Welcome to Recipe Readers!

Growing up, I cooked with my Mom.  I made pizza, chef salads, cookies, cakes, fudge and more.  I learned how to fry bacon, how to husk and boil corn on the cob and when to take the banana bread out of the oven.  I read recipes, followed instructions on the back of boxes and learned measurements.  I have many happy memories of pleasant days in the kitchen with first my mother, then my sisters, my friends and now my family.

These days I cook with my son.  He's still little, but he can read and he's very interested in cooking.  His favorite phrase is, "can I do it?", and I let him "do it" whenever possible.  I of course still handle all the knives and the oven, but I let him read the recipes, measure the ingredients (with assistance) and stir.  

One of our favorite things to do is make a recipe from a picture book.  Picture books are a great way to introduce cooking to your kids.  An engaging story, clever illustrations and a recipe as a tie-in to the story are wonderfully fun for children and adults.

I've also found (and much has been written about this) that cooking with your kids teaches many lessons beyond the recipe.  Reading, independence, creativity, decision-making, math proficiency, time management, sequencing and planning are just a few skills honed through cooking.  

In this first post, I am showcasing a picture book that inspired me to start Recipe Readers.  It's a book we've checked out of our local library more than once, called "The Moon Might Be Milk".

Title:  The Moon Might Be Milk by Lisa Shulman, illustrations by Will Hillenbrand.
Published:  2007 by  Dutton Juvenile
Age Group:  3 and up
Recipe included:  Sugar Cookies

In "The Moon Might Be Milk", a young girl named Rosie wonders what the moon is made of.  She asks Cat, who thinks the moon is a saucer of fresh milk, Hen, who thinks the moon is made from eggs that hatch chicks who become the stars, and Butterfly, who thinks the moon is made of sweet sugar.  They encounter more animals, each thinking the moon is made of a different ingredient, and each joining Rosie in her quest for an answer.  Finally, Rosie and the animals arrive at Grandma's house.  While listening to their story, Grandma deftly makes a batch of moon shaped sugar cookies using butter, sugar, flour, eggs and milk.  

Sugar Cookies:  from The Moon Might Be Milk by Lisa Shulman

It's a sweet story, and the recipe is simple but good.  Make sure you don't overcook these cookies, they are best when left a smidge underdone and chewy.  Little hands can mix ingredients, stir and flatten the cookies with sugar to add sparkle.  I also let my son turn on the oven and set the timer.  On her website, author Lisa Shulman offers more activities for young readers, such as discussing the phases of the moon, writing descriptive metaphors about the moon, or imagining what the sun is made of (as Rosie does at the end of the book).

So, that's my first post, and my first picture book with recipe review.  I hope to share many more favorites with you so you can share them with the child in your life.

Happy Recipe Reading!