The New Spatulatta Cookbook

My little chefs and I were so excited when our review copy of The Spatulatta Cookbook arrived. The boys waited impatiently while I gave the book a once-over before passing it on.

I love the colorful and instructive photos and the fact that it's divided by seasons- a sophisticated move for a children's cookbook. It also has sections on vegetarian food and snacks.
I appreciate the glossary of cooking terms as well as tips on how to set a nice table (though my boys probably skipped right over that part). The boys like the photos as well as the comments the girls serve up with each recipe.

When I handed the book over to the boys I told them to pick a recipe, which is why the first dish we tried was a sweet treat called Berry Dip and Roll. BD &R is a summer snack or dessert made by dipping strawberries in sour cream and then rolling them in cinnamon sugar. Of course this was a hit- and a little bit of a mess because Smartypants assembled the entire thing while I was still in bed.

But that's what this book is all about- empowering kids to cook, right?

Next up: Sweet Potato Pie, another recipe the boys chose. I helped out with this one, but as you can see here, the boys did much of the work. (This can be a lesson in patience for the adult who cooks with them.) The recipe made enough for two pies, so we had one to eat ourselves and another to share with extended family. Each time our relatives raved about the delicious pie, my boys absolutely beamed with pride. The relatives weren't just being nice- the pie was great!

Of course, the book isn't filled with desserts. There are plenty of fine family meals to be made from this book: Be My Valentine Chicken Saute, Caprese Salad, Kalbi Beef, Millet and Chickpea Salad, to name a few. We look forward to trying more now that our power has been restored....

You can buy the book, signed, from the Spatulatta site or click over to see what's cooking this week. Last time I checked, Olivia was foraging for foods that she and her guest chef cooked into a delicious meal. And the week before that it was an adorable little boy making Swedish pancakes. If you want your book signed in person, meet them on September 15 at Anderson's bookshop in Downer's Grove. Click here for details.

And while you're clicking away, see what some of my foodie friends are saying about this cookbook:
Bon Bons for Breakfast
Food for Thought
Mother May I?
Andrea's Recipes


You can also click over to my personal blog, Hormone-colored Days, to win a free Spatulatta Cookbook and other great stuff!