I received a complimentary copy of The Fussy Eater's Recipe Book by Annabel Karmel. Let's just preface this by saying it's not my kids who are fussy eaters, it's my husband.

Yes, you read that right. And I completely blame his parents (luckily they don't read here...).

We are of the mindset at home that you have to try everything that is on your plate. I refuse to be a short order cook and make multiple meals every night. I do normally have something like mac and cheese or bread that if they really, really don't like what I made, they at least can eat some carbs.

So my husband grew up eating nothing more than chicken nuggets and pasta. Fruits and vegetables? According to him, he is "allergic" to most fruits (don't you outgrow some allergies??), and vegetables are gross.

So yes, I have been blessed with kids who eat most everything, and a husband who is learning to try. So when I got this cookbook, I was excited to see what it had to offer. It starts with some tips on how to work with your kids (stay positive, use the dentist as your ally) and follows with recipes broken down by things like "brilliant breakfasts" and "pasta please".

Breakfast is always something that is quick and painless. I have to say that most mornings, my kids eat a poptart and a microwavable piece of bacon (the horror!!). But when they get up at 7:00am and the bus comes at 7:45am? It's survival of the fittest.

Muffins are always a hit, so I decided to try the raisin bran breakfast muffins. I had all things on hand except for raisin bran cereal. These muffins also froze well and can be reheated out of the freezer in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds.

Raisin Bran Breakfast Muffins

1 1/2 cups raisin bran cereal
1 cup milk warmed
1 heaping cup of whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I omitted this ingredient)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of raisins
1 large egg
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons raw sugar for topping (I omitted this as well)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 8 paper liners (or spray with Pam as I did).
2. Put the cereal in the bowl with the milk and leave to stand for minutes or until the cereal is soft.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. Stir in the raisins. Beat together the egg, brown sugar, and oil and add to the flour mixture, along with the soaked cereal and any milk left in the bowl. Mix.
4. Spoon batter into the muffin cases and fill to the top. Sprinkle sugar over the muffins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

They were pretty good, not too sweet. The kids liked them one day, and the next day wanted their poptarts back. I think I need to start the variety on the weekends....

Amy writes once a month for TriangleMom2Mom about food. Read more about Amy at her blog A Family Story.

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