Chicken Soup for the Soul Recipes for Busy Moms

Not a clunker in it. All of these recipes are great. (I haven't tried them all, but I have read the book cover to cover)I have 6 boys age 4-20 and they have loved all of the ones we have tried. They are easy, nutritious, and fairly inexpensive and FULL of flavor. The inspirational essays are wonderful and inspiring as well as humorous. This is in the top 5 of my cookbooks.

I bought this thinking I was going to give it away as a gift, but after looking through it I decided it was perfect for me. I love it!

Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (2/07) Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen team up for a tasty new addition to the scrumptious Chicken Soup for the Soul series, called "Recipes for Busy Moms." Targeted at the modern, on-the-go mother, this delicious collection includes quick and easy instructions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks, sides, and desserts. Many of the recipes are new takes on the classics (no more whining during meatloaf night) while others are freshly new and promise to be lots of fun. The extra tips on food preparation and healthier alternatives to the already good-for-you recipes add even more to the mix. In addition to recipes perfect for someone who doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen, the book is sprinkled with inspirational stories that speak to the souls of both new and experienced moms. Tickle your palate with anecdotes on achieving (or not achieving) supermom status, the automatic "yuck" response, and never living down an unsuccessful recipe. Savor the bittersweet ache of children leaving home for college, marriage, or military deployment while taking comfort in family recipes and traditions. Both stay-at-home and working moms (and as this book says, "every mom is a working mom") will appreciate the wit and humor stirred into this compilation that you learn only by being "mom." "Recipes for Busy Moms" isn't just about putting together a meal; it's about family memories - the good, the bad, and the messy. Canfield and Hansen serve up a richly flavorful read with a side of hearty laughter worthy of any dinner table. Instead of a cookbook with the same old boring things, "Recipes for Busy Moms" is chock full of the spice of life. "Being able to pull into a fast-food, take-out lane or pop another frozen entrée into the microwave can be a life-saver, but when a family sits down for a meal together, the experience feeds more than a hungry stomach." Why put off quality family time any longer? "Recipes for Busy Moms" satisfies!

The stories in this book help us to share our experience as busy moms, with lots more than cooking on our plates. I appreciated the suggestions for more than the usual kid-friendly macaroni and cheese or pizza that the kids prefer, and added new dishes to my repertoire. The format of the book is wonderful, with laminated large pages that make it easy to prop the recipes on the counter while cooking with baby in hand. Try the Tortilla Soup--it's an instant hit with both adults and tots,tasty and healthy. The accompanying stories with each recipe gave me insight into the lives of other busy moms(and dads). Cook a little, laugh a little with this wonderful book.

Especially compiled for kitchen cooks who are pressed for time but still want to prepare family meals that are tasty and nutritious, snacks their kids won't trade with other kids during school lunch periods, side dishes that aren't just popped out of a can or heated up from a frozen foods box, want their kids to kid involved and help out with meal planning and kitchen cooking, and even prepare 'guest worth' dishes for special occasions but without the necessity of elaborate ingredients or extended cooking instructions, "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms" offers a culinary wealth of simple but delicious recipes suitable for any and all occasions. Enhanced with real-live stories illustrating the importance of sharing time with loved ones, building family traditions, and hints for stretching food budgets and utilizing left overs, "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms" showcases easy-to-make recipes that range from Mexican Tortilla Soup; to Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels; to Restaurant-Style Shrimp Scampi; to Vegetable Stir-Fry. Profusely illustrated with full color images of finished dishes, "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms" is a welcome, popular, and strongly recommended addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.