I had completely forgotten all about that! My parents did that too. Of course I left Ohio 40 years ago and haven't needed help with the humidity here in Florida. 😉
I live in Australia and recall, when I was a junior nurse, visiting the country home of a Dr on staff. He and his wife were wild life carers, and their crockpot was used (on low heat) to raise premature joeys and possums
I like to use it to melt chocolate for Christmas candy. I fill the slow cooker about 1/2 way with water and then put wide mouth mason jars in with the various chocolates that I want to melt. Then put it on low and use it once melted, it is great on pretzels and strawberries too! Plus it stays melty for a long time without having to keep melting it in the microwave or on the stove.
The sweetened condensed caramel sure brought back some memories. I started making it close to 30 years ago. The original purpose was to use it to make a pie. You will need a graham cracker pie crust, to that add 1 can of the caramel. Top it with an 8 ounce (more if you want) container of thawed Cool Whip. Can sprinkle with nuts, chocolate chips or whatever you like or leave it plain. My mom absolutely loved this pie and requested it frequently. She passed 24 years ago and I still miss making it for her.
@@SeeMindyMom You are most welcome! I forgot to say in the recipe that I refrigerate it for 30 minutes or longer before serving but that is optional. If you make it I hope you enjoy it!
I make baked potatoes and mashed potatoes in my crockpot. The mashed potatoes you can make start to finish in your crockpot. Peel and leave whole. Cover with water. Cook on either high or low until done. Mash right in the crockpot. For baked potatoes just wrap them in foil and turn on the crockpot. Warm potatoes by dinner time!
Thank you, everyone for your prayers in the last video. My hubby isn't one who shows emotions that much and this has really hurt him. He hasn't shown it, but I can tell it's bothered him.
I’m 77- long before slow cookers, my mother made caramel from condensed milk for desert. We cooked it on the stove. After it was cooked and cooled, we opened both ends of the can and pushed it out much like you do with canned cranberry sauce. Maybe ours was thicker? To serve we sliced it with a knife dipped in hot water and topped the slices with homemade whipped cream
Same here - for dessert the slices were served on top of a slice of pineapple with whipped cream on top. Delicious! We also ate it on its own with a spoon sitting around my great-grandmother's kitchen table with my grandmother, mother and aunts.
Hardest part about making the caramel is not eating it straight from the tin 🤣 I make a shortbread, put the caramel on, top with salted peanuts and melted chocolate. Its a Rachel Allen recipe. So good!
My daughter is a massage therapist & the spa that she works at uses slow cookers to warm stones for treatments. It’s a lovely experience! Thanks for the info. Susie
My manicurist uses them for warm, dampened towels to “soak” your hands. She sets the damp towels on top of inverted plastic bowls to keep them out of the water that steams them. Very pleasant to have your lotioned hands wrapped in warmth for a few minutes.
Very interesting! I'll definitely try the shrimp boil 🙂 I make boiled peanuts in my slow cooker. Buy a 2-lb bag of natural, such as Hampton Farms, unroasted peanuts in the shell. Rinse them well in a dishpan. Drain the peanuts and place them in the slow cooker. Add a cup of salt, preferably Kosher, and whatever seasonings you like, such as Cajun, and cover with water. Turn slow cooker to high and boil the peanuts for minimum of 12 - 18 hours (overnight). Inexpensive and so good for parties.
In the 70's we'd boil the sweetened cond milk on the stove top..we would bake a regular pie shell then after caramel cooled a bit we'd line the pie shell with fresh banana slices top with a thin layer of whipped topping then caramel and repeat layers then top with whipped topping.. It was a special family treat!!!
Here’s my extraordinary use for my slow cooker….because I live in the SOUTH (central Arkansas), it gets SO hot and humid during the summer months. I plug my slow cooker in either in the garage, in the sunroom, or on my front porch and avoid a nasty fight between my cooker and my air conditioner. It’s just more economical to cook in an area you’re not trying to cool off when you have plug ins in these areas outside the house. And the cornbread cooking in the slow cooker? Nope! Cornbread needs to hit that hot skillet (with melted bacon grease already sizzling in it) and go directly into a super hot over. Quick cooking makes for delicious cornbread with crusty golden crusts all he way around. Thanks for a great video!
As a retired preschool teacher of 30 years. I always used jello to color my playdough. My fall playdough would have orange jello and pumpkin spice added. I used a non cooking recipe. Love watching your channel. You never fail with your content.
It’s super important to use heat to make your homemade playdough due to the potential for E Coli to be present in the flour. My nephew spent 2 weeks in the hospital on dialysis from E Coli poisoning that turned into Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which is extremely fatal to kids 5 and under. Be careful.
I'll make stonefruit spread in my slow cooker. Wash the fruit, cut the fruit in half and remove the pit/stone, chuck into the slow cooker. Fill it as much as it'll hold. Add a cup of sweetener (we use cane sugar, because I can't use any of the artificial sweeteners). Cover and set on low. After a few hours, stir it a bit. After a few more hours (or next morning), take a stick blender to it. Jar up the goop, can it if you're a canner, or seal the jar as well as you can and tuck it in the fridge. We could get 5-6 jars out of it, which lasted a couple of months in PB&Js for the boy and breakfast toast spread for my mother-in-law.
The play dough recipe I love as a daycare teacher! I can’t have an element in the classroom but we do have a crock pot. I can put that in the crockpot as I set up for the day and hopefully by mid day it would be cool for the kids to use. I will definitely try it, thank you!
❤Love this! I am amazed that people actually brown meat on the stove top! From the freezer, to the crock pot....terrific way to make a huge batch of ground meat for tacos, chili, meat sauce❤
Chex Mix in the Crockpot! I'm in! My most extravagant uses have been baked potatoes and roasted chicken. Yes, it was crispy. When I left for gollege my mom let me take her green Crockpot. The pot has been long gone, however, I still have the original cookbook that I still pull out from time to time.
Crockpot turkey: 1 whole turkey, 3 quartered onions, 2 packets of onions soup mix to coat entire turkey, 2 sticks butter. Cook on high for 6 hrs. Optional: carrots, celery. Blend drippings with an immersion blender for gravy. And yes, there is a crockpot that will fit a regular sized turkey ;) ..... Oh, don't make this if you're going for looks. Although I did try roasted a turkey once and placed it in the crockpot to take to work (added 2 sticks of butter to keep it from sticking). Turned out to be the best so far and kept the beautiful brown roasted color.
Back in the old days, my mom, her sisters and their mother (grandma) would put the sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan of water and cook it on low on the stove for hours. They would all pray the can wouldn’t explode which was a big possibility. My Aunt Bev had it happen. So whichever lady was able to accomplish getting caramel had bragging rights. LOL I grew up in a family of fantastic cooks. The Christmas food and desserts were just out of this world. I miss those days. I’ll be 61 in a few days.
My Sicilian grandmother taught me how to make her spaghetti sauce. Since I live in Texas and it's hot in the summer, I decided I didn't want to stand over the stove to make the sauce. Now, I just throw the ingredients in my smaller crock pot and simmer for about an hour on high. I have one vegetarian in the family, so once it's cooked, I separate the sauce for her, and add the cooked meat to the crock for those of us who eat meat. I let it heat through and cook my pasta, and dinner is ready.
I make bread pudding. Put a little water in the crockpot. Set a pan of bread pudding down in the pot and let it steam for an hour. Comes out great. I also make Boston Brown Bread in cans. Fill the can half-way with batter, cover the can with foil, set down in crockpot that has water in the bottom and steam for an hour. Water should already be hot and steaming when you put these in. Also, I adjust the caramel consistency by the amount of time it cooks. Less time will give you a pourable caramel sauce, more time will give you a caramel candy you can cut into cubes. Somewhere in the middle will make a caramel spread.
I live in a very dry climate and sometimes I use my crockpot as a humidifier. I boil several quarts of water on the stove and pour it into the slow cooker which is turned up to high. I leave the lid off and it steams nicely.
I loved finding these things are possible. Definitely going to be making the caramel. Everyone probably knows this, but there is a great recipe for play dough using Kool Aid that gives the dough great colours, and it smells good too. And I wouldn't worry about kids eating it -- one salty taste will be enough to discourage the adventurous ones 😃.
I have made bread in my slow cooker. It was a loaf of sourdough, using the discard. It turned out great. The only thing I didn’t like was it didn’t brown, so I put it in the oven for a few minutes to brown.
My biggest cheat is Chocolate Candy in the slow cooker. just dump your chocolate in there on low and stir occasionally. then dump in all your additives - peanuts, pretzel pieces, coconut shreds, craisins, etc. It seems to give you enough time to get it all scooped out, even with ADHD side-tracked brain, before it hardens and can't be plopped anymore. And, another side note ... If it does set before you get to it, I just put it in the freezer in small pieces and then add those pieces to other baked items ... banana bread, etc.
Hi Mindy! Wow! I had no idea that all these recipes can be made in the crockpot!! I can't wait to try them out! Thank you, thank you!! Chex mix is one of my favorite snacks!! God bless!! 🙂
I love your channel. I'm a seasoned cook, but I never cease to learn something new from you. I find myself filing away every single episode to my "Recipes" folder. Thanks for all you do.
- wooden table and cutting board wax Mix (about equal parts of each) beeswax, coconut oil and mineral oil together on low until melted. Let cool slightly and pour into a container. With a clean rag, I rub it on my cutting boards and wooden table every six months or so.
Im Cajun & I make Roux in my slow cooker. Yes Roux. I use a vintage style tall round slow cooker. I have 2 videos that I've done on my channel where I've shown the process.
CAUTION!!! You can indeed make soap in a crockpot, but once you've used it for soap you can no longer use it for food. Same goes with the utensils used as well. No lye in any container/utensil used for food. I made great soap and also used an immersion blender. The blender also has to be reserved for only soap making.
Whixh is one.reason u should NEVER BIY USED COOMING THINGS...IT ISNT JUST SOP MAKING BUT JEWELRY...WE USE THEM ALL THE TIME...I TOSSED MINE ...SIX OF THEM WHEN I QUIT MAKING JEWELRY.I WAS AFRAID SOME POOR.CREATURE WOULD USE IT FOR FOOD BUT MANY OTHERS DONT!!! MANY OTHERS...I GOT IN TO A ROW WHEN SEVERAL JEWELER'S SOLD THWIR AT.GARAGE SALES
Someone got me a 3 well crockpot one year for a gift. For birthday parties I'll fill one well with hot dogs and one with hot dog chili and then a dip in the 3rd one. Or for just a lazy graze and go weekend, I'll make 3 dips and put one in each well. Our favorites are jalapeno popper dip, buffalo chicken dip & spinach dip. Another great option for it is to put 3 sides in that one and then do a main in my normal crockpot & then you can have a hot & ready meal for everyone to be able to eat whenever it suits them!
A crockpot is perfect for melting and straining beeswax after harvesting your honey. Line the crockpot with a turkey roasting bag, then 4 layers of cheese cloth (with a large overhang). Add several inches of water and the wax. Put the lid on and bring the overhanging edges of the cheesecloth up on top (to prevent the water from siphoning out). Turn it on, high or low depending on how long you want it to take. When the wax is melted, turn the crockpot off and lift the cheesecloth out by its edges and hang above the crockpot to drain. I attach it to a cabinet handle. As the wax cools, it solidifies on top of the water and you end up with a lovely disk of clean wax. Throw the cheesecloth and contents away along with the turkey bag, leaving no mess to clean up. 🙂
Inwiah i had bees..im pushing 80 and well...i dont need another creature to take care of..but i do try to have flowers galore and water for them...and other creatures.
Hello Mindy, just like those smelly fruit scented markers,you made lime jello smelly playdoh! Cool! Yes,i use my slow cooker for wassail tea. I mix all the ingredients in crock pot and keep on low heat to heat it up then i switch it over to keep warm. Guests can help themselves and enjoy a warm beverage along with the holiday!
I almost exclusively bake potatoes in my slow cooker. I don’t have to heat up the house especially in the summer in Arizona which is a win, and they always turn out perfect
My Grandma used to make a dessert with the caramel and vanilla wafers. She would frost each wafer and stack them up 4 high in a dish and frost with homemade whip cream. So good!
Good ideas!As I’m older now the crock pot has become my best friend! I can’t just walk away from what I’m cooking!Too many close calls and I don’t trust myself!One I truly like is country style steak Just cube steak no coating!Mushroom soup and fried onion rings!I did have to use two soups and two onion rings!sizes of the cans are getting smaller or not as much in can!It is delicious!Cant wait to try Carmel!
I make baked potatoes in mine... And I always always cook my rice in the slow cooker. I love Jasmine Rice because of the taste and fragrance, but you can use any rice.
I have made pizza in my crockpot. It worked great! The hardest part was trying to get the pizza out of my oval crockpot. If you try it, don’t skip the foil or parchment paper handles.
I make mashed potatoes for a crowd in my slow cooker. After boiling 5# of taters in a large stock pot, I mash them in the cooker with the other ingredients. It is full! Set to low. And then I’m free to work on other dishes. Great for potlucks.
I make them start to finish in the crockpot. Peel the potatoes and leave them whole. Place in crockpot, and cover with water. Cook on either high or low (depending on when you need them done.) Then drain, and then mash them right in the crockpot.
Being the only cook for Christmas dinner, and having a very small kitchen, I prepared two vegetables ahead and put them into two slow cookers (on"warm"). Before that I roasted the meat and made stuffing, and put them into a large slow cooker on "warm" . With these all off the stove, out of the oven & out of the way, I had the space to mash the pototoes I'd cooked, and then I made the homemade gravy from the juices in the roasting pan. I cut up the meat & put the gravy in a bowl. It is the only way I can do it all and keep it warm. It all was delicious. My family contributes things that don't require cooking in my kitchen since it's a one person room. Slow cookers save the day.
I started adding a sweet ingredient to my “nuts and bolts” in 1984-1985…Cabbage Patch cereal. When they quit making it, I switched to various sweet cereals, finally settling on Honeycomb for the past 20 years or so.🥰
Not a cooker tip, but an instant mash potato tip! I use Lawry's instead of salt when making them. It makes the instant mash potatoes taste so much better!😊
This reminded me of a trick that I've done a few times. Try using those corn muffin mixes to make a cobbler. I know it sounds weird, but it's good. If I remember correctly, the directions on the package say to use one egg and a third a cup of milk? I omitted the egg and increased the milk to the next measurement (which I think is half a cup, unless I'm mistaken on the measurement in the directions), and I added half a teaspoon of baking powder. So to put it plainly, I dumped a can of pears into the crockpot, stirred a box of corn muffin mix with half a teaspoon of baking powder and half a cup (two thirds maybe?) of milk, then poured the batter over the pears and cooked that until the batter wasn't raw.
@@susanmcnabb2551 it’s more of a technique than a recipe. Put a couple tablespoons of butter in the crockpot. You don’t need much, and it won’t burn because the temperature is low; you can substitute olive oil or your preferred oil if you like. Fill the crock right to the top with sliced or chopped onions and add a big pinch of salt; the onions will shrink, of course, so it’s OK to fill the crock up. Set it on low and let it go from early morning. It takes my crockpot 12-14 hours. Check it once in awhile to see how it’s progressing, preferably without taking the lid off. Once you get the timing down you can do it overnight if you like. I know you can use an instant pot, too, but I’ve not done that yet.
I LOVE how you called the soup a throw & go. It REALLY grosses me out when people call them “dump meals” that sounds SO unappetizing. I’m SO happy I found your channel a few months ago ❤
In the summer, I “roast” chicken (especially for salads) in the slow cooker. Has to be 4 lbs or less to get the internal temperature to the right level. The recipe I have is to not use the wire rack but set the chicken on a bed of crumpled foil balls (they collect the fat, burn it, evaporate and flavor the meat). Season as you like. Cook 2-3 hrs depending on your cooker. Skin will be unappealing but just remove it. (First time viewer so sorry if this is old to you)
Just saw your channel pop up and this was fun and interesting! For Thanksgiving, I made honey glazed carrots with orange zest. I’m not much of a cook, but the carrots received many compliments. I’d like to use my crockpot more!
I hate even thinking about turning my oven on except in dead middle of winter. No ac, and when my house gets hot or stays hot till about dawn the next day. Seeing you make Chex mix inspired me to use a crockpot to make croutons! Yep, probably use whole wheat Chex-my favorite-, Italian seasoning, lots of garlic powder and maybe some onion. Hey, maybe even use zesty Italian dressing instead of butter. Thanks!
That dulce de leche in the Crockpot is really a budget tip as well. A can of La Lechera brand dulce de leche (usually the only kind I can find if I need dulce de leche RIGHT NOW) is $1 more than a can of La Lechera brand sweetened condensed milk. And you can get condensed milk for even cheaper at Aldi or in the store brand.
I seen another video where they took the caramel they made the caramel in the crockpot but they took it out of the can and put it in the small jelly jars and put it in there and that way then they can give it his gifts
We made homemade play dough in a crockpot 40 years ago in a pre-school Sunday school class. The children got to pour in and mix the ingredients, and it was done (although still too hot to the touch) by the time the class was finished.
This is a brilliant video! I have never seen anything like this before. I use my multiple slow cookers every single day, and am always on the hunt for innovative and cost-saving cooking ideas for them. Thanks so much! I have saved this video for future reference, too. 🎉
I've always made kool-aid playdough (whole packet) ... my kiddo is 14 now, but even when she was younger, she never tried to eat it. I always loved the smell!
I used to teach preschool. I would make my play dough with a variety of different scents each time. Sometimes vanilla extract, sometimes mint extract, sometimes pumpkin pie spice, sometimes ranch seasoning, and sometimes-you guessed it- any flavor of Jello. Never used the crockpot though.
My husband is fond of making homemade soups. I showed him this one and he's thinking it sounds really good for quick n easy Slow Cooker days. We make our cornbread from Jiffy, same as yours, but in our toaster oven ... perfection eery time. Never tried it in the slow cooker. I do agree that many of the slow cookers seem to run hot, especially when using the low setting on mine. It never seems to be as low of a temp as they used to be back in the day. COULD BE our hurry up world or for safety purposes when slower cooking but I miss those lower temps of 8-12 hours on for the low settings.
I use a designated old crock pot (that still works great) to melt my cheese wax. I wax blocks of cheese for long term storage. Just leave the wax in the pot . It will solidify, put the pot away until the next batch. Add more wax as needed.
You can pour that caramel goodness into a graham cracker pie crust, top with Cool Whip and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and have the most delicious pie ever! Check out O’Charley’s Restaurant recipe for caramel pie. Some recipes say open milk and dump that in crockpot but I definitely prefer the can method for a smoother texture. I am subscribing to your channel today after seeing this video!
7 can taco soup variation: if my dad's feeling extra lazy, he'll sometimes do 8 can chicken taco soup. Lose the ground beef, add a large can of chicken chunks.
Thank you for sharing!! It's sure true about different crock pots cooking with different temperature I've had a couple of them that the temperature is just so low even when it's on high it took 2 days to cook a roast I hated them, they were gifts so they were probably a cheaper brand one, I thought well they just don't make thing's like they use too and that that's just how they are now until my sister inlaw gave me a Pioneer Woman one and Thank goodness it cooked like I had remembered them!!! I'll alway's get the better brand's now, don't have to replace them often anyway. Happy Holidays to you and your family, Many Blessings To You And Your Family as well Stay Safe And Well!!! ❤ Elle on husband's account almost 40 yr marriage ❤ take care ❤
My Mom used to boil condensed milk on the stovetop when I was a wee lassie (back in the 60's!) We ate it right out the can lol! I believe we also put it on our icecream. Apples are a great choice too!
Mulled cider drink at parties. Mostly it's just a gallon or so of apple juice or cider, random spices, a few whole ones, and some lemon or orange slices. Turn it on low, add a ladle and set glasses next to it. Typically gets refilled before it starts to dry out, great for keeping people out of the kitchen for drinks.
U can also use the slow cooker for cleaning rusty hardware. On low for 8 hours covered in water. Rust comes off real easy. Like door handles knobs plates etc.
I am older with back and knee problems and I can't stand very long , even 5 minutes is hard for me so being able to make the play-doh in the crock pot would be easier for me. I'm sure there are handicapped moms and dads who can really use the recipe even though it's more of a novelty to you and quicker to make on the stove top. I'm glad to have the recipe and will share it with others who have mobility issues. Play-doh, like everything else has gotten ridiculously priced, why buy what you can make cheaper. Thanks for sharing it.
My parents would use the crockpot as a humidifier in the wintertime. One ingredient.😊
What a great idea❤
I had completely forgotten all about that! My parents did that too. Of course I left Ohio 40 years ago and haven't needed help with the humidity here in Florida. 😉
Oooh. As someone who just moved back to Wisconsin...THANK YOU for this!
Eagle pudding (every hippie's sugar rush) in slow cooker! Yay! So much easier than keeping an eye on the saucepan!
Enlighten me please. Never heard of this. How do I do this
I live in Australia and recall, when I was a junior nurse, visiting the country home of a Dr on staff. He and his wife were wild life carers, and their crockpot was used (on low heat) to raise premature joeys and possums
I have a dedicated crock pot I found at a yard sale for $5 to ice-tie dye fabric. Easy, fast and less mess.
I like to use it to melt chocolate for Christmas candy. I fill the slow cooker about 1/2 way with water and then put wide mouth mason jars in with the various chocolates that I want to melt. Then put it on low and use it once melted, it is great on pretzels and strawberries too! Plus it stays melty for a long time without having to keep melting it in the microwave or on the stove.
You can use an electric skillet doing it the same way.
Make sure to go to the electric skillet post and let them know.
The sweetened condensed caramel sure brought back some memories. I started making it close to 30 years ago. The original purpose was to use it to make a pie. You will need a graham cracker pie crust, to that add 1 can of the caramel. Top it with an 8 ounce (more if you want) container of thawed Cool Whip. Can sprinkle with nuts, chocolate chips or whatever you like or leave it plain. My mom absolutely loved this pie and requested it frequently. She passed 24 years ago and I still miss making it for her.
❤
Thank you for the recipe!
@@SeeMindyMom You are most welcome! I forgot to say in the recipe that I refrigerate it for 30 minutes or longer before serving but that is optional. If you make it I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks
Carmel pie? Just the carmel and whip cream?? Not really pie is it?
I make baked potatoes and mashed potatoes in my crockpot.
The mashed potatoes you can make start to finish in your crockpot. Peel and leave whole. Cover with water. Cook on either high or low until done. Mash right in the crockpot.
For baked potatoes just wrap them in foil and turn on the crockpot. Warm potatoes by dinner time!
Thank you, everyone for your prayers in the last video. My hubby isn't one who shows emotions that much and this has really hurt him. He hasn't shown it, but I can tell it's bothered him.
I’m 77- long before slow cookers, my mother made caramel from condensed milk for desert. We cooked it on the stove. After it was cooked and cooled, we opened both ends of the can and pushed it out much like you do with canned cranberry sauce. Maybe ours was thicker? To serve we sliced it with a knife dipped in hot water and topped the slices with homemade whipped cream
Same here - for dessert the slices were served on top of a slice of pineapple with whipped cream on top. Delicious! We also ate it on its own with a spoon sitting around my great-grandmother's kitchen table with my grandmother, mother and aunts.
the longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. We do it with the slow cooker, but longer. Slice and push in nuts, then dip or smear chocolate on top.
How long do you cook it ? I like it solid enough that it holds its shape
Yep the longer you cook it the darker and thicker it is 😊
Hardest part about making the caramel is not eating it straight from the tin 🤣 I make a shortbread, put the caramel on, top with salted peanuts and melted chocolate. Its a Rachel Allen recipe. So good!
Spreading it on top of brownies 🤤
My daughter is a massage therapist & the spa that she works at uses slow cookers to warm stones for treatments. It’s a lovely experience! Thanks for the info. Susie
My manicurist uses them for warm, dampened towels to “soak” your hands. She sets the damp towels on top of inverted plastic bowls to keep them out of the water that steams them. Very pleasant to have your lotioned hands wrapped in warmth for a few minutes.
Nice!
Very interesting! I'll definitely try the shrimp boil 🙂
I make boiled peanuts in my slow cooker. Buy a 2-lb bag of natural, such as Hampton Farms, unroasted peanuts in the shell.
Rinse them well in a dishpan. Drain the peanuts and place them in the slow cooker. Add a cup of salt, preferably Kosher, and whatever
seasonings you like, such as Cajun, and cover with water. Turn slow cooker to high and boil the peanuts for minimum of 12 - 18 hours (overnight). Inexpensive and so good for parties.
In the 70's we'd boil the sweetened cond milk on the stove top..we would bake a regular pie shell then after caramel cooled a bit we'd line the pie shell with fresh banana slices top with a thin layer of whipped topping then caramel and repeat layers then top with whipped topping.. It was a special family treat!!!
Here’s my extraordinary use for my slow cooker….because I live in the SOUTH (central Arkansas), it gets SO hot and humid during the summer months. I plug my slow cooker in either in the garage, in the sunroom, or on my front porch and avoid a nasty fight between my cooker and my air conditioner. It’s just more economical to cook in an area you’re not trying to cool off when you have plug ins in these areas outside the house. And the cornbread cooking in the slow cooker? Nope! Cornbread needs to hit that hot skillet (with melted bacon grease already sizzling in it) and go directly into a super hot over. Quick cooking makes for delicious cornbread with crusty golden crusts all he way around. Thanks for a great video!
As a retired preschool teacher of 30 years. I always used jello to color my playdough. My fall playdough would have orange jello and pumpkin spice added. I used a non cooking recipe. Love watching your channel. You never fail with your content.
I have made homemade playdough. I have never heated mine.
Thank you so much!
It’s super important to use heat to make your homemade playdough due to the potential for E Coli to be present in the flour. My nephew spent 2 weeks in the hospital on dialysis from E Coli poisoning that turned into Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which is extremely fatal to kids 5 and under. Be careful.
I'll make stonefruit spread in my slow cooker. Wash the fruit, cut the fruit in half and remove the pit/stone, chuck into the slow cooker. Fill it as much as it'll hold. Add a cup of sweetener (we use cane sugar, because I can't use any of the artificial sweeteners). Cover and set on low. After a few hours, stir it a bit. After a few more hours (or next morning), take a stick blender to it. Jar up the goop, can it if you're a canner, or seal the jar as well as you can and tuck it in the fridge. We could get 5-6 jars out of it, which lasted a couple of months in PB&Js for the boy and breakfast toast spread for my mother-in-law.
What is stonefruit?? ❤
The play dough recipe I love as a daycare teacher! I can’t have an element in the classroom but we do have a crock pot. I can put that in the crockpot as I set up for the day and hopefully by mid day it would be cool for the kids to use. I will definitely try it, thank you!
Oh, good point! Glad I could help. :)
I was thinking the same thing! I’m a pre-K aide and the kids love making recipes together. This could be a fun activity.
If you want scented playdough, Kool aid could work too.
Look up the recipe for KoolAid play dough. No heat needed. Smells great!
Set it in the teachers break room with a note, "please stir for Ms. Smith's class"
❤Love this! I am amazed that people actually brown meat on the stove top! From the freezer, to the crock pot....terrific way to make a huge batch of ground meat for tacos, chili, meat sauce❤
Chex Mix in the Crockpot! I'm in! My most extravagant uses have been baked potatoes and roasted chicken. Yes, it was crispy.
When I left for gollege my mom let me take her green Crockpot. The pot has been long gone, however, I still have the original cookbook that I still pull out from time to time.
You’re funny … it’s so true
Would you mind sharing how you make a crispy chicken in the crock pot?
I'm very interested in how you did the crispy chicken and baked potatoes in the crock pot!!! Recipe and instructions please and thank you ❤
Crockpot turkey: 1 whole turkey, 3 quartered onions, 2 packets of onions soup mix to coat entire turkey, 2 sticks butter. Cook on high for 6 hrs. Optional: carrots, celery. Blend drippings with an immersion blender for gravy. And yes, there is a crockpot that will fit a regular sized turkey ;) ..... Oh, don't make this if you're going for looks. Although I did try roasted a turkey once and placed it in the crockpot to take to work (added 2 sticks of butter to keep it from sticking). Turned out to be the best so far and kept the beautiful brown roasted color.
Thank u for this recipe! Houston here will try this. I might cut the turkey in quarters.
I ❤ crockpot turkey!
Back in the old days, my mom, her sisters and their mother (grandma) would put the sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan of water and cook it on low on the stove for hours. They would all pray the can wouldn’t explode which was a big possibility. My Aunt Bev had it happen. So whichever lady was able to accomplish getting caramel had bragging rights. LOL I grew up in a family of fantastic cooks. The Christmas food and desserts were just out of this world. I miss those days. I’ll be 61 in a few days.
Happy Birthday
My Sicilian grandmother taught me how to make her spaghetti sauce. Since I live in Texas and it's hot in the summer, I decided I didn't want to stand over the stove to make the sauce. Now, I just throw the ingredients in my smaller crock pot and simmer for about an hour on high. I have one vegetarian in the family, so once it's cooked, I separate the sauce for her, and add the cooked meat to the crock for those of us who eat meat. I let it heat through and cook my pasta, and dinner is ready.
Could you share your grandmothers recipe?
I make bread pudding. Put a little water in the crockpot. Set a pan of bread pudding down in the pot and let it steam for an hour. Comes out great. I also make Boston Brown Bread in cans. Fill the can half-way with batter, cover the can with foil, set down in crockpot that has water in the bottom and steam for an hour. Water should already be hot and steaming when you put these in. Also, I adjust the caramel consistency by the amount of time it cooks. Less time will give you a pourable caramel sauce, more time will give you a caramel candy you can cut into cubes. Somewhere in the middle will make a caramel spread.
Great ideas!!
I love brown bread. Thanks for the how-to.
I live in a very dry climate and sometimes I use my crockpot as a humidifier. I boil several quarts of water on the stove and pour it into the slow cooker which is turned up to high. I leave the lid off and it steams nicely.
That seems like a really good tip.
Okay, I read about that use, too! I forgot to mention that.
And actual humidifiers are expensive, too!
I loved finding these things are possible. Definitely going to be making the caramel. Everyone probably knows this, but there is a great recipe for play dough using Kool Aid that gives the dough great colours, and it smells good too. And I wouldn't worry about kids eating it -- one salty taste will be enough to discourage the adventurous ones 😃.
I have made bread in my slow cooker. It was a loaf of sourdough, using the discard. It turned out great. The only thing I didn’t like was it didn’t brown, so I put it in the oven for a few minutes to brown.
What!!!! The caramel trick....mind blown!!!!
My biggest cheat is Chocolate Candy in the slow cooker. just dump your chocolate in there on low and stir occasionally. then dump in all your additives - peanuts, pretzel pieces, coconut shreds, craisins, etc. It seems to give you enough time to get it all scooped out, even with ADHD side-tracked brain, before it hardens and can't be plopped anymore. And, another side note ... If it does set before you get to it, I just put it in the freezer in small pieces and then add those pieces to other baked items ... banana bread, etc.
Hi Mindy! Wow! I had no idea that all these recipes can be made in the crockpot!! I can't wait to try them out! Thank you, thank you!! Chex mix is one of my favorite snacks!! God bless!! 🙂
Glad I could help!
I love your channel. I'm a seasoned cook, but I never cease to learn something new from you. I find myself filing away every single episode to my "Recipes" folder. Thanks for all you do.
Thanks so much!
Love this video! I love to get more use out of my appliances especially as a way to cut out the oven use during hot summer months!
- wooden table and cutting board wax
Mix (about equal parts of each) beeswax, coconut oil and mineral oil together on low until melted. Let cool slightly and pour into a container. With a clean rag, I rub it on my cutting boards and wooden table every six months or so.
Love using crock to make ducle de lecche. Safer for crock if you use a rag/cloth between cans and bottom. ❤
Im Cajun & I make Roux in my slow cooker. Yes Roux.
I use a vintage style tall round slow cooker. I have 2 videos that I've done on my channel where I've shown the process.
Thank you I will check this out ~
-You can proof bread in it on cold day
- I use it in my greenhouse to bring up warm humidity
CAUTION!!! You can indeed make soap in a crockpot, but once you've used it for soap you can no longer use it for food. Same goes with the utensils used as well. No lye in any container/utensil used for food. I made great soap and also used an immersion blender. The blender also has to be reserved for only soap making.
Good point!
I wrote on my tools (including slow cooker) FOR SOAP USE ONLY)
Whixh is one.reason u should NEVER BIY USED COOMING THINGS...IT ISNT JUST SOP MAKING BUT JEWELRY...WE USE THEM ALL THE TIME...I TOSSED MINE ...SIX OF THEM WHEN I QUIT MAKING JEWELRY.I WAS AFRAID SOME POOR.CREATURE WOULD USE IT FOR FOOD BUT MANY OTHERS DONT!!! MANY OTHERS...I GOT IN TO A ROW WHEN SEVERAL JEWELER'S SOLD THWIR AT.GARAGE SALES
Someone got me a 3 well crockpot one year for a gift. For birthday parties I'll fill one well with hot dogs and one with hot dog chili and then a dip in the 3rd one. Or for just a lazy graze and go weekend, I'll make 3 dips and put one in each well. Our favorites are jalapeno popper dip, buffalo chicken dip & spinach dip. Another great option for it is to put 3 sides in that one and then do a main in my normal crockpot & then you can have a hot & ready meal for everyone to be able to eat whenever it suits them!
I have one of those little crock pots for dip and use it all winter to do a simmer pot with cinnamon sticks and lemons.
I grew up with this dessert, it's called Dulce de Leche, a Spanish caramel. My fave.
A crockpot is perfect for melting and straining beeswax after harvesting your honey. Line the crockpot with a turkey roasting bag, then 4 layers of cheese cloth (with a large overhang). Add several inches of water and the wax. Put the lid on and bring the overhanging edges of the cheesecloth up on top (to prevent the water from siphoning out). Turn it on, high or low depending on how long you want it to take. When the wax is melted, turn the crockpot off and lift the cheesecloth out by its edges and hang above the crockpot to drain. I attach it to a cabinet handle. As the wax cools, it solidifies on top of the water and you end up with a lovely disk of clean wax. Throw the cheesecloth and contents away along with the turkey bag, leaving no mess to clean up. 🙂
Inwiah i had bees..im pushing 80 and well...i dont need another creature to take care of..but i do try to have flowers galore and water for them...and other creatures.
@@sislertx That’s wonderful! All honey bee beekeepers and honey bees thank you. 😊
If you have a big enough pile, cotton cheesecloth and beeswax gunk could be buried down in to decompose.
@@utubemouse Excellent suggestion! Thank you. 🙂
Hello Mindy, just like those smelly fruit scented markers,you made lime jello smelly playdoh! Cool! Yes,i use my slow cooker for wassail tea. I mix all the ingredients in crock pot and keep on low heat to heat it up then i switch it over to keep warm. Guests can help themselves and enjoy a warm beverage along with the holiday!
I almost exclusively bake potatoes in my slow cooker. I don’t have to heat up the house especially in the summer in Arizona which is a win, and they always turn out perfect
My Grandma used to make a dessert with the caramel and vanilla wafers. She would frost each wafer and stack them up 4 high in a dish and frost with homemade whip cream. So good!
Good ideas!As I’m older now the crock pot has become my best friend! I can’t just walk away from what I’m cooking!Too many close calls and I don’t trust myself!One I truly like is country style steak Just cube steak no coating!Mushroom soup and fried onion rings!I did have to use two soups and two onion rings!sizes of the cans are getting smaller or not as much in can!It is delicious!Cant wait to try Carmel!
I make baked potatoes in mine... And I always always cook my rice in the slow cooker. I love Jasmine Rice because of the taste and fragrance, but you can use any rice.
I love that you make ‘different’ things in the CP. Thanks for the great ideas!
I have made pizza in my crockpot. It worked great! The hardest part was trying to get the pizza out of my oval crockpot. If you try it, don’t skip the foil or parchment paper handles.
Scented play dough???? LOVE IT!!! ❤
I make mashed potatoes for a crowd in my slow cooker. After boiling 5# of taters in a large stock pot, I mash them in the cooker with the other ingredients. It is full! Set to low. And then I’m free to work on other dishes. Great for potlucks.
Good tip!
I do this too. We love mashed potatoes, and they stay warm until we eat.
I make them start to finish in the crockpot. Peel the potatoes and leave them whole. Place in crockpot, and cover with water. Cook on either high or low (depending on when you need them done.) Then drain, and then mash them right in the crockpot.
The pizza recipe was brilliant and looks absolutely delicious!
Being the only cook for Christmas dinner, and having a very small kitchen, I prepared two vegetables ahead and put them into two slow cookers (on"warm"). Before that I roasted the meat and made stuffing, and put them into a large slow cooker on "warm" . With these all off the stove, out of the oven & out of the way, I had the space to mash the pototoes I'd cooked, and then I made the homemade gravy from the juices in the roasting pan. I cut up the meat & put the gravy in a bowl. It is the only way I can do it all and keep it warm. It all was delicious. My family contributes things that don't require cooking in my kitchen since it's a one person room. Slow cookers save the day.
Chex mix addition: 2 or more cups of regular Life cereal. The touch of sweetness takes the whole mix over the top!
@MamaHarriet
my favorite ingredient is cheerios. They soak up the butter and spices, so good!
I started adding a sweet ingredient to my “nuts and bolts” in 1984-1985…Cabbage Patch cereal. When they quit making it, I switched to various sweet cereals, finally settling on Honeycomb for the past 20 years or so.🥰
We use Kix for that reason
Not a cooker tip, but an instant mash potato tip! I use Lawry's instead of salt when making them. It makes the instant mash potatoes taste so much better!😊
Putting in dry ranch dip mix makes the bomb mashed potatoes too!!
This reminded me of a trick that I've done a few times. Try using those corn muffin mixes to make a cobbler. I know it sounds weird, but it's good. If I remember correctly, the directions on the package say to use one egg and a third a cup of milk? I omitted the egg and increased the milk to the next measurement (which I think is half a cup, unless I'm mistaken on the measurement in the directions), and I added half a teaspoon of baking powder. So to put it plainly, I dumped a can of pears into the crockpot, stirred a box of corn muffin mix with half a teaspoon of baking powder and half a cup (two thirds maybe?) of milk, then poured the batter over the pears and cooked that until the batter wasn't raw.
Make hands-off caramelized onions in the crock pot. They freeze beautifully in meal-sized portions.
Recipe please
@@susanmcnabb2551 it’s more of a technique than a recipe. Put a couple tablespoons of butter in the crockpot. You don’t need much, and it won’t burn because the temperature is low; you can substitute olive oil or your preferred oil if you like. Fill the crock right to the top with sliced or chopped onions and add a big pinch of salt; the onions will shrink, of course, so it’s OK to fill the crock up. Set it on low and let it go from early morning. It takes my crockpot 12-14 hours. Check it once in awhile to see how it’s progressing, preferably without taking the lid off. Once you get the timing down you can do it overnight if you like. I know you can use an instant pot, too, but I’ve not done that yet.
I love dipping apples into caramel. Yummy. I’ve got a can in my cabinet that needs to be used.
I LOVE how you called the soup a throw & go. It REALLY grosses me out when people call them “dump meals” that sounds SO unappetizing. I’m SO happy I found your channel a few months ago ❤
I thought the same when ppl say " dump n go like really " dump " sounds pretty gross.
I love finding new uses for the slow cookers. We have 3. Now I feel like we need more. LOL!
In the summer, I “roast” chicken (especially for salads) in the slow cooker. Has to be 4 lbs or less to get the internal temperature to the right level. The recipe I have is to not use the wire rack but set the chicken on a bed of crumpled foil balls (they collect the fat, burn it, evaporate and flavor the meat). Season as you like. Cook 2-3 hrs depending on your cooker. Skin will be unappealing but just remove it. (First time viewer so sorry if this is old to you)
Oh my!! What a Great!!!! video, Thank You for sharing. Hope things well with you and all in your family.Take Care
Thanks so much!
I use an air fryer filter to cook my biscuits on in my slow cooker. Easy to lift out. Easy clean up.
Mindy, I don't know what to say other than I know why I follow you! Thanks for the great ideas! you are awesome!
Wow, thank you!
you were meant to be in front of the camera. your content held my attention and your voice is soothing. thank you for all the great ideas. 🤗
Just saw your channel pop up and this was fun and interesting! For Thanksgiving, I made honey glazed carrots with orange zest. I’m not much of a cook, but the carrots received many compliments. I’d like to use my crockpot more!
Recipe please
Would love your recipe for carrots?
Love the 'dulcet de leche' sweetened condensed milk! My Mom would boil a can in a large pot of water when I was young. Brings back warm memories!
I hate even thinking about turning my oven on except in dead middle of winter. No ac, and when my house gets hot or stays hot till about dawn the next day.
Seeing you make Chex mix inspired me to use a crockpot to make croutons!
Yep, probably use whole wheat Chex-my favorite-, Italian seasoning, lots of garlic powder and maybe some onion. Hey, maybe even use zesty Italian dressing instead of butter.
Thanks!
That dulce de leche in the Crockpot is really a budget tip as well. A can of La Lechera brand dulce de leche (usually the only kind I can find if I need dulce de leche RIGHT NOW) is $1 more than a can of La Lechera brand sweetened condensed milk. And you can get condensed milk for even cheaper at Aldi or in the store brand.
Cue my jaw drop at slow cooker cheesecake. Game changer!
I made an Amish recipe apple butter in my crock pot. Delicious. Yum.
I have made yogurt in my crock-pot. It turned out perfectly.
I seen another video where they took the caramel they made the caramel in the crockpot but they took it out of the can and put it in the small jelly jars and put it in there and that way then they can give it his gifts
We made homemade play dough in a crockpot 40 years ago in a pre-school Sunday school class. The children got to pour in and mix the ingredients, and it was done (although still too hot to the touch) by the time the class was finished.
This is a brilliant video! I have never seen anything like this before. I use my multiple slow cookers every single day, and am always on the hunt for innovative and cost-saving cooking ideas for them. Thanks so much! I have saved this video for future reference, too. 🎉
My husband used to ask me why did I need 5 different sized crockpots lol. I used them all for so many different recipes.
My kids are grown. 20’s + 30’s. But I still enjoy watching your videos!
I've always made kool-aid playdough (whole packet) ... my kiddo is 14 now, but even when she was younger, she never tried to eat it. I always loved the smell!
The homemade playdo, in my experience is softer and it lasts longer than the store-bought when we keep it in a ziplock.
Fabulous video. I did not know you could create caramel in a SC. Thank you for the video.
I've made the same Chex Mix for 52 years, and the main sauce ingredient is a cup of bacon grease. It's amazing!
Really loved this vid, had me immersed. Thank you 😊
I just saw The Salted Pepper make Chex mix in the air fryer and it only took 30 minutes, not bad if you don’t have all day! ❤
I used to teach preschool. I would make my play dough with a variety of different scents each time. Sometimes vanilla extract, sometimes mint extract, sometimes pumpkin pie spice, sometimes ranch seasoning, and sometimes-you guessed it- any flavor of Jello. Never used the crockpot though.
My husband is fond of making homemade soups. I showed him this one and he's thinking it sounds really good for quick n easy Slow Cooker days. We make our cornbread from Jiffy, same as yours, but in our toaster oven ... perfection eery time. Never tried it in the slow cooker. I do agree that many of the slow cookers seem to run hot, especially when using the low setting on mine. It never seems to be as low of a temp as they used to be back in the day. COULD BE our hurry up world or for safety purposes when slower cooking but I miss those lower temps of 8-12 hours on for the low settings.
Would love for you to do a video rating different slow cookers. I’m on the hunt for one but don’t want one made with the non stick toxic chemicals
I use a designated old crock pot (that still works great) to melt my cheese wax. I wax blocks of cheese for long term storage. Just leave the wax in the pot . It will solidify, put the pot away until the next batch. Add more wax as needed.
You can pour that caramel goodness into a graham cracker pie crust, top with Cool Whip and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and have the most delicious pie ever! Check out O’Charley’s Restaurant recipe for caramel pie. Some recipes say open milk and dump that in crockpot but I definitely prefer the can method for a smoother texture. I am subscribing to your channel today after seeing this video!
7 can taco soup variation: if my dad's feeling extra lazy, he'll sometimes do 8 can chicken taco soup. Lose the ground beef, add a large can of chicken chunks.
Thank you for sharing!! It's sure true about different crock pots cooking with different temperature I've had a couple of them that the temperature is just so low even when it's on high it took 2 days to cook a roast I hated them, they were gifts so they were probably a cheaper brand one, I thought well they just don't make thing's like they use too and that that's just how they are now until my sister inlaw gave me a Pioneer Woman one and Thank goodness it cooked like I had remembered them!!! I'll alway's get the better brand's now, don't have to replace them often anyway.
Happy Holidays to you and your family, Many Blessings To You And Your Family as well Stay Safe And Well!!!
❤ Elle on husband's account almost 40 yr marriage ❤ take care ❤
I knew that about the sweetened milk in the can . It was taught to me by a New Orleans Chef and the called it Stuff
I make baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes in my slow cooker. Wrap in tin foil and place in there and they are perfect a few hours later.
You should do another one of these videos but with microwave ideas!
Oh, that's a good idea!
My Mom used to boil condensed milk on the stovetop when I was a wee lassie (back in the 60's!) We ate it right out the can lol! I believe we also put it on our icecream. Apples are a great choice too!
When I was in girl scouts they used to boil it on a campfire, and we dipped chunks of bread or poundcake in it!
Interesting, never thought of some of those Ideals. Thanks 😊
Mulled cider drink at parties. Mostly it's just a gallon or so of apple juice or cider, random spices, a few whole ones, and some lemon or orange slices. Turn it on low, add a ladle and set glasses next to it. Typically gets refilled before it starts to dry out, great for keeping people out of the kitchen for drinks.
Banoffi pie with the caramel
Ooh thanks. I am making a big chili in a few days. I will definitely try the corn bread. Well as long as I don't forget about it.
You are a life saver!! Thank you so much for all the great ideas.
U can also use the slow cooker for cleaning rusty hardware. On low for 8 hours covered in water. Rust comes off real easy. Like door handles knobs plates etc.
Oh that’s interesting!
Paint will come off hardware that way too
Banoffee pie is the best use for that caramel. A British classic.
I use my crockpot to make a big batch of chai tea concentrate. That way I can vary (reduce) the sweetness from what they sell commercially.
There's a such thing as scented Play-Doh 😊 you just made a safe one!
I'm a first time viewer and I love your ideas! I am subscribing to your channel for future ideas of yours. Thank you!
I am older with back and knee problems and I can't stand very long , even 5 minutes is hard for me so being able to make the play-doh in the crock pot would be easier for me. I'm sure there are handicapped moms and dads who can really use the recipe even though it's more of a novelty to you and quicker to make on the stove top. I'm glad to have the recipe and will share it with others who have mobility issues. Play-doh, like everything else has gotten ridiculously priced, why buy what you can make cheaper. Thanks for sharing it.