I LOVE my slow cooker! It's an old Rival, probably from the eighties, given the floral motif in country blue. It has a heavy, ribbed, earthenware insert that holds the heat well, and clean-up is SO easy, no matter what has been in it or for how long (don't need those new inserts!). It just has the two settings, low and high, and has a plastic lid. I can't even remember where I got it. I think maybe my mom found it in a thrift shop, and I think she gave it to me because she thought it was too big just for her. Anyway, I work long hours, and having a hot cooked meal waiting for me when I get home is a godsend. (Has anyone read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal Vegetable, Miracle? Her family has named their crock pot, "Betty Crocker," because she stays home and cooks all day for them! Tee hee.) One of my favorite things to make in it are pork roasts (either with teriyaki and pineapple for an Asian flair or with applesauce and onions for a Germanic twist--always browned on the stove first before adding to the crock pot). But recently, I made the BEST chuck roast ever--a Polish recipe with chopped dill pickles in it! Sounds weird, but it was HEAVENLY! Here's a link to the recipe and a picture (from my cooking blog): http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com/2008/08/big-o.html And finally, the very best thing I make in my crock pot is a pasta sauce with braised short ribs that must be tasted to be believed! It is just FAN-tastic! Here's the link to that one: http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com/2006/10/short-ribs-long-on-flavor.html I think slow cookers are going to become sexy again. ;-) Enjoy yours--Gina

I love soup too! Here is a variation of the one you posted above. I made it just the other day and it was awesome. I will definitely try yours next. Alexa Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Place in crockpot 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Without draining anything, combine in bowl: 2 (15oz) cans black beans 1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce 2 (15 oz) cans Mexican stewed tomatoes (or Rotel) 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies 1 cup salsa, your preference as to strength Pour over chicken and cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken, shred it, and stir it back into the soup. Stir in: 1 can Niblets corn Heat just long enough to get corn and chicken hot. Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. Or put the chips in the bowl first and ladle soup on top. Either way, YUMMY and so easy!

As many know, I've had electric roasters for years, actually decades. I had my mother's Kenmore roaster after she died and my sister borrowed it from me and it was never returned once she experienced the versatility of it. Not a big problem though since that was probably a 20 qt unit, used for BIG turkeys, hams, multiple roasts, etc. I bought a 6 qt Nesco and a 4 qt Nesco. I will take issue with anyone who suggests that it's any sort of a one-trick pony. Far from it. People compare them to slow cookers and that's an insult to the roaster. They are a roaster oven. They will slow cook, they will bake, and I know people who have used them to make pancakes for cryin' out loud, but I do not suggest it's the best unit for that. I personally have baked bread in mine many times. Why heat the big oven for one loaf? More heat loss and more expensive to operate the big oven. For slow cooking chili, soup, stew or what have you it's FAR superior to a slow cooker. It's peoples' own choice but there's no way I'd keep a slow cooker and get rid of my Nesco. The Nesco, and I use that term for all roaster ovens, the roaster oven will do everything a slow cooker will and much more and with less hassle. You get precise temperature control, not just high and low. Cleaning is far easier than a slow cooker. As I've said before I got rid of the slow cookers soon after getting the roaster oven. There's no comparison and no use here for a slow cooker dedicated unit. It was great to take to the cabin to supplement the "Coleman" stove and having an oven really expanded the menu. I've used it for hot cider, keeping hot dogs, brats and burgers warm at picnics and outdoor functions. One of these days I'm going to try using it for no-knead bread. For me, the electric roaster replaces the need for a Dutch Oven. For others it's the other way around. A large unit is often used only at holidays. Admittedly that's when my mother's unit was used. But at the same time there was no substitute for it either. The extra oven was required to feed the family and guests. I agree with the basic idea of the 350 "rule" as an assist to declutter and prioritize and Snidley admitted that there's exceptions to it which there has to be. But, even if I only used my roaster once a year, I'd keep it rather than having a blender or food processor. Turkey from a blender isn't the same as from the roaster! :) And clearly rules are made to be broken or a lot of people would be tearing out the second oven they have built into their houses! FWIW I used to use an electric fry pan more often than the stove. Handy, quick to heat up, easy to clean. Coupled with the Nesco I made a very mean pot roast, batch of chili and other things. I use the roaster to steam things. Sweet corn and other vegetables are great. I didn't realize how well it made baked potatoes until I used it in there when I wanted to just make a couple without firing up the big oven. For the 6 qt size, I can't tell you if it would work well for a whole chicken. i don't do whole chickens. I do use it for a large turkey breast and often there's not a lot of room between the meat and the cookwell, but it still cooks just fine. I do use it for maybe a dozen or so chicken drumsticks. I make up a bunch and have for OAWC, snacks, salads and the like. You might try cutting up the chicken and roasting it. That might work well. That said, it should also be stated that it's a TOOL. It's not going to do everything for you. It's there to help you, not unlike a Dutch Oven, a fry pan, a knife or a can opener. You have to make it work for you. Every pet I've had enjoyed the roaster too and they'd generally lie very close to it when the aromas wafted through the house.

My crock pot does not hold very much water, and so covering the ingredients with water did not amount to very much. The broth came out fairly intense, and so it actually needed more water. I took the turkey thighs out after 3-1/2 hours (approximately) and let them cool enough to handle, removed the meat for later use, and returned the bones and skin back to the pot for another four hours or so. I whacked the thigh bones in half before returning them. I made the split pea soup with in my pressure cooker with some of the stock, half an onion, 1/2 pound of dried split peas, one clove of garlic, about a cup of chopped celery, a couple of cayenne chilies (from my yard), some of the small pieces of turkey meat, and some vegetable soup base. After 12 minutes, they were more than done. The cayenne from my yard this year is particularly hot - it is a volunteer plant growing in a pot that used to have a Habanero chili in it, and I think it must be a hybrid of cayenne and Habanero. The chilies look like cayenne, but they are hotter than Habanero, and so I have to be careful when I use them. They dry on the plant, and so I can just harvest all of them and store them inside for later use, but I will have to label them as extra spicy. The good thing about the crock pot is that I can store the pot in the fridge, and so the excess stock is still in the pot. I'll probably freeze it, since it takes me a while to get around to using it, and I need to wait for cooler weather, which is not due for a while.