Cooking for kids just got 150 recipes easier

Recently, my Michael Pollan-obsessed sigOth and I have had some conversations about stepping up our meal preparation game for the kids. So I'm pleased to have discovered two new cookbooks that seem primed to help us find some options that lie somewhere between spaghetti with butter sauce and hiding vegetables in the cupcakes.

 

The Toddler Cafe: Fast, Easy and Fun Ways to Please Even the Pickiest Eaters is a wonderfully helpful resource from chef, mom, and Food Network stylist Jennifer Carden. 50 truly creative family-friendly recipes for all times of day range from the imaginative (PB&J French Toast) to the wildly imaginative (Frozen "Pea Pops" on a stick made with snap peas and chocolate chips) and there's hardly one in the bunch I wouldn't attempt. In fact the Chickadee Chickpea Cakes might just make it to our dinner table in the next few days.

I particularly appreciate Jennifer's clever advice on everything from toddler table manners to getting a little help with clean-up. And the vivid photographs courtesy of Jennifer's pro photog husband Matthew are a joy, reminding you it's perfectly natural to have a kid at the table with rice all over his face or popsicle juice dripping down her shirt.

Make Me Something Good to Eat isn't nearly as slick - in fact, there's not a photo or a cute recipe name to be found in this self-published cookbook which consolidates more than 100 healthy, crowd-pleasing recipes from the popular online cooking show, TamraDavisCookingShow.com. Tamra is a working director (Grey's Anatomy, hello!), mom and bona fide Beastie Boy wife, so I appreciate her perspective on what's reasonable for a busy parent to pull off in the kitchen.

In fact, the book feels less like a cookbook and more like rummaging through your culinary-savvy friend's personal repertoire of banana pancakes and fun salads and stealing her favorites.

There's a definite west coast vibe here, with Mexican influence and recipes that include seitan, "Fakin Bacon," and ideally the incorporation of organic produce. And by all means, don't just save these recipes for the kids. I'd be happy to eat that Spinach Fillo or Tortilla Soup long after they've gone to bed.

Suddenly I'm finding myself with fewer excuses to break open a box of mac n cheese at night. I'm pretty sure that's a good thing - at least for my kids. -Liz

Find The Toddler Cafe from our affiliate amazon and find Make Me Something Good to Eat on Lulu.

Find More: At the Table, Books for Kids, Food and Drink