Crock Pot Meals

As you probably have been reading on here I have self published my crock pot recipes on Amazon Kindle.  I did that because so many people now read on devices like Kindle, iPad, other tablets and even on their iPhone.  I think Kindle recipe books are the way of the future as you can now look up a recipe and have it in front of you as you cook.  That's great I think!

I have a Kindle eReader myself and enjoy reading on it especially when I travel.  Before that though I was reading books and recipes on Kindle for PC so I didn't miss out on the free and very low price books you can find on the Amazon site.  Most books are priced from 99c to $3.99 so you can find recipes for anything you want to make.

What I like about using kindle books when I cook is that I can make notes on the recipe I am making, bookmark a recipe or highlight text.  You ruin a real book if you do some of those things.  It can also come with me wherever I am cooking. 

I can also search for a recipe that has a particular ingredient eg onion and it will list where onion is mentioned in any of the recipes in a particular cookbook and you can go right to those recipes.  I think that in itself is great and saves me time.

Here's a quirky little video I did of my Slow Cooker Soups book I have published on Amazon Kindle.  Its short but fun.

Crock pots have come a long way since their introduction in 1970. Back then choices were pretty simple;  one crock pot with a ceramic insert, one crock pot lid option, and one crock pot color. Today our options are nearly endless. We can even purchase crock pot replacement parts for our favorite crock pot.

There are many options available in crock pots.  The shape of the crock pot inserts can be round or oval.  Crock pot lids can be a traditional lid or come with a clamp ensuring a spill free trip.  Accessories to assist in cooking include; a meat rack in a variety of sizes and styles, stainless steel forks and tongs, non-scratch slotted ladles, additional non scratch utensils are also available for your crock pot.

Crock Pots certainly make entertaining easy. Use the Rival 5-Quart Slow Cooker with Little Dipper to cook, warm and serve all at once (great for parties). Purchase additional crock pot inserts for additional servings with a large crowd.

No longer do we have to worry about our dishes spilling out as we travel. You can purchase crock pot lids which make the crock pots easily transportable with a clamp lid. Already have a crock pot? You can purchase a Crock Pot Travel Bag for large or small crock pots.  Any messes that may occur will be contained in the travel case not all over your vehicle or clothes.

Check out the full line of crock pot replacement parts, crock pot inserts and clamping crock pot lids in stores and online. You will find a full line of products to meet your every crock pot need.

Crock pots certainly have made making a great dinner in these busy times easy. But what do you do if you lose or break a lid, crock or other accessory for your crock pot?  Crock pot manufactures have made even that easy and convenient.

I have now included an auction at this site to help you find  the crock pot and replacement parts you need, just CLICK HERE to go there.

There is never a better time to purchase or update your crock pot than now. Enjoy an easy and delicious dinner tonight and know if accidents happen and you break something you can easy replace it.

Just a quick note to tell you I have just added a new page that lists an eBay Auction for new, vintage and unusual crock pots as well as parts, accessories and cookbooks. This auction will change so keep checking for what you are looking for.  If you are looking for some rare accessories then you might have to wait awhile.

If you haven't found that lid, recipe book or crock pot cake pan then this is the place to look.

Check it out - click on the link at the top right hand corner of the site or click on this link -> Crock Pots and Parts Auction

You can also get a free Crock Pot Vegetarian Cookbook by signing up to my newsletter...Click on the eBook cover and I will send it right to you.

I love fruit cake and this recipe is one of the simplest ones around.  Boiled fruit cake is easy to make and tastes good too and with the addition of some glace pineapple it adds to the sweet taste of the cake.

This cake may not look it but I cooked it in a cake tin in the slow cooker.  You get a nice cake and keep the kitchen cool as well.  I hope you enjoy it.

NOTE:  For a Christmas cake version make the amendments in orange below.

Read the rest of this entry

You may know about how good crock pots are for convenience for making easy meals but did you know you can now get a Crock-Pot Lunch Food Warmer to heat up those left overs you made the night before.  If you work in a busy office or cant get access to a microwave then this is something you are going to like to hear about.

This little warmer is 20 ounce capacity and the base comes out to easily clean even in the dishwasher.  Just plug it in when you get to work and your lunch will be hot when you need to eat it.  It is well sealed so no one else can smell your food warming up and you can set it up right at your desk.  It even has a travel lid to help you carry it.  Great for your own cooked leftovers, soup, oatmeal or stews or store bought meals as well.

Another use for this little Crock-Pot Lunch Food Warmer is for dips.  You can set it up at home, at work and at parties.  It is slightly bigger than the 16 ounce Little Dipper so you get a dual use for this great little appliance.  I am sure you can think of other uses but I know that I have the solution now for lunch time sorted out and will be taking my little Crock Pot Lunch Warmer as much as I can in place of those boring sandwiches.

This little unit comes in 4 colors, black, red, blue and pink.  I like the simple black color as I can see it being a versatile color but then that's a matter of taste isn't it.  Go and check them out and see if you can use them too for your next work lunch.

This is a very popular recipe but I think it is because it turns out so well every time so no one varies it.

Steak Teriyaki

Slice the steak thinly and place into the crock pot.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the steak and mix through.  Cover with the crock pot lid and cook on low for around 5 hours.  I serve it with rice but vegetables and mashed potato or pasta are nice for a change too.  The meat is lovely and tender and its one of our favorite dishes.

Note:  I add 2 cloves garlic but it depends what your tastes are whether you like the strong garlic taste.

I love lamb stew and this recipe is just delicious made in the crock pot.  Its a three step process but very easy and while it is cooking you have a lovely aroma through the kitchen and house.  I used the cheapest cuts of lamb I could get but just make them nice thick pieces.

Crock Pot Lamb Stew

Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the chops then add half to the crock pot and half of the vegetables. Place the rest of the chops on top with the remaining vegetables.  Add the flour and the curry to the frying pan and brown for a few minutes.  Combine the wine, plum jam, ketchup and stock together and add to the frying pan stirring constantly until it comes to the boil and thickens to a nice gravy.  Season with salt and pepper and pour over the chops and vegetables in the crock pot.  Cover and cook for 4 hours.

This crock pot lamb stew serves 4.  I accompany the meal with rice.  This is a another great crock pot meal to try.

Get all of the facts first before you buy your first crock pot. We like choice don’t we, and with crock pots there are plenty to choose from. Know what is the best crock pot for you and your family.

Take into account the following features when choosing your new crock pot:

Brand
The most popular brand is Rival and has the largest selection.  Another popular brand is Hamilton Beach which also has a good selection but there are dozens of brand names out there all trying to convince you they are the best.  Look around and check out the ranges and be familiar with the prices so you get the best crock pot at the best price.

Types
There are simple types of slow cookers that have 2 or 3 settings (high, low, off) and others are smart pot digital crock pots.  With these digital ones you can set the time you want to start cooking, keep warm, or turn off.

There are crock pots in one piece with non removable bowls.  You can also get two pieces with the bowl being able to be taken out to serve the food at the table, to clean, or store the cooked food in the refrigerator. Removable bowls have the advantage with large crock pots that they can be removed easier as they can be heavy.

Sizes
How big is your family and what do you want to cook in it?  You may only need a small crock pot for two or are you cooking for six and need a larger size?  The most popular sizes are 3-4 quarts for small families to a 6-7 quart for large families.

Shapes
Another thing to consider is the shape.  There are two shapes being round and oval.  Round is good for soups and stews and oval is good for cooking larger meats like whole chicken.

Lids
Lids should fit well and the domed ones are the best as they trap the heat and allow it to drip down back into the pot. You can also get a lid which clamps to seal so that it can’t spill when carrying.

Rival was the first crock pot and has the best selection and you probably cant go wrong with them. You can buy them at Department stores or easier still you can shop online at AMAZON.COM .  Buying a new crock should be enjoyable so go have some fun.

This crock pot beef stew is very easy to put together and you should have all the ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry.  The flavors of the red wine and mushrooms really gives this recipe its great taste so I encourage you to use the wine.  You can also use half and half of wine and beef stock if you prefer.

Turn on the crock pot to high and spray with some non stick spray .  Put the steak into the crock pot, add everything else except the mushrooms and then stir gently.  Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low and cook for 8 hours.   Add the mushrooms in the last 1/2 hour of cooking. You can thicken with cornflour or potato flour about the same time.  Remove the bay leaves from the crock pot before serving.  Oh, and I have forgotten that step once or twice and was the lucky one who got the crunchy bay leaf.

Serve this crock pot beef stew with rice or mashed potato and some peas, corn or other vegetables.   I must admit my favorite accompaniment with this crock pot meal  is sweet potato mash.  Serves 4

I fell in love with reading on the Kindle so I have made my slow cooker recipes available in the Kindle format.  Kindles are becoming so popular now being the biggest eReading platform in the world.  Amazon are the number 1 seller online in the world and really they do it so well. They sold over 1 million kindles over the Christmas season.

I have published 6 books so far with 5 of them being crock pot recipes.  They are just little books but packed with great recipes.  I am giving away 5 copies of my kindle format book  15 Mexican Style Slow Cooker Recipes to the first 5 people who reply to this post.  All I ask is that you do a quick review of the book on its Amazon page.  If you don't like Mexican food then you can could choose another one of the titles if you wish.

This is an opportunity to get free crock pot recipes to your Kindle, Kindle for PC or a Kindle Reading Ap for your Smartphone or iPad.

If you would like to participate in this giveaway then just click on the 'Leave your Comment' and make sure you put your correct email address so I can send it to you.  I will give you the link to the Amazon page where you can leave an honest review of the book.

OH here is a link to my Author's page -> Amazon Author - Pauline Harding to see all the titles.