And I enjoy every post (you’re a very talented writer, and I’ll be curious to see what you come out with in the future), but more often than not, it’s the cooking posts that I save to share with my husband. Because I like cooking, and I like the satisfaction that comes from creating a meal and having it be delicious and enjoyed by everyone who tries it (and sometimes that even happens), but I haven’t yet figured out how to cook at home every day and be healthy and happy and NOT stuck in the kitchen for HOURS.

So I love all your little tips and tricks. I told my husband about your frozen breakfast burritos and he’s very excited to try it out. And that would make me happy, because it’s GOT to be healthier than the bagel and coffee he grabs most mornings on his way to work. And just as easy.

Anyway, very excited about it. Can’t wait. :D

The only things I regularly make in the pressure cooker that aren’t from that book are beans & rice at the same time (I use our old beans & rice recipe & the cooking at the same time comes from an old issue of the Tightwad Gazette) and, right now, applesauce.

One thing to know is that if you’re using a crockpot to cook while you’re away at work, don’t combine the meat and veggies until that morning. To me, that would be logical – set everything neatly up in the crockpot in the fridge overnight – but apparently that allows bacteria buildup (the heat later kills the bacteria, hopefully, but not the toxin “poop” the bacteria puts out, which can get you sick). Who knew? Ok, probably everyone but me, until I did the online research.

Steve>> Not too bad for a full day’s slow cooking. Maybe the Crockpot will finally see light of day.

1 pound Ground Turkey
2 cans Hunts Organic diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 Tablespoon Chili powder
2 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 Onion
1 Poblano pepper or pepper of choice

I make a very similar white chili, and the cooking time is just browning onions & meat in the bottom of the pan, a few minutes to get it up to pressure, and I think 7 minutes for the beans to cook, then turn it off and let it natural release.

If you do not have a crock-pot, can these be done stovetop? I have a gas stove- may be too expensive.

Can they be oven cooked in a shorter timeframe?

roasting the bones intensifies and changes the flavor of the stock, making it a darker stock. It’s a matter of preference as to whether you use a roasting step.

Roasting vegetables creates a similar effect and carmelizes the carbohydrates in the vegetables or on the surface of the vegetables, again intensifying and changing the flavor.

You might want to try experimenting with it. It’s not good for every recipe but it’s good to know how to do and what effect it will create.

One thing I do on the weekend, because I actually don’t have as many activities then, is take some time to make a big leftover soup (such as Trent is suggesting) and also cook a number of necessary component ingredients for the week, such as (right now) as a largish batch of baked brown rice, an entire baked squash, a pound of dried chickpeas. All in the oven at one time to economize.

As to the energy use of the crockpot, a standard sized one clocks in at 125 watts or so on low and maybe 200 wtts on medium and 250 on high. So 10 hours is anywhere from 1 1/4 kw/hs to 2.5 Kw/hrs. At $.20 per kw/hr (a high estimate) that comes out to 24 to 35 cents in energy cost.

I usually use my small crockpot though (I’m single) and that clocks in around 15 cents for a 10 hour time.