Book Review: Disney Eats:  More Than 150 Recipes For Everyday Cooking And Inspired Fun

I had the opportunity to review the new cookbook Disney Eats: More Than 150 Recipes For Everyday Cooking And Inspired Fun, by Joy Howard.  In the introduction Joy shares her experiences growing up and visiting Disneyland twice a year.  Part of their family tradition was a picnic in their car in the parking lot for lunch and her mom would make it a little more “Disney” by writing their favorite character names on the sandwich wrappers.  Her goal in this book was to provide inspiration through simple and adaptable recipes and add a little Disney “sparkle” to your dishes.

In this year of COVID lock downs and the disappointment delayed or cancelled Disney trips it was fun to receive this book and experience some Disney Magic in the comfort of my home and kitchen.

With all of us dealing with way more family togetherness then we are used to, this is the perfect book to keep kids engaged in the kitchen, while spreading some Disney fun.  The author cleverly used familiar Disney themed names and places for her recipes. Looking through this cookbook made me smile while remembering my favorite Disney characters and Disney park visits!

This book features recipes inspired by Disney but not necessarily connected to the parks or films beyond appearance or inspiration.   The recipes are mostly simple recipes made from items that most people would already have in their pantry and that kids would love to eat.  The book is very well written.  In the beginning of the book, the author gives some general cooking tips and some tips for decorating the cakes and for working with chocolate and some helpful tools to use.

Recipes are organized into eight chapters:

• Breakfast & Brunch – Example: Eeyore Pancake Stack
• Sips and Snacks
• Salads, Lunch, and Light Fare – Example: Mrs. Potts Melon Salad
• Playful Dinners – Example: Woody’s Cowboy Chili
• Inspired Feasts – Example: Hundred-Acre Wood Pasta
• Everything for the Holidays
• Easy Treats – Example: Forky Pretzels
• Birthdays and Sweet Occasions – Example: Buzz Lightyear Galaxy Cake Pops

At the end of the book she also breaks down her recipes into ideas categories like Whimsical Brunch, Playful Picnic, Game Night Nibbles, Feast For A Princess and 3 Cozy Meals for Vegetarians.

My favorite recipe was the “Crudité Two Ways, The Mickey and The Minnie”, which used a larger bowl and two smaller bowls to form a Mickey head and a Minnie head (complete with a strawberry bow!) A very fun way to get kids to eat more veggies and dip or a yummy fruit bowl!

This cookbook has recipes designed for all skill levels from very easy to a little more involved.  On the more skillful end of the spectrum are decorating techniques on the cakes and cupcakes. Young children will enjoy cooking with the help of an adult, and older tweens and teens will find lots of recipes that they will be able to make by themselves and will enjoy cooking up some of their own Disney Magic!

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