Monday, June 13, 2011

River Cottage Family Cookbook (+Giveaway!!!)

I have very few heroes. It's not that I can't find folks who inspire me beyond measure; there are plenty of such individuals. My beef is more with the idea of a "hero" itself. We're all human. We all make mistakes. We're all incredibly mortal and sometimes selfish and occasionally hurtful or neglectful. There are a few folks, though, who, despite their flesh and bone selves, have found a way into my heart and soul with their words, deeds, and overall way of living.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is one such person. A British food writer, chef, TV personality, farm-to-table & snout-to-hoof advocate, sustainable farming educator, and much, much more, Hugh is one incredible fella. He started his food career with a BBC show in which he'd wild forage for food (including road kill), and then cook it up into a delicious repast. He went on to own and operate the River Cottage, a restaurant and food education center that strives towards, according to its website, "less dependence on the outside world, food integrity, and the consumption of local, seasonal produce."

Not content to simply produce great food for their own, and their patron's, consumption, the River Cottage took on a number of food-based campaigns. "Chicken Out!" raised awareness about factory poultry farms, while "Fish Fight" brought attention to over-fishing, seafood waste, and sustainable aquaculture alternatives.

The campaign closest to my heart, though, and the one that endears Hugh to me the most, is "Landshare." Begun in Britain, but now encompassing the entire UK, as well as Australia and Canada, Landshare partners those who own land but aren't using it, with those desiring land but not in possession of it. It's a genius idea, and yet an immensely simple one at the same time. We did something similar out here several years ago, letting a young farmer use our land and (former) greenhouse for a growing season. We're up to the possibility of doing it again, perhaps, sometime in the future.

Because of my admiration (and adoration!) of Hugh, his River Cottage, and everything related to him and his projects, I'm giving away a copy of his and Fizz Carr's (incredible name, right???) River Cottage Family Cookbook this week. While written with cooking with the wee ones in mind, even if you don't have children, this is a fabulous book. It's full of recipes for simple, yet sublime, dishes. They're not dumbed down for children, either, which is one bone of contention I often have with many children's books. It's also chock full of gorgeous photos.

I'll run the giveaway for one week, ending it next Monday, June 20th, at midnight EST. This contest is open only to US residents (sorry international friends!). To enter, leave a comment of your favorite thing to cook or bake with your family (and by "family" I mean your kiddos, mom, granddad, aunt, cousin, what-have-you). I'll randomly select a winner next week and get Hugh's incredible tome (it's a biggun!) out to you.

Even if you don't enter the contest, do check out Hugh and his projects. Although many of them are U.K.-specific, they're packed with inspiration and beauty, all the same.

163 comments:

Keri said...

Every generation of my family loves to bake cookies together, from my 91-year-old granny to my 8 year old nephew. Often, they bake together. Thanks for sharing!

the_matt said...

Latkes are the perfect kid dish! Well, with supervision (hot oil and all). But there's all that mashing around with your hands in the potatoes to squeeze out the juices and whatnot that make them so much fun!

Marianne Skarupa said...

My favorite to cook is escarole pie. My Mom and Grandma both cooked it and my Dad called it peasant food as a means of compliment. Now my husband and 7 yr. old son love it also.

Red Row Farm said...

Watching the River Cottage series is what enabled me to save one of our lambs this spring, so yes, I love love love him, too.

As for the favorite thing to bake, right now oatmeal cookies are as complex as I get when working with the toddler.

iamredmeat said...

Homemade pizza for sure. Even the littles can help kneed the dough.

oukay said...

I love cooking brownies and apple pie with my son. I also love planning and cooking anything with my sister!

Sarah said...

Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family... Mimi does the turkey, and we all pitch in with sides planned ahead of time, but not assigned. Glorious chaos, and then pie.

Leanna said...

Pancakes and bacon with my husband on a Saturday morning! That plus plenty of hot coffee, maple syrup, and fruit from the farmers market makes a delicious and relaxing start to the weekend.

Anonymous said...

I love Hugh's work, and watch many of his series repeatedly as inspiration.

Personally, I love making homemade pasta and sauce with my husband. He was unsure of all this cooking stuff at first, but has completely come around, and we really love doing this together.

Michelle said...

My parents always made Italian Longhorn peppers, sauteed with garlic and olive oil. Served with Italian table cheese and bread. I've shared this with my husband and our friends, and everyone looks forward to it!

Anonymous said...

My people believe anything worth eating can be eaten in a bowl with a spoon. My husband reintroduced me to the joys of homemade ice cream. Guinness ice cream is coming up next, followed by orange blossom ice cream for next week.

Green Zebra Market Garden said...

I realize that it's the middle of June, but I always enjoy baking and decorating sugar cookies with my family. WE have a good time adding goofy decorations to our cookies.

Kristine said...

Tamales! Every year around Christmas the women in my mom's family (aunts, nieces, cousins) gather together to make tamales for friends and family. We use my grandmother's recipe which was passed down to her youngest daughter. My aunt lovingly recreates my grandmother's recipe for chile and pork filling (it takes several hours to complete!), which is a family favorite. I hope to pass down this tradition to my daughters.

Mina104 said...

every year around christmas, all the woman in my mom's side of the family get together to bake our christmas cookies. it's so much fun (and a little hectic!) to get us all together to bake and chat!

Tivoli West said...

My daughter and I like to bake bread together. Thanks for the giveaway!

Anonymous said...

My kids and I always loved baking my mom's sugar cookies together when they were young (and now too!) .. whether cut outs for Valentines, Easter, Christmas, St, Pat's.. you name it! My kids loved these, and now I bake them with my G-kids too. :) It is so much fun to cook/bake with the wee ones! Thank you for the opportunity. Looks like a great cookbook!

Leigh said...

Greek pizza! Layers of phyllo dough brushed with herbed garlic butter then topped with spinach, tomatoes and feta. Yummy and fun to make with the fam!

nasturtium(at)fastmail.fm

Heidi said...

My three-year-old son loves to help me make brownies.

I love canning with my mom and sisters.

Anna said...

My husband and I often make fresh pasta and turn it into ravioli together. My littlest sister and love baking together. This cookbook looks wonderful

Courtney F. said...

My all-time favorite recipe to cook for my family is my late grandmother's apple crisp. It feels good to keep the family tradition going.

courtney [dot] elizabeth [dot] foster [at] gmail [dot] com

Dee said...

"Refrigerator Pizza" -- I make dough and we top it with whatever is in the 'fridge that needs to be used up - leftover chicken, potatoes, eggplant, spinach that's wilted, almost anything goes on - though I do draw the line at yogurt. It's my version of "refrigerator soup" that my grandmother used to make.

The kids participate by pulling containers out of the refrigerator and yelling "How 'bout this?".....

Wendy said...

I know all families bake Christmas cookies together, mine does too!

Unknown said...

Picking blackberries and then making them into jam with my Mom is always a treat. :)

Christine C. said...

Right now, all my baby knows how to make in the kitchen is a mess...but I love his enthusiasm for food. At 7-months old, every meal is a chance to experience something new...and he loves it!

I am making his baby food, and plan to keep on cookin' for him for a long, long time!

christine.chitnis@gmail.com

Flannel Jammies Farm said...

We've been making the same delicious cookies together for years: Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies!

Pam said...

My husband's family is Italian. Our favorite family feast is when the vegetables in the garden are ready to pick. We get broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, kohlrabbi, carrots, etc. Then make Bagna Caulda. A hot dip for the fresh vegetables made from Olive Oil, butter, 6 tins of anchovies, 4 whole heads of garlic minced warmed till smooth and anchovies dissolved and garlic is smoewhat cooked, then we dip in the veggies and fresh Italian bread. We are all dippy-sopping, laughing, telling stories and laughing how our spouses and co-workers will hate us the next day! It's a great time! Lots of love and memories!

Rois said...

Holiday cookies and ravioli's are my two favorite things to make with my two boys.

Anonymous said...

We use to actually live in England and I so enjoyed watching The River Cottage tv series . Hugh inspired me to grow my own vegg and cook fresh organic foods.
My girls and I have always enjoyed baking my mother's chocolate chip cookies together. My youngest is 13 yrs old and is joining me more and more in the kitchen learning how to bake homemade bread, can pickles and make strawberry jam amongst other things. It is a joy to pass on my love of food to my girls.
Thanks for sharing the news about The River Cottage Family Cookbook.

Julie said...

homemade carmel corn! simple and delicious!!!

Susan said...

I love to make granola with my 2 year old son. It involves lots of simple measuring and delicious results, with less mess and more toddler-friendly tasks than most recipes :-).

Sara said...

I love making bread with my son. He doesn't do too much of the work but he loves helping stir and measure and "putting the bread to take a nap" for it to rise. I used to live in London and heard of the River Cottage there. We thought a few times about visiting but never managed before we came back. Book would be a nice substitute!

Matt_Middleton said...

One of my favourite things to make with my mom is her turkey stuffing. It was her dad's, and he passed away when I was about 5, so I don't remember a lot but this helps keep his memory alive. Plus, the stuffing is SUPER delicious, especially since it's made with pure pork sausage ;)

Alison said...

When I was a kid, my faves were cookies and cakes (raw dough and licking the spoon were ample reward for doing the stirring) but now I tend toward pizzas and burritos as group projects. Would love some more inspiring ideas as my nephew is coming to visit soon!

Mama Kiki said...

My 9 year old LOVES to make pancakes with me. The gluten free kind, since that's all we can tolerate. She always adds too many chocolate chips, but that's the best part! YUM! It is our weekend tradition.

We are looking forward to cooking with our home grown veggies this summer, too.

Thanks, Ashley, for telling us about this book. It looks wonderful!!

Liz said...

My partner and I like to make pizza together - homemade dough, then split down the middle so that we each get to top it to our heart's content. My nieces and I have had a great time making hand-crank ice cream together too - a project I look forward to repeating this summer!

Lavigne Photography said...

sounds like an interesting cookbook! Lasagna

Anna said...

We love to make vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookies. It was my daughters idea to add the extra chocolate. The kids like to measure out the ingredients and work the mixer. Our favorite part is eating them up.

Sara said...

my fav thing to cook with my family is thanksgiving. we're constantly exploring new recipes and we have a great time every year!

elizabeth said...

My 4 yr old and 2 yr old love to help chop veggies to make minestrone soup. And they eat it!

Heather said...

Probably cookies, or maybe homemade ice cream. Those were things we could help with as kids, and it's still fun to make them together now.

Nicholas said...

I love making chili - mostly because it completely reminds me of my mom and usually means there's a group of people at my house, waiting to eat!

Allison said...

I have a few of the river cottage books and love them all! This would be a delightful addition to my collection

ryanandlaura247 said...

Ever since I was little, my family has baked and decorated sugar cookies on Christmas Eve. And, my dad makes my great grandmother's ice cream recipe for my sister and my summer birthdays, and our family reunion every year. He used to have a hand crank only ice cream maker, and it was so fun to crank that thing! And, the result is the best ice cream in the world, in my humble opinion.

Adrielle said...

I like baking cupcakes for us - lately chocolate cupcakes with coconut flour.

Josée said...

Baking cookies is always fun, but making risotto together is something special :)

Anonymous said...

challah with my husband.

Thanks for the opportunity to win.

dorking at acsalaska.net

Anonymous said...

Sharing new, healthy recipes with my parents and re-teaching them that quick, good food does not have to come out of a box! I love baking bread when the temperature starts going down - oatmeal bread with honey!

Crissy said...

My daughter is too young to cook or bake with me, but sometimes when I visit my family during the holidays, my mom employs us, her children, as helpers. It is always fun, especially when we make things, like flan, explode!

Juniper said...

I have no idea why this showed up under anonymous, but here it is again under my name:

My people believe anything worth eating can be eaten in a bowl with a spoon. My husband reintroduced me to the joys of homemade ice cream. Guinness ice cream is coming up next, followed by orange blossom ice cream for next week.

Amanda said...

Anything that my 13 year old daughter wants to cook. I get to be her assistant!

Molly said...

I adore cooking with my family. These days, because I live alone, I mainly cook with family when we're on vacation -- this summer, we'll be vacationing on Cape Cod, and I plan to pick many many blueberries and can blueberry jam with my mum.

hippychick said...

My husband doesn't cook much, but does like to grill, so those are meals we do together. It's nice to work along side of him, making a meal.

Cat K. said...

This looks wonderful! I think I read one of Jenna's posts that referred to the River Cottage Meat Cookbook this week, and it just sounded ideal. Even if I don't win, I'm so glad you shared this. As far as fave family food... I think it would have to be my grandmother-in-law's Christmas cookies. I got to bake them for the first time this year (couldn't until I was actually part of the family), and it's a great experience. Maybe I'll share some with you this year. (Not a bribe. ;) )

Meg said...

My family loves to bake and decorate cookies together. We're also fond of making pancakes!

Lauren said...

My mom and I love to make homemade pizza together. I'm 34 weeks pregnant and she's on her way (from Asheville!) to stay with me at my home in Virginia. She's bringing me a brand new pizza stone as well as some baby things.

Carrie said...

I love putting together a salad bar,homemade pizza, or taco bar. They can help prepare and pick their own toppings. It's a great way for them to try something new.

steph said...

My husband is an excellent sous chef in the kitchen, but we really do bake his aunt's chocolate cherry cake together--and I enjoy doing so every time.

wisegoat acres said...

I love making biscuits with my four year old son. He helps roll and cut the biscuits and then gets to play with the leftover dough. I usually take his pieces and add cinnamon sugar to them for a dessert.

jenny said...

We love baking of any kind! Our favorites are brownies, rolls and muffins. Thanks for the great giveaway.

Terry said...

My son is not a vegetable lover, but fresh tomato bruschetta has always been a favorite. Every year, we all eagerly wait for tomato season.

Chppie said...

When we take the time together my daughters and I like to make sticky rice stuffed lotus leaves. There are tasks for each person and the smaller hands can fold up the packets more neatly. since they freeze well it's fun to make a batch to freeze as well.

Gee maybe I'll go get some sticky rice soaking now! Thanks for the prompt!

Grace Smith said...

My 21 month old loves "mixing" the dry ingredients for granola with his hands, and after it's baked it's his favorite breakfast food!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...all the female family members get together for a Sunday afternoon to cook a big batch of Italian pizelles. We did branch out a few years ago with electric irons that make 4 at a time instead of the individual irons that are held over a gas flame (whew...it's lots easier this way !). Traditional and fun (and delicious).

Nichole
pinepatches at verizon dot net

The Haphazard Countryman said...

Oatmeal raisin cookies. They don't make them like my mom makes them.
Love the "Landshare" idea. We aren't using all the space, so why not someone with more motivation?

Copper + Cream said...

My son Jude, who is 3, and I love to make granola bars together. He likes to help me push the granola into the pan because he eats whatever sticks to his hands...which is a lot!

*Here's the recipe if you want it. It's the best!
http://www.anoregoncottage.com/2011/02/pantry-basic-baked-chewy-granola-bars.html

greyson briere said...

We have just really started baking in this house but we love cooking together. RCB (our daughter), when not actually in the kitchen cooking is pretending to collect ingredients! Our latest baking experiment was Almond Lemon Zest Biscotti! As for cooking, we create new things each week we get our CSA vegetable box!

Anonymous said...

so fun! thanks for the giveaway & introduction to hugh :o) my favorite thing to cook with the fam is applesauce. it was a tradition growing up, and my mom & i just picked it back up again this last fall.

Suzanne said...

Pizza! We have an old farmhouse with a beehive oven so we make lots of pizzas together yeare round!

sk said...

My FAVORITE thing to cook with my family is eggnog. We make it every December with my great-grandpa's recipe and it is soooo delicious. I look forward to it all year :)

Raheli said...

I love Hugh F-W and I've been so inspired by his willingness to having an adventure (and sense of humor when they don't work out as planned).

I love making overnight waffles with my sweetheart, and I love making them for everyone I know. Maybe it's the magic of a lazy brunch, but it's so delicious & weekend visitors always get involved.

Sarah C said...

My 2 year old and I love making bread together!

Liz said...

Mud pies are always fun. Who wants to turn on the oven in the summer anyway!

Heather said...

Baking anything with my 2 yr old, she loves it. She will pull her chair up to the counter and "help" me. Bisquits, cookies and pizza dough are her favorites.

Kristin Marsh Shepard said...

Baking anything with my little one is always fun. He's thrilled to dump ingredients into the bowl. Now that he's getting older, we'll start branching out into other things.

Anonymous said...

I love baking pies with my sister for thanksgiving (two pumpkin and one pecan). We always end up laughing and jokingly arguing about how much clove to put in the pumpkin pie (i love it, she hates it)!

Patricia said...

The only thing my son and I make together is 'air popcorn'. We love to sit there and watch it pop. I know it sounds cheesy but we enjoy it a bunch....

Elaine M said...

Roasted chicken! My DH does the chicken & I do the rest. It always works out.

Kt said...

It'd have to be a butter cake. Perfect for a tea cake with cinnamon and sugar on top or dipped in chocolate and coconut for a delicious lamington. My husband loves it. I am sure our future children will too!

Kelsie said...

My mom and I like to make raspberry rhubarb jam together.

Anonymous said...

We love to work in the kitchen together, from making pancakes and eggs, to meeting with cousins and making Christmas cookies. My boys are now begining to learn to can, from chicken to jam. Being in the kitchen and working together has become a wonderful experience for me and my boys. Durring the summer we also have a cousin who fequently joins us. Right now our "favorite" cooking activity is making fruit leather, and developing all those fun interesting flavor combinations.

Rebecca said...

My favorite thing to bake right now is my mom's rhubarb crisp- it's in the oven now for the second time this month- loving it up while the early summer lasts- it won't be long!

Angel Funk said...

I've been dying to get my hands on this cookbook!

BarbaraH said...

We love to make muffins together, and the real fun is in experimenting with what goes in 'em! Blueberries, chocolate chips - yes! Grapes - not so much :-)

guam_mummy said...

I found your blog today via the Soulemama! Thanks for your guest post over there. Today with the kids we baked banana bread and had to change the recipe somewhat for limited ingredients on hand in the kitchen. We used a type of banana, grown here on Guam, called 'icecream bananas'.....and yes I said 'icecream bananas'...they are as good as they sound :)

Natasha said...

This falls into the category of food creation, but this June my boys and I have had such fun making homemade popsicles, usually comprising of yogurt, fruit and honey. Finding different combinations has been such fun.

Bridget said...

This book has been in my amazon list for quite awhile. My favorite thing to make is chocolate chip cookies because there is nothing better than a still warm cookie.

Miss Miss Creations said...

I love making pies with my 3 year old, especially apple pies. She loves using the apple peeler/corer and helping rolling out the pie dough. Its one of our favorite afternoon activities!

Heather P said...

My son and I make muffins alot. It's the kind of non exact recipe that is fine if the flour gets sloshed out or you need to substitute an ingredient.

JizzleK said...

Sounds like great campaigns. I wish they had the land share in the U.S.! We really enjoy making jerky and yogurt together. Otherwise we just like cooking together--it's a great activity to do when you want to chat.

Old Gates Farm said...

my boys love to help me make salads--from going to the garden and harvesting the fixings, to washing and cutting them. Also, new to us this season-we've been loving making homemade marshmallows! :)

Jess said...

My son & I love to bake bread together. I'm crossing my fingers:)

Heather said...

Reading the other comments give me so many new ideas of things to bake with my 21 month old son! Currently what ever I am making he is by my side. He loves anything that involves the stand mixer!

I love canning with friends. This year we have plans to take the Radio Flyer wagon out into the orchards and berry fields with our children to pick fruit, picnic and make jam. I am so looking forward to this years harvest

Amy said...

Vegan Spelt corn muffins! Easy to for the littles to stir and a quick bake. Thanks for the chance for the cookbook, it looks great!

Mrs. Waki said...

Without a doubt, one of the greatest joys in my life is baking my grandma's gingerbread boys during the Christmas season. They are made extra delicious with real lard, thick molasses, and a tresured cut-out, but it is the memory of floured noses, giggles, and smiles of 30+ years that are most teasured. My grandma left us after a long battle with alzheimer's, but the baking continues every year.

Sonya said...

We love to make pancakes together on Saturday mornings. Thanks for the giveaway!

chris said...

It is so hard to choose...honestly every meal, dessert, bread or outdoor grill we all cook together is love.

chris said...

It is so hard to choose...honestly every meal, dessert, bread or outdoor grill we all cook together is love.

chris said...

It is so hard to choose...honestly every meal, dessert, bread or outdoor grill we all cook together is love.

Meryl said...

I love baking biscuits with my husband on Sunday mornings. Typically he does the baking--he's perfected the recipe--but being in the kitchen, laughing, chatting...it's my favorite part of the week.

Unknown said...

Love Hugh!!! I have had his book in my wish list forever!! one day ;). We love to bake cookies and pizza together! Thank you!

Sophie - Meili Farm said...

My son loves to DUMP and STIR! So anything that involves dumping and stirring is a great project in his world. He also loves to tell me when to flip pancakes - Turn, Mama, turn!! - with the sense of urgency only a toddler can manage!

All of the River Cottage books are fabulous. My husband and I (along with our toddler and baby) raise beef cows, hogs, laying hens and honeybees in NY and sell mainly at farmers' markets. I always bring along my copy of the RC meat book for reference and inspiration. The RC Family Cookbook has been on my wish list for ages...

Suzanne said...

Hello. I found you through SouleMama! Great guest post! This cookbook sounds great! DD is 12months and we don't do much cooking together, yet!
My favorite person to cook with is my husband. We try to cook together every night whether it is a simple burrito dish or more involved meal.
I also LOVE to gather with my SIL (best friend too) and other friends to make tamales in October/November of every year!
Thanks for the chance to win the book!

chris said...

It is so hard to choose...honestly every meal, dessert, bread or outdoor grill we all cook together is love.

lauren said...

would absolutely love this! It's been on my amazon wish list. Thanks so much for your offer. Loved your blog post over at soulemama. I have three children and the letting go of the clean kitchen floor is a process to be reckoned with.

amy said...

i have given this book as a gift but never got a copy of my own. fingers crossed.

danika said...

Today we're baking strawberry rhubarb muffins! My 2 year old loves to help me cook, especially baked goods. "That be yummy" he says everytime we use the mixer.

amy arnold said...

oooh, i think my favorite thing to cook with the wee ones these days is granola. no accurate measuring required! homemade pizza is always a crowd pleaser too, especially with a large group--social and nummy and everyone is happy!

Diana said...

Teaching my sisters to cook anything but cookies and french toast. Somehow I learned from my mom and grandmother, but neither of them did. Yet both make better chocolate chip cookies than me!

Anonymous said...

I love to include my kids when needing anything chopped or diced. They are pros with the knife and far more precise than myself. We also love cut out cookies. Anything involving the rolling pin and cutters are great by us!-alison

Teri said...

OH - I LOVE his books. One of our recent favorites is a slow cooked pulled pork, from our very own home-raised pig. So delicious on sourdough with sauerkraut. Yum!

chassie of cb&j said...

pasta. my husband and i love to get floured up and make delicious homemade pasta!

Emmas Closet said...

I love to make ravioli's with my daughter. Start to finish made from scratch. There are a lot of things she can help me with especially as she grows older.

Unknown said...

Woodfired pizza in the oven my husband built. I'm new here and checking out your blog for the first time!

Emmy said...

My oldest daughter (3 years old) loves any reason to pull up her stool and tie on her apron, but I think my favorite thing to make with her is pie. It's something I never learned to make when I was a kid and wish I had.

mandi said...

My favorite thing to bake...hmm...I think bread. The meditative quality of it. Yes, I'll say bread!

Thanks for the introduction to this book. Fingers crossed!

Tian said...

We love to cook and bake anything and everything together. As soon as I enter the kitchen my 7 year old is right at my heals pulling her apron out of the drawer. Lately we've loved making homemade graham crackers and marshmallows for s'mores. We even melt good chocolate and pour it into thin little puddles that will melt easily next to a hot marshmallow! Yum! I would love a copy of this cookbook! Thanks for the chance!

Melissa said...

We love to make pancakes together! So simple, but so much fun, there's something each of us can do - mixing , measuring, cracking eggs, pouring batter, flipping, and of course buttering & putting the syrup on :) It's so much fun to cook & create as a team & then to sit down & enjoy the reward together...yum :)
~Melissa W.

Sara said...

I love making meatballs with my grandmother. They are one of the foods I grew up with and a much beloved staple of Christmas Eve in my family. Several years ago she wrote down the recipe for me and I spent time with her making them. For several years, I'd visit a few days before Christmas Eve to make them with her. Sometimes it involved dividing tasks between us and other times me puttering around her kitchen asking where to find this or that while she knitted or worked on another project. We work very smoothly together in the kitchen, not getting in each other's way despite the tight space. It's been a few years since I've been able to make the trip to make the meatballs with her and I miss it.

My little ones are quite little, but my husband is already making a bread baker out of our 2-year old.

mpocket said...

Every sunday morn, my daughter and I make blueberry pancakes from scratch and fry up a mess of bacon. She could make pancakes by herself by the time she was five!

As a small farmer, I have lots of love for River Cottage, thanks for the opportunity!

Grace said...

Thanksgiving! My niece and nephew enjoy assisting me in the kitchen. It's becoming a family tradition and I enjoy it so much. They do, too.

Sara said...

My favorite thing to bake with family is homemade cinnamon rolls. It's now a Christmas morning tradition that we break out every now and then throughout the year as well.

The Murphbanks said...

Oh I love Hugh! I already have the cookbook so don't count me in for the giveaway but I just had to add to the general Hugh adoration. I can heartly recommend the River Cottage handbooks which cover bread, mushroom foraging, hedgerows, cakes etc. I'm pretty sure that there have been US versions produced too.
Hurray for Hugh...

Sharon said...

Hugh's great. He's very inspiring in a non-fussy kind of way.
I'm originally from England, so his series was close to my heart (I even understood what most of the people on the show were saying!). Hubby and I have watched all the River Cottage series and got quite a kick out of them.

sherri s. said...

Ooh, lovely! My grandma was a champion pie baker--though not literally because she never entered a contest--and after several failed attempts she passed her skills on to me. We baked many a pie together, and when she passed 6 years ago, I got her well-worn rolling pin, which I treasure. So, the answer (to many things, as it turns out!), is "pie"! Thanks for the generous giveaway.

Carrie said...

Just found your blog via Soule Mama. I live in the UK, but hope it's ok to enter on behalf of my sister, who is small-scale homesteading in Illinois. I'm a big fan of Hugh, too, and I'm lucky enough to live not too far away from the original River Cottage.
Some of my favourite things to cook with my kids are recipes using foraged foods - most recently elderflower cordial, dandelion and rose petal salad and wild garlic pesto. There's nothing so good as 'free' food!

Carrie said...

We love to make grilled pizzas here. It's our Friday night tradition. Everyone gets to help build them, too, which makes it so much more fun! My husband has gotton really good at spinning the dough up in the air and catching it again! It cracks me and my daughter up, everytime.

bionicsquirrel said...

We are a banana bread family. I love bananas on peanut butter toast, bananas in smoothies, etc. but when I see those bananas start to turn brown the excitement really starts. Tonight, in fact, we are making blueberry banana bread.
This is my first time to your blog. I am really enjoying reading the past posts. Thanks.

Meghan said...

Wow, I have been drooling over this book for years! Our favorite is spinach-feta quiche. Easy to prepare, healthy, I know they will eat it ALL (including spinach!) and soon the eggs will be from our very own chickens!!

Andrea said...

I've enjoyed the other River Cottage books that I've read, so I'd love to add this to my collection. We almost always cook together, so it's hard to narrow it down. I'm already amazed at the skills my 4 yo daughter has picked up. We're on an homemade ice cream kick right now. Thanks for the giveaway!

The Knitty Gritty Homestead said...

Found you through Amanda Soule...I've covetted this cookbook for oh, years...negotiating increasing food sensitivities with my oldest child so always seeking new inspiration! Thanks for offering it!

Jennifer said...

We're making and eating lots of homemade ice cream these days -- fresh goat milk, duck egg yolks, maple syrup and a bit of vanilla messily stirred by a 2 yr old.

renee ~ heirloom seasons said...

My girls have been making some very creative salads from the garden, we have been sticking with simple stews for dinner, we have been grinding our own grain to bake our bread. We have always baked bread everyday, but the grain mill is new and exciting...
It would also be exciting to have this cookbook, my husband and I think he is pretty great. Thanks!
(and also thank for my pretty green canning book, which I love...)

Anonymous said...

Bread is my favorite thing to bake with my girls. I have checked this cookbook out of the library and the raisin bread from it is delicious. Maybe we will make that tomorrow....
Thanks for the chance to win.

Queen of Scatterville said...

We love to make cookies together! It doesn't matter what kind, it just matters that we made them together.

Teena said...

Please enter me in this great giveaway. I love coming up with new ideas for quiches.

ErinA said...

Thanks for introducing me to Hugh! My favourite thing to bake is any type of pie- the kids therefore get roped into peeling, cutting, squeezing and otherwise preparing fruit! My sister and I make Martha's lemon sponge every time we get together. Thanks!

A said...

We love to make belgian waffles and pancakes together as a family!

Lauren Reedy said...

We love to make pizza together. We just use up whatever we have in the kitchen and have come up with tons of creative and yummy pizzas. Everyone is always happy when we make pizzas even though they are never the same way twice!

Carla said...

Our family loves roasting up a fresh bird from market on the weekend along with veggies from local farms and whatever we can harvest from our garden that day.

Allison said...

We love to bake granola together. The recipe we use makes a huge batch and we can throw it into everyone's jars and send them on their way. :)

kmdeg said...

I love making Sunday brunch with my husband. In the summer, we bike to our neighborhood farmer's market and then head home with our panniers full of fresh produce. We get the coffee going and make a big brunch together. Usually some variation of eggs, salad and scones. And then we relax, eat and talk. It's delightful!

Sonia said...

I just wanted to comment on this post as I live in the UK and am part of a Landshare. Our one is slightly more unusal as it is a landowner who has provided about an acre of land and it is divided into individual plots. We also have pigs, chickens, horses and bees. I have to agree that it is a fantastic scheme and inspired - we have huge waiting list around most of the UK for allotments. This encouragement to share land was badly needed.

Recently met Hugh at an open day at River Cottage, he was signing books and a group of us went from the Landshare. He impressed me even more as he sat there to the end and spent time with everyone who wanted to chat.

greeblygreebly said...

Chocolate chip cookies are the family standby. The kids and I know the recipe by heart. I've been known to make them for breakfast to cheer us all up during particularly uncheery times.

Annette said...

Pies! So many parts to the process that there's something for everyone to do. And we all love the end result.

Eileen said...

Not sure I could pick a favorite! Maybe bread, muffins, cookies, granola....

cassie said...

my daughter is 14 months old, so she is still in the observational stage of cooking. last sunday night we made homemade pasta and she was enthralled watching my husband feed the dough through the rollers. i can't wait to involve her more as she gets older!

also, i just checked out The River Cottage Meat Book from the library this afternoon. it looks amazing! looking forward to exploring more of his work.

Jeanette said...

I love baking birthday cakes for every family birthday!

Cara said...

Without a doubt, it's cookies, in endless variations. That, and jam. What a great giveaway-I have been eyeing this book for the longest time. Thank you!

Julie said...

According to my 6 year old daughter Amelia the best thing we cook/bake are chocolate chip cookies. In fact we just made some two days ago. Not only are they tasty treats they are therapy cooking for a slightly stressed momma at times:) I would of course adore a chance to receive this cookbook. Amazing and inspiring! I also want to say I am so glad to be over on your blog after reading your post on Soulemama. Yeah!

Katie said...

Thus far my own kiddos are two and under, so I haven't done a ton of proper cooking with them, but my just turned two year old likes to help dump things in to mixing bowls and marvel at eggs (though she doesn't eat them...) so I like to let her help me make cookies or banana bread or things that involve lots of dumping.

Nicholas Park said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Genevieve P said...

Bread pudding. We often have it for breakfast and even for dinner, and it's so easy! Break up some (stale) bread, toss with butter, beat a few eggs, milk, and a bit of sugar together, let it get nice and soggy, and bake it! My girls can do it pretty much by themselves. It's especially great with whipped cream on top.

Berlinswhimsy said...

We have so many favorites to cook together, but if forced to choose one, I'd have to say Aebelskivers. My whole family loves them and my daughter loves making them!

This cookbook has been on my list for quite awhile. Thank you for the opportunity!

melissa said...

I love to make chocolate chip cookies with my family. It's an Alice Medrich recipe that I know by heart. I also enjoy making my grandmother's blueberry buckle.

trashmaster46 said...

My favorite thing to make -for- my family is bread and butter. No, not spreading the bread with butter for them - I make the bread and I make the butter.
My favorite thing to make -with- my husband is breakfast, with him making pancakes or omlets and me making potatoes & sausage.

Christo & Melissa said...

We love to make crepes together!

Sarah Beam said...

Desserts are my favorite for cooking with wee ones underfoot, but that is because of their great love and excitement for what they refer to as "The Licking Part" when they get to grab wooden spoons and scrape out the last bits from the mixing bowl.

restoreasheville said...

Eloise loves to make anything that allows her to dip her finger in brown sugar. I happily play along.

Words and Nosh said...

I have been loving making desserts with fresh summer fruits- today was banana cream pie, and yesterday I made raspberry cranachans from the River Cottage Everyday cookbook! I've been a bit obsessed with all things River Cottage lately-making his lamb burgers tonight- so this cookbook would be a perfect addition!

Theresa said...

One of my favorite meals to make with my kids is good ol spaghetti with italian sausage and homemade marinara. There's nothing like a 3 yo eating noodles.

Cheryl said...

Bread. Pancakes. Bread. Pancakes. And, finally, recently, my son is starting to help make--and eat!--salad with lettuce from our garden. Thanks for the wonderful blog!

AG Ambroult said...

oh boy! awesome giveaway. I have wanted that cookbook for a while now...

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing to make is old fashion spaghetti and meatballs. It's one of those dishes that everyone has their own part in helping, and no one cares if you get dirty eating it!

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