Beyond Macaroni and Cheese

This collection of recipes, assembled by the MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) from it's member's best-loved recipes was an answer to prayer for me! I found this little book after a long, frustrating and almost fruitless search for a family-oriented cookbook that didn't send me to the grocery store every time I opened it. My family has liked everything I have tried from this cookbook, it's all been ultra-easy to make, and the shopping is a breeze. The book is also full of little anecdotes, hints, suggestions, tips, and get-the-kids-in-the-kitchen activities which make this book a delight to read. But this review isn't without it's criticisms--I must say that one of my fellow reviewers is right--it does have quite a bit of butter in it, and admittedly, it's got its share of canned biscuits recipes (but boy, they are soooooo good!) but not enough to dismiss it outright by any means. After reading and reveiwing scores of "family" cookbooks, I found that for your family's menu, you really can't get it all in one cookbook--sometimes you're going to want to fall into the First Rule of Really Really Good Food and make a real crowd pleaser. (What's the First Rule of Really Really Good Food? You know it: The More Fat It Has In It The Better It Taste, n'est pas?) And of course, a lot of the time you're going to need help making it healthier, and then in some cases, there's the budget to consider. So with that in mind, don't expect this little book that's written primarily for quick and easy eats to have it all. If you need food that's healthy, I recommend Better Homes and Garden's Kid Favorites Made Healthy. But for myself, I find that sometimes I do want to spoil my family and make something easy and quick. I also want to watch my budget--which is why I'm happy using a combination of books, and this is just one of several. But it is a really good one and will broaden your menu without tiring you out. Keeping that glowing recommendation in mind, I will say I was frustrated by the lack of pictures and hope that subsequent editions have at least a few photographs or illustrations. I had a hard time imagining what the Buffet Eggs looked like, and the same goes for Crunchy Chicken Rolls (which are really good, btw). They also add some asides about food and how it relates to family, my favorite being "Create a few familiar standard menus for your family. Don't feel guilty about preparing the same two or three dishes together. You're actually creating memories of comfort foods for your children. We all have favorite memories of menus or foods that bring a sense of consistency and contiunity to our busy lives." Wise words, and a wise buy; so feel confident in buying this little volume of ultimately useful recipes! You won't regret it. As for the other books I use, (just in case you're curious) see my Listmania list for Family Eats.

This is a great book! I have *thee* fussiest 2 year-old eater on the planet. We've had an occupational therapist and a nutritionist working with us on my daughter's eating for close to a year. When she finally started eating, I got this book so I could try new things for her. Tonight I made the Chicken and Stuffing recipe which was very easy to make (and inexpensive), but it looked so complicated on my daughter's plate I said, "She'll never eat it.." But tonight was the very first night she nearly cleaned her plate! My husband and I kept saying, "Slow down." I have tried a few of the recipes from this book, and my husband says the reason my daughter likes them is because they are flavorful. So many kiddy cookbooks are lacking in flavor, which is very important to my daughter. And we like them too! The definite pros of this cookbook are: 1) the ingredients are easy to find - most of them are probably already in your kitchen. 2) it's very practical! 3) the recipes share a lot of common ingredients and they're inexpensive, so you don't end up spending a fortune at the grocery store. 4) the recipes are EASY (almost impossible to mess up) and very convenient for the busy mom or dad. 5) they are flavorful! Also, the book is filled with little suggestions and stories, which I find annoying in some books, but I found extremely clever, helpful and endearing in this book. A lot of writers try writing their cookbooks in that familiar "passing on recipes from a friend to a friend" format, which usually feels very contrived to me. I thought this book, however, succeeded in doing that. I've had my fair share of disappointments with cookbooks, but not with this one. I borrowed this from the library but I'll definitely be buying it. This is a GREAT book which I highly recommend for busy moms and dads who don't want to feed their children the same old recipes all the time and won't do fast food.

Many cookbooks are tempting to read but impractical to cook from every day. This one on the other hand is full of fast, easy, and delicious recipies that are great for kids and adults. I have never made anything from this book that didn't dissapear at the table; the microwave carmel corn is especially good. This is an outstanding book to get for your self or to give as a gift to any mom or dad.

All I have to say is I love this book! It is so easy to follow and the ingredients in every recipie are so practical. Most cook books have 5o ingredients and are so complicated. This one is simple, to the point and great for kids and adults alike. And most of the recipies take less than an hour!!

I flipped through a copy of this book at one of my MOPS meetings, and went right out and bought it. That night I decided to "doggie-ear" the corners of the pages of the recipes I would like to try! There were only about 10 recipes I didn't!! Everything I have made from this book has been what my husband calls a "keeper". There are also practical solutions on how your child can help you prepare meals, and what to do about picky eaters, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook.