I’ll be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I got myself in to when I said yes to doing a review of The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Feeding Family and Friends. I didn’t want just another recipe book, but I also didn’t want a guide that gave me no information or resources. I was looking for substance. I essentially wanted a guide for dummies in the kitchen, but one that did not treat me like a dummy! I will be the first to say, “I think this is definitely it!”

I am a busy mom. I work outside of the home, attend college full-time, and take care of my two busy kids that love to eat and always want more. When I get home in the evening, I need to be able to feed two hungry kids a healthy delicious meal, quick. There is no time to be wasted. And that is where Mary Jo’s brilliance comes in. Not only did she give me healthy, delicious meals that are easy to make for my family, she guided me on simple techniques that cut my time down drastically in the kitchen.

I loved the layout of the book. It begins with what I believe are the most important first steps of understanding the book and creating a perfect kitchen. The two most important sections that are “must reads” would be one) What’s In This Book, and 2) Prep Work.

Only five pages long, What’s in This Book gave me the simple outline of the guide. From understanding the variations of recipes to explaining the different symbols used throughout. My suggestion - do not skip this section. Think of The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Feeding Family and Friends as your map and the What’s in This Book is your legend.

Now, my favorite section, Prep Work. The prep work section gave me the low down on how I should allow my kitchen to work for me, and not against me. Starting with creating work stations for much better flow, to essentials on what cookware I truly need, what tools I need to create my masterpieces, to what items should be considered a staple in my cabinets and pantry. Not forgetting about the best optimal solutions for your fridge and freezer.

Now, if this seems like common sense to some, I apologize. For me it was great to dive in and learn what kitchen tools can perform double duty and that I don’t have to have every new hip kitchen tool or appliance that hits the market. I am all for saving money and time.

Yes, don’t worry, the recipes are there! Exactly 365 of them to wet your appetite. From seasonal menus that give you guidance on how to use local, seasonal product to feed you family healthy dishes you can expand out to recipes that fill a plethora of voids - recipes for specific climates, party favorites, to even the PMS week. Trust me, there is a recipe for every possible late night to if the dog ate the main course. There are solutions!

This is a definite must read for every mom that wants to throw frantic out the door and welcome relief back in.

This is an original Simple Home Basic post.