Eat Drink Read with DK Canada

The holiday season is fast approaching. And if you're looking for some books to help plan or some great gift ideas, DK Canada has some great suggestions in their Eat Drink Read Boutique.

The one that caught Gramma and Little Guy's attention? Children's Cookbook: Delicious step- by-step recipes by Katharine Ibbs, edited by Catherine Saunders. The cover is colourful, appealing and the pictures caught his attention. Notably the muffin. Little Guy loves muffins.

Inside you'll find over 50 recipes covering Breakfast, Light Meals, Main Meals, Desserts and Baking. An introduction covers how to use the book and there's a nice illustrated 'tool' page as well as a glossary of cooking terms.

The recipe pages are well laid out, with lots of colour, actual pictures and white space. Each is coded 1, 2 or 3 for difficulty with pictures of the ingredients needed, length of prep and cooking time, a tool checklist, techniques used, ideas for variations and a caution when adult help is required. And yes, step by step photos of  the 'how to'.

We had a good look at every page, picture and recipe the first time through, making a list of what we thought we would like to make from this book. And no surprise, Little Guy is all about the desserts and baking. Although he thought he might like the breakfast smoothie and frozen yogurt as well.

Little Guy's mom had a look at the book as well and mentioned that she found a number of recipes she would absolutely make for family meals. (As did Gramma) Easy, quick and yes, nutritious.

What did Gramma and Little Guy tackle first? You got it - the muffins. Cooking or baking with a child is a fantastic learning opportunity. Even if they can't read, there are so many teachable moments. Looking at the pictures - what do we need? Ingredients and equipment. Measuring, mixing and more. The step by step instructions in Children's Cookbook really do illustrate the process to a finished product. As adults, we've most likely done these steps so many times, we don't really think about them. With a little one, it's all new again.

He had such a sense of accomplishment when they came out of the oven. And was so proud sharing them with others. (and accepting the compliments!) And for Gramma? The time spent with Little Guy is priceless.

Children's Cookbook would be an excellent addition to any family's cookbook collection or make a great gift for the small person in your life.

Cooking Step by Step with DK

Little Guy has recently expressed interest in the kitchen - helping to make supper and bake desserts.

Cooking Step by Step from DK Canada seemed like the perfect starting place for Gramma and Little Guy to cook together. (Check out the other great book suggestions in the 'Maker March' boutique.) #DKMakerMarch

There are fifty recipes included under the headings Light Bites, Main Dishes, Sweet Treats and Baked Goods.

Musts for a children's cookbook - colour photographs and lots of easy to understand instructions. Check. Cooking Step by Step has a simplified ingredients list that employs pictures of the ingredient and a plus symbol. Perfect for little ones. Basics such as hygiene and safety etc are covered and are good beginner foundations. Measurements are given in both imperial and metric.

Little Guy is at the younger end of the recommended age range (6-8), so we stuck to some simpler recipes. Ones he was interested in eating! Pancakes, Spaghetti and Meatballs. And then the baking section - his favourite. The Lemon Muffins were really good. (Little Guy decided to leave out the poppy seeds though) The favourite of all though, was the Clever Cookies recipe. The dough is a good basic recipe - and the fun comes in adding different bits. We divided the dough into four portions, then added chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins and blueberries. Tada! Four different cookies.

There are more recipe choices that would appeal to a more experienced palate and an older child such as Gazpacho, Falafels, Salmon Parcels and a few others. I actually liked some of them for myself - there's a quick and easy Fried Rice, a Quiche recipe and super simple flatbread I'll most likely make for myself.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is a focus in learning in school systems today. Cooking is a great way to explore many STEM principles. So much can be learned and experienced in the kitchen. Measuring, techniques, tasting, new foods and the satisfaction that comes with creativity and sharing. And spending time together! Cooking Step by Step is a book that will grow with Little Guy. Thumbs up.