What Others Are Saying
“Cooking with kids should be both educational and fun. In Cooking Around the Calendar with Kids: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun, Amy Houts shows how to bring children into the kitchen year-round by following seasons and holidays.
Not only does Houts propose three different apple recipes, she suggests broadening the experience with a trip to an orchard, a retelling of the Johnny Appleseed story, and counting the seeds in an apple.
Similarly, she advises observing the silliness of April Fool’s Day by serving a meal out of order or “hiding” the spaghetti sauce under the pasta. Recipes and ideas come from different cultures, and there are recipes specifically addressing food allergies.
Teachers and parents will find entertaining ideas for helping children appreciate cooking and learn where their food comes from. ” —Booklist
“Cooking Around the Calendar With Kids is a 121-page compendium of advice and recipes that will enable parents to involve their children with a love of cooking. Amy Houts is an experienced children’s author and former preschool teacher who shares her considerable expertise in showing parents how to help their children follow directions as they cook together in the kitchen including the practice safety and proper food handling methods; choosing and preparing seasonal food for great taste and careful economy; establishing family traditions; fostering cooperation and a willingness to share; preparing tasty foods from other cultures; and generally enjoying the preparation of food while learning about the background of the recipes and menus of various traditions and holidays.
Cooking Around the Calendar with Kids: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun is a welcome and recommended addition to family and community library collections!” —The Midwest Book Review
“The title says it all: cooking with kids can be fun. This creative and informative cookbook put together by preschool teacher Amy Houts shows parents and educators of all stripes how the passing of the seasons can bring about a multitude of learning opportunities in the kitchen. Cooking is a natural “hands-on” learning experience, but Houts has provided more than just a listing of easy-to-make recipes. She also gives us background into many holiday foods. As you cook holiday foods with your children, such as corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day or pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, an even greater lesson in the traditions of our society can be imparted.
Divided into recipes and activities for the four seasons, children will delight in baking Amy’s Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies for a Christmas cookie exchange party. And planning an ice cream social with some of the summer recipes (my favorite: Crunch-Coated Ice Cream Balls) will have you dreaming of 90-degree weather. Highly recommended for family epicureans of all ages.” —Fearless Books
“This book can trigger some wonderful fun and meaningful traditions for holidays, events, and occasions. Simply written and easy to follow.” —Karma Metzgar, C.F.C.S., Nutrition Educator and Mother of 2
“A delightful blend of family fun, this cookbook will be a welcome addition in any homeschool family kitchen. Tucked away between its recipes are bits of history and culture, terrific field trip ideas, as well as fun family gift ideas that are sure to keep you cooking all year long.”—Nida Clay, Homeschool Mother of 7
Cooking Around the Calendar is a delightful combination of recipes, health hints, and seasonal fun for children and their families. The recipes are easy to make and contain ingredients that are simple and easy to find in most kitchens. Children will enjoy contributing their assistance to make these delicious foods!” —Julie Jackson Albee, Ph.D., Professor of Children’s Literature, Northwest Missouri State University
“Long-term readers of P&p will remember Amy Houts who used to do our Preschooler in the Kitchen. Now, she’s come out with a fun cookbook to use with kids. It’s organized into seasons. Each section is filled with great activity ideas, recipes, party ideas, and information on the major holidays and even lunch box suggestions.” —Parent and Preschooler Newsletter
“After looking through it this evening…what a wonderful book. There’s so much in it; most cookbooks geared for young people have one real simple recipe per page. Cooking with Kids is chuck full of great info and yummy, and some very healthy, recipes.”—Gina M. Scalera, Joseph-Beth Booksellers
“I have received many letters from educators, librarians, parents, and grandparents telling me how much they delighted in Amy Houts’s column, Preschool in the Kitchen. They loved her ideas, her recipes, her creative approach to involving children in cooking activities and her lyrical writing. Now they will want her book, Cooking Around the Calendar With Kids—Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun, which will provide joyful times all through the year as they engage in cooking experiences together.”—Betty Farber, former president, Preschool Publications, Inc.
