Thursday, February 25, 2010

As A Soccer Mum Embarking On A New Season I've Been Checking Out Slow Cookers

I've decided I need a slow cooker.

This is how it went last year.

Tuesday, prepare dinner for B2, G1, G2 and dad during day. Pick up G1 & G2 from school at 2:45. Get home 3:00. B1 arrives home from school at 3:30. Prepare three after school snacks. B2 arrives home from school at 4:30. Get him fed. Depart for soccer training for B1 at 4:45. B2, G1 & G2 watch TV until dad arrives home at 6:00. Arrive home from soccer training with B1 at 9:00 after dinner at McDonalds. You know, a slow cooker would be good to have.

Wednesday, pick up G1 & G2 from school at 2:45. Dash home for quick snack then take them to piano lessons at 3:30. Go home and prepare dinner as well as afternoon snack for B2 who makes his own way to piano lessons. Pack his soccer training gear and toasted sandwich and head out to pick the three of them up at 5:00. Instruct B2 to eat sandwich quickly and get changed in car en route to soccer training at 5:30. Take G1 & G2 home, finish getting dinner ready then return to park to pick up B2 at 7:00. I wish I had a slow cooker.

Thursday, replay Tuesday.

Friday, pick up G1 & G2 from dance class at 4:00pm. Go home get them fed and changed for soccer training at 5:00pm. Dash home to start dinner with instructions for B1 & B2. Return to park to pick up G1 & G2 at 6:00.

Weekend, wall to wall soccer games for four kids plus getting B1 to refereeing duties.

This year I am going to get myself a slow cooker. So, what will I get. I've never had one before. And I love making soups and curries and stews and casseroles and pot roasts and all those delectable well-flavoured rich gravy type of meals.

So I've been looking around and I came across the Cuisinart. They seem to do the job really well. The features that are important in a slow cooker for me are firstly the size. It has to be big enough to feed our family of six plus extra. Extra for leftovers. Extra for when we have visitors. Extra for when I want to do something large like lamb shanks.

It has to be programmable. I need to be able to put it on in the morning and it will be ready that night.

And it needs to have a good keep warm setting. Not a keep on cooking setting. Sometimes we don't all eat at the same time. There may be a one to two hour gap between when the first and last people eat.

Here are some of the slow cookers I looked at.

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