Having children changes your life, but it doesn’t have to change what you cook. Like her blog, www.TheNaptimeChef.com, Banfield’s cookbook is equal parts pragmatic parent and ardent foodie. The result is a tasty playbook of meals, made over to save time without compromising taste. Some favorites are the 45-minute artichoke lasagna, assembled in the morning or afternoon and held in the fridge until dinnertime; a roast chicken that’s rubbed down with herbs in the morning stays moist and flavorful when roasted later in the evening; a French toast casserole that can be tossed together the night before and popped in the oven in the morning for a special breakfast. Soups, salads, veggies, sides, main courses, and desserts are all adapted to the time that you have—whether it’s during naptime, before bedtime, in the morning, or on the weekends—without sacrificing quality or flavor. Take back dinner, one dish at a time!
Before my daughter was born I was the most dedicated of home cooks, spending hours in the kitchen in blissful ignorance of the clock. But once my daughter arrived, I began to long for the days when dinner came steaming-hot from the oven and not a take-out box. Fed up, I began searching for ways to fit good cooking into my new routine. I began cooking when my daughter was napping and started reinventing all of my favorite recipes to be prepped while she slept.
These days I cook while my daughter naps, is at school, or generally occupied with another activity. I live in southern Connecticut with my daughter and husband. My daily naptime cooking adventures can be found at www.thenaptimechef.com.
