Food Family Style by Leigh Oliver Vickery

I have another cookbook to tell you about.  Boy is this cookbook full of wonderful surprises.  Some common ones that you've heard of and many not so common, but they are just as the title says...simple (a plus) & tasty (another plus).   There are about 365 recipes in this cookbook so I didn't have a chance to try them all.  I didn't even get a chance to try as many as I wanted, but my daughter and I did try a very tasty Island Smoothy (p. 22).  Oh, it was yummy.  I didn't have the pineapple juice on hand but did have a tropical juice that we substituted in its place and it was oh, so yummy and smooth and refreshing.  Nice hot summer day treat.

The author is known in the MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers) circle and many of the recipes in this book that she shares were used during their MOPS groups so they are tried by kids and favorites of kids themselves.  So you could say they are KID approved....Here's a listing of the chapters:

• Kids in the Kitchen
• Snacks and Beverages
• Breakfast
• Sandwiches, burgers and pizza
• Table Talk:  in this chapter the author shares cleaver little conversations table starters to help families get some table talk going. 
• Soups and Salads
• Main Dishes
• Side Dishes
• Proportion Distortion:  discusses proportions and shares a few tips to help you discern the correct amount to serve. 
• Desserts
• Menus for Special Occasions
• Back to  Basics:  this chapter has lists of Kitchen and pantry essentials, spices that are good to have on hand and some healthy swaps instead of this....try this....

There is also a recipe Index listing main ingredient and what recipe you'd find it in such as...

• Almond
• artichoke
• bacon
• beans 
• chicken
• caramel 
• chocolate
• popcorn 
• seafood 
• many, many more categories this is just a brief listing as a  sample

I must say that I believe I'll be turning to this cookbook many times over.  I'd love to share one recipe from the book that we tried.  It is listed as a MOPS Favorite (so it is kid tested)

Zebra Cake

p. 36 (under kids in the Kitchen)

1 pkg. Chocolate cake mix with pudding (plus ingredients as stated on package for making this cake)
8 oz. cream,cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
8 oz. whipped topping, thawed
chocolate syrup as desired

Prepare cake as directed and pur into greased 9 x 13 cake pan. 

Mix together cream cheese, egg, and sugar

Spoon mixture randomly onto the cake batter and swirl it with a knife.  

Bake cake according to package directions.  Cool completely.  

Mix desired amount of chocolate syrup into whipped topping and spread over cake.  Drizzle more syrup over top (oops I forgot this step).  Store in refrigerator.  Serves 18. 

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by...