Introduction 5 Parents and Carers

Getting kids involved and interested in cooking early in life is an ideal way to set them on the path to healthier eating. My children have watched and helped me cook since they were very small and they love to taste and discover new flavours.

Teach them where foods come from. Grow herbs or vegetables or visit a farm or farmer’s market. This is how I grew up, understanding that milk comes from cows and not the carton at the supermarket, and peas come from pods and not the frozen section.

Empower your kids to be able to cook for themselves, so that when they leave home they can eat well and not just rely on takeaway.

One volunteer told me of her 15-year old son who complained about the meal she prepared. So, I suggested that she give her son $15 for him to plan, shop and cook a meal for the family.

He had a few days to think about and plan it and decided to cook Spaghetti Bolognese. They went shopping together and he forgot to buy the onion and tin tomatoes. He started at 4.00 pm with the knowledge that dinner for the family had to be ready by 6.00 pm. He made it – bland as it was – but he made it. He now makes (and improves) the recipe every fortnight, and I’m sure when he has his own family, they will thank her for it.

When I was growing up eating sweet and rich food was normal. They were homemade from wholesome and natural ingredients and eaten in moderation.

The difference today is we tend to buy these foods for convenience, rather than make them ourselves. If you read the packets, they are made from highly processed ingredients with additives and preservatives. I believe this is having an adverse effect on our health.

This book has fast and easy recipes that can be used in the home. A key to keeping children interested is variety and presentation of food is vital.

Food needs to look good and fresh and be attractively presented.

Use fresh ingredients that are in season as they will be readily available, cheaper and at their best. Make food that is suited to the time of the year and temperature. Casseroles in winter. Salads in summer.

Cook a recipe for 10 people. Serve half for dinner and label and freeze the other half for when you do not feel like cooking. Not only will you be saving by bulk buying the ingredients, but instead of getting take-away, you know there is a healthy meal all ready for you. These recipes are ideal for kid’s parties and also when you are catering at home. 88 Finger Food Rice Paper Rolls

Makes: 40 rolls Cost $0.35 each

“I love Rice Paper Rolls.” – Brad, 14 years What’s in it How to make it Ingredients 1 Soak the noodles in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. 2 Mix soy sauce, barbecue sauce, mint and coriander together and mix through 100 g Vermicelli thin rice noodles poached chicken. 400 g poached chicken breast, chopped 3 Dip one sheet of rice paper in warm water (do not over-wet) and lay flat on a 1 tbsp soy sauce moist bench top. 1 tbsp barbecue sauce 4 Place a small amount of each filling ingredient on one end of the rice paper. 2 tsp mint, chopped Fold bottom edge over the filling, fold in both sides and roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining rice paper and filling ingredients. Serve cold with 2 tsp coriander, chopped dipping sauce. 40 rice paper sheets 250 g carrots, shredded 250 g bean sprouts How to make the dipping sauce 250 g cucumber, cut into 7 cm strips 1 Combine dipping sauce ingredients, mixing well and serve in a small bowl with Dipping sauce rice paper rolls. 60 mL barbecue sauce 60 mL soy sauce 2 tsp mint, chopped

Chef Laurent says... Divide filling ingredients into smaller quantities to portion control, ensuring each rice paper roll has the same quantity and there is enough to make the required number of rolls. Try cooked prawns or duck for variation. Reading & Viewing Great Authors – Great Reads Bookmarks

After Dark Series The Just Series Here are just a selection: • The Well • Just Tricking! • Uncanny! • The Bread of Heaven • Unreal! • The Fort • Just Annoying! • The Bent-Back Bridge • Unbelievable! • Picture Books for Older Readers Just Stupid! • Undone! • The Watertower • Just Crazy! • Unbearable! • Beneath the Surface • Just Disgusting! • Unmentionable! • Tagged • Unseen! • Memorial • Just Shocking! • Automaton • Quirky Tales • Bright Star • Round the Twist • First Light • Tongue-tied! • The Viewer The Bum Trilogy • Caleb • Wicked! (with Morris • The Mystery of the Eilean Mor • The Day my Bum went Psycho Gleitzman) • Valley of Bones • • Young Murphy: A Boy’s • Zombie Bums from Uranus Deadly Series (with Morris  Gleitzman) Adventure • Bumageddon: The Final • In the Wake of the Mary Celeste Pongflict • The Gizmo • The Castaways of the Charles Eaton • What Bumosaur is that? • Sink the Gizmo • The Figures of Julian Ashcroft • The Gizmo Again  The Extinct Series • Come Back Gizmo Other Books • I Saw Nothing: The Extinction • of the Thylacine • The Bad Book The Paw Thing • Singenpoo Strikes Again • I Said Nothing: The Extinction • Fast Food and No Play • of the Paradise Parrot

Singenpoo Shoots Through GARY CREW Make Jack A Fat Boy • Singenpoo’s Secret Weapon • I Did Nothing: The Extinction • The Cat on the Mat is Flat of the Gastric-Brooding Frog • The Big Fat Cow That Goes • The Cabbage Patch Fib Other Books Kapow • The Cabbage Patch War • Me and My Dog PAUL JENNINGS ANDY GRIFFITHS • The Cabbage Patch Pong • The Cave • The Survivors • The Cabbage Patch Curse • The Windmill

www.andygriffiths.com.au www.pauljennings.com.au Search for GARY CREW

The Selby Series The Snot Series Here are just a selection: Here are just a few: • Snot Fair • Aristotle’s Nostril • Selby’s Secret • Snot Funny • Water Wings • Selby Speaks • Snot Cool • Toad Away • Selby Screams • Toad Heaven • Selby’s Shemozzle • Toad Rage • Selby Sorcerer The Pop Starlets Series • Misery Guts • Selby’s Joke Book • Pop Starlets • Blabber Mouth • Sticky Beak The Emily Eyefinger Series • Strictly Stars • Gift of the Gab • Emily Eyefinger • Belly Flop • Emily Eyefinger, Secret Agent Other Books • Puppyfat • Emily Eyefinger and the • Two Weeks with the Queen Lost Treasure • Who’s Wheelie the Fastest? • Worry Warts • Emily Eyefinger and the • Chickenpox - Yuck! • Worm Story Black Volcano • CamClub 2000 The • Adults Only • Emily Eyefinger and the Ghost of the Bell • Boy Overboard Ghost Ship • Cross-Eyed Jack • • Girl Underground Emily Eyefinger and the (with Mary Serenc) Devil Bones • Once • Emily Eyefinger’s Alien • Teacher’s Pet Adventure • Bumface Picture Books • Doubting Thomas The Ghost Stories • The Bubble • • Wicked! The Ghost and the Goggle Box • Little Penguin (with Paul Jennings) • The Case of the Graveyard • Deadly! DUNCAN BALL Ghost • The Ghost and the Shutterbug (with Paul Jennings)

The Piggott’s Books JOSIE MONTANO • Piggott Place • Piggotts in Peril www.harpercollins.com.au/selby/ www.morrisgleitzman.com www.booksbyjosie.com.au MORRIS GLIETZMAN www.duncanball.com.au

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