Convenience in the Kitchen: Choosing & Using a Slow Cooker By Amanda Formaro Slow cookers, commonly referred to as a Crock-Pot® (although there are other brands), are great time savers for anyone who enjoys a hot meal at the end of a busy day. Simply assemble your meal in the morning, or the night before, and forget about it until dinner time. The fabulous aroma of home cooking fills your house and all you have to put together is a side dish, salad, or maybe some warm bread. Choosing & Purchasing Slow Cooker Recipes Mile-High Shredded Beef Sandwiches Lemon Garlic Chicken Ann's Boston Baked Beans Orange Glazed Carrots Zucchini Special Slow Cooker Spiced Mulled Cider Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes Slow Cooker Foolproof Rice Cooking Spaghetti Squash in a Slow Coooker Slow Cooker Rosemary or Basil Infused Oils Slow Cooker Tomatillo Salsa with Peppers Slow Cooker Cheese Fondue Slow Cooker Bacon Cheese Dip Slow Cooker Wild Rice Casserole Slow Cooker Broasted New Potatoes Slow Cooker Southern Style Green Bean & Potato Casserole Slow Cooker Lasagna Slow Cooker Coq au Vin Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Slow Cooker Pot Roast Slow Cooker Spicy Cajun Gumbo Slow Cooker Low Carb Chicken Chili Slow Cooker Low Carb Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Soup Slow Cooker Caramel & Chocolate Covered Apples Seven Layer Bars Breakfasts Slow Cooker Oatmeal Deluxe Slow Cooker Oatmeal Slow Cooker Hard Boiled Eggs Slow Cooker Western Omelet Casserole Slow Cooker Egg, Sausage & Cheese Casserole Slow Cooker Southwestern Style Egg, Sausage & Chili Casserole Fabulous Foods Recommends: Here's a slow cooker cookbook to take slow cooker cooking to the nest level, putting the appliance to some truly innovative and delicious uses. Click for more information or to order at a discount through Amazon.com. Buy A Slow Cooker Online! Amazon.com has a huge selection of slow cookers at discount prices. Click here to browse.     When you head out to the store, or click the online store button to purchase a slow cooker, be sure to get one that is large enough to suit your needs. If you live alone or there are only two or three people to feed, the small to medium size will work just fine. If it's family mealis you'll be preparing, you will want to purchase a larger slow cooker. Be sure to choose a model with a removable ceramic crock. Not only are they easier to clean, but you can assemble your meals the night before and then simply pop th crock into the cooker and turn it on. While you can find slow cookers at thrift stores and garage sales, you can also purchase one quite inexpensively at any retail outlet. Using Your Slow Cooker Slow cookers are wonderful for recipes you would normally prepare on the stove top, such as soups and stews, sauces, chili, etc. By preparing these types of things in the slow cooker, you free time to make other dishes or sides. Always put vegetables in first. Vegetables take longer to cook than meat does, so for layering purposes, start with vegetables, then meat, and finally seasonings and small amounts of liquid. Pastas or instant rice should only be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, or as your recipe directs. Avoid "peeking". While the urge to sneek a peek at the meal that is tempting , you will add 20-30 minutes to your cooking time. Lifting the lid during cooking allows valuable heat to escape. Slow cookers are designed to do just what you would expect, cook slowly. Most recipes will call for cooking times of 8-10 hours on the low setting. If you simply do not have that much time, you can adjust your cooking time down by 2-3 hours and increase the temperature to high. Slow cookers can be used at night to make awesome hot breakfasts. Simply fill your cooker before you go to bed and your breakfast will be ready when you rise in the morning. See recipe links below great Slow Cooker breakfasts. Cooking These days, people have schedules to keep track of their schedules! People are busy and finding time to fix a hot meal can be quite challenging. This is especially true for those who work outside of the home. The slow cooker allows you to prepare a piping hot supper to serve to your family any time of the year. Other benefits include less clean up because you only have one pot to wash, and no excessive heat in the kitchen due to the oven and stove working overtime. Slow cookers are wonderful for potlucks, church or social gatherings, parties, and travel. After cooking all day, it's easy to unplug your slow cooker and transport the entire meal to another location to be plugged back in. This is ideal for holidays at a relative's house where you have agreed to bring a portion of the meal. Safe Slow Cooking To be considered safe, a slow cooker must be able to cook food slow enough so that it can be left unattended, yet it must be fast enough to keep food at a safe temperature. How can you tell if your slow cooker will heat to a safe temperature? Follow these steps to ensure slow cooker safety: Fill your slow cooker with 2 quarts of tepid water. Heat on low for 8 hours. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the water quickly as the temperature can drop dramatically when the lid is removed. The temperature of the water should be 185 ° F. If the temperature is higher than 185°, this would indicate that a meal cooked for 8 hours without stirring would be overdone. If the temperature is below 185°, this could mean that your slow cooker does not heat food to an adequate temperature in order avoid potential food safety problems. Smart Guidelines to Follow Always begin with fresh or thawed meats, do not use meat that is still frozen. Rather than large cuts or roasts, cut meat into chunks. For poultry, do not use a whole chicken, but rather pieces (legs, thighs, breasts, etc). Cook meat on high for the first hour, turn slow cooker down to low for the remaining time. This allows the cooker to heat up quickly and "heat down" gradually. Recipes should include some form of liquid. If a recipe does not include a liquid, consider adding 1/2 cup of water or broth, or simply not using the recipe at all. Keep the lid closed. Opening the lid to take a peek adds precious cooking time in increments of 20-30 minutes EVERY TIME it is opened! Check the internal temperature with a thermomter to ensure that the food reaches 160°F. Do not use your slow cooker to reheat foods. This is simply not what your slow cooker was made to do. Free Slow Cooker Newsletter Lazy Gourmets Crockpot Cooking Newsletter is emailed weekly. For a free subscription, send any email to subscribe_cp@LazyGourmets.com. Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in southeastern Wisconsin. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine. Subscribe to her free weekly kid's craft newsletter, Busy Little Hands, by sending any email message to kidscrafts-on@mail-list.com.