Mmmm--Autumn!

I don't know what it is about this time of year...I want to curl up with a nice cup off coffee or hot cocoa in front of the fire. Or, I crave those wonderful comfort foods-soups, stews, chilis, meatloaf and mashed potatoes-oh, I could go on and on! Alot of these meals are terrific in the crockpot and so easy to start in the morning and let cook all day without much or any fuss at all! You could even make a big batch of some of these to freeze for meals later on. Or, even use some for quick and frugal lunches for the week. I have even used my crock to make big batches of chicken, burrito/taco meat, etc and froze it in serving sizes for the freezer! Works like a charm with very little work on my part. Of, I have placed chicken in a freezer bag with marinade, froze it for a later meal. All I have to do is take it out the night before to thaw in the fridge, and dump the chicken in the crockpot (throw out the marinade).

Do you have a crockpot? If you don't, you should really check into getting one. They can be a very good investment and, even though you are cooking for long periods of time, they do not use alot of electricity. Depending on your crockpot, it can cost about 10-15 cents per 8 hours to operate-that, vs an oven, which can be about 20 cents per hour. That can be an amazing savings, just right there. But, think about this too...you can use your crock to cook up tougher cuts of meat and have them come out fork tender and juicy!

Sometimes it does take some playing around with recipes to make them work. Also, I found with some crocks, you might want to watch them a bit the first few times you use them. I have had crockpots for much of my married life and grew up with a mom who used them. A few Christmas' ago, my husband bought me a fancy one. I found it cooked faster than my not-so-fancy crock and burned my food. So, I always set the timer on my crock to the highest setting. Yesterday, I made meatloaf in the am which I put in the crock since we would be gone most of the day. When I got home around 5, the meatloaf was just starting to burn on the edges, but very slightly....but it had only been cooking for about 6 hours! I had set it on the highest setting I could-at 10 hours. But, I know my crockpot well enough now to know certain things would need the higher setting in order to not burn.

You can find crockpots at stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. Or you can find them at thrift stores too! Perhaps a friend is giving one away that they do not use anymore or they got a new one. If they offer it to you-take it!!  Free is always nice and you can experiment! Crockpotting is also a nice way to cook in the Summer and keep down the heat in your home :)

If you are unsure about recipes, or you lost the book to yor crock, or, perhaps, you are burned out on what to make, here are some really great sites with some yummy recipes to check out!

Campbells' Crockpot Recipes
AllRecipes Slow Cooker section
365 Days of Slow Cooking blog
A Year of Slowcooking