Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites

by Mary Beth Lagerborg, Mimi Wilson

Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg are back with a brand new book that features their Once-A-Month Cooking ™ technique guaranteed to save time and money. Filled with all-new cycles - two one-month cycles, two two-week cycles, and three specialty gourmet, summer, and gluten-free – their trademark method remains the You shop for an entire cycle all at once, buying in bulk and saving money. You do all the food prep for the cycle the next day, freezing and refrigerating what needs to be kept cold, stocking the pantry when appropriate. Then, as the family assembles for mealtime, you do some quick finishing and it's ready - fast and delicious! Once-a-Month Cooking™ Family Favorites has something for every kind of eater and includes such soon-to-be favorites

-Adobe Chicken
-Baked Mediterranean Cod
-Chicken Wild Rice Soup
-County-Style Ribs
-Texas-Style Lasagna

With the perfect plan in hand and bulk shopping at economically-friendly prices, the Once-A-Month Cooking ™ technique is a surefire way to get a delicious dinner on the table fast so that you can spend more time with your family!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Self Help

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Darby]

I read the Once-a-Month Cooking from the same authors and although I liked the concept and their instructions I was less then thrilled with the recipes. The main reason was many of the recipes weren't things I would cook as they used lots of processed and pre-packaged foods. But this time around with Family Favorites they use a lot more fresh ingredients and just have a better selection of recipes. There is still some pre-packaged foods but much less then the last book - at least it seems that way to me. I was very pleased. And I can't wait to try out many of the recipes as well as try to do a 2 week plan for do-ahead dinners. Although this book is called Family Favorites I wouldn't pass by it if you are cooking just for two as it has many recipes that could work for two or be adapted for just two.

Again this book really pleased me with its recipes. Besides the recipes they have a really great introduction to the concept of Once-a-Month Cooking with tips and tricks. It includes 2 one month plans, 2 two-week plans, a summer 2-week plan, a gourmet 2 week plan and a gluten-free 2 week plan. Each plan includes menu charts, pantry list, shopping lists and lists on what to prep and in which order.

Just a few recipes out of many that I look forward to making...
Red Mesa Tacos
Apricot Chicken
5 Cheese Spinach Quiche
Grilled Southwest Chicken with Cilantro Sauce
Pozole Soup
South of the Border Ground Beef and Corn Pie
Barleyburger Stew
Penne with Chickpeas
Pork Roast with Apples and Mushrooms

I will come back and do another update on this book once I do a 2 week plan. But overall I feel this book is going to be one I enjoy using.

[Leigh Anne]

A neat idea, neatly presented.

Cooking every day can be a real PITA. Cooking once a month? Possibly do-able, depending on your willingness to spend one weekend per month to plan, organize, shop, and cook. Drag some friends into it, and it could be fun, even.

Lagerborg and her co-author, Mimi Wilson, outline their system clearly, to the point of telling you how many and what kind of containers you'll need to store everything. Shopping lists are included, as well as lists of staple ingredients, most of which avid home cooks already have hanging around the pantry. There are monthly and two-week menus , and even a gluten-free menu for those with celiac issues/sensitivities. Also included are suggestions for shopping with kids, which harried parents will appreciate, and the overall tone is determined, "you can do this it's fun" without getting overly cute.

The stars of the book, however, are the recipes, which sound pretty darned tasty, and will appeal to a wide range of palates. There's a LOT of chicken in these recipes, most likely because chicken is cheap, but the flavor profiles on the dishes are so different you won't feel like you're eating the same thing all the time. If you're not ready to commit to the whole once-a-month system, you'll be happy to learn that each recipe comes with instructions for freezing for later, so you can prep a whole month, two weeks, or a day at a time, helpful if you need to put together an emergency casserole or soup for a friend in need. Highly recommended for all cookbook collections, as well as its companion volume, "Once-A-Month Cooking."

[Linda Klinedinst]

I enjoyed looking at this book and seeing all of the recipes and all of the Good Tips it gives.

Give this book 5/5 Stars.

[Jacquie]

So far I like four recipes from this book - lemon chicken, honey chicken, chicken and broccoli casserole, and the cranberries n' pork chops. I am also going to try the minestrone soup. I like the recipes of this cookbook than the other book that I have for frozen meals. Very simple directions and prep work.

[Cathy]

Not as great as the first one. I love the classic recipes in the first one. This one has gluten free recipes and "gourmet" recipes that might be good for a little variety, but they don't fit my family's tastes.

[Katie (hiding in the pages)]

There were very few meals in here that my family will eat (and it does have the "family favorites" phrase included in the title). I want fast and easy things to prepare and freeze and a lot of these recipes seemed to have quite a few ingredients and directions.

[Jennifer Dunham]

I normally like cookbooks with photos on each page, which is not this book. But the layout and ideas in this series by Mary Beth Lagerborg are really useful and efficient for those that might like to cook but just lack the time.

[Josita]

I love this book. great recipes. The authors make it so easy to follow the directions. One day is all you need. Every from the menu to shopping list is in the book. I would recommend it to any family.

[Deborah]

Saved me tons of time and money, and each recipe made so far has been a big hit with my family.

[Lori Gerlaugh]

Found several good ones in here that my family likes, that work well with prepping ahead of time (even if I don't freeze them all).