Marina Delio - The Yummy Mummy Kitchen: 100 Effortless and Irresistible Recipes to Nourish Your Family with Style and Grace

For my beautiful girls, who bring me so much joy and inspire me to be the best mummy I can be Marina Delio I owe thanks to many more people than I can even begin to name. I will start with my family, who have always supported me. Thank you especially to the Yummy Mummies in my life who have shaped who I am as a mom. To my own mom, who made homemade dinners every night and showed me the importance of parents presence in their childrens lives. To my parents for making family dinnertime mandatory and instilling an appreciation for healthy eating, and also for sharing some of their delicious recipes. To my grandmother Tai Tai, for passing down some wonderful recipes, traditions, stories, history, and positive attitude.

To my husband, Phil, for always supporting and encouraging me throughout the writing of this bookand helping with the dishes after my cooking adventures. To the girlfriends I am so lucky to have. Laurie, Ronda, Sarah, and Victoriathank you for always being ready for a mommy happy hour. You are shining examples of glamorous but humble Yummy Mummies and have influenced this book and me in innumerable ways. Thank you to all my many other mommy friends as well. Thank you to my amazing literary agent, Coleen OShea, who knew I could write a beautiful cookbook even before I did, for guiding me through this process and holding my hand from across the country.

To my sweet editor, Jeanette Perez at HarperOne, who has been incredibly positive and gently given wonderful suggestions to make this book the best it can be, and the entire team at HarperOne. Also to Colleen Riley Photography for taking the beautiful pictures of the girls and me. Thank you all so much for making this book possible. CONTENTS Marina Delio Marina Delio Colleen Riley Marina Delio Marina Delio Im not the Yummy Mummy. You are. If you dont feel like one now, you surely will after trying some of the easy, wholesome, and delicious recipes from The Yummy Mummy Kitchen.

What is a Yummy Mummy? you ask. Yummy Mummy is a British term for an attractive, stylish mother. In my definition, however, a Yummy Mummy is a loving and dedicated mom who embodies a healthy lifestyle while retaining a sense of the person she was before having kids. A Yummy Mummy laughs off the spit-up trickling down the back of her shirt and smashed Cheerios at the bottom of her purse. She cooks with the kids even if it means wiping splattered muffin batter off the side of the oven, because that spoon-wielding toddler is having a ball. She holds on to her style and grace even with small children at home and in the most unglamorous of times.

A Yummy Mummy is not a high-maintenance mom. Being a Yummy Mummy does not mean weekly manicures, grocery shopping in stilettos, or nannies. It has nothing to do with money or perfection; its an attitude. She puts the kids first, but also takes care of herself and finds balance amid the chaos. Putting on a coat of mascara and lip gloss takes just a minute and makes her feel beautiful, or yummy. Similarly, she knows how to turn a simple meal into a special one with just a little effort.

A Yummy Mummy knows that adding a touch of glamour to everythingself, home, meals, and entertainingmakes life more fun and is a special way she can take care of herself and her family. The Yummy Mummy ideal has been ingrained in me through my British grandmother, the original Yummy Mummy, who is still very chic and has a sparkle in her eye at ninety-two years old. Actually, she says that her mom, Val, was the original Yummy Mummy. Having grown up in Hong Kong and Shanghai, my grandmother is called Tai Tai, a term used in parts of Asia to describe the matriarch of a family. She shops at the farmers market, eats well, and if you meet her, shell probably say, Dah-ling, please come in and have a cocktail! Having grown up with Yummy Mummies as role models, my own mom became a Yummy Mummy herself. Colleen Riley My recipes may look elegant and complicated, but they are deceptively simple. Colleen Riley My recipes may look elegant and complicated, but they are deceptively simple.

I use as few ingredients as possible, so that the recipes are quick and easy for busy moms like myself to make, even with a toddler on the hip. The secret is that simplicity is what makes food taste delicious and look bright and beautiful. Inspired by the foods and produce in my hometown of Santa Barbara and trips to Italy, where I really fell in love with cooking, I have created over a hundred mostly meatless, produce-rich recipes. Getting back to the basics of cooking with fresh seasonal ingredients and making homemade desserts is easy and satisfying. It brings out the Yummy Mummy in all of us. Feeding our families can feel overwhelming and time-consuming, but Ive learned how to simplify meals and get my children involved.

Whether Im throwing ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, preparing lasagna while my children are napping, or cooking with my daughters in the evening, I love it. Right when my little toddler and preschooler are about to have a meltdown and start the five oclock whinies, I blast silly music in the kitchen, and the three of us rock out while we cook. I dont care how ridiculous we look. The three of us are having fun, a healthy dinner is being made, and the kids have no idea how much they are learning. I love the way the colors of fresh produce enhance each other; the popping, sizzling, crunching sounds; the intoxicating smells that fill our home; the wave of heat upon opening the oven; the taste of the dinner coming together on a wooden spoon. It makes me feel happy to make a batch of muffins with my girls and see them sitting on a pretty cake stand on the counter.

It makes me proud to hear my kids say, Mommy, this is the best dinner ever! I hope The Yummy Mummy Kitchen shows you that dinnertime can be not only easy and stress-free, but a time to relish, to create, to bond with family, and to feel good about yourself. Modern moms can be both Mummy and Yummy, and it doesnt have to be hard or time-consuming. Marina Delio Marina Delio As a former elementary-school teacher observing eating habits and now as a mom noticing restaurant kids menus devoid of vegetables, I understand how important it is that we teach our kids to respect food. In this book I ask you not to hide pureed vegetables in your childrens meals, but to celebrate them, so that our kids will grow up with a palate and an attitude that appreciate foods in their natural form rather than in the overprocessed form many have grown accustomed to. (See .) This cookbook is filled with recipes and tips for creating healthy meals in less time than it would take to go out for fast food and with any seasonal produce you happen to have on hand. can be prepped up to three days in advance and assembled later. can be prepped up to three days in advance and assembled later.