apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

my mom use to make meals in the slow cooker until she lent it to my aunt one day and we never saw it again!! :(

thanks for the links. maybe I will ask my mum if she wants one for xmas!

OMG - after I didn't win the one y'all gave away, I went out and bought one. I love it! It has completely changed my life.

So far, I have made bolognese sauce, pulled pork, a chocolate-peanut butter pudding cake and homemade chicken stock (from a recipe I found here on AT).

I have to have rotator cuff surgery next month and I am trying to make and freeze a lot of meals to make things easier while I recuperate.

I hope you get better soon, Kathryn!

My favorite slow-cooker dish is vegetarian stew ... mmm ... it's funny you're highlighting slow-cookers today; I got mine out last night for the first time since moving in to make the overnight oatmeal you all talked about earlier (which was delicious, too).

Thanks lizzapearl -

I am actually pretty terrified. I hear the recovery and physical therapy is quite painful.

i love my slow cooker! i used it all throughout the summer to avoid heating up the oven. i just used it last week to make chicken stock. it is also really great for making beans. i even 'baked' a cake in it once.

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I have a wonderful split pea soup recipe that I make several times during the winter. It's chunky (split peas plus "regular" potatoes and carrots and sweet potatoes and onions in addition to optional ham) so it doesn't have that baby food texture so many split pea soups have. It's delicious with a dollop of plain yogurt on top and a nice slice of crusty bread on the side.

I also like slow cooking meat like pulled pork or turkey. It stays so nice and moist.

Chili and bolognese are the two things that get made most often in my crock pot. I have one of those huge ones that's not ideal for a two-person home, but is perfect for matching huge batches of sauces and soups to can for later.

I use my old Crockpot at least two or three times weekly. It's great for the dinner-cooking-while-I'm-at-work aspect, but also for the breakfast-cooking-while-I'm-asleep feature!

You might want to check out the Year of Crockpotting blog for some great recipes :)

Shanna Lee: that soup sounds amazing, would you care to share the recipe?

Brought out the slow cooker Tuesday for Pot Roast, it was so good on a cool day. It's plain torture for my dogs though, smelling good food for 8 hours before they can eat it!

I use this every night for steel cut oatmeal, and very often for dinner. In fact, I had amazing pulled pork last night. Just pork chops (or whatever pork cut) in the pot with some spices -- I came home and made quacamole and rice and had it on tortillas. Seriously the pork just falls apart.

Crock pots are so great to save money also -- you can buy cheaper cuts of meat and slow cook them until they fall apart.

Can anyone on this site believe I don't have one, and am most envious, I must, must, must purchase a slow-cooker!!!!!!!!!!!

Also excellent for caramelizing a large batch of onions or leeks so you can add their long cooked flavor to quick weeknight dinners. Butter, onions and a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally.

I also use mine for stock. Ridiculously inexpensive and so much better than the stuff you buy in cartons.

When we had to evacuate for Gustav, I was broken hearted to have to get rid of my stock stockpile, my duck fat, and bacon grease!