Whining and Dining: Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and the Families Who Love Them

This is a collection of family friendly recipes that are guaranteed to work for even the fussiest members of the family. It's full of terrific everyday recipes for every meal as well as snacks and party suggestions. I am not a confident cook but I find the instructions simple and idiot-proof. Best of all, they get my kids happily eating all the right foods without complaining. I've bought and tried several other family recipe books over the years, from Jessica Seinfeld to Annabel Karmel, but they all seem to boil down to "hiding the vegetable" or "prettifying the vegetable" (usually in a truly labor-intensive way), rather than just cooking it in a way that children will enjoy eating. Whining and Dining is also a tremendously readable cookbook, littered with helpful hints and amusing anecdotes about the writers' own children (who also feature in the appealing photographs). The instructions are encouraging and straightforward. I also like the inclusion of suggested menus at the back for events like mothers' groups and having friends round for dinner. I've probably made about a quarter of the recipes in this book and I can honestly say we've never had a dud. The first meal I cooked was teriyaki salmon with garlic-roasted carrots. It was on the table within 30 minutes and my two fussy eaters devoured it and asked for more. The pasta and vegetable recipes are consistently good and my sons often rqeuest the fajitas or the meatloaf. And the buttermilk pancakes are SO GOOD that they alone justify the purchase of this book! My only (minor) criticism is that I would have liked more photos of how the food will eventually look.

I have 2 picky eaters I adore - However there is nothing like a picky eater to send you right to the edge :-) This book will bring you back - 90% of the recipes I have tried in this book have not only been a hit but a MAJOR hit with the kids and their friends. Admittedly I have not done too many dinners, however the recipes I have tried have been great. One pot brownies Home made pudding Chocolate chip banana bread A bit better for you chocolate chip cookies Apricot bars Roasted chickpeas And many more. I would highly recommend - great healthy twist on the old favorites with rave reviews not only from a happy mom but happy kids.