I do love the Crockpot too!

From the Green Cheapskate blog… My Crock Pot: Mean, Green, $30 Recession-Fighting Machine... An article on the value of the Crockpot/slow cooker, in these day and times. I will vouch for it. I’ve been using ours a lot recently… really for the first time since living out of my parents house, and I love it. My husband who works from home, has jumped on it too – which is perfect b/c he can do the prep at lunch and put it on and it’s ready by dinner. Our meats are tender and delicious. And the warm, fragrant meal just makes our home feel extra cozy.

I know these are made to stay on all day, even while we are away, but I do not recommend leaving it unattended for an extended period, like an 8 hour work day. I may be paranoid, but there is just too much that could go wrong. I am thankful to have a job and a home and I’d hate to burn my home down over some tender beef.

For your success, remember to prep and set in advance. When I first got to using the Crockpot, I’d put my beef stew on after work and it was never tender enough by dinner. But I have learned that less water (while attending to it) helps it cook faster.