Early Book Review: Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker: Reinvent the Slow-Cooked Meal; 77 Mouthwatering Recipes by Nicki Sizemore

Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker: Reinvent the Slow-Cooked Meal; 77 Mouthwatering Recipes by Nicki Sizemore is currently scheduled for release on October 15 2019. This book is filled with slow-simmered main dishes, plus 35 recipes for sauces and sides, that replace canned ingredients with fresh vegetables, boost flavor with aromatic herbs and spices, and feature a tantalizing array of global tastes in dishes that span the menu. Overnight Pumpkin-Brown Rice Pudding with crunchy pecans is a wholesome, hands-off breakfast treat, Thai Curried Chicken with Rice Noodles gets a spicy kick from curry broth, and Shredded Mole Beef Tacos are accented with the sweet heat of Quick Pickled Jalapeños. Whether you’re feeding a family or entertaining a crowd, each recipe highlights prep work that can be knocked out days in advance, making serving meals worthy of every occasion easy and delicious.

Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker has a good variety of dishes, and taught me a few tricks for using my crock pot- even as I need to retire my old one due to seal failure after a solid ten years of use- and get a new one. While there are some recipes I do not see myself trying (only because if it only needs to be in there for an hour I do not see the point of using it) there are plenty they I fully expect to be trying in the coming months. I have one adult picky eater and one kid of a similar mindset, so it is easy to fall into a rut of eating the same meals all the time, because I know what everyone will actually eat. However, the rest of us get tired of the repeats, and I am looking forward to trying some of these recipes out to see what I can add to the rotation and to test out some of the ideas reading these recipes have given me. I really liked the basic information at the beginning of the book- laying out what type of slow cooker might be right for you, and why some of the preparations can or cannot be done in advance. In my need to replace my trusty crock pot I found the information to be helpful. 

Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker is a wonderful resource for tips and tricks in crock pot use, new recipes, and inspiration for further experimentation. I fully expect to be consulting this book many times in the future when planning family meals.