First Meals Revised: Fast, healthy, and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers by Annabel Karmel
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Book Reviews of First Meals Revised: Fast, healthy, and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers
Book Review: Great book, great recipes!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this book prior to our son being born with the hope that I would be making all his food. I've now been doing so using this book and her Top 100 Purees for the last 5 months. I primarily use this book since we got past the most basic purees. I have made more than half of the recipes up through the 9-12 month section and every one of them has turned out great. There has only been one beef recipe that our son doesn't seem to care much for. I have to say too that I have tasted every recipe I've made and they are all delicious. I don't see how you could go wrong with it. I usually make a double or triple batch of each and freeze portions because the servings are typically small but when you buy the ingredients you usually have much more than they call for.
I have one other book that was given to me and is written by a gourmet couple. I tried two of their recipes and they were both a disaster. One I could salvage and the other I had to just throw away. You really can't go wrong with this book. The recipes are easy and the food is great and nutritious. I use a hand mixer to puree and it works well. Enjoy and have fun! Your babies will love it and will grow up with an appetite for all kinds of good food instead of just junk!
Book Review: Great Great Great
Summary: 5 Stars
Everything I have ever made from this book has been enthusiastically enjoyed by both of my children from first bites onward. It is wonderful to have some basic recipies that include a wide variety of vegetables and combinations of ingredients.
Some other reviewers seem overwhelmed by the artistry of presentation of some of the items for older children - however, these are clearly for parties and special occasions. I made the gelatin boats for my daughter's second birthday - they were actually quite easy and were a HUGE hit. However, manicotti does not need doll's heads and perfectly centered cheese blankets on a weekday night! I just make the recipie and avoid the decoration. It still tastes great and looks fine.
I love that the book is short, sweet and fairly comprehensive. Vegetables, fish and meat are all covered, and it is easy to follow the menu plans.
This book gives clear ideas for delicious meals that can be pre-made, frozen and re-heated for any age child. Should you wish, there are some delightful presentation ideas that an older toddler would love on special occasions. I love this book and have had great success with everything in it. Leeks are not exotic ingredients!!
Book Review: Fantastic source of recipes for your kids!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best kids recipe book I've used! There are so many things I like about this book. For one, the limited use of salt. The author provides recipes that are very mild and perfect for picky eaters. Plus, I get to eat some of the food and not worry about lots of salt. I also like the way she breaks down the age groups and provides recipes according to your child's age. I did find it easy to reference past recipes for my older toddler, and she still loved the food.
There are some people that complain about the difficulty level of the recipes. They fail to mention that once you spend a couple of hours preparing food for your child, you can freeze most of it and heat it up during the week. The author does a great job of telling the reader which recipes can be frozen and which cannot. That makes meal planning so much easier for me.
The author also gives you the nutrients in each recipe. Perfect for moms like me who want to watch what their kids are eating.
All in all, this book is wonderful for mothers who want to make delicious, healthy good food for their children and families.
Book Review: the toddler of the house hasn't turned down a dish yet!
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book because I needed to come up with creative ways to get my underweight one-year-old daughter to eat. So far, I've made a handful of dishes, like the Cheesy Pasta and the Butternut Squash puree, and she hasn't refused a single thing yet! Prior to the book, I was giving her jar food and single item purees, and we were both bored with the lack of choices. Ms. Karmel's book has helped me make mealtimes more fun, and I'm looking forward to making future meals.
Some of the recipes in the book may be a little disconcerting to American readers because of its fairly liberal use of butter and other ingredients considered unhealthy or unsafe for babies in this country. But because we got the go-ahead from our pediatrician to include more fats (butter, cheese, olive oil, etc.) in my daughter's diet, this book was helpful in incorporating them into each meal.
Recommended for those with a good grasp on children's nutrition and who are looking for inspired meals. You will find yourself nibbling off your child's plate.
Book Review: Wonderful book
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book. It has beautiful pictures and easy to follow instructions. It also contains valuable information that other books leave out, such as which recipes are suitable for freezing, how to modify recipes with different ingredients, and how long to store foods in the refrigerator and freezer.
The meals are delicious (I've tried them) and easy to make. They do call for some ingredients that are probably more mainstream in England (where the author is from), such as parsnips and rutabega, but I've either been able to find the ingredients or just left them out.
I agree with one reviewer, that once your child is starting to eat regular table foods, this book might be overkill. But it's wonderful up to about 10 months or so. To address some other reviews -- if you're looking for a book that tells you to "steam carrots in the microwave with a little water then mash them with a fork," why do you need a cookbook?