Hip and Healthy Ways to Have Fun with Food
Bring Kookiness to the Kitchen
As any grandmom knows, kids learn through emulation – watching and imitating the actions of others. That’s why it’s a good thing to always strive to be a good example.
For me, I learned to cook by watching my mom and aunts who passed down many of the traditional Polish recipes that I learned to love as a child. I’ve since passed down those traditions to my own girls.
Recently I had the opportunity to review a new cookbook – Bean Appetit: Hip and Healthy Ways to Have Fun with Food (Andrews McMeel Publishing) which was recently featured on Martha Stewart Radio.
The authors, Shannon Payette Seip and Kelly Parthen are co-owners of Bean Sprouts Café and Cooking School. They offer cooking classes for toddlers and grade school children. The school lets the kids have fun with food while exploring new ingredients. The authors are also currently developing a kids’ cooking show.
Bean Sprouts, a hip and healthy kids’ cafe, opened to much anticipation near Madison, WI in 2007. Bean Sprouts has drawn great media attention for providing a place for families that is both healthy and fun. Under the guidance of a child nutritionist, Bean Sprouts built its menu with the help and enthusiasm of Gale Gand–renowned chef, author, and Food Network star, who believes in Bean Sprouts’ mission.
One of my favorite chapters in the book was the breakfast chapter. The meal that both of my grandkids, ‘Lil Moomette and Slugger, enjoy best is breakfast. Soon they’ll be spending their first overnight with my husband and I, so I paid particular attention to finding recipes that would start their day off right!
Pancakes is a favorite of both grandkids, and “Stick Stacks” incorporates yummy fruit and skewers in an eye-appealing manner.
A great rule of thumb when it comes to cooking with children is keep it simple silly. Foremost, most children have relatively short attention spans. While they want to learn and help mommy out, they also don’t want to have enough time to get bored with the details. Use simple recipes when cooking with children and your chances for success will be much greater than with overly complicated or ingredient intense recipes.
The book is full of whimsical presentations, as well as food-themed games, crafts and activities.
Bean Appetit would like you to help them taste-test some recipes. You can test online recipes for Bean-GO (a healthy twist on Bingo that gets kids to try to new tastes) found in the book. Feedback Form
Moomette’s Magnificents is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of the book, Bean Appetit.
Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.
Main Rule: (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND
b) Visit Bean Sprouts and leave a comment about what you like best about their site and why you’d like to win this book.
This contest will run until March 15, 2010 at 11:00 pm. EST
For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.
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This is great. I love to cook and hope that my son also develops a love of cooking. Maybe experimenting with these recipes will help.
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Subscriber
and I would love to win this book because after visiting the site above — I know that this cookbook will be great for teaching my kids to have fun with their food!! Thanks for the chance to win!
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I’ve got some terribly picky eaters… I’ve heard that if they help in the prep of the food that they are more likely to eat it. A new cookbook geared to them would set us on the path! Thanks,
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Cute cookbook, but do you think it’d be too juvenile for a 13 yr old?
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new feed subscriber
i like that their site has a calender, and it looks like they offer great kid friendly events…i wish we had a place like that here..i want to win cause my lil guy loves to help in the kitchen so this would be great for him
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Email subscriber.
I looked around the Bean Sprouts site and I liked their Classes & Parties section the best. I think it’s a great idea to give your child a chance to take cooking classes at an early age. It’s quite an excitement for children!
I would love to win this book because I have a little picky eater, and I would like to involve him into cooking while keeping it fun for him, as well as making it fun to eat.
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I’m a Fan of Moomette’s Magnificents on Facebook (Elena Shkinder-Gugel).
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Follow you on Google Friend Connect (Elena Shkinder-Gugel).
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Follow you on Networked Blogs (Elena Shkinder-Gugel).
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Follow you on Twitter (@spelena).
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I subscribe.
I love how cute their little bean and pea characters are! Plus I think it’s neat that they do birthday parties-very fun. I’d love this to have fun healthy foods for my kiddos!
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What a delightful book. I would give this to my son for his family. I enjoyed the site which was unique. The cooking classes are a smart idea.
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I subscribe via e-mail, feedblitz.
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I subscribe. I really like the cartoons on the website — how fun. I would love to win this so that I can find some new recipes for my 3 kids especially for my two picky eaters. Thanks for the great giveaway:)
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I suscribe. This is such a great idea. The site was easy to navigate and made me wish that there were more locations. I love the Pea-Jamma and Pea Perfect parties that you can have at Bean Appetit.
I would like to win this because I have a 7yr old daughter who is a PICKY eater and having fun with her food might make her a better eater.
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I follow you on google friend.
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I follow you on twitter @WendiP
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I’m an email subscriber. I like that they do tea parties – too cute! I’d like to win b/c I’d love to get my children more involved in the kitchen. My daughter already loves to help me in the kitchen, but my son would rather just eat. I think this would really appeal to the both of them! Thanks for the chance!
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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I’m a facebook fan. (Kelly Deaton)
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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I follow you on google friend connect. (Kelly Deaton)
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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I follow you on networked blogs. (Kelly Deaton)
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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I follow you on twitter. (dkad23)
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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Tweet. (dkad23)
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
http://twitter.com/dkad23/status/9939339135
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I commented on your: Bedroom Sanctuary – Arranging Your Furniture: Optimize Your Room Space Post.
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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I commented on your: Children’s Activities: Arts & Crafts Family Fun Post.
Kelly Deaton – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com
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tweet:
http://twitter.com/spelena/status/9952138394
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I subscribed. I like the cute cartoons on the website with the veggies. I would like to win this for my boys.
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subscriber – my 4 year old loves to cook and this book looks really fun
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follower of your blog
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twitter follower @phxbne
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tweet http://twitter.com/phxbne/status/9988099773
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tweet:
http://twitter.com/spelena/status/9992879559
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I subscribe and i like that they encourage kids to explore with foods. I’d like this for my granddaughter who loves to help in the kitchen
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I subscribe vie email! And what a fun website they have! I love that they do tea parties & birthday parties…I just wish they were down here in the Tampa area. But if I win the cookbook, my kids would love that!
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subscribed and i like that its kid friends and healthy
cbrocious1984@gmail.com
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I am already a subscriber to your email and I liked that the site was fun and easy to navigate.
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They do tea parties; I like beans!
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We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
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What a wonderful site, I like that they offer organic, healthy baby food! I’d love to win this cookbook to start teaching my son healthy eating habits!
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I’m a newsletter subscriber
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I’m a Google Friend Connect follower
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What a fun site, I wish they had their cafe in NYC! The book sounds chock full of great healthy recipes that I can make with my daughter!
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I subscribe to your newsletter.
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I follow your blog!
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I signed up for your newsletter and visited the website. They offer some amazing services – baby food, birthday parties, etc. Too bad I live in FL! I would love to win this book because I LOVE cooking, and I have a 6 month old daughter who will hopefully enjoy cooking with me when she’s old enough
huppiemama(at)gmail(dot)com
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Following you on twitter.
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Fan on Facebook.
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I subscribe I would love to win this for my son he loves being in the kitchen thanks for the chance to win eaglesforjack@gmail.com
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I’m a subscriber..
I love their happy bean pictures
I’d love to win because I love to cook and am always on the look out for new recipes.
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Email subscriber.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
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The site is engaging and fun. I’d like to win for my friend’s young daughter. She loves to cook.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
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