Slow Cooker - Page 2 — Scope | Disability forum
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Slow Cooker

2

Comments

  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Spiceman:
    I'll have a look but think they will be beyond my budget. Getting approx 60 something quid a week (UC). I'm currently searching the free recycle sites for a freezer. No luck so far, but I did get some vinyl floor tiles recently for the hall! It all helps.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Spiceman:
    Appliancedirect looks good as you can pay for it monthly. Wont commit at the mo, as have too many Bill's and dd's,  but when my finances improve......
    Will save the link
    Thanks
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    edited November 2019
    Hello @Franstrahan   Good morning to you hope you keeping safe and warm.


    My tips are first plan and organise. Make sure put meat out of fridge to room temperature. Does help. If take meat out straight away still chilled and can be tough to eat when cooked. Want juicy eat there are a number of ways.

    When you put veggies, meat in the slow cooker, please add veggies first. Small dice.

    I got my shopping the other day. TESCO sells a chefs pack of ready diced, Onion, Celery and Carrots ideal for slow cookers but used as the Italians call a solfrito.

    Used in soups, sauces and every day use . Only thing packs are around 500g but so use half.  Store in the fridge next day.

    Then add your meat cubed or Chicken Legs or Thighs etc, Portion to a freezer bag add any seasonings or herbs, spices seal it up and shake it gives the meat a coating.

    Then add to slow cooker. From the bag. Easier to do. Means meat gets seasoned.

    Cover with enough stock, sauce and any seasonings or herbs .

    Before you add stock or sauce add to a bowl add in seasonings add herbs. Use herbs dried ones many mixes.

    Ladle that in careful and make sure it is not over filled.  

    Or buy a bender or food processor add Passata, stock cube touch of water herbs, spices seasonings blitz in to a bowl portion, rest keep for the next day.

    What happens is that if you put not enough liquid in, sauces evaporate so just enough to the cover of meat and veggies.

     I use stock, mix of and jars of Passata with either herbs in them or cartons.

    Amount just cover and switch on low.

    Timings the size you have , mentioned this if you put it on around before lunch time ready by five or six in the evening.

    Might be adjust timings a little longer.

    I have put mine on around eleven in the morning all cooked five hours plus.

    You be amazing have confidence and self esteem.

    Write down what you did this what I do every meal time then keep. Use and think how did I do that then you have a reference.

    I have a new menu created for myself so learning new recipes, adapted writing them down last night.

    Any mistakes errors then you can say would have done that different.

    Please ask me anything should be around weekend .

    Wish you well success and enjoy your meal you will be good.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman






    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Spiceman:
    Ok I'm going out to the supermarket probably tomorrow so will cook with it first time on Sunday. Thanks for the tip about the sauce, just enough to cover everything, and veg in first. I'd have put the meat in first. Think I'm going for chicken thighs, potato, carrot, onion and Swede with a bought sauce, packet one. Should be enough to go 2 days hopefully.
    New Lidl supermarket close by. Going to look there I think.
    Currently getting extra food from the local food bank, but hopefully the above wont be too expensive.
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Sounds really interesting @Franstrahan! I hope it all goes well and please do let us know how it's going. :)
    Scope

  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Sounds really interesting @Franstrahan! I hope it all goes well and please do let us know how it's going. :)
    I will be having the first meal out of it Sunday evening all being well. Watch this space!
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Onions, carrots, swede, potatoes and 3 chicken thighs plus the bought sauce all went in the pot at 11.15, after warming the pot first. Not without incident as I hadn't really thought about it but I dont have a chopping board or vegetable peeler. But managed. I've just had to bail some of the sauce out as it was coming over the side of the pot. When I put everything in earlier the lid didnt quite fit. It all smells delicious. Proof of the pudding will be in the eating later.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Delicious!! Some of the chunks of veg were not quite cooked, presuming coz I cut them too big, but didnt spoil the meal. I've got around half the pot left for tomorrows tea, presume I just have to heat it up? For an hour maybe? Also the chicken thighs. Lidl only had big packs. I have 4 left in the fridge. How long will they be alright for?
    Thanks to all on this forum who encouraged me to get the slow cooker. It is pretty easy to use. Not bad for a first attempt, if I say so myself.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    edited November 2019
    Hello @Franstrahan   Proud of you well done.

    We all make mistakes, errors with these things.

    I once had to travel to see a friend because the slow cooker she had bought. The meal was cold not cooked.

    Had not switched it on the front.

    Wrote it down for her.

    What you could do next time is this first write it down, instructions simple ones for you.

    Look on line to see what supermarkets have diced vegetables.  

    TESCO website good.  You can get packs of chef mixes. Carrots, Onions, Celery diced up.

    Soup mixes vegetable ones cubed for soup use them, Swede, Carrot, Potato and Parsley Onions.

    Seen Butternut squash and chilli. Leek and Potatoes.

    Casserole mix.  Onions, Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Leeks.. So on.

    Not expensive.

    Chicken you mentioned has a sell by date on it. Must use by that sell by date.

    Chicken Thighs you can buy in Supermarkets different sizes.

    I used to shop at Lidl too big for me as a pack.

    I would recommend on line shopping.

    TESCO current midweek saver is £.3.49 a month.

    That is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Minimum shop.£40.

    Shop many times as you like.

    ICELAND buy over £25 free delivery, not have to be frozen, do sell fresh Chicken meat, stores, produce and veggies.

    Household etc.

    Morrisons, ASDA  Do not know the costs.

    Also one other reason you shop on line saves you money.

    The slow cooker a good idea is to layer the Chicken up or Meat.

    Use a bowl large one add Vegetables, Chicken remove the skin always helps cook better, too much fat not good.

    Add to bowl add vegetables add Sauce then ladle this to the slow cooker if too much you know by judging it.

    Not have to be all the way to the top. Just about an inch or a more than that. As long there is enough sauce to cover meat.

    Part two of your meal. I forget to say is the remainder is Soup use that in a microwave heat up.

    If you purchase a cheap blender blitz the sauce up as use it as Soup.

    Add in Lentils. I do this a lot.  Or tinned pulses or noodles.

    Best place for kitchen equipment on line AMAZON.

    Get bargains. If you purchase knives usually say and this goes with something else they have offered.

    Some thing to think about.

    I would as I said do not be hard on yourself your doing brilliantly.

    Chef lol.

    Anything I can advise on please ask happy to help.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    Ok well the sauce didnt cover the meat, it was sitting on top squashed down with the lid.
    Will take the skins off next time too.
    I have Tesco nearby but dont like going there much, but will look at their veg next time and for smaller meat packs. Think Lidl may be cheaper on everything?... will look at them midweek as too crowded weekends.
    Is it ok just to heat up what's left in the pot tonight, for say about an hour?
    Thank you Spiceman.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Franstrahan   Good morning to you hope you doing OK.

    Please can I thank you for contacting me.

    Left overs you could shred the meat and any vegetables just microwave a portion.

    This is something I do.

    When you get your freezer you of course be able to store any remaining in a plastic tub labelled.

    Your mentioned TESCO. I would advise if I can do on line shop. 

    As mentioned the cost is amazing. TESCO do their own brand products many are cheaper than LIDL.

    Also think of this.  It is cold, wet and your tired. Do you go out in the weather get stressed, anxious or ill.

    Or stay in the laptop, heating on. Warm and cosy. Make a list a shopping list of what you require.

    Sign up.  One of the main things about one line shopping is the convenience the easy way to shop.

    When you sign on, remember this your shopping. You see when you purchase any thing. The basket and the items comes onto the screen.

    On the right the amount you have purchased.

    I know that easy, then you know how much you have spent.

    One other thing priority over Christmas or other holidays.

    Under £4 a month I do shops two a month. Saved wait for it £50 a month in fuel, carparking costs, expenses of the car.

    I have a LIDLE near me no way now, TESCO .

    They turn up you booked a time for delivery.  They carry all the shopping into the kitchen, another source of contact.

    Have a chat, talk a few words. Sign for the shopping.

    You got produce, arriving fresh, clean no soggy items in this weather.

    You pay by credit or debit card, put all on a secure site.

    I have been a customer for a over a year.

    One aspect of the website is favourites. Every time you click on a product goes to favourites. That is your shopping list next time, use that I do make a list.

    Still does help.

    This morning would have done by shopping by early morning usually all done and waiting ready to be delivered.

    Hope this helps. 

    Slow cooker just doing OK, you doing OK. Take some suggestions I have given, hope they help.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman




    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @thespiceman
    I will look at Tesco online shopping then, as I hate going round there. 
    I'll heat up the pot tonight as it's already in there and got till Friday to finish the chicken which is fine as got plenty of veg left. Lidl was really cheap, the 7 chicken thighs were £1.79 and then the veg. Was all I got there, £6 something, and i eat probably 4 nights on it. Will have to get another packet of sauce but that's all. Really pleased with the slow cooker.
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @thespiceman
    Cleaning the pot tonight and have found where the sauce overflowed on Sunday it's all run down the inside into the cooker bit. And heating it up this eve it's really black and stuck on! 
    How do I clean it?
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Ahh! Is this in the actual cooker or on the outside bit of the thing you wash?

    If it is able to wash then I would recommend soaking it in hot soapy water - obviously don't do this if it's the electric part! 
    Scope

  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @Chloe_Scope
    @thespiceman and I solved it in the private messaging bit. The sauce was (and some of it still is) on the inside of the cooking bit. Scraped most of it off with a spoon, then wiped it round with a damp cloth. I over filled the pot with food, enough for 2 nights, didnt realize after the first night what had happened, and heated it up on the second night, really burning the sauce onto the cooker. But it survived, and is on now, cooking a chicken casserole. I'm really pleased with it and would never have thought to get one had I not joined the Scope forum and got loads of 'thumbs up' for having a slow cooker! Recommend to anyone on their own who aren't really into cooking.
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Glad to hear you managed to get it sorted and that it's going so well @Franstrahan!
    Scope

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Onions, carrots, swede, potatoes and 3 chicken thighs plus the bought sauce all went in the pot at 11.15, after warming the pot first. Not without incident as I hadn't really thought about it but I dont have a chopping board or vegetable peeler. But managed. I've just had to bail some of the sauce out as it was coming over the side of the pot. When I put everything in earlier the lid didnt quite fit. It all smells delicious. Proof of the pudding will be in the eating later.
    I missed this! Sounds like it went really well @Franstrahan. I've found you don't need anywhere near as much liquid or sauce as you would with other meals or other types of cooking, as it doesn't boil down. It might be why the veg wasn't quite finished too, if there was too much liquid?
    I really like gammon in the slow cooker. Just throw in a whole joint and a can of coke and it's delicious!
    What are you planning to make next?
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • Bettahm
    Bettahm Community member Posts: 1,439 Disability Gamechanger
    @Adrian_Scope
    I dont like gammon, not a big meat fan, so chicken, minced beef or sausages for me, so the next thing will be sausage casserole. Sausages, onions, a pepper.... not sure what else but will look online. A healthy change in diet for me from crisps, biscuits, ready meals etc. Still hate cooking but really dont have to do anything with a slow cooker. Cut it up, chuck it in, switch on, leave, ready for tea. Perfect.
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Ahh yes, I remember you saying that about meat @Franstrahan. I agree entirely about the simplicity of them, it's my type of cooking!  :D
    Sausage casserole sounds good. Stews, curries, casseroles and soups all cook well (I've even thrown in some dumplings too). My other half once made a lasagne and cinnamon rolls in the slow cooker so I think they're very versatile. 
    Community Manager
    Scope

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