Food Chapter

Maxine Connolly has had a rough year with the loss of her mum, marriage, and job in quick succession, and she’d be the first to admit that she hasn’t been coping. But when her teenage daughter, Sophie, applies for a job at the Comfort Food Café on her behalf, Max realises she’s let things get out of hand. So when the job offer comes, Max decides to embrace this unexpected opportunity and uproot her life for a fresh start on the south coast.

Becca Fletcher has always hated Christmas, but she has her reasons for being Little Miss Grinch. Now, though, she can’t avoid her version of ho-ho-hell - because she’s travelling to the Comfort Food Cafe to spend the festive season with her sister Laura and her family. She’s expecting mulled wine, 24-hour Christmas movie marathons and all kinds of very merry torture. Little does Becca know that the Comfort Food Cafe is like no other place on earth.

The Big Cheese is the best at everything, and brags about it, too. When the annual Cheese-cathlon comes around, the Big Cheese is prepared to win, as always. But what happens when the quiet new kid, Wedge Wedgeman, comes out on top? Is a slice of humility all the Big Cheese needs to discover that some things are better than being the best?

Link up with Max Axiom to learn about the world's coolest webs, food chains, and energy pyramids! Young listeners will unravel the complex systems that keep the world fed.

Birthday presents for mothers are never right - they're always too big, too small, or the wrong color. So when a young girl's mother simply asks for a homemade birthday cake, the girl thinks her troubles are over. Her happiness quickly disappears, though, when she hears the name of the cake her mother wants. The girl knows she won't find a High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake recipe in The Joy of Cooking.

The Comfort Food Cafe is perched on a windswept clifftop at what feels like the edge of the world, serving up the most delicious cream teas, beautifully baked breads and carefully crafted cupcakes. For tourists and locals alike, the ramshackle cafe overlooking the beach is a beacon of laughter, companionship and security - a place like no other, a place that offers friendship as a daily special and where a hearty welcome is always on the menu.

Three boys, two dogs and a whole lot of trouble! Jordan, Ryan and Boy Dave always get blamed for EVERYTHING. And OK, most of the time it is their fault - but this is one time it definitely wasn't! How could they have known that trying to save the world and being accidental reality TV stars would end in DISASTER?

Is your child always asking questions about the world and wanting to learn more about it? Isn’t it amazing how quickly children learn when they’re younger? Their brains are like little sponges, absorbing all the information around them. Your heart swells with pride when they tell you something new and exciting that they’ve learned. Perhaps it’s the ability to recite the names of all the planets in our solar system, or maybe it’s being able to solve a complex math problem. Wherever their passions lie, our Trivia for Smart Kids will keep their curiosity growing.

For Zimmern, local cuisine - bizarre, gross or downright stomach turning as it may be to us -- is not simply what's served at mealtime. It is a primary avenue to discovering what is most authentic - the bizarre truth - about cultures everywhere. In this section, Zimmern explains what lengths you should go to for the freshest seafood.

Moving to the little village of Budbury, Zoe hopes the crisp Dorset sea breeze and gentle pace of life will be a fresh start for her and her goddaughter, Martha. Luckily for them both, the friendly community at the café provide listening ears, sage advice, shoulders to cry on and some truly excellent carrot cake. And when Martha's enigmatic, absent father suddenly turns up, confusing not only Martha but Zoe too, the love and support of their newfound friends is the best present they could ask for. Have Zoe and Martha truly found their home at the Comfort Food Café?

How does salt go from the sea to flavoring your food? Workers pump seawater into ponds. Salt crystals form as the water dries up. See what happens step by step in the process of making salt.

Where does milk come from? Cows eat grass. They make milk in their bodies. Next a farmer uses a machine to take milk from the cows. Then what happens? Follow the story of milk step by step.

How does milk become delicious ice cream? A farmer milks cows. The milk is mixed and heated. Next a worker adds flavors. The mix gets cold. Listen to what happens step by step as ice cream is made....

How does a seed turn into a tasty apple? The seed spouts. The tree grows. Then the tree flowers. Next small apples grow. The apples ripen. Listen to how apples grow step by step.

How do peanuts become creamy peanut butter? A farmer grows peanuts. The sun dries the plants. The peanuts are picked and sorted. Machines remove shells. Follow the process step by step as peanut butter is made.

Honey is a sweet treat! But where does it come from? Flowers open. A bee flies to the flowers. The bee drinks nectar. The bees fly home. Discover what happens next in the process of making of honey.

How does a seed become a yummy ear of corn? A farmer plants seeds. The seeds change into plants. Plants grow. Soon cobs grow on the plants. Learn about the life cycle of corn step by step.

How does a cocoa bean become a delicious chocolate bar? Cocoa beans ripen. Workers open the pods. Next the sun dries the beans. The beans are roasted. Find out what step happens next in the process of making chocolate.

Agitated, tired, and addicted to sugar, Adam finds that he is not feeling like himself. With the help of his friends, Adam discovers the healing power of real rainbow foods. Rainbow foods can help the body work better, fight sicknesses, lower inflammation, optimize the immune system, feed the good friends in their bellies, get rid of toxins, and are packed with antioxidants. Adam's Healing Adventures: The Power of Rainbow Foods educates and empowers children of all ages about the healing power of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, tan, and white foods.

The Struggle: 4 Girls & 1 Bathroom is the sequel to The Struggle: Mom and the Summertime Blues. It is also about the lives of four sisters, Diamond, Shelia, Crystal, and Felicity. Previously, these sisters wrote about having to endure a long summer with their mom and her never-ending lists of chores and schoolwork. Now they are back to discuss their upcoming school year. But this time, no one is safe from their complaints!