slow cooker advice

Alibali

Hi all,

I regularly have a look on this board for hints and tips but dont post, however, I am needing a bit of advice.

Due to start mat leave in March, currently our food budget is £250 for 2 adults, however this same budget is going to have to cover the new baby too inc nappies etc so I am on the look out for hints and tips to reduce our shopping bill.

I have a slow cooker, i love it but dont really get the use out of it because we work long days (i dont feel happy about leaving it on so long whilst we are out) and am hoping that when mat leave starts I will get better use from it. My question is - does anyone know of a decent cookbook for slow cookers for basic, healthy dinners that I could buy? I am hoping that by slow cooking (its quite a large slow cooker) that I can make extra for freezing and I can make the dinner earlier in the day when baby is sleeping, saving us grabbing a takeaway or expensive ready meal.

Thanks x

whiteguineapig

i have a timer which i plug in to use the slow cooker if i'm away for a long time, you can set it so that the slow cooker comes on whilst your out
maybe that would help for now

kittycat204

i would get down the local library, a book that is good for one person may not sure you.
read the huge, slower cooker thread on this site.
look at the vast amount of websites available to you.
http://www.slowcookerrecipelibrary.net/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/search?keywords=slow+cooker&x=0&y=0
no point spending money if you don't have too.

Alibali

Do you know, I would never have thought of that! Im definately going to get one, love coming home to dinner in the slow cooker :j

kittycat204

thought i had another website for you, wasn't where it should be in my bookmarks, http://slowcookerrecipes.org.uk/

rosie383

I think it's a great idea to get SC recipe books from the library. Just try to avoid any obviously American ones. For some reason they seem to just use ready made packets and jars of stuff. So, eg, they would do a recipe for Mediterranean chicken, and it involves putting chicken breasts in the SC along with a jar of tomato- type sauce and that's it!!! Not the most helpful. Thankfully I have never bought one like that, but I have got quite a few free ones on my Kindle and they are all rubbish!