SparkPoints: (21,092)
Fitness Minutes: (10,565)
Posts: 11,699
9/1/10 5:48 P

I USE MY CROCKPOT ALL THE TIME I LOVE IT

current weight: 210.0

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SparkPoints: (90,475)
Fitness Minutes: (110)
Posts: 12,020
8/27/10 10:17 P

I absolutely hate to cook. Just hate it so much that I won't hardly even do it...except in my crock pot. Almost every apartment I've ever lived in has had a stove that was just a little bit too low for me so I've had to stoop over a little bit to use it, and that really hurts my back. That's a part of why I hate to cook so much. The other part is that I just do. Always have and probably always will.

What I like to do is toss stuff in the crock pot, go to bed, and then when I wake up the next morning it's magically cooked and ready to go. Then I'll separated whatever I cooked into single serving containers and freeze them. (Well, after eating some for that day, of course.) When I come home from work most days I've got 2 or 3 different meals ready to go in the freezer and I can just choose one, heat it up and enjoy it for my dinner. (Also works well for lunches to take to work.)

I've gotten a lot of great recipes from www.recipegoldmine.com Most of the recipes are not specifically for crock pot cooking, but most of them can be adapted for crock pot cooking. I think that if you take the time to get used to cooking in your crock pot you're really going to love it.

Edited by: VALI_T at: 8/27/2010 (22:18)

current weight: 216.0

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Posts: 4,383
8/26/10 6:36 P

I've always thought of my crock pot as the "easiest thing" EVER!!! I love making venison stew, chicken adobo (YUM), so many wonderful wonderful ideas!!

The more you get to using it, the more you will realize what a lifesafer it really is! Enjoy :o)

current weight: 177.6

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Posts: 2,147
8/26/10 1:59 P

One of the first things I ever cooked in my crock pot was a tenderloin. I just coated it with bottled barbecue sauce and cooked on low for 8 hours. This is a family favorite that I still cook often.

current weight: 160.9

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Posts: 51
8/26/10 1:50 P

I'm at the end of the month, and we don't have much money left in the grocery budget, but we do have pork (we cut up a tenderloin into 5 separate sections and froze it - we have two sections left). Any suggestions for that?

Posts: 2,147
8/26/10 1:47 P

Pasta & rice are the only things I won't cook in the crock pot, too, Laurie. I tried one recipe with egg noodles (the recipe called for a specific brand) and it is the only thing I have ever cooked in the crock that wasn't wonderful!

I usually have a back-up plan for when I am trying out new recipes (hot dogs or spaghetti are always on hand) so if they don't like something, there is another option besides fast-food! Only had to resort to that the one time, though!

current weight: 160.9

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Posts: 2,842
8/26/10 1:39 P

Thanks for that website!!! I just checked it out and she has 73 Vegetarian recipes on there...some of them I'm dying to try.

current weight: 202.0

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Posts: 1,267
8/26/10 1:34 P

I should add--the only thing I don't throw in my crock is pasta. If my recipe calls for any type of pasta I cook that right before we eat and then just stir it into the mix. Otherwise, for me, it gets too mushy. Maybe someone has a trick for that?

current weight: 160.0

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Posts: 1,267
8/26/10 1:32 P

oh no! I feel you've got it so wrong! I love my crockpot and find it way easier to cook with. The only thing is, you do have to plan slightly in advance. You can throw anything in there first thing in the morning and it's ready for supper time. If you are doing just meat (roast, whole chicken, pork chops) just throw them in, season how you like, add 1 cup of liquid (water, broth, canned tomatoes and their juice) turn on low--voila supper! If you want to do a soup/stew chop your veggies and meat the night before (or in the morning if you have time). In the morning add throw your chopped up veggies and meat into the crockpot again with 1-2 cups of liquid. Season. When you get home you can adjust the taste and thickness of your juice.

If you lead a busy life, do try and try again with your crockpot. Once you get the hang of it, I promise you that you will love it!!

current weight: 160.0

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Posts: 1,831
8/26/10 12:50 P

Here is one of my most favorite sites:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Go back through the days and see what yummies are possible! And she gives family feedback on each as well!

Yummies!

current weight: 153.0

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Posts: 2,842
8/26/10 12:46 P

good luck...it's a worthy endeavor...will save you lots of money and unnecessary calories. And it's the BEST feeling at the end of a long day to come home to a dinner that's ALREADY MADE!!

I use mine for soup stock and soups...for whole grains...and much more. There's a great recipe book called, "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" that is terrific. Gourmet meals that are EASY and healthy. I do not eat much meat (almost never) so I'm always frustrated by the fact that most slow cooker recipe books are full of MEAT recipes! But I will say that there's nothing like chicken cooked in the slow cooker. So tender and moist...Yum!

Have fun learning. Don't be afraid to experiment once you know the basics.

current weight: 202.0

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Posts: 51
8/26/10 12:23 P

So the other day I realized that almost every time we go out to eat it's because it was my turn to cook and I got lazy. I have decided that this is my year to learn how to cook. I have a crock pot, and made beans in it once and they were so awful we couldn't eat them. For my busy life, I think a crock pot would be very helpful... if it wasn't so intimidating. So.. I'm going to read through here and hopefully learn new healthy ways to use my crock pot!