I've found that I don't always have the ingredients on hand. But we've enjoyed every recipe that I've tried. The Thai Pork is excellent as is the Penne and Tuna (I substitued canned salmon, or chicken and broccoli). I too was tired of canned soup and meat in a crockpot. So far, the recipes in this book have inspired me to use my crockpot more frequently. I like it so much that I've given it as a gift.