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in Reviews

Simple Dinner Solutions (Simplified Dinners Review & Giveaway)

Share & Help Me Grow

simple dinner meals solutions for busy families

Tired of eating the same thing over and over again?

Looking for new twists to old favorites?

Learning to cook and need simple recipes?

Want to cook REAL, uncomplicated food from scratch?

Mystie Winckler, a homeschooling mom of four children, has the perfect cookbook for you.

Simplified Dinners is… amazing. I don’t even know if that word covers this cookbook accurately. When I opened the e-cookbook Mystie sent me, I was immediately breathless because the recipes are… GASP… for real food. But, as happy as I was to find a multitude of family-friendly recipes, the formatting is my favorite part.

simple easy family dinner ideas from scratch gluten free dairy free

Simplified Dinners is set up like this:

  1. Keep a pantry of the ingredients you need. (You get a master pantry list for FREE.)
  2. Browse the cookbook for the recipe you want to prepare.
  3. Review the process for making the meal.
  4. Choose the variation you prefer.

Simple Recipes for Quick & Easy Dinners

Want to know what is included?

  • Slow-Cooker Roasts
  • Slow-Cooker, No-Defrost Chicken Pieces
  • Chicken-in-a-Pot
  • Skillet Cutlets with Pan Sauces
  • Marinades for Grilling or Broiling
  • Foil-Packet Fish
  • Stovetop Pasta
  • Bean Pots
  • Fajitas
  • Quesadillas
  • Taco Bar
  • Burritos or Enchiladas
  • Taquitos
  • Frittata
  • Oven Omelette
  • Pizza
  • Simple Stir-fry
  • Potato Hash
  • Baked Potato Bar
  • Bean Soups
  • Stews
  • Blended Vegetable Soups
  • Quick Soups
  • Main Dish Salads
  • Vegetable Side Dishes
  • Side-Dish Salads
  • Starchy Side Dishes
Stunning, right? I didn’t count but there could be over 101 different recipe variations in this family-friendly cookbook! You could cook a different recipe (and YES, you will want to cook them all) every night and not prepare the same thing for months.

Buy It

Use coupon code ‘meetpenny’ to save 20% on your copy of Simplified Dinners.

Need a gluten-free, dairy-free cookbook? No problem! Mystie has an edition of Simplified Dinners for you!

Win It

Mystie has generously donated a copy of Simplified Dinners for one Meet Penny reader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mystie Winckler provided me with a download of Simplified Dinners at no charge and is providing the e-cookbook for giving away. Additional compensation was received but a favorable review was not required. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited. International giveaway laws apply. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter using Random.org and be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. Facebook is not affiliated with this giveaway and the act of liking my Facebook page is not required to win.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Clean Eating, cookbook, dinner, Mystie Winckler, Reviews, Simplified Dinners

About Tabitha

Hi! I'm Tabitha! But, I bet you expected someone named "Penny." Long story made short, Penny is the coupon binder I started in 2010 when we were totally broke... as in BANKRUPT. Now, as a mom of five, I make 6-figures a year working at home and share ways to help you move from penny to profit while you raise a family with sense on cents.

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Comments

  1. Tracy @ usingtimewisely.com says

    September 13, 2012 at 9:56 am

    Time at home is my #1 struggle. Juggling school, soccer, and homework is tough enough without squeezing in dinner. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
  2. Sheryl Hesseltine says

    September 13, 2012 at 10:43 am

    I have some physical limitations and cant stand for long. This cookbook looks like a great idea for me because She sets it up simply and it doesn’t look like any of them require standing for hours 🙂

    Reply
  3. Diana says

    September 13, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    When I don’t get a home-cooked meal on the table it’s almost always due to lack of preparation on my part. This seems like an easy way to get it done every night.

    Reply
  4. Marsha Joy Baker says

    September 13, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    It all sounds wonderful. Organized for us too – can’t beat it.

    Reply
  5. Deana says

    September 13, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    I cook at home more often when I have planned well. If I don’t plan, I have little kids tugging at my ankles while I stand looking at the pantry trying to decide what to cook.

    Reply
  6. Shonda says

    September 13, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    That sounds like a book I would like.
    Great giveaway!

    Reply
  7. Sue Thompson says

    September 13, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    Boy, I sure could use this cookbook! I am stuck on the same 5 dinners and need an intervention or your cookbook!
    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply
  8. Angela H says

    September 13, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Simplify dinner??! Yesss please!!

    Reply
  9. Jeniver says

    September 13, 2012 at 11:14 pm

    Time constraints and poor planning ahead keep me from cooking lots of the things I would like to do.

    Reply
  10. Elisabeth says

    September 14, 2012 at 7:47 am

    What is the #1 thing that keeps you from cooking more often than you do?
    Lack of effort/planning a meal schedule.sometimes I think its easier to get takeout when I long work days instead of cooking for my family.

    Reply
  11. Tonya says

    September 14, 2012 at 8:01 am

    What a great giveaway! I am a new recipe ADDICT and would love to get my hands on this! The master pantry list is an excellent idea, and one of my favorite tips for new married couples. Get that pantry stocked with basics for your favorite recipess and never let it run out!

    Reply
  12. Micha @ Cookin' Mimi says

    September 14, 2012 at 8:21 am

    Mine is forgetting to take things out of the freezer or being out of an essential ingredient I was sure I had.

    Reply
  13. Margaret says

    September 14, 2012 at 8:38 am

    I maintain a decent pantry but then can’t find/create menus for the foo dI have! This sounds like the perfect cookbook for me.

    Reply
  14. meagan says

    September 14, 2012 at 8:54 am

    The #1 thing that keeps me from cooking would be energy. I pretty much cook everyday of the week, but sometimes when i get home from work I just don’t have the energy. So i don’t : )

    Reply
  15. Lindsay@CrunchySavings says

    September 14, 2012 at 10:44 am

    I always love new ideas for busy nights!!

    Reply
  16. Becky says

    September 14, 2012 at 11:21 am

    Simplified dinners? Now that sounds wonderful! Feels like cooking takes up so much of my time, when I’m making homemade everything it feels like that’s all I get done.

    Reply
  17. Dee Johnson says

    September 14, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    Planning/being organized.

    Reply
  18. Becky Milstead says

    September 15, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    We stay so busy with our school work & co-op classes that it’s hard to find the time to cook dinner. I’m sure if I were more organized, it would be better.

    Reply
  19. Debbie Justice says

    September 15, 2012 at 7:06 pm

    We are soooo tired of the same old meals. I, too, am limited to how long I can stand. I have diabetic neuropathy, a brain tumor, and many other problems so I need all the help I can get. We barely have any income so I need real food ideas that we can afford. Sounds so exciting.

    Reply
  20. Deb @ Home life simplified says

    September 15, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    I cook most nights but the biggest barrier is the energy factor – sometimes i am just too tired by dinnertime to do anything much…

    Reply
  21. Marie S says

    September 15, 2012 at 7:51 pm

    What a great resource.

    Reply
  22. Cristi Schwamb says

    September 16, 2012 at 12:55 am

    I cook at home nearly all the time, but only because there are so few affordable restaurant options that will work for all the food allergies in my family. I dread doing the meal-planning and grocery shopping, though.

    Reply
  23. 9kids says

    September 16, 2012 at 7:32 am

    This sounds like a dream come true….shop when I want to, and always have the things I need on hand. I would LOVE to win!

    Reply
    • 9kids says

      September 16, 2012 at 7:33 am

      The #1 thing is NOT having the ingredients on hand….LOL

      Reply
  24. Steph @ MomKaboodle says

    September 16, 2012 at 8:33 pm

    The #1 thing is not only time for cooking, but time to plan the meals ahead of time/get all of the ingredients, etc.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  25. Jill says

    September 16, 2012 at 9:27 pm

    The #1 thing is how busy I always seem to be, plus not having the right ingredients when I do find the time to actually cook. Meal planning is definitely something that i need some help with.

    Reply
  26. Amanda says

    September 17, 2012 at 6:42 am

    The #1 thing that keeps me from cooking every day is my poor planning.

    Reply
  27. Marjorie says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:14 am

    This would be great to have. #1 Simple organization for my disorganized mind.

    Reply
  28. Jessica says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:58 am

    The #1 thing that keeps me from cooking is; I don’t know what I’m doing. I suck at cooking. I could burn water. Would LOVE to know how! I can follow recipes pretty easily, but finding non-complicated recipes is difficult. A lot of recipes I find take a bunch of ingredients that I just don’t have and living on a budget prevents me from just running to the store when I need something. So poor planning has a factor too!

    Reply
  29. Cheryl P. says

    September 17, 2012 at 5:31 pm

    Anything that would make preparing and cooking meals easier is always welcome!

    Reply
  30. Stephanie@Bowmania says

    September 18, 2012 at 9:18 am

    Having the same meals over and over.. 🙁 it seems that most new things cost more money to make

    Reply
  31. Marci says

    September 18, 2012 at 9:29 am

    It’s that busy time of year, when I am looking for new, easy recipes for the family!

    Reply
  32. Marsha Garrett says

    September 18, 2012 at 9:47 am

    This looks awesome!!

    Reply
  33. Susan @Homeschooling Hearts & Minds says

    September 18, 2012 at 11:43 am

    The number 1 thing that keeps me from cooking HAPPILY as often as I’d like (because I have to cook nearly every night if we are going to eat ;0) is not having a plan. There are far too many times I’ve stared dumbly at the nearly empty fridge and cabinets and tried to cobble something together at the last minute.

    Reply
  34. Stephanie says

    September 18, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    Hopefully I win this cook book. I think it is neat how she gives you choices of meat and makes the wording easy to understand. I hate reading terms I don’t get in cook books… I usually don’t bother with them if I don’t get it right away. 🙂

    Reply
  35. RevValerie says

    September 18, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Probably having all the ingredients on hand keep me from cooking more often than I do. So the master pantry list will be such a big help for me!!

    Reply
  36. LaToya says

    September 18, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    I’ll be honest here, laziness 🙂

    Reply
  37. Amy says

    September 18, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    Nothing…I cook ALL the time…and sometimes I weary of it, so some new ideas would be great!

    Reply
  38. Rebecca says

    September 18, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Not having time and honestly, just not having much of a desire (I’m not the best cook), so I need all the help I can get!

    Reply
  39. Jill says

    September 18, 2012 at 6:20 pm

    Time!

    Reply
  40. Cheryl Pitt says

    September 18, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    I love to cook and bake, try new recipes and experiment with different ethnic foods. But right now I have a little one so I’ve had to largely scale back dinner time complexity…and it’s not easy. I thought it would be, but no, not so much LOL!

    Reply
  41. Cheryl Cole says

    September 19, 2012 at 12:11 am

    I absolutely love the recipes posted and would love to try them. Taquitos is one of our favorite go to snacks. I love to cook from scratch and with 6 kids at home I need all the help that I can get.

    Reply
  42. Olivia Sedlock says

    September 19, 2012 at 7:25 am

    This looks fabulous!!! I’m trying to cook everything from scratch, but feel like I’m in the kitchen all the time!! This looks like it would be so helpful!

    Reply
  43. Jenny says

    September 19, 2012 at 8:48 am

    The #1 thing that keeps me cooking more? Being tired.

    Reply
  44. April says

    September 19, 2012 at 8:50 am

    Always looking for “what’s for dinner!”

    Reply
  45. Isabel Acosta says

    September 19, 2012 at 8:51 am

    I know part of the reason I don’t cook as many home cooked meals is just lack of time and planning. My husband hates for me to cook on the weekend so it is hard to make good food during the week.

    Reply
  46. Lisa Imerman says

    September 19, 2012 at 9:05 am

    This sounds amazing. My time is so limited for cooking now because I am homeschooling. I need some simplification but so many slow cooker and other time saving recipe formats are not for real food.

    Lisa

    Reply
  47. Stephanie G. says

    September 19, 2012 at 9:21 am

    I usually fail to get a good healthy meal on the table due to lack of planning. Even when I have a meal plan made out, I end up forgetting to defrost meat or don’t remember to chop the veggies for dinner and then I give up on my intended meal and go for the quick taco or spaghetti meal instead.

    Reply
  48. Kathey says

    September 19, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Would love to win – always trying to find new ways to make meal planning easier!!!
    Kathey

    Reply
  49. Annie says

    September 19, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    Time!!! Some nights I don’t get home until 6 and my sons bedtime is 7. That can make it a bit too crazy at my house. Even with cooking ahead of time and eating leftovers there’s just not time for a nice family meal sometimes.

    Reply

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