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

Thanks Linda and Barnmom! : ) Well it didn't fit in my slow cooker so I just put it in the oven in a roasting pan with some onions and a little water and put foil over the top. I'm going to add some seasoned sweet potatoes. Nothing fancy but it's a good ham (already sampled it lol) so I think it will be ok. It's not spiral cut. I didn't know those dry out faster so I just lucked out. The brand I wanted didn't have any spiral cut ones. Yes I kinda needed my oven for other things but I think it will work out. Bless you both for taking time out to reply.

Sorry! I just saw there is another post asking the same thing. I should have checked first. Clare

I've posted this one many times before but it sticks in my memory because it was offered at a dinner party by a very busy lady, head of a university department, who came home after work to prepare this dish for her guests. We were all so impressed that she managed to make something tasting so good without working at it all day. She had made mimeographed copies of the recipe beforehand as she said everyone asked for it when she served this dish. This was before the days of photocopiers ! LOL. This was a simple but prize winning recipe in a cross country cooking contest sponsored by a Canadian womens' magazine in the 1960s. Tastes better if made one day ahead. 1 kilo of veal shoulder steak, cut into small bite-size pieces 2 medium onions, sliced 1 cup water 1/2 cup ketchup or tomato sauce 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teasp salt 1/2 teasp pepper 1 1/2 cups cashews (rinse if they are salted) 2 TBS butter Worcestershire sauce 1). Grind garlic, salt and pepper together in mortar and pestle. 2). Roll veal pieces in this mixture in the mortar and then on a clean plate, being sure pieces are well coated. 3). Brown veal in butter in a saucepan. When brown, add onions, water, tomato sauce and cashews. 4). Simmer slowly until meat and nuts are both tender. About 40 minutes. It may need a bit of water added. 5). Thicken with a bit of flour and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. 6). Best served the next day. Goes well with rice and a crisp green salad. SharonCb