The more I look at Debbie Koenig's new book, Parents Need to Eat Too, the more I like it. I was instantly impressed by the thoughtfulness and new mom savvy of her easy, approachable, common-sense chapters and the recipes they contain. "Remember cutting my meat hon?" I said to my husband. "Seriously, remember how many months I sat salivating at the table while begging you to cut my chicken?" It was kind of pathetic and I think he kind of liked the power he wielded, knowing I might starve or succumb to gnawing the chicken caveman-style if he didn't come to my rescue. Well, other new moms need not suffer such a fate thanks to a whole chapter -- a WHOLE chapter! -- on One Handed Meals. Pure genius.
Today, I made the Balsamic Beef Stew, from a chapter I know I'll be returning to -- Mom's New Best Friend: The Slow Cooker. I got a slow cooker for Christmas and have been patiently waiting for it to change my life. As it turns out, it's not going to as long as it remains unplugged in the back of a cabinet. However, plug it in, turn it on and pick one of Debbie's simple, family-friendly recipes and it just might! The stew was a snap to prepare and the only snafu was totally mine... I accidentally put in a tablespoon of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce and, well, I'm pretty sure the soy sauce would have been a far superior choice! Even so, the little ones gobbled it up over egg noodles and my husband and I enjoyed it with some crusty bread and a glass of red wine. It was a super simple Sunday supper and would be a warm welcome home and hearty meal on any night of the week. And, for those of you out there with a newborn on your hip or in your lap while you're eating, you'll be glad to know the Balsamic Beef Stew also qualifies as a one-handed meal... just as long as you follow Debbie's good advice to cut up the beef, potatoes and carrots into one inch chunks!
If you'd like to get yourself a copy of this awesome new book, you can leave a comment here or on my facebook page for a chance to win. Happy Cooking and hope you have a great week filled with easy crowd-pleasing meals... with Debbie's book in hand, I'm pretty sure that you will!
Parents need to eat too. This may sound obvious but, it is a simple little fact that is often forgotten in the blur of baby days and toddler tantrums. My husband is actually great at remembering this little tidbit and frequently recalls the airline advice that urges adults to put on their oxygen masks before tending to the children around them. He thinks of food (three full square meals a day) like that oxygen... it is absolutely essential and copious amounts are required for his base level of functioning.
The same can not be said of me. Don't get me wrong. I love to eat. Really. I love love love food. But, the notion of putting together a plate for myself while a little one is howling never even occurred to me. I just assumed that in the natural order of all things food-related, the kids come first. Well, guess what? I was wrong. And, in a moment more rare than a solar eclipse, I'm going to admit something else -- my husband was right!
And, he's not alone. Debbie Koenig, who you may know from the blog Words to Eat By has a fab new book that will help parents everywhere master the struggle of the juggle -- in particular, the juggle of a jiggly newborn or tuggy toddler and the dinnertime dilemma.
In Parents Need to Eat Too, Debbie shares tips and recipes that will speak to busy moms of tiny tots, myself included! Although my kids no longer require swaying and shushing and being strapped to me in a sling, those days are not so far behind and I sure would have appreciated this book then. It contains tasty, simple recipes that be made during nap-time, like Zucchini and Spinach Risotto or Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. It also includes what I think is a stroke of pure genius -- an entire chapter of meals that can be eaten with one hand! Only a mom (and especially a new mom!) can truly appreciate what it's like to have to eat meal after meal with only one hand free because the other one is building up a huge bicep while supporting the head of your precious offspring. I kind of remember feeling like this in those days...
It's true. I can vividly recall being so hungry and so helpless that I literally wanted to put my face in my plate just like "mommy's little piggy." Thanks to Debbie's chapter of One Handed Meals, other moms need not face the same humiliating fate! Her Broccoli and Cheddar Pinwheels will please kids and parents alike and the same can be said of her Chicken (Pot) Handpies.
I was lucky to receive an advance copy of her book and look forward to trying out more recipes in the weeks to come... especially since she also devotes a chapter to "Mom's New Friend: The Slow Cooker". I got a slow cooker for Christmas and was convinced it would help solve my dinnertime woes... it hasn't yet but, with Debbie's easy recipes in hand, it just might!
My name is Kerry Lyons, a.k.a. LyonsDenMom. I am amazed (and at times dismayed!) to have five little "Cubs", the oldest of which just turned six. My overly planned life took a turn toward chaos when I had naturally conceived, identical triplets in 2008. Now, more than ever, life is a complex juggling act that includes a full house, a full-time job and fulfilling my writing ambitions in all of my "spare" time. I hope you enjoy reading about life in the LyonsDen!
Liam entered the world in November 2004, followed by Ciara in October of 2006. In 2008, we decided to go for #3... and, much to our surprise, got three more! The odds of identical triplets are about 1 in a 100 million so, we pretty much won the baby lottery when Kevin, Declan and Cormac were born at 36 weeks, each weighing between 5 and 6 pounds. Yes, that does mean I had over 17 lbs. of baby inside me and yes, it was extremely uncomfortable and unattractive!
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