Fourth Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ Slow Cooker Recipes and Madison County

Fix It & Forget it Big Cookbook, published in 2008. Filled with 1,400 recipes from home cooks across the country and featuring their favorite family dishes all made simply and easily in a crock pot. The book is comprehensive in scope and filled with many options for every meal  from appetizers to entrées, desserts and beverages.

Starting with Appetizers, Snacks & Spreads we have dozens of dips, fondues, queso, chutney, salsa, meatballs, apple butter, plus various ways to serve cocktail sausages. Breakfast & Brunch features casseroles and oatmeal, while Breads has many choices for corn, fruit and nut dishes. The Soups, Chili & Stews section is chock full of numerous options for vegetable soup - both with and without beef, a variety of bean soups, chili - many vegetarian choices are included, , chowders, seafood, poultry and an easy Hot and Sour soup that I may make before the weather turns warm. 

Beef Main Dishes is filled with roasts, ribs, briskets, beef stews, stuffed peppers, meatloaf, burgers, casseroles and quite a few Mexican selections, with Chicken & Turkey Main Dishes offering casseroles, curries, barbecue, roasts (including whole chickens and turkey breasts) plus Asian, Italian and Mexican options. Pork Main Dishes is next with similar recipes for roasts, chops, sausage, ribs, ham and hot dogs, and the Seafood chapter has casseroles and jambalaya.

Pasta, Meatless and Other Main Dishes delves into lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, stuffed shells and macaroni and cheese, while Vegetables covers a wide assortment of casseroles, stuffings, plus countless ways to use beans, eggplant, potatoes, fruit and rice. Of course we end with Desserts & Sweets with puddings, cobblers, cakes, applesauce and other fruit treats. There is a final chapter on beverages ~ punch, ciders, wassail, tea and hot chocolate. I found lots recipes to add to my repertoire  and will be utilizing this book for years to come.

The Madison County Cookbook, published in 1997. Recipes were compiled by the St. Joseph Church of Winterset, Iowa - the heart of Madison County. The 500 recipes celebrate food, family, friends & festivals and reflect family favorites, ethnic dishes and old fashioned down home cooking.

There are many anecdotes, stories, traditions and family activities scattered among the pages, gathered from the residents and parishioners of the town and church. We start with a few essays about Madison County and Winterset, including a brief history (founded in 1876 and  site of the covered bridge festival which brings 50k visitors each year), a former resident reminiscing on the charm of a small town returning for a visit 20 years after leaving, a short history of the church, the six covered bridges in the county, and John Wayne's birthplace (he's the most famous native of the town).

The Appetizer section is filled with cheese balls, dips, egg rolls, meatballs and beverages, while Breads takes on on biscuits, hot cross buns, kolaches, pretzels, muffins, rolls and a recipe for unleavened communion wafers. Brunch features crepes, a breakfast pizza or two, quiche, casseroles and pancakes. Cakes is filled with an array of sweet choices, and Candies gives us caramel corn, and fudge (including one made with Velveeta cheese!)

Continuing the sweet theme, we have Cookies & Bars with a multitude of sugar cookies, brownies and a Snowball Surprise (orange slice candy baked in dough and rolled in confectioner's sugar), plus Desserts with fried hand pies, cobblers, and ice cream. The Herbs section offers tips on growing and preserving fresh herbs with a few recipes for teas, breads and infused vinegars.

Main Dishes are next with many recipes for beef, pork, chicken, lamb,and pasta with quite a few options for spaghetti and lasagna and several tater tot casseroles, There are also meatless dishes and accompaniment to round out the chapter. In Pies there is a simple recipe for a Makes It's Own Crust Coconut Pie and a mock pecan pie made with oatmeal.

Salads & Dressings isn't filled with many congealed dishes - a welcome surprise - but many of the dishes do utilize cream cheese and Cool Whip. Unfortunately the dreaded Gum Drop Salad makes an appearance among the usual rice, macaroni, slaws, and fruit recipes. Soups and Sandwiches includes a contribution from the Governor of Iowa (at the time of publication) for a broccoli and cheese soup, and we end with Tea Time with recipes for more soups and sandwiches, plus sweets, scones pudding and fruit curds.