Two Peas and Their Pod

Recipes Tested: 12
Recipe Success: 11/12

Difficulty: Easy
Ingredient Accessibility: Super-accessible
Best For: Anyone who needs to get a family-friendly meal on the table

If you take a peek into my kitchen, it’d be pretty easy to pick out which cookbooks are my favorite. They are the ones that live on the counter, have splatters on the cover and pages stuck together. They are the ones I turn to time and time again.

And the, ahem, messiest, of them all? Two Peas and Their Pod.

Reliability: The recipes in this book give consistently solid results. The techniques, the cooking times, the seasoning amounts are almost always spot on. Sure, I may tweak some things here and there for personal preferences, but I haven’t had a single recipe fail yet.

Recipe variety: There’s something for everyone. I love that there are kid-tested recipes as well as more grown up ones for at-home date nights. 

Ingredient accessibility: This is another strong point of this book. I have many of the ingredients already in my pantry or fridge. No need to hunt down an expensive spice that will then collect dust at the back of the spice drawer.

Time Investment: Most of the recipes are completely doable on a busy weeknight. It’s important to me that my family gets healthy, home cooked meal that we eat together. Two Peas and Their Pod is perfect for this, and it’s probably why I turn to this book so often.

Creativity and Originality: These are recipes that will feel comfortable to most people. And while the recipes are solid, there’s a number of them you probably already know how to make. If you are looking to broaden your horizons, be challenges with new techniques or explore new flavors, this is not the book.

👧 Kid Favorite: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
A word of warning, these will go fast around your house. 

🍽️Better Than the Restaurant Versions: Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps
I’ve made this with both pork and chicken, and it’s a winner either way. Aside from being flavorful, it makes a fun dinner that allows everyone to customize their own plate.

😲Biggest Surprise: Spaghetti Squash with Broccolini, Tomatoes and Garlic Bread Crumbs
I was surprised at how much I loved this. Simple and healthy, yet feels special enough to make for company (even if they aren’t vegetarians!)

❤️ If I Could Only Make One Recipe From This Book: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup with Spiced Tortilla Strips
I will admit that I buy premade tortilla strips from the store. But this is hands down the most requested recipe in my kitchen each winter. Convenient, healthy, and absolutely delicious.

Get your kids involved!
Look, I’m not a perfect parent and I’m not above a little gentle peer pressure. I showed my kiddo the pictures of Lichty cooking wither kids in the kitchen and said “They look like they’re having fun. We can make this, too!” Just make sure you have plenty of time, paper towels and perhaps a glass of wine.

Buy! 

I would recommend this one to any home cook. And if you have kids, this is one you’ll want to use on repeat.

And honestly, I might need to buy a new copy at the rate I’m going.