Fix-It and Forget-It

So, does “cider” have to include apples? We weren’t sure, so we looked it up. Although cider is typically made by pressing apples, other fruits will also yield juice that can be legitimately called cider. Continue Reading...

One of our Fix-It and Forget-It recipe contributors shared this Christmas tradition with us: “I come from a family of eight children, and every Christmas we all get together. We eat dinner, and then play games while drinking Hot Cranberry Cider.” Continue Reading...

The holiday season is just around the corner, and we want to get you in the party-planning mood. Here we offer not one, but two, hot beverages to simmer in your slow cooker. Continue Reading...

Even though cooking with a slow cooker is super-convenient and makes food that tastes great, it does have some challenges. Long, slow cooking tends to make food look less colorful and fresh when it comes out of the slow cooker.

But some food emerges from the slow cooker looking lovely and burnished, as though it’s just come out of the oven or off the stove top. It commandeers a platter!

Sesame Pork Ribs look irresistibly appealing and are true stars on a buffet or dinner table. In fact, I have used this several times for my appearances on QVC, and the ribs always look amazing. Not to mention that they taste great as well. Just ask David or Carolyn or Mary Beth, the wonderful hosts I work with!

The sauce in this recipe is ample enough to cover the pork and to keep it from drying out. Slow cooking in the rich sauce makes the pork supremely tender and infuses it with a wonderful flavor.
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My dad had a side job as a butcher. He would pick out the meat for a holiday and often prepared it himself. And ham was always his choice meat for Easter. He would present it to the family like a masterpiece before he took it back to the kitchen to carve it.

In our busy lives, I am constantly looking for recipes to make our special meals easier. We found this great recipe for ham that takes no oven space and very little prep time. And because the ham cooks as a whole ham in the slow cooker, it still can be a masterpiece, as my dad would have insisted!

If you haven’t already planned your Easter menu, consider this recipe. Or take a look at your favorite Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook for more ideas to help save you time on Easter Sunday.
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Get this. The mulled cider I made in my slow cooker for our big family Christmas dinner has amazing staying power. And to think that, in a fit of exhaustion, I just about poured it down the drain as we were cleaning up after the meal, and all kinds of kids and cousins were strolling through the kitchen. Continue Reading...