Featured Product: Cooking with Kids- Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook Kit

If your little ones are like mine, than no sooner than you turn on the stove, they’re not far behind asking to help in the kitchen. My boys (the little aspiring chefs) love helping in the kitchen and learning to cook, so I was thrilled when given the opportunity to review the Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook Kit.

Not only does the Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook feature delicious Italian recipes formatted in a way children can understand, but it also introduces them to the foods and language of a different culture. The Italian Cookbook is just one in the series of international cookbooks offered by Handstand Kids Cookbook Company and author, Yvette Garfield; there is also a Mexican Cookbook which comes in a tortilla bag with a child-sized oven mitt; and the Chinese Cookbook is packaged in a take-out box with a set of chopsticks.



The Italian Cookbook Kit comes appropriately packaged in a pizza box. It also comes with a cute children’s sized (adjustable) chef’s hat. The recipes inside are not only delicious, but all the ingredients and utensils used are translated into Italian and are used in the recipes so that children can learn the language as they cook. The pages are colorfully illustrated and the graphics are very cute.

The recipes are rated by difficulty with one garlic clove being the easiest and so on. Since my children are young, ages 5 and 2, the rating system shows exactly how much help they will need. The delicious recipes featured are those that kids will love, and some of the traditional childrens' favorites can be made with an Italian twist with the "Italianize my" section. For example when you “Italianize” sandwiches they become panini, popcorn becomes Italian popcorn, and many more. There are breads, soups, salads, main entrees and of course delicious desserts. There are some both nutritious and delicious choices as well.


Who are the Handstand Kids?

The Handstand Kids motto is "Traveling the world, one recipe at a time.”

“The five Handstand Kids are featured throughout the series: kid chefs can follow along as Felix, Izzy, Ari, Gabby and Marvin learn about the recipes, culture and language of a new country. The Handstand Kids offer helpful hints about cooking for special diets and finding ways to use cooking skills to Stir It Up and support the community.”



Click here to find ways your children can Stir It Up and help their community with their cooking skills.

“The Handstand Kids are a diverse bunch with varied interests so kids can easily relate to the characters. Felix is a vegetarian, Izzy is a picky eater and loves to cook for his diabetic sister, Ari uses her cooking skills to volunteer at kid's charities, Gabby is bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English, and Marvin is an aspiring chef.”


Visit the Online Recipe Box to browse free recipes similar to those found in the Handstand Kids Cookbook Series.


Buy it: Visit Handstand Kids shop to buy the Italian Cookbook Kit or any of their other kits. These kits are so much fun; and are a great way to introduce kids to international cuisine and cultures. You can also purchase children's aprons and other accessories to enhance your little chef’s cooking experience

How we used the cookbook & our thoughts on the Handstand Kids Products:
My 5 year old wanted to cook lunch for his Daddy & Papa for Father’s Day, so we choose Mamma Mia Minestrone Soup, Foot-Long Garlic Bread, and Bella Biscotti Cookies for our menu for Daddy's & Papa's Italian luncheon at our "Ristorante." And because the recipes were easy to prepare, my son only needed minimal help. My 2 year old also pitched in making our Italian cuisine. Both my boys had a blast cooking for their Daddy and the food turned out delicious!  I love this product because it opened up the dialogue about the differences in people, different cultures, and embracing other cultures. Overall, this is a great children's cookbook series.  And any activity that my children and I get to spend doing together gets an thumbs up from me!

The opinions and ideas are expressed are my own honest opinions based on the product I reviewed.  I was sent a Italian Cookbook Kit for review purposes only.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.