~ MMGM S.T.E.A.M. BH&G NEW JUNIOR COOKBOOK ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY S.T.E.A.M. FEATURE ~ --  'BETTER HOMES & GARDENS NEW JUNIOR COOKBOOK' -- 


LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS  
ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
This new and fully-revised edition of the beloved New Junior Cookbook is the perfect way to introduce children ages 6 to 10 to the rules of the kitchen and successful cooking.

The book begins with the framework needed for navigating the kitchen––safety is always first. Then recipe chapters that cover breakfast, brunch, supper, snacks, and desserts draw in children with their colorful and whimsical illustrations. All recipes in this edition are new, and are nutritious without sacrificing great taste.

Throughout, kids learn the message that good food fuels the body, and the recipes, tips, and hints hone that message.
Each recipe is easy to follow, with a simple-to-read ingredient list, a list of tools needed, and a step-by-step method. In addition, there are food swaps in recipes, turning kids from picky eaters into chefs who customize their food as they please. Full nutrition, including grams of sugar, is included in every recipe.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}:
Better Homes and Gardens is the fourth best selling magazine in the United States. Better Homes and Gardens focuses on interests regarding homes, cooking, gardening, crafts, healthy living, decorating, and entertaining. The magazine is published 12 times per year by the Meredith Corporation. It was founded in 1922 by Edwin Meredith, who had previously been the United States Secretary of Agriculture under Woodrow Wilson.

Better Homes and Gardens is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.


MY THOUGHTS:

Last week I featured a middle-grade cookbook compiled by Williams Sonoma of California. This week I am sharing a completely different style cookbook designed by Better Homes and Gardens especially targeting middle-grade students.

This cookbook is colorful and engaging with its diverse cast of graphic-novel style boys and girls of various races and ethnicities engaged in various activities and sports such as martial arts, skateboarding, surfing, baseball, horseback riding, cooking, playing musical instruments, golfing, cycling, swimming, running, etc.
Each recipe includes a fun name, i.e. 'Hole-in-One Spaghetti & Meatball Pies' for a meatball cooked in a 'nest' of cooked spaghetti and covered with marinara sauce. There is also a detailed ingredient list, number of servings, tools, stepped-out instructions, and a sidebar with tips with suggestions for side dishes to serve with the recipe. Included in every recipe are the nutrition facts listing calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and protein. This information is a bonus, in my opinion, because it assists children in learning about their dietary needs as they are learning to cook healthy meals for themselves and their families and friends.
The book also includes kitchen and food safety, provides graphics of various kitchen tools, instructs readers how to measure ingredients correctly, and shares a glossary of cooking terms included in the book, and illustrates nutritional information about how to make a great plate and how to eat the rainbow. 
My favorite recipes include:  'Space Monkey Bars' {banana-flavored granola breakfast bars}; 'Up & Away Oatmeal'; 'Rappin' BBQ Wrappers' {tortilla wrap stuffed with meat, coleslaw, cheese, and barbecue sauce}; 'Pump-it-Up Veggie Soup'; Triathlon Tortillas'; 'Serve-an-Ace Meat Loaf Muffins'; 'Fill 'er Up Granola Cups'; and the 'Snow Fairy Ice Cream Sandwiches'. 
The back matter includes an index and 'Metric Information', 'Product Differences', 'Oven Temperature Differences', etc.
Highly-recommended for children/tweens interested in learning to cook using a fun and engaging book. Some of these recipes would be great to take on a camping trip.
I borrowed this book from the local public library.