What a fun cookbook this is! Being a busy, working mom means getting yummy foods on the table and into my family’s mouths can be an on-going challenge.
As I’ve shared before, my husband and I set a menu for each week and shop only one time a week for our groceries. A common question in our house each week is, “What should we add to the menu?” We are constantly looking for new, easy, affordable recipes to try out.
I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of this new cookbook by Lara Starr (with Lynette Shirk). Not only does the book, The Frugal Foodie Cookbook: Waste-Not Recipes for the Wise Cook, have some great recipes, but the entire book is written with the idea of saving money in mind. This is even more important during these economic times when many people are shopping on a budget. We’ve actually turned it into a game to see how we can reduce our weekly grocery bill and this cookbook has some helpful ideas on how to make that happen. And the best part is that the recipes are good enough for a foodie! From Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza to Tout le Fruit Crisp, these recipes are beyond basic mac & cheese or chicken casserole.
I love Chapter 7, Clever Kids’ Meals. There are a number of fun, easy ideas, including Edible Finger Paints and Kaleidoscope Popcorn (we made green!). I am not the most creative when it comes to meals or activities for the kids, so this is great for someone like me who needs some ideas to get my juices flowing.
This is my first reader give-away! The publisher sent me an extra copy of the book, The Frugal Foodie: Waste-Not Recipes for the Wise Cook, to give away to one lucky winner. All you have to do is post a comment about what your biggest challenge is when it comes to feeding your family. I’ll be randomly choosing a winner at 5:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, December 31, 2009.
Tags: easy dinner recipe, Enjoying Motherhood, Gift Giveaway, heathly family meal, Meals for Moms, The Frugal Foodie, working mom, working moms
My biggest challenge is buying groceries for two weeks and making sure I have ingredients that can be used in more than one meal… it’s all about the budget!
My biggest challenge is keeping it interesting but fast. I used to prepare a new recipe each night…always something rather elaborate and tasty. Now it’s impossible, with a toddler and infant. I miss the good stuff….but quick and easy is a necessity right now.
Hmmm…my biggest challenge is getting them to eat enough so that two hours after dinner, I don’t hear them saying “I’m hungry…can I have a snack?”
Being retired, we have fallen in to the rut of the same old stuff. I want recipes that are quick, nutritious, easy to prepare with items that we have on hand. With our grandson living with us while his mom is in Iraq (our daughter) we want to encourage him to eat healthy as well.
Yummy & frugal are right up my alley! I’m not a mom but as a military wife keeping the budget under control is always important, especially since we are single income right now. Thanks for the great giveaway opportunity, cuz!
My biggest challenge is our budget at the moment. Thank heavens I’ve always been frugal by nature – that trait has served us well these past few months. But, we always eat well at our house!
Congratulations, Molly! You have won a copy of ‘The Frugal Foodie Cookbook’! I’ll email you directly to get your mailing address. Happy cooking!
I hear ya on this one. We’ve gotten to the point with our kids now that they know the rule is you fill up your bellies during dinner because it’s the last time we are going to eat before breakfast (it’s a good rule for us to follow as well!). One of the ways this has been easier to achieve is by putting enough variety of things on the table that they will eat enough, even if the they don’t like the main food. Applesauce, cottage cheese, yogurt and various veggie sticks are among our staples.
It is so easy to fall into a food rut, isn’t it? Add into the mix picky kids who you want to teach healthy eating and it really can be a challenge. As the kids get older, you can start to include them in creating the menu. Our 9 year (who is very picky) has informed us that she’d be happy if we made tacos once a week. This is a new menu item for our famiy, so we are happy to bring it into the rotation. She also got a kids’ cookbook for Christmas and will be helping us make dinner at least once a week.
Yes, as we get busier it becomes MUCH more challenging to do elaborate and tasty meals. It’s an area I’ve had to really work a redefining what a successful meal means to our family. Quick, easy food to fuel our bodies is the goal. We are also big fans of making at least 2 meals a week that results in leftovers so that we know we’ve got a couple of slam-dunk meals that don’t have to be thought about.