Simple Family-Friendly Recipes for Everyday Home Cooking

This is such an amazing cookbook. The recipes are so simple and delicious that even my most picky eaters love it all. The Green Chili Spinach Enchiladas have become a weekly favorite! The pictures in this book are so well done that I get hungry just flipping through it. I can't imagine life now without this cookbook. Mary, I think you should make a dessert book next ;)

Yesterday I bought my copy in Barnes & Noble after a friend told me about this fantastic cookbook! After my purchase, I drove straight to the grocery store. I sat in the parking lot picking some of the recipes, making a grocery list! Surprisingly, I had most of the staple ingredients called for. So far I have only made Creamy Kielbasa and Broccoli Pasta, but it was a hit with my men ages 49, 19 and 17, as well as me and my little 13 year old daughter. There were no leftovers even though it serves six! I was surprised to find all the fantastic photos were also taken by the author/cook! Amazing! I love the feel of the book... glossy and smooth. It has stays open on its own no matter what page you are on! Perfection for a cookbook! There are also "Cook's Notes" on each recipe that are so helpful. Two thumbs up to Mary Younkin!

The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook by Mary Younkin is the BEST COOKBOOK EVER! Okay, maybe not the best ever, but it is very good and so much better than Slim, Trim, Fake Sugar Mamas and The Use Everything Including Organs Cookbook. Chapters are divided by how long it takes to prepare the meal and each recipe comes with, wait for it.....A FULL PAGE COLOR PHOTOGRAPH. I don't know why every cookbook doesn't do that. It's the one way I can tell if something looks like something I would enjoy eating (i.e. not like vomit or rabbit food). It also shows me if I followed the recipe correctly or not. If my dinner looks similar to the picture, I know I was close enough. If it tastes good, I know it's a recipe I'll make again. I decided to start at the beginning and work my way through. I've already made Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders (tastes like Quiznos, says the kids), Lemon Butter Pasta with Tomatoes, and Italian Herb Chicken Bites. They were all quick, easy, and delicious. I've got the ingredients on hand to make Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Broccoli, Sweet Chipotle Chicken Bites (bites cook quickly, so there are quite a few "bite" recipes), and Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken. It's a good thing too since it is snowing like we live on the North Pole right now and doesn't seem to be stopping. The angle of this book is quick, family-friendly meals, but that doesn't mean that they are unhealthy or based on convenience foods. My pet peeve is recipes that call for a can of soup, a packet of seasoning, or jar of sauce. That's not cooking. That's meal assembly. These recipes call for seasonings, vinegars, and spices already in my pantry but sorely underutilized due to my laziness as a cook. Cooking from scratch is the best way to eat more healthfully and even though these aren't "low fat" or "low carb" meals, they are leaps and bounds better than restaurant or pre-packaged meals. I'm excited to try all the recipes. This is one that will get loose pages and stains for sure.

Getting dinner on the table can be so stressful! This cookbook is packed with delicious and totally approachable recipes for any level of cook. We thoroughly enjoyed the Creamy Balsamic Chicken Skillet and I love that it was ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. I love that it is organized into sections of cooking times. A must- have cookbook for anyone with a kitchen, the entire family is sure to love these delicious recipes. The book also includes lots of beautiful photos!

This cookbook is perfect for the busy individual or family! All the recipes are simple and approachable without being boring. Great for beginner cooks or people with more experience in the kitchen, this cookbook is going to get so much use in my home! You'll easily find the ingredients for all the recipes and almost all recipes come together super quickly. I love the "Cook's Notes" included with many of the recipes -- they're very helpful tips. The author also includes metric measurements for all of her recipes. Great dessert recipes, too! So far I've made the blondies and everyone in my family LOVED them. I know we'll be making them time and time again.

Seriously fantastic. This cookbook is full of basic, every day recipes. I love the simpleness of the ingredients lists and how those "simple" ingredients produce such fantastic tasting dishes. So far, the recipes I have tried are new favorites and have landed in the regular dinner rotation. The addition of the spice mix section and the cook's notes are great added bonuses to make the cooking and prep work even easier.

I can usually find a few recipes I would actually try in other cookbooks because the recipes seem to be too complicated or weird. In Mary Younkin's book, I find page after page of simple, delicious recipes I would actually try, divided in sections according to how much time I have or am willing to put into cooking. I love her section on Condiments and Spices as well, because I'm really picky about the amount of salt and preservatives in the pre-made seasonings I find at the grocery store. I can make my own now and adjust the flavors to my liking. I absolutely LOVE her pictures. Her book hasn't been on the shelf since I got it. I'm always picking it up and leafing through it, enjoying the pictures and her Cook's Notes. This would be a perfect gift for friends and family.

I found this at the local library before purchasing. I really like to try things before spending the money. Most recipes looked like something my family would love. My teen daughter said she could easily pick 10 recipes she would make. I have tried 4 recipes so far and they have been great. I love the format of how long things take to cook. No need to add spicy ingredients the recipes are tasty if you like mild flavors as well. LOVE.

Simple no-fuss recipes my whole family loves (I have 5 kids, getting everyone to eat dinner is no small task!). We loved love loved the egg bake recipe and I've made it 4 or 5 times since because it freezes well and even makes a great quick breakfast. The book is well written, great for families with food restrictions, and the pictures are top notch for every recipe. Must have for all busy mom's who want to feed their family well!

I looooove this cookbook!!! I work full-time, and the last thing I often want to do when I get home is have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This cookbook solves that problem; it specifically targets weeknight dinners, and will get a great meal on the table in less than an hour - some recipes are even less than half an hour. Truly perfect for the weeknight and the busy person, whether mom, dad, grandparent, babysitter, or single person who just needs food on the table NOW. (I never get hangry ... ever ...)

Highly recommended!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher; I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.

Mary made convenient cooking fun again with really wholesome recipes that use real ingredients. There are so many easy recipes, and I love the ones like the Italian Herb Chicken that can be used in so many other recipes! They help piece together a whole week's meals in easy to break down timeframes so you can plan your meals based on how much time you have - genius! Can't wait to cook out of this more!

I've known Mary for year and have enjoyed following her blog. The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook has a great variety of easy to follow with a few ingredients. I love the variety of ingredients used for both dinners and desserts. I love the Hearty All-Day Chili as well as her use of green chili through-out the cookbook in a variety of recipes.

Weeknight dinners are so tricky, but many of the recipes in this book meet all of my criteria for a successful weeknight dinner -- relatively quick, easy, and does not get pushed around the plate by my pickiest child. Thank you for saving our busy weeknights!

I like cookbooks that show pictures. Makes everything more enticing. Nothing too
Complicated. Fast and pretty easy. Great for everyday cooking! Just tried the
Sweet Chipotle Chicken Bites, complex and delicious. Will be a repeat at my dinner table!

We've already made 4 recipes out of this gorgeous cookbook and every single one of them has been a success. I love how the recipes are broken down into time frames, so I can easily pick a recipe that works for the day. You'll love this book!