Phyllis Pellman Good

Can one REALLY "read" a cookbook? Why yes . . yes one can! When I get a new cookbook or, in this case, a "new to me" cookbook . . I, literally, read it from cover to cover. Reading with an eye to "usage" in the near future (I wish fresh grocery items had longer "life expectancies"!) allows me to pre-plan meals in a variety of ways. I enjoyed this "read". It appears to me that - after having examined, literally hundreds of eating plans/diets (over the past fifty years) and never finding one I show more could live with for more than a few months- The Mayo Clinic Diet might be THE ONE!! It isn't your "typical" diet . . on this program, you purchase and prepare "normal" food - no powders/potions/pre-portioned/prep intensive items are needed. Regular food, simply prepared and (from what I've experienced, so far) easy to live with and quite good!! To this point, "Fix It and Enjoy-It! is one of two cookbooks permanently esconced on my kitchen countertop! Four stars - again, the plethora of 6 serving recipes are problematic when it comes to down-sizing recipe ingredient amounts for this ol' bariatric patient. show less

I will be honest, I have not used my slow cooker all that often. I forget I have it – but I want to use it more so I figure the best way to accomplish that is to have a cookbook to inspire me. This book is a great starting point. It has a variety of recipes for everything – yes, even dessert! I never in a million years would have considered making a dessert in my slow cooker.

The book offers 100 recipes in categories like soups and stews, chicken, beef and pork, vegetarian and those show more desserts. There are also many variations offered so you can take a basic recipe and change it to make it something altogether different. You will find tips and tricks for getting the most out of your slow cooker along the way.

The book is full of stunning photographs of most of the completed recipes. I do adore a cookbook with lots of photos. It obviously makes it easier to know what the finished recipe will look like. The ingredients for the dishes in the cookbook are not hard to source and the directions are very easy to follow. Some call for pre-cooking outside of the slow cooker. Most call for just placing everything in the appliance and letting it cook.

Overall a wonderful book to have in your cookbook library. show less

This is one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks. I use it on a regular basis. It is a cookbook I will be using throughout the year. Slow cookers are awesome year round. This book has many recipes that would work anytime as well as ones that are great for parties and holidays. I love it. The recipes are easy enough for beginners and there are recipes for the experienced cook.

I have used the original "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook" for years. It is one of the most used cookbooks in my kitchen library. I jumped at the chance to be able to review the "Revised and Updated" version, because the first was a great cookbook. I was a little concerned, as I thought that the revisions would end up removing recipes or changing them to a more "healthy" and possibly less flavorful versions of those that made the original great.

The "Revised and Updated" version is definitely show more worth getting! After putting both the original and "Revised and Updated" books side by side and comparing them, the "Revised and Updated" wins hands down. There have been recipes eliminated, but only those that I found that were redundant or very similar. One hundred new recipes were added in their place. The "Revised and Updated" edition contains hints and tips that are wonderful, beautiful mouthwatering photos, and what I found really useful was how large of a crockpot to use. Many times, I had to move up to a larger one, because I underestimated the amount. Now no more guesswork! Another useful hint I really liked tells how to find out what temperature your slow cooker cooks at. Now, with this information, you will have the perfect dish instead of one that may come out underdone or overdone.

I learned quite a bit from this book, plus all my favorite recipes like Pirate Stew (p44), Full-Flavored Beef Stew (p85) and Cherry Delight (p250) are still included. I have retired the original "Fix-It and Forget It Cookbook" and passed it on, replacing it with the "Revised and Updated" edition. It really is a better cookbook than the last! This is a must have for anyone that loves to come home to a good home cooked meal. I highly recommend it!!! show less