiday present, so I like to spend time in Jan./Feb. going back over recipes I might have missed during the year.

Helene

[nalani baker]

Yes, I also use that time to make recipes I haven't had the opportunity to make and I go back even to old annuals I have(my collection of CL annuals start in 96)and find some forgotten recipe I have not made for a long time.

[hockeymom]

You bring up an interesting point about the advertising, Helene.

I never really thought about it from a business perspective, but that makes a lot of sense. I only think about it from a (selfish) consumer perspective!

Laurie

[laurelhiker]

I would prefer a July/August combined issue myself. In January, I'm always ready for a fresh start. I'm generally open to new ideas and find that I make a higher proportion of NEW recipes. But if CL MUST (for whatever reason) combine January and February, perhaps they could release the March issue a week or two early. Two months is such a long wait! :)

-- GG