Cookbook Giveaway - Mad Hungry Family

November 6, 2016·Jenny

Mad Hungry Family: 120 Essential Recipes to Feed the Whole Crew by Lucinda Scala Quinn joins her other titles: Mad Hungry, Feeding Men & Boys and Mad Hungry Cravings to complete the Mad Hungry trifecta.

I am a fan of Lucinda's books and her approach to feeding those we love which is basically a no-nonsense, buckle down and get it done philosophy. In this title, she provides all the tools necessary to accomplish the job of getting dinner on the table - but more importantly how to teach yourself how to cook well. Lucinda's recipes are approachable, easy to follow and not complicated - all while delivering tasty, flavorful meals.

You can read more about this book and try two recipes that can be dinner tonight for your family on our review and recipe post. We are pleased to offer three copies of this title to our EYB Members in the U.S.

One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post:

When cooking for the family what is your biggest challenge?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends December 8th, 2016.

60 comments

infotropNovember 6, 2016

While I cook day-to-day for just two people, my husband has a *huge* family with many pot luck meals, so I'm always looking for tasty recipes for a crowd.

athomas10November 6, 2016

Finding enough time to actually sit down and eat the meal together. Too often, someone is reheating or eating before dinner.

Rosesrpink50November 6, 2016

Thinking ahead and planning out my meals for the week and then sticking to it.

sgumpNovember 6, 2016

I must agree with meggan, since I've got to deal with spice-tolerance levels all across the board.

laurieskNovember 6, 2016

My biggest challenge is keeping the necessary ingredients on hand or using up the ingredients I already have.

jr0717November 6, 2016

I'm always looking for use of the same ingredients in new ways, as some members of the family aren't adventurous or open to expanding their palate. That said, some fresh spins on the same proteins, starches, and veggies that usually hit the table would be great!

jaburgNovember 7, 2016

There are only 2 of us, but when I have company it's trying to serve a fabulous dinner and have it look effortless.

lgroomNovember 6, 2016

Yes, everyone has a level of too spicy. And I like it the most spicy so I can't be a very good judge of taste while cooking. It'ss all to bland for me.

mcrimminsNovember 6, 2016

I have an empty nest so I find it a challenge not to cook too much food. This is especially hard as I love to cook and bake. I'm always feeding my neighbors.

alirovNovember 7, 2016

I'm used to cooking for just two so it's a challenge getting portions right and cooking enough food when I cook for a large gathering.

megganNovember 6, 2016

Satisfying all level of spice tolerance!

bfg67November 7, 2016

not too much of a challenge! we love cooking as a family and all eating together. at the moment eating is a challenge as we have a 3 week old baby!

vicksterNovember 7, 2016

Planning and trying to use the ingredients I already have in my freezer and cupboard.

amylou61November 7, 2016

My biggest challenge is coming up with new recipes to make that don't use too many ingredients that I wouldn't normally use. Too many recipes require "extra" ingredients that I would use only once.

lhudsonNovember 8, 2016

Cooking for two, with my 3 grown children (all boys) out on their own it been hard to scale down the amount of food I cook,

gjelizabethNovember 7, 2016

My biggest challenge came when my elder daughter became a vegetarian at 12. We respected her choice but the rest of us remained omnivores. I was committed to producing meals that we could eat together without anyone feeling left out. This meant substantial vegetarian dishes along with meat dishes that could be entrees or sides. We ate family style and everyone filled their plate from the serving dishes as they saw fit. She remains a remarkably tolerant vegetarian today 25 years later.

kayanelsonNovember 7, 2016

The biggest challenge is staying away from mushrooms as some members of the family don't like it. But they used to not like lemon as a seasoning and now they see how it enhances the flavor of certain things. So there's still hope.

Joy001November 7, 2016

Deciding what to make...

TheSpicedLifeNovember 8, 2016

This is pretty sad but my biggest challenge is getting myself on their schedule. I prefer to sleep in, eat later, have a late lunch, etc....

TeruskaNovember 8, 2016

The biggest issue is to satisfy everyone's diet and preferences.

rchesserNovember 8, 2016

Getting everyone to eat the same meal, sometimes I'm making two or three different things for the same meal.

annmartinaNovember 8, 2016

As much as I love to cook, sometimes just finding the energy at the end of the day.

PennyGNovember 7, 2016

Hope this doesn't sound horrible, but I like to cook by myself! I'm set in my ways ...

milgwimperNovember 9, 2016

Planning, and consistency.

edyenicoleNovember 10, 2016

Making something everyone will enjoy.

sarahawkerNovember 11, 2016

Both working around the picky eater and fitting in actual meals around sports and afterschool activities.

SiegalNovember 11, 2016

My biggest challenge is picky eaters

DFedNovember 11, 2016

Time, always time! I'm learning more and more I've got to prep on the weekends for the week ahead!

juazellaNovember 13, 2016

Planning instead of just throwing everything together takes time

ballenNovember 9, 2016

Planning a meal that will appeal to the varying tastes.

ChefScarlettNovember 10, 2016

trying new and different recipes without breaking the bank

pandapotamusNovember 11, 2016

food allergies!

cheftina888November 12, 2016

Definitely finding something that will please everyone especially those who are very picky and something that can be done under an hour

petunia59November 9, 2016

Choosing recipes that everyone can agree on!

nickshalfpintNovember 11, 2016

My biggest challenge is getting everyone to like what I made! We're a family of 7, with very different tastebuds 😂

annieskiNovember 10, 2016

Keeping brothers-in-law out of the way!

cookingforthefamNovember 14, 2016

I love to cook, but given limitations (budget, time, picky eaters, frequency of the need to cook, the need to shop), I find it an onerous chore. But probably my biggest challenge is just not having the energy.

kimtrevNovember 10, 2016

sticking to the plan

LarkspurNovember 14, 2016

Picky eaters.

cocecitycookNovember 27, 2016

Time management

Dmartin997November 21, 2016

Each family member eating at different times because of individual schedules.

t.tNovember 26, 2016

getting dinner ready at a reasonable time when coming home late...

KLeverettNovember 30, 2016

One big challenge for me is to try to cook a little faster. Getting better as I master more techniques.

djoh437938November 27, 2016

pleasing everyone

rosiekittyNovember 25, 2016

Making a weekly menu plan and sticking to it... I might be a little scatterbrained sometimes.

ravensfanNovember 14, 2016

The biggest challenge is figuring out how much to prepare so there's enough food for everyone.

KatiefayhutsonNovember 21, 2016

Meeting everyone's dietary needs and preferences without making half a dozen different dinners

LittlebirdchocNovember 28, 2016

What an exciting sounding book!

echilt5November 21, 2016

Finding something that everyone can & will eat.

FieenaZNovember 29, 2016

Getting organized...

sabrina7November 14, 2016

When I am cooking for my extended family (sister, parents, nieces/newphews), my biggest challenge is making something everyone will like. We eat a lot of vegetables, but my extended family does not.

nancyjnowDecember 2, 2016

Balancing taste, tastes, and time.

traculartDecember 2, 2016

For my clients my challenge is to continuously create new dishes to ensure they don't get bored and yet repeat some of their favorite dishes with some regularity.

tarae1204December 5, 2016

Picky eaters and finding time to prep and cook vegetables

JanSchollDecember 3, 2016

We had all sorts of diets and still do. A vegetarian, an omni, a gluten free, a no fish, and a wanna be vegetarian who could not make up their mind. It was and still is nuts.

allthatsleftarethecrumbsDecember 3, 2016

A lack of time that has me falling back on old recipes.

stephlindeDecember 2, 2016

One big challenges for me is the variability of my kids' appetites. The same amount of food might provide leftovers for lunch or leave me scrambling to find something to round out the meal after the kids devour everything I put out.

apattinDecember 4, 2016

Balance the yummy with the good for you

mbhuntDecember 3, 2016

I find myself worrying if it is "good enough"

ptherrienDecember 3, 2016

I keep a workable pantry and regularly stock up on fresh veggies, meats, and seafood. We very rarely eat out, love home cooking.