One of the questions we are often asked about is cooking for our large family. One of our saving graces is our crockpot.
Slow cookers are available in a variety of sizes and styles, can be bought for very little outlay and they cost pennies to run. I have two large crockpots each being around a 6 litre capacity, but using one is sufficient for our sized family at the moment. This will probably change as the younger children get older and their appetites grow!
Basic models are available which have two or three cooking levels. You can also purchase models which have a stay-warm function, allowing your meal to be kept warm for a number of hours after it has finished cooking. Some slow cookers such as one I received to test, have an
oven and freezer proof stoneware dish providing you with even more cooking options.
It isn't just large families who can benefit from crockpots. I bought Stephanie a small one for herself to enable her to throw a few ingredients into the pot and come home from college or work to a hot, nutritious meal.
I can prepare a meal in minutes, getting everything done in the morning while supervising the children's lessons at the kitchen table and then leaving it to cook throughout the day. If I am feeling super-organised I do as much preparation the evening before, chopping up any vegetables which the recipe might call for and storing in the fridge overnight for example.
Crockpot recipes aren't limited to stews and casseroles. You can cook a variety of meals and even desserts using the slow cooker with a minimum of time and effort. It is also a great help when you are on a budget, enabling you to purchase cheaper, tougher cuts of meat that end up succulent and tender once cooked over several hours in the slow cooker.
As the nights draw in and the weather turns colder, I find my thoughts turning to hot, simple comfort foods. For me, summer time is all about picnics and fruit salads and buffet spreads at the kitchen table allowing you to graze and pick. Winter, on the other hand, is about feeling snug and warm when everything outside is dull and miserable. This is where my crockpots come in. There is nothing like coming home from a cold, winter's walk to a scrummy vegetable casserole and dumplings all ready to dish up onto the plate. It's a great alternative to simply reaching for a frozen overpriced, cardboard-like ready-meal which I loathe with a passion.
If I haven't yet convinced you how a crockpot can make you healthier, wealthier and happier, I'll be sharing some slow cooker recipes with you over the coming weeks. If you have any favourite crockpot recipes of your own you'd like for me to try out and include please do let me know by emailing me at family@largerfamilylife.com.
Larger Family Life is also available on Kindle!
