The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner: Easy Family Meals for Every Day of the Week

by Liz Edmunds

Deciding what to make is always the most wearisome part of preparing a meal. But unlike other books that offer only good-looking recipes, this cookbook offers a revolutionary template for scheduling fun food themes for each night of the week—Monday is comfort food night, Tuesday is Italian night, Wednesday is fish night, and so on. With readily available ingredients in mind, this handy collection also provides fun and delicious recipes appropriate for every theme—hungry kids will look forward to a family dinner at home, especially when they know what to expect! Complete with tips to help every parent get organized, equip the kitchen, supply the pantry, involve other family members in the preparations, and forge family bonds around the dinner table—this book arrives family-tested and kid-approved.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Parenting, Food, Self Help

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book from the library as we've watched this show on TV and I was interested to see what the cookbook was like. It is presented very well, beginning with basics, not only introducing her philosophy but also helping explain how you can overcome roadblocks to having family dinners and also presenting the basics of cooking (which is one of the roadblocks she mentions). Her format is planning for 2 weeks at a time with consistent theme nights so it makes the meal planning easier. Her cookbook is set up according to her sample theme nights. There are some really great simple and even fancier meals in this book. There are also sections on snacks, salads, sides, and even breakfast for dinner (which could also be, um, breakfast). There are also sample conversation starters on each recipe page, to help you get meaningful conversations going with your kids and family.

I got this book from the library and had it for a while during a move, so I wasn't able to use it as much as I would have liked, but I did finally take the time to sit down and read through her philosophy and go over the recipes before I had to return it. It is definitely one that I would love to get and I would definitely recommend to any family. There are 2 bread recipes and a Louisiana pork roast that I really want to try!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching a few episodes of The Food Nanny, I was intrigued, so I decided to pick up her book at the library. She emphasizes how important it is for people to eat dinner together as a family each night, and she has a simple plan for making that happen. The concept is simple: assign each day of the week a food "theme." Why didn't I think of that? It is tiring trying to plan meals week after week, but it is a lot easier when you have a starting point. When you know that every Tuesday is Italian night, it really simplifies the decision-making. This way of organizing has made it easier for me to plan dinner consistently, and I've recommitted to dinner with my family. I've only tried one recipe so far, but it was a keeper. Even if you don't care for the recipes, the concept is invaluable.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of really helpful ideas, including implementing theme nights to guide meal planning. Originally published in 2008, I read the updated version printed in 2021. It feels pretty dated, though, with amateur photographs (which fit the homestyle cooking vibe), recipes that aren't overly worried about macros, and dishes that are very familiar (dated). One of the things that I disliked about the book was that many of the recipes call for processed foods like bottled dressing, or for partial ingredients, like 1/4 of an onion and 1/2 of a pepper for an entire batch of soup. If a cookbook is going to ask for half of anything, it should also direct you to recipes that use up the other half. I also found the servings to be off. Feeding a large family, I need to really pay attention to that to ensure I have cooked enough food for everyone. A "10-cup" soup made 6-7 cups. For me, this book is not a keeper. I could see it being a lifesaver for a frazzled young mom whose life is getting busy with kids and needs a system.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The food nanny answers the practical question of “What am I going to make for dinner tonight” with easy real-life recipes that may family of 7 actually eats!! She teaches how to incorporate a schedule when planning what to make:
Monday: Comfort Food
Tuesday: Italian Night
Wednesday: Fish and Meatless
Thursday: Mexican Night
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Grill night
Sunday: Family traditions
While I don’t incorporate this plan the same way, it’s really helped to follow certain aspects of it! (I.e. Taco Tuesday is our Mexican night)

Thanks to Liz’s tips, I’ve started menu planning and saved $500/month in food costs in February and $300 in March! And if I don’t plan ahead, I can quickly turn to this book to find a quick simple idea for what to make for dinner.
I love her pizza dough recipe! My kids actually beg for that over Pizza Hut now!
I’ve never used a recipe book more!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Cookbook! My daughter told me about the authors daughter and her cookbook “For the Love of Kamut”. I became a big fan and make Kamut bread and cookies often. Anyway, following Lizi on Instagram I learned about her mom the Original Food Nanny, bought the cookbooks and am hooked! Recipes are so easy to follow, ingredients are often on hand and the flavor is amazing. The portions aren’t huge either which I really appreciate not having a ton of leftovers!

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a colossal waste of money. This is the book if you have never cooked in your life. She tells you how to make a salad!! Put lettuce in bowl, put in veggies you like, add dressing. Really?? Have you ever been in a kitchen? Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!

[Kelly Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge fan. Love the meal nights.

[Sarah Rowbotham · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE RECIPES ARE BUSSIN

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than a cookbook, Liz Edmunds promotes family togetherness during mealtimes. The meals are easy to make and are delectable, but are heavy. She says they only have dessert once per week and on birthdays and they only take one helping at dinnertime. I gained about six pounds since cooking exclusively from her book. It was a delicious exchange, nevertheless, I try to tone down the white flour and butter and cheese that is copiously used.

I like her snippet ideas at the bottom of each recipe for conversation starters. The whole purpose of family dinner is for the family to be talking and bonding.

I love her pizza dough recipe and the carbonara. YUM!

[Rosanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cook book! I bought it only a few weeks ago. I love her recipes, but I mostly completely agree with her philsophy about dinner and eating together. Although I try to plan out most meals, I really love her suggestions about planning meals according to a theme. It sounds like a big deal, but it is not. I really believe it helps me when I make the grocery list. I love her italian bread recipe and so many others also!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! I love the meal planning ideas in this book. They are simple and can be implemented immediately. The recipes are wonderful as well, although some are very high in fat and salt- maybe that's why my kids like them so much! I was definitely in a dinner rut, panicing each day at 4:30 pm, wondering what to make, and this book has helped get me out of that rut. Love the TV show on BYU tv as well!

[Amanda Blazzard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Liz and I love her recipes! She is truly an amazing person whom I adore. I can make any of the recipes in her cook book with full confidence that it will turn out fabulous! The ingredients are, for the most part, extremely basic and affordable. If you read this book like a novel you will glean a great deal of information on the food itself and most importantly how to improve your home situation at dinner time. Definatly a priceless investment for so many reasons!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love her focus on the importance of family dinner. Feeding your family is really about love! She outlines her program of coming up with theme nights to plan meals. So Monday is Italian night, Tuesday is Mexican and so on. This helps to automate dinner planning. This book also provides some great recipes to go along with each suggested theme. You can also get a lot of this info on her website.

[Louise Hartvigsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cook book with an interesting premise. I agree with the author that providing healthy meals and eating together with your family are important. Her system for planning menus makes a lot of sense, using a theme for each day of the week. There is a wide variety of accessible recipes for families. I've already tried a few. I'm even tempted to make something more involved, like rolls. I borrowed the book from my mother; the author lives in her LDS stake.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently watched the Food Nanny on BYU tv and enjoyed her baking bread segment. She gave some good tips on the show. I checked out her book from the library and my family has loved all of the recipes I have made from this book so far. I wish I could have gotten my breadsticks to rise a little better though. I love the simple ingredients and I love when she has ideas on how to cut out some of the calories on the meals. Thanks for getting me out of my cooking in the kitchen rut.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great book for those trying to start eating as a family. She reminds that it is more than just nutrition but togetherness, family traditions and communication. She gives great ideas about planning menus so that it is not overwhelming. I plan on trying 10-15 of these recipes soon. Most of these recipes are meant to be child friendly which is nice for a change though not many all-in-one recipes.

[Newmoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a gourmet cookbook, but this is a family style cookbook using ingredients that are common to any grocery store. It teaches a new cook great basics, pizza dough, bread, rolls, simple Mexican meals, simple Italian meals and throws in some comfort food, too. It is a helpful resource for getting back on track to cooking for your family every night of the week after you've been out of the loop with a new baby etc.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I haven't read this but my wife has and it has changed our lives. My wife makes these awesome calendars, does most the grocery shopping once a month and we get to eat the most amazing food. Lots of her recipes come from the book, others don't but her system seems great!

Yes, I know I shouldn't rate a book without reading it (though I have made several recipes) but I'm making an exception for this one. Awesome!

[Emily Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I love the whole premise of having family dinner. She recommends having themed nights, so the family always knows- it's Wednesday, Italian night- what to expect for dinner. It also is a life saver for menu planning- and therefore grocery shopping. I'm excited to try her program and her recipes!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book rocks! i loved it. my mother-in-law brought it to me in the hospital with Ryan and I read it through it and loved it. The concept is really similar to how i plan our family menu, but i got a lot of great ideas, new recipes and loved her take on family dinner time. this is a fabulous cook book!

[Sara ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

January 11, 2010

The pizza dough is still a favorite (and the super-easy pizza sauce is great, too! I'll never buy pizza sauce again!). I also really love the crescent rolls. I made them for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

July 24, 2009

So far, I've loved every recipe I've made out of this cookbook, especially the pizza dough! Yummm!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is partly a cookbook and partly a self-help book. I know how to cook but have never enjoyed it. This book was motivating for someone like me. I see the necessity of cooking good food and making dinner time more enjoyable. If you hate spending time cooking a dinner that takes only 10 minutes to eat, this book is for you.

[Daphne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some good recipes that I would like to try. If I didn't already do much of what she writes about I would give this 4 stars. She really has some practical suggestions for bringing your family together for meals and making meal planning easy and not so much a chore

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy do I need someone to rescue dinner right now! I can't wait to try some of her recipes. Catch The Food Nanny's show on BYUTV Thursdays at 8 pm--seriously she is such an inspiration for improving our family dinner time!

[JaNeise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a new fixture in my kitchen and has added new favorites to our otherwise tired menu. Now when I put dinner on the table my boys ask, "Is this from the Food Nanny?" Happy to be planning my meals again!!

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've tried many recipes so far an all but 2 are delicious. My family loves the food I cook from here and all here recipes contain ingredients that are readily available in your cupboards. Nothing fancy.

[Evaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her! I hope I am that cute of a grandma :) Her show on BYU TV is great and this book sums up her philosophy along with a bunch of recipes. I've used her theme nights meal planning idea for over a year now and it has made my life so much easier.

[lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good hints about healthy eating (a lot of common sense advice, but always good to hear again) but not one of the recipes sounded like something I would feed my family, and the pictures looked so creepy and dated.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This came highly-rated from a couple friends. I haven't cooked many things from the recipes yet, but it is an interesting take on how to organize and plan dinners.