This is a good collection of kid friendly recipes. It is laid out well and would be a great way to introduce/involve children in cooking!

The electronic edition of this book is a mess. Maybe because it’s an ARC? I muddled through because there were just so many recipes. I bookmarked several and can’t wait to try them. The recipes look doable with short ingredient lists.

When I tell you I could not run fast enough to order this book after reviewing it on NetGalley! (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher)

I was literally in the first section & the breakfast had me! This is realistic recipes. A mom for sure wrote this because these are recipes your whole family will eat and repeatedly. I’m so excited for this one and can already guarantee it will be my new favorite!

So can I call a cookbook cute? Because that's exactly what this was! I’m a mom of 3, and it’s a struggle to find cookbooks that don’t make me raise an eyebrow at what they’re asking me to talk my toddlers into eating, but this was NOT that.

I found myself wanting to try out recipes and the kids were receptive. Woah! Did you read that? I tried some of these (with much more to come) and my kids ate it!?!?

It also covers the basis well. I’m not the most well-versed in the kitchen, so it was nice to have a crash course in the nuts and bolts included.

I love the mixed media aspects of it too! It feels like this is how all cookbooks should be set up, especially when the author has a presence like she does.

Now, I wasn’t a blog follower before, but after deep diving with this, I’m off to check it out!

There are lots of quick and simple recipes perfect for those with families. These recipes are very kid friendly. I think this is a recipe book that would have something in it for everyone. The recipes I'm most excited to try are the Cinnamon Roll Cake, Snickerdoodle bread, Strawberry cookies, and Halloween Punch. I would recommend this! Special Thank you to Kristyn Merkley, Flashpoint and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for a cookbook that is focused on family? Lil’ Luna’s So Easy & So Yummy: The Ultimate Resource for Feeding Your Friends and Family by Kristyn Merkley, is what you’re looking for. It’s packed with traditional recipes that have become unfancy standards over the years.

The first part of the cookbook has excellent information on planning meals including holiday meals, timetables for how long dishes keep, feeding a crowd, cooking supplies, spices to have on hand, food substitutions, items to keep on hand, and tips for quick and easy cooking. The recipes aren’t particularly innovative or unique, but they are for dishes that everybody likes and that are easy enough for older kids to prepare for the family. Even though this cookbook is designed for family cooking and includes lots of recipes for kids of all ages, the recipes are suitable for everyone – singles, couples, families, and friends. The recipes are written in the traditional form with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions for preparation. The recipes are easy to follow, and suitable for both beginning and advanced cooks. Many of the recipes are ones that have been found in community and church cookbooks over the years, and have become classics. While the recipes aren’t particularly exciting, and certainly not gourmet, they are good. Also included are basic recipes for time-honored dishes such as hamburger goulash, and basic cookies like snickerdoodles, peanut butter, and chocolate chip.

One of the fun things about this cookbook is that most of the recipes include a QR code to scan for videos, and there are also videos of tips and preparation helps. Another plus is that there are beautiful, professional photographs of the recipes, and the cookbook is colorful and fun to read.

All told, this is a great book to have on the family cookbook shelf.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Loved this wonderful cookbook,I was drawn in from the welcoming front cover.The recipes sound so yummy so delicious and easy to make.The photos are beautiful I will be using this cookbook again & again &it will make a lovely gift.thanks #netgalley#mygirlfriday.

Kristyn Merkley's Lil' Luna's So Easy & So Yummy is like an encyclopedia of everyday cooks who love spending time in the kitchen and cooking homemade foods from scratch. It doesn't always have to be difficult and tedious as the author shows in her book - she incorporates some pre-made ingredients and canned goods to put yummy dishes on the table. I think this book will be especially great for new moms and/or beginner cooks since most of recipes are easy and simple. Almost all of the recipes have variations or bonus recipes, come with recipes tips such as Make Ahead and barcode to watch how it's made. You can tell author put a lot of thoughts into this book and is detail-oriented. Another thing I'd like to note is that every recipe has a beautiful photo which is always a huge plus for a visual person like I am. If you're looking for a good cookbook for someone this holiday season, this should definitely on your list. Highly recommend!

I’ve been following Lil’ Luna (Kristyn Merkley) for over a decade, knowing I can always count on her for delicious and straightforward recipes that my whole family will love – picky kids included! So naturally when I saw she had a cookbook coming out, I couldn’t grab it fast enough!

This cookbook is the perfect staple for every kitchen! So many of these recipes are classics that your family will know and love. All of the ingredients are common and accessible, many are probably in your pantry right now. The directions are clear, easy-to-follow, and simple enough for even novice cooks.

This cookbook is so user-friendly and accessible! It’s chock-full of valuable tips, substitutions, variations, and recipe pairings. So useful whether you’re preparing your weekly menu or a holiday dinner! Also, not only is there a photo to accompany every recipe (which is something I always look for in a cookbook) but there’s even a helpful online video to go along with each recipe that’s easily accessible via QR code. Don’t worry if videos aren't your thing though, everything you need is in the cookbook; these videos are just a nice little bonus if you like learning that way.

I’ve been making a number of Lil’ Luna recipes for my family for a long time, and I noticed that three of our family’s favorites from the website are included in this cookbook, so I can vouch for how delicious and easy they really are. The Biscuit Egg Casserole has been a regular dish in my house for years, and even though it’s listed as a breakfast food, I often make it for dinner because it’s plenty hearty for a main meal. The Gooey Butter Cookies are literally “so easy and so yummy”, using a cake mix as a time-saving base. And the Snickerdoodles – they’re the best I’ve ever tasted. They grace my Christmas cookie platter every year and they are always the first to disappear!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flashpoint for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Great family cookbook! The recipes in here are all for family favorite type items - I didn't find anything that was super unique, but they all look and sound delicious. Recipes are in chapters on Breakfast, Breads and Muffins, Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Sides, Main Dishes, Desserts (further separated into 4 categories), and Drinks.
Maybe more than the recipes themselves, what I really love about this cookbook is that the info is presented and laid out in a uniquely helpful manner with extra info. Charts in the intro section have substitutions, plus there is a page of video QR codes for techniques. There are pages on Quick and Easy, Make Ahead, Feeding a Crowd, and how long things will last in fridge and freezer. Holiday Meal Planning charts list suggestions of quantities of types of items, the suggest a few different recipes, and also give timelines for preparing.
I love that each recipe fits on one single page! No more trying to flip back and forth to read instructions or ingredient amounts. Each recipe has tags for situations, a QR code for videos, variations and bonus recipes if applicable, tips, and some have "also try" for similar recipes and pairings. They also have a color photo.
Then in addition to the standard index by term, there is an index showing the title of each recipe and it's situation tags, and another index of the categories of recipes and thumbnail photos of each.
The care taken to show the info in multiple different ways and to make cooking from this book as easy as possible is unique and delightful and contributed to my rating.

Instead of the usual reading frenzy in my house this caused a cooking frenzy. The children decided that the best way to review this book was to try out the recipes. We did have some strange combinations (they did not all agree on the menu they wanted to make). The food was generally delicious (and easy to scrape off the floor and wall tiles !). Will try some of the recipes just for me and grumpy grandad one the kitchen is usable. They loved it anyway.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I absolutely enjoyed this cookbook. The book is divided by meal type i.e. breakfast and dinner and has a hint section where the author shares tips and tricks. I loved how it was organized , written well, full of helpful hints and great pictures'. I recommend this book to everyone and beginner cooks.

This cookbook is an absolute gem! I have purchased and used dozens of cookbooks in my adult life, but this takes the cake for my new favorite. This cookbook is above and beyond what most are. There are QR codes to scan, picture index for ease of use and helpful tips galore. Due to the generosity of NetGalley in allowing me to have a review copy, I was able to test many of these gems on my family. Every single recipe was simple and a huge hit. I loved the gorgeous pictures and the personal touches on each page.

Fantastic comprehensive cookbook for the beginner cook! This cookbook is stuffed to the absolute brim with every recipe a beginner cook could need from party dips to breads to beef stew to chocolate chip cookies and more! The book is chock full of extra tips as tricks to really make the newbie cook feel confident. The organization and index is fantastic with pictures and clear labels. I don’t think that this is geared toward experienced or overly adventurous cooks as the recipes are on the more simplistic side. The ingredient lists are small yet mostly rely on whole ingredients which I appreciate. The directions are clear and not complex, making it just perfect for beginners. I would absolutely gift this approachable and comprehensive cookbook to anyone just starting out on their own as it has everything a beginner could want or need!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the early release.
A good cook book to me is one with lots of pictures. As an armature in the kitchen I need an image to compare my creation too- make sure I did it right. Lil' Luna's cook book does not skimp on the images. There are so many simple recipes that any family would love. I loved the touch of adding what to serve with the recipes, so each recipe could be made into a complete meal.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not familiar with Merkley or her cooking brand so maybe that was on me for diving into this book. This book has a variety of recipes spanning simple things like mashed potatoes to main dishes. While there are a lot of recipes packed in some are fairly simple and there's not the variety I was expecting. There's also suggestions to watch videos or follow QR codes in the book which I personally don't love - if I'm buying a cook book I want everything I need to be in the book not having to use other resources. Overall nothing I'm blown away by, but could see how her fans enjoy these recipes.

This was one of those cookbooks that wasn’t intimidating, while providing plenty of recipe inspiration at the same time. On my list to make: potato breakfast casserole, chicken dumpling soup, white sauce pasta, puppy chow, and pink punch. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

After reading through this cookbook, I can see why Lil' Luna's VLOG and Youtube channel would be so incredibly popular. She is super organized and detail oriented!

She also draws in her family and friends to help test each recipe so that you get perfection every time. I gained weight just READING the recipes!

Let's start with my favourite: DESSERT!!!:

Sample such tasty treats as Strawberry Cookies, M&M Chocolate Oat Bars or her Lemon Bars, Arroz con Leche, Muddy Buddies, a slice of Pumpkin Roll and top it off with Jell-O Poke Cake! (See what I mean?!!)

On to MAINS:
Hawaiian Haystacks, Creamy Swiss Chicken, Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops, Beef Goulash, Marinated Steak, Beef Stroganoff - all these family favourites taken up a notch!

SIDES:

Spanish Rice, Funeral Potatoes, Pico de Gallo, Parmesan Sweet Potato Cubes and Homemade Mac and Cheese! Yuuuuummmmmmmy!

BREADS:

You can sample the standard home baked breads, biscuits, pankcakes and pizza dough, then move on to delicious Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread, Cornbread and hot buttery Cinnamon Bread. (Is your mouth watering yet?!)

Substitutions are allowed in many cases, and Kristyn Merkley and her team take the time to walk you through those substitute ingredients and how to incorporate them in the original recipe.


You can certainly watch her videos on Youtube and Facebook, but this wonderful - outstanding, really! - cookbook puts it conveniently down on paper (or on your ereader) so that you don't have to fast forward or backward to remind yourself of a measurement or ingredient.


Highly recommended! 5 out of 5 fully satisfied, new fan stars! I am sure this excellent cookbook will fly off the shelves!!! My thanks to the author, her publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this cookbook in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not familiar with this blogger? youtuber? Although I don't think that impacted my experiences with the book.

Things I like:
- normal ingredients
- cooking videos with handy QR code for every recipe (what a neat/helpful idea!)
- bright photos with every recipe (though many are small insets)
- the non-main recipes can often be made vegan (not that she is trying to be vegan-friendly, they just are).

Things I don't like
- extremely hard to read.
Tiny yellow font on white and yellow pages is never a go
od idea.
- nothing "new"

- the author is Mexican and I was disappointed there were only a few Mexican recipes and it was for things like enchiladas, salsa, and guacamole that I know how to make.

- is very "SAD" and not healthful at all

- many recipes for things no one needs a recipe for (e.g. guacamole, scrambled eggs, fruit smoothie, mashed potatoes)

I don't understand how cookbooks are still being published with basic recipes for things we all already know how to make or there are 9,000 recipes for it online. If you're going to offer up the 9,010th recipe for guacamole, I expect a new idea thrown in there. These are literally the same recipes on allrecipes.com or whatever equivalent website you prefer.

Thanks netgalley for my ARC

THIS IS PERFECTION! Yes, that needed to be in all caps. I have been following Lil’ Luna for years. I have done many of her recipes and have been so anxious for her to do a cookbook. She is one of my go to bloggers for recipes. I was thrilled when I saw this one! The recipes are so easy! And the pictures? Perfection. Within the first few pages, I already knew I would be buying a physical copy of the book. I absolutely love that it isn’t just recipes. She has holiday meal plan ideas, tips and hints for cooking and so much more! LOVED everything about this!