Vicki Lansky

Who is Vicki Lansky?

Vicki Lansky is an American author and publisher. Vicki is known for her practical, common sense approach to parenting and household management. Her books, early Practical Parenting newsletter, media appearances, magazine and newspaper articles and reviews, have made her one of America's most popular and visible parenting figures. According to one parenting newspaper "If you have young children and don't use Vicki Lansky's books as a reference, you are working too hard."

Feed Me I'm Yours was an accidental bestseller. It began as a local fund raising cookbook for the Minneapolis Chapter of the Childbirth Education Association in 1974. Vicki, a new mother and recent New York City transplant to suburban Minneapolis, had not been familiar with local group 'favorite-recipe' fund raising cookbooks. Vicki, then a stay-at-home mom and CEA volunteer suggested this idea at a meeting. CEA said, "Sure. Do it and we'll see." Vicki rounded up five friends —some from CEA and some not. She presented an outline of a cookbook that would be of interest to new moms, beginning with making baby food. With only two group working meetings and one name ever suggested for the cookbook, the project was presented to CEA who agreed to fund its first printing. In the Sunday food section of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, food editor Mary Hart featured Vicki Lansky and the cookbook. The next day Vicki's mailbox was full of orders. She saw that those who ordered the book, reordered additional copies. This inspired Vicki and and her husband, Bruce Lansky, who had worked in sales and marketing to start a publishing company. Meadowbrook Press was created to sell Feed Me I'm Yours nationally. When their marriage ended in the early 1980s, so did their business partnership. In many ways, the handling of their divorce was as pragmatically unconventional as her parenting tips. He got the business; she got the lake-front home.