Rating: 
Summary: Easy to follow step-by-step recipes!!
Review: I obtained a copy of the first edition of Crockery Cookery from my grandmother after my husband asked that I prepare some different foods using my Crock Pot. I found that most of the recipes in this book are delicious and easy to prepare. My husband is a picky eater but I have yet to have a problem getting him to eat any of the dishes that I've prepared using this book. I recommend Crockery Cookery to any busy wives and/or mothers who want to make sure that their families eat well even if 'mom' doesn't have time to spend all day in the kitchen in front of the stove.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much trouble
Review: I read the reviews of Mabel Hoffman's cookbooks and bought them on the strength of those reviews. I'm sorry I did.I use a crockpot to make my life simpler. Ms. Hoffman's recipes usually require either cheesecloth, a crockpot trivet, or both. Sometimes, you have to prepare the food before placing in the crockpot. The food may be marvelous, but as a working woman, I'm not going to do all these things. I believe I copied out 3-5 recipes per each book of Ms. Hoffman's that I bought. If you enjoy fussy crockpot cooking, these may be the books for you.
Rating:
Summary: Too much trouble
Review: I read the reviews of Mabel Hoffman's cookbooks and bought them on the strength of those reviews. I'm sorry I did. I use a crockpot to make my life simpler. Ms. Hoffman's recipes usually require either cheesecloth, a crockpot trivet, or both. Sometimes, you have to prepare the food before placing in the crockpot. The food may be marvelous, but as a working woman, I'm not going to do all these things. I believe I copied out 3-5 recipes per each book of Ms. Hoffman's that I bought. If you enjoy fussy crockpot cooking, these may be the books for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Great tasting recipes! Healthy without sacrificing taste
Review: I use my crockpot on an average 3-4 times a week. I own several of Mable's books and this one is by far my favorite. The layout of the book and the recipes make it very easy to read, use and understand. I am getting my mom a copy for her birthday.
This book is truly a gift to share with others. Just like my new beverage of choice that replaced my morning brew. Its called s oyfee and taste so wonderful with no caffeine or acids. Organic and made from soya! Bye bye acid stomach and hello healthy tummy! Google it under "acid free coffee"
Rating:
Summary: My cornerstone Crockpot Cookbook
Review: I was given an old copy of this book years ago, and wore it out so badly the pages were falling out. I had to purchase a new copy. I have made at least 25% of the recipes in this book and they have almost universally been delicious. The only reason I haven't made more of the recipes is that I keep making some of our favorites repeatedly. This past Thanksgiving we made a turkey breast recipe for the first time that turned out incredibly moist with Mable's tip for putting cheesecloth soaked in wine over the turkey. I have 4 other crockpot recipe books and while I use 2 of the others occaisionally, if I could have only one recipe book for crockpots this would be it.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Book
Review: If I were going to have only ONE crockery cookbook, THIS would be it! Well written recipes and a marvelous variety of dishes. Outstanding!
Rating: 
Summary: Mass Market Version Too Small
Review: If you order the Mass Market Paperback version of this book, keep in mind that it is the size of a small novel and pages are 'dark' (recycled) paper -- not very efficient in the kitchen. I only looked through the book briefly before returning it for the above reason. Recipes looked good, but probably not for the quick-fix, ingredients-on-hand meal.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful flavors ... for the weekends.
Review: My mom had this book, and every recipe I make from it has that nostalgic taste of home. I especially love the breads and beverages -- things that other slow-cooker books leave out. However, I find myself using these recipes mostly for weekend entertaining rather than on work nights. A substantial number of these dishes aren't designed for the dump-it-in-and-run-to-work crowd; they require six hours on low heat or the addition of extra ingredients halfway through the cooking time. Devoted cooks looking for tasty long-simmered flavors will be delighted, but there just aren't enough dishes here that can be made on the working-family schedule for me to give this the rating that the flavors deserve.
Rating:
Summary: Mass Market Version Too Small
Review: Nourishing, mostly gourmet slow-cooker recipes and a few new tricks for your crock pot. You never knew your crock pot could be so handy! "Everybody" knows that slow cookers are good for pot roasts and chili con carne. But did you know that your slow cooker could produce chocolate cake, chicken and dumplings, and rice pudding? I didn't, either. The wonder of it is, your crock pot can make all these wonderful dishes and many more with less prep time and inconvenience than the traditional versions in most cases. Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery is just what I needed to dust off my slow cooker and get started with the rest of my life. Regarded by many as The Standard for crock pot cooking, this revised and updated recipe book has all of the basic favorites and quite a few more sophisticated dishes. To date I have only tried 13 in all, a mere fraction; and a few standouts like Flank Steak in Mushroom Wine Sauce and the Nostalgic Chicken and Herbed Dumplings, have made this purchase totally worthwhile. I would have stopped at entrees, but no - there are also some great soups, vegetable side dishes, party appetizers and desserts. Yes, you can bake cakes and breads in crock pots that have at least 4 and ½ quarts capacity, but be warned that they do come out on the soft side, without that top crust. I found the banana bread pleasant enough, however. The real surprise for me was in how perfectly suited my crock pot was for steamed pudding recipes. Bread pudding is a natural here. But get ready for a heavenly Grandma's Rice Pudding - light, fluffy, just the right amount of sweetness and no more. The best I have ever tasted, bar none. I should hasten to add that Mable Hoffman puts an emphasis on preparing recipes from fresh, wholesome ingredients, and very few of them involve opening cans. You will end up with nutritious, lower-than-average-salt dishes that will take a little more prep time than frozen dinners, but greet you with a delightful aroma when you walk in after a hard day's work. Most of the recipes are even thrifty when compared to a fast food diet. I don't remember how I ever managed to cook for my family 6 days a week before I discovered this cookbook! My only complaint is that I have used mine so much in the last 4 months that a few pages escaped from the softcover binding. No problem: I am getting my copy spiral bound at a local copy center. I intend to keep this one around for many years to come. -Andrea, aka Merribelle
Rating:
Summary: Great slow cooker recipes you won't find in the manual
Review: Nourishing, mostly gourmet slow-cooker recipes and a few new tricks for your crock pot. You never knew your crock pot could be so handy! "Everybody" knows that slow cookers are good for pot roasts and chili con carne. But did you know that your slow cooker could produce chocolate cake, chicken and dumplings, and rice pudding? I didn't, either. The wonder of it is, your crock pot can make all these wonderful dishes and many more with less prep time and inconvenience than the traditional versions in most cases. Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery is just what I needed to dust off my slow cooker and get started with the rest of my life. Regarded by many as The Standard for crock pot cooking, this revised and updated recipe book has all of the basic favorites and quite a few more sophisticated dishes. To date I have only tried 13 in all, a mere fraction; and a few standouts like Flank Steak in Mushroom Wine Sauce and the Nostalgic Chicken and Herbed Dumplings, have made this purchase totally worthwhile. I would have stopped at entrees, but no - there are also some great soups, vegetable side dishes, party appetizers and desserts. Yes, you can bake cakes and breads in crock pots that have at least 4 and ½ quarts capacity, but be warned that they do come out on the soft side, without that top crust. I found the banana bread pleasant enough, however. The real surprise for me was in how perfectly suited my crock pot was for steamed pudding recipes. Bread pudding is a natural here. But get ready for a heavenly Grandma's Rice Pudding - light, fluffy, just the right amount of sweetness and no more. The best I have ever tasted, bar none. I should hasten to add that Mable Hoffman puts an emphasis on preparing recipes from fresh, wholesome ingredients, and very few of them involve opening cans. You will end up with nutritious, lower-than-average-salt dishes that will take a little more prep time than frozen dinners, but greet you with a delightful aroma when you walk in after a hard day's work. Most of the recipes are even thrifty when compared to a fast food diet. I don't remember how I ever managed to cook for my family 6 days a week before I discovered this cookbook! My only complaint is that I have used mine so much in the last 4 months that a few pages escaped from the softcover binding. No problem: I am getting my copy spiral bound at a local copy center. I intend to keep this one around for many years to come. -Andrea, aka Merribelle
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