A few years ago, my crock pot would collect dust in my cupboard waiting for me to make chili or a pot roast. Now it’s a rare evening when you don’t see it on my counter with the night’s dinner in it.
I know that many of you can relate to what it’s like in my household from 4:00pm on. After getting 4 kids an after school snack, I am helping a 10 year old with homework, playing dominoes with twin 4 year olds, and chasing after a 2 year old. How on earth could I be expected to do all of this while preparing dinner and not be completely frazzled by the time we sat down to eat? Finally I discovered the answer.
Now each morning I get up and, while drinking my coffee, decide what’s for dinner that evening. I take meat out of the freezer to thaw in cold water in the sink, verify remaining ingredients, and play with my 2 year old. Then I leisurely take 10-15 minutes mid morning to throw ingredients into a pot and flip a switch.
I go about the rest of my day relaxed, knowing that dinner will be a cinch. Sure enough, dinner time comes and all I need to do is spoon food onto some plates, sit down, and enjoy!
Reasons why crock pot cooking is virtually stress free:
-Clean up is easy; there aren’t numerous pots and pans to wash, just one stoneware pot and maybe a cutting board and knife.
-Minimal preparation is required; just a few minutes each morning.
-It’s really difficult to overcook things in a crock pot. Plus, now there are crock pots that will automatically switch to a “keep warm” setting once the cooking time is done.
-Crock pots are wonderful for cheaper cuts of meat. Cooking for a large family, I’m conscientious of my grocery bill. Because crock pots cook meat over a long period of time at low heat, tougher cuts of meat turn out tender and juicy.
-You’re not feeding your family fast food or calling the pizza delivery guy again; they are getting quality home cooked meals.
-Crock pot cooking is perfect for any type of mom. Those who work out of the office can quickly fix the meal in the morning or even prepare it the night before and refrigerate.
-Different people can eat at different times. Let’s face it, with busy schedules many families can’t eat together during the week. A crock pot keeps the meal warm for your toddlers to eat at 5pm, your high school kids to eat at 8pm, and your husband to grab a 10pm snack.
So pull it out of your cupboard, dust it off, and enjoy the wonderful aromas that will fill your home as dinner draws near.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spread Of Camp Cooking Recipes
One of the interesting activities your entire family can be involved in, around the campfire, in the evening is trying out fun camp cooking recipes. Not only will this provide an opportunity for your family to bond together, but you will also relish the delicious food made as a result of this activity.
The best part about camp cooking recipes is that you can be as innovative as you like and can use tasty ingredients to prepare some simple dishes. You can cook some yummy dishes like s'mores, or even make a dessert without using any camp cooking equipment.
The best time to try out these fun recipes during your family camping trip is when you crave for something sweet, especially after dinner and that too around the campfire. Let us share with you some great camp cooking recipes that are a step-up on the traditional desserts at the campfire.
- Pour some chocolate syrup or put a chocolate bar broken up into pieces, in a cup you can make yourself, out of aluminium foil. Now place this cup near the fire so that the chocolate melts completely.
- Fill a plastic bag or place on a plate some graham crackers that you have crushed.
- Toast some marshmallows the way you usually do.
- Dip these marshmallows into the melted chocolate and then roll them into the graham crackers.
This is a yummy recipe that the kids especially enjoy and the best part is that it is not even the least bit time consuming. You can keep experimenting with these campfire treat of s'mores, by making slight modifications every time, like melting caramel chocolate bars or even melting chocolate bars with nuts in them.
If you find this too messy a way, you can even opt for another way to create the s'more by putting the chocolate bars, the marshmallows and the graham crackers together in an aluminium foil. Wrap this package up and cook over your campfire for just a minute and upon opening the foil, 'voila'- a lip-smacking, finger- licking treat.
Fun camp cooking recipes need not necessarily be those of desserts. You can play on any of your recipes by altering your fun foods like sloppy joes, a bit. Other camp recipes include something like tacos in a bag. All you need to do is take some plain tortilla chips in a bag and crush it up. Now you can add other ingredients like salsa, cheese and lettuce. Mix well and have it straight out of the bag for maximum fun.
The best part about camp cooking recipes is that you can be as innovative as you like and can use tasty ingredients to prepare some simple dishes. You can cook some yummy dishes like s'mores, or even make a dessert without using any camp cooking equipment.
The best time to try out these fun recipes during your family camping trip is when you crave for something sweet, especially after dinner and that too around the campfire. Let us share with you some great camp cooking recipes that are a step-up on the traditional desserts at the campfire.
- Pour some chocolate syrup or put a chocolate bar broken up into pieces, in a cup you can make yourself, out of aluminium foil. Now place this cup near the fire so that the chocolate melts completely.
- Fill a plastic bag or place on a plate some graham crackers that you have crushed.
- Toast some marshmallows the way you usually do.
- Dip these marshmallows into the melted chocolate and then roll them into the graham crackers.
This is a yummy recipe that the kids especially enjoy and the best part is that it is not even the least bit time consuming. You can keep experimenting with these campfire treat of s'mores, by making slight modifications every time, like melting caramel chocolate bars or even melting chocolate bars with nuts in them.
If you find this too messy a way, you can even opt for another way to create the s'more by putting the chocolate bars, the marshmallows and the graham crackers together in an aluminium foil. Wrap this package up and cook over your campfire for just a minute and upon opening the foil, 'voila'- a lip-smacking, finger- licking treat.
Fun camp cooking recipes need not necessarily be those of desserts. You can play on any of your recipes by altering your fun foods like sloppy joes, a bit. Other camp recipes include something like tacos in a bag. All you need to do is take some plain tortilla chips in a bag and crush it up. Now you can add other ingredients like salsa, cheese and lettuce. Mix well and have it straight out of the bag for maximum fun.
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