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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

$3 Slow Cooker & Kroger Sale

$3
 
I found this Hamilton Beech-Proctor Silex (says so on the bottom) slow cooker for $5 at a garage sale but did not get it. Later, I stopped by on the way home and offered her $3 in ones that I waggled out the window. She took it. It really does not look so dirty as in the picture. It is in the wagon, waiting to come indoors, but I figured I should get the picture when I could. I could then.
 
The cooker needs to be washed. Then, I can put some water inside and plug it up to see if it works. Keep your fingers crossed.
 
Once, I said I never wanted a crockpot. Then, I bought a $1 tiny crockpot/slow cooker. That teeny one is only useful for heating something. Someone sent me a larger Crockpot that I love. I love it so much that I wanted a smaller one for the times I just don't need a large one or want to cook two different kinds of meat in quantity. So, the yard sale slow cooker may be the answer to my wishes.
 
Exbf took it out of the car and put it in his car, so I searched all week for it. He thought I wanted it in a box to store it. ??? At any rate, It's home now.
 
Soon, I will be like udy with a J and have a whole cadre of crockpots. If I never need to cook for a crowd, I am set. She cooks many meals at once in crockpots, in the oven and on the stove. The whirlwind cooking frenzy leaves her with meals in the freezer and helps them not to eat out so often. She has meals for lunches, single servings, and meals for their dinner every night.
 
One day, I will cook meals like she does--marathon style--and not have to cook for a month. That may happen before I have knee surgeries and back surgery.
 
Right now, I am going to bake cookies and put color on my hair. And, try not to rub my eye.
 
That was Monday night. Now, it is Tuesday night. The cookies never were baked. But, I did put color on my hair. I only got hair-color-diluted-water in one eye--of course, the operated on one. But, it seems okay 24 hours later.
 
Cookies tonight? Maybe. But, I have to wash the soaking Crock Pot and put meat in it. I found boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99/lb. at Kroger when I went to Huntsville for a visit to my orthopedic surgeon. I can get two or three meals out of one of the huge breasts, so the price is doable for me.
 
9:12 pm
Okay, the four huge breasts and a scrawny one are all in the Crock Pot from my secret friend. I sprinkled Mrs. Dash, Lemon Pepper, all over and may put in a can of mushroom soup later. I have to climb to find it, so maybe not.
 
 
Your turn
Have you ever purchased a second-hand Slow Cooker/ Crockpot? Did it work? How many Crockpots do you have? Do you ever cook in several at once? Or, cook in s crockpot for freezing meals?

18 comments:

  1. Hi Linda..I bought a square slow cooker at Goodwill for 15$ and I love it. I make meats for freezer meals, cook squash in it and soup.Have not tried dessert but I know recipes are out there. I have found the secret is not much liquid maybe a little broth and lots of seasoning, I hope you have good results from yours. 3$ is a steal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. carol,
      I put in two cups of water, and then wondered why so much? Of course, it is for the rice I hope to dump in after I take out a couple of breasts. I didn't want to have to heat water in it in the morning! Of course, that in the gift CrockPot I received.

      I wish I had bought two packs of chicken. I went to Walmart just now and forgot to buy broccoli...grrr.

      If it works, it is a steal. I need to wash it tonight in case the grocery ads tomorrow have some good meat buys.

      Delete
    2. Hi Linda..I forgot to add I long ago had one of those round ones with the glass lid that the insert could not be removed. I hated it, everything I cooked was flat tasting like all the flavor was cooked out. The only thing it was good for was baked beans, with the lid off.

      Delete
  2. I have a large slow cooker that came with a baby slow cooker. I seldom use them. Willy Dunne Wooters doesn't seem to like much of anything that's made in a slow cooker.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janie,
      I have seen those combos sold together. I bet he would not know it was cooked in the slow cooker if he did not see it or you did not tell him. lol Of course, if you are using different recipes in the slow cooker? The only difference I can see is that meats are not browned. That is a huge difference. I read that there is a slow cooker that will brown.

      Delete
    2. He figures out everything no matter what I do. That WDW is a sly devil.

      Delete
  3. I hated my old crockpot; though it looked good, it was burning things all of a sudden. While at Kroger, I noticed they marked down a large one with a removable crock and adjustable temp from $49 to $16. It was the only one marked that way, and I wonder if it was a mistake. I snagged it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cherdo,
      I would not want one without the removable crock. I think you did get a great deal. Snag a deal; don't ask...lol.

      Delete
  4. Our crock pot died some time ago and we haven't (yet) replaced it. I do the marathon cooking thing though - and freeze dinners for nights when I am too tired to cook and want something tasty. And need to have another cooking weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. EC,
    I have done the marathon cooking in the oven, but never with crock pots. I love to be able to reach in the freezer or the refrigerator and have something to thaw or just leftovers. How many crock pot do you have now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. None at the moment. My marathon cooks are in the oven and on the stove top. And left-overs are bliss.

      Delete
  6. I have one crockpot at home, and two at work that I use. I work for the Legislature and during the session we work long hours. I bring in lunch for my staff once a week, usually something in a crock pot. Sometimes I use the second one to keep tortillas or rice warm.

    I will occasionally do a marathon cook with a lot of meals, but usually I pick one meal a week to make multiples of. One we have for dinner, and the other one or two I freeze. It doesn't really take any more time or effort to make a couple extra and I have lots of choices in my freezer without a lot of extra effort or expense.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jane,
      Using them at work must be really a timesaver for a great meal. I will have to remember the warming feature.

      Once, I baked enough chicken, some other meat, and sweet potatoes for 24 meals. I added one more vegetable when I ate those frozen meals. I was so happy for about six weeks. You are so right about cooking more and freezing for later.

      Delete
  7. hahaaa you ready for a novel?

    the element burned out in my first slow cooker so i kept the insert and lid and bought a whole new one. with the second i cracked the insert so it was good i had a spare put away.
    i cracked the insert on the second but it was still ok to cook in and i started asking on freecycle if anyone had a spare insert. nobody replied and the insert was getting worse then one day i turned the cooker on and there was a horrible burning smell. the switch malfunctioned and burned the element!

    some time before i had been singing the praise of slow cookers to a not very well off friend and she said she couldnt afford one. only the nest week i saw a tiny one on special and bought one for her only to find out she bought her own on the same day! i carried that cooker around in the car for months while i tried to decide what to do with it so when my big one blew up i got the tiny one out and i am still using it. it's not big enough to make muesli in, which is annoying but it does ok for everything else.

    i dont cook bulk in advance, by the time i have prepared enough for six people i dont want to do more. i just have a few quick easy recipes i fall back on when i am short of inspiration or energy (also, the girls are big enough to cook now so they take over if i am out of action)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I responded on your blog lately. That is an amazing crockpot storage. Thanks.

      Delete
  8. I have my own crockpot (4 years old) and just "inherited" a second once I moved in with the BF. I'm excited to have two to try out if I want to make larger servings or more than one dish at a time.

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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.