just for fun
 

It is pretty warm and I don't want to use the oven, plus I had to use the self clean function and I don't want to dirty it up too soon.

I tried two experiments with crock pot cooking. 1. I used a crockpot liner (love them) for the first experiment. I took a can of apple pie filling and put in the crock pot as my first layer. I took a angel food cake mix and sprinkled over the filling, added a little liquid (not confident on how the angel cake was going to cook without a little liquid). I used a fresca soft drink, no more than a quarter of a cup probably. Dotted top with butter, and cooked on high. Probably at least four hours, but all crockpots are different. I used a thermometer to make sure it was done inside (read it should be at least 205 degrees farenheit). I never thought it would hold together but it did.

One of the recipes called for a caramel topping. So I took a 14 oz can condensed sweetened milk, transferred to a small canning jar, with the sealing lids. Put it in the crockpot on its side (I have an oval shaped crockpot so it is not very tall). Covered with water. Cooked on low overnight. It is cooling right now, but it is the perfect caramel color.

Just passing it on. I have a couple of steaks in the crockpot now, with the onion soup mix and gravy mix that should be done by noon or so.
Hope they turn out too.

Serita

And I put my crock pot out on my screened in porch so it doesn't heat up the house or smell up the house.

I really need to use mine more than I do. Getting tired of the same o-same-o.

My crockpot is the oval shape but I am thinking the taller version might work for the caramel recipe. Tastes delicious. I read where people make this caramel and put in small canning jars and give as gifts.

I use my crock pot a lot too. Also, my electric pressure cooker. Both keep the kitchen much cooler.

I just made the Cranberry Chicken recipe with BBQ that was posted about a year ago. Kind of messy but very good!

I'm thinking that might be next on my list to make.

And easier to clean too. With just two of us, we still get pretty messy. The easier to cleanup, the better.

Get it out...try that cranberry chicken recipe Maniac Quilter said she used.

I use mine a lot for spaghetti sauce. I cook the sauce in the crockpot, then when its done I cook elbow macaroni or Ziti, drain and add it to the sauce and keep it on warm.
I used to make my sauce from scratch but now I start with a chunky, garden style. I brown ground chuck, onions and green peppers and add to the sauce, with just a scant drop of anise or a few anise seeds. Go easy on the anise but its sooo good in there! You should not use enough that you can tell its anise when its done, but it adds a flavor similar to adding extra bay leaves. I keep anise seeds on hand for Pizzelle cookies, so they are usually what I add. A co-worker told me of this 20 yrs. ago and my first thought was yuk! But I tried it and have used it ever since.