June 24, 2011

Handstand Kids Cookbook - Review and GIVEAWAY!!

A few weeks ago, Yvette from Handstand Kids 
contacted me to see if I'd be interested in trying out 
one of her international cookbook kits for kids.  
This opportunity was perfect for us.  

My oldest daughter loves cooking and 
wants to be a chef when she grows up 
~ Well, a chef or a dolphin trainer, but says she'll figure out a way to do both! ;)    
My son loves maps and learning about other countries  
  and my youngest loves to do anything her big sister and brother do!  

Plus, one of the things on our Summer Fun Checklist was to "Try a New Food."


We chose the   Chinese Cookbook Kit because it would be the most different from our regular menu and give us a neat opportunity to learn about another culture.  When it arrived we thought the packaging was so creative ~ the cookbook comes with a set of chopsticks in a box that looks like a big Chinese food takeout container.  The Handstand Kids company also has an  Italian Cookbook kit and a Mexican Cookbook Kit (They would make AWESOME gifts!)




When I looked through the cookbook I was really impressed with both the variety of recipes and the fact that these were real recipes but presented in a kid-friendly way.  There are five Handstand Kids' characters you meet who lead you through the recipes and give interesting little facts and suggestions throughout the cookbook. 

Learning the Chinese terms for the ingredients we'd be using
One other feature that we thought was really cool were the pages that listed all the utensils and ingredients you'd be using.  Each item had a picture and both the English and Chinese word for each item.  The kids got a huge kick out of looking up and saying the Chinese term for each tool or food we picked up to use.


For our dinner, we tried the "Great Wall of Chicken Lettuce Wraps".  Everyone loved them and my husband even said they were as good as similar ones he's had at P.F. Changs.

My oldest (and chef-to-be) got to use a real knife to cut the scallions.

My son chopped the water chestnuts.
This was the first time the kids ever tried water chestnuts 
and they LOVED them.  
Seriously, they were snacking on them right out of the can.

My youngest cut up the mushrooms (easily done with a butter knife)


They liked how the ginger root "looked like a tree branch" 
and smelled "kind of like a spicy lime"

Using the grater was fun and felt a little dangerous! ;)


 After all the ingredients were chopped, grated, mixed and cooked, our dinner was ready!


Looks yummy, doesn't it?


Trying chopsticks was fun!
But fingers and forks got more food to their mouths!


Then for dessert, we made some "Banana-rama Spring Rolls".  Fun to make and totally yummy!

Fun using a pastry brush.

Rolling up the wrapper.

Ready to go in the oven.

A little heavy with the powdered sugar sprinkling! :)
Without a doubt, we'll be making more recipes out of our cookbook soon.  The kids had a blast learning and cooking and we all really enjoyed the food.


Now, if all that talk about cooking and eating has you hungry and wanting to try some recipes with your own family, you're in luck!  You can now purchase these awesome cookbook kits at these Bed, Bath and Beyond locations.  Handstand Kids will also be giving away one of their International Cooking Kits to one of my lucky readers!!

Please leave a separate comment below for each entry and include your email address if it's not on your blogger profile so we can contact the winner.

To enter:

1.  Visit Handstand Kids website, check out the SHOP section, then come back here and leave a comment telling which Cookbook Kit your family would most enjoy.  (one entry)

2.  On the Handstand Kids website, sign up to be a Handstand Kids Member.  Leave another comment telling me that you did so. (one entry)

3.  "Like" Handstand Kids on Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you're a new fan. (one entry)

4.  Share this giveaway post on your own blog or Facebook page, and leave a comment telling me that you did. (one entry)

The Giveaway will end next Friday, July 1st.

60 comments:

  1. I would love any of the cookbooks - and LOVE the place mats that go with them! My kids love looking at maps! ( I hope I win - then I would only have to buy 2 more kits!)

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  2. and I signed up to be a Handstand Kids member!

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  3. and I 'liked' them on Facebook!
    great idea!
    thanks for the giveaway

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  4. We would love the Italian cookbook- with some picky eaters in the family, this looked to be a crowd pleaser!

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  5. I also signed up to be a Handstand Kids member!

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  6. My daughter would love the Chinese cookbook as she'd love learning all the terms in Mandarin.

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  7. I signed up to be a Handstand Kids Member.

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  8. I "liked" Handstand Kids on FB.

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  9. That is such a tough call. I think I'd choose the Mexican cookbook because our at-home mexican cooking seems to be limited to tacos. It'd be nice to branch out.

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  10. I became a member @ Handstand Kids

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  11. I liked Handstand Kids on Facebook

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  12. My youngest can out eat all of us at any Mexican restaurant, so I'd had to go with the Mexican kit. So cute!

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  13. I signed up to be a member at Handstand Kids.

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  14. We'd love any of those cookbooks, but I think our favorite just might be the mexican one. Sounds delicious.

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  15. I'd love the try the Italian kit.

    Jennifer N.
    meizhen79 at yahoo dot com

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  16. I'd love the Italian kit since we're going to Rome next year:)

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  17. Signed up to be a Handstand Kids member.

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  18. I think we'd like the Chinese one, too. It seems a little out of the ordinary for typical "kid friendly" food, which is good.

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  19. My son would so love to use this cookbook with me. How fun! We'd probably go for the Mexican one...my kid's a sucker for a taco.

    Amy @ A Little Nosh

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  20. I think my kids would like all of them, but especially the Italian kit.

    Wende @ The Rickett Chronicles
    wende(dot)rickett@gmail(dot)com

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  21. I signed up to become a member...

    Wende @ The Rickett Chronicles
    wende(dot)rickett@gmail(dot)com

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  22. I liked them on FB!

    Wende @ The Rickett Chronicles
    www.therickettchronicles.blogspot.com

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  23. I would like the Mexican Kit (to start with!) ethipmail (at) gmail (dot) com

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  24. I'm all about new recipes, just signed up to be a member. ethipmail (at) gmail (dot) com

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  25. Liked them on facebook. ethipmail (at) gmail (dot) com

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  26. We would love any of the books, as Mexican, Italian and Chinese are foods we eat a lot of at our house. However, since our Chinese food making skills are pretty low, that one would probably be the most interesting to our family.

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  27. Became a Handstand Kids Member!

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  28. Liked Handstand Kids on Facebook!

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  29. Shared your link on Facebook!

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  30. We would like either the Mexican or Chinese kit. (I would like Chinese better) All so neat!

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  31. I signed up to be a Handstand Kids member

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  32. I liked Handstand Kids on Facebook.

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  33. All of the cookbook kits look like fun, but I think my boys would have the most fun with the Mexican kit! :)

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  34. Would love to have any of the kits!
    My son loves all types of foods, so I would definitely want all 3!

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  35. I liked Handstand Kids on Facebook!

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  36. I signed up to be a Handstand Kids member.

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  37. Hi! I love your blog and am a new follower. I love all the kits, but would probably choose the Chinese one b/c we already eat a lot of Mexican & Italian so Chinese would definitely offer some new recipes for us!

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  38. I also just became a Handstand Kids Member...

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  39. This is too cool! Yes, I'd definitely go for the Chinese book! I love lettuce wraps. I should make those again soon! MMMM! And the dessert looks delicious too!

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  40. Off to share this giveaway on my blog :)

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  41. Wow, they are ALL so great! I think we'd have to go with the Mexican cookbook, seeing how we live in the southwest...plus my kiddos are obsessed with Mexican food, so it would be fun to cook it using a book that is easy for them to understand and follow. :)

    ladybugtara81(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  42. I am now a Handstand Kids member! :)

    ladybugtara81(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  43. I like Handstand Kids on Facebook! :)

    ladybugtara81(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  44. Even though Mexican or Italian look good, I'd still pick the chinese cookbook because the lettuce wraps look great!
    Drainefamily@yahoo.com

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  45. I signed up to be a Handstand kids member.
    Drainefamily@yahoo.com

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  46. Love, love, love all of them! Would love the Chinese book!

    annakim23@hotmail.com

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  47. Signed up to be a member of Handstand.

    annakim23@hotmail.com

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  48. Fan on FB.

    annakim23@hotmail.com

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  49. Just share this on my FB wall!

    annakim23@hotmail.com

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  50. We are pasta lovers, so theItalian kit would be great for our family!
    Thanks,

    Sheri O.

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  51. love the italian cookbook kit. the kids eat a lot of pasta, so it's not that far off - sometimes things too far out of our comfort zone will make us buck the system! This would be a good one or us!! thanks for the giveaway! ms_sunshyne at yahoo dot com

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  52. we would love the Italian cookbook kit
    liked them on FB
    signed up to be a handstands kid member

    Michele Szper

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