Eating for Beginners Review and GIVEAWAY! Plus Fit Family Challenge Post #2

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Hello Everyone!  The Foodie Mommie Fit Family Challenge Post #2 is upon us and with this I have an EXCELLENT giveaway!


Eating for Beginners by Melanie Rehak is a wonderful book about one woman's one year journey discovering how be an eater and a parent to a picky child in today's increasingly complex world of "food rules."  In this book, Rehak works at a restaurant for one year called applewood (the name of the restaurant is not capitalized), which specializes in seasonal selections as well as buying a huge majority of its food locally.  In addition to working in the restaurant, Rehak takes time out work on local farms and even goes out to sea on a commercial fishing trip to find out not only about organic versus not organic but also about sustainable sources of food.  


This book was an absolute delight to read.  Not only is Melanie Rehak very informative in the book, she is also extremely entertaining.  We follow her life for one year, through the ups and downs of being a restaurant chef, to trying to get her toddler to eat foods that are not only good for him, but good for the environment.  This book really made me want to get out there and work on a farm.  I loved how she described each and every experience in a way that made me want to try it too.  I learned so much from this book about the source of our food in this country and why it is so important to buy local.  That being said, I really liked how this book also allowed for a balance between buying local and buying from other places when something is not in season.  The message of this book is not that it has to be all or nothing, but a delicate balance between the ideal and reality.  There are several places in the book where one of the farmers or the restaurant owner mentions buying something from California or Florida when it is not in season and that being OK.  The point of the book is not only about WHAT you eat, but HOW the food was grown, raised, fished, etc.  The source of the food, the treatment of the food, if you will.   Rehak gives us an added bonus by including some of the recipes she learned along the way at the end of each chapter.  I can't wait to try some of those! 


This is probably one of the best food books I have ever read and so I give KUDOS to Melanie Rehak for doing the research to write this amazing book!  Throughout this book I kept thinking, "my goodness, I think she and I would get along so well! "  This is my kind of book!


So, now that I have reviewed the book for you, I have a really great giveaway in store!


Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has offered to give 10 of my readers copies of Eating for Beginners!  Giveaway ends on Sunday August 1st at midnight.  Winners will be chosen at random, announced and informed by e-mail on Monday August 2nd.  Here's how to win (please leave SEPARATE COMMENTS for each entry):
  • Basic Entry - Leave a comment on THIS POST with your e-mail address and tell me about your favorite seasonal fruit or vegetable
  • Join as a follower - 1 additional entry
  • Follow me on Twitter - 1 additional entry
  • Follow me on Facebook - 1 additional entry
  • Grab my button and post it on your homepage -3 additional entries
  • Refer a friend, if that friend becomes a follower, you both get 3 entries (be sure to let me know which friend you referred or referred you! Separate comments for each referral please!)
  •  Linky up to the Fit Family Challenge -3 additional entries
  • Write and link a Challenge Post #1 or #2 (see below for details on the Challenge Post) - 10 additional entries  
Fit Family Challenge Post #2 -
Not only will linking a challenge post win you 10 extra entries in the Eating for Beginners Giveaway, it could also get you featured as a guest blogger on The Foodie Mommie!  This weeks challenge:

Go to your local farmer's market, CSA, or anywhere that sells local meat, fish, and produce.  Buy ingredients to cook a completely local meal and blog about it!  Linky up to have your post entered to win!  

 I have also extended last weeks post for another week, so you can definitely visit the challenge page to check out last week's challenge post.  

Have a great rest of your weekend and until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!




42 comments:

Unknown said...

I LIVE for butternut squash!!! I like to cut it in half, bake it with a little butter and eat out of it like it's a boat :)

lisamgale AT gmail DOT com

Unknown said...

I follow you!

Unknown said...

Twitter follower! (@lisamgale)

Jessica Anne said...

Strawberries are my favorite in the summer. jessicaanne@adventureswiththreegirls.com

Jessica Anne said...

I follow on GFC!
jessicaanne@adventureswiththreegirls.com

Jessica Anne said...

I follow you on Twitter @advenwith3girls

jessicaanne@adventureswiththreegirls.com

Anonymous said...

I adore raspberries. I have for as long as I can remember and the best are always local. The ones that are shipped in don't have much flavor. I remember picking them in my Grandma's backyard garden when I was a little one. Last summer the two of us went and picked raspberries together. I made some delish jam out of mine.

Bailey said...

I am loving berries right now. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, yummy! megibow.bailey@gmail.com

Bailey said...

I follow your blog!

Bailey said...

I follow on facebook!

cooperl788 said...

I'm in love with zucchini - I use it in almost every dinner I make. I even grate it into spaghetti sauce to give it an extra veggie boost!

cooperL788@gmail.com

cooperl788 said...

I follow you!

Autumn said...

OH what an excellent idea for a book! I think this would be a great help as I would like to get our family eating more whole foods and really get all the processed stuff OUT!

Autumn said...

And I now follow you on Facebook too!!

Lisa said...

I love strawberries. rhisomers(at)gmail(dot)com

Lindsay said...

I love getting fresh peaches! Yummm.

MamanADroit (at) gmail (dot) com

Cintia Listenbee said...

My fav fruit of the season is cantaloupe

Cintia Listenbee said...

I am a follower!

Ruth said...

I truly enjoy seasonal berries

ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

Ruth said...

like you on facebook

ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

Tiffanee said...

Asparagus!!
tiffaneeg@yahoo.com

Tiffanee said...

Following you!!

Janet said...

I love fresh tomatoes when they are in peak season!! So good and so good for you. I wish my husband would love them as much as I do! Also, I follow on facebook. :)
janetallen84@gmail.com

Bailey said...

jackie b referred me, we are now both followers #1

Bailey said...

jackie b referred me, we are now both followers #2

Bailey said...

jackie b referred me, we are now both followers #3

Madonna Cramer said...

My favorite seasonal vegetable is corn on the cob..yum.

madonnacramer@msn.com

NorCalMom said...

My favorite seasonal fruit is strawberries. My favorite seasonal vegetable is corn on the cob.

norcalmom@hotmail.com

NorCalMom said...

I follow on GFC.

norcalmom@hotmail.com

NorCalMom said...

I have posted your button on my home page and buttons page. #1

norcalmom@hotmail.com

NorCalMom said...

I posted your button on my home page and button page. #2

norcalmom@hotmail.com

NorCalMom said...

I posted your button on my home page and button page. #3

norcalmom@hotmail.com

KAE said...

My favorite seasonal foods are blueberries and blackberries! We live in the central valley in CA where they grow them all and they are fat and juicy and we get them super cheap at the farmer's market!

leteia81@yahoo.com

KAE said...

I am a follower!
leteia81@yahoo.com

KAE said...

Your buttton is on my page!
leteia81@yahoo.com

KAE said...

Your buttton is on my page!
leteia81@yahoo.com

KAE said...

Your buttton is on my page!
leteia81@yahoo.com

Bag Lady said...

I ADORE cooking with pumpkin in the fall!

I follow you. :)

Unknown said...

Hi Elizabeth,
I'm loving following along, and trying to get our eating habits in order before our little one arrives!
-Pamela
pkling824 [at] gmail.com
Also following you on Facebook.

Jackie Higgins said...

Hi, I love zuchinni! And have been devouring it at every meal lately!

Jackie Higgins said...

I am a follower. bookblogmomma@gmail.com

Laura said...

Rainier Cherries!!!!

LauraLDrum@hotmail.com

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