“An incredible resource for any and every homemaker.  Especially when it comes to using whole foods, yet not being overly complicated (or expensive).  But that's probably because the author is mother to 11 children, and has to keep to a budget to feed that kind of crowd.  We want our family’s diets to be healthy and inexpensive, but we also want to prepare meals that they will EAT J and that don't require us to spend hours in the kitchen at the expense of other family needs.  The best resource I've ever seen for both helping families transition into a healthy diet, and to stay that way happily!  Needless to say, the fact that Martha loves to use whole foods appeals to this homemaker.  But she makes it looks so easy!  Instead of complicated cumbersome "health food" recipes (where you've never heard of half of the ingredients, much less have any clue where to find them), many of these meals are just simple variations of old favorites.  Everything I've tried so far tastes WONDERFUL, too, might I add.   The cookbook is essentially a menu guide for each day of the week (with four menu options for each day, so that you can rotate them as desired).   While there are some "fancy" recipes, many are uncomplicated simple meal ideas that you can throw together quickly.  The brand new bride is shown how to bake potatoes and all the other things like that, which I'll freely admit I didn't know how to do when I first got married. You can really tell these recipes have passed through the time-honored test of excellence--one husband and eleven hungry children, and the woman who cooks for them all!   She walks you step by step through making your own of just about everything!  I'm talking things like Homemade Mustard, Ketchup, Graham Crackers, Vanilla Flavoring, Ranch Dressing, Play Dough, canning beans, sprouting, and the list goes on. On nearly every recipe page, Martha also provides handy tips for the homemaker, giving helpful advice from frugal shopping, healthy eating, advance planning (my biggest weakness! ugh!), food storage, time saving preparation tips.  and I'll admit that I often do better at reading recipes than I do actually trying them.  When I see ten gazillion ingredients and 58 steps involved in making a meal, a part of me shivers with revulsion and I end up whipping up yet another batch of crockpot chili...again (to the groans of my children).  You see,  I want simple, easy, healthy, and quick when it comes to meals.  “Martha's Family Cookery  Book “ is exactly what I've always wanted, just didn't know  existed!  So, from one homemaker to another, it gets a two-thumbs-up,  five star recommendation.  I hope it blesses your kitchen just as much as it has mine.”