100 Days of Real Food: Fast & Fabulous: The Easy and Delicious Way to Cut Out Processed Food (100 Days of Real Food series) Hardcover – Illustrated, October 25, 2016

About a year ago, I bought the first 100 days cookbook along with some other "real food" cookbooks with good reviews. I find myself reaching for the 100 days of Real Food book over and over. Many in there have become my go-to recipes. However, I am not one to make my own vanilla extract, and I have two small children, so I often find that if I don't have an hour to prep dinner, they end up eating boxed mac and cheese (the kind she recommends in her first book, which is one reason she is so awesome, she gives specific alternatives you can buy, right down to the brand and kind.) I was trying to wait until Christmas to buy her new book, but I was hoping it'd help me get some quick dinners that don't come from a box. So far, I've made the applesauce pancakes, and they were delicious. They weren't as quick as microwaving frozen pancakes of course, but for homemade pancakes, they were pretty easy. There are some recipes in there that my kids would never eat. She says after a while, her kids came around to that kind of stuff, but a picky toddler and preschooler are a different story. However, there are plenty of kid-friendly recipes that I plan to try, and the good thing is, I can still make some of the other stuff for the grownups without having to spend hours doing it, knowing I have to make other dishes that the kids will eat. There's a lot of information, including meal planning sheets, to help plan. I'm not going to lie though, eating "real food" for the whole week takes a ton of prep work, even with these recipes, a fact she doesn't gloss over in the book. My kids still eat chik fil a and pizza more than I'd like because it's easy when we are out or in a rush, and with small children, I can't spend that much time prepping. However, one of the reasons I love her cookbooks is that she gives something to aspire to and shares every single detail, no matter how small, about how she does it. I have to admit, sometimes I think the 100 days blog is a little heavy on advertising, which I understand is how blogs can survive, so I'm sometimes suspect about the suggestions there. But I know this book will become a staple in my kitchen along with the first.

I'm kind of a moderate real-foodie. I still eat some white sugar, and (more than) occasionally splurge on ice cream or a brownie. I do try to cut out trans-fats, processed carbs, and added sugar when eating at home. I really, really, really like these recipes and so do my kids! Our favorites are "Creamy mac and peas" and whole wheat biscuits. Seriously, the mac and cheese is so easy that it takes the same amount of the time as the Kraft boxed stuff, and tastes SO much better.My 8 and 6 year olds pored over this book helping me make menus, and the recipes are really quick and easy for me to make when I get home from teaching school and dragging my four (yes, four) kids to a gajillion after-school activities. This cookbook is a must-have for a busy mom who wants to cook less processed foods.If you are trying to decide between this and Lisa Leake's original book, I'd take this in a heartbeat. Most of the info in the original book is available on her blog, and this has more recipes, and they are quicker and easier.

I have purchased a lot of cookbooks. I have thrown out/donated a fair amount of those cookbooks after finding them less than useful. I have the first 100 days of real food cookbook and quite honestly only use one recipe out of there (homemade granola). I really should take another look at it and give it another try, but it seemed like the recipes weren't exactly kid-friendly and quick to make.Given my nearly non-existent usage of her first cookbook, I was on the fence about ordering this cookbook, but I am so glad I did. I pre-ordered this, so I've had it since it came out. I'm finally sitting down to write a review. I have made quite a few things from this cookbook, so my review is based on actually using it and trying it out. I find many cookbooks look good until you try actually making recipes.Just this week alone, I've made the sloppy joes, tangy pasta salad, parmesan crusted chicken, and brussel sprouts. Everything I've made has gotten good reviews from my husband who really could care less about real vs processed food.I have young kids, so I desperately need good, quick, healthy recipes that they will at least try. This cookbook fits the bill. It's fast, it's real food, no crazy ingredients. I absolutely love that there's a section dedicated to recipes that will work for school lunch. My twins start kindergarten next year, so I plan to make full use of this section. It's also nice for make ahead lunches when I have activities planned up until lunchtime.Especially if you're new to 100 days of real food and trying to decide between her two cookbooks -- GET THIS ONE!

Great resource for getting started on a real food journey with the family. I appreciated the chart that categorized recipes based on food allergies or diet restrictions like nuts, gluten, and dairy. So far my only complaint is that there are several cross-references between recipes, but the page numbers don't match. I've already marked several recipes with corrected page numbers so I have an easier time navigating while meal planning and preparing.

This book is full of simple recipes with few frills, but recipes that I will make over and over again because the author gets the basics right and doesn’t waste any time. I also love her meal planner and have used it for the last 9 weeks since school was cancelled because of covid19. Having a plan has been the glue that has held me together through all of this. I have tried at least 20 of the recipes and the simplest ones have been the favorites. Standouts for my family are applesauce oatmeal pancakes, cheesy hash brown casserole, veggie and bean burritos with cilantro lime crema, and easy slow cooker steak chili. Many of these recipes are easy enough for my 10, 12, and 15 year olds to make.