I love to go to Pot Luck Parties and family gatherings where I take along a dish I have made to contribute to the meal.  The crock pots that have a lock down lid and handles make it easy to move the crock pot meal to your destination.   Slow Cooker Liners are good too as you can tie the contents up and then replace the lid so you wont spill any of the contents.

You can also buy a Crock Pot Travel Bag and this helps with transporting the hot crock pot as well.  There are two sizes so check that your crock pot will fit before buying.  Have you ever dropped a dish while trying to carry it?    I did, and it was one of my favorites that couldn't be replaced so don't let his happen to you.

I love being with family and friends and the crock pot is a great boon for when I am asked to 'take a plate'.  No fuss cooking, a great crock pot meal and no fuss carrying as well.   Making and taking your crock pot meal also helps the hostess/host with one less dish to heat in the oven.  I know my oven would not take more than about 4 casserole size dishes.

Crock pot meals make good choices for when you need to supply a meal so take your crock pot with you.

Tags: crock pot meals, Pot Luck Parties, Slow cooker

If you are looking for a simple recipe then Marinated Crock Pot Chicken is the one you will want to try.  You use a whole chicken and marinate it for a few hours then place in the crock pot and it does the rest.  How simple can it get!   The flavors of the marinade really penetrate the chicken and you can then thicken the liquid in the base of the crock pot for a lovely sauce.   I hope you like this recipe as I do.

Marinated Crock Pot Chicken

1 medium size whole chicken

For the marinade:

1/2 cup Teriyaki marinade sauce

2 teas chopped rosemary

1 teas honey

2 tabs lemon juice

1 clove garlic

rest of lemon after juicing

Combine all ingredients in a bowl except the garlic and the rest of the lemon (not used for the juice)  and stir well.   Place the garlic and the lemon in the chicken cavity and then pour the marinade over the chicken.   Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, basting with the marinade occasionally.  Place into the base of the crock pot and cook on high for about 4 hours.  You can baste it with the juices about twice during cooking, trying not to leave the lid off too long.  Remove the chicken and cut into serving pieces.  Thicken the juices with a little flour mixed with water to make a sauce to pour over the chicken.  Serve with rice or potatoes and vegetables.  Serves 4.

If you are looking for crock pot parts and accessories then see the eBay auction on this site- click here

Tags: chicken, crock pot chicken, crock pot recipe

This is a great crock pot meal to prepare and eat  on a cold rainy night to keep you warm inside.   It's easy to make this Beef Casserole with Paprika and you should have all the ingredients in your pantry although I have only become a fan of smoked paprika for about a year so I wouldn't have had that myself before then.

Casseroles are perfect for winter or when you know you haven't got much time to cook as you just set and forget in the crock pot.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you want to adjust it slightly then go ahead and let me know how it turns out.  Cooking is all about experimenting with the recipe to suit your tastes and this crock pot meal is no exception.

Beef Casserole with Paprika

1 kg steak cut into large cubes*
1 tab butter
2 onions, chopped
1 tab butter extra
1 tab plain flour
2 teas mustard
2 tabs tomato paste
1/2 teas regular paprika
1/2 teas smoked paprika
1/2 cup each of red wine and beef stock **
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat in the first lot of butter and remove to the crock pot.  Add the extra butter then add the onions and cook until clear then add the  flour.  Cook for a minute then add the rest of the ingredients to the pan.  Bring to the boil stirring constantly then pour over the meat in the crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours on high or 6 - 7 hours on low.  If  the casserole needs any more thickening do that now just before serving.  You may find you  need this as the meat does give off more juices during cooking.  Serves 4 - 5.

Serve  Beef Casserole with Paprika with rice, mashed potatoes or small whole potatoes.  As there are only two of us this crock pot meal makes two meals for us.  I serve it one night with the small potatoes topped with sour cream and steamed vegetables, and the next night with rice as a quick meal.

*  Cheaper cuts do well cooked on the low setting
** You can replace the red wine with the same amount of beef stock if you want.

Tags: beef, beef casserole with, crock pot meal

I got my crock pot cake pan for Christmas and already have made a few cakes in it.  The crock pot cake came out great in this pan.  It fits perfectly in my old crock pot which is a round one but not the smaller one I also have.  I  love crock pot baking with this pan. They are much harder to find in Australia compared to in the US but I was fortunate to obtain one through an eBay auction.  Rival in the US and Monier in Australia made these cake pans for use in their round crocks many years ago.

You don't have to have a crock pot cake pan to cook cakes in the crock pot.  You can use an ordinary cake pan or other dish that fits your crock base.  I just like having the vented lid which means I don't need to add paper towel over my cake when cooking to absorb the moisture.  With it having a lid you can use it also to carry your cake in.

When buying a crock pot cake pan check the circumference of the pan and make sure it fits your crock pot.  There is a deep size that you can get also which may not fit into even some of the larger pots because of the height so you see it is important to check for sizes before buying any cake pan.  You need to be able to put the lid on your crock pot as well as the crock pot cake pan.

I love crock pot baking and they make crock pot cooking even easier.  I store the cake pan in my crock pot so no extra space is required in my cupboard.  A crock pot cake bakes well in the slow cooker and even rises well too.  Why not get a crock pot cake pan yourself for your own slow cooker.

Tags: crock pot baking, crock pot cake, crock pot cake pan, Slow cooker

This crock pot recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice is one I used to make many years ago and forgot all about it until recently.  I originally had changed it slightly from one of the recipes that came with the crock pot.

My tastes have changed a little since then again and I like my food a bit spicier now so amend this recipe to your own tastes.  You can spice up the filling a bit more if you like with fresh chopped chili and/or other herbs.  You could also add a couple of tablespoons of sweet chili sauce to the recipe but then reduce the wine.

Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice

4 - 6 bell peppers (capsicum)

2 med onions, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb (500g) minced beef

salt and pepper

1/4 cup white wine or stock

1 large ripe tomato chopped or canned tomato

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup stock or tomato juice (from canned tomato)

4 - 6 pieces of bacon (one for each pepper)

1/4 cup corn kernels (cooked or canned)

handful of basil chopped

Grated cheese (optional)

Turn crock pot on to high and spray with non stick spray.  See how many peppers will fit into your crock pot.  Take the top off the peppers and seed them, then put aside.  Combine onions, garlic, beef, corn and salt and pepper.  Add the rice and the basil and fill the peppers, pressing the mixture into each.  Top with a piece of bacon.   Pour over the stock (or tomato juice).  Cover the crock pot and cook for 3 -4 hours.  Top with grated cheese or add just before serving.  You can serve these stuffed peppers with salad or  steamed vegetables as a meal or serve alone as an entree.

If you have any left over mixture you can roll it into balls, coat with breadcrumbs and fry.  You can heat and serve these as a snack or with fried eggs for breakfast.  I used fairly large peppers and could only fit 4 in my crock pot.  I think they are nicer though a bit smaller and then you will fit more in especially if you use an oval crock pot.   I hope you enjoy this crock pot recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice.

Tags: Bell pepper, crock pot recipe, stuffed peppers with

The crock pot makes winter cooking easy.  You can prepare cheap easy meals from your slow cooker including soups, stews, desserts and cakes.  Fill the crock pot, turn it on, walk away and come back to delicious crock pot meals.  I cook a lot of soups in winter and all of them are prepared in the slow cooker.  You will be able to make cheap and easy crock pot meals with little preparation.  Soups are great to freeze for later as well, so if you are cooking on a budget soups are great value.

When most people think of crock pot cooking they think of cooking stews only, and they do cook well by slow cooking, but in winter I also cook most of my puddings, cakes and other desserts in the crock pot.  Last winter I also started cooking breakfasts also.  If you are a busy person, then why not get out that crock pot this winter and if you haven't already got one you can buy one at a great price on eBay or Amazon.  Check out the eBay auction on this site for current listings.

We are all cooking on a budget these days and the slow cooker helps you save money as you can use less expensive cuts of meat, use less electricity, cook in bulk and have more home made meals instead of dining out. Cooking in winter is always more pleasant than the hot steamy days of summer so this winter why not try some nutritious and easy crock pot meals.  Cooking on a budget has never been easier.

TO CHECK OUT:    Frugal Mom's Guide to Once a Month Cooking is here!  Not only does it have over 70 mom-tested once a month cooking recipes, but complete step-by-step instructions for doing once a month cooking, and lots of great forms to help you!
Click here for more information.

Tags: cooking on a budget, Crock Pot, crock pot meals, Slow cooker

Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

I hope you have a  safe and happy holiday season.

Silent Night

Please watch the video above sung by Susan Boyle and footage from Franco Zeffirelli's production of "Jesus of Nazareth."

I hope you get what you wish for this Christmas.  I asked for a crock pot cake tin so there will be more recipes using it in the future.

I look forward to seeing you again in the New Year.  This year as gone so fast and now we have a week until 2010.

Tags: Add new tag, Christmas and holiday season, Merry Christmas

You have a crowd coming for Christmas or the New Year and you are cooking for them.  How do you make sure this event is a success?

Do your homework!  What kind of foods do they like, what can you make, what can you buy, does anyone have food allergies and what is your budget are some of the questions you need to ask yourself.  Draft up a menu and don't forget snacks, bread and drinks.  Pin that up or put it on the fridge for a few days.  You will probably add or subtract to it in that time.

Now you need a grocery list for each dish on your menu.  Check your recipes so you don't forget anything.  Work out when you are going to buy everything.  Perishables will have to be left until last but other goods can be bought ahead and stored.  Work out how you are going to make all the food and which ones you will buy in.  Don't forget the crock pot recipes here as they can be made a day or two before your dinner/lunch.

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Tags: Cooking, crock pot recipes, Holidays

Cooking at Christmas can be stressful.  I seem to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking.  This year I am determined to prepare as much as I can beforehand so I am free to enjoy myself more.  Crock pot Christmas cooking makes life easier for you.  Also if you cook in your crock pot it frees up room in your oven for other cooking.  You can put your crock pot on in the morning and it cooking slowly during the day.  Cook the dessert in the crock pot and have the oven free for the main meal.

I have two size crock pots and the small one is good for cooking foods such as fondues and dips and even making gifts like chutneys and spiced nuts.  You can even make hot drinks such as cider in your crock pot.  Here is a recipe which I think you will enjoy for your Christmas cooking.

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Tags: Christmas cooking, Crock Pot, Fondue

If you like a mess free life then you might like to start using a crock pot liner for your crock pot meals.

Not only are crock pot liners good for no mess cooking but you can use them to transfer food to another contained which is really helpful when taking that cooked dish to another location such as a Pot Luck party.  You can also seal up that liner in the crock pot itself which will help prevent spillage.

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Tags: Cooking, crock pot liners, crock pot meals