‘U’ stands for ‘Never Underestimate the Power of Your Slow Cooker.’
I loved being able to lie uninterrupted for most of yesterday. Today, I have emerged from underneath my covers…slowly.
Needing to venture out this afternoon to work with a new batch of puppies at our local shelter, I wish to remain unruffled for the rest of the day. Still, Richard will be wanting dinner (unbelievable, right?).
For days like today, there is nothing better than throwing a few key ingredients into my slow cooker in the morning, and letting the crock pot produce an ultra-delicious meal on its own (almost).
Today, we have some fresh chicken and cauliflower, so it seems like the perfect day to make a Slow Cooker Chicken Cauliflower Curry. This dish would have worked well for Day 3 of this Challenge (I know)! Still, the point of this post is not to underrate that often undisturbed crock pot in your cupboard. Wipe it off and put it to use!
Remember, your crock pot is good for much more than just the standard chili or pot roast. If curry is not your thing, why not switch it up with Uber Easy Lentil Chili, Udon Five Spice Slow Cooker Pork or Ugandan Vegetable Casserole (which is easy to modify to your crook pot).
How often do you unearth your slow cooker? Do you have any unique recipes to share?
Retirement Reflections 
We have a crock pot and I don’t use it nearly enough! Thanks for the reminder.
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Hi, Janet – Thank you for confirming my assumptions about slow cookers. I believe that they can easily get forgotten. If you do take yours out again, I’d love to read about the results!
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I do have a slow cooker, but I can’t remember the last time I used it. Now that I’m retired, I rarely plan far enough ahead to start dinner early in the day. I’m kind of a last minute gal. But, kudos to you!
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Hi, Karen – I love that retirement gives each of us the freedom to pursue things in whatever order we like. I usually want to get things done and out of the way so that I can enjoy my day. This morning, I had my portion of dinner preparation done in less than 20 minutes. The rest is up to my slow cooker. That has given me the rest of the day to do whatever I like without nagging worry (I’m a nerd, I know). Today that means extra time spent with the puppies at the SPCA. I’m really looking forward to that!
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Looks interesting….Bill is the slow cooker King! We use are at least once a month I would say…..
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Hi, Georgia – You are very lucky that Bill cooks. Cooking is not Richard’s thing. But he does find doing the dishes ‘meditative’…so I am very thankful for that!
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I have one but it hasn’t been used for a long time – good reminder!
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Hi, Anabel – I agree that slow cookers can often be forgotten in the back of our cupboards. When I retired, I got one that I really liked. It lives permanently on my counter (which is usually a high-rent district)!
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Looks delicious, Donna. I don’t have a slow cooker but can see its benefits.
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Hi, Natalie – I agree that the benefits of slow cooking are numerous. On the healthy eating side, a big bowl of this recipe has just 313 calories but 36 grams of lean protein and heaps of fiber.As a slow cooker often does wonders for cheaper cuts of meat, grocery costs are usually low as well!
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I love how you “whip up” these daily A-Z posts, Donna. If I ever join the challenge again, this is the way to go! The meal looks delicious. We used to have a pressure cooker on our boat and put that to good Use. Not anymore, though. Enjoy the pUppies!!
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Hi, Liesbet – Your kind comments are always good for my soul. Thank you so much.
And speaking of comments, I’m currently experimenting with a new plug-in, with the hopes that readers who comment can get an email notifying them when I have replied to them.
Since I know that you usually check replies to your comments, can you let me know if you received an email about this reply? Can you also let me know if anything else has gone wonky?
PS – Because the slow cooker is taking care of dinner, I was able spend an extra session with the puppies this morning. They are absolutely adorable. I will try to post photos of them soon.
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Hi Donna! I just received this reply above in my inbox, but it wasn’t any different than other times… And, I still get comments anyone else posts to your blog and your reaction to them. I think you might need a different “Notify me” box when readers leave a reply, to just receive the reply to their post. If that’s what you are aiming for. But, not sure about that, since I don’t have that plug-in. I’ll keep an eye on my inbox to see if anything is different. I always received your replies in my inbox before, after ticking the “Notify me of new comments via email” box..
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Hi, Liesbet – Thank you for your fast and detailed comment. Yes, it is the single reply that I am hoping for, so that readers can be emailed only when there are replies to their specific comment. It’s amazing that there is not an easier solution to this. SIgh! 😦
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Crockpot and curry are two of my favorite words! I don’t care where you put those words, under “C” or “U”, I like ’em. In fact Indian chicken curry with chickpeas is going to be our dinner tonight. Made in a wok, though.
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Thanks, Ally – Indian Curry with Chickpeas sounds delicious. My Mom always uses her wok for dishes like this and calls it “Chicken Curry in a Hurry!” 🙂 Suddenly, I am getting very hungry!
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Ack! My comment from earlier disappeared.
Derek is the chef in our house, but if I cook, I love to use the crockpot for chili, soups, stew…it’s so easy. I have several Fix it and Forget it cookbooks.
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Hi, Jill – ‘Fix it and forget it’ is my favourite way of cooking.
Your first comment was not lost. For some reason you and Janis were hiding together in my spam folder. 🙂
Sometimes the technological side of blogging is exhausting (sigh)!
But the engagement and connection makes everything else worthwhile!
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I’m a big curry fan but my husband… not so much 😕. I have a slow cooker and use it now and then, although not nearly enough. BUT I did use it just last week to cook some pork for carnitas tacos. Yummy!
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Hi, Janis,
Carnitas Tacos sound delicious!
Comments on this post have definitely got me hungry!! 🙂
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I have a crockpot and I use it regularly. It makes the best pot roast but much more than that — soups, ribs, etc. I especially love that I can do the work in the morning when I might feel more like it. Sometimes by dinnertime I just want to relax.
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Hi, Kate – I haven’t done ribs in my crock pot, but that does sound delicious! I am off to search for a recipe now!
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I really enjoyed your post. I absolutely adore my crockpot. Not only does it bring memories of old forward but it enables me to not feel so pressed.
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Hi, JRLL – That’s true for me too. ‘Memories of old’, and I can have dinner done (and out of the way) before I have even eaten breakfast. That certainly helps to give me a more stress-free day! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting – I greatly appreciate it.
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Unbelivable! Sorry I had to say it. A U word, Hi Donna, looks like you’ve had fun with this alphabet challenge. I only managed to read a few, I had 8 days in Tasmania over the school holidays and working 5 days a week at the moment the computer should be one of the last places i sit at night!
Good luck with blogger’s award. Congratulations on the nomination. well deserved.
Ah, also you might be interested in this https://gayletakesahike.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/staying-on-track-to-silleda/
Gayle is on her third Camino. I followed every day of her Portuguese leg now she is on the Camino Sanabres. i have to back track because i missed quite a few post, this time around. Hope you are well, and the weather is starting to shift we are definitely sliding into Autumn but still having some quite warm days. Louise x
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Okay – so I may have been stretching my ‘U words’ just a bit. But (in my weak defense) the ‘don’t underestimate’ really was the point of the post. 🙂
Welcome home from your trip in Tasmania. I’ve never been there, but Richard has …. which sadly puts it lower on our joint bucket list.
Thank you for sharing the link to Gayle’s blog. I am off to check it out now. And thank you for your kind words about my nomination. Regardless of what happens, it has all been very exciting!
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Great dinner. Feel free to make it again soon!
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Too funny! I think that this is your first written comment on my site! 🙂
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I use my slow cooker when I’m having lunch and playing Scrabble with a friend. My favourite recipe is for chicken and cashews. Here’s the link – https://therecipecritic.com/2012/07/slow-cooker-cashew-chicken/
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Hi, Karen – I wish I was still living out your way. I would love to be invited over for Cashew Chicken and a game of Scrabble. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely be using it!
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It looks delicious – and I’m jealous that you got to play with puppies for the morning! They’re like grandchildren – you get to visit and romp and then go home. BTW you’ve now challenged me to step up and actually have a go at that vision board I blogged about today and if I manage to put something together I’ll definitely do a post about it! Now to find some magazines to cut out….
Leanne | http://www.crestingthehill.com.au
V for Visualise and Plan
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I’m excited to hear that you have already begun your Vision Board, Leanne. I wish that we lived closer to each other. I have TONS of magazines that I could give you! 🙂
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Do you know I have never had a slow cooker? I use a pressure cooker quite often but I’m not one to cook until I’m hungry so preparing so far ahead is not in my nature.
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That makes total sense. And people like you are good for people like me. I bought both of my Slow Cookers brand new in the box, for $15.00 total combined. Two different people had received them as gifts and preferred to use woks, frying pans and ovens. Win-win!! 🙂
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I made chili yesterday in the crockpot. But chicken and cauliflower curry looks like it is calling to me.
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Hi, Nancy – Chili is my favourite ‘go to recipe’. It’s healthy, satisfying….and a great way to clean out the fridge! If you do like curry, I highly recommend the Chicken Cauliflower recipe. It was delicious!
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I dusted off my crock pot the first week of my retirement. I’ve been using it ever since. They’re wonderful
Thanks for the recipies
Laura
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Hi, Laura – I agree that crock pots are wonderful for retired life. You can fix your meal whenever you like (low setting if I get started early, high setting if I sleep in late…). Then you can go on to enjoy your day without the nagging worry of what to do for dinner. If you have any go to recipes that you particular like, I would love for you to share them.
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I’ll definitely be using my slow cooker this winter. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Ronel from Ronel the Mythmaker A-Zing with Everything Writerly: U is for Understanding
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Hi, Ronel – Thank you for dropping by. I agree that slow cookers can hide in our cupboards and get forgotten. It is always a pleasure to take them out again and reap their benefits! Enjoy!
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Once I had two crockpots and now I have none. I remember giving one of them away, but I don’t know what happened to the other one. No matter, I’m not really a prepare-dinner-in-the-morning sort of person.
Jude
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I recently acquired my second crockpot. Since my kitchen cupboard space is a very high rent district, this says a lot about how much I value this cookware. 🙂
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I enjoyed this unwavering post of how you made use of the uncooked food by cooking it in your crock pot! The Chicken Cauliflower Curry recipe is useful as well 🙂 Shared x 4 ♥
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Great use of “U” words, Dee! Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I definitely love my crookpot! 🙂
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