Saving Dinner: The Menus, Recipes, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table [Paperback]

Leanne Ely (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 30, 2003

Certified nutritionist Leanne Ely has a simple philosophy: “Make it and they will come.” Dinner, that is. Take-out, opening a can, or microwave fare shouldn’t pass for a nice, healthy meal–and nothing can replace a family’s time together. Believe it or not, preparing dinner can be a stress-free endeavor. Even your time in the supermarket can be cut in half!

Full of practical tips on simple, healthy meal planning, Saving Dinner is the ideal solution for today’s busy parents who would love to have their family sitting around the dinner table once again–sharing stories along with a nutritious meal. Efficiently divided by season, each section features six weeks of menus with delicious recipes, side dish suggestions, and an itemized grocery list that is organized by product (dairy, meat, produce) to make one-stop shopping a snap. Plus the book is packed with helpful hints and short cuts in the kitchen that make cooking easier and more fun.

From Big Basil Burgers and Salmon Carbonara to Crockpot Chili and Spicy Apricot Chicken, Saving Dinner will have your family coming back to the table–and back again for seconds!
Leanne Ely is considered the expert on family cooking and healthy eating. Between her popular “Heart of a Woman” radio show in Southern California and her weekly “Food for Thought” column on the ever-popular Flylady.net Web site, thousands of fans have already discovered Leanne’s secrets to easily prepared, well-balanced meals.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Knowing what’s for supper is the key to getting rid of the chaos. This is one of the most powerful tools out there to make it happen.”—Marla Cilley, the FlyLady, author of Sink Reflections

From the Inside Flap

Certified nutritionist Leanne Ely has a simple philosophy: ?Make it and they will come.? Dinner, that is. Take-out, opening a can, or microwave fare shouldn?t pass for a nice, healthy meal?and nothing can replace a family?s time together. Believe it or not, preparing dinner can be a stress-free endeavor. Even your time in the supermarket can be cut in half!

Full of practical tips on simple, healthy meal planning, Saving Dinner is the ideal solution for today?s busy parents who would love to have their family sitting around the dinner table once again?sharing stories along with a nutritious meal. Efficiently divided by season, each section features six weeks of menus with delicious recipes, side dish suggestions, and an itemized grocery list that is organized by product (dairy, meat, produce) to make one-stop shopping a snap. Plus the book is packed with helpful hints and short cuts in the kitchen that make cooking easier and more fun.

From Big Basil Burgers and Salmon Carbonara to Crockpot Chili and Spicy Apricot Chicken, Saving Dinner will have your family coming back to the table?and back again for seconds!
Leanne Ely is considered the expert on family cooking and healthy eating. Between her popular ?Heart of a Woman? radio show in Southern California and her weekly ?Food for Thought? column on the ever-popular Flylady.net Web site, thousands of fans have already discovered Leanne?s secrets to easily prepared, well-balanced meals.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 301 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (September 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345464869
• ISBN-13: 978-0345464866
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (285 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,637 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

221 of 225 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Food at Your Fingertips October 23, 2003

By Cindy

Format:Paperback

I recently ordered this book from Amazon.com and I have not been disappointed. From the Flylady website I knew that Leanne Ely has some of the most delicious recipes. My family has raved over most of the recipes that I received from Leanne through Flylady. The same holds true for the recipes that are in SAVING DINNER. The food I have prepared using this cookbook has been popular with my family. I love having the menus and shopping lists prepared for me. It saves me about thirty to forty minutes each week in meal planning preparation. I should add that these recipes take thirty minutes or less to prepare.

135 of 139 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dinner is Served! April 5, 2004

By C. L. Chalk

Format:Paperback

Wow, what a book. I can't say enough good things about it. Eveything I have cooked has turned out well and gasp!, been eaten by my family. I love the fact that I don't have to agonize over what to cook for dinner -- we usually ate out is what happened.

The book is organized into seasons so you can take advantage of fresh veggies and fruits. I like the fact I can print the shopping lists off the internet.

After a couple of weeks of doing this, I had most of the staples on hand, so my shopping list is even smaller than before. An added plus is that I can now go to the grocery store and know EXACTLY what I need to get. No more "I might use this" only to have it languish in the depths of the pantry never to see the light of day again.

Leanne has gotten me back in the kitchen and LOVING it. I actually have told my husband, "No, I'd rather cook than eat out" (I can't believe I've actually said that), but that's how good these recipes are. I've tried things that I never thought would pass through my lips.

A real plus is that Ms. Ely is available by email to answer questions. She is sooooo nice.

I'd recommend this book to everyone.

90 of 93 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This has changed the way I feed my family! January 14, 2004

By Kimberly Kaye

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got myself this book as an early Christmas present. I can't believe the difference it has made in my life. We have gone from eating out and scrounging for dinner at least half the time to having a home cooked meal every night.

The menus are great and the shopping lists make it all so easy. I can take it and buy everything I need for the week.

My sons, the best of the picky eaters, are eating things I never dreamed they would eat. I am actually able to get the eat fish (something they never did before). When they discovered that I was using cod, they got all excited and said they were eating Captain Hook. I realized soon enough that it was their own little joke about codfish. So now, they look forward to their weekly serving of Capt'n Hook, LOL.

I can not say enough good things about this book. It is a must for any kitchen. Even if you don't use the menus and only use it for the recipes it is worth it(though I wouldn't pass up such a great time saver if I were you). The food is so good and it is easy to follow the directions.

I have already decided to buy one for my sister and my best friend. Everyone needs this cookbook.