The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook by Christina Dymock

It's every busy mother's dream-come-true: dinner that makes itself! With the help of your trusty slow cooker and these healthy, easy recipes, like Peppery Cilantro Salmon, Sausage Stew, and Dark Chocolate Mini Cakes, you can put dinner on the table even on the craziest of days. Don't let the whirlwind of life stop you from feeding your family the food they deserve -- delicious, home-cooked meals straight from your slow cooker.

I love when I get to review cookbooks.  Especially ones like this one- geared for busy mom's who love their slow cookers!  I was so excited to find some new recipes that I can do in my slow cooker because I don't know about you but sometimes I get in such a cooking rut.  New recipes are so nice, especially if your family loves them.

I'm a girl that doesn't really love to cook.  Actually, I don't even really like it.  So easy is the name of the game for me and if I can get yummy along with easy, I'm in.  

Where have I been that I haven't ever tried browning my hamburger in my slow cooker?  I hate browning hamburger on the stovetop.  In this book I learned that I can brown hamburger in my slow cooker.  That alone was worthy of a 5 star review from me.  If I can just think ahead and remember, I can stick that hamburger in the slow cooker and set the time so it will be all ready for dinner. That is so awesome.

I've tried a few recipes out of this cookbook now and they've been really yummy.  I have a few more on this next month's menu that I'm excited to try.  Tender beef over noodles is one of them.  There are 6 different chili recipes so you are bound to find at least one your family will love.

This is a great cookbook and one I will use often.  My thanks to the author and Cedar Fort Publishing for allowing me to review this cookbook for them!

You can purchase "The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook" at Amazon.

Christina Dymock was once at a dinner party where her husband was teasing her about the frosting-to-cupcake ratio on her dessert. The woman sitting across from them sniffed her delicate nose and said, "If my husband gave me a hard time about my frosting I'd quit baking. That'd show him." To which Christina's husband replied while pointing at his speechless wife, "Try to stop her!"

Christina divides her time between the kitchen and her computer and books and her family of six. (Naturally, the family gets the biggest share.) Because she reads everything, she also feels compelled to write in several genres.  http://christinadymock.wordpress.com

The Romney Family Table: Sharing Home-Cooked Recipes and Favorite Traditions by Ann Romney

Size: 9½" x 10½"

Pages: 224

Year Published: 2013

Home is where good things happen--and for the Romney family, the heart of the home is the kitchen. In The Romney Family Table, Ann Romney, wife of former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, reflects on her many years as a mom, shares family recipes, and describes some of her favorite and not-so-favorite moments of raising a family. Woven together with personal memories and traditions are Romney family favorite recipes such as Peppered Pork Chops with Peach-Vinegar Glaze, Welsh Skillet Cakes, Honey Wheat Bread (which Ann made regularly for five growing sons), and Mimi’s Buttermilk Pancakes, which she and Mitt shared with their Secret Service detail at the end of his presidential campaign.

This unique blend of heartwarming and humorous stories told in Ann’s warm, welcoming style, candid family photos spanning four decades, and more than 125 fabulous recipes will inspire your own traditions and family dinners for years to come.

Do you love new recipes?  Do you love cooking?  Do you love family?

This is a book to be enjoyed on so many levels.  Not only is it a cookbook of sorts with so many yummy sounding recipes, it is a book about family and traditions and love.

When I started this book I thought I was in it for the recipes.  I thought that is what this book was mostly about and I'm always looking for new dinner and dessert ideas.  I was not disappointed in this at all.  There were lots of great recipes and ideas in this book.  Along with the recipes were fabulous pictures that made my mouth water.

What I wasn't expecting from this book was a sense of connection and a genuine interest in the Romney family.  Ann Romney is quite a lady.  She raised five boys and is now grandmother to many.  You can feel the love throughout this book as she shares traditions and memories.  One of my favorite stories was one she tells about getting 5 boys to church by herself by 8:30am Sunday mornings.  She actually dressed the boys in their church clothes before putting them to bed the night before so she could make it on time in the morning.  She packed muffins in the car for them to eat on the way.  It made me laugh but it also made me realize that we moms are inventive when we need to be to get things done.  It was a good story.

This book is so much more than just a recipe book.  But, it all works together in a fabulous way.  It's a great addition to my bookshelf and I'm excited to try a few new recipes from the book that I think my family will enjoy.  My daughter is the one who loves to cook in this house so maybe I'll have her try out a few as well.

My thanks to Shadow Mountain for allowing me to read and review this book.  It was my pleasure.

You can find this book at Amazon and Deseret Book.

Here is a video blurb from a recent TV appearance Ann Romney did if you want to check it out.  Also, if you click the Deseret Book link above there is a link there for a pumpkin bread recipe from the book that looks really yummy!  It's the perfect recipe for October.  I'm going to put my daughter to work on it today.  :)

About the Author
Ann Romney places primary importance on her role as a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. As First Lady of Massachusetts, she worked to focus attention on the challenges facing at-risk youth and served as the Governor’s Liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, she has volunteered much of her time to raise awareness of the disease. She and her husband, Mitt, celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary this year. They have five sons, five daughters-in-law, and twenty-two grandchildren.

101 Gourmet Ice Cream Creations for Every Craving by Wendy Paul

101 Gourmet Ice Cream Creations for Every Craving is the latest of Wendy Paul’s cookbook collection. Wendy Paul knows exactly what goes best with cupcakes, cookies, and cake bites—it’s ice cream! And with her mouthwatering recipes and handy tips and tricks, you’ll soon be creating your very own homemade ice cream, toppings, and treats!

Bestselling author and dessert genius, Wendy Paul is back with a collection of tasty flavors and unique ice cream treats from fun-loving triple berry to exotic mango lime to scrumptious fried ice cream. Perfect for experts and novices alike, these mouthwatering creations are guaranteed to sweeten up any party and make all your friends and family scream for ice cream!

This is probably the yummiest blog tour I've been on!  What is better in the hot month of August than cool, creamy, homemade ice cream?  Nothing.  Honest.  I know because I tried it.  :)

This book came in the mail right as I was headed out to the pool with my kids.  We were meeting some friends there so I popped it in my bag and thought I'd take a look at it while the kids were swimming.  My friend saw it in my bag and asked about it so we pulled it out and drooled over it.  (well, she maybe didn't drool, but I did)  You won't believe all the yummy ice cream recipes in this book.  The pictures are fantastic.  (nice work, Marielle Hayes)

So, I picked out two ice cream flavors to try at home for this review.  Last night I made Key Lime Pie.  Ooh, was it good!  My girls and I made those "oh, I am enjoying every single bite of this" noises the whole way through.  The boys were off to the movies so they have yet to try it but I guarantee they will love it too.  Next up will be cookies and cream.  That is going to be a favorite, I already know.

There are many different sections in this book.  Ice Cream flavors (which includes a whole section on chocolate goodness!), milkshakes, holiday treats, ice cream treats and ice cream pies.  It is an awesome book.  SO YUMMY!

My thanks to Cedar Fort for including me in this blog tour.

www.cedarfort.com
www.cedarfortbooks.com
www.facebook.com/cedarfortbook

Meet the Author:
I’m a wife and mother residing in the great state of Utah (I have never been skiing…) who decided to write a cupcake cookbook, 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes. I have always loved to bake and cook, spending countless hours in the kitchen. It is cute, fun, and easy, even for the most novice baker. Your family and friends will be amazed with these delicious creations that you can bake for any occasion.

My second book, 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone is a wonderful collection of my best cookies for EVERYONE! From Gluten-free to low-fat, low-sugar recipes, vegan recipes….. and traditional, this book has it all! I am so proud of these books and I am so grateful for this fantastic opportunity to share my most treasured recipes with you!

101 Gourmet Cake Bites is my 3rd book- it’s full of great recipes- of cake bites and cake pops! I call them bite size pieces of heaven! Not only can your cake bites and cake pops look cute and adorable, they can now taste great.

You can find more about Wendy at wendypaulcreations.com.