I am excited to offer a giveaway for Back to Basics from KerryAnn Foster at Cooking Traditional Foods!
I have been using Back to Basics since May, when I first posted about this cookbook. I took a break in the summer to use Summer Menu Volume 3, and now I’m happily back at it.
Before I started using Back to Basics, I was stuck in a food rut. I wanted to do better, really I did. I know having a pasta-focused meal every week, baked chicken every Sunday was getting us into a rut. I knew we were doing well avoiding processed foods – I make everything I can from scratch (see Make Your Own posts). But the thought of combing through my mainstream cookbooks, looking for recipes I didn’t have to tweak seemed too overwhelming and time-consuming.
Back to Basics has been a lifesaver. You can read about our first week here: Cooking Traditional Foods – Week 1.
What I love about Back to Basics
Oh, my list is growing each month I continue! My top 5:
- Our meals are more nutritious than ever, bursting with flavor and variety.
- I no longer crave sweets between meals.
- We’re eating less carbs, less meat, less dairy, and optional gluten.
- More in-season vegetables are getting in my kids – many of them “hidden.” as well as more beans and foods I’ve never tried before.
- I thought my kids (particularly my daughter) would hopefully, at the end of 30 weeks, learn to eat foods she wasn’t used to. I am happy to report that it didn’t even take that long!
- My Thanksgiving menu was a breeze this year! I braised my first turkey, and won’t look back.
Too busy to cook? Me, too!
Dinners for the week, including a dessert? Yup.
Shopping lists? Included.
Weekly list showing when to soak your beans, when to thaw your meat? It’s all there.
I can go about my busy day and still put a nutritious meal on the table. Every night.
Picky Eaters? Not any more!
I never considered my children picky eaters. Then again, I used to make the same 10-15 meals over and over, and of course they were choices I knew they would eat.
When we first started Back to Basics I laid down the law. I said, “I am making these new meals for the next 30 weeks, like them or not. If you like the meal, wonderful, if not, at least you won’t have to eat it again for another 30 weeks.” 
My daughter used to gag at the thought of coconut oil. Maybe my over-zealousness of having her try a spoonful was too much… When I first started Back to Basics she could taste 2 tablespoons in a whole pot of soup. Know what? Her taste buds got accustomed to coconut oil and now she doesn’t even mention it as she gobbles up her meal. I noticed it took several weeks, but it was worth it!
Beans? My daughter (she’s seven) liked refried beans (which I now make from scratch, thank you Back to Basics!) but whole beans? No way. We had a meal last week that had whole pinto beans – and she not only ate them all up, she wanted seconds. She used to really not like black beans, that even if I “hid” them in, say, sloppy joes, she wouldn’t even want to eat the meal (although she forced herself). Fast forward a few months, and she now likes them!
So you can consider this a course in “expanding your children’s taste buds.” They will get over it, they will learn to like nutritious foods. My children are proof of that!
My children will now dive in to every new meal I give them. They have learned not to say “I don’t like it” before they’ve even tried it. They have been wonderfully surprised so many times
Think you can’t cook? Oh, yes you can!
The wonderful thing about Back to Basics is you don’t need any experience with traditional foods to start. KerryAnn shows you how, using baby steps:
- how to hide veggies in soups and sauces without your kids (or husband!) being the wiser
- soak dry beans and cook them (avoiding the BPA in canned beans)
- make your own mayo and yogurt
- how to braise a turkey
- make delicious salad dressings
- make spice mixes (her taco seasoning ROCKS!)
- how to roast a chicken
- make soups bursting with flavor
- make ice cream
- cook a roast in the crock-pot and in the oven, and it turn out to be actually edible
- and lots more
I have been making meals daily for 20 years (wow, that makes me sound so old!) and I have learned so much using Back to Basics.
What kinds of recipes are in this book?
Recipes in Back to Basics are full of foods that have been around forever – the kinds of meals your grandmother would have made before the infusion of white sugar and white flour hit our food supply.
Real food with a variety of flavors – and a dessert each week.
Gluten-free – if you aren’t gluten free you can substitute whole wheat flour where shown - and Dairy-free – although you can add cheese where noted if you aren’t dairy-free.
Here are some of the recipes that are included:
- Apple and Butternut Soup
- Spaghetti Sauce – with hidden veggies
- Kungo Pao Chicken
- Crock-Pot Curried Chicken and Kale
- Cornbread
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Spicy Sausage
- Broiled Flank Steak
- Popcorn Balls
- Crock-Pot Italian Beef
- Chicken Fajitas
- BBQ sauce (better than store-bought! My husband was impressed!)
- Sloppy Joes (with lentils!)
- Veggie Heavy Chili (yum yum yum)
- Nut Butter Cups – WOW
- Beef Stew – melted in my mout
- Apple Kefir Pancakes
- Sticky Buns
- Sourdough Starter
- Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
- Graham Crackers
Purchasing Info + 20% Coupon Code
Back to Basics comes in an eBook – this is what I have. I printed it out, slid the pages in page protectors and put them in a 3-ring binder. This protects the pages from food splatters. If they get food parts on them, I can wipe off and they are as good as new. Retails for $44, you can use our special coupon code NT305 and receive 20% off. Get 30 weeks of Back to Basics for just $35.20!
There is also the option of purchasing them one week at a time. Each week is $2. This includes not just the recipes, but the shopping lists and prep charts, too. The coupon code is good for purchasing these weeks as well – $1.60 for the week!
Go to the purchasing page here for these and other options: Back to Basics and use code NT305 for 20% off your purchase of Back to Basics.
Enter the Giveaway!
You can use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway.
| Lea Harris founded Nourishing Treasures in 2006. Just a mom passionate about her family's health and well-being, Lea believes education is power. Encouraging others to take baby steps in the right direction of health for their families, Lea's goal is to raise awareness of what goes into our mouths and on our bodies, providing natural alternative information that promotes health and prevents disease by using traditional foods and nature's medicine. Lea is a Certified Health Coach graduate from Beyond Organic University. Follow Nourishing Treasures on Facebook, @NourishTreasure on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter. Lea is also a contributor for Nourished Living Network. Disclaimer: I use affiliate links wherever possible. So if you click on a link, and make a purchase, I might make a small commission. |
I had to know. Is mold really that scary? Is oxygen really a threat? Are mason jars really evil? I thought some of you might like to read what I have discovered...
Beautiful, versatile, and make my long, heavy hair feel weightless. Order though my party link and you will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Tropical Traditions gift certificate or one of two $10 amazon gift certificates. Ends 5-19
"This 2 step cure for bad breath is so effective because with the first step we have removed the layer of biofilm from the bad bugs. Then the second step kills the uncovered bad bugs."
Have recipes to share? Add them here! Top 3 posts will be featured on our next Make Your Own! Monday - 5/21
I have been using Vitacost for over 12 years. Why? Huge selection, huge savings, and free shipping. Get a $10 off coupon...
I’d love to win this book since my dad just had surgery for GIST stomach cancer (which we are hoping is benign), and he is going to try to turn his diet around. I’d try the recipes, then pass them on to him with approval!
Heather @ Blessings Pour Out recently posted..Santa is REAL…Here’s How I Know
sounds like a wonderful book. and I would love to learn to cook more healthfully (is that a word?)
I would love to win this book. I collect cookbooks and this one looks like a great one!
Kristy Jensen recently posted..21-Day Dad’s Challenge By: Carey Casey
I had gestational diabetes with my last 4 (11 children total) pregnancies, am feeling sluggish and “blah” now, have a couple of picky eaters and would love to really revamp our eating! Thanks for the giveaway!
The recipes look yummy! Love it!
I’m just starting to learning about living a nourishing lifestyle. I’d love to win to add to my knowledge as I start down this new and exciting path.
I like this page. I also like the menu mailers!
Of course I want to win. You can never have to many real food cookbooks.
I like CTF page.
I love reading healthy cookbooks. I’d love to own this one!
I’d love to win this cookbook. I’ve already started adding some traditional recipes in our diet, would love to acquire some additional recipes and knowledge. Thank you!
I SOOSOSOSOSOSO WANT THIS!
I am in need of some organization in my meal planning to get more nutrient dense meals, use all the delicious farm produce available, and fully embrace the traditional style eating (and lifestyle). I’ve been moving toward this more and more over the last few years and this book looks like it provides some great tools to help me take a much needed leap!
Crossing my fingers!!!!!
I would love to win because even though I am an adept real foodie, I still get stuck in a rut sometimes. I am always looking for ways to revamp our menu.
Sarah O. recently posted..How To Make Vanilla Extract
Although we’ve been following a Nourishing diet for a long time, and my family think I’m a fabulous cook, *I* still need hand-holding!
This book will be a very welcome and very well-used addition to my library, as when I’m not following a “menu mailer” I do fall into a pretty sad (yet still family-pleasing) repetitive rut..
Wow! This looks great! I hope I get to experience this cookbook… looks amazing. thanks for sharing!
Alena M recently posted..Life IS Relationship – Food & Money
i would love this….we are on our path to more natural eating & this would be a great addition
I have tried a few of KerriAnn’s recipes and am ready to get serious about feeding our family well. This would be a huge help.
I have been cooking thing s from scratch for a long time. It looks like a great book with new recipes. Sometimes I get in a rut too.
I need some directions in cooking and preparing real foods so this book would be a great blessing for me and I would love to win it!
I would love to win this cookbook, I am trying to cook with more whole foods but keep getting stuck on finding recipes. This book looks like the answer to that!
I am trying so hard to find better ways to feed the family any help would be greatly appreciated.
I did the things needed for an entry.
Hope I win!
Thanks so much!
I am brand new to traditional foods and spend hours scouring the internet each week looking for recipes..which takes a lot of time, especially when I get distracted by so much new information. Would love to have a cookbook at my fingertips instead.
I would love to win this cookbook I really need recipes and I would love to win see my kids would eat I love cookbooks.
Lisa Colpo recently posted..Store Coach Notes – Chapter 3 – Get a Domain Name
I am trying hard to feed my family healthy food and manage our budget and time, both of which are impacted by eating healthy (making food and buying healthier options). This cookbook sounds like it could help us out!
Thanks!
NT, at least for the beginner is a bit overwhelming. This seems like a good place to start.
I am always looking for healthy recipes that don’t have to be tweeked! would love this!
I’m new to Gluten Free, and would love some new recipes.
I would really like to win this e-book so I can get back to basics and cook good healthy traditional food for my family…which is turning into an extended family, too! I have 2 children still at home and 2 grown children and 4 grand children.
i would love to win this ebook because i’m starting to move my family to a more traditional diet but i’m still a beginner! this book would be really helpful
i want to win becuz i am still at a loss for more meal plans and my children are begging for something different lol
Tami Lewis recently posted..Christmas Sales At Heavenly Homemakers !
I want to win this because it sounds like it would be an awesome help to me on my road to healthy cooking!!!
I would really like to win this book because we have some food allergies and I struggle with coming up with yummy meals that we aren’t all tired of.
I would love this book!
SarahJ recently posted..Treasures –by Martha Nicholson
I will love to have this book! to help me with my family’s needs… my dh haves crohn’s disease, my 6 y/o haves dairy allergies and picky eater, my 3 y/o haves peanuts allergies
it is NOT easy my every day cooking. thanks for the chance!!
I would love to win this because I have a terrible time trying to plan whole, nutritious meals. I’m currently pregnant with my second child and trying to do much better with the nutrition side of things than I did last time so I don’t end up with preeclampsia again!
I am beginning have some issues that could be improved by diet and I want to feel my kids as healthfully as possible. I would love this!