Saturday, August 18, 2012

Food Family Style by Leigh Oliver Vickery



From the Back of the Book:

Your family is busy. But you still have to eat! Reclaim the family dinner in your household with these mouthwatering recipes, sure to draw your family into the kitchen and around the table day after day. From tasty breakfasts, soups, and salads to easy main dishes and desserts, Food Family Style delivers delicious recipes such as:

Easiest Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls
Breakfast Pizza
Grilled Apple Cheddar Sandwich
Bistro Tomato Basil Soup
Pesto Pasta Salad
Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Mexican Lasagna
Molasses Barbecue Beans
Southern Pecan Pie
Toffee Ice Cream Squares
Easy S'More Bars
And much more!

Throughout Food Family Style you will find symbols indicating recipes that double easily, freeze well, are gluten free or vegetarian, can be made in a slow cooker, or are favorites contributed by moms around the country. And since there's more to mealtime than just the food, this innovative book also includes tips about how to involve your kids in meal preparation, meaningful conversation starters, and simple ideas to bring warmth to your home.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book!  The recipes are simple and use every-day ingredients.  The symbols make it so easy to know which recipes freeze well for planning ahead, are easy to double to feed a huge crowd or to plan ahead, and to know which are the favorites to try first!

The "Back to Basics" chapter was a huge help in pantry essentials and cooking basics.  This book is a great gift for a busy mom, a new wife, or a college student out on his/her own for the first time.

Leigh also includes some helpful hints on controlling portions (Portion Distortion) and conversation starters for mealtime talk (Table Talk).  She encourages allowing kids to help in the kitchen and provides some great recipes to get families started cooking together.

I recently made banana bread with my 3 year old grandson, and there is nothing like seeing a child's face when the creation is complete, and he/she knows who made it...and so does everyone else in the family!
My only complaint was a lack of photos...I like seeing what a dish is supposed to look like, especially when I've never made it before.  But the excellent index makes up for the lack of photographs.

My kids loved the smoothie recipes...insisted I try those first!  I received a copy of "Food Family Style" from Revell Publishing in exchange for my honest review.  I can honestly say this book is highly recommended.

Happy Reading!

Photobucket

Share/Save/Bookmark

Sell Used Books - Have Your Books Shipped To Us For Free And Get Fast Cash Back!