Do you have one of those tried and true cookbooks? I do. The cookbook my Mama wrote down all the family recipes in – in her very own handwriting. And Vicki Bentley’s Everyday Cooking is coming alongside that favorite, becoming a go-to resource for practical, frugal and easy meals for my family.
I wanted to have a full round of meal planning using Everyday Cooking before I shared it with you. Because I wanted to put it to the test with my family, see how I enjoyed using this cookbook. So I have used Everyday Cooking for an entire month. And may I say it far exceeded my expectations. One of my favorite mentors, Vicki, has now joined me in our kitchen!
My 10-year-old making cheddar garlic biscuits with Everyday Cooking.
I have several checklists printed out and hanging around the house. This guideline, I printed from Vicki’s Everyday Homemaking site has blessed my homeschool with These Things Must Be Done Before School. I’ve written extensively about how the Before 8:45 checklist helps our homeschool. Vicki Bentley is a homeschool mother of many as well as a speaker and author. Her Everyday Homemaking site is full of encouragement and mentoring for families. In addition, Vicki is the coordinator of HSLDA’s The Early Years division. I invite you to click over and read Vicki’s full bio.
I share all this to emphasize that with Everyday Cooking you are not only getting a book full of recipes, but also years of mentoring, practical tips and helps that work for families – directly applied to feeding your family!
What does the cookbook include? 100 pages of tips, helps, recipes, hints and cost-saving ideas plus:
- Timesaving tips
- Breakfast ideas
- Appetizers & Dressings
- Bread and Grains
- Main Dishes & Soups and Sides
- Desserts & Snacks
- Basic Measurements and Helps
- Meal Planning and Shopping Helps
- Basic Cooking Skills Checklist
- Sample Menus and Menu Planning Masters
- Basic Kitchen Accessories
- Kitchen Equipment
- The Tortoise and the Hare
- Suggested Resources
Can it get any better than that? A resource for the brand-new homemaker as well as for the need-some-new recipes long-time mother. For us, we found it simple and enjoyable enough for my 10-year-old daughter to browse and take charge of a recipe. Memory- making in the kitchen! Home Ec skills!
Now I’ve always said that a long list of ingredients just won’t do for me. And that’s the case with Everyday Cooking as well. These are real recipes for real families using real ingredients. Vicki Bentley’s cookbook often found its way to the end of the family room couch – where it was easy for me to pick up, browse and plan another something yummy for supper.
A collection of family-tested recipes and hints for simple, everyday cooking with an emphasis on whole foods.
Easy Dorito Casserole – topped with avocado and sour cream.
Healthy Recipes. Since I make my own bread, muffins and pancakes, I appreciate the emphasis on whole foods and homemade.
Time and budget-stretching tips. In addition to recipes, the author offers highlighted, gray boxes throughout with simple suggestions, frugal helps and batch cooking options. Some ingredients are also italicized, pointing you to a recipe for the ingredient in the book.
Where can you find Everyday Cooking? Click over to Everyday Homemaking for the full description and to view sample recipes.
- The cookbook is currently on sale for $15.99.
- Available in paper, coil bound version or as an ebook download
In summary, my family and I give Vicki Bentley’s Everyday Cooking a big yum! And I look forward to many more meals from this cookbook for years to come. Thank you, Vicki, for a wonderfully practical resource and for the resulting delicious meals.
Now for the giveaway!
Don’t you love simple and easy recipes?
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I’m hoping that it will help me with easier meal planning and some different meals all together
I’m hoping it will have a couple of new whole foods recipes to add to my recipe list…I’m always on the search for new yummy, healthy recipes to add :).
Wendy, the book has a whole foods emphasis, but it’s not a “health food” cookbook (we’re not purists, so you’ll find our favorite Jello salad! But most are whole foods based — we steer away from white sugar, white flour, processed foods, etc.). A good whole foods health food cookbook is LaLeche League’s Whole Foods for the Whole Family cookbook. 🙂
I’m in the market for new cookbooks, so I’ll definitely check this one out! I need some fast (end of a busy day) recipes.
While we like variety in our meals, what I am looking for presently is budget-friendly recipes.
Each season of life is filled with new blessings and challenges. I am always looking for ways to make our home sweeter-filled with love and peace in the middle of life. This cookbook sounds like it not only ministers to the tummy 🙂 but the heart of life as well. I am headed over to her website to look around.
Thank you for this opportunity!
Blessings
Julie
I’m kind of dense when it comes to getting tasks in order to save time and organizing for efficiency, so I hope this will help me with that. Also, I am always open for tips of any kind in the kitchen.
I can always use help in the kitchen! This looks like a wonderful resource.
Help with dinner would be a blessing!
I would love it if the book helped me create a plan & stick with it. 🙂
Meal planning would be a help. I know I should, but just don’t. Always seem in a rut with the same old same old. And just recently found out that I am allergic to just about everything, so seeing someone else’s recipes in a new light may give me a little variety right now. Thank you for the give away.
We are always looking for family friendly recipes and my boys love to cook on their own so this would be a perfect cookbook to have on hand for them to plan and cook a meal. 🙂
Thank you, Tricia, for such a thorough and thoughtful review. We use the cookbook daily! I hope it blesses others.
I so need help with this right now! The afternoons have become so crazy at our house that I’m really struggling with fitting in cooking dinner right now…and I don’t want to resort to more processed/boxed foods to get dinner on the table!
What a great cookbook! I might have to take advantage of that sale…if I don’t win!
Heather
This sounds like a winner. Thank you for introducing us, I can’t wait to go check out her blog.
I’m always looking for ways to get my kids involved in the kitchen since that’s how I learned to cook & clean. I’m hoping to give Vicki’s book a try to help me do a better job w/this 😉
I have always had trouble planning meals. This would be a great resource. I heard Vicki Bentley speak a few years at a homeschooling conference. She had wonderful, practical ideas, so I’m sure this cookbook would be full of the same sage advice.
My 10 yr old is getting more into the meal planning and I’d love to give her this resource!
Pick me! My 5 hungry sons need me to have good recipes! :0) Thanks Tricia!
The recipes sound yummy and the frugal tips are a plus for me!
Always needing practical creative meals!! My family is very tired of what I make!! LOL
I am in a huge meal planning rut and would love some new tips and ideas!
Thank you so much! I am sure we will use and enjoy it!
Thrilled Phyllis! Could you please email me your mailing address by clicking the email icon at the top of this page in the top right hand corner? Thank you!