How Crock Pots Abridge Your Frantic Life?

Imagine getting home from work to the tantalizing smell of dinner, ready to dish out, hot and delicious. For a busy working mom, corporate couple or live-alone single, that's a dream that doesn't seem likely, unless you can afford your own chef. But it's not unattainable. All you need is one handy-dandy little appliance that will simplify your life and have you dishing up your dinner before you even kick off your good shoes.

They're an old stand-by from the 70s, and they're making a huge comeback. Crock pots, also known as slow cookers, are one of the handiest tools for a busy working woman - or man, for that matter. For more details go to www.chow-chows-secrets.com. With a crock pot, you can spend ten minutes of prep time before you leave for work in the morning, flip it on, and return home in the evening to a fully cooked meal - nutritious, delicious and far less expensive than takeout.

I grew up with a crock pot in the house, but it was seldom used. My grandmother was home full time, and it was far more common for her to slow cook on top of the stove. When I moved out on my own, those delicious slow-simmered dishes that were a staple of my diet were out of reach. I didn't have time to stay at home and stir the pot. I turned to convenience meals and microwave cookery, but I missed the wonderful meals I grew up with - coq au van, slow simmered spaghetti sauce, beef stew, stewed chicken and baked beans.

That all changed when I discovered a recipe for 'Mom's Busy Day Chicken' in a recipe book offered by, of all places, the La Lecher League. The recipe was incredibly simple - just put one cut up chicken in a crock pot, add two cans of stewed tomatoes and an onion, and flip the crock pot to low, and then walk away for six to eight hours. I was skeptical, but I tried it - and the results quickly became a family favorite. The chicken was tender enough to fall off the bone, and flavored through and through with spices and tomato sauce. The sauce was thickened and perfect for spooning over rice or pasta and best of all, it was nutritious and healthy.

Why is crock pot cooking so great?

1. You don't have to watch the pot.

They say a watched pot never boils - neither does a crock pot. When you set the crock pot's temperature to low, you can be sure that the food inside will cook at temperatures low enough to avoid overcooking, and high enough to prevent the formation of harmful bacteria.

2. Ten minutes in the morning makes a home-cooked meal in the evening.

Prep time for crock pot cooking is almost none. Cut up your ingredients, add them to the pot, cover it and walk away. The most elaborate recipes may require that you cut things uniformly or that you layer ingredients in a particular order, but all it takes is a few minutes in the morning, and you'll come home to a home-cooked meal at the end of the day.

3. Cleanup is quick and easy!

Crock pots used to be a real hassle to clean, but no more. Today's crock pots feature removable liners so washing the pot is as simple as washing a dish. Just lift out the liner and wash. You can even put most in the dishwasher. You can also visit us at www.cooking-groundbeef.com.  In addition, slow cooking means no crusty crud to scrub off.

4. Convenient features let you time things perfectly.

One of the drawbacks of crackpot cooking used to be overcooking. Let that meat simmer too long, and you ended up with unpalatable mush. Today's crock pots feature timers that turn the crock pot off when it's time, or lower the temperature when needed.

5. Slow cookers are energy efficient.

What? You thought that leaving your slow cooker plugged in and cooking all day was a waste of energy? Think again. A crock pot uses wraparound heat to cook the food, without wasting all the heat that would simmer away in an oven or stove top. You actually use less energy.

If you have a slow cooker tucked away somewhere, pull it out and give it a try. You'll find dozens of recipes that break the traditional "mushy" meals syndrome that has given crock pots a bad name. Test a few, and you'll find yourself upgrading to a new family friendly model so you can treat your family to wonderful, tasty, home cooked meals with almost no effort.

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Rival Crock Pots - Make A Fantastic Meal While Saving Money

I have been cooking with Rival Crock Pots for years now. They are a fantastic way to buy a gigantic roast and cook it slowly for a great meal. This is an exceptional way to buy in bulk which will also save you money. Plus there is nothing like the taste of a slow cooked meal.

Rival crock pots are fantastic for slow cooking. They are one of the best crock pots on the market today. They make a quality product that works excellent and lasts a long time. If you are a vegetarian or love a roast then you will enjoy Rival crock pots.

The idea of a slow cooker is a time tested brilliant tool for cooking. The low long simmering cooking tenderizes the tough meat of chicken and roasts and really brings out the full flavor of the food. If you add vegetables to the mix they will also tenderize and take on the flavor of the meat inside. There really is nothing better than that home cooked slow roast taste to make you feel like a kid at home again.

Rival crock pots are some of the best crock pots for making one of these delicious dinners. They come in different sizes from 3 quarts all the way up to a huge 10 quarts for feeding an army. Most have a digital timer to tell you exactly when your food is ready. You can program your cooking times from 30 minutes all the way up to 20 hours for a deep slow cooking. Rival crock pots automatically switch from cook to a lower temperature called warm when cooking is done to prevent overcooking. They also feature a removable stoneware pot for easy serving or cleaning.

There really is nothing higher quality than a nice slow roasted meal to warm your soul especially when it is cold out. If you want to create meals just like mom made in your own home then you should really look into Rival crock pots.

www.classiccrockpotrecipes.com -- Make the best chicken crock pot recipes with your slow cooker today. Just add some simple ingredients to your crockpot chicken and your will have a delicious meal. Prepare some slow cooker chicken recipes that taste great each and every time you cook. Find all types of crockpot chicken recipes for slow cooking here.

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Question by Janice Callister: Does anyone know where to get mini (I mean smaller than 1.5 qt) crock pots that Rival used to make?
It is used to "cook" fragrance puffs

Best answer:

Answer by bMelanco
No, but let me know if you find out where - it would be perfect for lunch.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Convenient Cooking Methods With Crock Pots

A slow cooker or crock pot is an electrical cooking device for countertop cooking. A crock pot works in different ways. Learn the different methods of crock pat and cook better meals.

Slow cooker is one of the versatile tools famous for making soups and stews. Cooking can be left unattended for hours. It has a removable pot made from ceramic glaze or porcelain, along with a lid and housing that contain a thermostatic electric heating element. Crock pots can both be utilized as a cooking container and a heat reservoir.

Operation
Slow cookers come in different sizes, from 16 oz to 7 quarts. There are different temperature settings used - low, medium, high, and keep warm options.

Slow cookers typically operate at an approximate of 200 °F in low setting. It is 300o F on high setting. Medium heat is qualified at 225o to 250o F,
Raw food with water or stock can be placed inside the pot, covered and switched on. Some foods need to be preheated. Some slow cookers can switch automatically from cooking to warming (160 °F to 165°F). The heating element can stop at a constant temperature when maximum heat is reached. Vapor turns to liquid and transfers heat back to the food.

Cooking Techniques
Most slow cookers come with free recipe booklets and guidelines. Here are some methods that may help cooking with a crock pot:
Browning Meats - Raw ground meats can be added directly to the crock pot, but browning it first will give better flavor and texture. It will also reduce meat fats. A roasted meat does not need to be browned at all.

Dried Beans - There are 3 methods of cooking beans on a crock pot:
• Beans can be cooked on a high-heat setting until tender.
• Another way is to cook about 2 to 3 hours on high heat and switch to low-heat for the next 8 to 10 hours.
• beans are cooked for about 2 hours in the traditional way. Turn off the crock pot and let it sit for about 8 to 24 hours. Other ingredients can be added. You can then cook this on low heat for about 8-12 hours until it is done. This method is best for baked beans because it allows the flavor to blend.

Vegetables - Chop root crops like carrots and potatoes no larger than 1-inch thick. Chop thinly because they take longer to cook compared to leaf vegetables.

Rice and Pasta - Cook rice with ¼ extra liquid or ¼ cup of uncooked grain rice for better results. Cook pasta only until it becomes slightly tender. Do not overcook.

Liquids - Liquids easily evaporate in the cooking process. It is always safe to add a little extra when needed.

Herbs and Spices - Spices and ground herbs easily lose taste when added early in the cooking process. It is best to add them when the dish is nearly done.

Soups - To make a thinner soup, add more water after cooking. For milk-based soups, one or two cups of water is enough. Stir in milk during the last hours of cooking.

Most crock pot cooking can be made into one dish. Use a single pot to reduced washing chores. Cooking on lower temperatures make cleaning easier.

Pre-boil kidney beans first before cooking in a crock pot. Otherwise, it can cause food poisoning.

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