Everyday Food Magazine by Martha Stewart

To be fair, I have to say that I have always had a soft spot for Martha Stewart, despite her recent run-in with the law. I feel like Martha has taken it upon herself to bring things that are usually exclusive to the upper class to everyone. If it weren't for Martha, I never would have tasted a seckel pear or realized that I could actually create tasteful Halloween decorations that were neither gross nor childish. So, thank you, Martha.

I have always enjoyed Martha Stewart's recipes, but I only used to make them on special occasions as they often called for ingredients like capers and Myer lemons and probably some other things that I can't spell or pronounce correctly. Enter Everyday Food, Martha Stewart's cooking magazine for the average mom. I love Everyday Food because its a perfect blend of Martha Stewart class and doable Real Mom weeknight cooking.

I find that quality is almost always assured when buying a Martha Stewart product (with the possible exception of the low-end K-Mart stuff). Everyday Food meets the high Martha Standards you have come to expect from the homemaking diva.

Everyday Food is full of beautiful styling and color photos of every recipe. Each volume is as pretty as it is useful. This is one magazine that I never throw away. Instead, I keep all my copies of Everyday Food with my cookbooks. This is a silly thing to note, but I love that the spine of each issue is color coded to the year and month, and all the spines coordinate, so when you line the magazines up they look nice. I give Everyday Food a whole-hearted 5 for quality.

I've been a subscriber to Everyday Food for over two years now, and, in the beginning, I would have to say that the magazine wasn't terribly family friendly. There were a lot of great recipes, but most of them were things that would make your kids gag and moan. This year, however, Martha Stewart's team has introduced a new feature in every issue called, "Family Friendly."

With this feature, you know there will be at least one recipe that is guaranteed kid approved. In reality, Everyday Food has made great strides to be more accessible to Real Moms with real kids. Some issues feature a collection of recipes that can be adjusted to kid or grownup tastes. Over all, Everyday Food has introduced a lot of things that kids will eat like pasta, chicken tenders, pizzas, burritos, and so on. Thanks to these improvements, I give Everyday Food a 4 in Family Friendliness.

Unlike some other Martha Stewart recipes, the ones in Everyday Food are easy to use. Most have fewer than 10 ingredients, and they are usually things you can find in the grocery store (although you may have to hunt a bit in the ethnic food aisle). When Everyday Food does call for a specialty ingredient, it will usually tell you where to find it and what to look for. My family has enjoyed the exposure to new flavors like chipotle peppers and mango chutney. One of my favorite features of Everyday Food is "Grocery Bag," a week's worth of menus with a prepared shopping list printed right in the magazine.

It doesn't get much easier than that. I love knowing that I have a whole week of new things to try without having to research recipes and make a list. Every recipe I have tried (with the exception of some bizarre potato, mushroom, sausage quessidilla thing my husband picked out) from Everyday Food has turned out great, and several have made it into my regular rotation. Each issue also features regular articles on food that's, "In Season" and new ingredients to try with, "Have You Tried?" as well as tips on kitchen utensils, nutrition, and cooking basics. I give Everyday Food a solid 5 in ease of use.

If Martha Stewart intimidates you, Everyday Food is a great way to introduce yourself to her style. I know your family will love trying the new things you'll find in every issue of Everyday Food.