Slow Cooking Summary.

Well, on Friday I decided to stop being fancy with my slow cooker and just try something simple. I opened up my Betty Crocker Cookbook and tried this Slow Cooker Potato and Double-Corn Chowder:



Once again, what I made in my pot looked nothing like what came out of the test kitchens. The chowder was okay, a little unremarkable. It still looked gross to me, and I didn't want to eat it (luckily there are husbands, who out of the kindness of their heart, will eat any kitchen disaster).

This might have been the worst challenge I've ever done. Everything I made turned out awful. I mean, I don't even think I'm that bad of a cook, I guess I just can't slow cook. I don't think I'm ever trying again. And now I no longer want that beautiful All-Clad Slower Cooker. so maybe there is something good that came out of this experiment after all. Oh well, I'll just have to hint at something else for Mother's Day.

Another One Bites the Dust.

Yesterday's crock pot adventured was awful! I'm not sure what it is that is causing me to blunder so much. Maybe I'm trying all the wrong type of recipes in a crock pot. Since I have no experience in slow cooking, I don't know what works and what does.

I attempted the Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip, and l just couldn't bring myself to eat it. The dip look like regurgetated puke, and it smelled even worse. The reek of melted feta cheese was way overpowering -- seriously. It smell was like something out of a baby's diaper.

Just on scent alone, I am not touching that dip. Of course the sight of it also makes me shudder.

After this week, I maybe never crock pot, or eat feta cheese again.

Missing In Action.

So sorry about being M.I.A. yesterday. I had a post all ready to go, but you know. It was one of those days where nothing really gets done.

So much, that my husband Axel actually took over the crock pot cooking. He made the Spicy Country Ribs and they were good. So, maybe it actually isn't the recipe or crock pot. Maybe it is me.

{Real Simple photo}

Chocolate Mud Cake.

{This post should have been blogged yesterday, but it never made it to the web. Sorry for being a day late with my updates!}

For my recipe yesterday, I put off my Spinach Articoke Dip and made a Chocolate Mud Cake from the FamilyFun web site. I figured chocolate cake would be a more encourage recipe to try for my second day. Iwas terribly dissapointed. My cake was not molten-like at all. Half was fudgy and moist, the other half was chocolate water.

The reviews for the recipe were all positive, so maybe it's me. It's one of the easiest forms of cooking, but maybe I'm not meant to be a crock pot cooker. This slow cooker thing is discouraging. Maybe I didn't cook my cake long enough. I'm beginning to not want that All-Clad cooker.

My cake looked nothing like this (from the web site):

Slow Cooking Blogs.

After dinner last night (which happened at exactly 8:02 p.m.) I decided I need to change around some of my recipes. The Chicken Stew in White Wine was great. The chicken was super tender, the stew really flavorful. But it might have been better if it wasn't 72 degrees outside.

While compiling my recipes this week, I didn't take in the seasonal appeal of the dishes. Eating a hearty stew in almost-summer weather wasn't ideal. For this reason, I'm scratching a few recipes off the list and trying something else.

Right now, I searching around for lighter summer recipes (if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know) and stumbled across numerous blogs based soley on crock pot cooking.

Here are a couple I found interesting:

A year of CrockPotting

A Crock Cook

Man, there are blogs for everything.

I'll be back later with updated recipes. I never thought slow cooking would be this time consuming.

Slow Cooking Update: Day 1

So far, the slow cooker and I are already at odds. It's only day one, and already I want to quit.

I picked a recipe today that only requires 5 hours of cooking time. Axel doesn't get home today till 7:30 p.m., so I figure I've got all time in the world.

After rummaging through my pantry this morning, I realize I am missing garlic, a yellow onion and white wine for today's recipe. Okay, no problem. A quick trip to the grocery store will take care of my culinary needs.

At the supermarket, I manage to find all items except the wine. So I hit another grocery store. Then another. Puzzled, I finally remember to ask someone for help.

"Excuse me, do you have any wine?" At this point, Mugga is lunging for a bottle of Izze.

"JUUUICE!" she screams. I patiently tell her Izzes are not juice. At least not 100 % juice. They do however, have no refined sugars and are made up of 70 % percent juice. So maybe one day Mugga, I'll give you an Izze instead of a soda. Unfortunately for you, that day is not today.

The grocery store employee looks at me with pity. Maybe she thinks this mom needs a good stiff drink right about now. Oh, and Mugga also has snot running down her face. I have no tissues on hand, so I wipe her nose with my shirt.

"We don't carry hard liquor," she says. "You have to go to a liquor store for wine."

Turns out, absolutely NO grocery stores in my area carry wine. This is a fact I did not know, since I am not an alcohol consumer. Maybe it is a nation wide rule, but I feel this is unfair.

Actually, I'm a little bit annoyed at this point. Trader Joes always carried wine. Why can't other grocery stores carry wine?!? Why can't other grocery stores be like Trader Joes? Then I begin to feel sorry for myself that I live in an area with no Trader Joes. I also realize this also means another trip with my tired hungry toddler in the car, and I feel even more sorry for myself.

I pick up some chicken from the deli for Mugs, and we are off to the liquor store. At this point, she is almost 2 hours over her regular nap time. The folks are the liquor store are nice. They help me find a nice inexpensive white wine. They are patient with Mug when she wipes her greasy hands on the credit card machine. They even smile at my kid when she offers them a bite of her drumstick. Bless you, people who know liquor.

By this point, it is 3 o'clock. Mugga goes down for a nap, and I get busy in the kitchen. I cut the potatoes, browned the chicken, chopped the bacon. All is going according to plan until the time comes for me to simmer the white wine. I realize I have no idea how to open up a bottle of wine. I stare at this foreign object on my table, and it stares back.

There's a cork. I have no cork screw. I peel off the sticker around the neck thinking maybe there is another trick to this bottle, but no. Nothing else. The 2 inch cork is separating me from the wine and completing my dinner. I have absolutely no idea how to get to it. I am stumped.

Even after all the hassle it's taken me to obtain the alcohol, I want to give up. I want to smash the bottle over the counter. I just need a cup and a half. Surely I can get that if I break it open. This is so frustrating. Crock pot cooking sucks.

Then, a miracle happens. My younger sister walks through the door. She listens to me sob about my horrible day. How the crock pot is in conspiracy with the wine to foil my dinner. I just know that stupid slow cooker is laughing at me.

My sister picks up a butter knife, hammers it in to the cork and saves the day. She's only 18 and I don't know if she should know how to do this.

So right now, my meal is cooking. A nice slow simmer. Dinner should be done around 8 o'clock. If we lived in New York, this would be early.

I'm just crossing my fingers it's worth it.

Challenge: Crock Pot Cooking.

I know. You're probably thinking, "A challenge for slow cooking? Really?"

Yes, really. For me, slow cookers/crock pots are super intimidating. I didn't grow up using them. The concept of leaving a meal to cook on it's own has always been strange to me. You just throw things in a pot, leave it for awhile, and everything turns out? Seriously?

In the (almost) three years I've been married, I've used our wedding present crock pot, like twice. Both times making chili that's already been cooked (so basically I'm just keeping the food warm).

I also cringe away from crock pot cooking because of my recipe mind block. When I think of slow cooker recipes, stuff like pot roast and stews come into mind. I didn't think anything else was possible. The whole planning-a-meal-6-hours-in-advance almost never happens in my kitchen.

Well, a trip to Williams-Sonoma reformed my fear. One day, I spotted the most gorgeous appliance I've ever seen:
The All-Clad Slow Cooker. It's stainless steel. Six and a half quarts. White ceramic insert.

I suddenly pictured myself making the most amazing food in that slow cooker: Beef Bourguignonne, Braised Lamb Shanks, Pulled Pork Sandwiches. I could be the most amazing crock pot cooker, if only I had that All-Clad machine.

My husband Axel saw me eyeing the shiny cooking gem and immediately puts a halt to my daydreaming.

"You never use a slow cooker," he says disapprovingly.

"But I can." In my mind, I've already measured how much counter space it would need.

"Okay then," he replies. "Use the one we got."

Daydream fades. Oh those husbands. So practical.

Well, fine. For the next five days, I'm dedicating my cooking to all things crock pot. I'll show my husband I can be a slow cooker. Maybe he'll take one bite of my Spicy Country Ribs and be blown away. Maybe he'll realize we need a slow cooker with a 6 1/2 quart capacity. Maybe he'll remember the All-Clad beauty when he also remembers that Mother's Day is right around the corner.

So, here are the recipes I'm trying this week (picked from some of my favorite food magazines/web sites).

Monday: Chicken Stew in White Wine -- Williams-Sonoma

Tuesday: Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip -- Cooking Light

Wedsnday: Spicy Country Ribs -- Real Simple

Thursday: Sour Cream Cheesecake -- Food & Wine

Friday: Beef Provencale -- Food Network

As always, you are more than welcome to join me. Let me know if you decide to try a recipe or two (I always appreciate reviews).

Happy slow cooking!