The I Heart Naptime Cookbook: Review
If you’re a fan of Jamielyn Nye’s blog, I Heart Naptime, you’re sure to enjoy her new cookbook. The concept behind her blog is that naptime is a special time for moms, an indulgent hour to relax, cook, bake, and do some fun crafts. Her cookbook carries this concept from the internet to the printed page and is full of ideas for quick and delicious meals, treats, and drinks, as well as some simple DIY projects.
The book covers a wide range of recipes. Specific chapters are devoted to breakfast foods, baking, side dishes, soups and salads, dinner classics, slow-cooker meals, party snacks and drinks, cookies, and desserts. There’s a helpful listing of metric conversions, as well as sections on pantry staples, meal planning, and freezer cooking.
Jamielyn goes one step farther, though, scattering Freezer Tips and Helpful Tips throughout the book. These tips indicate which recipes freeze well and how to prepare them for the freezer, or recipe variations and shortcuts. In addition, each recipe has a sidebar with the number of servings, prep time, cook time, and total time, which is a big help when planning.
Of the several recipes I marked to try, the first ones I made were the Favorite Enchiladas (page 133) and the Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting (page 191). Both were quite successful–simple to make and tasty, too, especially the enchiladas. They were so good that I’m planning to make them again soon.
My Impression: Overall, I think this is a lovely book, particularly for young families. That being said, if you’re an experienced cook looking to broaden your skills, this may not be the book for you, although it will likely expand your repertoire and give you some ideas and starting points for a wide range of dishes. Some recipes are missing details that might be important, especially for beginning cooks; for example, the slow-cooker recipes don’t specify the size of the slow cooker. I also found that the beautifully styled photos don’t necessarily reflect the recipe as written; this isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but it might be a problem if you’re relying on the photos when preparing the recipes. The Sugar Cookie Bars I made are an example, as the photo shows a thick layer of the Cream Cheese Frosting but the recipe actually makes a much thinner layer (I almost halved the frosting recipe, but I’m glad I didn’t!).
The I Heart Naptime Cookbook would make a nice gift for a bridal shower, a new mother, or for any young people starting out in their own kitchen.
Giveaway: One lucky reader is going to win a copy of the same cookbook I reviewed!
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on September 23rd, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog.