review: do it myself kids’ cookbook

When I was a child, I loved to read and I loved to cook, too! So, The Do It Myself Kids’ Cookbook: Nothing Hot, Nothing Sharp, written by Laurie Goldrich Wolf and published by Downtown Bookworks would certainly have been one of my favorites!

This is a fun cookbook that children can “read” and follow along with. It’s an ideal way to get kids interested in food, cooking and nutrition, even at a very young age. It promises “Nothing Sharp, Nothing Hot” and is clear when an adult’s help is needed. The recipes are simple, yet nutritious and delicious!

The Do It Myself Kids’ Cookbook starts with a colorful visual table of contents that shows each dish in a photo. Each area has its own icon and each tool and ingredient are shown both with text and an illustration. There are detailed pictures which demonstrate each step of the recipe.

The book is split into different chapters with foods that would be appealing to children. In the Sandwich area, there are several different types of creative sandwiches, like the honey, berries and almond butter on graham crackers recipe. Spreading peanut butter on fruit and then dipping in things like nuts and sprinkles is one of the tasty ideas in the Snack section. Kids can get involved in making their own buttermilk ranch dressing and salads from the many items in the Salads, Dressings and Dips chapter.

The Dessert section has some fun suggestions, like fresh fruit and yogurt in an ice cream cone. Since trifles are usually made in a large bowl, the Tiny Trifles were a cute variation, with vanilla wafers, pudding, chocolate syrup and berries layered into individual cups! In the Drinks area, they had lots of refreshing beverages, like an Egg Cream and Kid-friendly Sangria filled with fresh juices and fruits.

The The Do It Myself Kids’ Cookbook: Nothing Hot, Nothing Sharp is an excellent resource for assisting children in learning how to prepare and cook simple and wholesome dishes.

Click below to see larger images from The Do It Myself Kids’ Cookbook: Nothing Hot, Nothing Sharp:

Product Description: (From Amazon)
This unique cookbook features 50 fantastic recipes that kids as young as 4 years old can prepare entirely on their own. Tools, ingredients, and simple steps are all fully-illustrated and a beautiful finish photo accompanies each recipe. A parents’ prep section outlines the basic things grownups can do (lay out ingredients; cover the work surface), and buy (pre-shredded cheese; supermarket roast chicken) so that they can truly hang out and relax while their kids create. The whole family will enjoy wonderful salads, sandwiches, breakfasts, beverages, and desserts.

About the Author:
Laurie Goldrich Wolf was the food and crafts editor at Child magazine for 19 years and currently produces cooking and craft stories for parenting and lifestyle magazines and websites.