The slooooow cooker

We had a family luncheon on Sunday to celebrate my husband's birthday. I'm very far from what anyone would honestly call a great cook - or even a good cook - but I'm the one who usually winds up preparing these meals, so I'm always looking for the easy way out so I won't embarrass myself and my family.

Of course, the easiest way out would be to get someone else to do it or have it catered or just take everybody out to eat, but since I usually can't do any of those things, the next best solution that I have found is the slow cooker.

The crock pot is a great invention for people who really don't have much time to cook, those who are working full-time, maybe raising a family, and commuting to and from work, as well as ferrying kids to their various activities. Been there, done that, and have the wrinkles to prove it.

Now, I have the time to cook, but I really prefer to spend that time doing other things that I enjoy more, so the crock pot is still one of my best friends in the kitchen, right up there with my ancient KitchenAid stand mixer and my food processor.  One-pot meals are my favorite way to go and it's really hard to mess up such a recipe. You just kind of toss everything into the crock pot and let it do the work for you.

One way you can mess it up is with the seasonings. Too much or too little of a good thing makes a really big difference in the way the food tastes. That's why I was interested when I ran across this blog post today (one day too late!) which had a helpful hint about seasoning food in the slow cooker.
Hold back on the seasoning when you prepare your meal, then reinforce it at the end. Fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of hot sauce also go a long way. 
"Well, big duh!," you might be saying, but, as I said at the beginning, I am not a great cook and it's something that I just hadn't really thought about. I tend to season my food as I put it in the pot and sometimes it winds up over- or under-seasoned. I'm going to try to remember this tip for the future though, and who knows? Maybe it will make a better cook of me. I may never achieve greatness, but maybe I can at least achieve...mediocrity.

Comments

  1. troutbirderMarch 27, 2012 at 6:51 AM

    Indeed slow cookers are good and saved my butt when I retired and my spouse was still working.
    also good were your comments on Geraldo and "Freedom." Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMarch 27, 2012 at 8:36 AM

      Thanks, troutbirder. Yes, slow cookers are a great invention and have often saved the butts of many of us less than expert cooks.

      Delete

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