Monthly Archives: September 2011

You may remember, this Summer we reviewed a book about healthy ice pops called, “Ice Pop Joy,” by Anni Daulter.  I was recently sent, Anni’s new cookbook, “The Organic Family Cookbook” to review.  This book is all about growing, greening and cooking together.

Anni Daulter believes that eating organic, fresh, nutritional foods are the key to good health, and that raising children to understand and appreciate this is the key to creating a healthy and happy family.

“When we decide to cook fresh, from‐scratch foods, it does take some time and thoughtful planning, but when you sit down to that meal cooked with such love and care, it makes it all worth it,” said Daulter. “The in‐between moments with our families — cooking, creating, and being together — make up the goodness of life, and nothing tastes better than that!”

The recipes in The Organic Family Cookbook, are wholesome, fun, and kid and family tested, and use ingredients easily obtainable from standard grocers, green markets or a personal garden.

“Anni understands how to cook and share a good meal with those she cares about. She knows that at the heart of a healthy family there is a strong relationship to unadulterated ingredients that come straight from the earth, whether it be from your own garden, farmers’ market, or natural food store,” said Anna Getty, founder of Pregnancy Awareness Month, and an author, cook, educator, and mother.

The book is divided into sections, based on the type of meal or snack the recipes create. These include:

• Naturally Tasty Breakfasts (to start each day off well)
• Simple Snacks (a necessity for every active family)
• Wholesome Lunches (to pack or enjoy at home)
• Savory Sides (tasty, healthy additions to any meal)
• Family Favorite Dinners (for everyday meals and special occasions)
• Homespun Favorites (with homemade staples no one can resist)
• Table of Equivalents

Included in each chapter are sidebars offering tips about the way her family puts these principles into practice, and include everything from starting a garden to grow your own food to tips on turning a kitchen green to making your own, chemical‐free cleaning products. Other sidebars suggest activities the family can do together, alternatives to plastic bags and dishware, recycling tips and much more.

“As inspiring as it is practical, Anni Daulter’s The Organic Family Cookbook combines delicious, healthy recipes for any day of the week with gorgeous photography,” said Pilar Guzman, Editor‐In‐Chief of Martha Stewart Living and co‐founder of Momfilter.com. “It’s also very personal, offering a glimpse into one family’s beautiful — yet relatable — life with food.”

Anni Daulter is an eco‐mama, professional cook, advocate for sustainable living, and author. Anni is the co‐founder of a conscious family living magazine called Bamboo, and is author of Ice Pop Joy andOrganically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies & Toddlers. Anni lives in Los Angeles, California with her family

My Views:

I love gardening, growing things with my family.  It is so wonderful to see the little ones learn how food grows.  My kids love to garden with us. This book is great because it is not just a cookbook, it is a way of life, and it is a way of life that our family cherishes.  I am a huge VitaMixer and we love fruit and veggies.  I normally add things such as ground flax-seed to our green smoothies so I was glad to find it used in so many of her recipes.  Having four very ripe bananas, I decided the first recipe I would try would be the Goodwill Banana Bread.

Goodwill Banana Bread

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons flax-seed

2 teaspoons wheat germ

2 pinches sea salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup raw agave nectar

1/2 cup pure cane sugar

2 eggs beaten

4 overripe bananas mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, flax-seed, wheat germ, salt and walnuts.

In another bowl, mix together butter, agave nectar, and sugar.  Stir in eggs and bananas until blended.

Combine banana mixture into flour mixture and stir just until mixed.  Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Bake for about 1 hour, until edges are golden brown an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before removing from pan.

Makes 1 loaf

I used ground flax-seed and substituted honey for the agave nectar.  It came out so great, it was really moist and delicious.  I will definitely be using this as our banana bread recipe from now on.

I can’t wait to try the Nurturing Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan Crisps using the butternut squash we grew in our garden.  I am definitely trying the Fall Pumpkin Spiced Cookies as well, we love making cookies with pumpkin in the Fall.  I highly recommend this cookbook and it has a wealth of information about different flours, kids composting, veggie dyed eggs for Easter and much more.

I am thrilled to let you all know that Sellers Publishing and Anni Daulter are sponsoring a give-away on Mommy Ramblings.  2 lucky blog readers will win their own copy of  “The Organic Family Cookbook.”  Thank you Sellers Publishing and Anni Daulter for the review cookbook and for sponsoring this great give-away on Mommy Ramblings.  Open to US and Canadian Residents.

“The Organic Family Cookbook” Give=Away on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Mandatory Entry: Go to Sellers Publishing, Inc’s Website and let me know another book or product you like. Leave your answer in a comment on this post.  (If this entry is not done, all others will be deleted.)

Extra Entries-Make sure to leave a separate comment for each one or they will not count.

1. Like Mommy Ramblings on Facebook, and leave me a comment here that you did.

2. Follow Mommy Ramblings on Twitter, and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.

3. Subscribe to Mommy Ramblings by email and leave me a comment here that you did.

4.Vote for Mommy Ramblings on Picket Fence Blogs (Button is on the side of our blog, “We’re on the Fence) and leave me a comment here you did.  (You can do this every day for an extra entry, just make sure you leave a comment.)

5. Vote for Mommy Ramblings on Top Mommy Blogs (button is on the side of our blog) and leave me a comment here that you did.  (You can do this every day for an extra entry, just make sure you leave a comment.)

6. Post this give away on your Facebook status and leave me a comment here that you did.  (You can do this every day for an extra entry, just make sure you leave a comment.)

7. Tweet this give-away on Twitter and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.  (You can do this every day for an extra entry, just make sure you leave a comment.)

8. Like Blueberry Hill Photography on Facebook and leave me a comment here that you did.

Good Luck Everyone!!!  Give Away Ends October 26th at 12am EST.  Winners will be selected by Random.org.