You've prett much spoken for me. Whenever possible I use a crockpot with a liner. Love them!!! I will also make a big pot full of swoup(which can be made in the morning) or a roaster full of something like cabbage which lasts more than a couple days. My husband's favorites in the pot are chili or chicken soup. Takes alot of pressure off of me.

good to hear you can do crockpot meals with the liners...I happen to have a slow cooker not crockpot...mine is oblong and liner wouldn't be made for it but it is teflon coated metal and it cleans easy...but I really rarely use it...

I do a lot of pizza and in summer bbq all the time...I also par boil bratwurst and italian sausages...or even smoked sausages or polska keilbasa...I really don't cook other stuff much...I have rice cooker and now that I used rice to help my laptop dry out I have loads of rice to cook...it is smallest of rice cookers for one person 4cup max...so I cook maybe cup or so each time or less...problem is cleaning that thing...ugggh...rice sticks and I soak it then scrub it then run it in dishwasher with cascade complete with enzymes to eat left of stuff...
I also eat out alot...costly but easy for one to do...just too much of my budget goes away that way...

Hi. You've probably already done this but thought i'd add my tip. I try and spread the preparation stuff out. I'll peel the vegies etc in the morn then put them in cold water til I'm ready to cook in the evening. I'm lucky in that while I cook most nights my husband does the washing up, do you have someone who could do that for you?. Your probably like me and in a lot of pain by the time the meal is ready and i know if i had to face the washing up i probably wouldn't even want to eat. i also love those crock pots except the beautiful smell has my stomach growling by 4pm lol...

For those tough stains I simply apply a little peanut butter on them, then whistle for the dogs, LOL They do a very nice job, mind you only when the wife is out of town. When she home I'm stuck scrubbing it since, "me the man",Blaine

Frozen pizzas. Frozen sandwiches that I get at Sam's.

Then there's always McDonalds and Taco Bell.

Great tips

Keepsake.....love the dollar menu at McDonalds...I can buy the kids two sandwhich s ea. and me one for all of $5! You can't cook that cheap:)

I marinated some thin steaks this morning. Popped them on a very hot grill.....3 min. On ea. side, then did some breaded okra that took 5 min. In the deep fryer. I had supper on the table in 6 min. Flat!!

Sounds really yummy too.

I use an electric pressure cooker which is also a crockpot. I can throw in frozen chicken breast or meat with broth and done in a shirt while. If already thawed I add veggies. My husband cleans the kitchen. Always a fruit salad- apples,oranges and bananas without a dressing or maybe yogurt.

I do alot of prep ahead of time....but I also love to cook. I'll pick a Saturday or Sunday and shop up a bunch of peppers or onions or carrots, etc. and bag them in my vacuum sealer and toss them in the freezer in portion sizes, that way when I need them I have them all ready to go. I do the same with Chicken....I buy a ton of boneless skinless breasts and trim them and cut them up and freeze them in portioned out bags and vacuum seal them and toss the in the freezer.

I've also started using the microwave brown and while rice that Birdseye has in thier Steamfresh line, it just makes it easier and quicker.

Take care,

Kat

Do a lot of brown rice. Steam fresh vegetables when they are available.
Also keep frozen steamfresh as stand by.

At the end of summer we harvest our basil and make pesto and put in single serving freezer bags. They are great to pull out and make a good fettucini and add a few vegtables. I like to saute tomatoes and frozen artichoke hearts.

I couldn't live with out my rice cooker and slow cooker (crock pot).

In the summer we eat a lot of cold soups and salads.

All of this hard if you have growing boys.

Someone on the board suggested a crock pot a few months back so I replaced mine and it works out so well- I even made St.Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage in it and it was so good.

I have a couple soup recipes from Weight Watchers that I still make-one is in the crockpot, the other is under an hour start to finish. Conor orTim hjelps by peeling/chopping the potatoes/carrots and one has a parsnip in it.

We also have an Emeril indoor grill we use a lot. We get the thin sliced chicken breasts that I marinate in the morning, then just throw on the grill for about 5 minutes. Then I use the rice cooker to make rice and steam a veg. and dinner is done in an hour with about 10 minutes of work total.

But we have a stock pile of potpies and hungryman dinners (for my son)that we have when Tim is working. Since I got the crock pot, I'm able to send dinner to work with Tim which he appreciates.

if anyone has a good crockpot recipe book please pm me. i'm in search of one and have no clue which is the best.

Sandy

i have found several recipes on facebook that i want to try. Look up Crockin Gals and Skinny Slow Cooker if you are on facebook.

Oh and Buffalo....I save a lot on dog treats and elbow grease by having my dogs pre-rinse my dishes.

I have a really wonderful recipe that is super easy with zero cleanup to share with you. It is Grandma's Tender Roast Beef!! I promise it's easy and you just put it in and leave it all day.

You have to get the thick aluminum foil for this. Buy sirloin tip roast if you can bc it is tender or whatever type you prefer. Chuck roast is usually tougher but it's your personal choice. This next part is gonna sound crazy but it's all you have to do, leave it on and it will taste delicious--promise--I tried it and I was even a skeptic!! I don't usually eat canned food either but for this one it's worth it!

Buy 1 package of Lipton onion soup mix (will have two pouches) 1 large can of cream of mushroom soup. (use regular not low fat). Mix the lipton (1 pouch) with the soup. Do not use any liquid at all. This will sort of resemble thick icing, lol. Smear it on top of the roast...wrap it up in the foil, place on a cookie sheet in oven at 250 degrees for 6 to 8 hours and forget it!!

Use the other packet of lipton onion soup to coat some new potatoes with mix and oil and place in oven as a delicious side dish with carrots and onions. I used to cook Mahatma wild rice with this dish and people will ask for more; promise!!

It is so tender it pulls apart easily with a fork and absolutely delicious!! It cooks in its own juices.

I will post some Vietnamese recipes soon!! This is sort of fun!!

Tonight is chili dogs and chips.

What are you having for supper?

Stephaine O'Dea
A Year of Slow Cooking

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com

I find the Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners at Wal-Mart in the section were the garbage bags and such are. They are on the very lowest shelf in the Wal-Marts around here. I think amazon also has them.

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com has a coupon for the Slow Cooker Liners too.

The thing I do not like to cook in the crockpot is any form of hamburger meat. I have to cook it on the stove then put it in the crockpot.

You can make desserts, main meals and even put things in the crockpot and turn it on low all day to make your house smell better.