Review & Giveaway: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids

I’ve been obsessed with sites that feature sweet treats, like cupcakes, cakes, cake pops and anything else that looks beautiful and scrumptious. I love involving my daughter Teagan in the kitchen especially when we’re creating sugary desserts. We get messy but that’s part of the fun! We’re bonding, working together and she’s learning from the experience. There’s no way she’d allow me to make baked goods without her help!

I was extremely excited to receive and review the book Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids by Jill O’Connor from the publisher Chronicle Books. The book is spiral-bound and the pages are scalloped which gives it a “scrapbook” feeling. I love the author’s honest introduction of her children’s view of their mom as “mean chef.” That’s a must read. The photographic eye candy leads to recipes such as Sticky Butterscotch French Toast, Curiously Sticky Caramel Monkey Bread, and Miraculous Mile-High Strawberry Fudge Ice-Cream Pie. YUM!!!!! I’ve gained weight just thinking about these delicious concoctions! I’m considering a sweet party for Teagan’s next birthday!

My goal is to try every recipe from the book. I leafed through the book and decided on the balloon cup recipe. Seemed easy and you can’t go wrong with chocolate and balloons! Teagan’s eyes lit up when I inflated the balloons. We followed the instructions and wound up with messy and sticky chocolate cups. The balloons seemed too big. My cups didn’t quite look like the images in the book and many of our balloons popped. We filled the cups with pudding, topped with whipped cream and jimmies. I was a little discouraged with my first attempt but hopefully practice makes perfect. The cups still looked cool and at the end of the day were delish!

There is a section called Success Made Simple. In this section the author advises not to substitute items and has other tips for successful baking. Although I personally think it’s okay to sway from the recipe. I think it’s fun creating variations from your favorite recipes. But I understand the author’s point. You’ll never know what the true idea is if you don’t first follow the directions.

The images in Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids are beautiful but I do wish that each recipe came with an image. I appreciate the equipment and ingredient sections. Any additional instructions make my life easier and is much appreciated. There are fun quotes sprinkled throughout the book and Teagan enjoys flipping through the pages. We usually stop at the donuts and Ghostly Meringues and ohhh and ahhh over them.

This book is a delight and a wonderful addition to my recipe book collection. I’m not sure that the author’s intention was to involve your kids in the baking process. But it’s definitely full of  Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids and I think your kids will definitely love them.

Want it now: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $13.11!

Or WIN IT!

GIVEAWAY – Chronicle Books is offering one (1) That’s IT Mommy reader their own copy of Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids.

REQUIRED ENTRY: What is your family’s favorite sticky, chewy, messy, gooey treat? Leave a comment in the reply box below this post!

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• Tweet about this giveaway (Copy – WIN a Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids cookbook via @thatsitmommy http://wp.me/pAWsG-12j @ChronicleBooks #baking #desserts) – come back daily and leave us the link to the tweet (1 extra)

This giveaway will run through midnight on June 16, 2010 (PST) with winner being announced sometime on or before June 18, 2010 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (18+).

* That’s IT Mommy did not receive monetary compensation for this review. I was given a copy of the above mentioned book to facilitate this review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.  Your results and opinions may differ.