Why should I use my slow cooker?

[Kathleen]

Like many, I love my slow-cooker because I can set it up before work and come home to a finished dinner. I make soups, stews, and other things in my slow cooker. I also believe that pre-cooking defeats the purpose. My favorite recipe is fresh kielbasa with sauerkraut. It is a meal in itself. Here is my recipe:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums...tml#post865089

~Kathleen

[buckytom]

i think i need an oz to american dictiionary.

shin beef? a shank, perhaps?

best red? i'm guessing wine.

chili jam? possibly a thai style sweet chili sauce, such as mae ploy brand.

even if i'm wrong, this recipe sounds pretty good to my imagination, missm.

ok, i loathe to be the one to be a doggie downer in a thread (would rather be a puppy upper ) , but am i the only one who doesn't leave the house when the crock pot's going for fear of a fire? can you really trust the u.l. label on the power cord when you got the crock pot for $20 and it was made in china?

i mean, set it and forget it, but so long as your within earshot of the smoke alarms.

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by buckytom

i mean, set it and forget it, but so long as your within earshot of the smoke alarms.

Our smoke detectors are wired to the house alarm so the company will call us on a mobile phone. That doesn't sound nearly as handy now that I have typed it.

[missM]

Originally Posted by buckytom

i think i need an oz to american dictiionary.

shin beef? a shank, perhaps?

best red? i'm guessing wine.

chili jam? possibly a thai style sweet chili sauce, such as mae ploy brand.

even if i'm wrong, this recipe sounds pretty good to my imagination, missm.

ok, i loathe to be the one to be a doggie downer in a thread (would rather be a puppy upper ) , but am i the only one who doesn't leave the house when the crock pot's going for fear of a fire? can you really trust the u.l. label on the power cord when you got the crock pot for $20 and it was made in china?

i mean, set it and forget it, but so long as your within earshot of the smoke alarms.

Buckytom:) You're right. Shin beef is cross cut shank - a least an inch thick - with the bone removed. Because it is from the foreleg it has a lot of connective tissue but very little if any, fat, and must be slow cooked, but is worth it.

Chilli jam is not a sauce. It is a jam or 'jelly' in US terms. We only call completely clear jams 'jelly'. The jam is made from red bell peppers, and equal qty of small, hot red chillies, sugar and cider vinegar. My daughter made this one and it is yummy.

"Red' is wine, a Cab Sav in this case. (One for the cook and one for the pot:) )

I already lost a house in a fire so I hope "they" are right about lightning never striking twice. I leave mine on. I think it must be the same brand as yours, it is Chinese and was very inexpensive but is still going well after 5 or so years.

[BreezyCooking]

Originally Posted by buckytom

i
ok, i loathe to be the one to be a doggie downer in a thread (would rather be a puppy upper ) , but am i the only one who doesn't leave the house when the crock pot's going for fear of a fire? can you really trust the u.l. label on the power cord when you got the crock pot for $20 and it was made in china?

i mean, set it and forget it, but so long as your within earshot of the smoke alarms.

No, you're not alone. As I posted here earlier, I never use my crockpot unless I'm going to be at home. I don't like leaving electrical appliances running (that includes the washer & dryer too) when I'm not home.

[larry_stewart]

I tried the slow cookers a few times, But I guess Im and Impatient, hands-on cooker. I can definitely see the convenience and benefits of having one for some people. But even when im making certain soups, stews, chili... I still enjoy the hands-on, interactive approach of tasting, adding, mixing, but thats just me I think mine is in the basement somewhere collecting dust.

[PrincessFiona60]

I never leave the crockpot going when I leave the house. But I do like setting it up early in the AM (on a night off) and having dinner ready when I wake up later. I always know when it's time to get up, I can smell dinner.

[sarahmom22]

I got my slowcooker for a wedding gift as well 10 years ago, and I use mine occasionally. I also got a slowcooker cook book, which has been quite helpful over the years. It's great for cooking in the summer since it doesn't heat up the house like the oven does, and as others have said, it's nice to have a hot meal to come home to.

[joesfolk]

Crock pots are great for Sundays. Invite someone over after church. Put the meal in the crock pots on Sunday morning and come home to a beautiful meal. Can't be beat and it makes you look so totally together.

[Claire]

When I was younger, I often threw food in one, plugged it in, and came home 10 hours later to dinner. I don't even own one now, and since I live in a 160 year old house, I hesitate to leave anything plugged in, much less turned on!

[LAJ]

I use mine on lazy Sunday afternoons. I never leave it unattended while at work though. Great when people stop by and just fill up a plate. I use my digital pressure cooker more often. It browns or braises and I love it! Easy clean up. Stick frozen meats or veggies in it and comes out moist and tasty.

[Leolady]

Mine was a gift from my mom, and it just sits unused.

[Claire]

I have a great sideboard built into my dining room, and it isn't unusual for me to call friends before a party and request a crock pot or three for keeping meatballs, chili con queso, or other sauces and foods hot. I'll go around town and collect them, clean 'em up, then leave them on the donater's front porches. Try to return them cleaner than I got 'em. In my current lifestyle (read that lazy, stay at home, absolutely nothing more than time on my side) I don't need to own one. But I used to use it a lot when it was a two person working 50+ hours a day household!

[Linda123]

Originally Posted by Claire

I But I used to use it a lot when it was a two person working 50+ hours a day household!

50 hours a day? Wow! I am impressed.

[betterthanabox]

I have to say when I read this I thought why wouldn't you. I know a lot of people will say that they are great if you work and aren't able to make a meal for your family. As a stay at home wife, I find that they are great on days when I am going to be all over the place, or don't feel like cooking. I found that they are great in the summer! I still want to eat a nice cooked meal in the summer, but don't want to heat up the house or stand over a stove and that fits the ticket. I love to make soups, stews, and roasts in mine. They are also great for potato dishes. If you are having a hard time finding ways to use your slow cooker, I would get a cookbook. They do amazing things!! Getting a cookbook opened my eyes to all kinds of breakfast and dessert ideas that I wouldn't have had on my own. If you have small kids you don't have to worry about them getting burned on it either, since it will most likely be on a counter, and they are usually pretty cool on the outside.

[jacky77]

i'm cooking a roast today in it. my back hurts, it's raining out and i want something delicious and filling! i love using my crockpot.

[Katie H]

The house Buck and l lived in wasn't air-conditioned and here, in Kentucky, the summer temperatures can get to three digits. As an experiment one June, I cooked all our evening meals for that month in the crock-pot. It was a very interesting and educational exercise. I was amazed at the variety that was possible. Initially, I thought everything would take on some sort of sameness.

It was wonderful. Almost like being on a mini-vacation. For 30 days I practically didn't have to cook dinner.

I've also used it to bake cake and quick breads in it. It's one of the most convenient appliances we own.

Not really "one," because we have 4 different sizes and all are used on a regular basis.

I use the largest one to make applesauce when the apples are plentiful here in the fall. Yummy delicious stuff.

[sparrowgrass]

I have 2--a little one and a big one. I generally only use them as warmers for a potluck. Which they do amazingly well.

I always think they give food that is prepared in them a funny flavor--maybe just an overcooked taste? My sis does an Italian beef that is good--chuck roast with a package of Italian dressing mix and a beer--but most things, especially chicken, I just can't eat.

I did notice that someone (Hamilton Beach?) has one with a lid that latches on--great for traveling to a potluck. Why did it take them so long to figure that one out?

[Selkie]

I also have two crock pots, a 6 quart and a 2 quart. Since I live alone, the 3 quart works just fine for 95% of the time making soups and stews for a regular meal with just enough left over for one or two extra meals without having to freeze anything. My freezer is already overflowing, so I don't need to keep anything extra around for very long.

[suzyQ3]

Originally Posted by sparrowgrass

I always think they give food that is prepared in them a funny flavor--maybe just an overcooked taste? My sis does an Italian beef that is good--chuck roast with a package of Italian dressing mix and a beer--but most things, especially chicken, I just can't eat.

My husband in particular but I as well find that the end result is often just not that bright or clean in flavor -- just sort of "muddy." We've tried different cookers and recipes over the years, but we've pretty much given up. We currently have the cooker that comes with three different-sized crocks, which is ingenious. We will keep it. But we probably will never use it much at all.