I bought a slow cooker today ...

I might have gone for a veggie fried rice, a couple of different greens - probably bok choy and stir-fried beans, maybe something blandish with tofu or mushrooms as well. Luckily, it's easy to cheat with those things here - cook the main mean - pick up a couple of sides at a resto - probably $10 - $12 in sides would be enough for the meal and left-overs for 2 for at least another day.

Sounds just wonderful, EhBeth, but I suspect you might have a lot more energy than we had last night!

That's true - except picking up sides from a resto 2 blocks away doesn't take THAT much energy

Sigh, I've killed things with too much ginger. Last time was a few months ago when I tried making saag paneer from scratch. I had to throw it out.

Trust me, EhBeth, just managing to get there (with some food!) was a major achievement! The 2nd last week of school term. Teachers fading into the sunset ...... zombie territory!

Oh bugger, osso! I hate it when I have to do that!

I religiously followed the recipe. I would have halved the quantity - for a slow cooker, anyway!

I feel for you, I really do.
That you have the strength to life a fork is a marvel.

The other night I could barely lift a piece of bread with honey on it. I was done in.

Adjusting to your new job, EhBeth? That can take it out of you, I know.

Me, I fall asleep while watching the TV news ... probably quietly dribbling on a cushion!

The last month has been a bit intense. New job, mrs. hamburger, new car purchasing flurry, practicing to perform in two pieces at the gala (back row, thank you very much, for both) ... intense emotions and a lot of physical activity all at once.

Of course. And more than "a bit" intense, I'm certain. You're a marvel, managing all that at once, ehBeth. Really.

Cooked my first whole chicken in the slow cooker yesterday. Just rubbed it with a little oil, put some lemon inside & a little fresh thyme from the garden inside & on top. It was great. Very tender & very more-ish. Farmer, not having the right sized trivet handy, I raised it (so it wasn't sitting on the bottom of the bowl while cooking) on an upside down plate. Glad I did, as quite a bit of fat from the chicken collected on the bottom of the bowl as it was cooking. Wouldn't have wanted it actually cooking in that! <shudder>

Other thing: I was running around like a crazy person yesterday. Too much to do! So it was terrific to (mid-rush) run down to the butcher for the chicken, rush back home & toss it into the slow cooker, then rush back to my rushing about! All I had to do before dinner was chop up some vegetables for roasting in the oven, & wait for all to cook (while still rushing about)! Easy peasy!

errrr, why weren't the veggies in the slow cooker with the chicken? sorta traditional to cook 'em together, whether in a roasting pan, slow cooker, or clay oven. The idea is to save time/energy/cleaning supplies.

~~~

Good news that the chicken worked out well for you. Do you raise chickens that you roast as well? mmmm raise them in the pan, not the pen, that is.

Because I really, really felt like some crunchy, roasted parsnip, potatoes, sweet potatoes & onion, ehBeth! I know this is not in the spirit of swiftness, but it actually wasn't that much extra trouble. Same deal: chop it up, chuck it in, forget it till you start smelling delicious aromas!

Yep, I raise chickens I roast, too. In the pan.

I failed to mention that the vegies were roasted on baking paper! And that the roasting dish was pretty clean & ungreasy as a result. How time saving was that?

Stares - I've never roasted this or that on baking paper.

We'll see.

I picked this one up from a very reputable Oz "celeribity chef", osso. And guess what, it works! Makes absolutely no difference to the quality of food at all. And nice, clean-ish baking dish to wash!

Nothing like Corn Beef......yum, is it Corn or Corned?

I think it's "corned", KiwiChic ... though I have absolutely no idea of exactly why it's called that.

Yes, someone at work told be that they'd done the corned beef thing in the slow cooker & that it was delicious! It's on my list!

criminy..

The "corn" in "corned beef" refers to the "corns" or grains of coarse salts used to cure it. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the usage of "corn", meaning "small hard particle, a grain, as of sand or salt." The term "corned beef" can denote different styles of brine-cured beef, depending on the region.

(it's verra irish good for yas)

So how do you cook your corned beef in the slow cooker KiwiChic? What do you add along with the meat?