Рецепт Cookbook Review: Pink Princess Party Cookbook
What do you remember about your childhood birthday parties?
I remember those funny paper party hats that never
really stayed on your head properly. And
I recall (somewhat gratefully) that my mom would NEVER break down and get me
the latest and greatest cartoon character plates and napkins that I always
seemed to want.
I also remember that one year I got a really cool tea set
from Eric, the crazy little boy next door who always threw rotten apples at me over
the fence. Turns out he had a bit of a crush on me… but
had a pretty backwards way of showing it.
But, I don’t recall my mom throwing me a party QUITE as cool
as anything in the Pink Princess Party
Cookbook by Barbara Beery.
Barbara threw her first pink princess party for her four-year-old
daughter (now age 28). There was pink lemonade, pink macaroni &
cheese, and a gorgeous Pink Princess birthday cake, complete with a tiara on
top. Beery had always loved to
cook. She also happened to be trained as
an elementary school teacher. So, when
the opportunity presented itself to combine her love for both teaching and
cooking, she jumped right on board.
In 1990, Barbara started Kids Cook, a retail store and café offering
hands-on cooking experiences and kid-friendly, innovative cooking supplies. She also began writing a series of successfully
cookbooks containing tips, tricks, and tools to successfully teach kids to cook.
Now, you might be wondering why I decided to focus on a
children’s cookbook over here at Burp!
But, the truth is, we LOVE cooking with our nieces and nephews. And when we saw Barbara’s latest book, The Pink Princess Party Cookbook, we
couldn’t help being intrigued.
First of all, I can’t think of a little girl between the
ages of three and seven right now who isn’t completely OBSESSED with
princesses. Can you? All you have to do
is roll through the aisles of your local Target store to see the evidence of
this latest trend.
Beery’s book takes the princess theme on – full throttle. It includes six party concepts, including
menu items and activities for imaginative soirees like a Snowflake Princess
Party, Garden Fairy Party, and Mermaid Princess Party. Full color
photographs and menu ideas for pairing the best snacks with imaginative crafts
make the book appealing to both parent and child. Even
better, the well-executed photos provide a treasure trove of variations on
creative themes suggested in the book, and allow moms and children to envision the
possible look and feel of their unique creations.
Although this cookbook is more about party food than healthy
eating (in fact, my biggest criticism might be that the book relies fairly
heavily on processed convenience food), it does create a nice segue for parents
who want to find a way to engage in the cooking process with their children in
a fun and non-threatening way. Recipes
like these Enchanted Sushi Roll-ups (recipe below) come together in a flash, and give little fingers the
opportunity to really help out with the kitchen prep – which is the whole
point, according to Beery.
“I’ve never met a child who didn’t want to try to create
something. All you have to do is provide
opportunities with simple recipes, a few ingredients,” Beery remarks, “The most
important thing is, MAKE THE TIME to do it.
Set aside an hour and a half … once a week, once a month .. to spend
time with your child in the kitchen.”
My opinion in short?
This book makes creating the picture perfect princess party almost as
easy as waving a magic wand. *poof*
________________________________________
Enchanted Sushi Roll-ups
makes 24 sushi sandwiches
- 6 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
- 1/4 cup soft-spread cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper
- Twelve 6-inch-long carrot matchsticks
- Twelve 6-inch-long peeled apple matchsticks
- 3 strawberries, minced
Place a sheet of parchment paper on the countertop. With a rolling pin, lightly roll each bread slice on the paper to flatten it.
Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread over each bread slice.
Lay 2 carrot matchsticks and 2 apple matchsticks across the bottom of each slice of bread, letting the fruit and veggies hang over the sides. Roll up the bread, pressing gently to seal. With a serrated-edge knife, cut each roll into 4 equal pieces.
Garnish with the strawberries and serve. May be made ahead up to three hours in advance.
NOTE: All activities in the Pink Princess Party Cookbook are appropriate for children five years and
above with some level of parental supervision. Since quite a number of
recipes use a stovetop, oven, and/or knives, supervision would be
recommended even for children aged 8+.
©BURP! Where Food Happens