Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook

Rating:
Summary: One of the original "latchkey" kids learns to cook!
Review: For my seventh birthday, my favorite aunt gave me the Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook. I was so excited since I was the eldest of four kids and always trying to find ways to help my working mother. No more simple dishwashing & ironing for me! I was moving up to the position of family "chef"!

My first attempt was the meat loaf recipe from that book. I followed every direction to the letter! And discovered two things: 1) Not everyone likes an entire tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in their meatloaf and 2) It's alright to alter a recipe to accomodate varied tastes.

Even though my first meal largely became dog food for a dachshund, I went on to try many of the recipes in that book and it became a cherished part of my childhood. The recipes are given in clear detail with variation suggestions and photos to inspire and tantalize. The holiday suggestions in the back of the book were a particular favorite of mine.

Basic cooking terms, measurements, kitchen utensils, kitchen safety and even table manners are discussed at the beginning of the book. This book has a wonderful "retro" feel giving everyone the feeling that Carol Brady, June Cleaver or some other perfect TV mom is about to come to the door to borrow a cup of sugar. Kids today can definitely benefit from the basic knowledge and simplicity of this book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the original "latchkey" kids learns to cook!
Review: For my seventh birthday, my favorite aunt gave me the Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook. I was so excited since I was the eldest of four kids and always trying to find ways to help my working mother. No more simple dishwashing & ironing for me! I was moving up to the position of family "chef"!

My first attempt was the meat loaf recipe from that book. I followed every direction to the letter! And discovered two things: 1) Not everyone likes an entire tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in their meatloaf and 2) It's alright to alter a recipe to accomodate varied tastes.

Even though my first meal largely became dog food for a dachshund, I went on to try many of the recipes in that book and it became a cherished part of my childhood. The recipes are given in clear detail with variation suggestions and photos to inspire and tantalize. The holiday suggestions in the back of the book were a particular favorite of mine.

Basic cooking terms, measurements, kitchen utensils, kitchen safety and even table manners are discussed at the beginning of the book. This book has a wonderful "retro" feel giving everyone the feeling that Carol Brady, June Cleaver or some other perfect TV mom is about to come to the door to borrow a cup of sugar. Kids today can definitely benefit from the basic knowledge and simplicity of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great beginning cookbook
Review: I received this cookbook as a gift when I was about six years old. I was much older when I really began to use it, but it is a great way to get children started cooking and gives clear instructions, a real plus for children and beginning cooks. The pictures are great and a real enticement to try the recipes.

I now grind my own flour from whole grains and use only whole foods, so I wouldn't endorse the pre-packaged part of this book, but it's amazing how many of these are "convertable" to being made from sratch instead of with a cake or frosting mix. If you decide to do this, parents will HAVE to be involved, but in my opinion, parents should not turn their children loose in the kitchen until they've had some experience and the parents are confident they won't get hurt or set the house on fire!

The recipes are very tasty and with the ease of the recipes give success, a heady motivator to try to cook something else! Overall, this is a great addition to any family library.