Families are busier than ever these days.
School dropoff and pickup, kids sports and after-school activities, errands, playdates… not to mention our day jobs. Whew!
Most of our waking hours are spent running, doing, running some more, doing even more, running even more…. it’s a wonder we even have time to stop and eat.
By the way, who has time to plan and cook a meal?
Wouldn’t it be nice to come home after a long on-the-go day and be blasted in the face with the smell of dinner already cooked and waiting for you? There is nothing better.
The question is: How can you make that happen?
The answer is probably already in your house somewhere.
Have you seen your slow cooker in a while?
A Quick History of the Slow Cooker
The slow cooker or, as it is more commonly called, the “Crock Pot”, is the utility infielder of kitchen appliances. You forget all about it, but when it’s called into action you realize how versatile it is and thank god you have it.
To the surprise of many, the actual name of the appliance is not “Crock Pot”. The actual appliance is called a slow cooker. The term “Crock Pot” is a brand name trademarked by Rival, a slow cooker manufacturer.
The “Crock Pot” brand has been around so long, however, and is so identifiable with slow cookers that the name has come to define the product. “Crock Pot” is the “Kleenex” of slow cookers. The “Xerox” of copiers. The “Jacuzzi” of hot tubs. The “Chapstick” of lip balms. You get it.
The original “Crock Pot” was originally created in the 1930’s by Irving Naxon as a way to slowly cook a Jewish bean dish called “Cholent”. Originally called the “Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker”, it changed ownership hands over the years and its popularity continued to grow. In 1971 the brand name “Crock Pot” was introduced and the device reached its peak popularity later that decade.
Hurry Up and Go Slow
For many families, mornings are the busiest time of day.
My mornings typically look like this: get dressed and make coffee. Get kids dressed and drink my coffee. Make kids lunches and finish my second coffee. Make sure everyone has what they need for the day and finally, prepare travel mugs of coffee.
Most mornings, the last thing on our minds is dinner.
But, by carving out less than 5 minutes from this routine, I have found that I can save myself an hour of prep and cooking time after work.
Of course, there are plenty of 10-minute dinner recipes online, in books and from moms. They are great, but take a lot of time to prep. Who has that kind of time in the morning?
For my money, the best part of a slow cooker is that it takes little to no prep work, aside from maybe peeling and cutting some vegetables to throw in. In less time than it takes a single cup coffee maker to make your next coupa, your dinner could already be cooking itself.
What You Need
Some form of liquid. Spices. Meat.
That’s it. If you want to add some veggies, more power to you.
What could be easier? Pour in some broth or water. For the adventurous, mix a can of your favorite soup (cream of chick works great for chicken) and a can of water. Dump in some salt, pepper, garlic or whatever your spice of choice may be. Finally, add your meat.
Herein lies the true beauty of the slow cooker. The meat doesn’t even have to be thawed!! Got a frozen roast? Throw it in! Found a pack of pork chops at the bottom of your deep freezer? Bring it!
Turn on the cooker with your preferred cooking time and walk away. That’s it!
I like to use the 10-hour setting. Turning the cooker on at 8am means it will be done around 6pm. Perfect!
You are then free to move about your day, get everything done and everyone to their activities. You don’t even have to think about dinner.
Then, when you get home, your senses are assaulted with a great big whiff of “Oh Yeah!! I forgot dinner is already done! And man, does it smell great!”
Underappreciated and Underused
I love my slow cooker/Crock Pot. It has saved my skin many times.
It can make roast beef so tender that it shreds itself. Meats that often cook up dry, like like pork chops and chicken, turn out so tender and juicy that you can cut them with a spoon. All with fairly minimal effort by a busy parent.
According to a 2009 NPD group report, 83% of US households own a slow cooker. Yes, that’s an old data point, but it’s the most recent data I could find. I also think this speaks to the under-the-radar nature of the slow cooker. It’s even harder to try to determine how many people actually use their slow cooker.
Most likely, you have one. But it’s probably also been quite a while since you’ve used it.
It’s time to correct this. Time to reclaim an hour or more of your day. Time for you to rule dinner and not let dinner rule you!
It’s in the garage, in the attic or basement. It’s probably stuck in a box from your last move. Or with the leftovers that didn’t sell at your last garage sale.
So go! Look behind your roller-blades and bread makers Check the same place you store your fondue pots, VCR and DVD player.
It’s time to dig out your “Crock Pot” and get cooking!
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