For twenty five years, Cooking Without Mom has been a staple for those leaving   home for the first time, a standard text for college students, a life saver for individuals who have lost their partners and a starting point for retirees taking up the challenges of the kitchen.

It all started over 40 years ago when a group of nine friends from Castlegar, BC named Margaret, Anne, Shirley, Nadeen, Kathy, two Lolas and two Marys, began a bi-weekly gathering that eventually came to be called The Hen Party. As the years passed and their families grew, they became aware of a need to assemble a kitchen “survival kit” for their children to help them break away from their mothers’ apron strings and become wholly independent. From this, a cookbook was born!

Twenty five years, ten printings and many grandchildren later, The Hen Party is back at it, updating Cooking Without Mom with new recipes to better reflect the tastes and needs of today’s young people. New, easy to make recipes have been added such as wraps, quesadillas and smoothies, as well as tasty seafood and fish dishes. More healthy appetizers and dips are included for all occasions and especially those late night snack attacks. Almost every section has been expanded with new recipes or new information such as how to buy and prepare fish, how to cook vegetables, even how to prepare a homemade turkey dinner! With over 200 recipes, this cookbook provides a wide variety of quick nutritious meals so no one will have to live off just mac n’ cheese again!

More than just a cookbook, however, Cooking Without Mom is also a guide to domestic life, with useful tips on grocery shopping, kitchen utensils, cooking terms, substitutions, food storage and more. First aid tips and fire prevention information are provided, along with a special section on laundry tips and symbols for the uninitiated.