A Cookbook You Can Read Cover to Cover

Bean Appetit
written by Shannono Payette Seip and Kelly Parthen with Carisa Dixon
Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2009
Cookbook

The subtitle “Hip and Healthy Ways to Have Fun with Food” says it all.  This book is so packed with fun ideas to read, do and cook, you’ll probably read it cover to cover– like me.  When does that ever happen with a cookbook?

You’re not just getting delicious kid-centric recipes, you also get “Table Talk” ideas, games, crafts and interesting food facts.

Every chapter is a different theme.  My favorites are “Let It Bean: Make Music and Munchies,”  “Pea Party: Time for a Tiny Tea Party” and “Pea-nochle: Edible Game Night.” But, of all the thematic chapters, I love “Peanocchio:  Book-Themed Food and Fun”.  Let me tell you why . . .

• Recipes like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” –a cut up spring roll with pretzel legs and a tomato head.  Adorable.
• A Novel Idea game.
• Table Talk suggestions like “Would you rather eat green eggs and ham or stone soup?”
• Directions to make your own “Giving Tree” of gratitude
• Directions to decoupage old book pages
• And more!!

I bet you’ll love the game chapter, too for recipes like Delicious Dominoes made from a unique nutritious flour blend, cocoa powder, cream cheese and white chocolate chips and an edible version of Jenga — with carrots.

WIN a copy of Bean Appetit! E-mail your name to deborah.mock@parenthood.com with “Bean Appetit” in the subject line. We will randomly select one lucky winner to receive a copy of the book. Deadline for entry is midnight MST on April 25, 2010.