Now that I've used this book for about a week, I'm really loving it. Not to say that there aren't other excellent cookbooks around (I have a huge collection, myself), but this is the first one in awhile that has made me eager to cook and try something new. My husband usually takes over the cooking by the weekend (he's pretty great at it!), but with every recipe I tried, I was excited to try another one. Here's a run down on our responses to the recipes so far:

Meatball Soup: Big hit with my husband, five year old, and 18 month old (as well as myself). Downside was that the prep time took about 40 minutes rather than the 20 advertised due making the meatballs.

Italian Meatloaf: This one got the big thumbs up from my 5 year old. My husband said this recipe is a definite keeper. Due to one of the other reviews that I read, I did add 1 beaten egg to the mixture, but otherwise prepped just as directed.

Mashed Potatoes: Another thumbs up from my five year old! She loves mashed potatoes and had no idea there was cauliflower bulking it up. I let her have seconds with no qualms. My eighteen month old didn't care for them, but she doesn't like regular mashed potatoes, either.

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins: So-so with a thumbs down from my five year old. They tasted "stale" even when they were right out of the oven. Could have been the bananas from the freezer, but I think it was just the combination of ingredients. We'll try another muffin (pb and j) next time.

Baked Egg Puffs: My youngest and I give them a wonderful, though my five year old didn't care for them. I thought they were awesome, and the presentation was pretty enough that I can see making them for a holiday breakfast when we have guests over. Lots of butternut squash in the mix gave them a sweet flavor. My eighteen month old scarfed them down.

Chocolate Pudding: This is made with avocado puree, I kid you not. It's actually a really rich, extremely chocalately dessert and you should believe the portion size (which looks small at first). It's delicious and packs a powerful punch. And, no, you truly don't taste the avocado. I'd make this one again, but not on a regular basis because it's so rich.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: If for no other reason, you should buy this book for this recipe. The cookies are made with chickpeas (whole, not pureed -- they are added with the chocolate chips) and I will make this recipe instead of my former favorite Toll House recipe. I added both of the optional ingredients (chopped walnuts and raisins) and also added an additional ingredient -- 1/2 cup sweet potato puree. The recipe made so many cookies (about 50) that the amount of butter and sugar per each cookie was approximately 1/2 tsp. My husband, daughters, a friend, and her four year old daughter could not get enough of these cookies.

Pancakes: Wonderful, though I have to say I altered the recipe. I didn't have pancake mix on hand, so I substuted 1 cup whole wheat flour, a scant TB baking powder, a heaping TB sugar, and 2TB canola oil for the 1 cup of mix the recipe called for. I also added in 1 egg. Both of my girls loved them and I also thought they were pretty excellent.

As just an added note for cookbook lovers, this is a really enjoyable book to peruse with beautiful photos of food, fun drawings, and a 50's retro feel. This book will be a pleasure to use.

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OK, I got a stupendous coupon from B&N and decided to take the plunge to buy this book. Essentially, she's promoting adding vegetable and fruit purees to recipes in order to add fruits and veggies to your children's diets.

Now, this concept is not new, and I looked over the recipes and they seem OK. But the thing that makes me a little annoyed is that, for all the promotion of adding nutrition by adding the purees, there is no nutritional information in this book, such as comparisons between the standard recipe and her doctored one. I'd think that if we were really adding that much improvement that it would be substantiated with a few hard facts.

Call me unimpressed.

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I love this book! I have spent the last four years in constant battle with my son, trying to get him to eat his veggies. This book has recipies that I can use to "sneak" veggies his meals. Now I can enjoy dinnertime because if he refuses to eat his spinach, I know that he is getting veggies somewhere else. If you have a picky eater in the family (kid or hubby) this book is worth a look.

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I love the concept of sneaking in pureed veggies into dishes in order to get your kids (and husband...) to eat vegetables. There were a few good recipes. Oatmeal with sweet potatoes? Yum! Mac and Cheese with pureed squash? You coud tell a difference, but it was still edible. Brownies with spinach. ICK! My 2 year old did actually like them I will have to admit. He was the only one! I stuck with recipes that you could use baby food in. Actually steaming veggies and pureeing them myself just seems too time-consuming.

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Got this for Christmas it has some winners & losers just like every other cookbook I own. Love the recipes for oatmeal, & buttered noodles & ice cream sandwiches.
The cake recipe had the wrong cook time posted so be warned.

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I really had high expectations about this book, and it came back to be really a dissapointment, the pictures in the book are just bad, the food looks overcooked and disgusting. I tried a recipe and my 6 year old really noticed the difference in flavor and refused to eat it at all, purees are for babies!!.
The recipes in any Family Circle magazine are a lot better and delicious that the ones in this book.
I didn't keep it and put the book back in circulation.

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