The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook by Mike Berenstain

If you had a childhood anything like mine, you probably grew up reading the Berenstain Bears books and watching their movies! Luckily my mom kept all of these books that my brother and I had so that our children can enjoy them too! So my kids are definitely familiar with the characters, and were super excited to see that I was reviewing "The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook" by Mike Berenstain. The older generations probably remember the Berenstain Bear books by Stan and Jan, but these new books are actually written by their son, Mike!

This cookbook includes over 40 kid-friendly breakfast, lunch, main dishes, and dessert and snack recipes! Some of the recipes are very simple so that children can do them without any assistance. Others require just a little help from a parent. Some examples of the recipes included are: Bear-y Good Oatmeal, Mini Pizzas, Tomato and Bacon Quiche, Green Noodle Lasagna, and Banana Pops. Most of the recipes include foods that my children already eat regularly, but I did like the fact that there were also some new foods introduced that many kids might be hesitant to try. I think that the way this book is set up, might make kids more likely to try some of healthier recipes that they may not have tried before. For example, one of the recipes is called "Turkey Shaped Sandwiches" which includes yellow and red peppers. Normally, my kids are not a fan of peppers, but I think the cute setup of this recipe might make them more willing to give it a try.

Many of the recipes suggest the use of honey instead of sugar. I thought this was a really cute idea considering that bears like honey, and also a healthier alternative to sugar. The back of the book has a cute little fact sheet about honey. It explains how honey bees work and how much honey they produce. There are also a few other fun facts about honey itself.

At the back of the book, there is also a short prayer called "Grace Before Meals" and then a Kitchen Measurement sheet. My oldest has already learned all of her measurements in school, but it's a cute little reminder. Especially the more confusing facts like converting tablespoons into cups, or how many pinches are in a tablespoon.

All in all, this is a cook book my girls and I all loved and will be using for years to come. I would say the recipes are probably for children for 5 or 6 on up. A child that age will probably not be able to do all of the recipes included in the book, but they can get started on the easier recipes. I rate this book as 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”