I like my slow cooker - I like it a lot. Putting food in while I'm still firing on all cylinders (which seems to end around lunch) make dinner time a lot more pleasant at Casa Kate. But I lack inspiration. Even my beloved Allrecipes.com doesn't always inspire me.
Which is why I was so glad to come across this website, A Year of Crockpotting. The author, Stephanie, has amazingly used her crockpot every day for 2008. Trying everything from 5 Layer Brownies to Corn on the Cob to Rotisserie-Style Chicken to bread (really! and read the comments to learn about making non-gluten free bread, too), Stephanie critiques her results, includes the kid's opinions and makes me laugh at the same time. In addition, she has helpful information about slow-cookers, common problems with solutions, and lots of helpful tips in the comments section.
I know that using my slow cooker saves my family money by using fewer processed/prepared foods, including inexpensive ingredients, and keeping us from driving through our neighborhood fast food palace. I'm going to bookmark Stephanie's site and see how often I can use my slow cooker in 2009.
photo by: sporkist