Slow cooking = fast forward finances

Do you have a slow cooker gathering dust in your basement/garage/attic? Now is the time to get it out and dust it off.  Slow cooking can be your way towards fast savings and keeping your budget on track.

 

Save time!
Your slow cooker is a veritable treasure chest of cooking ideas, and may be the closest thing you ever get to a personal chef. Think about it, while you’re out at work/running errands/ ferrying the kids around your slow cooker is hard at work in your kitchen making your supper.

Minimal prep (chop, toss, stir and cover usually) and let’s not forget how cool it is to come home to smell supper cooking.

Save money!
Slow cooking saves money on two fronts: first you are saving energy by using low temperatures.  A slow cooker uses considerably less energy than an oven, stove or microwave.

Second, you are able to buy tougher, less expensive cuts of meat (i.e. flank steak, pork shoulder). As they cook for long periods immersed or covered in liquid in low heat, they will be more tender, and often more flavourful as well.

Get creative!
There are an endless amount of recipes around for slow cookers (a cursory internet search will land you hundreds). But you can also come up with your own (i.e. based on what you have in your pantry).

Cover a cut of meat with salad dressing or broth surrounded by chopped veggies or cover a ham in maple syrup. Make sure that the meat is well covered.

Get healthy!
No more excuses to hit the drive thru because you don’t have time to make dinner! With a little foresight and planning, you’ll have supper waiting for you. Not only will avoiding the drive thru save you money, it will up the health factor in your home.

Legumes (like beans and lentils) are a great meal option that benefit from the slow cooker as well. Going meatless once in a while is also a great way to save money on your grocery bill, and has definite health benefits as well.