So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat?
Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking
than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to
utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider
the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are
also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working
overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking
methods introduce.
This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the
costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in
operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and
oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not
raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you
are using even less electricity.
Unfortunately for most, the general consensus has been that
crock pots were meant for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is
that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized
cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock
pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be
made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and
treats as well.
Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking
In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above when it
comes to crock pot cooking there are many other benefits that are well worth
mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking
takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a
hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an
ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a
dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.
Second, many great crock pot recipes include the vegetables
that insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a
meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor
of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a meal in one dish.
Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime
cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are
made in one dish. This means that there will not be mountains of dishes to be
either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me—both)
afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time
slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove.
Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the
lightening bugs with your little ones, or waiting for the first star.
While there will never be a one size fits all best cooking
method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting
dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if
off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes.