Idiot's Guides in Full Colour - and 30% off!

I've always been a fan of the Idiot's Guides series - the information is always clear, concise and well laid out. There's such wide number of books (literally hundreds) covering almost every topic you can imagine. But....Idiot's Guides just got even better.....they're in full colour now! Yep, glossy full colour photos to go along with all that great information! And to celebrate, Idiot's Guides are 30% off for a limited time.


With the summer gone (insert sad face...) and the temperatures dropping, it's time to pull out the slow cooker again. It's so nice to come home to a meal already cooked. I've really only used it in the fall and winter and then only for soups and stews. I knew there was more I could do with it, but never got around to finding new recipes. But when I picked up the new Idiot's Guide to Slow Cooker Cooking by Rachel Farnsworth, I got excited. Why?

Well, I definitely found some new recipes for main dishes, from chilies, soups and meat dishes from lamb, beef, chicken and pork. And I want to try the mac and cheese recipe. But what really caught my eye were the recipes for things I never thought of cooking in the slow cooker. Breakfast! If I like coming home to supper already cooked, what about waking up to breakfast hot and waiting? (The timer on the slow cooker is a very useful feature!) Oatmeal in the slow cooker! Pumpkin Pie oatmeal is on the must try list. As is French Toast Casserole for a Sunday morning.

Homemade yogurt?! Jam? Breads! From loaves to dinner rolls to desert loaves. I love fresh bread. And desserts! Rice pudding for the DH and lemon pound cake for me. There's a neat recipe for individual cheesecakes. You simply make them in small wide mouth jars, then place the jars in the slow cooker to bake. Who knew?

There's a glossary of cooking terms included as well as an introductory chapter detailing the basics of slow cookers. The ingredients list for each recipe is bolded, the instructions are clear and easy to follow. But what really makes me want to try the recipes are the colour pictures - everything just looks so good! Slow Cooker Cooking is full of great recipes and new ways to use this kitchen appliance.