Slow cooker....Am i really missing out?

[christy]

Oh Netix that doesn't sound good.

I use my SC on Tuesday & Thursdays while I'm at work, Tuesdays is soup night and Thursdays is curry night or casserole etc etc...

I turn the SC on around 7am and I put my meat in frozen and my veges frozen. I turn it off at 4pm (or MIL or DH). I've always had everything cook through.

Sometimes during summer I do a roast chook where I actually put a partially frozen chook in the SC for the entire day and it comes out perfect! I serve it with salad and mashed potatoes for the kids. We love it.

[briggsy's girl]

netix - i'll post the stuff i made at the weekend tomorrow - almost fool proof! all made with base ingredients that i knew my aunt would buy (she has a disablity so i had to simplify the stuff heaps!) not a single failure (and we tested them all at the weekend!)

[Netix]

Goodness! I feel as if I really have hijacked this thread! My apologies!

Thanks for the hugs Brontide, makes me feel a little better. I do put the veges at the bottom. So far have tried with sliced potatoes, another time with carrots, and another time with onions. Several attempts with both the potato and carrots actually, including making stews, where the meat and veg were both waaaay underdone (meat was cooked, but not tender, and it was on low for about 6-8 hours).

Hang on, I did once make a pea and ham soup that turned out well. Which didn't end up being that great, seeing as the Man doesn't actually eat pea and ham soup. Again .

Christy; you put frozen things in your SC? Waaaaaaaaaa!

BG; thank you. But you know what they say about things being idiot proof don't you.... (me idiot, no one else)

[briggsy's girl]

netix, no offence, but if my aunt can make it, anyone can (she has an intellectual disability and never progressed beyond about 12!) the recipes we did up for her are THE most basic we could find - so we cheated and used jars and things rather than making from scratch as i would for DH and I - she didn't manage to stuff any of them up on the weekend which i'm mighty impressed with!

will go post in the SC recipe threads now - these are truly simple recipes!

[ladybird11]

Great thread Cas - with baby # 2 due in July I've been debating about getting a slow cooker!!

You ladies sold me!! No more 5pm rush hour for me!!!!

[briggsy's girl]

okies, four or five SUPER basic recipes posted https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...r-19-a-12.html. have some non slow cooker super easy ones too if anyone wants them posted. as i said, if my aunt can make them with no drama, they are pretty damn simple!

[Netix]

Thank you BG, and no offence taken. I feel so . Everything else, I can cook. SC....

I kept my SC because I was so annoyed with myself that I couldn't get things right. I would always think to myself, surely it couldn't be that difficult to get something going well in there!

I will be trying to make soups, (not pea and ham) and if the Man doesn't eat them, then he'll have to get himself something to eat (much to his displeasure though )

Let's see these new recipes..... BG...

(or those who've had issues in the past) these might get your mojo happening again!

You could have just said it was me! I'm a big girl . What size SC do those recipes do? Is it the 6.5L? I will be trying the braised lamb, and beef, and the soup. Doesn't the broccoli over cook and go brown? Thank you for re-inspiring me to try and make friends with my SC once again.

Is it true that taking the lid off to look/stir adds extra cooking time?

[Meo]

Is it true that taking the lid off to look/stir adds extra cooking time?

Yupp, every time you take the lid off to look/stir, you should add at least 15 mins to the cooking time. The thing with slow cookers is that because they're on so low, it takes quite a while for them to get back up to that accumulated cooking temperature.

Brontide, I'll try and put it up tonight. Not an original, but adapted from an EXTREMELY sweet American recipe (can you say a half CUP of maple syrup?! )

[briggsy's girl]

i've never had brocolli change color - it cooks long and slow not hard and fast and i've never had it change color at all!

[kas]

Thanks ladies, your advice and info is swaying me closer to a purchase. I might investigate tomorrow whilst i am at the shops.

Netix, don't worry about hijacking the threads, anyway your ?s have been most helpful.

[Netix]

Thanks Kas. I didn't want to tread on your toes. Thank you also for starting this thread, as it has renewed my interest in keeping and getting the most out of my SC.

[Astrid]

I have a SC with a divider, it divides about a 1/3 of the way along. Whilst I find it a pain as it stops me from roasting, or using large ham hocks, it is good for cooking 2 different dishes at once. I have done a dinner (chilli con carne) and a dessert (apple crumble) at once. It might be an option for those of you that often cook 2 dinners.

[Meo]

Astrid, that sounds like a great design for me - could you tell us what brand you have please?

Brontide, FYI I've added the baked beans recipe in the slow cooker forum.

[Visitor8]

I only just got mine a couple of months ago. I love it! I made the BEST roast turkey in it... I have never had it so tender. I had it on low and it took 8 hours.
I left it on while I went out for an hour. Didn't even cross my mind actually...
There is a thread on here with recipes?!? I am off to hunt it down!

[Astrid]

Astrid, that sounds like a great design for me - could you tell us what brand you have please?

It is a Russell Hobbs one, got it a few years ago so not sure if they still make it with the division.

[amberj]

There are only two things I don't like about my SC. One is that its a pain to clean. The other is that I kind of find that most things I make in it (most red meat dishes, anyhow) all kind of have the same taste. Its a very nice taste, but its like this kind of generic slow cooker taste, doesn't seem to matter the kind of sauce- anyone else get that?

But I agree with all the others- they are seasonal, but really awesome. And so, so, so, easy.