I read some brilliant advice somewhere, maybe it was from Mary Pride.  (I credit Mary Pride’s books  The Way Home, and All the Way Home, with opening my eyes to my own feminism, and showing me how to overcome it.)  But the advice I’m referring to here has to do with our homes.  Specifically the kitchen.

Think about a carpenter framing up a house.  He has need of certain tools to do the job properly.  He doesn’t need the most expensive tools available, and they don’t even have to be power tools.  But tools from the dollar store aren’t gonna cut it.  Quality tools of the proper size are required.

Now apply that thinking to your kitchen.  You need the proper tools to do your work in the kitchen.  Now don’t run to your husband whining about how you “need” a Cuisinart or a Bosch.  Do consult with him about a budget for the essential items you need in order to accomplish your daily tasks in the kitchen.  And don’t expect him to provide everything you want all at once.  Be realistic, and sweet, and make an effort to get what you need as you can.

These are a few of my favorite things… in my kitchen.

The two large measure pitchers make preparing a huge pot of oatmeal a snap.  I fill the large one (8 cups) with water and the smaller one (4 cups) with the oats.  This is a great benefit on sleepy mornings.

The two large spoons, one with holes, are very stout and reach all the way to the bottom of my stock pot.

I bought the measure pitchers and the spoons at the restaurant supply store.  I’ve linked my store, but you might want to google restaurant supply store and the name of your town.  They also have really large serving bowls and good plastic plates that your children can’t break.  Not that the children are trying to break the dishes, mind you, but I have tile floors, ’nuff said.

Now, that cookbook that you see in the picture… it’s called The MOMYS Cookbook: Mothers Of Many Young Siblings.  I told Carri that I needed another cookbook like I need another hole in my head.  I have a huge shelf that is over flowing with cookbooks.  But she raved and raved about it until I caved.  Man alive!  Am I ever glad she persisted!  This is the best cookbook in the world for large families!  Hands down!  All of the recipes are geared for LARGE families.  What a joy to look at a chicken dinner recipe and see that the first ingredient is 2 whole fryers or find a Mexican casserole that starts off with 2 pounds dry beans, or says you’ll need 2 casserole dishes.  It’s like a breath of fresh air to see how other large families eat, over and over again in all 524 pages of recipes.  And all of the recipes are ones that real families actually enjoy, not just filler that McCall’s or Betty Crocker thought sounded right.  I really wish I had found this book 20 years ago.

Carri said she has a few left for sale.  Go to her blog and leave her a comment if you decide you want one.

Now it’s your turn.  Share your helpful hints and practical tips for raising a large family.  Write your Help for Growing Families post and link here with my Mister Linky.  For more details click here.

Well, Mr. Linky is misbehaving.  I hope that he will repent soon, but it’s outta my hands.  I’m taking Mr. Linky off of this post.  If Mr. Linky gets better today, I’ll put him back on.  But I don’t have much confidence about it right now.  I think we’ll just have to relax and play it by ear.  Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week.  Hang loose.  Meanwhile, feel free to leave your link in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Coming Attractions!