We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook by Becky Johnson & Rachel Randolph Book Review

*Disclosure- I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via the BookSneeze Blogger Program.  I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book:

With down-to-earth wit, charm, love and laughter, a butter and bacon lovin’ mama and a vegan bean eatin’ daughter share humorous stories about the differences that test them, the foods that entice them, and the love that binds them.
Becky Johnson and her daughter Rachel Randolph come from a long line of laughter. The female side of her family tree is dotted with funny storytellers, prolific authors, hospitable home cooks, and champion chatters.
In We Love, We Laugh, We Cook, Becky—a butter and bacon loving mama—and Rachel—a vegan bean eating daughter—share stories of their crazy, wonderful, and sometimes challenging lives as Rachel becomes a mother herself.
Becky is messy; Rachel craves order. Becky forgets what month it is; Rachel is an organizational genius. (At least before baby arrives.) Sprinkled throughout are the lip-smacking, nourishing recipes they love to make and share.
From food for a family reunion of thirty, to lunch for a party of one in a high chair, to a hot meal for a sick friend, the authors demonstrate grace, acceptance, and love to others through the bonding gifts of humor, attentive listening, and cooking … whether diners prefer beef or tofu in their stew.

My thoughts:

I was initially drawn to this book because I heard that it was a mix of a wide range of foods, including (but not limited to) vegan and vegetarian fare. As someone who tends to lean veg in a family full of carnivores, I can always use a good mix of recipes to try. As I started to read the story, I could tell I was going to really be able to relate to this mother/daughter team. My own mother and I are polar opposites, but as Becky and Rachel prove throughout this story love and time in the kitchen can bring families together no matter how different the people in them may be. I really enjoyed the parts of the book where Rachel gives birth to her little boy and Becky comes to help, there are some really cute and funny moments during that time in the book. And I was definitely dreaming of being on Nana's Island (that doesn't really belong to her, but where she has a home off the coast of Placida, Florida). The nice little island doesn't even have cars or stores, you have to get there by ferry. Sounds like just the perfect little piece of paradise! There are tons of great mother/daughter stories here, I am pretty sure that all women could relate to at least some of them. The thing that I love most about this book is Becky's willingness to dive in and try to create vegan meals for her daughter and son in law, even though she herself is a meat eater. That is someone who A. loves her family and B. LOVES to cook! The recipes included at the end of each chapter are really great. There are recipes for some many different types of things that I am not even sure which I will try first!  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to have great recipe books in their pantry, but I would also recommend it to anyone who loves joyful stories. We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook is certainly a wonderful love story of a bond that can only be shared between a mother and daughter, but also a love of cooking that pretty much anyone could relate to.

We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook on Goodreads
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We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook will be available for purchase on August 6, 2013. You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com