Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wanted to love this cookbook. I'd read Stephanie's blog and had tried a couple of her recipes. In retrospect, they weren't great enough to remake, so I should have realized that her wonderful writing style didn't equate to culinary ability. Other reviewers have mentioned that the recipes are really rough--they definitely are for me. Every single one I've tried has been off--cooking time, spices, consistency. I've used our crock pot quite a bit over the years, and usually things turn out if I follow the directions in the recipe. Stephanie's directions, even if followed exactly, don't necessarily mean I'll have something edible for dinner. When I get a recipe from a cookbook, I'd like to think it's been tested at least a couple of times and produced consistently good results. Things I've tried: Broccoli Casserole (p. 81)--watery, bland, my son (who loves broccoli and cheese) wouldn't touch it Beans and Rice (p. 121)--bland, nothing special--the crockpot kindof zaps the flavor I get on the stovetop with a similar dish Taco Soup (p. 135)--one of her favorite recipes, but when I tried it last week, my husband asked, "Isn't this the same not-so-good soup you tried off her website last year?" Oh yeah. We love Mexican food, but the mesh of flavors just is not good. Apple, Cheddar, and Turkey Meatballs (p. 238)--This one I cooked on high, and everything that touched the sides of my crock burned even though it was well within the time frame she'd specified. Pretty sure she didn't test her recipes for low _and_ high settings. I did appreciate that they were gluten-free meatballs, but we didn't even like the middle ones that weren't burnt. Applesauce Chicken (p. 239)--This is not that good, and it is not tender. It's just blah. And her "verdict" makes me think her kids agreed. Brown Sugar Chicken (p. 244)--she promised that this was amazing. It was tender, but nothing special, and awfully sweet. Eggplant "Parmesan" with Feta (p. 282)--I love eggplant parmesan, and this just failed to deliver. The breading doesn't stay since you don't fry the eggplant or anything, and it just becomes a gloppy mess. Applesauce (p. 384)--This technically works, but it doesn't make very much at all, and it's way faster (and more fragrant) on the stovetop. I know you can walk away from the crockpot, but it didn't seem worth it with how much it made. Yogurt (p. 59)--My first batch was a failure, then I went back and read comments on her website that helped the next two batches turn out. Her recipe isn't failsafe, and though I'll be making yogurt in my crockpot from now on, it's the comments of her readers that made it a keeper, not her cookbook. I'm hesitant to try more of the recipes because I really don't think she's a good cook! I have several gluten-free friends that I was hoping to give this book to, but I won't. The people giving her 5 star reviews seem as impressed with her writing and personality as I was, but I wonder how many will be disappointed when they actually try the recipes. Stephanie seems like a great person on her blog, but maybe she should write restaurant reviews or something else that plays more to her strengths. If you're looking at buying this cookbook, I strongly suggest trying some of the recipes on her website first.