Review: The Girl Who Ate Everything by Christy Denney (Cookbook)

 

The Girl Who Ate Everything: Easy Family Recipes from a Girl Who Has Tried Them All by Christy Denney

Paperback, 192 pages

Published September 1st 2014 by Cedar Fort 

My Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description: With five hungry kids, a husband in the NFL, and her own insatiable appetite, Christy Denney has plenty of mouths to feed. Good thing she's created a full playbook of recipes that are guaranteed to get any crowd cheering. And now she's sharing it with you!

From breakfast to dinner to dessert—and all the snacks and munchies in between—you're sure to find something for everyone, like

-Jelly Roll Pancakes
-Buffalo Chicken Pizza
-Sweet and Sour Meatballs
-One Hour Rolls
-Cookie Crusted Chocolate Chip Cake

And, of course, Christy's famous Peanut Butter "Cheese Ball." This book is filled with family-friendly favorites from her popular blog and exclusive new recipes that will make your mouth water. The perfect cookbook for busy moms looking for simple, delicious, and easy dishes the whole family will love!

My Review: When I first got this book, I immediately scanned through and marked the recipes that I for sure wanted to try--and there were a lot of them! I decided to try and narrow it down a bit and do at least one from each category. There were some new favorites discovered and some that my kids were so-so on. There are still more that I want to try, but I wanted to get this review up. These recipes were pretty simple to follow and most of them used basic ingredients that I typically keep on hand.

I didn't get any appetizers made yet, but I'm dying to try the Individual Seven-Layer Dips and the Peanut Butter "Cheese" Ball. 

I made the Bubble Bread--a very hot and cheesy French bread. My family loved it! There were a few pieces left over and those were warmed up and eaten the next day. The blends of cheeses were very good.

I made the Pasta Milano main dish, as well as the Burrito Casserole and Mom's White Chicken Chili. I have a few other recipes on the menu for later this week. The pasta uses a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, which gave it a really good flavor that half of us loved. I have a few who aren't tomato lovers and I thought this would be different enough from regular tomatoes, but it wasn't quite enough for them. It does use heavy cream, so it's not the healthiest dish, but it is very good. The Burrito Casserole was very easy to put together and was a big hit! It was even good warmed up the next day. If you're a Mexican food lover, this one is a must-try. The chili was hearty, good, and made a lot, but I think next time, I would add some corn. I used mild diced green chilies and I think next time, I would change one can for hot, just to give it more of a kick.

The Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes were yummy and creamy. They're a great alternative to mashed potatoes and gravy, since they're full of flavor.

I have a few desserts on the radar in the next few weeks as well, but I decided to try Janessa's Chex Mix. It was quite addicting, but almost seemed like it had way too much butter. I thought it tasted better after sitting for a few hours so that it wasn't quite so messy and gooey.

I loved the way each recipe was laid out in an easy-to-read way and included a serving amount. I really enjoyed the little personal notes included with every recipe. The equivalent chart in the back was very helpful, too.

Amazon  *  B&N

About the Author:

I am the mother to three wild and crazy boys and two sweet little girls. I grew up in Mesa, Arizona and am the youngest of ten kids. Being in the kitchen cooking and eating with friends and family is my happy place. I love food and am the author of the blog The Girl Who Ate Everything since 2008. I've been featured on Huffington Post, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Healthy Living Magazine, Woman's Day, and Glamour Magazine.