The Mash and Smash Cookbook: Fun and Yummy Recipes Every Kid Can Make!

By Marian Buck-Murray

This text aims to provide a collection of over 50 simple recipes for safe preparation with little or no adult supervision. The author uses play-based, hands-on methods which should eliminate the need for potentially dangerous equipment such as knives and blenders. All recipes contain healthy ingredients.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471179698
• ISBN13: 9780471179696
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

My daughter & I both love this kids' cookbook!

The Mash & Smash cookbook is a favorite in our household! We've been trying to change our family's eating habits to eating more from scratch, wholesome food, and this cookbook fits in nicely with this. We find that the recipes don't usually call for a lot of refined, highly processed foods as do many children's cookbooks. We think this book is very well-written and the directions are clear and easy-to-understand. I love the way each recipe not only lists the ingredients they will need, but also the tools to get ready. It even lists adult helper in the tool list if one will be needed for the stove or oven. The recipes are rated one hand if they are easy & need no adult help. They are rated two hands if they are a bit harder and you might want an adult around to help out if you are a beginning cook. Recipes with three hands are the ones that require adult help. The introduction of the book even suggests to ask an adult for permission to use the kitchen first (which I really appreciate). It also gives a few basic tips to start out with, such as clearing and wiping your work space, washing your hands, reading the safety rules, reading through the recipe before beginning, gathering ingredients and tools, and following the steps of the recipe in order. Finally, it says to be sure to clean the kitchen when you are done. There are tips given to create your own mash & smash recipes, safety rules, and a basic ingredient list of the types of things to have on hand for the recipes (mostly things our family has anyway). There is a glossary of tools that lists the basic tools used in the book, and explains what they are and why you might want to use them. There are explanations for a few basic skills such as cracking eggs, cutting, draining beans, grating & shredding, greasing pans, measuring dry or wet ingredients, peeling, etc. There is also a handy measurements conversion chart. The book chapters include: 1. Breakfast Bites 2. Goodwiches 3. Sips, Dips and Crisps 4. Side Dish Funnies 5. Supper Stuff 6. Sweet Treats and Freezer Pleasers There are tips and facts placed in the sidebars scattered throughout the book as well. My 8-year-old daughter & I both give this cookbook two thumbs up! We also have the Rachel Ray cookbook for kids, but find it much harder to use and often has a lot of ingredients we aren't likely to have on hand. For it's simplicity and ease of use, we definitely prefer to Mash & Smash.