Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen

by Sara Wells, Kate Jones

Meet Sara and Kate, two Mormon girls who love to cook. They're also wives and mothers balancing home management, part-time work, church and community involvement, and countless other things just like you! As busy moms, their philosophy is that cooking really good food for your family doesn t have to be complicated. In fact, cooking at home can be a delicious, fun, and easy way to care for your family and friends. Our Best Bites brings together more than 150 family-friendly recipes with mouthwatering full-color photos, step-by-step tutorials, ideas for using leftover ingredients, shortcuts and tips for cooking, and serving suggestions.

Sara Wells and Kate Jones began their hit cooking blog, Our Best Bites, in March 2008. In the past two years, their website has grown to more than 40,000 page views a day and around 700,000 page views a month. Over 30,000 subscribers receive their e-mail updates. They have been featured in The Chicago Sun-Times , Mormon Mommy Blogs, and popular cooking blogs such as Café-Mom, Tastespotting, and Foodgawker. Their website was recently listed on The Pioneer Woman's blog as one of the most frequently referenced cooking websites. The authors will be featured in an upcoming edition of Better Homes and Gardens . Includes page-finder bookmark with measurement conversions.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Lds, Reference

265 pages, Spiral-bound

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these recipes. I need to just break down and buy me a copy of this one.
Here's some of what I've made
Dinner rolls:

Cinnamon rolls:

[Gina Tackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many wonderful recipes. I borrowed this book from the library and will hopefully look into purchasing it. This would be very good for new wives or starter cooks.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it's a cookbook but it makes for great reading if you're hungry or stumped about what to make for dinner tonight. I think this might be my favorite cookbook ever. The recipes are pretty simple, and if they're a little complicated then the authors talk you right through it. This week I've prepared about six recipes from the cookbook and they've all been well received by my family. My normally picky 8 year old loves looking through the book and choosing recipes that he would like to try. Every recipe has a picture and it all looks yummy. They use a lot of fresh ingredients and normal things that you can find at your local grocery store. I highly recommend this cookbook and their awesome blog that I've been following for a few months.

[Susan Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book listed in the Deseret Book flyers and as with any cookbook it looked possible. Requested it from the library and when it arrived I was delighted to find that not only was it a very useable cookbook but that it developed out of these 2 women's blog. Most of the recipes in the cookbook are on their blog but there are some additional wonderful ones, as well as instruction on how-to do many things. The pictures are very enticing. You will love this cookbook. It's easy. And the best part, I don't remember reading anything low cal...when these women say Butter...they mean real Butter. And that's A-OK by me

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, family-friendly cookbook! I ordered it on a pre-sale pre-order offer from Deseret Book and have already made several of the recipes with great success. I made the Roasted Red Pepper dip for FHE group and it was a hit! Beautiful pictures, easy to follow instructions, great tutorials. I especially like the "rollover" concept - recipes that use use items you may have purchased for other recipes but didn't use the whole amount. Very happy with this addition to my cookbook library!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly one of the best cookbooks I've owned! I love the beautiful illustrations and the simple but yet delicious recipes these ladies offer. If you ever want to own a great cookbook, try this one!

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this cookbook!!!

[Norah Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found a few recipes I’d make again. Most of them though just weren’t for my family. The coconut rice is amazing. It’s my favorite recipe in the cookbook.

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic, good food. I've liked almost everything I've made from it, which is quite a lot!

[Caroline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great recipes! I look through this one regularly.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME cookbook!! I have followed the authors' blog for several months and it's awesome. The cookbook lives up to the blog. The photos are great and the instructions for the recipes are written clearly. There are also several tips, techniques, and tutorials throughout the book -- for example, how to peel and roast garlic, how to grill corn, what type of limes are the juiciest, and more. Each recipe lists how many servings it makes and several also include serving suggestions (which I really need - I always have trouble coming up with what to serve with something). Some recipes also list rollover ingredients. Going to the back of the book, there is then a rollover index that lets you look up what else you can make with those leftover ingredients so they don't go to waste! Some have freezer instructions to freeze leftovers. Some list if they can be made ahead of time. Other labels are "Quick and Easy" and "Vegetarian." There are variations for several recipes. This is a beautiful hardback, spiral-bound book. It also includes a plastic bookmark with conversions and equivalents on it. Besides the rollover index, the regular index allows you to look up by recipe name, food type (beef, broccoli, etc.), or even food category (appetizers, candys and snacks, etc.). The book is broken down into sections, starting off with appetizers and drinks and going through breads; condiments, spreads, and garnishes; soups and chilis; on to desserts. This book is filled with so many fabulous, delicious-looking recipes that I cannot wait to try!! Crepes, homemade tortillas, homemade ice creams (Snickerdoodle ice cream or mango-pineapple sorbet anyone?), Brazilian lemonade, homemade Hot Pocket-type sandwiches, garlic bread seasoning, french dip sandwiches, Mexican-style corn on the cob, Chunky Monkey pie, cherry chocolate ice cream, cinnamon bun caramel corn, and homemade caramels!!! Did I miss any? Believe it or not, I did!

8/30/11 update -- I have now made a few things from this book and have enjoyed them all! My husband has pronounced the french bread incredible and now wants me to make it rather than buying a loaf at the store. The French dip is fabulous, as are the steak fries. I'm officially addicted to those dang things. Super easy and they have a great trick to make them turn out perfect!!

[T. Season · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'v read a lot of cookbooks. this is my current favorite. things i like: fresh and homemade recipes with easy to find ingredients, lots of vegetable/salad recipes and homemade dressings, calls for real butter and not too many low fat ingredients, lots of easy great food for entertaining, ideas for using extra ingredients like cilantro in other recipes, ideas for what to serve with most of the recipes, pictures! for every recipe!, spiral bound for laying flat on the counter, some easy to make ethnic recipes (southwestern/asian/brazilian), lots of make ahead recipes, the authors also have blog that i've been following for a few years with even more great free recipes. ourbestbites.com if you're interested. the only thing i wish for is a few more whole grain recipes.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh snap. Now I need to buy another cookbook. I think my obsession is out of control. I expected this to be a collection of semi-homemade, easy-peasy recipes, but the dishes were mostly from scratch, which is more my cooking style. Recipes that I want to try:

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
French Bread
Flour Tortillas
Crepes
Apple Cider Syrup
Panzanella
Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing (like Cafe Rio's)
Italian Meatball Soup
FAUXtisserie Chicken
Mexican-Style Sweet Shredded Pork (like Cafe Rio's)
Thai Peanut Noodles
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Garlic-Rosemary Potatoes
Mexican-Style Corn on the Cob (with Cotija)
Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice
Black Beans (like Cafe Rio's)


Yum!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh bleep. This is a cool cookbook! (I bleeped myself because something when something is really awesome it makes me need to swear, but this is a Mormon Moms book, so I'd get in trouble for swearing, ya know!)

My favorite thing about this book is that these women cook in my style. They don't have recipes with 20 ingredients and they don't use weird ingredients. I know that 'weird' is relative, so I guess I should say that they use ingredients that I've heard of and usually have in my cupboard/fridge/freezer.

This cookbook is a nice supplement to, but not a substitute for, the OBB website.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not just the sturdy hard-back cover with spiral binding, the photo for each recipe, the notes listing perishible ingredients that can be used for other recipes, the helpful hints for every step, or even the handy bookmark with measurement conversions. Those are fabulous, but I love this cookbook because these are realistic recipes for busy families who like something fun every so often. I made 6 of these recipes the first week after I purchased this cook book last month and my family raved! My 9-yr-old made chocolate mousse and my 12-yr-old made Texas sheet cake. It's been a long time since I've opened a cookbook and was inspired instead of intimidated, but now I'm a believer!

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read cookbooks. I read them like novels. (French Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Loomis is better than some novels I've read.) Rarely do I cook something from them. Our Best Bites is different. It has amazing color photos that make your mouth water and make you want to try the recipes. The ones I've tried have ranged from excellent to stratospheric. Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake is worth the price of the book. I like the quality of the book, too. Heavy cover, slick, thick paper. One of my favorite cookbooks. I'll be purchasing the next one.

[Becky H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am looking forward to this new cookbook. It is based on the recipes from the "Our Best Bites" blog. I really really want it (hint, hint) :)

I GOT IT TODAY!!!! YIPEE!
SO fun to flip through. the majority of the recipes have photos. There are extra tips and serving suggestions (what to serve with it). So far very impressed. It has both recipes from the blog and new ones too.

Great cookbook. Lots of pictures. Glad I own it.

[Jennifer Essig]

It's a cookbook so I'm not exactly reading it, but I just got it today and I'm so excited! I love a good cookbook and this one is full of practical, yummy, goodness made with every day ingredients. There are also a lot of tutorials like how to cut a mango, how to roast a red pepper, etc. AND it has a picture with every recipe (a must for me). My only complaint is that some of the recipes are found on their website - but only a few. I'll update my review once I've made some of the recipes.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this the other day and have already tried one recipe, and my kids have requested many others.

I love how each recipe has a picture of it, and the directions are easy to follow. I don't always enjoy cooking, but since everyone here has to eat, I have to cook. Finding a good cookbook full of things that look good, look like I can make them, AND I have most of the ingredients already in my pantry makes this book a 5 star book to me!

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cookbook! I have already tried many of the recipes from the cookbook. I have honestly never made one of their recipes that did not turn out absolutely wonderful! Most of the recipes have pictures (which are beautiful!) and the tips are great. There is also a rollover index that helps you find other recipes that use ingredients that you may not normally use. This is my new favorite cookbook. I plan to buy several to give as gifts :)

[Cindy Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. And it lives up to the blog too, can I say drool?! I love in their blog how simple good food can be, or how its not as impossibly hard to make something look fancy, when its really not. My favorite recipe so far is the steak and mango salad. Its a keeper. Plus, there are pictures with every recipe..so you know what its supposed to look like, for the times when you mess up in the kitchen, like I do.

[Chaundell Monn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the BEST cookbook that I have EVER bought. I can't even write in words how much I love this book. I have tried many recipes in here and I have not been disappointed, not one time! These two women are amazing. In addition to this book, you have to check out their blog also called, Our Best Bites. It has more recipes that aren't in the book and fun craft ideas too. Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!! (Have I gotten my point across ;) )

[Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful photography! I love that every recipe has a picture to go with it (& detest cookbooks that don't). These blogger ladies are very talented! And I've taste-tested some of these yummy recipes, as Kate Jones is an 'ole friend of mine from when our little families lived in Provo, UT. Get the book and see for yourself!

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become one of my favorite cookbooks. I love the blog and every recipe I have made from this cookbook has been EXCELLENT. I enjoy that the recipes are real and contain "real" ingredients and some of them are simple. I love the "rollover" ingredient idea, and I especially love that the authors are young moms like me. I got it from the library, but am going to buy it someday!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that each recipe in this book has a picture to go along with it. Everything looks amazing. The funny thing is that I really want to make the recipe on the cover of the book but I couldn't find it anywhere inside the book. I have recently found their blog and have loved some of the recipes I have tried.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbooks is very well done - spiral binding, fabulous pictures, well laid out recipes with tips and notes added. It's filled with everything from soup to nuts and many of those are Mexican food related, just not our type of eating. I'm still tempted to make the pecan pie bars, now those sounded good!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the pictures and loved how they had pages set aside for showing how to do things, for example, on one they showed how to pick a good watermelon. (Except last week I looked for what they said at Costo and it ended up being the worst one I've ever chosen! But then I've never been able to pick a really good one.) I liked the recipes and thought it was very well made.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

We only tried a few recipes from this book before we had to return it, but they were all hits! I like that the ingredients are mostly things I have around, or would at least be able to use again if I had to go out and buy them. Great photographs and tips accompany the recipes. This is one I would buy. Felicity really liked it too.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book, love the blog.. The best of the book is the binding, recipe breakdown and what to do with leftover specialty items you purchase to make. I feel like I don't end up throwing out things just because we wanted to try one new thing. I love the colorful pages, the real life events of the authors and the overall simplicity of the helpful tips.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this!!!! I made some of these recipes for christmas presents. The gingerbread men were yummy and easy to make. One of the pluses for this cookbook was that each recipe has side notes where they tell you whether the cook can use the funky ingredients from one recipe for others and which page they are on. Lots of fun side facts and instructions.