Year-Round Slow Cooker 100 Favorite Recipes for Every Season by Dina Cheney

Make more than stew in your slow cooker! Year-Round Slow Cooker gives you an eye-opening look at 100 amazing recipes you can make in this handy device. See how the crock pot you depend on for chilly-weather soups and stews is so much more versatile than you may think.

25 innovative recipes for each season. Author and cooking teacher Dina Cheney taps into the growing trend for eating fresh and uses her know-how to make it easy for the home cook. She has developed 25 slow-cooker recipes for each season that feature fresh, seasonal ingredients. Along with classics like corned beef and cabbage, you can also enjoy summer Greek-style brisket, peach and apricot bread pudding, Asian-style short ribs, and more.

Get the most from your slow cooker. With Year-Round Slow Cooker you can simplify meal prep, prepare make-ahead dishes, and eat fresh from January to December.

Paperback, 224 pages

Published January 22nd 2013 by Taunton Press

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(copy provided by publisher via netgalley for review) 

I've never reviewed a cook book before, this was fun.  I love my crockpot but don't use it nearly as much as I would like to.  It's usually hit and miss for me, I tend to throw everything in and hope for the best with a success rate that is rather low. 

There is a wealth of information in this book.  Divided nicely into seasons highlighting what fresh ingredients are readily available.  Then with step by step directions.  Now these recipes do NOT follow in my fashion, but involve prep work.  Browning meat, caramelizing veggies, making sauces etc., which can take a little time.  But in my books I found the results well worth it.  I tried a bunch of recipes and all turned out quite nicely and were met with rave reviews from my family (3 adult males).

Summer brisket with roasted red peppers and fresh herb sauce - yes out of season for today but it was still yummy and an easy recipe.  I can see myself making this one again.  I usually have a problem with a runny sauce but in this case it was nice.

Braised chicken with red peppers, olives and raisins - again very pleased with the results.

Corn-vanilla pudding with triple-berry sauce - this one I had to try because of the method, cooked in a loaf pan inside crock pot.  Sounded strange but was good. 

Hungarian beef goulash with yams and caramelized onions - this I think was my favorite, served over egg noodles was perfect for a fall night.

Combining this cookbook with a new slow cooker would make a wonderful gift.  Highly recommend!