Search Results for: blog top ten crockpot cooking tips

More Creative Ideas for Stockpile Cooking

There are three great reasons for cooking from your stockpile. You may want or have to skip your shopping due to budgetary concerns, you may be moving soon and want to use up the food you have, or you may need to clear out the food that is close to expiring, to avoid waste. I have been concentrating on this third reason for getting creative with the pantry food, but I’ll forgive you if you have one of the other reasons to do it. This post is part of the Ideas for Cooking from Your Stockpile Series. Hopefully you have … Continue reading →

More Tips On Using Your Crock Pot

I’ve mentioned before that I’m very attached to my crock pot. I actually have two to accommodate home cooked meals and our busy schedule. I admit that I don’t know why everyone doesn’t love and own a crock pot. If you’re not getting the full potential out of your crock pot perhaps you’re missing a few tips. Here are a few things to know about cooking in a crock pot that will make your meals not only easy but super delicious as well. 1. You can thicken crock pot juices by removing the lid for the last half hour of … Continue reading →

Crockpot Chicken-A-Roni

Here is a nice warm meal that really puts your crockpot to work. I use it because, while my husband loves those “roni” type prepared food packages, I could do without all of the extra sodium, the extra preservatives (some with MSG) and the extra price attached to those things. By creating my own version in the crockpot, I can preserve the creaminess, taste and texture he loves about the “ronis,” while still keeping it healthy. And truth be told, preparing it all in the crockpot just couldn’t be easier. For this meal, I did a side dish of buttered … Continue reading →

Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Why put your mashed potatoes to cook in the crockpot? Because the additional ingredients will meld with your potatoes, giving you amazing flavor. I tend to serve this dish at family gatherings because I can leave the crockpot and guest can help themselves to warm, amazing mashed potatoes. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than cold mashed potatoes, except maybe cold gravy. And the crockpot tend to get food throughly hot, so even with the crocpot turned off, the mashed potatoes will stay steaming for a long time. Although this recipe makes a lot of potatoes, I find that … Continue reading →

Top Ten Crockpot Cooking Tips

1. When combining whole fresh root vegetables with a roast or chicken, always place the root vegetable on the bottom of the crockpot. Root vegetables include carrots, potatoes and onions. Because these vegetables generally take longer to cook, then benefit from being closest to the source of the heat. 2. Choose minced onion and garlic over powdered or instant for the best flavor. 3. If your food tastes too bland, it may be because of your herbs and spices (or lack of them). Dried herbs and spices tend to lose flavor during long cook times, so use more or try … Continue reading →

The ABC’s of Frugal Living: 26 Tips to Live a More Frugal Life

The ABC’s of Frugal Living – 26 Tips to Live a More Frugal Life The frugal living blog at families.com is chock full of great information to help you live a more frugal lifestyle. We all strive to save money and the bloggers in this category are here to help. A: Amazing Dates Have a date night for less! New Cheap Date Ideas A Cheap And Fun Date Idea It’s Date Night Date Night On a Budget B: Budgeting Make a plan and stick to it. Be sure you watch where your money goes each month and try to do … Continue reading →

Oven Saving Strategies

With the warm weather coming, I am reluctant to use my oven. Not only because the heat of it will add to the warmth of the house when we don’t need it, but also because of the cost of the energy involved. With summer, our electric bills rise because of the need for air conditioning. Using the oven in a smart way, or finding alternatives is one way to balance out the extra summer energy cost. Using the Bread Machine If you have a decent bread machine, you may be able to use it for cooking items other than bread, … Continue reading →

Inventive Meals on the Road

After traveling and lodging, food is the biggest expense while traveling. But you can get in some great meals for $10, $5 or less when you cook them yourself. How can you cook while traveling? There are a few fun and inventive ways to be frugal here. Bring the slow cooker While many hotels don’t allow cooking in the room unless you have a suite that includes a kitchen, you can still use your crockpot in your car! If you have a long trip, at least four hours, then you are all set for a great meal. Add a liner … Continue reading →

Yummy Apple Butter

As I implied in my fusion cooking article, I generally stick to recipes that I know my family will like. In fact, I purposely seek out flavors that I know my husband loves, and use my creativity in just that realm. Such is the case with apple butter. This is hands down, my husband’s favorite condiment. Unfortunately, apple butter is fairly expensive when you compare its price to its shelf mates, peanut butter and jelly. Also, the process to make apple butter is fairly intensive. It basically takes all day unless you make it in the crock pot. (Well, it … Continue reading →

Turn Off Your Oven! Frugal Ways to Cook and Bake

Your electric oven is one of the worse energy hogs in your home. If you read my earlier article, Energy Hogs: Where Does Most of Your Electricity Go?, you’ll see that the oven uses 5,000 watts of energy! Compare that to the average light bulb at 60 watts. While we should be turning off our lights whenever possible, maybe we should also be turning off the oven. Toaster Oven If you are making a small meal, consider using a toaster oven. Because it is smaller, it uses less electricity to run. I don’t have a very large toaster oven, but … Continue reading →