"Keep this book in your kitchen and your baby is guaranteed the very best start in life."

Since it was published in 1991, Annabel Karmel's essential guide to feeding babies and young children has become established as a classic. Word-of mouth recommendation, a thumbs up from the babies themselves and terrific reviews have ensured that the book has remained the number one bestseller in this area ever since. In this new edition, Annabel has brought her collection of mouthwatering recipes completely up to date, and included ten new dishes. Plus she offers time-saving tips and reassuring menu charts to help you shop and plan ahead, all based on her experiences as a busy mother of three. Keep this book in your kitchen and your baby is guaranteed the very best start in life.

Already a successful harpist, singer and actress juggling her international career with her role as a mother, Annabel Karmel found herself with a difficult child to feed and no satisfactory source of help. So she turned to and researched thoroughly every aspect of feeding babies and children ? and carved herself out yet another career as the top guru on the subject., with six books currently in print with Ebury and regular articles and recipes in national newspapers and magazines. The New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner is the second highest selling cookbook in Britain ? over a million sales so far, continuing at a steady 20,000 a year ? and is endorsed by a leading paediatrician from Great Ormond Street. The Guardian called her ?the Delia Smith of cooking for children?; the Express ?the best selling author and leading authority on feeding children?; and Baby magazine wrote ?Annabel Karmel has acquired a reputation as a designer of nutritious and popular children?s food that is also simple to prepare.? And don?t forget to look at her other children?s cookbooks ? Annabel Karmel?s Small Helpings, Annabel Karmel?s Quick Children?s Meals, Annabel Karmel?s New Baby and Toddler Cookbook, Annabel Karmel?s Family Meal Planner and Annabel Karmel?s Complete Party Planner.

Tomatoes and Carrots with Basil

If you introduce your baby to new flavours at an early age, he will tend to grow up a less fussy eater.

Makes 4 portions

125g carrots, peeled and sliced
100g cauliflower, cut into florets
25g butter
200g ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped
2-3 fresh basil leaves
50g Cheddar cheese, grated

Put the carrots in a small saucepan, cover with boiling water and simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-8 minutes adding extra water if necessary. Meanwhile, melt the butter, add the tomatoes and sauté until mushy. Stir in the basil and cheese until melted. Puree the carrots and cauliflower with about 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and the tomato sauce.

Easy One Pot Chicken

This is an ideal puree for introducing young babies to chicken.

Makes 12 portions

1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
15g butter
100g chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
275g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
300ml chicken stock

Sauté the onion in the butter until softened. Add the chicken breast and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetables, pour over the stock, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Puree in a blender to the desired consistency.

2008-06-25 not so much a baby meal planner as a family planner!

great recipes (shame no pics tho - i do like a recipe book to have pics) which we are still using in our house (not just the toddler recipes) cos they're healthy, low on salt, sugar ecetera and as littlun has got older we've just stopped pureeing them.

good buy and plenty of scope for improvisation if you don't have the exact ingredients