http://www.care2.com/greenliving/slow-cooking-love.html
Slow-Cooking Love
By Terri Hall-Jackson, contributing writer, Care2.com
Warning: The attached article contains material that may be inappropriate for those who actually like to labor over a hot stove after getting the kids off to school, putting in an eight-hour day at the office, and shuttling the kids to various after-school activities, while squeezing in doing the laundry, cleaning the house, taking care of an aging car, trying not to look like an utter frump and still feel at least a little teeny bit sexy.
I fell in love this summer. Seriously. It was unexpected and has changed my world. I thank my friend, Elaine, for introducing me to my new love: My amazing, high-end, shiny, brand new slow cooker. I’d always had slow-cooker fantasies. You know, coming home to mouth-watering wafts of rosemary, garlic, yummy stews after a long day at work. But I’d never gotten around to buying a slow cooker, and the fantasy was set on a dusty shelf in the deep recesses of my mind.
But when I was given a slow cooker as a housewarming gift by my friend, coinciding with my need to figure out how to have delicious, nutritious meals ready within an hour of my coming home with my children, the stars were indeed aligned, and it was time to turn fantasy into reality.
What I didn’t know about slow cookers is that cooking this way still requires some prep. Meats often need to be browned on the stove top, veggies need to be washed, chopped, and diced. But beyond that, once everything is in the cooker and the timer and temp are appropriately set, it does the rest. You are free, free, free to go to work, the gym, hike, nap, whatever. Five, six, eight, 10 hours later, you will return home to a cooked meal.
But wait. This is what sealed the deal for me: When I made my first slow-cooked meal, not only was the dish done cooking when I trudged home, but the cooker had shifted to “warm” mode when the cooking was finished so that the meal was absolutely ready to be eaten the second we walk into the door. Now do you understand??? These are the benefits of slow-cooking:
Nutritious, Delicious Meals
Mainly fresh ingredients, cooked at a low temperature for a long period of time are used in slow-cooking. Consequently, nutrition-rich, natural juices from vegetables and meats are retained.
Time-saver
You’re not slaving over a pot for hours. All that’s required is the initial prep. Your slow-cooker is doing the work while you are doing whatever else you want or need to be doing.
Useful Year-Round
Though we might associate warm, hot meals with wintertime, the beauty of slow-cookers is that you can use them any time of year. The perk of using one in the summer is that it eliminates the need to use the oven, eliminating the discomfort of making an already hot home hotter.
Reduced Energy Usage
Slow-cookers use substantially less energy than a conventional electric oven.
Easy Clean-Up
Except for a cutting board, cutting utensils, maybe one pan for browning, you’ll be cleaning up one pot. Nice.
Transportable
A slow-cooked meal is easily transported. Just let cool and keep covered.
When shopping for a slow-cooker (commonly referred to as a Crock-Pot, which is a brand name), factor in how many people you cook for. Slow, medium and large slow-cookers are available. Many slow-cookers have a ceramic interior. My high-end love has a cast-iron pot, which means I can brown meats, veggies, etc., in that pot and just insert it into the cooker, making it truly a one-pot cooking experience. Need I say any more?
COOL SLOW-COOKER IDEAS
The Healthiest Quick Oatmeal
Hot Fudge Spoon Cake
Herbal Inhaler
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13 comments
add your comment »Years ago when I was working a day job as a robotics researcher and taking acting jobs in films at night, I was given a pair of older slow cookers AKA crock pots, by a family member.
I have to say they became a lifesaver. I can put together a good meal in them when I leave and come home to a ready to eat meal that is far healthier for me and is easy to clean up. It is also a great way to save money and with two I can have one that I fill when I come home while the other is ready and keeping an already made meal warm.
I haven't bought a tv dinner or similar frozen meal since.
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Surriya, any houseware store such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target or Walmart will carry these.
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from where should i buy slow-cooker how many diffirent sizes are there
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I am still using the Rival Crock Pot I received as a wedding gift 36 years ago. It has served me well through years of family day care, child rearing and various pot lucks. The meals I prepare in it now are divided into individual servings and frozen to be used later. Given I work 2 jobs, am single, and on a tight budget this is EXTREMELY helpful:).
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Carl you weren't using the pot or the recipes correctly if your meat dried out. The slow cooking method produces the most moist and juicey roast ever!
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And don't forget yummy left overs can be taken to work for lunch the next day and will be even yummier...mmmm!
It's definitely on my xmas wish list!
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Hunter, don't feel bad. Everyone has to start somewhere. I'm glad you're interested! If you don't want to go to WalMart and I don't blame you, you can get them at Target. Really good, really cheap. Go there, or wherever you want to go and look at them. Get a sense of their size and you'll know what you need. As for quality, I don't think there is a really big difference between them...it's not like you're buying a car.
They do have some different features...like the cast iron one mentioned here or the ability to turn the heat down. If you just go and read the labels you'll see what they offer and you can see what you want.
The library has slow cooker cookbooks or go to Borders or any bookstore and browse in the cookbook section. They can give you all the information you'll ever need. Try Amazon.
Good luck!
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Hunter, if you're really interested in slow cookers, try "Not your mother's slow cooker cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. You can probably borrow it from the library - that's what I did. It's like the slow cooker bible. At the beginning, it discusses the sizes available (small, medium, large), round versus oval, everything you can imagine about slow cookers! And then there are the recipes...
As for where you can buy them - everywhere!
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I love my slow cooker and wouldn't know what to do without it! It's great for summer when you don't want to heat up the kitchen. If you're strapped for time in the morning, fix everything the night before, in the crock, put it in the fridge. Next morning put the crock in the cooker and set it and forget it. I have two one 3 qt and one 5 qt. I want to get an oval one next. The best thing is now the crocks are removeable. My very first one wasn't and it was a pain to clean.
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Yes, slow cooking love is a good nutrient for the human soul.
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