Read Your Way To A Good Meal Together

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     As we sat down to a meal of corned beef, cabbage, mashed potatoes and soda bread on Wednesday, I thought of how food plays such a central part in not only identifying who we are but in teaching us about life. We aren’t Irish but still enjoy the holiday with good food, stories, music and shamrocks. In our house, we tend to go from holiday to holiday planning early for what we will cook, searching for new recipes, creating a menu and looking for storybooks to teach about, compliment or enhance the holiday experience.

     We here at BTBL always encourage families to bond through cooking and books. Reading through and choosing recipes, going to the store to search for ingredients, and then cooking and baking together...these activities foster stronger bonds and create lasting memories. Look for storybooks that go along with upcoming holidays or books that celebrate both cooking and reading, such as The Storybook Cookbook by Carol MacGregor, Cooking with Mother Goose: Nursery Rhymes and the Recipes they Inspire by Lacey J. Mauritz, Fairytale Baking: Delicious Treats Inspired by Hansel & Gretel, Snow White and other Classic Stories by Christin Geweke, Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers and Eaters by Jane Yolen and Cook Me a Story or Cook Me a Rhyme by Brian Kozlowski.

     Use holidays to learn something new about other people and their culture and then celebrate the time together with a book. Browse through our Baking, Cooking, Gardening & Food Related books list for additional title suggestions.

Happy reading and cooking together!

-Kate @ BTBL

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Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 3 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.