Food Family Style: Simple and Tasty Recipes for Everyday Life

Leigh Oliver Vickery

Price: $14.99

ISBN: 978-0-8007-2114-5

Number of Pages: 272

Publication Date: Aug. 2012

Format: Paperback

About the Book . . .

365 Simple and Tasty Recipes to Satisfy the Entire Family

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. 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.

About the Author . . .

Leigh Oliver Vickery is creator and founder of Leigh Oliver's, a specialty "fun food" company with numerous products on the market in at least twenty-five states and grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market and Costco. She is the former food editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph in Tyler, Texas, and now blogs at www.onebighappytable.com.

Reader Review . . .

Food Family Style is primarily a cookbook written for MOPS, which turns out to be Moms of Preschoolers. It's been years since I was a MOP; now I'm a GOB (Grandmother of Baby). But GOBs have to eat, too, so I happily agreed to review this cookbook. I assumed that any cookbook written for mothers (I cannot continue to say MOPs) would contain easy recipes with normal ingredients and I was not disappointed. Just because we're slightly middle-aged doesn't mean that we've developed into the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child. As the principle cook in the house, I still appreciate simple recipes, and as the wife of a veggie-hater (apparently some people never outgrow that) I am always on the outlook for ways to slip those veggies over on him. To be honest, cooking for my husband is like cooking for a gray-haired five-year old. But enough about us. On to the cookbook!

Chapters included are:

Kids in the Kitchen
Snacks and Beverages
Breakfast
Sandwiches, Burgers, and Pizza
Table Talk
Soups and Salads
Main Dishes
Side Dishes
Proportion Distortion
Desserts
Menus for Special Occasions
Back to Basics

We sampled several recipes and loved all of them. Now, this cookbook does not have pictures, and neither does my review, and I suspect it's for the same reason. These recipes, while very good, are not what I consider Kodak moments. Some foods just don't "snap" well. They're real foods for real people. I consider that a compliment, BTW.

One of the first recipes we tried was the Cajun Pork Chops on p. 174. Very good, very simple, and the really cool thing is the note that says the seasoning is also great for fish fillets.

With the chops, I served the Bacon Squash Saute on p. 196. Summer squash is one of my favorite vegetables, and really, who doesn't love bacon?!? Enough said.

From there, we went to the Honey-Lemonade Chicken on p. 135. It tasted good, but Jorge wanted it to "look" different. I don't know; I'll play with that one until it looks to suit him, because it was SUPER easy. HINT: I used Wal-Mart's Great Value brand frozen lemonade concentrate to cut costs.

With the chicken, we had the Easy Green Beans on p. 202. This was a winner because Jorge doesn't like green beans, and he ate them happily. So, if you have a picky five year-old or a middle-aged man with a bad diet, bookmark this page.

And last but certainly not least, my absolute favorite vegetable is asparagus. So, when I saw the recipe on p. 210 for Roasted Balsamic Asparagus, I had to try it. I'm going to post it here, as a teaser for the book.

ROASTED BALSAMIC ASPARAGUS

1 lb. fresh asparagus, cleaned and trimmed

4 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and arrange asparagus in a single layer on the sheet. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and roll gently to coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Toss roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper; serve immediately. Serves 6.

Can you tell I loved reviewing this cookbook? It's 5 stars, or 5 wooden spoons, or something like that.

“Available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.