Amazon.com Review
"Have fun and stay with the process." This is one of Lynn Fredericks's rules for including your children in meal preparation, an essential aspect of involving the whole family in a meal. There's more to sitting down to dinner, after all, than setting the table, putting finished dishes on it, and pulling up a chair up. Somebody has to do the cooking. In the Fredericks home, that somebody is everybody.
The first two stages of including children in the entire process of making a meal are "Don't worry about the mess," and "Don't worry about how long it will take to cook." What's so wonderful about Cooking Time is Family Time is that Fredericks never loses sight of her own mantras, particularly "Have fun and stay with the process." That's the mantra that enlivens all her recipes.
Written by a single mom faced with getting food on the table for a six-month-old and seven-year-old, both boys, Fredericks saw the precious time she had with her kids slipping away. After she came home from work, her attention was devoured by getting out a meal. Their attention was devoured by TV. So Fredericks began including the toddler in her kitchen chores. And the two of them giggling eventually attracted the older brother. After a few months, Fredericks writes, "I started to notice a remarkable new dinnertime dynamic: we were laughing a lot!"
Duck Breasts with Berry Sauce. Does that sound like a kid recipe to you? This is not a cookbook filled with patronizingly-titled recipes dumbed down for what some author wants to think of as kids. These are real recipes for real families. Challenging recipes from all parts of the world. Fredericks shows you how to start working with your children, no matter what their age, so they can participate in the kitchen and in the shopping, and become the equal partners in a family that they really are.
The reward is simple: more time with your children. As Fredericks says, "If you take the premise of this book seriously and give it a try with the right frame of mind, you will find more time to laugh and learn about each other on a daily basis as you enjoy more healthful and delicious meals together." --Schuyler Ingle
From Publishers Weekly
Fredericks's considerable experience as a food publicist, mother and educator (she helped develop a food-based curriculum for grades K-3) informs every page of this practical yet heartfelt guide. Parents might panic at the mere thought of having children in the kitchen, but Fredericks demonstrates how even toddlers can help with mealtime preparation. What's important, she stresses, is the process, not the resultsAthough following her advice will eventually lead to interesting and nutritious meals, less-picky eaters and a more cohesive family. The first four chapters lay out the basics, from lists of inexpensive kitchen utensils (one set per child) and equipment, to illustrated step-by-step instructions on knife handling. The next six, organized by food group, include recipes for such adventuresome fare as Egyptian Stuffed Vegetables, Miso Soup with Shrimp and Yogurt-Pomegranate Parfaits. Fredericks includes a chapter on how to resolve conflicts in the kitchen and another that suggests holiday recipes and menus; an appendix gives information on nutrition. A real trailblazer, this is as informative a parenting guide as it is a cookbook. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
