REVIEW – Better Homes And Gardens New Junior Cookbook

Better Homes and Gardens New Junior CookBook

• Hardcover-spiral: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 8 edition (August 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1118146069
• ISBN-13: 978-1118146064
• Cover price $16.99

ABOUT THE BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW JUNIOR COOKBOOK

An all-new edition of the perfect kids’ cookbook—now more fun than ever!
Written and designed to appeal to kids ages 5 to 12, this all-new edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Junior CookBook features 65 brand-new recipes that are simple to make and a blast to eat. Each recipe includes a photo of the dish and unique and lively illustrations of characters that tell a story to complement the dish.
All the recipes here are easy-to-follow and packed with helpful hints and fun ways for kids to put their own spin on them. With lots of easy-to-understand nutrition information, it’s a great way to teach kids about healthy eating while getting them interested in cooking.
• 65 recipes include hearty breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as well as healthy snacks and treats
• Fun, engaging, full-color illustrations bring each recipe to life and grab kids’ attention
• Special features cover cooking basics, kitchen safety, menu planning, basic nutrition information, and guidance on reading and understanding food labels
Teach your kids how to eat right and help out in the kitchen with the Better Homes and Gardens New Junior CookBook. It’s the perfect way to make it rewarding for the whole family.

MY THOUGHTS

I was given a copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Junior CookBook for review. As a mom of a 7-year-old aspiring chef, I am always looking for new recipes that my daughter can help me make, are appealing to her, and yummy enough for both of us to enjoy. This cookbook did not disappoint!
We tried out three recipes right off the bat:

Magic Potion Shakes

This one was pretty straightforward. We ended up having to add more orange juice than called for because our blender had a difficult time pureeing the mangos. We also substituted raspberry sherbert instead of sorbet. They still came out just as delicious and were very simple to make.

Wizarding Wands

This is a delicious, unique dessert, though it was a little time-consuming. It involves baking, freezing, rolling, cooking, and dipping – but it’s worth the wait. My only complaint is that it uses a lot of ingredients and doesn’t make much.

Super Chili Bowl

This was by far my favorite out of the three we made. My daughter had the most fun making this one too because she could add and stir in many of the ingredients herself. We even added extra corn, beef, and onions to make ours super-chunky. Many of the ingredients we already had, so it ended up being a rather cheap meal for the family and made a lot!

Bottom line: this cookbook offers so many meal, drink, and dessert choices that it’s hard to choose what to cook first! Some of the recipes are a little difficult for young hands to create all by themselves, so parents be warned: you will have to help out quite a bit! I was also a little disappointed by how many ingredients some of the recipes called for. When I think of kids’ recipes, I think of simplicity and a short list of ingredients. I don’t normally keep square alphabet cookies and chocolate-hazlenut spread on hand, as one recipe calls for. However, every couple of weeks or so, I can definitely see my daughter and I picking out a recipe or two and going to town. I think cooking is a great activity to get kids involved in, and I am all for anything that allows me and my kids extra bonding time.

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This post has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.