First Meals

Rating:
Summary: Pretty, well organized, but the recipes disappoint
Review: This book is good for general nutrition information and for cooking ideas, but the recipe specifics are disappointing. I bought this to get ideas on transitioning my child from jarred baby food to table food. I chose this book because it had an accessible layout, good photos, and helpful nutrition information for each developmental stage. I have tried several recipes, though, with little success. They are not specific and hard to follow. Each time I've made one, I've used many dishes; extensive clean-up is not mom-friendly! The times are ludicrous--the pancake recipe that said it took 12 minutes took me nearly 45, and I am not an inexperienced cook! I tried the Pasta Cartwheels with cheese and Broccoli, Pasta and Sauce with Hidden Vegetables, Pasta Salad with Tuna and Sweet Corn, the unfortunately named "Finger-licking chicken & potato balls", and the Yogurt Pancakes. My son refused to eat all but the pancakes, and so my husband and I had to scramble to find something else for him to eat, then consume the recipes ourselves, all of which were bland and unremarkable. Kids like different things, so perhaps your child will like the recipes better than mine did, but you will still have to cope with lots of dishes, vague recipes and inaccurate cooking times.

Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL & CREATIVE!!!
Review: This is a lovely book, full of beautiful photographs, creative recipes and lots of helpful information. My only concern is the "when your child is unwell" section on p. 67, where the author recommends milkshakes and hot chocolate! Sugar is a well-known immune suppressant, and should never be offered to a child who is sick (and should only be offered sparingly to a child who is well). Other than that, I think it's a great book!

Rating:
Summary: Well worth the money...easy recipes...great pics...yummy!
Review: Best likes about this book - (1) There are some real winner recipes here that my daughter loved - and so healthy, too, (2) the emphasis was on stove-cooked meals, which helped me because I currently don't have an oven, and (3) the pictures made it easy to see what the meal would look like, not to mention that the layout was easy to read and the storage comments helped with planning. The downside - for 9-12 months, the recipes are heavy on leaks and carrots which make more meals than I expected turn out flavored close to chicken soup. But the book is a real winner and well worth the cost.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful presentation good ideas
Review: This is a very pretty book to look at and there are some interesting recipes. The pictures psyched me up for making my own baby food. But in the end I am not sure I ever followed a recipe from this book. It did give me good ideas about flavor combos though - like fruit with meat, etc.

The author is British (I think) and some of the foods for the younger ages don't match recommendations you often see in the States. That might bother some people. But then who follows these child-rearing books to the letter anyway?

Rating:
Summary: so far . . . great recipes!
Review: I have a 10 month old and I bought this book about 3 weeks ago. So far we both love it! The recipes are very tasty and I'm looking forward to the "Family Meals" section coming in handy as our son ages. My only hesitation about the book - the recipes take longer than the estimates given. Nonetheless, I'm not an experienced cook, so maybe my speed will improve over time.

Rating:
Summary: ALL 4 OF MY CHILDREN & FAMILY LOVE IT!!!
Review: I bought this book when #3 was 1 years old. I started making food from the 12-18 months section. I first made Chicken Sausage Snails. I thought the recipe looked so cute I invited my father-in-law over for dinner. I served the chicken sausage snails to the entire family. THEY ALL LOVED IT!! Before we started eatting I took a picture and emailed it to all of my friends. Everyone wants the recipe. I was so surprised to read a comment from someone else that they thought; "How could someone make these snails look like the picture"? Mine weren't perfect, but they looked like snails! And who cares if they don't look perfect. This not only gives you a great nutrious meal for your family but it allows you to "get on your childs level" and have some fun!! I would recommend this recipe book to anyone with children!