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!