Southern Living- “What’s For Supper” 5-Ingredient Weeknight Meals cookbook review

September 17, 2014 by 1 Comment

I am not a creative cook.  At all.  What I am is good at following directions.

I live by my cookbooks- but some of them like to get all “fancy” on me, and during the week, who has time for that?  Really.  Not your average mom with kids, not your working parents- not many people.  Sure, you bust out the fancy cooking now and again, but for regular nights- you need something that is fast, easy, and that everyone will eat (but still has nutritional value and is good for them).

That’s why I love this particular cookbook- Southern Living’s new “What’s For Supper” 5-Ingredient Weeknight Meals compiles fast and easy meals for those busy weeknights spend doing homework, driving the kids hither and yon, and getting home from work later then we really wanted to (or in my case and the case of those who work at home, not getting it all done as fast as I had hoped to), and still trying to get the laundry done. This really is a “must have” for busy parents- yes, you can always play on pinterest or get your google on, but this is just so easy to have it all in one place for easy access- and the meals are so easy to prepare without having to have a culinary degree to make.  (Those books just make me nuts…I don’t have time to learn cutting techniques, I just want to get dinner on the table.)

If you are in the market for a new cookbook, want to try out some new recipes to shake up your dinners (hey, we all get in ruts), or just love to cook- try this one out, it has become a favorite in my house. (It really is fast!)  Pick yours up on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
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The New Southern Table by Brys Stephens

May 5, 2014 by 1 Comment

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I was sent this book for the purposes of this review. Although I was sent this book for free, all opinions are my own.

I was absolutely intrigued by the book, The New Southern Table by Brys Stephens. Being that I am from the Northwest and have always lived in this region, I do not know much about southern food traditions. I have never let Okra touch my lips and only in the past few years have I gotten very adventurous at all with my pallet.

The New Southern Table looks at traditional southern ingredients such as peaches, okra, greens and “flips” them. They are made in not traditional ways in order to create a whole new desire for the staple ingredients in the southern part of the US.
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Enjoy some Soup! The Soupmaker’s Kitchen cookbook Review

September 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

I grew up in a large family, and we all know it’s not easy to shop or even cook for large families. We find ourselves eager and creative to put dinner together with what we have on hand. I have used this method after watching my mother do it when I was a child. One of my fondest memories was the soups she made, stews or gumbo. They were thick hearty and I really thought for the longest time she went out of her way to buy all this exotic food to create it all. Did she?

No. No my mother did what is shown in The Soupmaker’s Kitchen cookbook- a must for any family but I highly recommend it if you find yourself unsure of what you do with those left over scraps and items you don’t ‘have much of.  So you have a little of this and that, don’t think you can use it up? Wrong, don’t toss them, don’t ignore them –  Use them, all of them to make some wonderful soup! photo (1)

Green takes you through easy steps to stock up the pantry with items ( even small)  to create an entire heart warming soup with ease. Techniques on preparing, when you can sub frozen verses fresh and even how to make some flavors bursts are given throughout the book. Time savings tips, best used pots and other basic tools that will get you through soup season.
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Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love Cookbook review

August 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

With school just in a week or so it’s that time again to come up with healthy quick lunches kids would love to put in their lunch boxes! Not only that we all deal with the dilemma of healthy eating for kids. They can be picky and it’s a hit or miss half the time and let’s face it gluten loaded lunches can drag our kids down.

With the new cookbook Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love: Irresistible and Nutritious Gluten-Free Sandwiches, Wraps and Other Easy Eat, by Tracy Griffith you can take the guest work out of this hassle and make some nutritious and amazing lunches your child is guaranteed to love. Recipes in the book are all gluten free and unique aiming purely to be healthy and get the kids energized which is a mega help during school hours. Not only are they healthy but they are fun, delighting kids with plenty of variety to choose from.

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Right away the cookbook is filled with really easy recipes. All of which can be made fast, are kid friendly  this means mostly that not only are they eye catching, but in small portions that pertain to kids. There are different parts to the book, which include the sandwich area, rolls, pita pockets, rolls.  gems wraps and buns. You have sidekicks or nibbles ( snacks)  dips and spread as well as a section on how to cook perfect sushi rice. Rice is used in more than half of the recipe which also use what is called Gem Wraps. An all-natural wrap made from fruit and vegetable puree. Side note they are not good as a standalone they are meant to eat using the recipes in the cookbook in chapter four. Trust me on this.
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Eats: Enjoy All the Seconds Cookbook Review

August 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

Let’s face it when we cook dinner half the time there are left overs. So what are you to do with them? Certainly not waste the food! We are a family of six, and so my meals are cooked with leftovers in mind actually. I got into the habit of this when my kids started heading to school and pick up times ended up colliding with my lunch. Dinner left overs became my lunch on the go so it has been a habit to cook like this. What if you didn’t intend to have any left overs though? What if you have no clue how to use them up and make it just as grand as the dinner itself? Mary Lamontagne solves this problem in an amazing cookbook I  highly recommend any family pick up.

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Eats: Enjoy All the Seconds 135 Colorurful Recipes to Savour and Save by Mary Lamontagne is probably one of the attractive as well as tasteful cookbooks I’ve ever come across. The idea behind her masterpiece is this, what do you do with those leftovers? The cookbook is filled with up to 135 recipes that give you perfect ideas on how to use up that extra food. Waste no more, question no more, just flip the book open to what you have on hand and you are set!
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