I realize that there is an element of amusement to the fact that I am embracing a slow cooker, not back when I was fully employed at a structured job with a commute, but rather now that I mostly work from home in a freelance capacity. Despite my friends who swore by their slow cookers, I was always reluctant and I admit that was not a particularly logical hesitation on my part. We have, therefore, used our slow cooker more as a warmer for party foods than for anything else.

Even though it would seem that I should have plenty of time for meal preparation these days, between hubby and me, we often have late afternoon meetings or “cocktail” type events that don’t include real food. Depending on where the event is, we frequently go out to dinner or do pick-up, but one day when one of these gatherings was at a location close to the house, it occurred to me that if I prepared a slow cooker meal, we could be sitting down to eat more quickly than we could stop by a restaurant. That may have also been about the time that a friend showed me how she used the slow cooker liners for incredibly easy clean-up.

I am considering using the slow cooker option more often and am trying to come to grips with the proper amount of liquid to use and to allow the length of cooking time that is required. Yes, I could use a recipe, but it seems like there should be some easy rule of thumb, too. Any advice out there for me?