Reviews (40)

I love many cookbooks but this is not one of them
The first thing I didn't like about this book was the number of non-crock-pot recipes.It's disconcerting to be reading a slow-cooker cookbook and find salad recipes.Other books I've read give suggestions (such as, serve this with rice and a salad) but this is the first one to actually include directions for salads and rice.If I want to make fried corn fritters I will refer to The Frequent Fryers' Cookbook and not a slow cooker book.
Too Much Work!
If you like recipes with 10 or more ingredients, and you want to spend your spare time and money looking for ethnic foods and weird stuff you will only use once, then this is the book for you. Also, it doesn't get to dinner recipes until page 309. I really don't need hundreds of recipes on beans, rice, oatmeal, etc. I was very disappointed.

Great cookbook!
I have made 4 or 5 of the recipes and all have been very good.I am a big fan of the different oatmeals that you can start cooking the night before.We have been eating them all week!I have also made one of the chili dishes and the raviolicasserole.We have been eating great food with minimal fuss since I bought this cookbook.One good thing about this cookbook is that the ingredients are inexpensive (for the most part)We are going to try a roast this week and that is obviously a little pricey.However, the meals in this book can be made to fit almost any budget. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Electric cookery, Slow    4. Methods - Special Appliances    5. Cooking / Special Appliances    6. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Reviews (143)

EXCELLENT COOKBOOK!
I don't know if I could live without this cookbook.I have the Entertaining version as well and love it just as well.We've tried over half of the recipes and there hasn't been one that we didn't like.HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing this book!

The Book That Started a Revolution
With five kids and two working parents, our family depended heavily on convenience foods.We had a slow cooker tucked way back under the cabinets, but it saw use only once or twice a year, usually for a dip or somesuch during the holidays.Our dinners were expensive, low quality and somehow unsatisfying.
Own It, Now Buying for My Daughter
I have had this book since it was released.It is one of the best cookbooks I own.The format is much like a tried and true "church family cookbook".My daughter is away in her first apartment and while she is an avid baker, she has never been interested in cooking.This books will provide she and her roommates with great meals! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Electric cookery, Slow    4. Electric cooking    5. Methods - General    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Editorial Review

Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann's Read more

Reviews (35)

Rice Cooker Size?
I just purchased a Sanyo Micron 3.5 cooker-it's just for 2 of us. Would this book be helpful or is it geared to large quantities? Thanks

Am I missing something?
Maybe my Zoji neurofuzzy (NS-ZCC10) is defective, but I can't do with it what these authors say I should be able to do.
Great, But Not Foolproof
While I love this cookbook, I'm going to tell you about the problems so you can get better results from it.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Special Appliances    5. Specific Ingredients - Rice & Grains    6. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Editorial Review

Very rarely does going slow save time, but that's exactly what happens when slow cookers are involved. There's nothing easier than prepping the night before and then turning on the cooker in the morning, so that when you return home from work, dinner is hot and waiting to be enjoyed. That's why cooks in a hurry will welcome Read more

Reviews (38)

Betty does not let you down.
This was my first slowcooker cookbook for my first slowcooker, and I have yet to have a bad meal from it.The directions are clear, easy, and almost foolproof.It allows for convienance foods like canned beans or frozen veggies, without using a lot of processed food or added fat, also there are several for dried beans (cheap and good for you).Most of the ingredients are easy to come by. The tips are very helpful. I will be making some of these recipies for as long as I am still cooking. The spiral binding is just a great added touch. If you have a slowcooker buy this book.

Very Good recipes
I've tried most of the Meat recipes and have liked them all. Some could have the spices upped a little bit for more zing. I just wish it had more main course recipes. I'm really not interested in dessert, soups and miscellaneous. I'm disapointed that the recipes don't indicate the approximate number of servings.

Every Recipe's a Winner!
I love this cookbook!Every recipe I've tried so far is winner.There's a short slow-cooking information section at the beginning, and a great variety of recipesfrom simple and homey, to exotic and special.They all use ingredients on hand or easy to find at the grocery store.Some start from store-bought (cans of soup, salsa, broth), but most use "whole foods."Some of our family's favorites are the Chicken Stroganoff Pot Pie, Chicken Stew with Pepper and Pineapple, Hungarian Goulash, and the unusual Picadillo.The recipes come with substitution suggestions, finishing touches, and success tips.They give great side-dish ideas for a complete meal, such as serving the Thai Chicken with coconut rice and a cucumber vinaigrette.There's a wide variety of soups and stews, meats, poultry, sides, desserts, and also a vegetarian section.Most of the recipes are full page and come with a photo.These are favorites I'll be making again and again.My only complaint is that I wish there was even more! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Electric cookery, Slow    4. General    5. Methods - Special Appliances    6. Cooking / General    7. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Reviews (21)

Proudly serve your family
I have been so pleased with the recipes in this cookbook.
I love this book!
Don't let the word "gourmet" intimidate you.These recepies are easy and delicious.They do take a little prep work, but it is worth it.I am a new crock-pot user, and have successfully cooked three recepies.I can't wait to try more.

Excellent book, quite different than most books on the topic
A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years, concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years, writes this review. My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry". With more than 500 cookbooks in my collection I am usually disappointed in my recent cookbook acquisitions. As a time crunched workingwoman that likes to serve delicious home cooked food I am always looking for ways to make my life easier.With that in mind I picked up this book to see if it had anything new to offer.The recipes contained within this book have pleasantly surprised me.
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Subjects:  1. Casserole cookery    2. Cookery    3. Cookery, International    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Methods - Gourmet    7. Methods - Special Appliances    8. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (37)

You've got to read this book!
I received this book as a gift. There are quite a few books on this subject on the market and this one is the best. I too could not put it down and finished it in 3 days. It's a huge book, a great resource that is well researched and written.. I have a few friends who've purchased this book and really loved it too. I can highly recommend this book.
A must-have for any slow-cooker-loving vegetarian!
I love this cookbook! There are some really great recipes in it for every event, and every situation. The recipes are also comprised of everyday ingredients, not elaborate or exotic ingredients that no one has. Great stuff! A must-have for any slow-cooker-loving vegetarian!

Great vegitarian crock pot book
The recipes are good, especially the potatoe and pesto dish. I did not like the dish called Breakfast bread pudding,due to the fact I thought the flavors contradicted each other.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Electric cookery, Slow    4. Methods - General    5. One-dish meals    6. Vegetable Cookery    7. Vegetarian - General    8. Vegetarian cookery    9. Vegetarianism    10. Cooking / Culinary Arts & Techniques    11. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (107)

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
I love this book so much. I checked it out from the library 5 times and am now ordering it finally. The beer can chicken is the best in there. I have tried a couple recipes and love them all. Great source for those of us wondering how exactly to do something on the grill-very informative!

Terrific for the Novice or Expert!!!
This book has everything from temperature control and technique to rub and sauce recipes.It covers all the bases from porterhouse to leg of lamb to veggies to tofu, even pizza!!!I have purchased this for myself, as well as for gifts for experienced grillers and beginners.They all love it!It also takes into consideration both charcoal and gas grills.One of the best grill books I have found.

A GREAT BARBECUE BOOK.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES MY HUSBAND AND I RUINED MEAT AND VEGETABLES. WE ALWAYS HAD THE HEAT TOO HIGH OR LEFT THINGS ON THE GRILL FOR TOO LONG MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS COOKED THOROUGHLY. I EVEN SENT AWAY FOR THE THERMOMETER THAT YOU COULD GET PAYING FOR SHIPPING AND HANDLING ONLY. I RECEIVED THE THERMOMETER PRETTY QUICK TOO AND IT WORKS GREAT. I HOPE THIS HELPS ANYONE THINKING OF BUYING ONE. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Barbecue cookery    2. Barbecue cooking    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Methods - Barbecue & Grilling    6. Methods - General    7. Cooking / Barbecue    8. Gadget cookery   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Quick & Easy    4. Methods - Special Appliances    5. Cooking / Quick & Easy   

Reviews (3)

Not well thought out
Although the recipes are lovely, too many of them (at least half!) have cooking times of 4 or 5 hours.So for the wonderful breakfast casserole, I'm supposed to get up at 4 a.m. to put it together for breakfast at 8?What were they possibly thinking?And I'm also supposed to run home from work at 2 p.m. to put dinner on for 6 p.m. that night?Huh?Maybe these recipes are supposed to appeal to folks who don't have jobs, and are free to start the meal at anytime (althought the 4 a.m. breakfast recipe still puzzles me).But are they really the folks who use slow cookers?Most of us want recipes that cook for at least 8 hours, so that we can put them on before we go to work and have them ready and waiting when we get home.Maybe someone at Southern Cooking needs a reality check.

Over 200 recipes are presented
Slow cookers aren't just for main dishes, though over the years that's what they've come to be associated with: they can offer entire meals from soup and appetizers to dessert - and SOUTHERN LIVING SLOW-COOKER COOKBOOK is here to make the most of them, using their Test Kitchen pros' experiments to produce polished, guaranteed results and original dishes not to be found in competing cookbooks. Bright color photos accompany recipes which are also labeled by type i.e. 'Comfort Food', 'Editor's Choice', and 'Company's Coming'. What's for dinner from a slow cooker? Perhaps Chicken Lasagna Florentine, Steak Soup or even Apple Crisp. Over 200 recipes are presented.
The BEST slow cooker cookbook that I own!
This cookbook is absolutely wonderful! It runs circles around the Betty Crocker slow cooker cookbooks. I've tried several recipes, including the oatmeal, pulled pork, and breakfast casserole recipes, and they were all fantastic. This book contains a huge variety of recipes for everything from breakfast to dessert, but it does not scrimp on great dinner recipes. My life is so much easier now that I've re-discovered my slow cooker and this cookbook! Great variety of recipes, great pictures, and beautiful! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. General    4. Methods - Special Appliances    5. Process Cookery   

Reviews (47)

Biggest Book of Disappointing Slow Cooker Recipes!
I am like the last reviewer -I wanted easy, chop it/dump it in and forget about it type of recipes.At first glance in the bookstore it looked good and bought it.I have been disappointed by this one - a lot of recipes have "weird" ingredients that a family with small kids just wouldn't eat or that I wouldn't have in my cupboards.I keep looking for a "keeper" recipe and just can't find it.Look at other slow cooker cookbooks - pass on this one.

big disappointment
I tried several recipes that sounded good--none was, I have given the book away!

Not terribly impressed with this one
You can find other slow cooker cook books that are better than this one. The recipes seem common and tired, the page layout and design is riotous and adds nothing to the content. This book compared to others had a lot more "what the heck" recipes -- "what the heck? I'm not going to try and serve THAT to my kids", that kind of thing. I'd look at other cook books, especially "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" which I found to be far superior to this cook book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - General    4. Electric cookery, Slow    5. Electric cooking    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Cooking / Special Appliances    8. Gadget cookery    9. crockery; slow cooker; crock pot; make-ahead   

Reviews (3)

The book that saved my marriage...
So our baby gets up every day at 4:30am, and by dinnertime, I'm ready for bed, too tired to stand let alone cook. My husband, while great at cleaning, is lousy at cooking, so I got a crock pot for my birthday.
Good eating
The recipes presented here are easy to make and very tasty. My family, friends, and I enjoy them immensely.

* Saves Those Who Cannot Cook!! Or Who Don't Want To! *
You cannot go wrong with this book.Many recipes are super simple... you buy five ingredients, throw it in the crockpot and PRESTO CHANG-O RE-ARRANGE-O:YOU HAVE A GREAT MEAL WHEN YOU GET HOME!!!!!!!!I sound corny about this, I know, but you don't know how wonderful it is to do so little and come home to such great, home cooked meals.I hate cooking.I cannot cook.This book is my saving grace.So far my favorite is the Keilbasa Black Bean Soup... hearty, thick, satisfying.Love it!
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Quick & Easy    4. Methods - Special Appliances    5. Cooking / Special Appliances    6. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (4)

Coolest Cookbook Ever
I've gone through enough cookbooks to confidently say that this book is the best presentation, and tidbits of information about health benefits, nice pictures of select recipies, and yummy, original, simple recipies for your slow cooker.I came back to this site to see if there would be other cookbooks by this publisher.I don't give it five stars, only cause I have to do all the cooking and am bitter.

International Flair
Reviewed by Geri Eden for Reader Views (3/06)
Healthy Cooking Made Easy
I studiously avoided learning to cook for 50+ years but a friend who's very health conscious recommended trying a slow cooker.This cookbook gave me the additional boost I needed.Finlayson is very knowledgeable about nutrition, and somehow manages to make it interesting to read about.Plus, she gives tips on what to prepare the night before, so you can set up the crock pot in the morning, turn it on, and have a great meal by the time you get home.I love the Thai Pumpkin Soup, which has become a favorite in our household.If you're trying WeightWatchers point system, this has an abundance of good recipes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Health & Healing - General    5. Methods - Special Appliances    6. Cooking / Health    7. Electric cookery, Slow    8. Gadget cookery    9. Health & wholefood cookery   

Reviews (57)

Fantastic Cookbook!
I absolutely LOVE this book!! Buy-it-a-ring-march-it-down-the-aisle love it!!I'm one of those people with more cookbooks than I shake a whisk at and I go to this one over and over and over! It has everything! I've never had a loaf go wrong and every recipe I've tried is just delicious.
awesome book for beginner bakers!
i was just lucky - i didn't know anything about baking bread and i decided this looked like a good book.i had just received a bread machine as a gift and didn't know the first thing about making bread.this book helped explain it all and turned out DELICIOUS loafs of bread.now, mostly b/c of this book, i am an avid home baker and love to bake.this book still surprises me with the great variety of recipes you just don't find anywhere else.

I use this book more than any other cookbook on my shelf
I am a working mom but I love to cook and I love good food. My husband is European and won't eat American store-bought bread, so I got my first bread maker shortly after we were married almost 16 years ago. I got this book quite a few years ago and I've opened it about once a week since (about how often I make bread). I've made more than half of the recipes in the book, and they are all wonderful. I really couldn't live without it.
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Subjects:  1. Automatic bread machines    2. Bread    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - Bread    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Cookery dishes & courses    8. Cooking / General    9. Cooking, Wine & Spirits   

Reviews (25)

The best cookbook ever!
I am seasoned cook, but a novice at the pressure cooker.I purchased this book based on the reviews, and I was not disappointed.I read the book, literally, from cover to cover.What I enjoyed about the format of the book was that each recipe gave a "foundation."After each recipe there were easy to follow "variations" and "transformations."For example, the chicken cacciatore recipe had a "transformation" that included pasta.It came out perfectly, with rave reviews.More importantly, I cooked it all in the pressure cooker (dried pasta and all)in less than 20 minutes.This book "transformed" me into a pressure cooker lover too!

GREAT!!
Not your mother's pressure cooker!Order a couple of cookbooks for pressure cooker's and take off.Try making cheese cake - you won't believe how good it is.Love the choice of a small pot or large.You will feel comfortable using this cooker.

For the Novice
Ms. Sass is the expert on pressure cooking. She has done her work over the years experimenting for you. She explains in detail the workings of the p.c. (pressure cooker). She explains everything you want to know about pressure cooking except for canning. That would be another book. This is a must read book for the novice or the people who did not get their manual with their p.c. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Methods - Special Appliances    4. Pressure cookery    5. Pressure cooking    6. Cooking / Special Appliances    7. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (1)

Better than the First
I like this cookbook better than Alley's first slow cooker book.Because it's regional foods, the recipes are still varied, but the ingredients are a little less exotic. This book contains close to 60 solid recipes with beautiful photography.Best of all, the author admits she tested the resipes on various brands of slow cookers, something that didn't quite happen with the first book.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Gourmet    5. Methods - Special Appliances   

Editorial Review

"I think cooking is a lot of fun and I hate to see people not having fun doing it just because they don't have the right tools--which is not to say they need the prettiest, best, most expensive tools. They just need the tools that are right for them." Such is the organizing principle of Read more

Reviews (35)

If you have anything in your kitchen cupboards, this is for you
First of all, let me say that Alton Brown is my hero, and if he wrote a book about knitting needles I'd probably buy it.That said, this really is a great book that I'd buy no matter who wrote it.Part user's manual, part field guide, and part cookbook, this concise little gem of a book has just tons of great information packed into it.The section on knives alone is worth the book price, IMHO.Shopping for skillets and not sure if you should get anodized or cast aluminum?Wondering what that funny plastic hand-cranked gizmo you found in your Grandma's bottom kitchen drawer is?(It's a bean frencher, by the way.)Not sure of the difference between an orange peel and a pizza peel?If any of these questions apply to you, then get this book.Besides, what other book in existence explains how a Thermos works eight pages after a recipe for Baba Ghanoush?

Fun, simple, and very informative
Alton Brown's books are the few cooking oriented books I've actually read cover to cover, then refer to again later.He advocates simplicity, explains clearly why he would choose a particular cooking implement over another (often more costly) one, and does it with fun prose.He appeals to me particularly because if told the "why' of something (which he always does), I am much more likely to remember and use the advice.

Gear for your kitchen with your budget
I would strongly recommend this book for those who are starting out on the path of cooking, are looking at upgrading what Grandma gave to them, or are considering increasing their stable of cooking utencils.Alton gives the reader the skinny on different implements, small appliances, and the tools needed to make that perfect quiche.With his typical aplomb and humorous style he explains with science the whys and wherefores of how things work as they do.Based on this book I've certainly grown to appreciate certain tools I've had for several years, thrown out some unused appliances and whatnot, and look at those television ads touting the latest and greatest slicing and dicing utencil with great skepticism.Kudos to Alton for making an easy and fun to read book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Kitchen utensils    4. Methods - General    5. Methods - Special Appliances    6. Reference    7. Cooking / Special Appliances    8. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (13)

I love the recipes, but
I love the recipes but don't like the way the book is arranged.It is arranged by age but would be more useful and easy to use if arranged by food type.You have to use the index to find a particular food.The menus for the different age groups is pretty good.I think it is definitely worth buying.The Mommy Made cookbook is also pretty good.

Save your $$ -- you'll find the same recipes online
Unless you don't have access to the internet all the time, this book is a waste of money.You can find the same recipes online for free.

The ONLY one you need
Four words: "I love this book!"If you are looking for something simple and easily laid out, this is the book for you.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Health - Nutrition    5. Infants & Toddlers - General    6. Life Stages - Infants & Toddlers/General    7. Life Stages - Infants & Toddlers/Infants    8. Methods - Special Appliances    9. Blenders (Cookery)    10. Cookery (Baby foods)    11. Cooking / Special Appliances    12. General cookery    13. Infants - Nutrition   

Reviews (23)

You Can Grill It All
Great book!! Not only are there over 400 great grilling recipes but recipes for rubs, sauces, and more. The writer also shares some historical information throughout the book making it a great read. Steve Raichlen's PBS show is the companion to this book, as many of the recipes are in there. Considering the price at Amazon this book is a lot of bang for the buck.

Heat up the grill!
We absolutely love this book.It not only has great recipes but step by step directions.We also watch the BBQU on tv.If you like to grill and want to cook something other than the same 'ol same 'ol, we recommend!!

Barbecue USA
Steve Raichlen has created a true grilling masterpiece with this book.It is a must have for the serious grilling enthusiast.It has many fine receipes with detailed explanations of the grilling process. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Barbecue cookery    2. Barbecue cooking    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Methods - Barbecue & Grilling    6. Methods - Outdoor    7. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    8. COOKING / Methods / Outdoor    9. COOKING / Regional & Ethnic / American / General    10. Cooking / Barbecue    11. Gadget cookery   

Reviews (19)

Simplicity - How to cook out of your pantry
I love this book for what it is - a collection of simple recipes.Most of the ingredients are items you have in your pantry or freezer.It is a great book for the end of the week when you have not been to a grocery store in days.And the recipes are yummy.So if you are looking for a long list of ingredients and many steps of preparation this is not the book for you.If you want a book where in five minutes you can make a meal from your pantry this is the perfect choice.

Simple and Tasty!
This is one of the best books for slow cooker recipes, especially if you want something easy. It's great for when you don't have a lot of time but still want to make something that will taste good. My husband, a picky eater, makes a lot of requests for recipes from this book.
What a Disappointment!
I've bought a few books on slow cooking, and have been quite happy until this book.I've looked over a few recipes and think that I'd go back to the microwave before I use this book.
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Subjects:  1. Casserole cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Electric cookery, Slow    5. Methods - Special Appliances    6. Regional & Ethnic - American - Western States    7. Cooking / Courses & Dishes / General    8. Gadget cookery    9. Western & Pacific Coast states   

Editorial Review

Old-fashioned bread the new-fashioned way, Betty calls it. Easy, convenient, modern. There's no knead for loafing. Not with that fabulous combination in the kitchen: Betty Crocker and the bread machine.Read more

Reviews (28)

Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook
This is the best bread machine cookbook I've owned, and I have a lot of them. First of all the book it's self is easy to use because it lies flat.It has a great selection of recipes. I was looking for a good cinnamon, raisin bread and this is exellent. I have only made a few of the recipes but all of them are great so far.If your only going to own one book or this will be your first, I'd say this is the one to get.

Easy to follow recipes
I like the book and the recipes, which are easy to follow. There are a wide variety of really good recipes. The breads I've made so far have turned out well and it's true that they are designed for bread machines; just follow the recipe and your bread will turn out fine. I haven't found any to be "gourmet," but I guess there are other cookbooks for that. (Hint for those new to making bread: don't use water straight from your tap. It will ruin the yeast.)

Bread Machine Convert
My Mom taught all five of her children to make bread by hand.Until recently I viewed bread machines as a cop out to bread making.A friend brought a savory loaf she had made in her bread machine and it was so delicious and light and moist, I was impressed.My mother-in-law had a bread machine she had never used, so she let me have it, but it didn't have the recipe book anymore.I ordered this book from Amazon and from the first recipe I tried I became hooked on bread machine baking.My Dad has requested a loaf of Raisin Cinnamon bread for his birthday. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automatic bread machines    2. Bread    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - Bread    6. Methods - Special Appliances    7. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft    8. Cooking / General