ENTERTAINING LIGHT AND EASY: LOWER FAT RECIPES FOR FESTIVE MEALS Review

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(More customer reviews)Until recently, I owned over 200 cookbooks, until I discovered this latest treasure. Now I only have two on my shelf - Entertaining Light and Easy - and a coveted antique cook book "The White House CookBook". I love Laurie's new book!!

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Beyond Macaroni and Cheese Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book! I have *thee* fussiest 2 year-old eater on the planet. We've had an occupational therapist and a nutritionist working with us on my daughter's eating for close to a year. When she finally started eating, I got this book so I could try new things for her. Tonight I made the Chicken and Stuffing recipe which was very easy to make (and inexpensive), but it looked so complicated on my daughter's plate I said, "She'll never eat it.." But tonight was the very first night she nearly cleaned her plate! My husband and I kept saying, "Slow down." I have tried a few of the recipes from this book, and my husband says the reason my daughter likes them is because they are flavorful. So many kiddy cookbooks are lacking in flavor, which is very important to my daughter.
And we like them too!
The definite pros of this cookbook are:
1) the ingredients are easy to find - most of them are probably already in your kitchen.
2) it's very practical!
3) the recipes share a lot of common ingredients and they're inexpensive, so you don't end up spending a fortune at the grocery store.
4) the recipes are EASY (almost impossible to mess up) and very convenient for the busy mom or dad.
5) they are flavorful!
Also, the book is filled with little suggestions and stories, which I find annoying in some books, but I found extremely clever, helpful and endearing in this book. A lot of writers try writing their cookbooks in that familiar "passing on recipes from a friend to a friend" format, which usually feels very contrived to me. I thought this book, however, succeeded in doing that.
I've had my fair share of disappointments with cookbooks, but not with this one. I borrowed this from the library but I'll definitely be buying it. This is a GREAT book which I highly recommend for busy moms and dads who don't want to feed their children the same old recipes all the time and won't do fast food.

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When the family has got to eat, and there's little time to prepare a meal, and the kids are picky eaters, and you've already exhausted the week's quota for macaroni and cheese, turn here. You'll find meals tasty and easy enough to coax you beyond the familiar, boxed standbys. These recipes were submitted and tested by moms in MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) groups across the country. Moms on the front lines, swapping recipes they know will work for families.

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The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time Review

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(More customer reviews)These recipes are quick, easy, good, and best of all, a little more adventurous than your normal "family" cookbooks filled with chicken nuggets and pasta. I am not one to plan a week's meals ahead, and I love that I can open this book and find something great to make out of what I have on hand. I've made at least 15 of the recipes and every one was great. The prep time estimates seem to be pretty accurate. Our family in general likes things a little more spicy than most, so some recipes were a little bland but I just add a little more seasoning if that happens. I think they would probably be fine for most people, especially kids.
I think the authors are right on the mark with their advice on kids trying new foods, no "yuck!"s etc. Their philosophy is similar to our own house rules, and as a result my boys (3 and 7) are great eaters. I had the pleasure of meeting the authors at a bookstore signing, and I was very impressed with their knowledge, sensibility, and friendliness!

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For the legions of harried moms who have tossed in the dishtowel on cooking healthy meals (or any meals!), the easiest-ever guide for bringing super nutrition back to the kitchen. Getting dinner on the table night after night can be a challenge.So it's no surprise that busy moms often rely on fast food, takeout, and convenience meals like macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets, and fries.The kids love it but the drawback is that little twinge of guilt moms feel every time they feed their family another not-so-healthy meal.At the end of the day, many children end up with a poor diet high in sugar, saturated fat, and calories … a major factor in the rising rates of obesity.Finally, here are realistic guidelines designed to give families a healthy meal makeover. The Moms lay out a 5-Step Meal Makeover Plan, explaining how to market good nutrition to kids, establish food rules, and make life easier in the kitchen.In The Best of the Bunch chapter they reveal which brands of kid convenience foods–hot dogs, frozen pizza, and more–are the best tasting and most nutritious ones out there.The Moms show how to stock a healthy pantry and whip up delicious anytime meals using pantry staples. They even serve up 120 reworked recipes for family favorites such as Fast-as-Boxed Macaroni & Cheese, Squishy Squash Lasagna, Cheesy Broccoli Soup, Sweet Potato Fries, and Chocolate Pudding with Toppers.

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One Bite Won't Kill You: More than 200 Recipes to Tempt Even the Pickiest Kids on Earth Review

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(More customer reviews)I am responsible for feeding four males daily (one of whom is my husband), all of whom are such picky eaters that I come close to pounding my head with the cast-iron Le Creuset cookware I bought before I had children. However, these are mighty fine recipes, most of which will get eaten around these parts if I'm not hiding chopped broccoli in them. In addition, Ann reminds us in the nicest possible way that in this world, being a picky eater is sheer luxury, and then rolls up her sleeves and gets to it. As in her previous (and also highly recommended, by me) cookbooks, Beat This! and Beat That!, Ann admits freely that there is a time and a place in the kitchen for time-saving convenience foods, cleverly disguised. And if that argument goes over with me--when I lived in Berkeley, I used to grind my own flour, for God's sake--it should to you, too. The Roz Chast illustrations are a treat. The holidays are coming, so buy this book for anyone who can boil water. I'll be watching.

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365 Foods Kids Love to Eat, 3E: Fun, Nutritious and Kid-Tested Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book because my 3 boys are picky eaters. Out of 365 recipes I only found maybe 15 they would even think about eating. They liked maybe 5 out of that. Still worth it just to find healthy recipes the boys like. This book had alot of ingredients I normally don't have, be prepared to find and buy ingredients.

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A complete guide to HAPPY, healthy mealtimesHere it is-the cookbook parents have been waiting for, filled with carefully chosen, great tasting, good-for-you, kitchen-tested recipes that appeal to the whole family, especially the kids! Encourage healthy attitudes toward food and lifelong, wholesome eating habits with 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat!Perfect for busy parents and child-care providers"A book with all the goodies." -Daily News"As a mother and pediatrician, I have found this book to be full of healthful recipes that kids really like! A must for anyone who has the happy and sometimes perilous job of feeding children." --Joan Slackman, MD"Parents with children who hate all food (except Lucky Charms) will grasp this book to their breasts with gratitude." --Fresno Bee

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Whining and Dining: Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and the Families Who Love Them Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a collection of family friendly recipes that are guaranteed to work for even the fussiest members of the family. It's full of terrific everyday recipes for every meal as well as snacks and party suggestions. I am not a confident cook but I find the instructions simple and idiot-proof. Best of all, they get my kids happily eating all the right foods without complaining. I've bought and tried several other family recipe books over the years, from Jessica Seinfeld to Annabel Karmel, but they all seem to boil down to "hiding the vegetable" or "prettifying the vegetable" (usually in a truly labor-intensive way), rather than just cooking it in a way that children will enjoy eating.
Whining and Dining is also a tremendously readable cookbook, littered with helpful hints and amusing anecdotes about the writers' own children (who also feature in the appealing photographs). The instructions are encouraging and straightforward. I also like the inclusion of suggested menus at the back for events like mothers' groups and having friends round for dinner.
I've probably made about a quarter of the recipes in this book and I can honestly say we've never had a dud. The first meal I cooked was teriyaki salmon with garlic-roasted carrots. It was on the table within 30 minutes and my two fussy eaters devoured it and asked for more. The pasta and vegetable recipes are consistently good and my sons often rqeuest the fajitas or the meatloaf. And the buttermilk pancakes are SO GOOD that they alone justify the purchase of this book! My only (minor) criticism is that I would have liked more photos of how the food will eventually look.

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Part cookbook, part parenting manual, Whining & Dining – from two food lovers who are also mums of picky eaters – will bring sanity to every family's table. Your kids are happily sitting at the table. As you deliver tonight's meal, they all murmur their approval and dig right in. They reach eagerly for the vegetables and even agree to try your new kid-friendly dish of chicken curry. They ask for seconds and don't even mention dessert until it arrives at the table. STOP THE MUSIC! If this is your house, then you don't need this book.However, if your dinner experience is full of chaos and whining; if you are constantly worrying that your children are not getting the basic building blocks for a healthy life; if the path between the table and the fridge is worn from making separate meals for each child; if the word "YUCK!" is being used far too often, then Whining & Dining is for you. Like many parents, Emma Waverman and Eshun Mott, both food professionals, have dumped plates of food in the garbage, they have lied and cajoled and they have also capitulated and served their kids only the foods they like. They have seen other preschoolers eating broccoli and tofu as snacks and have silently cried in the corner. They have called ice cream a meal and bacon a protein – more than once. Feeding a family day after day can be exhausting and emotionally draining. All parents want their kids to be healthy, of course, but we can make ourselves crazy trying to ensure they get the recommended daily amount of protein or vegetables or omega-3s. Emma and Eshun believe that there is a way to feed your kids healthy foods that they will eat, and that they will learn to trust their bodies and start choosing foods that are delicious and good for them. Through trial and error, the authors have developed 100+ recipes that are a hit with kids and adults alike. And the numerous tips and tricks they offer for getting your picky eater to start enjoying mealtime are ones that have evolved over the years from their own experiences and those of their friends. Whining & Dining is a breath of fresh air, a creative, realistic approach by parents for parents to teaching your child the pleasures of eating. "Pass the green beans, please" may be in your future. Includes family-friendly recipes such as:-Beyond Boxed Macaroni & Cheese-Multigrain Buttermilk Waffles-Mushroom & Spinach Fritatta-Carrot & Ginger Soup-Soupy Asian Noodles-Green Beans with Pecans & Brown Sugar- Just a Wee Bit Healthier -Chocolate Chip CookiesRitualize ItKids are built for rituals – that's why they so easily fall into habitual food patterns. But one ritual worth encouraging is the special weekly family meal. It can be tied to a religious meal or it can be a Tuesday night or a Sunday breakfast. Choose what works best for your family. But once a week, pull out the tablecloth, light the candles and start making up some family traditions. That's what good eating, and good memory-making, are all about.

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Cooking on the Edge of Insanity Review

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(More customer reviews)This book offers plenty of recipes; but for me, it was more about inspiring readers to be creative and inventive in the kitchen. The recipes are based on a philosophy of using locally grown, organic and unprocessed foods. But unlike many other cookbooks I've encountered, this one is not designed to make you feel guilty or inferior. Rather than being preachy, this book is delightful and entertaining, written by a real person with a real family and real food challenges. It's like reading an email from your best friend. Even if you never cook, it's worth much more than $3 just for the pleasure of reading it.

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The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen): Hiding Healthy Foods in Hearty Meals Any Guy Will Love Review

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(More customer reviews)OK-I'm not a big fan of most veggies....and the types of food I like best; burgers, wings and doughnuts aren't considered particularly healthy but taste great!
So I was surprised to learn that my wife had been preparing some of my favorite meals with a slight twist with recipes from LaPine's new book. These recipes use less salt, sugar and contain less fat not to mention the added nutrition of fresh fruit and vegetables so it's great for me and the kids too. If anything, the food actually tastes better. Thanks and keep the recipes coming!


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The Sneaky Chef now targets the other picky eater in the family! For parents of finicky eaters, The Sneaky Chef was the answer to their prayers, giving them solutions for hiding healthy food in the meals kids crave. Within a month of publication, it was a New York Times bestseller. But author Missy Chase Lapine knew another secret: the kids aren't the only ones in the family not eating their veggies! Hundreds of women wrote to tell her how the men in their lives were consistently making poor choices when it came to their diet. Men know they should eat better, but the classic male perception is that fruits and veggies are "rabbit food" and don't seem to satisfy their appetite. Now "The Sneaky Chef" has donned her apron again and developed delicious recipes that are sure to appeal to guys. Recipes include "Macho Meatballs," "Love Me Tenderloin," and "Champion Chili." These hearty meals successfully cloak ingredients that specifically target men's health issues: foods proven to help the heart, lower cholesterol, ensure a healthy prostate, and other concerns. Now everyone in the family (kids and adults alike) can benefit from The Sneaky Chef's bag of tricks.

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The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue: 101 All-New Recipes and "Sneaky" Tricks for Creating Healthy Meals Kids Will Love Review

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(More customer reviews)To say that the Sneaky Chef has revolutionized how I feed my family would be an understatement. To say that everyone I know, now knows about her books, is an understatement. To say that my freezer is stocked full with mini glass jars, full of green, purple, orange, and white purees, is an understatement.

I came across the "kid's favorites" book right around the holidays. I was looking for a cookbook to add something new and healthy to my repertoire, and figured I'd find a recipe or two. So often a cookbook has one or two decent recipes, and lots of filler. I was excited to try the recipes, and stunned at how we loved each and every one. Although we are frequent consumers of fruits and vegetables, I never expected to add them to brownies, mac and cheese, or stuffed potatoes! I have "sneaked" the recipes onto my two daughters (1 yr and 4 yrs), my meat-loving husband, my picky dad, and my skeptical mom. I've shared recipes with my friends, and urged everyone I know to try this ingenious new way of cooking. One friend recently thanked me repeatedly, saying, "My kids ate four vegetables tonight. I can't thank you enough for showing me this book!" I'm a psychologist with a specialization in eating disorders, and know how important it is to minimize the dinnertime battles. The concept of beefing up nutritional values, while minimizing conflict, is incredible.
I received "To the Rescue" from Amazon last night, and couldn't help it- I had to try a recipe immediately. We started with the fudge scones, and boy, were they amazing. Reading through the reader blurbs and blog quotes in the book, I'm astounded (yet not surprised) at how many others are inspired by her ways. It's as if this new way of feeding our families is changing more than just how we cook- it's changing how we look at food, how we interact, and how we think. I truly do grocery shop based on what "sneaky" recipes I'm making next. I can't wait to make each and every batch of puree, wondering what I'll use it in next. I even scoop some purees into our everyday foods.
I am fortunate in that my family loves the concept. My four-yr-old daughter loves to say "Daddy, guess which sneaky ingredients are in this dinner?" and everyone takes turns guessing once they've tried it. No one ever guesses correctly the first time, which just goes to show how well they are hidden!I love that this new book has slow-cooker recipes, and uses pumpkin purees. Also, I wanted to share what we do to store purees. I ask my friends who use glass baby food jars to save me their empty jars. They're the perfect size for storing 1/4 cups of puree, freeze well, and you don't end up storing in plastic, which so many of us are getting away from these days due to health reasons. Even Ball makes small glass canning jars that work well (4 oz) but babyfood jars are free and freeze well, so why not!
With the Sneaky Chef by my side, I feel like a Super Hero. Ms. Chapin should sell "Sneaky Chef, Super Mom" capes on her website!

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The New York Times bestselling author returns-this time responding directly to her readers' most pressing concerns. Legions of fans have written to her, asking for more recipes that focus on their specific family challenges. She's heard them loud and clear, and has crafted meals that are targeted to these special needs, including:• Sneaky Chef Light: Delicious recipes for kids struggling with their weight: with lower calories, lower fat-and all the taste!• Sneaky Chef for Food Allergies. For the millions of children who suffer from food allergies, here are recipes that are dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free.• Sneaky Chef for More Variety-More make-ahead purees and crafty, kid-friendly recipes the whole family will love.• Sneaky Chef Celebrates! Even special days can be healthy, as the Sneaky Chef unveils recipes for birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Valentine's Day, Passover, Easter, and more!Sneaky Chef to the Rescue shows that any family can "sneak" good food into their diets, making everybody (both kids and adults) both happier and healthier.

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The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is truly amazing. I have two children who won't eat a mini-carrot between them, and they are now downing veggie after veggie without suspecting a thing!! Here is the funny thing- it works on my husband too! He claims he doesn't like sweet potatoes, but he has eaten them in so many things now- I just wait and tell him afterwards (haha, guess what you just ate?!). Do I feel guilty about sneaking veggies? Not at all! Whatever I can do to help my family be healthier, I would do in a heartbeat. I have a couple of hints- first of all, buy all of your veggies at once and spend about 3 hours one afternoon once per month making the five most common veggie purees. Pour them into individual serving size freezer bags and then put all of the little bags into a gallon bag (one per type of puree), label them, and you are good to go! This is much easier than trying to puree veggies for each meal, it would become so time-consuming that you would be tempted to change your mind at the last minute and make something easier (and less healthy). I grab a bag out of the freezer, quickly defrost and then stir it in with the kids mac n' cheese, chocolate pudding, and all sorts of other "treat food" that all of a sudden become vitamin-rich dishes. I also pre-make some of the breading and flour mix too, and keep them vacuum-packed...it really simplifies things at dinnertime. Likewise, I make the breakfast cookies in a triple recipe, and save them and freeze them for a quick, easy and healthy breakfast. The meat recipes in this book are also excellent- the sloppy joes, meatballs, and the meatloaf- as well as the baked ziti and the pizza- are especially fabulous. This is the first book that I have felt compelled to write a review about, but I felt I absolutely had to do it! We have been eating almost exclusively on recipes from this book for a month now and we all feel so much healthier. Kudos to Missy Chase Lapine! Thank you!

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