Slow cooker cookbooks for families and kids with GIVEAWAY

GoodBooks.com asked me to try out two of their slow cooker cookbooks, and I have spent the last 6 weeks dutifully slaving in the kitchen.

Or not. After all, the reason I said I would review the cookbooks is because crock pot cooking is about the only kind I do during the cold months (and in the warm months Husband works the grill most nights).

Throw in a protein, some veggies, a few more ingredients and seasonings -- and here's the hard parts -- put on the lid and turn on the switch. Walk away for several hours. Soak up the compliments from your family members when they walk in the house and assume from the aroma that you've spent all day preparing to nourish them. Serve up a delicious meal that requires minimal cleanup. Bask in your heroism.

Like I said, slow cooking is my kind of cooking.

The first reviewed book is Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook ($19), but despite its title it's not just for Christmas. This book includes 600 recipes compiled by New York Times author Phyllis Pellman Good. So far I've tried the following, with not a loser in the bunch (according to the 4 palates in my home):

• Pulled Pork BBQ (20 min prep)
• Basil Chicken (15 min prep)
• Southwestern Bean Soup wtih Cornmeal Dumplings (20 min prep)
• Pineapple Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes (30 min prep)
• Turkey Breasts, Acorn Squash and Apples (35 min prep)
• Salsa Beef (15 min prep)
• Creamy Chicken Italian (15 min prep, in the crock pot as I write)

This cookbook offers more than just main dishes. Included also are recipes for appetizers (Snack Mix, for example), brunch (Boston Brown Bread), vegetables (Orange-Glazed Carrots),  beverages (Pomegranate Punch), and desserts (Pineapple Upside Down Cake). And this:

Christmas Smells

4 C water

rind of a lemon

rind of an orange

1 oz box of whole cloves

1 oz box cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1. Pour water into 2 qt slow cooker so it's half to 2/3 full.
2. Add all other ingredients. Stir well.
3. Cover. Turn cooker to High until mixture boils.
4. Remove lid. Reduce heat to Low. Let mixture simmer and fill your home with good smells. Add water as needed. (Do not leave unattended.)

This cookbook is a keeper, though I do wish it were bound in a way that it would stay open. (Update: it does come in a ring-bound edition -- woot!)

Fix-It and Forget-It Kids' Cookbook, ($20) on the other hand, is ring-bound (yay!) and has 50 easy recipes for kids to make using a slow cooker. Some that Tessa and Reed tackled with me:

• Sweet-Baked Oatmeal (10 min prep)
• Chunky Chili (15 min prep)
• Super Bowl Dip (15 min prep)
• Mac and Cheese (5 min prep)
• Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake (15 min prep)

All were simple enough for school-age kids, who get exposure to measuring, fractions, cooking technique, project management, and lots of Velveeta.

GIVEAWAY: GoodBooks.com is giving away one of these slow cooker cookbooks to a commenter. Leave a comment below by December 22 and random.org will pick a winner. The comment must indicate which of the two books you'd most like to have, and should include your email address in case you win. You can get extra entries with a tweet, a Facebook status update, or a blog post that links to this post.

***WINNER***

Random.org spit out #12, so Alison, you win the Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook. EMail me your mailing info within a week (Lori at WriteMindOpenHeart dot com). Congrats, and don't forget to invite me over for dinner!

***

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