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Quick and healthy crockpot cooking recipes

Ever met a mother who says she has too much time on her hands? It just doesn¡¯t happen ¨C the demands on mothers today are unparalleled. Between the demands of your children¡¯s busy schedules, keeping up a household, trying to juggle personal, social and marital obligations and activities, plus ¨C in some cases - holding down a job outside the home, time is at a premium! Almost every mom at one time or another does the 5 p.m. panic ¨C that rush to throw together dinner before the demands of the evening begin! For many of us, this means take-out or delivery; however, this can add up in both price and calories! One fabulous solution to this dilemma is the Crockpot.

A crockpot is a crockery cooking pot, ranging in size from 3.5 to 6 quarts, depending on the brand and style you select. The crockery pot sits in a metal canister, which heats up and slowly cooks the contents of the pot over time. This means that you can simply add the ingredients to the crockpot in the morning, turn it on low, and return at night to find dinner cooked and ready for you. There are very few things as nice as coming home after a busy day to the aroma of a fresh and healthy meal, just waiting for you.

There are dozens of websites where you can get easy cooking recipes for the crockpot, and some very good crockpot cookbooks as well. Crockpot cooking does not have to be high calorie, either. There are healthy-cooking crockpot cooking recipes books as well, and often you cannot tell the difference between a regular and a ¡°diet¡± recipe!

Most crockpot recipes involve cooking meats in liquid, so the majority of cooking recipes involve cooking meat in broth, soup, wine or water. Substituting 98% fat free soup can cut the calories dramatically from any standard crockpot recipe, without sacrificing flavor. The meat generally turns out extremely tender and juicy ¨C beef, lamb and pork will literally be fall-apart tender, chicken is soft and flavorful, fish is moist and tasty. Because of the moistness you get with a crockpot prepared dish, this is a great way to use inexpensive cuts of meat and save money! Most recipes can be served either as is, or over rice or noodles, which you prepare at the last minute. There are also a variety of quality vegetarian cooking recipes, side dishes, and even breakfast dishes you can make in the crockpot!

Some tips for buying a crockpot:

1. Crockpots come in many different sizes. Although you may be intimidated by the larger crockpots, go for the largest size you think you might possibly use. You¡¯ll be amazed at how well the crockpot cooks, and crockpot leftovers reheat beautifully!

2. Be sure to get a crockpot with a removable liner. Some models have crocks that do not lift out, making cleaning far more difficult. Buy a crock with a removable liner for convenience.

3. Slow-cookers typically heat with a single coil underneath may cook unevenly. Avoid ¡°slow cookers¡± or ¡°cooker/fryer¡± combinations; instead, find a traditional crockpot where the heat comes from all around the outside. You¡¯ll also get less bottom scorching with a crockpot, due to the even heat distribution.

Cooking With Child

Children of all ages and gender, benefit from spending time in the kitchen. Cooking teaches children the spirit of cooperation, a little bit of math, and a bit of chemistry. But best of all is that it teaches them to appreciate the effort and artistry that goes into the preparation of food. Besides, they're far more likely to eat something if they've helped make it. Cooking also provides children with a sense of personal achievement by giving them a peek into the adult world they so often imitate in their play.

Children have a natural fascination with cooking and baking. It has to do with their general need to touch, explore and fiddle with whatever gadget is put in front of them. This is not a bad thing, and can be rather educational when adult supervision is present. With easy to understand cooking recipes, kids are introduced to basic math skills, reading and comprehension. The ability to follow directions is one of the most important skills a child needs for a successful school experience.

Children can learn a lot from cooking. In fact, from an early age, they can see how separate ingredients are mixed together and then transformed into something else. For Kindergartners and First Graders, measuring solids and liquids turns into a teachable moment. They can also see how ingredients are divided into various parts. The idea of heat and degrees of hotness also invites interesting discussion. Older children can delve deeper into this concept.

Cooking with children can be great fun, but do keep in mind the following suggestions:

• Cooking activities require time and energy spent gathering materials and ingredients. No matter how much preplanning is done, adult facilitation is necessary.
• Keep an eye on your child when he/she is in the kitchen. Even though the child is not helping you in kitchen work and is just watching or playing with pots and pans, it is advisable that you supervise the child for any possible mishaps.
• Teach your children to wash hands before handling any food product or cooking.
• Do not hold the child while you are handling hot equipments.
• Make sure that hot foods and liquids are kept away from kitchen countertops and table edges so that the child does not topple it over.
• Kids under 10 should not handle electronic gadgets, stoves, sharp kitchen appliances such as knives and scissors or hot dishes. Instead give them simpler tasks such as wiping the table or washing the vegetables.
• Tell children to wait until the dish is done to ensure that it is fully cooked before sampling it. This will help prevent illness.
• Don't get flustered by the mess. Encourage the kids to help you clean up after the cooking sessions.
• Have a fire extinguisher nearby and emergency phone numbers posted in a conspicuous place so you can make calls quickly.

For more info about cooking recipes, please visit Child Care Fun.

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