I like this quote:  I'm a meat girl and I just love having a beer....Jill Goodacre

Looking for an easy crock pot meal?  Then this Beef  'n Beer Casserole recipe is for you.  This is  a recipe where you just put all the ingredients into the crock pot slow cooker and stir it occasionally during cooking.  Nothing really can go wrong with it, so if you are a novice cook this is the beef recipe for you.   Put it up and put it on in the morning and your dinner is cooked when you come home from work.

Beef  'n Beer Casserole

As there are only 2 of us I freeze half the quantity and have it for another meal later in the week.  If I am in a hurry I can then just defrost it, heat and serve with crusty bread for a quick meal.

This pineapple upside down cake is one of my recipes that I have adapted for the crock pot .  I can let it cook while I'm out shopping or in the yard, gardening and I have a dessert cake for afternoon tea or for dinner.  I used a 7 - 8 inch cake tin that fits into my crock pot but you don't need to if  yours has a removable liner.  I just find it easier to turn the cake out onto a plate without it sticking.

Ingredients:

Pour the melted butter into the crock pot base and sprinkle over the brown sugar.  Arrange the pineapple rings over the top with the glace cherries. If your crock pot base is oval cutting the pineapple will help to arrange it more evenly.

To make up the cake mix cream the butter and caster sugar until light and then beat in the egg and vanilla, mixing well.  Sift the flour and fold into the batter alternatively with the milk.  Pour into the crock pot slow cooker over the pineapple base.  Cover with several paper towels and cook on high for 1.5 hours.  Don't open the lid until cooking nearly finished.  Turn onto serving plate while still very warm so the topping doesn't stick to the base of the pot.

Serve the pineapple upside down cake with a dab of cream or ice cream for a dessert or just warmed up with a cup of tea or coffee.

There has been many a time when I wanted to bake a cake but I already had the main meal cooking in the oven.  The solution was to use the crock pot and cook the cake in that so that's what I did.  It is really a mini oven and bakes most cakes very well.  Fruit cakes and self topped/iced cakes cook very well in the crock pot.  I am amazed at how well the cakes rise in the crock pot.

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I like this crock pot recipe as it goes a long way and is good to take to pot luck parties or just when you want easy meals your family and friends they can help themselves to.  I cook this crock pot meal usually for Sunday night dinner and have it again Monday night.  It saves me cooking at least one night.

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Here's an easy recipe for your lunch or dinner today.

You will need:
8 potatoes (medium sized)
Small amount of oil
Cooking salt
Foil

Brush the potatoes with oil and prick them all over (don't overlook this step).  Rub them with salt then wrap them in foil.  I actually use my hands with the oil then the salt but you can use a pastry brush. Turn on the crock pot to low and place the wrapped potatoes on the base.  No liquid is needed so don't add any.  Cover and cook for 8 hours.  If you decide to use small potatoes then reduce the cooking time only by about an hour.

I had left over chili con carne in my freezer so I used that as the topping that day.   I sprinkled some shredded cheese as well over the top.  You can use whatever you have in the pantry, fridge or freezer for toppings or you can try one of the ones below.

Here are 6 other toppings you can use:
1. Shredded cheese and salsa
2. Chopped Onions, bacon and tomatoes
3. Cream cheese and chopped chives
4. Pineapple, chopped ham and shredded cheese
6. Tuna, corn and mayo

Allow at least 2 per person. You can serve the topped potatoes with salad if you wish. This dish makes a good weekend lunch or Sunday night dinner. Cooking these baked potatoes in the crock pot is so easy.

If your crock pot has a cracked lid or you want to replace the bowl then check out Crock Pot Meals Auction site.

A friend of mine, Jane, loves her Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker so I have asked her to do a review to post here.  This is a family sized  6 qt crock pot and so I would not buy one this size so I am glad that she is happy to review it for us.

Here is her review:

I bought my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker last year and I have cooked many meals in it.  I love the look of the attractive stainless steel outside and that it goes with my other kitchen appliances. You can get it in white too if you like.  It has a removable stoneware crock like most other crock pots but this one is very easy to clean and will go in the dishwasher.

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I like pea and ham soup but this week I couldn't find any bacon or ham bones so I compromised and used bacon rashes instead with this recipe.   It worked out fine but I think I still would prefer the bacon bones.  I suppose in the end it is a matter of taste and what is available.

This pea, bacon and celery soup is super easy and so simple to make even the kids could make this crock pot meal.  Why not let them try it and give you a break from cooking.

Pea, bacon and celery soup

Put everything in the crock pot and turn on to low and cook for 6 hours.  Remove bones and cut meat off and put aside. Remove a cup of the soup, making sure to include mainly the peas and celery but with only a little liquid, puree the rest and then add the reserved soup and meat back in, and stir well.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with toast, croutons or fresh bread rolls.  Serves 4.

note:  If you like a thicker soup you can add some cornflour at the end or even a small can of cream corn.

Experiment with your soup recipes to get the taste you and your family like.  You can't really spoil anything in the crock pot and soups make great warming meals on the weekend.  I also froze half the soup as we are only a family of two so that is another meal I have for the week sometime when I am busy.  Enjoy your crock pot meal!

I like this Mulligatawny soup because it has a lot of flavor and is really warming on a cold night.  Making it in the crock pot makes the process just so easy. Crock Pot meals are so much easier than conventional meals especially for someone like me who is working full time as I can set it and forget it.  I like soup made the day before though,  so I usually  make it on the weekend and store it in the refrigerator and take it to work for lunch or have an instant quick dinner ready.  Here's my recipe for Mulligatawny soup which can be made with chicken or you can leave it out for a vegetarian alternative.

Mulligatawny Soup

You can adjust this recipe as well by adding a little thyme, grated lemon peel  or some coconut milk for a slightly different taste. You could also try using lentil instead of the rice. Crock pot meals are easy and I hope you try this one out for yourself.

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I have a goal for 2009 and that is to lose some weight, but eating healthy and low-fat can be very difficult nowadays. We don't have time to cook and don't even have time to go to a good restaurant. The result of this is eating fast foods or snacks and putting on weight. The more unhealthy food we eat, the less good health we have and I have to watch my cholesterol as well these days. But it is possible to eat cook and eat healthy without spending lots of time by using low fat crock pot recipes in our crock pot slow cooker.

This year I am going to think about my health, and try cooking healthy and low-fat food with my crock pot.

A lot of crock pot recipes use canned food and other prepared mixes, but there are diet crock pot
recipes, that have low sodium and low fat ingredients that will make your food taste better with healthy choices. Use low fat crock pot recipes that have fresh ingredients where possible.  Also, trim skin and fat from all the meats you use for cooking, and try using fresh, instead of canned vegetables (when in season) for a healthy recipe alternative.

A few examples of low fat crock pot recipes that you can try:

Pork Roast with Vegetables
This a slow cooking recipe, which takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare. Includes boneless pork roast, vegetable oil, peeled sweet potatoes, acorn squash, apple butter, horseradish, corn and spices. The dish is cooked in the crock pot for about 7 to 9 hours until the pork and vegetables are tender and it tastes delicious.

Beef Stew in Crock Pot
Another diet crock pot recipe that has only five ingredients and only 20 minutes of preparation time is this one and you have a great low-fat and healthy dish ready to cook. Includes beef, potatoes, tomatoes,  peppers and onions, spices and salt. Cook on low in the crock pot for about 7-8 hours. Thicken with a little flour if needed.

Tender Chicken with Apples
One more of the low fat crock pot recipes that is prepared in 20-25 minutes and cooked about 7 hours on low. Combine orange juice, garlic, onion, chicken breasts, sliced apples, spices.

I will be posting some more low fat crock pot recipes in more detail in the next few weeks. These healthy recipes will help you stay in shape, and cooking with the low fat and diet crock pot recipes will save you time in the kitchen without sacrificing a healthy dinner.

For great recipes RIGHT NOW then buy a great COOKBOOK at AMAZON by Judith Finlayson called The Healthy Slow Cooker.

I love the convenience the crock pot gives me for having a home cooked meal on my dinner table during my working week.  I made this little You Tube video and I thought I would share some Crock Pot Love with you.   Its just a bit of fun with some funky music.

Just a note:  I will be adding some more recipes for the holidays in the next few weeks.  I hope you enjoy them and if you have any suggestions please let me know.  I love this time of year especially leading up to Christmas so spread a little crock pot love yourself.

Let's use our crock pots to make the holiday season a little easier and let's spend less time in the kitchen and more time with our families and friends.  I love cooking but I love to relax with great food without the work even better.  If you are looking for some ideas for cooking then go than further than the large selection at AMAZON for CROCK POT RECIPES.