Everyday Cooking from Everyday Homemaking: A TOS Crew Review

     (Read to the end for a surprise for YOU from the author!) For a homeschooling and part-time working mom, it can be really intimidating to think about what to cook for an entire week. When you add in picky eaters, dietary concerns, budget boundaries, and time constraints, overwhelmed might be a better description! Everyday Cooking from Everyday Homemaking is the perfect back-to-school title for every mom, whether you are homeschooling or not.  

  We already eat at home almost every night, but I'm always on the lookout for new recipe ideas or even twists on recipes we already make. I do not have a family of extremely picky eaters except when it comes to meats. My girls are not your typical chicken nugget and hot dog kind of kids! They much prefer meats in a less prepared fashion like tacos, chicken pot pie, etc. Up until recently they have not had a lot of interest in trying new foods, but as they have become more interested in cooking with me as well as watching come cooking competitions they have become braver!    I really like how encouraging the introduction is. The author's style is very conversational and as I read I felt like I was just sitting at my kitchen table having coffee with an encouraging friend! The cookbook is so very well organized and simple to locate what type of recipe you want quickly. Both the table of contents and index are extremely clear and helpful tools for finding what you need.   The first recipe we tried was for taco seasoning. This is not a new meal for us, but I have never tried making my own seasoning before. I've always been afraid it wouldn't turn out right and then my family wouldn't eat it. I decided to be brave and go ahead and try it!   

  As with all of these recipes I was pleased to find I had most of the ingredients in my pantry already. As I skimmed through the recipes I was pleased to see there weren't any "weird" ingredients, as my husband would say! Every recipe contained things I already bought on a regular basis or had in my pantry. This is a huge bonus for us since we work within a budget. While we do not tend to skimp on food, we do make choices to buy healthier things and not too much prepared foods.   

When Beth and Grace saw I was getting out ingredients they bounced up and down and asked if they could help. I used the pdf cookbook on my iPad so I didn't have to print anything. I easily could have and this will be the best way for some, but honestly I really like the ability to use the digital format on my iPad. I already have enough random recipes floating around the kitchen!

Let me first of all assure you, none of these photos are posed. Grace was really that excited about making this! She's usually the one who likes to cook with me the most, so I was excited that Beth was equally as interested.

I had the girls read the recipe and find each ingredient and read to me the measurement amount. I made sure to hand the right measurement to them. We had some very good learning moments about the difference between a tablespoon and a teaspoon when they misread a direction! I love cooking with my girls and helping them learn! 

The girls made this all on their own and helped me stir it into the meat I had already cooked while they were stirring this together.  I did leave out the cayenne pepper because with the exception of my husband we generally do not like spicy food. 

Verdict: Delicious!!!!

We all really enjoyed this seasoning mix although we are planning to use a little more the next time I make tacos. I was really excited that everyone loved it so much. We eat tacos almost weekly and although everyone has been pleased with the store-bought seasoning we use I love knowing I can make my own at a MUCH cheaper cost and with no extra, unnecessary ingredients or food colorings. 

I really like that layout of the text. It is easy to navigate and has a clean style that makes it easy to follow. It is user friendly enough for kids to use, especially junior high or high school, on their own. I have a recipe scrapbook for each of my girls I'm working on and a copy of this will absolutely be included. I really liked the tips at the end of each section and the space to write extra notes. In addition to a variety of delicious recipes with simple ingredients, there are wonderful instructions for planning, preparing, and serving meals for families large or small. 

If you struggle with meal planning this is an all-in-one resource. Not only are the meals simple, fast, and healthy, there is a wonderful chapter on meal planning. One of my favorite sections was, The Tortoise and the Hare. In this section the author compares slow cookers and pressure cookers. I really appreciate this comparison and although I don't own a pressure cooker yet, I'm tempted to give it a try!
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Are you ready for the surprise now from the author, Vicki Bentley? She has generously provided a coupon code for both Everyday Cooking and The Everyday Family Chore System! These two books are being reviewed by me and my crewmates on the Review Crew!

TOS10books 

 Use this code for either or BOTH books!

(Expires September 5)

Make sure to add the books to your cart and then put in the coupon code!

Take a look at what my Crewmates have to say!