The holiday season is officially upon us.  And while there could be many aspects of the season that bring stress, cooking should not be one of them. 

As a child, I remember the holidays full of new food, special food. And while I was not an adventurous eater, there were many fun dishes that were just for the holidays. I also remember my mom and grandmothers cooking special goodies for us during the holidays.  Since I have three wonderful helpers in the kitchen (read that as three kiddos who are great at creating kitchen masterpieces while leaving behind giant messes) I jumped at the chance to check out this new book from Mike Berenstain. 

Mike Berenstain is carrying on his parent's tradition with The Berenstain Bears, earlier this year I shared an adorable Mother's day themed book, and this holiday cookbook is a wonderful addition to any home library. 

The book contains 40 different recipes that fit into six different holiday categories: Valentine's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Fall Festivities, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The recipes vary among snacks, drinks, main courses, sides, and desserts. While each recipe fits a theme, they could easily be made on a regular none holiday day as well... but it's fun to have a special something!  

The wide variety of recipes means that there are different skill levels for each one.  While some require chopping skills and dough-rolling, others are simply focused on measuring and mixing, so each of my kids can feel challenged and involved.  This is a great part of the book since toddlers can't help the same way grade-school kids can.  This also means, my older kids can practice baking skills with precise measurements and heat when mom feels up to it, and other times we can simply put together an assembly line for creating a new sandwich!  It's all in there!

My oldest was very excited that in the back there is a kitchen measurement chart.  He is working with fractions in school, and the chart full of math certainly grabbed his attention.  It's always a bonus when spending time together can be enjoyable and educational, and cooking always fulfills both needs.

Title: The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking with an Adult

Illustrator: Mike Berenstain
Publisher: Zonderkidz

Publication Date: September 2016
For ages: 4-8 (As I mentioned, this is a cookbook, so if your toddler helps with some aspects of baking/cooking, this will be great!)
Type: Non Fiction, Christian Books, homeschooling, children's cookbooks

Ideas to help while having kids help in the kitchen! 

1. Baking with Toddlers Made Easy will encourage you to get messy and teach your little kids to bake goodies!
2. Here's a breakdown of Kitchen tasks for different aged kids, if you want a guide to go by...
3. Want some hints on how to feed your kids curiousity in the kitchen?  This one is for you!
4. How about a few tips from Jamie Oliver when it comes to getting your kiddos in the kitchen.
5. And because every child needs a Chef's hat, here's a quick DIY
6. While even toddlers can help with some cooking, let's face it there are some members of the family who are simply not old enough, so here's a fun activity for your smallest kiddos while you are baking.

Follow Marissa Writes' board Reading List Children's Corner Crafts on Pinterest.

What special goodies do you remember from the holidays from your childhood? What special treats do you make for your kids during the holidays?

***If you're interested in writing a book review on Reading List, please message me on the Facebook page! If you're curious about a book, ask me...  I love to hear from you!


**** Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, and BookLook Bloggers. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”