The dreaded STOVE monster.
Look at it! It even looks like a monster! Let's be honest though.. Many of us have much better stoves than this to work with, ones that look nothing like monsters... Yet, we still find ourselves afraid of it if we didn't grow up learning to use it or having to cook on it like our oh-so-lucky sisters out there. Now, some of the more experienced cooks out there may feel like I sound over dramatic, but the fact or the matter is, when I first started to face the fact that I would have to use one of these for the rest of my life, it scared me. Honestly. To me, this machine looked like a large house fire waiting to happen. And to put together my inexperience and my clumsiness, with a side of my accident-prone-ness (it's a word, look it up...;]) I was afraid I would end up burning the house down, or at least the kitchen... I'm sure I'm not the only one with this fear.. So hear me out. There is another option until you get your "chef's feet".
The Slow Cooker.
I'm not joking. The slow cooker is a wonderful invention. And for a new cook, it could quickly become your best friend. It's small, and almost cute, so you feel more like petting it rather than running for the hills. It can't burn you - or your house - down to the ground if you leave things on for too long. Most modern slow cookers come equipped with a timer, which is AMAZING because once the food is done, it just switches to the "warm" option, which keeps your food nice and hot, without continuing to cook, then overcook, your meats. The hands-on portion or the... ehem... "cooking" is very quick. Sometimes, there isn't even prep or cutting involved only assembly or combining of the ingredients. Some of my favorite slow cooker recipes are prepared in less than five minutes. EVERYONE has five minutes. Then the cooker does the rest. Magic, right?
What is magic is that some how stuff that you make in the slower cooker comes out absolutely delicious. And they are SIMPLE. It's great. And there are a lot of slow cooker recipes out there for you to try! I bought a book by Stephanie O'dea (blogger of A Year of Slow Cooking) called More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow. It's filled with 200 slow cooker recipes, and it breaks it down to entrees, appetizers, drinks, etc., as well as how much you want to spend on the meal on average. It's great.
In addition to the book, I have also scoured the internet looking for recipes that I like for the slow cooker. This takes time, and trial and error, but after a while, you can figure out what you like and don't like, and how to find the recipes you want. Here are a few of my favorites:
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
All Purpose Pork Shoulder <-- FAVORITE
Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Look at it! It even looks like a monster! Let's be honest though.. Many of us have much better stoves than this to work with, ones that look nothing like monsters... Yet, we still find ourselves afraid of it if we didn't grow up learning to use it or having to cook on it like our oh-so-lucky sisters out there. Now, some of the more experienced cooks out there may feel like I sound over dramatic, but the fact or the matter is, when I first started to face the fact that I would have to use one of these for the rest of my life, it scared me. Honestly. To me, this machine looked like a large house fire waiting to happen. And to put together my inexperience and my clumsiness, with a side of my accident-prone-ness (it's a word, look it up...;]) I was afraid I would end up burning the house down, or at least the kitchen... I'm sure I'm not the only one with this fear.. So hear me out. There is another option until you get your "chef's feet".
The Slow Cooker.
I'm not joking. The slow cooker is a wonderful invention. And for a new cook, it could quickly become your best friend. It's small, and almost cute, so you feel more like petting it rather than running for the hills. It can't burn you - or your house - down to the ground if you leave things on for too long. Most modern slow cookers come equipped with a timer, which is AMAZING because once the food is done, it just switches to the "warm" option, which keeps your food nice and hot, without continuing to cook, then overcook, your meats. The hands-on portion or the... ehem... "cooking" is very quick. Sometimes, there isn't even prep or cutting involved only assembly or combining of the ingredients. Some of my favorite slow cooker recipes are prepared in less than five minutes. EVERYONE has five minutes. Then the cooker does the rest. Magic, right?
What is magic is that some how stuff that you make in the slower cooker comes out absolutely delicious. And they are SIMPLE. It's great. And there are a lot of slow cooker recipes out there for you to try! I bought a book by Stephanie O'dea (blogger of A Year of Slow Cooking) called More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow. It's filled with 200 slow cooker recipes, and it breaks it down to entrees, appetizers, drinks, etc., as well as how much you want to spend on the meal on average. It's great.
In addition to the book, I have also scoured the internet looking for recipes that I like for the slow cooker. This takes time, and trial and error, but after a while, you can figure out what you like and don't like, and how to find the recipes you want. Here are a few of my favorites:
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
All Purpose Pork Shoulder <-- FAVORITE
Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
| Picture Source |
Your slow cooker can be your best friend. All you have to do is say hello. =)
-Ashley
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