Chapter 1 - What is a slow cooker?

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2 Introduction You walk into your kitchen and glance at your slow cooker for the millionth time. It s just sitting in your kitchen and you wonder what the heck to do with it. Does this sound familiar to you? A lot of us naturally prefer to use the trusty stove to cook, but did you know that many foods actually taste much better when cooked in a slow cooker? Yes they do indeed! Read on to gather very simple tips on hacking your slow cooker with some pizazz. I strive to share easy ideas for families at homemakinghacks.com and I truly hope you enjoy these simplistic tips to get you started on taking control of your slow cooker! Let s start with the very basics and then explore all of the many wonderful ways that your slow cooker can be a huge asset to you and your busy life style. You might be surprised that it can also be beneficial to you in the warm summer months too!

3 Chapter 1 - What is a slow cooker? In simple words, it is a type of electrical appliance used to cook which is also commonly referred to as a Crock- Pot. It s mainly used for the purpose of slow cooking or simmering and is used in cases when the food needs to be cooked for a long period of time on a low heat setting. In short, the name slow cooker seems just appropriate for it. Let s explore the reasons and potential benefits of using a slow cooker. It is a great way to utilize your time effectively. All you have to do is throw your ingredients into a slow cooker and tend other things on our to-do list or even run some errands. By the time you re done, your meal will be just ready to be served. Since it is set on a low temperature it saves the fear of having your food burnt or over cooked. Score! When vegetables and meats are cooked for longer time and made to simmer, they absorb all of the flavors more deeply and as a result the food will taste even better than other quick cooking options. All the natural and nutritious components of the ingredients used are

4 retained and the food can potentially also be extra healthy. You can save time and still not compromise on the taste with this method. Another great reason is that you won t need to shell out big bucks on buying precisely cut high quality meat. With this type of cooking the meat gets cooked until its tender and is delicious as ever! The icing on the cake is that is requires less oil when compared to other forms of cooking as most of the cooking in the crock pot in done in the moisture that is retained inside. It reduces the cleaning process as it is just one vessel which you will be using for the entire cooking process. Besides saving time and effort, it also saves electricity as it requires low energy and is automatically set on a low temperature.

5 Chapter 2 - Some quick tips for effective use Now that we ve tackled the basics of using a slow cooker which is to simply add the food, set the temperature and to punch the start button. Here are some tips to help you maximum the benefit from your slow cookers. Read ON! Make sure to use the correct size slow cooker as this will give you a good idea of the amount of ingredients you should be adding. Do not overfill or under fill the ingredients as this will only spoil the taste. Add only according to the space and moisture that the cooker can retain and handle. If following a recipe, make sure to pay attention to the size of slow cooker recommended for use. Avoid the invincible urge to peek-a-boo! Yes, every time you look in, you are allowing the heat to escape from the cooker which will elongate the cooking time. It is best recommended to check few minutes prior to the end time just to decipher if the food has been cooked to your taste or not. To optimize the flavor of your dishes, this useful tip comes into play amazingly. Before adding in your vegetables and meat, try to fry or sauté it in a pan with a little oil till it turns golden brown. This little

6 step will make a world of difference and definitely enhances the taste. The result is a deeply flavored and caramelized dish which tastes nothing short of perfect. Another very important tip is to avoid overcrowding the cooker with ingredients. This will result in spilling and partly cooked meal which not only is a waste of time but also lacks taste and texture. Adding too many extra huge chunks of meat can also lead to undercooked results. Cut them accordingly before you add them to the pot. Take extra precaution with frozen poultry and meats. The USDA recommends thawing prior to using in a slow cooker. For better results layer your food effectively. Add the vegetables like potatoes to the bottom and pile the meat on the top. If you are adding dairy products, you can add them towards the end of the cooking process; say 15 to 20 minutes before the end time. To finish off, garnish your food while it s still on warm to maximize the flavor.

7 Chapter 3 - Innovative ways to use a Slow Cooker You have always resorted to your high powered oven to bake those delicious brownies that you love so much right? Try them for a change in the slow cooker. All you have to do is grease your cooking pot with some cooking spray and line with parchment paper. They also sell slow cooker liners at many grocery stores. Prepare the batter and pour it into the appliance. Cook it on a low for 3 and ½ hours with the lid covered and post the time remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares and enjoy. Another secret tip is that you can actually make candles in your slow cooker! Surprised and dazed? Yes it s true! All you need is some wax (preferably from old used and almost ending candles) wicks, essential oils of your choice, some fragrance and colouring dye and you are all set to begin. You can actually make your very own homemade candles with personalized fragrance. I d recommend searching for a tried and true recipe before giving this a try. Burgers! Who doesn t love burgers? And making them at home has never been easier. All you need to do is prepare the meat or meat

8 balls using all the seasoning and ingredients that you usually use for burger. Place the balls in the crock pot and flatten them. Pour your secret sauce over them and allow the patties to be cooked for a good 8 to 9 hours on a very low setting. The end results are big juicy, delicious burgers that feel just too sinful to indulge in. Another creative idea is to tenderize corn in your slow cooker. If you have been using the grill or oven since forever, then save yourself the trouble. Try this simple method. Add your usual seasonings and wrap it with some foil. Fill the pot with half an inch of water and place the foil wrapped corn into the slow cooker. Cook for about 6 hours until its tender. Save yourself the task of checking on it a million times. Even better is the result: deliciously tender corn that has absorbed the seasoning to its maximum potential! It is a blessing in disguise for all those who love yogurt. Preparing your flavored yogurt is just so very simple with the slow cooker and can be done without any hassle. I recommend scoping out a good recipe to try this. Who would have ever imagined that pudding can be concocted in a slow cooker? It is ideal as it enhances the flavor and texture. Let s try bread pudding for a change. Grease and line your cooker and place the bread slices in it. Prepare the batter using milk, cream, vanilla, eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder and mix it well. Pour the batter over the bread pieces and cover the lid and cook on a low setting for about 3 hours till the pudding sets. Sunday mornings can now be really lazy and cozy. All you need to do is throw in some ingredients in the cooker the previous night and it will be ready on time the next day. Slow cooked oatmeal makes for a healthy and innovative meal and comes across as an extremely unusual way to use a slow cooker. Add the oatmeal in the crock pot along with other ingredients like nuts, fruits and basically anything that you prefer and some water or milk as your taste commands you to. Set the slow cooker on low and let it cook over night or for about 8 to 10 hours. It would indeed be a good morning the next day. These are some tips or hacks on using your slow cooker for the best results. You can always experiment a bit in and around and come up with more options. Set it, forget it and your meal is ready! Enjoy!

9 Chapter 4 - Tips on converting a normal recipe into a slow cooker recipe Most of us just love the concept of slow cookers as they are enormously convenient and great time-saving tools. The good news is that you can actually convert most normal or oven based recipes into slow cooker recipes. Sounds too good to be true? Well, read on to decide. The first and foremost tip/trick is to find the right type of recipes. Choose one that can be modified like soups, stews and sauces. Select something similar and always look for recipes that require longer hours of cooking. Slow Cookers have been designed in a way that creates steam and allows the food to be cooked in the moisture. This method requires less fluid so it is extremely significant to reduce the amount of liquid than that which the original recipe demands. For example, if the recipe requires about 8 cups of water, start by adding only 5. Experiment your way through it. Identify the ingredients as some of them cannot be added directly without prior cooking. Meat in general is beneficial to pre-cook to make it partially tender or at least to the extent which removes the rawness from them. It is also a good idea to sauté onions and garlic

10 before adding them to the pot to add a pop of extra flavor. This will only enhance the taste and texture further and the end result will be absolutely scrumptious. It is very crucial to set the right temperature. Even slow cookers have high and low options so choose them wisely. For example, if the original recipe uses about 30 minutes of cooking, then the slow cooker recipe will require about 5 to 6 hours at a low temperature and about 2 to 3 hours on high. Just use your discretion and make the right decision. Even if you do not follow the recipe accurately, try to keep within the basic parameters. For instance, if the dish allows you to add meat first and the vegetables later on and seasoning towards the end, just follow those but in a modified manner. If you are using hard vegetables like potatoes, carrots and so on, add them along with the meat. For soft and easily cooked vegetables like broccoli, add them to the cooker halfway through the cooking time. This will ensure that all the ingredients are cooked just to the right degree and will save any over or under cooking disasters. It is all about experimenting and loving your food that makes anything possible. Try it and you will eventually get the hang of tweaking any recipe to slow cooker recipes. That s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks for your slow cooker. Make sure to find me and share your own creations. Can t wait to hear all about it!

11 Chapter 5 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes to Get You Started Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheese 3 Ingredient Fiesta Slow Cooker Chicken 3 Ingredient Autumn Pork Loin 3 Ingredient Fiesta Chicken Brisket with Sweet Onions Slow Cooker Tangy Meatballs Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Christmas Whole Chicken Recipe 4 Ingredient Slow Cooker Whole Turkey How to Cook Pumpkin in a Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake in the Slow Cooker Death by Chocolate Slow Cooker Cake Shop for slow cookers, helpful products and cookbooks at my Slow Cooker Shop. I truly hope you enjoyed these slow cooker tips and tricks! I d like to personally invite you to come visit me at HomemakingHacks.com for more fresh new ideas for families!