Years ago, I read through all of Rachael Ray’s 365 something-or-other cookbook. I made a standard pantry list. I could cook almost anything in the book on the spur of the moment. My pantry was massive! And Rachael didn’t really help with breakfast or lunch. Also, I found out I was unable to digest grains. And milk. And sugar. Rachael had to leave. 🙁
Fast forward to today. I have teenagers. I am not the only cook in my home. My daughter cooks. My husband cooks. And if an ingredient is something that could be eaten alone, like corn chips for a Wednesday taco salad, grazers will get it well before then. So, if I do go buy ingredients for a set meal plan, I can’t guarantee that those ingredients will be there on Thursday for lunch, or Friday dinner, or whatever. I drooped into a cooking slump.
Then I ran across Mystie Winkler’s Ebook Simplified Pantry . I got the whole collection.
Then I begged her to do a review and giveaway. Here’s why:
- She uses a standard pantry of SANE shelf-stable ingredients, not fresh Asiago, fennel, or other nonsense.
- Every recipe uses the pantry. So if one of my “cooks” killed the zucchini or the salsa yesterday, I can easily make a new plan and still have dinner on the table without yelling or hoarding ingredients.
- It’s not fake stuff. “From scratch” seems like a pain until you realize how easy most things are and that you don’t have to buy separate ingredients. I don’t bake sandwich bread these days, but the “quick breads” are only 5 minutes faster from a can than from the base ingredients. And with the base ingredients, I have more flexibility.
- It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With my diet, I only cook breakfast and lunch for the kids. I eat dinner leftovers in the early afternoon after I wear out the pot of coffee. So, dinner is grain, dairy, and sugar-free–but nothing else has to be. Wait, we ALL have ADD. I replace all of her sugar in the breakfasts with stevia. Otherwise, no one would ever get their math done.
- It’s standard recipes with variations.
Let’s hang on that last one for a sec. Back in the day when I first got married….
…Daisy taught me how to make standard recipes over the phone. Salad dressings has this much oil, this much acid, this much herb or spice, and a shot of emulsifier, like dry mustard. Pasta salads had this much protein, this much veg, this much of a “strong flavor” like goat cheese or kalamata olives, etc. She did the same for encrusting fish and a couple of other things. It was genius!
Mystie’s recipes are the same way. There’s a STANDARD macaroni and cheese recipe. Then there are variations. There’s a standard “Breakfast pudding” recipe, and then the variations. (We tried the chocolate version today, four kids’ thumbs up, one down.) I found this worked well with my picky eaters who won’t try anything. Here’s the SAME thing, but vanilla. They try it every time. Weird.
I highly recommend this collection, especially if you are in a breakfast-lunch rut like I was. If you haven’t cooked in ages, the initial outlay to get your pantry up to date might be substantial, but upkeep is minimal, since ingredients are common, readily-available USA ingredients.
This week, everyone who comments on this post will be in the giveaway.
It closes on Tuesday, March 1 at midnight. A random number generator will pick the winner.
All readers will still get a coupon code, so check back on Thursday morning for your discount!
Looks like a great book, very helpful and realistic.
This is how I cook but my menu could use a shot in the arm with some new choices. My family would be thrilled!
Sounds good, count me in, Thanks
Oh thank you! Grain, egg, sugar free and it still can work? I am in!
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to check it out!
A less frustrating way? I’m in!
Just when I thought I couldn’t get anymore thrilled with your blog than the garden planning, you pull this out of your hat! I have been trying to do something like this, but am easily side-tracked when i see new recipes. I love the idea of an organized, well-stocked pantry!
Sounds realistic!
Looks like what I need to get out of my cooking slump!
Very cool, I’m always for new things, and ingredients easily accessible, sound like a dream!
I am always looking for new ways to cook.
Interesting, I have a shelf full of cookbooks too complicated or specific to be useful day to day. Would be nice to finally have a practical one!
Sounds like a great cookbook. Love to see it!
WOW! What a great find. I make just about everything from scratch and I’m always looking for new ideas so this would be the perfect book to have. Thanks!
This sounds just like what I need. My pantry tends to be too large and I would love to pare it down to the essentials. Plus I’m in a breakfast and lunch rut too!
Let’s try again…. Ha! I can so relate on hiding ingredients from the “snackers”!!!
That sounds great. I’ve been in a rut cooking lately too.
Now I’m interested in checking out this cookbook! Thanks for the tip.
Interesting recipes; lots of flesh- cooking- yikes!
I love Little House in the Suburbs!
I need this kind of simplicity!
I love cookbooks. I’m always looking for the perfect one. Thanks for the chance to win.
I want in, I’m always looking for a better way.
This cookbook sounds like a godsend. I feel like I’ve run out of ideas as to what to make for dinner and then not having the ingredients. I need this book 🙂
I love your honesty! I’m excited to learn more about these cookbooks.
Sounds interesting! I’d love to check it out.
Would love it!
Ahhhhhh….so good
Would love the cookbook. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Now I’m interested in this cookbook. Could use an update in my eating habits
Looks like a great cookbook! Thanks for the chance to win a copy, I would love it!
Love the photo. Reminds me of my grandma!
Thank you. I struggle in the kitchen so hopefully this will help.
I want this book in the worst possible way!! sometimes I just want to go through my pantry and cook but my favorite recipes always need something from the store. Ugh!!
Cooking has become such a chore. I can’t wait to try this.
Looks like something I could really use ! I’m always looking for a way to make things easier .
This is just the kind of cookbook I could use. There is nothing like a well stocked pantry. Thanks
I love new cookbooks–please, oh please!!
This is an easy read for a 71-year old great grandmother. (smile0 I’m in.
Awesome, thank your for this opportunity!
Thanks! 🙂
wow, sounds like an awesome cookbook. I can relate to the ‘missing’ ingredients too 🙂
I could use this cookbook! Thank you.
Thanks for making me aware of this.
I love this. Please count me in!
I’d love to try this! Thank you for the opportunity!
I seem to get in a cooking rut often! I am trying to simplify our life and use healthy local foods when I can. There are only 2 of us and sometimes we like to change things up and try something new. This sounds like a great option!
Sounds great! I would love this.
like it cool
Thanks for sharing! Great suggestions.
I’d love to try!
I have been cooking for almost 45 years and am always looking for good, simple ideas! Helping to raise my grandchildren after an empty nest of 15 years so meals to please are a challenge with picky eaters! Love your Blog and Website!
I would love to try this! We always have the problem of what was for dinner was ate out of the pantry several days before unbeknownst to mom. This would be a great addition to our cookbooks.
Blessings,
Michelle
This book looks fabulous. So important in budeting time and money to utilize what is in my pantry and know how to shop to fill a pantry.
If I could get myself organized enough to read and buy the pantry items, this would be good for me. Yeah, put me in the hat!
Sounds very neat!
That looks like the perfect book for my daughter-in-law. She told me she is still learning how to put a meal together on time and with what she has on hand. I’ve given her some of my favorite cookbooks but they don’t teach those skills.
Would love to have a pantry like the two women in the top photo! Simple, Frugal, Wholesome, Basics are good. It sounds like what I do already – but there are always tips to be learned and pass on to our sons and daughters.
I haven’t heard of this cookbook but sounds right up my alley! I’m dairy free, low sugar and try to not each many grains, too, so I’m looking forward to adding this little gem to my collection.
What a great post! I love the sound of this book, as I am a pantry-stocking maniac.
I NEED THESE BOOKS!!!
I’m something of a prepper, and it sounds like these cookbooks might help me to use what’s already in my pantry. I hope I win!!
Breakfast and lunch I can figure out – dinner, no clue. Sign me up!
I need some inspiration. A couple of years of working full time and then some has left our eating habits in shambles. I need to get back to simple, homemade, real food! These books sound like just the ticket without being overwhelming.
Sounds like a great book!
After being married for over 53 years maybe this is the miracle book I’ve been looking for. Thank you for the opportunity to win it!
i think this book would be great my my youngest two. they tend to prefer meals de-constructed rather than mixed together or however the meals come.
This book sounds amazing! My husband is such a picky eater.
This sounds awesome – I tend to repeat the same 8 or so recipes. All. The. Time. It would be great to have variations!
I’d love to try this books! I’m a mom to 4 boys, 2 of them teens. I’m always looking for easy meal and snack ideas! 🙂
This sounds very interesting!
This sounds perfect for me. I am constantly having to figure out what I have to use on place of some specialty ingredient. I like to work with basics.
I need this!!! Planning meals is a constant
drain of energy. Thank you so much for posting, Ivory.
I have 3 boys and am often scrambling with what to feed them. This sounds great.
This book sounds like what I need! I was also a RR fan & got the mag regularly. Then one day I woke up & thought “how many burger recipes do I possibly need?” And then I promptly cancelled the subscription.
I’d be up for some new recipees. Being doing mostly paleo for several months and have lost over 10 lbs and feeling soooo much better 🙂
That’d be lovely. Around here, it is always basic cooking. and I would love to have a pantry like that. My mother had one.
This sounds like a lovely read! Whether I win this or not, I’m still really interested!
Sounds wonderful. Goats kidding in three weeks, then time to milk so this would be great to add to my kitchen.!
Sounds very interesting and helpful for meal times–thanks for the chance.
I love to keep things simple. Well, really I have to keep things simple with being a homeschool mom of 4 young kids. Her books sound like something I would love!
Sounds very interesting!
It sounds like a great collection.
This sounds really practical! I’d love to try her recipes.
I’m always looking for better ways to get food on the table. This book sounds like it would be a great help.
Please put my name in the hat. Always need help with “what’s for dinner”. Thanks!
Sounds like a great plan. I am in a rut as to planning breakfast, lunch and dinner. I sure could use some help.
Sounds like a great set of ideas. I love that normal pantry items are used.
I am a mom of 1 teenage and 2 tween age boys that love to eat. This sounds like the perfect way to keep my sanity and feed them wholesome food that I can feel good about. I would love to give it a try.
I teach kids how to prepare meals on a budget, this would be an awesome tool!
This sounds like a wonderful book. I know how to make quite a bit from scratch, but I’m sure I could learn from this book – especially when it comes to the variations.
Simple is better. I really love cooking, but with a part-time job and three children, food has got to be fast and easy these days, unless I slow cook. I would love to win. Plus I love reading cookbooks.
Thanks for the encouragement to plan ahead. I needed that. I love looking at cookbooks since I don’t have the courage to cook without one. Love your wedding photo.
Simple recipes are always the best. I would love to give these a try.
Sounds awesome! I’d love to try it!
I would like to try this cookbook.
I would love to win this book and have on organized pantry like the photo above!!
Since my DH and I have both retired, I am now in charge of coming up with 3 meals a day, and running out of ideas. Could really use some help!
My pantry really does look like your picture…I just need to be reminded what to do with everything in my beautifully bottled food.
Sounds like my kind of cookbook! Variations are a great way to make old recipes seem new.