I absolutely love to cook. It’s true. What’s funny about that is that I also absolutely hate to cook.
I know. Now you are totally confused, right? This love-hate relationship does seem a bit odd, but I think the fallacy is in the perspective that cooking is a “hobby.” In order for something to be a hobby it usually has a few givens: we don’t get to do it often, we aren’t forced to do it, and it never gets old. Preparing meals for your family simply can not meet these rules, no matter how much you love it. I think most moms would agree. Cooking is a chore. I HAVE to do it or my family doesn’t eat. If I don’t feel like it, I don’t really have the option of just doing it another time.
Oh yeah, time. That’s another problem. We are all short on time. Being a mom takes time. Working outside the home or in, time is scarce. To be honest, somedays I can’t see how I will possibly accomplish even the most basic things on my list. Add in the coupon cutting, savvy shopping, and attempts to make it healthy, and meal preparation can become overwhelming for any mom. No wonder we are so tempted to live in the drive-thru lane.
Before we all give up hope and resolve to live a life of burgers and french fries, let me tell you about Simplified Dinners. Author, Mystie Winckler struggled with the dilemma of creating meals for her family just like you and I. Through this struggle, the idea for Simplified Dinners was born. You are probably thinking exactly what I did when I first heard about it: I’ve already got a shelf full of great cookbooks that never get opened. This ebook is different. It’s not just pages full of recipes, it’s a formula for helping even the mom who hates to cook get dinner on the table every night.
Why I love it?
- The plan includes real, non-processed foods at budget-friendly prices.
- The ideas are simple, yet with nearly endless variety.
- This method of cooking is fresh and innovative.
- The organization in this ebook makes me happy. Everything is laid out for simple cooking without a lot of thinking.
- Mystie has even written a gluten and dairy free version of the book! Woot!
Would you like your own copy of this great ebook? Mystie has graciously offered to give a copy away to my readers. You can enter in the rafflecopter below. Click here if you can’t see it.
Can’t wait? Get $3 off by entering “notconsumed” at checkout. Click below to purchase.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review of the product. I am so VERY glad that I was, because the ebook and the idea behind it are spectacular!
Kim Sorgius
Kim is just a girl, crazy in love with Jesus. She's a single mother of 4, a passionate homeschooler and life-long student. After teaching 8 years in public school, she traded her M.A. in Early Childhood for sippy cups and homeschool co-ops. Kim is the owner and editor of The Homeschool Village and Not Consumed where she encourages others to rest victoriously in the hands of God, rather than allowing life's difficult circumstances to consume.
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I downloaded a sample of the book and love the way she laid out all the slow-cooker roast variations. This would be a great help during the week when I feel like I have no time to cook!
Thanks, Morgan!
I have been wanting to start a healthy menu for my hubby and I. This would really help!
My husband LOVES to cook and says it is stress relieving – so he was the cook for the first 6.5 years of our marriage. When he moved out of town for a new job in November 2011, I had to start learning! Unfortunately, we are still waiting on our house to sell so I am living with 2 little boys and still learning how to cook!
I enjoy it, but I’m not very good (yet).
I Love cooking – now that I see the beauty in truly serving good food to my family!
Depends on the day
sometimes just depends on my mood
Just talking about this, this morning! Gluten and dairy free is hard enough – add in 2 picky kids and I have about 3 meals I can serve and know they will eat! Help!!! Desperate for ideas – and simple sounds wonderful, with homeschooling in the mix too!! Thanks for the chance!
I love to cook, I do not love to cook with kids. Just being real. I see moms who seem to love it, I make myself at this point and try to make it fun, but I’m hoping as they get older I will enjoy it more.
I don’t love it myself, either. But I have found that when I have my simple set-up working for me, it’s easier to let the kids be involved because less of my attention and energy is required in the cooking process itself. Usually I feel spread too thin already to be paying attention to the kids while cooking!
Also, a friend of mine gave me the tip of letting only one child help per day. It’s less overwhelming and they get better attention and instruction, too.
I like to bake. I do not mind cooking. However, when the budget is strapped and you are having to cook every meal of every day it can become a burden. Would love to win a copy.
yes
i LOVE to cook, onions, and cheese, and chocolate -oh my!
I LOVE to cook! But I can’t always afford great meals, lol. Tight budgeting makes for difficult meal planning, which makes it hard to enjoy cooking at all. I’d love to check out this book. HELP! haha
Tight budgeting *does* make it extra hard and extra taxing on the brain and emotions (which are often already overworked enough!).
Cooking is OK. I really like baking. Bread, cookies, pies, cakes. . .
I think the gluten/dairy free version is this would be fantastic for meal planning for my family.
I do not like cooking!
I hate cooking! It was something my husband always did but now we are not together. We eat way too much processed junk and fast food so this would be awesome.
When we were eating more processed convenience foods (it took food allergies to kick me out of the habit!), I realized that the real convenience wasn’t so much the time it saved but that I didn’t have to *think* about it as much if I could just grab a box. That’s when I started working on this. Real food doesn’t take that much more time overall, but it does take more thinking and effort; so this was my attempt to cut down the thinking and effort required!
When life is hard, doing food well is pretty much impossible.
I don’t love cooking, but I want to learn to at least like it. As you said, it’s somethign that must be done every day, so I might as well learn not to hate it!
I share your sentiments…I love when I can make something because I want to..not have to. I try and stay away from processed foods but its hard especially after a full day homeschooling 2 and 2 more that need me also.:)
Julie
I enjoying cooking things my family enjoys, but with homeschooling and outside activities, cooking is just a chore right now.
I too have a love-hate relationship with cooking. I love to try out new recipes, but seem to always resort to the same old thing over and over out of convenience. Bah.
Right! The convenience of making the same thing is that you get good at it and can make it with less effort than following a new recipe. So I put together variations on a few meal types to make it easier to get efficient at just a handful of meals, but change up the additions so it didn’t *look* or taste like we’re actually just eating the same rotation over and over.
When I read your post today I had to write, I couldn’t agree with you more. I love to cook but it is such a chore. I’m blessed to be at home with my children but wow I could really use a great tool to make cooking easier & fun again.
I love to cook but wish I made more time to experiment with different things
I love to cook but hate to clean it up after! LOL …
I LOVE to cook for others. I tend to avoid it when it’s just me.
I do not even like to cook!! Ive tried so many times only with no avail. Cooking and menu planning is just not one of my specialties.
Yes love to cook. Great review I feel the same way about cookbooks. Thanks for being honest!
I don’t love to cook, but neither do I hate it. It is just something that has to get done. I have trouble keeping up with a menu.
I like the “idea” of cooking. I love baking cookies. But budget, time and menu planning has taken all the joy away. I don’t even get to bake my favorite cookies anymore.
I feel the same way – enjoy cooking when it isn’t day in and day out for a large family.
I hate using processed stuff for dinner. In fact, since we started to eat more fresh foods, those processed ones have begun making us sick after eating them. It’s amazing the change in our bodies since we started eating more fresh produce and not junk.
This is like an answer to prayer for me! Hope I win it, and if not, I am saving up to buy it! Thanks for sharing this Kim.
Looks like a great book!