A morning with Gwyneth

So I broke down and bought My Father's Daughter last week. I've been trying to really cut back on any extra spending but when I received an email from Borders for $30% off an item, and they already had it marked %50 off, that was a deal I just couldn't refuse.

I have to say, it has yet to disappoint. I spent Saturday morning making a few recipes from the book and we tried out another last night. It seems she can actually cook. But what I love most about the book are the gorgeous pictures and narrative dialogue throughout. In the beginning she talks about ways to safely and productively get your children involved in the kitchen, her bout with a macrobiotic diet which she now says was subconsciously her way of trying to heal her cancer-stricken father, and encourages you to clean as you go and drink while you cook (amen, sister).

The ingredients are, for the most part, simple and fresh. She is above all a mother, and her goal is to feed her children the healthiest food possible while still making the process enjoyable and tasty. The first thing I made (no surprise here) were the blueberry muffins- the most carby thing I could find within the covers. I LOVE them, and the only sugars in the recipes are maple syrup and agave nectar. They're dense and delicious, and include 2.5 cups of blueberries. Of course, Madelyn won't eat them. I have no idea why. I think it may be because I used frozen instead of the fresh blueberries the recipe called for making the muffins turn blue, or "smurf muffins" as Matt affectionately referred to them. Either way, that just leaves more for me and baby boy. Score.

So far I've made her standby vinaigrette which is truly so good I've sworn off store-bought salad dressing forever, her homemade turkey sausage patties, the smurf muffins, peach bbq chicken, teriyaki salmon and kale chips. The only recipe not in the book is the peach bbq chicken which you can find here along with a few other non-published yummies I plan to make one of these days. Strawberry shortcake sliders? Yes please.

It's been really refreshing to find a healthy cookbook with recipes that use very few ingredients, are truly easy to prepare, and come out delicious. And from a mom who could easily afford to hire someone to feed her family for her, but chooses to approach the process together with them.

You can find a few other recipes, including the blueberry muffins, here.

Eat up!