A Working Woman's Guide to Crock Pot Magic
I'm not exactly sure when I started crack potting, I mean crock potting, but I do remember how it made me feel. After a long day of work, leaving me exhausted and mentally drained, the very thought of going home to cook dinner made me want to shrill. But when I was able to put together a simple recipe and let it cook in the crock pot all day-I was a Maverick. Voila! Dinner was a cinch and done by the time I got home. I felt proud and accomplished-like I did something right. How cool is that? #winning
Crock pots are solutions for busy people who want a Feast without sacrificing time at home.
My Hubs & No. #1 Taste Tester, John
Meet Mr. Butters (L) and Domino (R)
And I'm not the only one who feels this way, my husband John works long hours too. Take 2 working professionals, 2 workday commutes, and 2 dogs on a weeknight, and traditional cooking is not going to happen. This is not anything new to those of us who work and have families-this is a daily challenge, am I right here people? Those with kids especially want time to come home and relax after a long day at work.
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| Refrigerator ready: Meal in liner with twisty-tie. |
In my house, we usually prepare at least 5 crock pot meals to serve throughout the week and ALL OF THEM get eaten. Each meal is placed into a crock pot liner with a twisty-tie on Sunday and then refrigerated until use.
The Magical Crock Pot
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| "Crockery" our family crock pot |
Crock pots are magnificent appliances, some would say even magical. Place items into the crock pot and roughly 8 hours later meat is tender and sauces are mixed. That sounds pretty magical to me. Crock pots came to kitchens everywhere in the US in the early 1970's and have been here ever since. Slow cookers are the same as crock pots- they are interchangeable. Cooking food in a crock pot ranges from 1-8 hours and everything in between. Each meal of the day can be done in the crock pot.
There are several brands, types, and sizes of crock pots. The most well known are the Rival brands (I think they hold the patents for crock pots, but don't quote me on that). There are basic crock pots and there are fancy, high tech crock pots. My crock pot is approximately 10 years old and is as basic as it gets. There are 3 settings: Warm, Low & High. That's it, no bells & no whistles, but my crock pot kicks ass. If you don't have a crock pot, buy an inexpensive basic one. The new fangled crock pots have automatic digital timers and lids that clamp on. Oooohhhh, Aaahhhhh. Some day, I too shall have a fancy crock pot.
How can you test a crock pot for usability? For example, if your crock pot is old or doesn't seem to be cooking quite like it use to and it needs to be replaced. Instead of guessing (because that is less precise and more expensive) fill your crock pot with 2 quarts water and heat on low for 8 hours. At the end of the 8 hours, use a thermometer to check the water. The water temperature should reach 185 F. If it does not reach 185 F, you need a new crock pot to prevent against harmful bacteria in meats during the cooking process.
Crock Pot Liners
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| Crock pot liner holds feast. |
A note on working with crock pots- use a crock pot liner. If you are concerned with keeping up appearances of no plastic in your machine-GET OVER IT. Crock pot liners are PHENOMENAL. Each liner can hold all ingredients within a recipe and keep your crock pot clean which means less clean up (and time) for you. Buy them, use them.
As mentioned above, refrigerating your crock pot liner is fine AS LONG AS you do not place the meal or liner on the "high" heat setting immediately after removing from refrigeration.
Crock Pot Recipes
There will be a series of crock pot recipes coming each week to lulufeasts. It's my sincerest hope that you try them and see how amazingly easy & delicious each meal tastes.
Happy Feasting,
Lulu
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