The 5 Best Cookbooks for Busy Moms ( & Dads!)
Raise your hand if you love the idea of cooking with your husband…. but become a little overwhelmed at the thought of cooking dinner with toddlers underfoot. I’m right there with you! My husband & I both enjoy cooking. But we do not enjoy stress. How do we accomplish cooking 6 nights a week, working 2 busy jobs, and still stay married? We manage it. One of the best ways to manage it, is to understand what works in saving stress. I’m going to share with you the 5 best cookbooks for busy moms (& dads)!
Look, I know you’re probably like, “But Brit— I have zillions of recipes pinned, including yours!” <–Wink, wink…. But here is the deal, guys. You are busy, I’m busy and sometimes we can’t discover a new recipe every night. We need to have our standbys for a majority of the week. I’m right there with you. We aren’t in the post college days where, if we liked cooking, we tried to be complicated and develop new skills. Brulee torch or sous vide anyone? Now, we are thirty-something, and don’t have the time to devote to perfecting dinner. We all need easy recipes that will produce a mostly healthy dinner that will appeal to you and the kids will at least try!
How to make it better!
I have lots of pinned dinner ideas (shameless plug), recipe print offs in the kitchen cabinet, and like 3 dozen cookbooks. But you know what, 80% of the time I use the same few cookbooks. High five, Pareto! <– sorry for the enginerd joke.
This week when you are writing down your meal plan, give at least 1 new recipe from Pinterest a try in your rotation. For the rest, rely on the oldies but goodies to get ya through the week!
Add in this easy and free meal planner and you’ll be ready for dinner every night this week!
Pick up your free meal planner download here
or
Enroll in the Simply Easy Meal Planning Mini Course. It’s completely free, and includes the free meal planner– so sign up for either option (but not both to avoid too many emails!)
The 5 Best Cookbooks for Busy Moms (& Dads)!
(for your convenience, I’ve included affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Our Home Made Easy! See Disclaimer)
- Better Homes & Garden Cookbook– Isn’t this like the staple of gift giving from sweet moms and grandmas? My mom gave this book (it’s actually a 3 ring binder) and it’s been heavily used over the past 10 years. If you look in the picture above you’ll spot green tabs where my favorite recipes are in the book! Everything has been a hit. I suppose that is why it has been around for 90 years! The recipes are a great base. I’ll try a recipe and modify it the second time around if we prefer more garlic (me), spices (Jordan), or cheese (the kids)!
- Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats! 30 Minutes Meals by Rachael Ray – Jordan introduced me to Rachael’s quick meals and I appreciate them! While I can’t always make them in less than 30 minutes, I know that the recipes aren’t difficult and will always be manageable.
- How to Cook Everything – Is that inner foodie still wanting to shine every once in awhile? Then this book will speak to you. I have it downloaded onto my iPad as an app and its fabulous. But sometimes I forget about it. Now, I am going to go old school and order a real physical copy.
- The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime – Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper –
We have a love/hate relationship with the Pioneer Woman. I want to be her. But I also want to live within a block of Target. The struggle is real. Rhee’s meals speak to comfort food family dinners and we both find them as a great resource when meal planning. I will however, never have the time to make homemade cheese crackers. I’ll just pick up a box from Meijer. 🙂 - The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook – Do you watch this show on PBS? There always seems to be a new episode on our DVR. The recipes aren’t complicated, but may take more time to perfect the technique they are teaching. Consider this an upgrade from making a dinner in 30 minutes. I like these and the Pioneer Woman for make ahead meals and Sunday night dinners! We love the science in cooking and America’s Test Kitchen explains it so well. So it’s no doubt that we enjoy referring to the book!
Now it is your turn! What are your favorite cookbooks for your busy life?
I collect cookbooks and have some of these, this is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday today. Have a great day and come back soon!
Miz Helen