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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good... a Tasty Review (Recipe Included!)


"Food sustains us, both physically and socially. I want to make it possible to prepare food at home, despite our hectic lives, and to be able to share it together."
...Phyllis Pellman Good

Here's another great tasting book review today! Millions of people have bought Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook's by Phyllis Pellman Good. And the reason is that Fix-It and Forget-It recipes are easy to put together (usually just a handful of ingredients), taste great, and are family friendly. Got a slow cooker? (aka Crock Pot) Then you're half way to a great meal. And in the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook Revised & Updated by Phyllis Pellman Good you have 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes to choose from and after cooking from this cookbook myself , I know you won't be disappointed! Cook for yourself or cook for a family, slow cooker recipes are adaptable and are forgiving!

Slow Cookers have been around since the 1970's. They've gone in and out of fashion since then too. But our lives are busy, and slow cookers help put a great meal on the table with very little effort. Slow cookers have become very popular again, with many choices out there from many manufacturers, and The Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook gives you tips on buying, using and adapting recipes for a slow cooker, in addition to recipes ranging from Salsa to Pizza Fondue, Stuffed Peppers to Lasagna!

What will you find in The Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook? Recipes for Appetizers, Snacks and Spreads, Breakfast Recipes such as Cheese Souffle Casserole, Soups , Stews and Chilis, Beef & Pork Recipes, Chicken & Turkey Recipes, Pasta and Bean Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes, Veggies, Desserts and Drink Recipes. You'll find recipes for Turkey Chili, Pot Roast, Hearty Stew, Enchilada Casserole, Barbecued Ribs, and Chicken Parmesian. How about a recipe for Bread Pudding or Baked Apples with Raisins! There's plenty of variety in this cookbook. Great recipes for family dinners, pot-lucks and BOOK CLUB dinners!

One of the recipes my family really enjoyed from this cookbook was Darla's Chicken Cacciatore. Chicken Cacciatore is a hearty chicken stew, usually referred to as hunter's stew because it was an easy way to cook a rabbit or chicken outside while hunting. What's different and nice about this recipe is that it uses boneless chicken breasts that are cubed, so that there are little bites of chicken mixed in the sauce, and is perfect over spaghetti or even rice. With permission from the publisher, I am able to share this recipe! Here we go...

Darla's Chicken Cacciatore
Reprinted from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook. © by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Makes 6 Servings
Prep Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 Hours
Ideal Slow-Cooker Size: 4 Qt.

Ingredients
2 Onions
4 boneless chicken breast cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms

1. Place onions in bottom of slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours.

How easy does that sound? I served it over spaghetti, but rice would also be a good choice. *Now a few personal notes on the recipe... I have a 6 quart slow cooker, so I added 1/2 more of the ingredients. (6 chicken breasts instead of 4 etc.) Slow cookers are adaptable and so when a recipe calls for 4 quart, it's easily adaptable to a larger pot and vice versa. ALSO, my slow cooker tends to cook fast for some reason, so I didn't go the full 8 hours on Low, I checked it at 6 hours and it was pretty much done. Always check your chicken or other meat to make sure that it's cooked through, and the more you use your slow cooker the more you'll know how fast or slow it compares to most recipes.

This cookbook will appeal to any person who would love to come home, after a day at work or play, to a home cooked meal! I want to thank Anna of FSB Associates for sending along this book for review! Not only a feast for the eyes, but for the tastebuds as well!

*Hey, I'm sharing this review on Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!

4 comments:

Lisa said...

I have looked at this cookbook for years and years, and now that I have a slow cooker and have read your review I am TOTALLY going to run out and buy it!

Great review!

The Yard Bard said...

Seven HUNDRED recipes? I have a slow cooker; why do I not yet have this book? Must buy...

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Lisa,
Yes, this really is a great all around cookbook for the slow cooker. And since it's in paperback it's a reasonable price too!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Yard Bird,
It's so funny how I go through these phases with my slow cooker, and it eventually gets put in the downstairs pantry... then one day I realize, "Hey, I have a slow cooker, let's make..." The only thing easier than a using a slow cooker for dinner is having someone else make it for you! Let me know what you're cookin' in that slow cooker!

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