Shut Up and Eat by Kathy Buckworth: Book Review

Today I bring you my review of Kathy Buckworth's latest parenting book.  If you haven't read anything by her before, I suggest you get off this blog RIGHT NOW and go find something she has written, you will not regret it.  I first found out about her while watching Breakfast TV while on maternity leave and after her segment (Ok - I finished watching my adorable Frankie first) I rushed out and bought her Blackberry Diaries book that day.  I consider her, to coin my sisters phrase,  a "Real Mom" and will read ANYTHING she writes. You can also find her on Twitter and trust me if she doesn't make you laugh at least once a day, you need help! Oh yeah and also get a copy of her "Blackberry Diaries" -- it is also hilarious and made me seriously want a Blackberry.

Shut Up and Eat 
by Kathy Buckworth
Key Porter Books 
ISBN: 978-1-55470-280-0
http://kathybuckworth.com/
Chapters






Description: In Shut Up and Eat!, humourist and parenting author Kathy Buckworth applies her razor-sharp wit to an examination of the family meal. Experts claim that sitting down to eat together can prevent children from getting into trouble while simultaneously creating close-knit families. In Buckworth's opinion, that's an awful lot to expect from a meatloaf! What about the son who thinks his food tastes better on the blue plate with the fish? Or the daughter who won't eat anything green? And let's not even talk about the mom who'd rather be doing anything but standing in front of the stove (drinking a glass of wine comes immediately to mind).

Laugh-out-loud funny, more accurate than most of us would care to admit-and with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. Shut Up and Eat! is a must-read for any woman who's ever wondered: What the hell am I cooking tonight?

The Good Stuff

• The whole frickin book - do you  really need any more reasons than it was written by Kathy Buckworth -- so "Shut Up and Buy the Book"
• Extremely funny and wise at the same time
• She talks about the overuse of snacks -- which is something I totally agree with her on
• The chapter on Fun with grown ups. It reminded me of this one friend of mine whom I will NEVER EVER go to a restaurant with EVER again. Lovely women, but horribly rude and picky at restaurants.
• The chapter on when she took her kids to the cottage of a picky eater - trust me!
• The Sunday Dinner discussion
• Discussion on Men and BBQ's
• Tips for cocktail parties
• Kathy has given me the perfect response to give to Jacob at bedtime - see the last quote in my favorite quotes section.
• Some great recipes for time-strapped mom's - in other words - recipes for moms
• The State Fair Secrets
• Her Dieting tips
• Ok you got the point the whole book is wise and hilarious - now go buy the book -- you can do it online you know, you don't even half to leave the house and while you are waiting for book to arrive go follow her on Twitter - Trust me, I'm a Librarian

The Not so Good Stuff

• Not long enough
• Must remember not to read her stuff at the reference desk, seems it freaks our students out when a Librarian snorts out-loud every 60 seconds.  Little buggers don't realize we have a sense of humour
• I keep getting busted by Jake for saying Shut Up (which we had always told him was a bad thing to say -- I know the one time he actually listens I get busted)

Favorite Quotes/Passages (I am only putting a few otherwise this post would be massive)


"I know all the hiding places for the peas and lima beans. Stop it"

"When did we start adhering to some unwritten law that states our children may never be hungry or uncomfortable in any way? Oh yes. Since we all decided to be obese, that's when. Never mind."




"Do not - I repeat, do not-be afraid to use dessert as a bribe. It's a bribe. We know it's a bribe, and the kids know it's a bribe."

"Go away. Mommy has a glass of wine and if she doesn't get to drink it she will run away from home."

What I Learned

• That I want to hang out with the author 
• Some nice easy recipes for the nights that I am rushed - in other words every fricken night
• That I really am a damn good parent -- and my kids are just like everybody else's

Who should/shouldn't read

• Those with no sense of humour -- hmm textbook parents -- should stay far far away
• This should be required reading for all parents
• Kids should also read this so they can understand mom a little better and appreciate the goddess' that they are
• Anyone who loved reading Erma Bombeck - she's like a much hipper Canadian version of her

5 Dewey's (Go now and buy the book -- trust me I'm a Librarian)


I won from Yummy Mummy Club Bookalicious and just did this review so that you would go out and buy her book, cause she makes me LMAO and I want her to keep writing more. Why are you still reading -- I told you to go buy the book dammit!