Recently we've been using the timer function on the bread machine to make delicious bread that is finished baking right when we wake up. For a long time we've used the coffee maker timer to prepare coffee that is ready as we come downstairs.
A few weeks ago there was a potluck at church. We live 35 minutes away, so we weren't going to come back here to get the food out of the oven or anything like that. Solution: cook the split pea soup in the slow cooker overnight, bring it to church and plug it in to warm before lunch. Easy!
I love that it smells so good in our house when we wake up after cooking overnight. It does feel a bit like Wallace's inventions (see Wallace and Grommit by Nick Park) doing all the work for us while we sleep. But I think the thing I like most is the feeling of getting something useful done while I'm asleep. Now if there were only some way to do the laundry while sleeping...
For your pleasure, my recipe for Split Pea Soup:
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
(from Whole Foods)
1 16-oz pkg dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 c diced ham
1 c sliced carrots
1 c chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery, plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and ground pepper
6 cups chicken broth
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-10 hours, until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.
note: I use a tablespoon or so of dried parsley instead of fresh. I also never never use a ham bone (too lazy, I guess). Michael has added 3 tablespoons of well cooked bacon, it tastes wonderful.
A few weeks ago there was a potluck at church. We live 35 minutes away, so we weren't going to come back here to get the food out of the oven or anything like that. Solution: cook the split pea soup in the slow cooker overnight, bring it to church and plug it in to warm before lunch. Easy!
I love that it smells so good in our house when we wake up after cooking overnight. It does feel a bit like Wallace's inventions (see Wallace and Grommit by Nick Park) doing all the work for us while we sleep. But I think the thing I like most is the feeling of getting something useful done while I'm asleep. Now if there were only some way to do the laundry while sleeping...
For your pleasure, my recipe for Split Pea Soup:
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
(from Whole Foods)
1 16-oz pkg dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 c diced ham
1 c sliced carrots
1 c chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery, plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and ground pepper
6 cups chicken broth
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-10 hours, until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.
note: I use a tablespoon or so of dried parsley instead of fresh. I also never never use a ham bone (too lazy, I guess). Michael has added 3 tablespoons of well cooked bacon, it tastes wonderful.
Comments