Saving Dinner for the Holidays: Menus, Recipes, Shopping Lists, and Timelines for Spectacular, Stress-free Holidays and Family Celebrations [Paperback]

Leanne Ely (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2005

Don’t Just Celebrate–Relax!

We all know that holidays are meant to be fun. But for the cook planning the feast, the holidays can inspire dread. Feeding the family on a daily basis is hard enough. Making the meal both special and delicious can raise the bar out of sight.

In Saving Dinner for the Holidays bona fide Dinner Diva Leanne Ely will show you that festive meals can be as easy and relaxing as they are tasty. She plans the menus, provides comprehensive, itemized shopping lists that are organized by supermarket section, includes heirloom recipes, and even includes the all-important timeline so that your party goes off without a hitch. She also gives you a big helping hand in the kitchen and offers tips on how to make your table sparkle with warmth and beauty.

There’s a Valentine’s Day Chocolate Feast not to be missed, a Mother’s Day dinner that can actually be prepared by Dad and the kids, a Fourth of July picnic that lights up the palate, and many other red-letter feasts. There are even recipes that help turn leftovers into delectable dishes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leanne Ely is considered the expert on family cooking and healthy eating. She is a certified nutritionist and the host of savingdinner.com. Ely has a weekly “Food for Thought” column on the ever-popular Flylady.net website, as well as her own e-zine, Healthy Foods. She is the author of Saving Dinner and Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way. She lives in North Carolina with her two teenaged children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034547807X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345478078
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leanne Ely is a certified nutritionist and the host of SavingDinner.com. Her syndicated column, 'The Dinner Diva,' appears in 250 newspapers nationwide. She writes a popular 'Food for Thought' column on the ever-popular FlyLady.net website, and hosts 'The Dinner Diva' radio show on Blog Talk Radio. Ely also writes her own e-zine, Healthy Foods and is the author of several books, including the recent Body Clutter, which was a New York Times bestseller. She lives in North Carolina with her two teenage children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leanne and Flylady--a winning team, November 17, 2005

By 

Holly Rose (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saving Dinner for the Holidays: Menus, Recipes, Shopping Lists, and Timelines for Spectacular, Stress-free Holidays and Family Celebrations (Paperback)

Leanne (the dinner diva) and the Flylady (Sink Reflections) are a winning combination for anyone that wants to keep their household running smoothly but still feel like a guest in their own home. What an amazing feeling to actually feel pampered in your own home as if someone else is taking care of everything for you but you're really the one doing it for yourself (with their help of course!) I discovered Leanne through Flylady and it has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. I've been on her menu mailer for awhile now which is also wonderful. It is much like the books she has out only delivered weekly to your inbox. I just adore it! This book however offers something really extra and different that can help you build family traditions and make holidays extra special. Instead of dreading planning the holiday meal (or worse going to Denny's!) I am finding myself looking forward to it now. Right now you can actually get the Thanksgiving menu from the book free off her website to try it out. Much of what is in the book is similar to that only with different holidays/occasions. It would never have even occurred to me to plan special meals for some of what she suggests. I am just so thrilled to have this resource. The main thing to know is that Leanne is for *real* people. The recipes are easy for you to understand and Leanne always explains things in full detail. The author of this book (and the others in the series) is also totally accessible to the public. Not only does she constantly ask for reader's opinions and suggestions but she USES them!! I have actually seen her incorporate new recipes and ideas after people suggested them. She also does a radio show now on World Talk Radio with Flylady (Marla). For the price the entire book series and menu mailer are worth every penny. Think about what you can pass on to your children about cooking and menu planning with this book and the others. For those who never learned to cook/menu plan she is a true friend. She is also a sincere person who shares herself with others. You can read more about her in another book she co wrote called Body Clutter to help people lose weight. I think she's terrific and I'm so excited to finally have this book! As you can tell I'm a big fan of both Leanne Ely (Dinner Diva) and Flylady (Marla Cilley). If you have not yet discovered these two then you are missing out. They have helped me more than prozac and therapy combined for getting my franny in gear!!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Food For Celebrations!, October 6, 2006

By 

elviswoman (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saving Dinner for the Holidays: Menus, Recipes, Shopping Lists, and Timelines for Spectacular, Stress-free Holidays and Family Celebrations (Paperback)

I bought this book last year and used the Thanksgiving recipes. This was the first Thanksgiving I ever hosted at my house, and thanks to this book, it was a HUGE success. Not only does the book provide the grocery list and recipes, it also provides detailed discussions about various cooking techniques, organizational tips, and timelines to help you get your act together and keep it that way clear through until your event is over.

The turkey we made using Leanne's recipe and treatment recommendations was OUTSTANDING, the best turkey I ever ate much less cooked.

I highly recommend this book for domestically challenged OR beginner cooks/hostesses who wish to create beautiful celebrations with great food.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dinner was saved!, January 11, 2007

By 

Tara - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saving Dinner for the Holidays: Menus, Recipes, Shopping Lists, and Timelines for Spectacular, Stress-free Holidays and Family Celebrations (Paperback)

With all of the stresses the holiday season brings, it was nice having some help with the dinners that require a higher level of planning. At first I thought this was silly; "Who needs help with this sort of thing... Everyone knows how to do a basic dinner..." Well the inner child inside of me said to get it and give it a try anyway, no matter how silly I thought it was (at the time). Why did I not get this helper before? Now I feel silly for thinking so stinky. This book put a smile on my face and brain as I know I have a helper for many years to come with several holiday and other celebration type of meals. My menus with the recipes I needed were suggested to me. A timeline was something I have always needed. I have these now too (thank you!!!!!!) My grocery list was all ready made. I could tell everyone what we were having as well as the nutritional values for anyone who asked. This feature was fantasic. It helped show some of my loved ones that I care for thier wellness. With the help from this book, it freed up some valuble time. It kept me from getting stressed out over this sort of thing. A matter of fact I survived this year without getting really stressed out to much. Thanks Leanne!!!! This year my family was nice to me and I was nice to them as well. How strange a book could change one's life so much. I am already planning for the next year for those special dates, because the stress level has dropped significantly.