Team Crockpot

There is nothing I am loving more right now than my crock pot! I have said it before and I will say it again I HEART my crock pot! If I were choosing sides I would be for Team Crockpot (don't steal my idea... I am TOTALLY making that into a shirt)!

We are going on day 15 of 100+ degree temps here in central Texas and it is miserable! It is even too hot for ice cold drinks and the pool! With no relief in sight I have turned to my crockpot to solve the dinner time woes that the sweltering heat has brought. I mean seriously how can you NOT love a simple little machine that you can throw dinner into in the morning (with very little effort) and come home to a house that smells great and dinner ready to be served. AND get this: this magical little machine does not heat up your house at all; nope not one bit! That is why folks, the cookbook of the month that I am featuring for the the month of August is Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking; by fellow blogger Stephanie O'Dea of the blog A Year of Slow Cooking.

When I decided to break out the old crockpot to solve my summertime cooking dilemma I knew this was the book I wanted to use to help me get through this heat wave. I have been reading Stephanie's blog for quite sometime now and have tried a few of her recipes with great success. In fact this Asian Peanut Butter Pork is one of Eric's top requested recipes! And let me tell you that so far all the recipes I have made from her cookbook have been a HUGE success around here! I am just loving it! In fact I don't know if I can choose just 5 recipes to feature!

This book is great! It covers everything you could ever want to know about crockpot cooking as well as EVERYTHING you would ever want to make. AND get this: ALL the recipes n this book are also gluten free! Love it!

The intro explains what to look for when buying a crockpot, as well as information on eating gluten free. The chapters of the book include recipes from beverages and appetizers to soups and stews, to pasta, main dishes, and dessert. Did you know that you can even make play dough, air freshener, and soap in your crockpot too? Yup there are even recipes for that!

The format is set up similar to her blog where she has the recipe and then gives her 'verdict' or thoughts on how the recipe turned out and tasted. Unfortunately there are no pictures but with over 365 recipes you won't really miss them. And if you really did need or want a recipe you could always go to Stephanie's blog and search for the recipe there and find a picture included with every recipe.

So guys, I have been happily 'cooking' away and am excited to bring you a week full of delicious, easy, and oven free meals and dishes that will make meal time a more happy place for the remainder of this hot summer or pretty much are perfect year round (Go Team Crockpot!).