Customer Rating:      Summary: Great idea, poor recipes Comment: (Written by wife Lisa):
I so wanted to love this book, because it's such a fantastic idea to sneak in vegetable purees into foods my kid will eat. I really enjoyed *reading* this book, because it inspired me to cook healthier and gave some nice tricks (example: set crudites on the table before a meal for kids to snack on...)
A big "However:" the recipes I've tried have not been good. I felt obliged to review this book because my house now smells like cooked cauliflower as I tried to make the Peanut Butter-Banana Muffins (with cauliflower puree, p. 58). I tried one piece of the muffins and then promptly placed the whole batch straight in the trash. Cauliflower does not belong in sweets, you can't hide the taste! I'd also tried the banana bread, and found it nasty; I didn't eat it. The mozzarella sticks were okay (edible), but mushy and not something I'd repeat.
It doesn't help too that the recipes are written from a "health food" perspective. This is probably the point, but in my opinion whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, brown rice and ingredients like these screw up the flavor of recipes.
Customer Rating:      Summary: The food just doesn't taste good. Comment: We have embarked on a healthier way of life recently and I thought that this would be a great addition to my collection. I bought this to help with making and packing school lunches that would keep my kids healthy and that they would enjoy. Unfortunately, the food just doesn't taste good. I made 7 or 8 of the recipes and all of them were quite bad. I think I will go back to my own recipes. I will pack fresh fruits and vegetables. I will make healthy sandwiches and baked chicken flautas with more chicken in them. I won't try to fool my kids. There has to be a better way than this.
One other note, most of these recipes are quite labor intensive. Despite making the purees in advance, I still spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen. Time most of us don't have.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Deceptively Delicious Comment: I think this book is great for young mothers trying to feed their kids vegetables. Recipes look easy. One thing I would suggest is that the small amount of veggies that are introduced in these cakes, cookies, etc., the children are not getting their required daily servings, so other measures would need to be taken to get the little ones more veggies into their diets. But for a start, to get kids to eat their veggies without them knowing and making the foods more nutritious, yes, it's a good book.
Customer Rating:      Summary: OH MY GOD! EXCELLENT BOOK! Comment: WOW...I have a picky eater (3years old)...this book actually had recipies with vegetables that he LOVES! I wish I had this about 2 years ago. The brownies with spinach and carrots are incredible! My kids have loved everything I've made so far! Thanks for an excellent book!
Customer Rating:      Summary: Deceptively Delicious Comment: The recipes are very good and easy to make. But I am very disappointed that there is no nutritional information (calories, fat, protein, sodium, carbohydates, etc.). Such information would make a more complete book.
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