February Family Book Review: Chef Nancy’s Kids’ Club Cookbook + Family Ideas for Helping Others
February’s family book feature is a kid’s cookbook, written by Louisville’s Chef Nancy Russman and illustrated by Christina Bayens called Chef Nancy’s Kids’ Club Cookbook. I thumbed through it and loved it! Then I handed it to my nine-year-old daughter who was immediately drawn to the cool smoothies and iced drink recipes. This cookbook is broken down into the categories snacks, wraps/sandwiches, and sweets and drinks. Every recipe in the book is catered to children and requires no use of a cutting utensil, such as a knife. They are easy ideas to make eating healthy foods more fun. I love the simplicity of it. It would be great for any age child, but I thought of older children, perhaps at the babysitting age, who can use this cookbook to easily create snacks for younger children or younger siblings with simple ingredients and make it fun to eat in the process. Throughout the book she also gives tips on hand washing and proper handling of food, plus a key to measurements and a note keeping section for kids’ favorite recipes of their own.
Remember, this book is written and illustrated by a local author/illustrator team and published by Butler Books here in Louisville. If you’d like to purchase this book, click here, and continue supporting Louisville locals. Chef Nancy Russman, otherwise known as Chef Nancy, has been helping kids eat healthy for a long time. I met Chef Nancy many years ago at a children’s librarian meeting in which she told us about her endeavors around the city to make sure kids don’t go hungry each day. She started the program Kids Café. It is a program housed in schools and neighborhood places to make food accessible to kids who need a meal. Chef Nancy’s mission is that no child feels the pain of hunger and she wants to make eating about feeding your brain. So, with inspiration from Chef Nancy’s efforts, LouFamFun thought it would be neat to highlight some ways that Louisville families can get out in our community and help other families out!
Places in and around Louisville and Southern Indiana in which your family can get involved by helping others, together. Sign up to help serve a meal for families in need. Here is a list of places to help get you started!
Kids Cafés, a program that is run with help through the Dare to Care Food Bank. They could use volunteer help in many different ways; if you’d like to help serve meals at one of the fourteen Kids Café locations, you’re encouraged to contact the site directly, or email johnna@daretocare.org
Adopt-a-Meal through the Ronald McDonald House. They are many ways to volunteer with this charity, from just donating food to prepare a meal all the way to preparing a meal for the families right in the kitchen at the Ronald McDonald House. According to the Adopt-a-Meal Guidelines, children under 6 are not permitted in the kitchen. But families with older children can do this, and families with younger children can help in other ways, even from home. You can contact the Administrative Assistant, Rebecca Washer, for more information rebecca@rmhc-kentuckiana.org, 502.561.7657.
Volunteer with ministries such as Jeffersontown Area Ministries, Fern Creek/Highview United Ministries, or the United Crescent Hill Ministries. Churches in many parts of town offer a weekly free meal to the community, to anyone who needs it. My daughter’s Girl Scout troop has been earning service hours by volunteering at Beulah Presbyterian Church in Fern Creek. Their meals are served on Tuesday nights from 4:30-7pm. Jeffersontown United Methodist Church offers a similar outreach on Wednesday nights from 5:30-6:30pm. Find a church or other organization in your neighborhood where you and your family can donate your time to helping in the kitchen, serving, or cleaning up afterwards. Your time is invaluable and will definitely be accepted and appreciated!
Volunteer to serves meals to the community through The Lord’s Kitchen outreach ministry
Wayside Christian Mission. There are a countless number of ways to volunteer here. Call or email them to see how families can get involved together. (502) 584-3711
Check out this list of some Random Acts of Kindness ideas. Maybe your family would like to do a RAK in lieu of helping serve a meal. Whatever you choose, you will gain something far beyond your expectations.
By guest contributor: Erin
