I might also have titled this article, The Crockpot is my Friend. I'm hoping there'll be more than just the crockpot to get us through until we get our home built (which won't be until next year at the earliest).
At the moment, I have a crockpot, 2 hot plates, a convection microwave, a toaster oven and an electric griddle that has a reversible plate - one side is flat the other is a grill. I'm looking forward to experimenting with an outdoor oven, too, but will have to wait until I've got a bit more time. For Christmas this year, Troy's mother gave us a sort of counter-top oven. She and her friend have each got one and they really like it for big dinner parties and for cooking roasts in the summer - they can plug it in outside. You know what else we got? A real refrigerator!!
We've had our new fridge about a month now and the little bar fridge is defrosting outside... in our prairie winter. It might take a while. I can NOT believe the impact on our diet with the fridge. I didn't think we were really suffering but we are eating so much healthier now. I can buy salad fixings and make my own salad, have leftover vegetables AND have somewhere to put everything. So handy!!
It's now the end of January 2016 and I think we've finally adjusted to life without a normal stove/oven combo. It's working surprisingly well, I have to say. I've been able to cook our regular foods - especially now that we've got the oven.
At the moment, I have a crockpot, 2 hot plates, a convection microwave, a toaster oven and an electric griddle that has a reversible plate - one side is flat the other is a grill. I'm looking forward to experimenting with an outdoor oven, too, but will have to wait until I've got a bit more time. For Christmas this year, Troy's mother gave us a sort of counter-top oven. She and her friend have each got one and they really like it for big dinner parties and for cooking roasts in the summer - they can plug it in outside. You know what else we got? A real refrigerator!!
We've had our new fridge about a month now and the little bar fridge is defrosting outside... in our prairie winter. It might take a while. I can NOT believe the impact on our diet with the fridge. I didn't think we were really suffering but we are eating so much healthier now. I can buy salad fixings and make my own salad, have leftover vegetables AND have somewhere to put everything. So handy!!
It's now the end of January 2016 and I think we've finally adjusted to life without a normal stove/oven combo. It's working surprisingly well, I have to say. I've been able to cook our regular foods - especially now that we've got the oven.
The crockpot bread recipe I've been using can be found at Earth & Honey, http://earthandhoney.co/make-bread-crockpot/. It is really, really good and because I use my stand mixer, it's incredibly easy. There's no kneading and no rising. Start to finish, it's perhaps 20 minutes of prep and 1-1/2 to 2 hours to bake. I am not sure what I'll do now that I've got the oven/roaster as it can hold 2 loaf pans. The thing is, the crockpot bread is not at all time consuming. On the other hand, there are more recipe options for if I make my own and bake in the oven. Ah well, first world problems - I am very lucky!
You need to know that the picture of the oven/roaster (right) is from a Google image but this is the one we've got. So far I have not roasted a turkey but I have done a pot roast with root vegetables. I just prepped everything, put it in a pot and popped it in the oven. Done like, well, dinner! I also baked a bunch of potatoes one day. We had a big bag and they were starting to sprout so I figured what the heck? Turns out they are handy to have around for lunches.
We are able to make our traditional weekend brunch - french toast or pancakes with bacon or sausages. I have to say that I'm not a fan of cooking the bacon but that's more of a dish-washing issue. I haven't tried it in the new oven yet, so that might make a difference. I like to bake our bacon instead of frying because it's easier to clean it up as I use tin-foil and parchment paper on the pan. On the other hand, when I fry it, I can keep the grease and cook with it. We do like the baking powder biscuits made with bacon grease - lots of flavour!
So far, the biggest challenges have been figuring out what can get plugged in at the same time as something else. The benefit of the tradition stove/oven combo is that it's got the higher amps (I think that's the right word?) so you can do more at once.
A couple of times we've had company for dinner. Close family and friends so not really any pressure. I've tended to rely on the crockpot there - chili is our friend! Last time we had some elk meat from a friend and that made some pretty wonderful chili, I have to say. Nice, mild flavour and very, very lean. In the future, I'd stick with that or maybe do the pot-roast again. It's filling and so easy to do. Just get the meat and sear it, cut up the veggies and throw it all together in a pot and pop it in the oven. One huge benefit there is that it is ready when you are. No rush to take it out of the oven. This is handy for us as we usually put people to work when they come for a visit. When we're done the project du jour, we're all hungry and lately cold so this works very well.
Oh! The one thing I haven't quite figured out is pizza and baking cookies. I bought a tiny little cookie sheet that just fits into the new oven/roaster so I think that should work well - we'll just be having square pizza.
I am happy to tell you that it turns out we are doing very well with what we've got.
You need to know that the picture of the oven/roaster (right) is from a Google image but this is the one we've got. So far I have not roasted a turkey but I have done a pot roast with root vegetables. I just prepped everything, put it in a pot and popped it in the oven. Done like, well, dinner! I also baked a bunch of potatoes one day. We had a big bag and they were starting to sprout so I figured what the heck? Turns out they are handy to have around for lunches.
We are able to make our traditional weekend brunch - french toast or pancakes with bacon or sausages. I have to say that I'm not a fan of cooking the bacon but that's more of a dish-washing issue. I haven't tried it in the new oven yet, so that might make a difference. I like to bake our bacon instead of frying because it's easier to clean it up as I use tin-foil and parchment paper on the pan. On the other hand, when I fry it, I can keep the grease and cook with it. We do like the baking powder biscuits made with bacon grease - lots of flavour!
So far, the biggest challenges have been figuring out what can get plugged in at the same time as something else. The benefit of the tradition stove/oven combo is that it's got the higher amps (I think that's the right word?) so you can do more at once.
A couple of times we've had company for dinner. Close family and friends so not really any pressure. I've tended to rely on the crockpot there - chili is our friend! Last time we had some elk meat from a friend and that made some pretty wonderful chili, I have to say. Nice, mild flavour and very, very lean. In the future, I'd stick with that or maybe do the pot-roast again. It's filling and so easy to do. Just get the meat and sear it, cut up the veggies and throw it all together in a pot and pop it in the oven. One huge benefit there is that it is ready when you are. No rush to take it out of the oven. This is handy for us as we usually put people to work when they come for a visit. When we're done the project du jour, we're all hungry and lately cold so this works very well.
Oh! The one thing I haven't quite figured out is pizza and baking cookies. I bought a tiny little cookie sheet that just fits into the new oven/roaster so I think that should work well - we'll just be having square pizza.
I am happy to tell you that it turns out we are doing very well with what we've got.
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