Crock pot cooking-"Ti$ the $ea$on

BENEFITS OF THE CROCK
Some of the benefits you’ll find from dusting off that lovely retro-crock in the back of Grandma’s attic are:

■You can buy tougher (and less expensive) cuts of meat, since the crock acts as a tenderizer.

■Meat shrinks less when cooked in the crock, and doesn’t dry out.

■A crockery cooker doesn’t heat up the kitchen nearly as much as the stovetop or oven, so it’s a perfect hot weather cooking appliance.

■Frees up space in oven and stove top, great to use for parties, large gatherings, or doing a large cooking session for the freezer.

■Flavors have time to develop while your meal slowly cooks all day.

■Tofu tastes better cooked this way because it has time to soak up the flavors from broth, spices and other ingredients.

■Can be used on a buffet table for serving hot foods (soup, stew, sauces, meatballs in barbeque sauce, etc.).


CROCKERY COOKER TIPS
You’ll want to keep the following tips in mind when choosing and using your crockery cooker:

■Choose a crock with a removable liner. You’ll have more flexiblility in ways to use it, and it’s easier to clean.

■Buy a large one (6-quart capacity is good).

■Best if used for recipes with a high water content — things you’d normally prepare on the stovetop such as spaghetti sauce, soup, chili, stew.

■For best results, fill the crock at least half full with food and/or liquid.

■If you’re cooking something like a stew or soup, leave at least an inch empty (preferably two inches) at the top beneath the lid to allow for the food to bubble when it reaches a simmer.

■Don’t peek! Lifting the lid adds time to the cooking process by letting heat out. Add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time for each time you lift the lid to peek or stir.

■High altitudes need longer cooking times. Check with your crock’s Manufacturer’s User’s Guide for their recommendations.

■Brown meats ahead of time for additional color and flavor. Browning also removes some of the fat from the meat. Fatty meat cooks more quickly in the crock than lean meat.

■Meat and poultry cooks best if cut into smaller pieces or chunks rather than cooking as a whole roast or a whole chicken.

■Fish and seafood should be added near the end of the cooking time in seafood soups, stews and chowders.

■Vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, should be added to the bottom of the crock beneath any meats, etc. Hard vegetables need a longer cooking time, and the bottom is the first part of the cooker to heat up, so they’ll start cooking sooner.

■Stir in cheese at the end of cooking, or use processed cheese.

■Milk curdles during long cooking times. Add milk near end of cooking time (the last hour, or so).

■Add spices near the end of the cooking time.

■Stirring usually isn’t required during slow cooking on Low heat. You might want to stir once or twice during the last hour, but remember that every time you lift the lid, you’re adding to the cooking time. Two stirring sessions equal a minimum of half an hour longer cooking.


SUGGESTIONS FOR A SAFE AND SANE CROCK
The crock itself should be safe to use providing you don’t have an old one with frayed cords or some other defect. The following tips on safe user ideas can help keep your family healthy and the cook from being burned:

■Use fresh or completely thawed meats. Don’t add frozen meats directly to the crock.

■Be sure the crock is clean before using.

■Keep perishable foods refrigerated until ready to use.

■Always include liquids in all crockery cooking recipes.

■Remove the cover by opening away from your face. The steam is hot enough to burn badly.

■Don’t leave the cooker turned off with food in it for any length of time. Start cooking right away, and serve hot from the cooker. Don’t let food sit at room temperature to cool.

■Keep the crock covered while cooking. The lid on a crock doesn’t provide a tight seal (it isn’t suppose to), but it’s important to keep the lid in the center of the crock for best results.

■Don’t set the hot crock on a cold surface unless you put a hot pad, trivet or thick towel underneath.

■If the power goes out while you’re away from home with the crock running, throw the food away even if it looks hot and done. The power might have been off long enough for the food to cool, start growing bacteria, and then reheat by the time you arrived home.

■Don’t reheat leftovers in a crock, but you can use the crock as a food warmer for foods that have been cooked and heated in the oven or on the stovetop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

–Deborah Taylor-Hough

I$ a $hower is more efficient than a bath?

Unless you like your bath water to be freezing cold, a shower is probably a more efficient use of energy.  To determine if this is actually so, try this simple test to see if you are using less water by taking a shower or a bath:  When taking a shower, plug the drain, bathe as usual
When done, check the height of the water in the tub--if it is less than you normally use when bathing then a shower is the more efficient route for you!

Things your dentist wishes you knew

Research has identified periodontal (gum) disease as a risk factor for heart and lung disease, diabetes, premature, low birth weight babies and a number of other conditions. The 2000 Surgeon General's report, Oral Health in America, has called attention to this connection and states that, if left untreated, poor oral health is a "silent X-factor promoting the onset of life-threatening diseases which are responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans each year."

1)  Conditions in your mouth affect your body:  Bacteria under your gums can trigger an inflammatory response, which in turn can affect insulin sensitivity (of particular concern when you are a diabetic)

2)  Bleeding  or swelling of the gums and loose teeth can signal periodontis-which has no early symptoms (but can be detected and treated with regular checkups)

3)  Seeing a dentist on a regular basis is cheaper in the long run than not seeing a dentist.  Routine care prevents serious complications later on.

4)  Regular dental checkups are good for your.  Follow this link to learn more about the relationship between your mouth and your overall health.

 http://www.adha.org/media/facts/total_health.htm

Cooking at Home

One sure fire way to save money is to eat at home.  We rarely eat fast food because we live 11 miles from the nearest McDonalds.  I consider myself a pretty good cook and prefer to eat at home much of the time.  We usually dine out once on the weekend at a nicer establishment and with a fast food meal for 2 adults and 2 teenage girls topping $22 (which is 1/10th of my food budget for 2 weeks) it just seems a good idea to eat at home.

Successfully saving money by eating at home does take some planning.  I don't plan my meals around what is on sale (which would save me a LOT more money) but I find that too rigid for my taste-buds!

Thoughtful preparation of a weekly menu is critical to success.  I use a loose leaf notebook.  I make a note of what events occur during the week and make sure my menu takes those in to consideration.  If I only have 30 minutes to get the food to the table I need a plan to make that sure to happen.  I plan my weekly menus on Saturday or Sunday so I can grocery shop for any "exotic" or fresh ingredients I may need.  No last minute runs to the grocery on a busy weeknight!  This Dining with Diana post may give you some ideas to help you get into the habit of meal planning  http://dining-with-diana.blogspot.com/2010/08/meal-planning.html

Secondly, it is imperative that you have some basic ingredients on had at all times to use to create a home cooked meal.  By the time I decide what to prepare, shop and arrive at home I am too exhausted to cook!  This prevents that from occurring on a regular basis.  My Blog, Dining with Diana ( http://dining-with-diana.blogspot.com/) has some suggestions on how to stock a pantry.   http://dining-with-diana.blogspot.com/2010/08/well-stocked-pantry.html 

Don't these pictures make it look like my pantry is stocked with nothing but JUNK food?

Lastly, I always have a go to meal in the freezer.  It might be a Stouffers frozen pasta meal, a frozen pizza or my meatballs.

If planning a week's worth of menus is too overwhelming for you at first, start by planning 2 days worth of meals.  I guarantee the time you save is well worth the effort.

Happy $aving$!

Diana

Who doe$n't like Free?

1. Get a free yoga class in Sept for National Yoga month -yogahealthfoundation.org

Under the Weather

It is March 26, 4 days before Easter Sunday and we have snow and it is dreary and overcast in Louisville, KY.  My DD turned 15 last week and was suffering from a cold and flu like symptoms on her birthday-poor baby!  That combination has had us craving some warm soup. 

 

Canned and home-made soups alike, research suggests, quiet the activity of our immune cells that contribute to inflammatory symptoms such as body aches.  Adding few added ingredients to your soup can help you get over being sicker quicker:

 

Stuffy nose?  Add minced garlic

Trouble sleeping:  Add rice

Queasy:  Add ginger (remember your mom giving you a glass of luke warm ginger ale?)

Heartburn:  Chew gum

 

and get a good night sleep (I find that is the best medicine)

 

 

Fitne$$ Freebie$

Maybe you are one of those Americans who make New Years Resolutions to improve your health lose weight or eat better. 
Here are a couple of easy free ideas to get you started:

1. Keep a log on your daily calendar of the food you eat or the exercise you get
2. Take the stairs
3. Park far away from the door to your office or the shopping mall entrance
4. Plan your meals
5. Drink water instead of caffeinated beverages or soft drinks
6. Try out some free APPS and websites to keep you motivated or to assist you in meeting your goals

Nike Run
My Fitness Pal
Lose it
Sparkpeople.com

     8.Use an acronym to help you remember to keep track of your goals. 
        I use CAVERNS with each letter representing an item I want to accomplish daily

C-Care, CALL or send a CARD
A-take my low dose ASPIRIN
V-take my VITAMINS
E-EXERCISE
R-READ a non fiction book or work related article
S-Take the STAIRS

I add BFW which stands for
B-eat BREAKFAST
F-get 30 milligrams of FIBER and FLOSS
W-drink 64 oz of WATER and have a glass of red WINE with dinner

Here's to your success!