Review
ADDITIVE FREE KIDS’ PARTIES: Over 100 Colourful and Fun Additive Free Party Recipes, by Tegan Benfell & Rachel Davies Burrows, with a Foreword by Julie Eady, 2009, Western Australia. 175 page softcover with colour illustrations.
This book is a must for every modern parent who is concerned about the increasingly toxic foods that pass for nutrition at this time. There is a groundswell against foods that either cause or exacerbate allergies and reactive behaviours. It is notable that this book is supported and in turn supports the activities of the MINDD Foundation, a health promotion trust that educates families and trains professionals in area of of biomedicine. MINDD is an acronym for Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive, Developmental and their focus is on things that affect the human mind.
The authors are concerned parents who have discovered alternatives to the ‘nasties’. This is what they call those additives which wreak havoc with the bodies, minds and immune systems of us all, but especially children. Most of all, this book is fun, because it is all about parties for children.
The format of the book is large and spring-bound, so the pages remain straight and flat on a level surface. The paper stock is of high quality and made for continued use. I found the content to be well organized and the style is very warm & user-friendly. The Foreword is by Julie Eady, the author of the well-known and widely used Additive Alert. She clearly states the need for additive free alternatives to regain or maintain health.
In the Introduction, the authors reiterate their aim as parents wanting to provide additive free food for their own and other peoples’ children. They also give tips on how to use the book, how to shop and cook in the simplest way. You do not need to have complicated gadgets to cook well. Their years of experience as parents have set them up well for trying and perfecting food that children will like. They compare and contrast the ingredients in a typical children’s party with the additive free party – the number and variety of nasties in manufactured food is quite scary!
The recipe section is exceptionally easy to follow. Some are so easy that children can do them with supervision. The party fare is arranged in twelve themes. These are Teddy Bear’s Picnic Party, Spooky Party, Tea Party, Cool Creatures Party, Retro Party, Quick Party, Mexican Party, Aussie Party, Asian Inspiration Party, Gluten Free & Dairy Free Party, Vegetarian Party, and Christmas Party. In other words, there is definitely something for everyone.
Each section is laid out with a coloured introductory page which summarizes the recipes for that theme and other suggestions that will work from other themes. Suggestions for party bag tokens are also given.
Each recipe has a title for the parent/cook and one for the children. For example, Creamy Fruit Salad for the Spooky Party is Fruit Bat Stew. Sweet! The recipes also have colour coded indications for particular dietary requirements, preparation time, cooking time, amount of serves, Ingredients and Method (in numbered steps). The last page of each section has the recipes for the themed cake and a nice full page photo of the cake. The author’s have taken all the photographs themselves and so you see the real thing, not glossed up images that food stylists often concoct for cookbooks. These cakes, pies and treats resemble what the end product looks like in the average kitchen.
After the themed party recipes there is a handy section on basic baking, with a variety of cake, and icing mixes for all dietary requirements and occasions. The authors describe additive free colours for icing which are cheap and handy. There is also a glossary of ingredients, index, references and recommended reading. A plastic sleeve holds 22 sturdy templates for your cakes.
After reading this lively book on additive free children’s parties I wished it had been available when my children were young. I will now have to hold out for grandchildren! Those little darlings have no idea how much healthy stuff awaits them.
Many parents have been waiting for a book like this. If you haven’t been waiting, you should have been! There is a huge concern in the community about additives in processed food and the effect is has on health and behaviour. Our children deserve the best and healthiest food we can give them. With these recipes any parent can do the right thing without sacrificing fun and colour at parties. I venture to say that many of these recipes might be adapted for adults and find their way to ‘grown-up’ parties as well. I hope so.
If you don’t have this book in your kitchen right now, you are missing out on the most wholesome side of life that you can offer your children today.
Well done Tegan & Rachel
Jennifer Hoskins
This book is a must for every modern parent who is concerned about the increasingly toxic foods that pass for nutrition at this time. There is a groundswell against foods that either cause or exacerbate allergies and reactive behaviours. It is notable that this book is supported and in turn supports the activities of the MINDD Foundation, a health promotion trust that educates families and trains professionals in area of of biomedicine. MINDD is an acronym for Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive, Developmental and their focus is on things that affect the human mind.
The authors are concerned parents who have discovered alternatives to the ‘nasties’. This is what they call those additives which wreak havoc with the bodies, minds and immune systems of us all, but especially children. Most of all, this book is fun, because it is all about parties for children.
The format of the book is large and spring-bound, so the pages remain straight and flat on a level surface. The paper stock is of high quality and made for continued use. I found the content to be well organized and the style is very warm & user-friendly. The Foreword is by Julie Eady, the author of the well-known and widely used Additive Alert. She clearly states the need for additive free alternatives to regain or maintain health.
In the Introduction, the authors reiterate their aim as parents wanting to provide additive free food for their own and other peoples’ children. They also give tips on how to use the book, how to shop and cook in the simplest way. You do not need to have complicated gadgets to cook well. Their years of experience as parents have set them up well for trying and perfecting food that children will like. They compare and contrast the ingredients in a typical children’s party with the additive free party – the number and variety of nasties in manufactured food is quite scary!
The recipe section is exceptionally easy to follow. Some are so easy that children can do them with supervision. The party fare is arranged in twelve themes. These are Teddy Bear’s Picnic Party, Spooky Party, Tea Party, Cool Creatures Party, Retro Party, Quick Party, Mexican Party, Aussie Party, Asian Inspiration Party, Gluten Free & Dairy Free Party, Vegetarian Party, and Christmas Party. In other words, there is definitely something for everyone.
Each section is laid out with a coloured introductory page which summarizes the recipes for that theme and other suggestions that will work from other themes. Suggestions for party bag tokens are also given.
Each recipe has a title for the parent/cook and one for the children. For example, Creamy Fruit Salad for the Spooky Party is Fruit Bat Stew. Sweet! The recipes also have colour coded indications for particular dietary requirements, preparation time, cooking time, amount of serves, Ingredients and Method (in numbered steps). The last page of each section has the recipes for the themed cake and a nice full page photo of the cake. The author’s have taken all the photographs themselves and so you see the real thing, not glossed up images that food stylists often concoct for cookbooks. These cakes, pies and treats resemble what the end product looks like in the average kitchen.
After the themed party recipes there is a handy section on basic baking, with a variety of cake, and icing mixes for all dietary requirements and occasions. The authors describe additive free colours for icing which are cheap and handy. There is also a glossary of ingredients, index, references and recommended reading. A plastic sleeve holds 22 sturdy templates for your cakes.
After reading this lively book on additive free children’s parties I wished it had been available when my children were young. I will now have to hold out for grandchildren! Those little darlings have no idea how much healthy stuff awaits them.
Many parents have been waiting for a book like this. If you haven’t been waiting, you should have been! There is a huge concern in the community about additives in processed food and the effect is has on health and behaviour. Our children deserve the best and healthiest food we can give them. With these recipes any parent can do the right thing without sacrificing fun and colour at parties. I venture to say that many of these recipes might be adapted for adults and find their way to ‘grown-up’ parties as well. I hope so.
If you don’t have this book in your kitchen right now, you are missing out on the most wholesome side of life that you can offer your children today.
Well done Tegan & Rachel
Jennifer Hoskins
Testimonial
