My First Crock-Pot and Butter Bell Crock

I have been thinking about buying a Crock-Pot for awhile now, since I felt it would save me some time in preparing meals.  So, last month, when I saw this cute little 2.5 quart Owl Crock-Pot for only $14.99, I could not resist.  The owls had me.

It took me awhile before I would use my new appliance, because I have never used a slow-cooker before.  My mom used hers when I was little, every now and then, but I really never had the desire to use one till recently.  Now, it seems there are many recipes that call for a slow cooker.

My Crock-Pot came with a few recipes, but I really wanted to adapt my own recipes, right away, so I decided to "wing-it" and use the booklet recipes as a guideline.  The first thing I tried was a roast.  I seasoned it and seared it on all sides, put it in the crock pot with a half cup of water, and set it on high.  The recipe I was using as a guideline said, "on High 6-8 hours, or until tender."  It was tender after about 3-4 hours.  I also noticed after an hour of cooking, bits of water were spewing from beneath the lid.  That was quickly remedied, once I realized the lid was not quite on perfectly.  The book did say that the Crock-Pot should be 1/2 - 3/4 full.  I thought it was, but maybe it wasn't quite.  I also did not add vegetables, so I am sure that had something to do with my roast cooking more quickly.  It turned out real tasty!  The meat was so tender, it was falling apart!  Good thing I did not cook it for the full 8 hours, it might have ended up as beef soup!  The juice from the meat made a nice gravy for the next day.  (Helpful tip:  Since I was worried about my counter-tops, I put a pizza stone under my Crock-Pot just in case.  I don't think now I really needed it, but if you are using a slow-cooker for the first time, it could not hurt).

Last night I made Chicken Chili.  I had some frozen chicken breasts I wanted to use from my freezer, so I cooked them in my Crock-Pot first, until they were tender enough to be shredded.  After shredding the chicken and removing the excess liquid (used to help cook the chicken), I added all my other chili ingredients and cooked for about 3 more hours.  My Chicken Chili was also a success!  I made a taco salad with some of the leftovers today.  That too, was delicious.

Another nifty kitchen gadget I acquired recently, was a gift from my mom.  We were shopping in a specialty kitchen store and we came across a butter bell crock.  How it works is you put the butter inside on the top, fill the base with 1/3 cup of cold water, then put the top back on.  The butter is suspended upside-down, surrounded by the cold water.  It keeps the butter spreadable and fresh every day!  It is so nice!  I honestly did not think I would get much use from it when I first got it, but I love it!  The only thing I have to remember, is to change the water every couple of days.  My particular one is called the Original Butter Bell Crock by L. Tremain.  It holds a half cup (one stick) of butter.  After doing some reading, I guess not all hold the same amount.  I really have to say though, it is quite cleverly made..