I didn’t really plan it that way, but it ended up like that.This week will be cookie review week. It was so much fun, why not share all the fun things with you guys.

I was given a lot of books for review and to  try, over the Holiday season, but only my favorite books made it into the Blog,  to share with you guys.

The best part is every book will also be a giveaway to one sometimes two lucky readers.

This review is for Cooking Around the Calendar with Kids: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun

I love to cook and bake with my Tween and teen and now with my Toddler. This Book written by Amy Houts is just perfect for that. This book is a hands on book to help you work with your little ones in the kitchen.

Now the book will not tell you how to keep a mes free and clean kitchen and child or that the recipes will make themselves. Nope .. sorry Puff wake up this is the real world.

You should have seen my toddlers face light up when i told her to come and help with making Christmas cookies, she was excited, waited her line to get her hand washed and waited patiently on the table for her part in the cookie madness. The twinkle in her eyes was just heart melting.

Okay on to the book, this Cooking Around the Calendar with Kids: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun has besides yummy recipes, also ideas to keep the kids busy during the Winter Holidays with ideas like, ” check out  a book from the library with recipes used by your ancestors and make a traditional cookie from that country.” or “Have a cookie Exchange party and so on.

This is such a cool book, it isn’t geared solely towards Christmas, it has something for every holiday year round. Lots of Spring Ideas and recipes, Summer, Fall and Winter… How about a Ice Cream Social or valentine Sandwiches?

All the recipes and ideas in this book are geared to cook with your little ones, so they are simple and easy to follow. but I guarantee you they will be a BIG HIT.

We decided to make

Holiday Candy Cane Cookies

Here is what you need:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring ( I only had pink..lol)
• 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

How to make the cookie:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• have your child help measure butter, shortening, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and almond extract and crack egg into a large mixing bowl.Mix well
• Stir in flour and salt, mix well again.
• Divide dough in half.
• Add red food coloring to one half of dough.
• break your “white” regular  dough into smaller sections and roll your dough into sausage like links
• repeat the same step with the red dough.
• Set each one “white( regular dough)” and one red dough “sausage” side by side on your cookie sheet and twist together, form into candy cane.
• Once all candy canes are formed put them in the oven for about 9 minutes, until very light brown.

While the cookies are baking,  have your little one help you crush the candy canes and mix the broken canes with the granulated sugar. Sprinkle sugar/ candy cane mixture onto the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Then remove to cooling rack.

yield: about 4 dozen cookies

Now don’t they look yummy?? My house smells soo good and my kids are begging all day long to eat cookies now. The best part they are so proud of themselves, knowing they helped make them. That makes them taste even better.

This Cooking Around the Calendar with Kids: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun would make a wonderful addition to any cooking, baking Library. It is an amazing book, I can’t wait to try more out of this book.

This book can be purchased on Amazon.com or your favorite Book store nationwide, OR you can win your own copy of this book here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS…

Giveaway Rules:

Mandatory: What is your favorite Christmas Food ?

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The PR  provided me with the product listed above for my honest review and the same prize for my winner . No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100 % my own.