Prior to having kids, my dinner menu looked something like this:

Monday: bagel

Tuesday: cereal

Wednesday: Chinese food takeout

Thursday: pasta with sauce

Friday: pizza

When our kids were toddlers the menu looked like this:

Monday: mac and cheese

Tuesday: fish sticks

Wednesday: pasta

You get the idea- right?  So for the past year I have made a concerted and somewhat Herculean effort to cook- which (when you have a family) is synonymous with “meal plan”.  I tried the Six O’Clock Scramble and Relish for recipes. Some were wonderful, others were complicated or flavorless. In the end, neither worked. I also bought several cookbooks: The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner (good but filled with too many meat dishes for this vegetarian) and my latest book: Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents

I was given a free copy of this book to review so in truth, I planned on trying a few recipes and prepared myself to be disappointed.  However, I’ve cooked several recipes thus far and each time I have almost effortlessly  “wow-ed” my husband and my kids!

Last night’s dish was Baked Macaroni with Ricotta, Spinach and Mint. Not only did it take a mere 15 minutes to prepare, it was delicious!  We ate half last night and froze the rest for a future meal. (I love when I can do that!)

While the book's title might indicate it is for new parents, it is indeed for BUSY parents, which is for the most part: ALL PARENTS!

AND....in addition to 150 recipes, Koenig offers great tips on such topics as foods to have in the kitchen, cooking in stages and nutritional needs while nursing.  

Try the recipe above and if you like it, grab a copy of it at your local bookstore after February 21st or pre-order now (for a mere $10) on Amazon.