No bread, because I realized I must use up my stew beef today

[conuly]

and I'm wary about running the slow cooker at the same time as the oven. Our breakers do not like it if we try to run too many heat-drawing appliances at once, and yes, "call an electrician" is on my list.

This beef stew recipe calls for parsnips and carrots. I do not have parsnips, and am torn between going to the store or just subbing in more carrots and then perhaps subbing in a sweet potato for some of the original carrots.

Speaking of a to-do list, I have to call the doctor a million times today about a million things. Sigh. AND call the gas company and pay a bill. That's even worse, their phone tree is worse now since they fixed it than it was before! (And it was god-awful before. If ever they ask why I wait until I get a shut-off notice to pay, let me assure you, that's the whole reason. It's not quite that dire yet, but all the same, I need to pay up.)

Comments

[ioplokon]

You can make little simple rolls that bake on top of the stew if you want to fire up the oven. Then you get some starchy goodness...

[conuly]

I was going to serve the stew over rice or barley.

[ioplokon]

Barley is also great

[angelofthenorth]

Also, slow cooker bread is really nice....

[conuly]

Is it now?

[wendelah1]

Recipe links (or cookbook suggestions), pretty please? My oven is out of commission at present.

[angelofthenorth]

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-bread-in-the-slow-cooker-192421 was where I started. Just google 'slow cooker bread recipes' and there's HUNDREDS :)

[mama_kestrel]

Slow cooker, unlike toaster or toaster oven or microwave, is a very low-draw appliance. It uses about as much power as a table lamp.

[conuly]

You're certain? Well, all right then! I'll try it next time!

[mama_kestrel]

On low heat, a crock pot uses 70 watts. High is about 250. By comparison, an electric oven pulls about 2500 watts.

[conuly]

What do you think about rice cookers?

[mama_kestrel]

Less than an oven, more than a crock pot. About the same as an electric burner, if I recall correctly.

[the_siobhan]

We have that problem with our kitchen because there is no actual wiring in it. The actual stove is gas but everything else runs off extension cords from the rest of the house.

Our solution is just to plug in the slow cooker in a different room.

[readerjane]

I've heard that if you curse at the auto-answer phone tree, it will transfer you to a human rep.

I do not know whether this is universal.

[darkoshi]

With some of them (at least in the past), if I didn't give any response at all (because none of the choices were applicable), it would transfer me to a human. But others will hang up on you if you do that. Sometimes it has worked to say "I want to speak to someone".

I don't think I've ever tried cursing to a phone menu. But I sure wish that would work on websites sometimes.