Thursday, May 3, 2012

I Am Woman! - And a Mother's Day Giveaway!

"There was a bizarre perfume commercial that ran on TV throughout the late seventies and eighties that must have made many women cringe. The ad presented its own view of the liberated woman: She was someone who was not only able to bring home the bacon, but also able to fry it up in a pan, all the while never, never letting her partner “forget he’s a man.” It popped into my mind as I was scraping cheese off the bottom of the toaster oven." writes Katie Workman in her introduction to her recently released The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket!

There have actually been a number of commercials that have referred to that song over the years.  The first time Grandma heard that song was on the Sonny & Cher show way back in the 70's.  It went something like this remake, though Raquel was more voluptuous in the original and there was much less of Cher.  (The orignal was also even funnier!)


 

That idea, that woman could "do it all" - have marvelous careers, be great mothers, keep an immaculate house and serve their loving husband's every need - was first presented to my generation of women along with equal rights and "women's lib." Funny how that worked out. My daughter's generation isn't much more "liberated" than mine was, they've actually ended up with fewer rights in many ways and have lost none of the old floor-scrubbing, meal-making, child-tending responsibilities along with their "gainful employment."  It has become almost a criminal offense in some circles to be a stay-at-home mother.  Lest you think anything has changed on the You-Can-Do-It-All front, have a look at this commercial from 2008:








Recognize that tune?  That's the theme from the show about the woman who really could "Do It All"



Too bad the rest of us can't just wiggle our noses and be done in a flash!  Which brings me back to Katie Workman's book.

Back in March Katie's publisher made a sample of The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket available as a Kindle.  I reviewed it and not long afterwards heard from Katie's publisher, asking if I would like a copy of the entire book to review.  Of course I jumped at the chance!

As luck would have it, the publisher contacted me just as I was moving to new digs.  I sent him my new address, but then got busy moving and unpacking and putzing around arranging things and didn't notice for several weeks that the book hadn't arrived.  Eventually, I did notice though and so I wrote to the publisher.  Would you believe that FedEx claimed they left the book on the front porch on the day before I moved in, the same day that the router for the internet I would be most unhappy without arrived?  Funny, I got the router, but there was no book . . . . .  so, the publisher sent me another copy and I've been busy reading every word and even cooking a few things from the book.

And then two nights ago my son-in-law came by at nearly 9 pm with my laundry and right outside my apartment door what did he find but an envelope with my name on it . . . . . .  and there was the missing book!  (Funny FedEx didn't even knock!)  So, now Grandma has two copies.  Since Grandma doesn't need two copies, with the kind permission of the publisher she's going to give the other one away!

Here's the prize:




From the description:
Introducing the lifesaving cookbook for every mother with kids at home—the book that solves the 20 most common cooking dilemmas. What’s your predicament: breakfast on a harried school morning? The Mom 100’s got it—Personalized Pizzas are not only fast but are nutritious, and hey, it doesn’t get any better than pizza for breakfast. Kids making noise about the same old lunch? The Mom 100’s got it—three different Turkey Wraps, plus a Wrap Blueprint delivers enough variety to last for years.

Katie Workman, founding editor in chief of Cookstr.com and mother of two school-age kids, offers recipes, tips, techniques, attitude, and wisdom for staying happy in
the kitchen while proudly keeping it homemade—because homemade not only tastes best, but is also better (and most economical) for you. The Mom 100 is 20 dilemmas every mom faces, with 5 solutions for each: including terrific recipes for the vegetable-averse, the salad-rejector, for the fish-o-phobe, or the overnight vegetarian convert. “Fork-in-the-Road” variations make it easy to adjust a recipe to appeal to different eaters (i.e., the kids who want bland and the adults who don’t). “What the Kids Can Do” sidebars suggest ways for kids to help make each dish.


How to Enter:


First, read  Grandma's Review.

Then, leave a comment below telling Grandma what your favorite tip or recipe for "doing it all" is.  How do you cope with being a working mother? Or how did you?  You do not need to be a mother to enter.  This would make a great gift for a daughter, a niece, etc.   Also be sure to mention why you want the book.

You can get an extra entry by leaving a comment on Grandma's Review.

Do feel free to share with all of your friends.


That's it.  Grandma will draw the winner the day after Mother's Day (May 14, 2012) using random.org.
Best of luck - and I can't wait to hear from you all!

8 comments:

  1. We are alwalys looking for ideas on what to fix and The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket may have our answers. Anything that can help cooks of all ages is welcome to all of us. I can't wait to see and try some of the recipes....if only my Kindle could cook. MnM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for leaving a comment. There is just one problem. You didn't leave me an email address, so I have no way to contact you if you win. Email addresses do not show - just whatever name you use with it. It goes in the "URL" box for some reason or other.

      Wish my Kindle could cook too. I like to throw my iPad into a heavy duty zipper freezer bag and take it into the kitchen that way. Then I can use it as a cookbook without worrying about getting junk all over it.

      Delete
  2. My best tip is "waiting greens" - when we get home and everybody is frazzled with hunger and I am even more so, I tend to whip out carrots and cucumber and baby tomatos. Chop chop and serve with a bowl of hummus (always some in the fridge) and I can take the time to cook a proper diner to serve late - and have a nice cup of tea first...

    ReplyDelete
  3. When I was a working mom, and had three stepkids under 12 at home, the way we resolved "what's for dinner" was a weekly schedule. On Saturday at breakfast, before grocery shopping, numbers 1-5 went into the bag, and we each drew a number, youngest to oldest. #1 decided what we had to eat Monday, usually picking the main dish (ground beef, chicken, pork, ham, turkey) and the side dish(es) (one veggie must be in the choice and no more than one type of bread). #2 got Tuesday and so forth. I could always count on my youngest to request lasagna (hence his nickname of Garfield) with garlic bread and green beans. The other two were more adventurous, and even started borrowing cookbooks from "grandma" (my mom) to expand their choices. Person who picked that night's dinner also had to load the dishwasher and wash any dishes that didn't go in the dishwasher (which kept pots and pans used to a reasonable level). Saturdays were usually grilled burgers and hot dogs after a day spent in the pool, or possibly pizza if the weather was horrible. Sundays were the days that I made a more-involved dinner, like a roast or turkey (leftovers used during the week, if not by kids' choices then by the adult choices!). Everyone had to try three small bites of anything they claimed to "hate" and if they couldn't eat the main dish (which only happened once, they couldn't stomach the orange marmalade sauce on the chicken), they were allowed to make a PB&J sandwich and bring it to the table to continue eating with the family. I never claimed to do it all; I required the kids to help with laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning, and if they wanted to, they could help with prep in the kitchen on the night of their meal pick.

    ReplyDelete
  4. During the week, dinner is always hectic, and it is always hard to come up with quick meals for the kids that are filling, yet healthy. I go to school full-time, so it is hard to always feel up to cooking. Thankfully, I have a fiance that picks up the slack for me when Super Mom feels like hanging up her cape. We will usually make the "meat" of the meal the night before...Then that just leaves sides that have to be fixed near dinner time. That generally cuts prep and cook time down a TON. Doing this has been a lifesaver because I want me kids to live on more than PB&J and bologna!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is the comment that Marg left, minus the personal bit I couldn't figure out how to get rid of! Thanks Marg!

      Grandma,

      My favorite tip for trying to 'do it all' is to stop the madness and quit trying to be everything to everyone. I'm fairly close to you in age I think (I'm 62) and we both know that the idea of being able to do it all is totally unrealistic.

      Women need to take a break and realize that the expectations put on us (and those we put on ourselves) are out of line. We need to support one another in learning to live with imperfection. I think that is the best thing we can do for ourselves and for all women.

      As for a tip for saving time...if you have children who are over 12, have them help with meal preparation. By the time my kids were that age they were making simple meals like hot dogs or cooking the spaghetti, using the meat sauce I had prepared the day before. Kids need a sense of belonging and also a sense of contributing and this is one way to provide that.

      Marg

      Delete
  6. AND THE WINNER IS - Ketta! Congratulations Ketta! Please email me with your shipping info so I can send your book out. Enjoy! Thanks everyone!

    ReplyDelete

Grandma loves to hear from her visitors. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.