Back in 2011, I had the honor of interviewing Laurie David, author of The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. At that time, Laurie was better known for her environmental activism and as the executive producer of the Oscar-winning “An Inconvenient Truth,” but she and her co-author, chef Kirstin Uhrenholdt (whom I also interviewed), had created a terrific resource for busy families trying to eat together more often, replete with recipes, tables games, discussion topics and more. If you haven’t yet read it, I encourage you to check it out.
Laurie’s again making news, this time with the pending release (May 9th) of a new documentary about the obesity crisis called Fed Up. Co-executive produced by Katie Couric, the film exposes a decades-long campaign by the food industry to confuse and mislead the public about the factors leading to weight gain, resulting in one of the largest health crises in our history. (I’ve seen a screener of the film, which is excellent, and am honored to be a member of Fed Up‘s advisory board.)
The film concludes with information on how Americans can fight against the obesity tide, and one of the most important pieces of advice is for families to reduce their reliance on restaurants and processed foods by getting back in the kitchen. To that end, Laurie and Kristin have banded together again to create a new book, The Family Cooks: 100+ Recipes Guaranteed to Get Your Family Craving Food That’s Simple, Tasty, and Incredibly Good for You.
The Family Cooks is beautifully photographed and engagingly written in a causal, conversational tone. You feel as though your good friend has dropped over for a glass of wine during dinner prep and is sharing her favorite healthful recipes with you. The book includes useful tips on creating grocery lists, handling picky eaters and planning meals, and many recipes are so easy they’re marked with a “K” for “kids in charge.” You’ll find everything from reliable basics like “Weekday Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic” to more exotic dishes like “Curried Quinoa ‘Risotto.” It’s a great new resource for experienced and novice cooks alike, and I can’t wait to start cooking from it!
And now for the giveaway: one lucky reader can win a free copy of The Family Cooks just by leaving a comment below before 7 pm CST on Monday, April 28th. You can tell me why you’d like to win, your biggest family dinner challenge or you can just say hi. I’ll use a random number generator after the comment period closes to select one lucky winner and if you comment twice (e.g., to respond to another reader’s comment), I’ll use the number of your first comment to enter you in the drawing. I’ll email you directly if you win and announce the winner on TLT’s Facebook page, too. (This offer is open to U.S. residents only.)
Good luck!
[Blogger disclosure: As with most of my book reviews, I received a free copy of this book for my perusal. However, I never accept any other form of compensation for the book reviews you see on The Lunch Tray.]
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Susie Kinsey says
Very excited about this book! I would love to have it! I have actually started a page to bring the “Fed Up” movie closer to my area. I feel that it is VERY important to see it! Thank you!
Mara says
Sounds like great book! I need help getting out of my usual dinner rut!
Amber P says
Hi! I would love to win this book, it sounds amazing!
Melissa says
I just read her other book and I’d love to win this one!
Sue says
Sounds great!
Gretchen says
This looks like just what I need to make more progress on my weeknight dinner recipe project!
Anna says
Can’t wait to read this!
Lisa says
Looks like a great book!
Tracy says
Fun read, no doubt!
Karen says
I’m in!
Tracey says
I’m always looking for good, healthy ideas for dinner and just love cookbooks so thought I’d add my name to the list. I also have a lot of faith in anything Bettina promotes.
Gigi says
I work with low income families on how to spend more meaningful time connecting with their children…this would be a great resource!!
Melissa says
I’d love to win this because I’m tired of cooking the same old things.
Andi Georgsson says
Oooo, sounds good.
Erika says
Looks like a very helpful book. My kids are getti old enough to help more in the kitchen and this sounds like it would be a good book to start with.
Sophia Johnston says
Making healthy meal choices is always a challenge especially when we are traveling. The easy way is to eat out or just have a meal delivered. On the weeks I am home it helps to have a plan and prepare ahead.
Martha says
This looks like a wonderful resource to assist me in serving nutrition to my school children. Again thanks for all you do!
Kristina McCook says
My biggest dinner challenge is that my husband isn’t on board with healthy eating habits.
Would love to win!
Mom in NJ says
Recipes sound interesting. I love the “K” idea.
miranda says
I love new meal ideas
Gary says
looks like a great family book
Bill says
Love this idea!
Ella says
I came across this book the other day while browsing at Chapters… almost bought it, but decided to hold off. Now, after reading reviews, I think that it is a must have! Stunning, mouth-watering photographs (a definite plus for inspiring healthy eating!), and promoting an approach so many more of us should adopt for ourselves and for our families!
Amy says
Looking forward to having a cookbook that engages everyone in the family. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
Donna says
Help me out of my dinner rut!
Jodi Furman says
My biggest dinner challenge? Finding a variety of recipes that I can make safe for my family. We deal with several life threatening food allergies and I get in a rut often. I’d love to have more ideas to work with.
Lacy Willey says
Sound like a great book. I’m excited for the “Kids in charge” recipes.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
The entry period for this giveaway is now closed.