Cook Like a Mother! Clean Like a Pro: The Single Dad's Guide to Cooking and Cleaning [Paperback]

Peter Wright (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: PM Wright Communications (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0968946208
• ISBN-13: 978-0968946206
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,801,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to provide proper nutrition and a clean environment, July 20, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cook Like a Mother! Clean Like a Pro: The Single Dad's Guide to Cooking and Cleaning (Paperback)

Cook Like A Mother! Clean Like A Pro!: The Single Dad's Guide To Cooking And Cleaning is a combination cookbook and homemaker skills "how to" instructional written by Peter Wright especially for men who are neophytes at the fine art of keeping an orderly home. Specifically intended for single fathers who need to quickly learn how to provide proper nutrition and a clean environment for their rambunctious offspring, Cook Like A Mother! Clean Like A Pro! offers simple, easy-to-follow instructions, parenting tips, excellent practical recipes, and solid general advice. Cook Like A Mother! Clean Like A Pro! is thoroughly "user friendly" and confidently recommended for fathers, uncles, and anyone else who is new to the necessity of food preparation and other homemaking skills.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff!, July 10, 2003

By 

"lighthouse_dad" (Acton, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cook Like a Mother! Clean Like a Pro: The Single Dad's Guide to Cooking and Cleaning (Paperback)

Peter Wright is on a roll! I could say a lot about this book; things like, I laughed my butt off, the information was solid, he considered spelling "Mother" differently ... but I won't (past that, I guess). I'll give you two quotes from his book: "I want to provide you with the tricks and tools to either pull your own weight in the arena of cooking and cleaning or learn to be self-sufficient so you won't have to rely on the first gal that comes along with a nice set of casserole dishes -- and God knows how tempting that will be." This is from the Foreward! Nice start, eh? Another priceless observation covers cookware: He said, "Most guys would be happy with cookware they find at a garage sale, or handed down from relatives or friends. Bad idea. First of all, any protective coating will be a distant memory. Which means not only will things taste a little crappier than they should, they'll stick, and then make it difficult to clean" Has this guy got a handle on priorities or what? He has touched on things it took me years to learn the hard way. It's a keeper.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Single Dad Takes Charge of Kitchen, July 30, 2003

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cook Like a Mother! Clean Like a Pro: The Single Dad's Guide to Cooking and Cleaning (Paperback)

Do you know guys who know how to make cakes or can whip up a tasty seafood dish on the weekend when his kids come over. Well, this is a book for dads who are dads for the weekend or have the kids all week. It is also perfect for men who want to give their wives a night off from cooking for the family.

Personally, I'm very impressed by men who can cook. What woman isn't? A man who can cook is a kitchen god. I have so many memories of my father waking me in the morning and saying "breakfast is ready" or inviting people over on the weekend and making "pizza from scratch."

The Delicious chapters in this book include:

Stuff to Make it With - Shopping for the right ingredients
Stuff to Make it In - Tools that get you in and out of the kitchen fast
Fast Stuff to Make - Getting food on the table fast
Tasty Stuff to Make - Food to impress on weekends or when you have company
The Good Stuff - Company dinners
Stuff for Dessert - When a bag of Chips Ahoy won't suffice
Stuff To Clean It Up With - Quick and easy ways to clean
Stuff Worth Knowing
Stuff Your Kids Can Do - Getting kids involved in cooking

The recipes have creative titles like: "Take a Wok, Man!" This is a recipe that sounds good to me, I just need to buy a wok. I love the humor in the recipes and how the instructions are written. At the start of the recipe, there is a lot of good advice and then at the end of the recipe there are some "tips."

Some recipes include: Pete's Power Pasta Sauce, Hamburger Heaven, Pizza Night, Yer Traditional Roast Chicken and Chocolate Pancakes. Most of the Desserts are made with fast food items like Jell-O, frozen cheesecakes and Ice cream and sauces.

As far as cleaning goes, I have to agree with his ideas of a "dishwasher" being rather essential. I still haven't tried the Wetjet Swiffer, but now I'm about to go buy one. Crawling about on the kitchen floor is less and less appealing as the years go by.

Peter Wright shows a lot of wisdom in the last chapter where he discusses the pro's and con's of allowing children to help around the house. I had to laugh when I read: Show your children how to measure out the soap. He is referring to washing the clothes and let me tell you, that is one of the most important steps. I myself caused an entire room to be filled with bubbles when I was a child. I think we used half a bottle. Ahh, the days of youth.

Hey, this guy even makes Risotto, what's not to love? I doubt if he is still single, he will be single much longer. ;)

~The Rebecca Review