Advertising Policy

Product Reviews and Giveaways


This blog was borne from my own obsession desire to learn more about and practice meal planning that would hopefully save me time and money in the kitchen as well as help me find ways to try new recipes and involve my family in the process along the way. And, given the fact that I am a information junkie I can never seem to stop looking for new resources and ideas for myself but also to share reviews of those products that align with that quest.

I do accept and keep free products, services and other items from companies and organizations. However, this compensation will never influence my honest opinion of such items. When reviewing a product or service that I have received as a promotion, I will always disclose that fact.



Note also that I do have affiliate relationships with certain advertisers. These advertisements will appear in the sidebar of my blog and although I do choose advertisers that hopefully align with the overall theme of my blog, I am not responsible for the content within the ads.

Authors, publishers and other product manufacturers/sellers are welcome to contact me about reviewing their product(s). I love to do giveaways so if you are interested in providing a product or service let me know that too! Vendors will be responsible for shipping directly to the winner. I am rather picky, however, about the products I accept for review or giveaway. I am happy to review those products and/or books that meet my criteria and align with the overall purpose of this blog. I will be honest with my opinion but probably won’t do a review of those products that I wouldn’t want to tell you about in the first place! No sense wasting our precious time so I prefer to focus on those things that can really help my readers!

I will If you are interested, I can be reached via email at mealmagic [at] gmail [dot] com.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. Any questions about the product claim or other related item should be verified with the manufacture or provider in question.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Thanks!

Resource Guide

Here you will find a list of all the links that will help you in your meal planning journey!

MEAL PLANNING MAGIC'S RESOURCES/FORMS (the links are to the posts with the forms--the post title is what's in parentheses!):
 Basic Weekly Meal Plan (Chicken, Chicken, Chicken....No More!)
Freezr Inventory Sheet--coming soon!
Standard Grocery List (Grocery Shopping Simplified)
Meal Planning Services (Give Me A Plan Ma'am!)
Meal Planning on a Budget (Create a Price Book)
Weekly Breakfast Menu (No More Boring Breakfasts)
Weekly Meal Plan Form (Secret To Meal Planning (Mine!))

ONLINE RESOURCES:
Freezer Cooking Resources (aka OAMC)
Dinner’s In the Freezer
Feed The Freezer: Freezer Cooking Guide
Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month!
How and What Can I Freeze It?
LabelOnce Erasable Food Storage Labels
Busy Cooks Make Ahead Recipes and OAMC
Real Food For Real People-Once A Month Cooking

Lunch and Snack Ideas
5 Sack Lunch Ideas Kids Love
Back-to-School-in-30-Minutes-or-Less
Best School Lunch Ideas
Laptop Lunches—Ideas
Lunchbox Ideas
Vegetarian Lunch with Punch!

Baby/Toddler/Kid Food Tools
Wholesome Toddler Food Guide
A Serving of Fun--How Much Is A Kids' Size Serving?

Family Meals....Plan Together, Eat Together!
Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children
Healthy Family Home
Importance of Family Meals
Studies Supporting Family Meals
Ties That Bind at Mealtime (Washington Post article)

Meal Planning Services—Some Free, Some a Little More!
Nestle's Meals.com (free!)
Taste Of Home's Weekly Menusaver (free!)
Better Homes and Gardens® DinnerTime (check the Frequently Asked Questions for details)
Dine Without Whine Meal Plans
DinnerSelect
Kid Approved Meals
Meal Mixer: Meal Plan the Easy Way
Menus4Moms
Plan To Eat
Saving Dinner Weekly Menu Plans

Meal Planning and Recipe Idea Links

Meal Makeover Moms
Martha Stewart Living--Food and Meal Planning Ideas
Martha Stewart Living-Radio Show Blogs (great ideas and links!)
Cooking Light Menu Planner
Cooking Light magazine and recipe search
Eating Well magazine & recipe search
Healthy Cooking Magazine
Simple and Delicious magazine
Family Fun magazine's Month of Meals Menu Guide

Special Diet Links--Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan and more!
Book of Yum!
Fresh Ginger (has probably two dozen gluten free blog/site links!)
Gluten Free Mommy
Gluten Free Blog
Strawberries Are Gluten Free
Vegan Blogs Directory
VegBlogs.com
Wheatless Foodie

Organic/Local/Sustainable Eating Guides
Eat Wild: #1 Site for Grass Fed Food and Facts
Food News from Environmental Working Group
Meat Production Methods Glossary (wallet card) by Sustainable Table
Organic Consumers
Organic Produce Shopping Wallet Card
Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic

Food Storage Info.
Center for Food Safety
Food-Storage-Info.com (TONS of links here)
Fruit Storage Guide
How and What Can I Freeze It?
Vegetable Storage Guide
Leftovers Storage Guide (from Clemson University)
Food Safety: Storage, Preparation and Handling (by USDA)

Meal Shopping/Preparation Tools
Food Pyramid Meal Planner, Guides and Games!
Organic Produce Shopping Wallet Card

Organize Your Life! Resources
OrgJunkie
More Coming Soon!

Going Green! Earth Friendly Resources

Coming Soon!

Bookshelf

Since I have come to realize that I am cookbook obsessed and not everyone is, I thought I'd start sharing my reviews with you all to help you focus on the books that will help you most with your meal planning! Afterall, one of the challenges many people face is finding the time to meal plan and look for new recipes or ideas. For me, browsing the many, many shelves at the library or bookstore each week is a fun and relaxing trip. For so many though, I know it is overwhelming and you don't even know where to begin! My book reviews will save you the time and trouble of sorting through the many, many titles that are out there! All of the books are those that I have read myself  They are either books from my own collection but many checked out from the library (I'm a frugal gal too!).  Occasionally I will review books sent to me by publishers or authors in which case I will let you know.  But you can rest assured I will only review books that help you find new ideas to add a little more magic to your meals!

Check below for all the reviews I've already done. Then subscribe to my blog (if you haven't already!) to read the newest reviews. Got a special title or area of cooking in mind? Let me know what you want to see and I'm on the case ASAP!

P.S. By the way, if you choose to purchase any of these books, please do so through my site...it helps me keep my website up and running for you!

FAMILY FRIENDLY / QUICK and EASY
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day *
5 A Day: The Better Health Cookbook
Everyday Italian *
The Family Kitchen *
Kitchen Life-Real Life Real Food for Families--Even Yours! *
The Mom's Guide to Meal Makeovers
Robin to the Rescue *
Southern Living Ultimate Quick and Easy Cookbook *
The Weekend Baker
Whole Grains For Busy People


KID FRIENDLY
Around the World Cookbook *
Deceptively Delicious *
The Healthy Lunchbox
Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers *
Kid Favorites Made Healthy *
The Kids' Holiday Baking Book
Petit Appeti: Eat, Drink and Be Merry
Robin Miller: Quick Fix Meals
The Sneaky Chef
Sneaky Chef to the Rescue


FREEZER and BULK COOKING
Bake and Freeze Desserts
Don't Panic! Dinner's In the Freezer
Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet
Make-A-Mix *


SLOWCOOKER
Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook
Rival Crock-Pot: 3 Books In 1 *


SPECIAL DIETS
Getting Your Kid on a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet
Kid Friendly ADHD Cookbook


EVERYTHING ELSE
30-Minute Meals for Dummies
834 Kitchen Quick Tips
Barbarians at the Plate
Desperation Entertaining
Escape From the Kitchen
The New Best Recipe Cookbook
Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue!
Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Grilling *
Saving Dinner
Taste of Home's Everyday Light Meals *

* Means these books have lots of photos for those of you that like that in your cookbooks (I do!)

I'll update this list regularly to include the most recent book reviews I do on the blog.  Check back often for updates to this list or just search for "Cookbook Review" in the search box on the home page of this blog.  If you are an author or publisher with a book you'd like me to review, please see my Advertising Page for details.  Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Holiday Sweet Treats--No Oven Required!

Ok, it is a LONG story but I still do not have a working oven after our mini-kitchen renovation (yes, two days before Christmas--aacck!) so I had to abandon most of my usual holiday baking and think "outside the oven" for some different sweet treats to make this year.  Luckily I had made a few things about a month ago for some cookie exchanges and put them in my freezer so I do have some baked goods that I'll add to the mix of holiday offerings for gifts and during family visits.

The kids and I got busy today making lots of things that included:
Butterscotch Haystacks
Buckeye Balls
Chex Muddy Buddies (a.k.a. Puppy Chow)
Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix
Holiday Rice Krispie treats
Santa Claus Nutter Butter cookies (we didn't get to these but they sure are fun and I've made them many years in the past so I wanted to include the link here for you all!)
Snowman & Reindeer Oreo Cookies (see instructions below)
We had lots of fun and the kids could help me with all of these because there was no oven involved--an extra bonus to not have to worry about anyone getting burned!  Thank goodness for my stovetop & microwave though to help me melt some of the ingredients!  These were all really easy and quick to make so you can easily add them to your holiday offerings even at the last minute.  Enjoy!

Here are the instructions on how to make the Oreo cookie treats.

Step 1: Gather your ingredients--

one package each white chocolate and mint chocolate covered Oreos

mini-M and Ms (Blogger won't let me use the ampersand symbol)

regular M and Ms (not pictured--I forgot)

pretzel twists, cookie decorating icing (or any icing of your choosing in a pastry bag, etc. so you can squeeze it out in small bits)

mini-chocolate chips (also not pictured--oops!)

chocolate icing for mouth--you can use any kind just be sure it is NOT the decorator gel because that will not dry.

Step 2: Squeeze a tiny bit of white icing onto the cooking where the eyes and nose are to go.

Step 3: Add mini chocolate chips for eyes and orange mini M and M for "carrot" nose. (not sure why this picture is sideways--I will have to try and fix that later)

Step 4:  Add a little bigger bit of icing to sides of cookies for "earmuffs".  Add regular sized colored M and Ms to make earmuffs.

Step 5: Add chocolate icing for mouth and your done!

Reindeer cookies are basically the same but you will use the icing to "glue" on the broken pretzels to make the antlers and use a red M and M for the nose instead.

Completed reindeer cookies--cute!

Cookbook Review: The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers

I'm not sure where I first heard about the Meal Makeover Moms but the title of their book alone made me want to check them out!  Seriously, I was a mom and I know as moms, we so often face the challenge of getting a healthy meal on the table night after night, day after day.  The reality is that the information we see on television or read in magazines or online says Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods.  Yeah right, not an easy task!

Well, think again!  The Meal Makeover Moms, Liz Weiss and Janice Bissex, are dieticians and busy moms so they understand the challenge and give tips to overcome those challenges.  The conversational style lends itself to easy reading without it seeming too "preachy".  They first start out with a primer on WHY a meal makoever may be in order.  Statistics on the ways we eat and how changes can be made.  Next up is the 5-Step Meal Makeover Plan that gives you baby steps on how to get started.  Things like "Add One Extra Serving of Fruit Each Day" or "Include One Healthy Snack Each Day".

Still thinking that upping the health content of your family's diet is an unsurmountable task?  Weiss and Bissex tackle convenience and fast foods also and show us how to find the best options when time is just not on our side and we need a meal quick!  Lastly, Part One includes a primer on setting up your Meal Makeover Pantry and why you need to keep certain things on hand to get dinner on the table in a jiffy.

Part Two includes tons of recipes to help you get started.  Sure, there are tons of recipes out there but how are these different?  Well, the authors have managed to add a bit (or more) of extra nutrition into each recipe to boost its nutrients (all while keeping it's kid-appeal).  Here's what I especially love about the recipes in this book...the authors don't just give you the recipe and expect you to trust them that it's good for you but included with each is a nutritional breakdown of calories, fat, fiber, etc.  But the best part is that they tell you HOW they've "made it over".  Things like:

--"Replacing the packets of Ranch dressing and taco seasoning with a flavorful blend of spices and seasonings to reduce the sodium" for Halftime Taco Chili
--"Adding blueberries, banana, and wheat germ for vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber" to Blueberry Banana Pancakes
--"Including shrimp for lean protein and healthy-omega-3 fats" for Shrimp "Not-So-Fried" Rice.

Each recipe also includes a "Mom's Kitchen Notes" that gives extra tips on how to make even more substitutions, turn leftovers into another meal and more.

Worth checking out, this book offers another way to get your family eating a little bit more healthy and enjoying what they eat too!

If you liked this post, you may want to check out:
Cookbook Review: The Sneaky Chef
The Search for the Perfect Chicken Nugget
Cookbook Review: Deceptively Delicious

Eating the Alphabet: The Letter O

This week in our adventures of Eating the Alphabet, we come to the letter O.  The kids (believe it or not) suggested Okra.  Now, I'm all for okra (I love it lightly breaded and fried or in stews like a good gumbo) but with the busy holiday week coming up I needed something a bit simpler.  We'll save the okra for another week. 

Then, there's Olives.  I do love olives and they're a staple on our holiday food tables.  My husband's mother is from Spain where olives are plentiful.  I love trying all the different kinds (and have been introduced to many new kinds through my husband's family.  Even today, many larger grocery stores have olive bars where you can sample different varieties yourself.  Olives are simply added to salads, soups and so much more!

But with  kid-appeal in mind, we're going with Oranges.  Plentiful this time of year, they are enjoyed by many peeled and eaten out of hand.   My mother-in-law makes a yummy (and simple!) orange & onion salad that she enjoyed growing up in Spain.  My family enjoys the Cuties that are so easy to peel and eat.  I send them in the kids lunches--super easy!  Ever since I read about these Gingerbread Blondie S'mores Paninis, I've been dying to try them.  And of course, they include a bit of orange zest....I'll be trying them over the holidays for sure!

There are so many ways to enjoy oranges and they have nearly universal appeal...it will be an easy week of Eating The Alphabet.  How do you like your oranges?

Menu Plan Monday

Our menu is short this week--gearing up for the Christmas holiday coming up! I'm cooking from the freezer and enjoying the fruits of my labor for sure!

Monday: special occasion-out to eat!

Tuesday: Pizza Burger Sloppy Joes

Wednesday: Bourbon Flank Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, steamed vegetables

Thursday: Christmas Eve Nachos

Friday-Sunday: TBA (we get together with family so it's sort of potluck type thing for several days)

For those of you celebrating Christmas, I wish you a very Happy Holiday!

If you liked this post check out:

Menu Plan Holidays!

Holiday Food Traditions

I was at a meeting a couple of weeks ago and the speakers' theme was all about holiday tradtions and how to introduce new traditions to our families. Over and over it seemed that a food theme was emerging. Many of the family traditions related to some sort of food. Ideas ranged from a holiday cookie baking day to serving Mexican food on Christmas Eve to making gingerbread houses or cookies.

At our house we started a tradition a couple of years ago to serve what I call our Christmas Eve Nachos. I think it started mainly because my children were smaller and by the time Christmas came around I was too tired from all the preparing to do a big meal. Since we don't celebrate with our extended family until Christmas day or after, Christmas Eve dinner could be simple. It's stuck and now that is something we all look forward to each year. I serve plenty of "sides" like guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and jalapenos and whatever we want. Preparation (and clean up!) is easy so that we can focus on spending some fun family time together away from the kitchen.

It seems that every holiday has some sort of food tradition associated with it and families create their own from there. Hanukkah has many food traditions as does Kwanzaa. And Christmas food tradtions may be more well known by many (like a holiday fruitcake) but they are certainly varied from region to region.

What kind of food traditions do you have with your family? It would be fun to share them with others and maybe find a new one to add to our own family!

If you liked this post, you may want to check out these too:
Meal Plan Magic--Holiday Style! Baking 101
Cookbook Review: Kids Holiday Baking

Cookbook Review: The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook

As I mentioned in my cookbook review of Getting Your Kid on a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet, I have many friends who face this challenge for their families. Whether your particular concern includes ADHD or Autism or perhaps just a milk allergy or celiac disease, this is a great book to help you learn more about how the diet can affect any of these conditions.

This book is well-organized and includes chapters on the science behind how diet relates to autism and ADHD (and a few others mentioned in this book). It explains why the authors, a medical doctor and a registered dietitian, believe it works. One chapter, "The Culprits", talks about where to find the problem foods and how to avoid them. Another chapter talks about how to get started and whether a gradual approach or "cold turkey" is right for you. A large recipe section gives many options for whipping up all kinds of meals for your child. Several of them do call for prepared GFCF products (such as tapioca starch or xanthum gum) but there are many others that use commonly found ingredients. And I have discovered that more and more common chain grocery stores are carrying these ingredients now...there's not necessarily a need any more to seek out the natural food store.

What I especially like is the Resource section at the end of the book. The authors have included many listings for other GFCF cookbooks and books on Autism and ADHD; magazines and newsletters you can subscribe to; organizations and online information for support and more learning; and product/ingredient resources. The only downside is that there could probably be a few more recipes that have toddler appeal but there are several basics that should work too.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that faces the challenge of a GFCF diet for themselves or their children!

Eating the Alphabet: The Letter N

This week in our adventures of Eating the Alphabet, we come to the letter N. What first popped into my mind was Nectarine. But, being that we're well into December now, I figured I was going to be hard pressed to find any fresh nectarines to eat! Next on my mind was Nut. Even though they're not really part of the fruit & veggie category, nuts are not to be overlooked as part of a heathly diet (provided you don't have a tree nut allergy or peanut allergy). There has been much attention given to the benefits of eating nuts for their antioxidant properties as well as being a great source of protein on the go. Grab a handful of nuts and you can fill your tummy quickly when it starts to grumble with hunger.

This time of year, with holiday baking, nuts appear a little more often on our menus. From roasted pumpkin seeds leftover from Halloween and Thankgiving pumpkins to nuts in any form. Most popular this time of year seem to be pecans and walnuts in holiday baking. For a recent cookie exchange, I made some yummy Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies. There are so many delicious cookie recipes that include nuts.

Nuts make a great gift during the holidays too. For the last few years I've been making Gourmet Nuts (pictured above) to give as gifts. They sound fancy and taste delicious but are SO easy. I've had friends call me just to tell me how much they like them (and a couple of others to say "thanks A LOT--I ate them all today!). Here's a link to lots of nut recipes for gift giving--from sweet to savory depending on your fancy. Or check out the recipe below that I use. Whenever I make these nuts I cannot keep my kids out of them--the LOVE nuts! Especially pecans which grow very well here in Texas.

My husband's family enjoys just eating raw nuts that they crack, pick out the meat and eat. Me, I'm a little more inclined to pay extra for the nuts that are already shelled. I can remember every Christmas when I was little my dad and grandpa would have a big bowl of nuts and just sit and crack them to snack on...it was almost a tradition. However you like your nuts, how about enjoying a few today?

Gourmet Pecans
from Stop and Smell the Rosemary

1 large egg white
3 Tbs. Kahlua, Grand Mariner, or other strongly flavored liqueur [I used Kahlua, I also think that Amaretto would be really good]
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare a large jelly roll pan by lining it with tin foil.

Combine the sugar and salt in a bowl, set aside. Combine the egg white and the liqueur in a large bowl, stir well with a whisk. Add the pecans, and stir well. Add sugar to bowl, and stir well to coat.
Spread onto prepared jelly roll pan in a single layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pecans are lightly toasted and browned, stirring every 10 minutes. It will look like the coating is coming off (it's not). Stir from the outside in to keep pecans on the edges from burning, and watch closely since sugar burns easily.

Remove from oven, transfer IMMEDIATELY to wax paper to cool. Pecans keep for two weeks in an airtight container.

Makes 4 cups.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm still loving my Freezer Cooking session this week...it's so great to be able to pulll things out of the freezer and not have to spend more money on fast food or take-out! I'd rather save those dollars for holiday fun instead!
Here's what's on our menu this week:
Monday: Spaghetti & Meatsauce; garden salad
Tuesday: Make-Your-Own Fish Tacos with a hodgepodge of fixings to choose from (avocado, tomato, shredded carrots, cucumbers)--I'm cleaning out the refrigerator!
Wednesday: Marinated Tuna Steak (from the freezer--I got it on clearance last week--30% off!), steamed rice, garden salad
Thursday: Slowcooker Stuffed Flank Steak, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: holiday get-together--no cooking for me! (ok, I am probably bringing a dessert and was thinking about trying these fun Gingerbread Blondie S'mores Paninis)
Sunday: Leftovers

What's on your menu this week? Happy cooking!

If you liked this post, you might want to check out:

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos Everywhere!

Don't Forget Your Kitchen Assistants

Slowcooker Conversion Chart

Where's the Magic?

When I first started sharing about meal planning, I decided I needed a catchy title for my “business” (and then this blog!) Meal Planning Magic just seemed to flow so it stuck. But as I’ve been blogging now for about a year and a half, I’ve thought more and more about the fact that the title actually has a bit more meaning than I initially thought. Magic can be found in so many ways when you plan your meals (and I’m not just talking about dinner—don’t forget breakfast, lunch and snacks too!).

You’ll find magic with the extra time you find by not having to plan each meal, each time, each day!

You’ll find magic with less stress at the end of the day when you’re not scrambling to get dinner on the table.

You’ll find magic in your wallet with the extra money you are saving by having a “plan” when you go grocery shopping or not making so many trips through the drive-thru or calls for take-out.

You’ll find magic with the nutritious (and maybe allergy-free!) food options you’re serving your family and eating yourself.

You’ll find magic in helping the environment by thinking about the types of foods you’re buying, where they come from and how they are packaged and the ways you take them on the go.

You'll find magic in the kitchen when you share cooking with your kids and making memories together.

You'll find magic with your family all together at the dinner table (or breakfast or whenever). You'll be sharing what's new with each other and staying connected.

You'll find magic taking your taste buds on an adventure as you try new foods and introducing new (or even the same over and over again!) foods to even your pickiest of eaters and finding fun, new ways to prepare them.

There are so many ways for us to find magic in our daily lives. Why not spread a little bit of that magic to the way we eat too so that we can enjoy more magic in our lives?

If you liked this post, check out these too:
Who Has Time to Meal Plan?
Think It. Plan It. Make It. Eat It.

Cat Got Your Tongue? (a.k.a. How To Leave a Comment)

I love all my readers and I especially love it when you send me feedback about the things I write for you. But so very often I get emails directly from you because you say "I didn't know how to leave a comment so I'm emailing you instead". That's all well and good but I thought I'd give you all a little lesson on how to make a comment on a blog post!


Every blog is a little different in how to leave a comment. When using Blogger (like I do here), at the end of every post there are little words (i.e. smaller font) that gives you info. like the labels for the post, etc. Next to that there is a section that says how many comments there. It might say "0 comments" or however many comments have been made. Click on that and a window will come up where you can leave a comment. If you already have a Blogger or Google account it should automatically have you signed in and all you need to do is fill in the form. If you don't have one of those you can easily create one and then you're good to go. (and be sure to make note of that password...you know who I'm talkin' to! :-) )


So comment away and let me know your thoughts (the good, the bad and the ugly!) about Meal Planning Magic!

Check Out My New Look!

Yay! I am SO excited that my new blog redesign is here! It's been a long time coming and I am so happy to finally be able to share it with you--let's consider it an early holiday present!

However, not unlike other renovations (particularly my own kitchen renovation!) it comes with a few snags. You'll notice the buttons are not working yet because I just haven't had time to migrate everything over. I'm hoping to get to that soon! But the info. that will be there is still available on the main blog page.

Be sure to subscribe as a follower, to get my emails or as a Facebook fan so that you can keep up with all the latest changes and of course all other blog updates!

Cookbook Review: Around the World Cookbook

This cookbook is the book I've written in my mind for so many years and now I've found it already done! As you may know, food is not only a form of nourishment but it can also take us on an adventure right in our own homes. What I love about this book is that it written for kids and organized in a way that makes sense to kids. The pages are full of colorful pictures and clearly written recipes and directions. A basic glossary of Gear, Lingo and Skills helps kids get off on the right foot to preparing the recipes on their own or with the help of an adult (there's also plenty of cautions about staying safe in the kitchen too!) There's even a page that tells kids to clean up when they're done!

The cookbook jumps right in highlighting a region of the world first introducing the country or region and some basic facts about countries within that region included on a map of the area. Then there are several representative recipes for kids to make. For example, Asia includes a recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice; The Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean includes a recipe for Greek Pork Kebabs or Gazpacho; Russia and Northern Europe includes recipes for Swedish Meatballs or Scones with Jam. South America, Mexico & The Caribbean includes recipes for Mexican Chocolate Pudding or Jicama Slaw and the United States & Canada region highlights Jambalaya or Apple Oatmeal Crumble. Little notes throughout add to the recipes to help readers learn more about their culinary adventure.

When we cook from different regions we sometimes get our globe out and find the country where we are eating from. It is a fun way for our kids to travel with their taste buds! What a fun way to introduce kids to cooking and the world--this book's a keeper!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm REALLY loving my freezer meals this week now that holiday activities and preparations are in full swing! Here's what's on our menu this week:

Monday: Spicy Peanut Chicken Stir fry and steamed rice

Tuesday: Cincinnati Chili, garden salad

Wednesday: Marinated Salmon, pasta side dish, garden salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Something Mediterranean TBA (I'm making a "field trip" to Phonecia Specialty Foods today!)

Saturday: Holiday party-no cooking for me! (but I am bringing an appetizer--Cranberry Amaretto Chutney over cream cheese)

Sunday: Out to eat/holiday light tour activity

What's on your menu this week? Hope it's a good one!

It's Holiday Cookie Time!

A few weeks ago we finally updated our kitchen with new counters (it's been something we've been planning for awhile). We hit a few snags along the way including a week with no running water and still no working cooktop (going on three weeks now). But my old oven still works and until the new one comes in I've been busy baking my holiday cookies for upcoming cookie exchanges, holiday gifts and just general baking.
Our new oven is set to arrive soon, (the new cooktop and old oven aren't compatible anymore--15 years later--surprise!) but I was worried I'd be totally without an oven in case we hit yet another snag and then how would I get my baking done? So I'm stocking my freezer with baked goods too so I'll be prepared! Consider it a Holiday Baking OAMC!
Is the thought of baking that much a little overwhelming but you'd still like a variety of holiday cookies to serve and enjoy this season? How about hosting a cookie exchange? It's fairly simple to do and best of all you bake one type of cookie and end up with a wide variety of cookies without all the baking! Not sure how to start? It's simple and you can check out the basic how-to's at this Cookie Exchange Site.
Don't forget that holiday baking time is a great time to start a tradition with your kids or grandkids also! When I was little, after my grandmother would arrive for the holidays, we made our cut-out sugar cookies and decorated them with her. I've continued that tradition with my own kids (and their cousins, aunt and grandmother!). Ever since the kids could sit in a high chair we've decorated our cookies on "Cookie Day". Now that my kids are a little older they ask WHEN we're having our special day not IF. They look forward to it too and it is a lot of fun!
So, whatever method you choose I hope you enjoy a little baking this year and enjoy an extra indulgence or two also! Let me know if you've ever hosted or been to a cookie exchange and what's your favorite part...or if you have any special holiday baking memories or traditions (just post your thoughts in the comments section). Happy Baking!
Check out last year's post for more musings on cookie baking and some helpful forms for the holidays at Meal Planning Magic Holiday Style! Baking 101.

Cookbook Review: Desperation Entertaining

Has your fall gotten as busy as mine? Seems like no matter how hard I try to simplify our activities during the holidays we always have lots going on--all fun but a lot to keep up with! So if you're planning any holiday parties or family gatherings this holiday season, you may want to check out Desperation Entertaining. Whether it's your first time planning such a gathering or you're a bit more seasoned, finding the right inspiration for a great menu can sometimes be tricky. The authors of this book have done a lot of the work for you so. Each menu includes a chart that counts down the different steps your will do to make your event a success. Starting with shopping (10 hours ahead of time), make-ahead food preparation (8 to 1 1/2 hours before dinnertime) to setting out the appetizers or preheating an oven to bake a garlic bread (30 minutes before guests arrive).

Want to make your own menus using recipes from this book or your own recipes? No problem. Check out the section on "How to Make Your Own Game Plans" where they suggest creating a flowchart to make sure everything is working together or that you time things just right so you don't got to put everything in the oven at one time only to find out there is not enough room! Many recipes have a "Do-ahead" tip for making items up to days or even weeks ahead (and putting in the freezer). There's even a section on taking your party on the road--say for a tailgate party or picnic gathering. There are too many yummy sounding recipes I couldn't choose just one to mention here--you'll just have to check it out for yourself!

Eating the Alphabet: The Letter M

This week in our adventures of Eating the Alphabet comes the letter M. At first I had a bit of trouble thinking about what fruits or vegetables start with the letter M. What came to mind first was Melon but I was thinking it might be tough to find a good flavored melon this time of year (cantaloupe, honeydew or water melon particularly). So I did a quick search online and came up with Mandarin Oranges and Mushrooms. I'm saving the oranges until our letter O (it IS a favorite fruit in our house!) So mushrooms...most kids I know (including mine) and many adults don't like mushrooms. They "look weird and slimy" or are "gross and brown". But I've always loved mushrooms for as long as I can remember. Sauteed in a little butter and put on cooked meat (chicken, burgers, steak) or just on their own as a side--delicious! Sneaking them into soups is another easy way to get them into your family's diet. Marinated mushrooms are another favorite and can be eaten anytime because whether you buy them in jars or make them yourself. And a popular offering on holiday party appetizer trays are Stuffed Mushrooms (and you can even find gluten free recipes without breadcrumbs like the recipe link I've provided). Marinated or stuffed mushrooms make a yummy snack too! They can also be made ahead (yep, you can freeze the stuffed mushrooms and the marinated mushrooms MUST be made ahead) so how great is that for saving time in the kitchen?
But did you know how good mushrooms are for you? Yep, it's true--mushrooms are high in selenium which is an antioxidant that helps boost your immunity and ergothioneine, another antioxidant that protects your body's cells.

As I've said before, the trick to trying new foods is to try them in different forms until you find a way that appeals to you or your family. Gosh, I'm getting hungry just writing about them--I LOVE mushrooms and may have to add some marinated or stuffed mushrooms to my holiday table this year--even if they're just for me!