PRODUCT REVIEW: Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

months ago i was contacted by csn stores to review one of the many products their website offers. let me start off by saying it was difficult to decide what i wanted to review because csn stores has a wide variety of shops to choose from.  seriously, you can buy just about anything and everything from swing sets, lcd tv stands, furniture to pet accessories, art & luggage!  i settled on a new slow cooker.  boring, i know, but come on, y 'all, i own three other slow cookers in various sizes...i cannot live without my slow cookers!

i ordered the hamilton beach six quart "set & forget" slow cooker.  it's from the "stay or go" line.  this is my second six quart slow cooker, but i love this one much more than my other programmable slow cooker.  why?  there are many cooking options.  three of them, in fact.  i can program the slow cooker to cook manually {you keep track of the temperature & time}, cook using a program {the slow cooker keeps track of temperature & time} OR cook using the thermometer probe {it will stop cooking when your meat has reached it's desired temperature}.  i also appreciate that the slow cooker will automatically adjust to 'keep warm' when it is finished cooking.

the thermometer probe is cool.  i cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker and it came out moist, juicy & the meat was falling off the bone {never mind the fact that i felt like buffalo bill when i had to skin the whole chicken prior to dropping it in the slow cooker}.  i love that the probe offers me further peace of mind when cooking larger portions of meat like roasts and such.

if you've never cooked with a slow cooker or if you are hesitant to buy one, do yourself a favor and take the leap, okay?  slow cookers help you save time {and even money!}.  you can prepare your meal in the morning and come home to a warm, fully cooked meal in the afternoon.  or, you can cook overnight.  i love using my slow cooker for large family gatherings, but - most importantly - it has been a lifesaver for our family in the afternoons especially on the days that i have class in the evenings {i'm a full-time graduate student in addition to being a wife & momma of two}.  by the way, the stoneware crock and lid are dishwasher safe.

i have not taken my slow cooker to any pot luck suppers yet, but i like that the lid seals to the crock with the help of two latches on either side of the slow cooker.  a serving spoon rests neatly in the slow cooker's lid.  the price of the slow cooker was just under $50.  while it may seem pricey to some, i believe that this slow cooker is worth the cost.  it would make a great wedding gift or a great holiday gift for a busy family in your life.  i'm very happy to have added the hamilton beach six quart "set & forget" slow cooker to my collection and i'm looking forward to cooking many boston butts {mmm, shredded bbq} in it this summer!

as for csn stores...what can i say, but WOW!  it was super easy to place an order on their website.  they follow up with emails letting you know the status of your order.  they also ship fast.  i wasn't expecting the slow cooker to arrive for nearly a week, but imagine my surprise when it showed up on my doorstep just a few days after placing my order.  definitely consider csn stores the next time you need to order something for your home or for a gift.  you won't be disappointed.


disclaimer: the slow cooker was my compensation for doing this review for csn stores. all opinions in this review are my own.

chicken & dumplings...soup.

foreward:
as i opened up the cookbook to type out this recipe i came to the realization that this was a soup recipe. somehow, yesterday as i made this, i neglected to read the word 'soup.' if you ask me, it's more of a stoup {if you have ever watched rachael ray you know that a stoup is a stew/soup combo}. anyways, it's delicious and i want you to get out your crockpot and make this, please.

i'm really sorry about the sloppiness of this photo. i didn't think to take a picture until my SECOND helping. whoops.

chicken & dumpling soup
{from stephanie o'dea's book, "make it fast, cook it slow"}

ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken - i used just over 2 lbs. of good sized chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped - i used 1 package of already sliced white button 'shrooms
16 oz. frozen veggies - i used a carrot, corn & green bean mix
2 (10.5 oz.) cans of cream-of-something soup - the actual recipe lists an alternative soup recipe if you're so inclined to make your own but i used two cans of cream of chicken & mushroom from that "mmm, mmm good!" brand.
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits

method:
use a 4-quart slow cooker {mine is about 6-quarts and it worked just fine for this recipe}. put the chicken & the veggies into the bottom of the stoneware insert. add the cream-of soups. cover & cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

an hour before serving, shred the chicken with two large forks and drop in the biscuit dough. cover & cook on high for another hour. the dumplings are done when a knife is easily inserted and comes out clean. the dumplings will be spongy and will brown a bit on the sides & top. serve in bowls with a dumpling or two per person.

---

this was a HIT! this couldn't have been any easier to prep. the house smelled yummy while it cooked. and, the end result was - by far - the best slow cooker chicken & dumplings recipe i've ever tried. mine did not have a soupy consistency, but it was still delicious nonetheless. i do recommend seasoning before serving as it did have a bland taste, but it was nothing a little salt & white pepper couldn't fix. like i said earlier, i had TWO servings. aidan did, too. we're a family of four and we got six servings for dinner and one very generous serving for lunch out of the whole dish.

crock pot goodness.

i've owned a crock pot for as long as i can remember {i even scored a new 4 qt. crock pot for $3 at target's black friday sale!} and we l♥ve to cook with it. we will get out the crock pot a few times during the spring or summer, but we really try to use it as much as we can during the cooler fall & winter months. and, when i was working, the crock pot was a lifesaver because it's always nice to come home & have dinner warm and waiting for you.

anyways...

if you have a crockpot, please get it out and use it. there's a lot you can do with it. seriously. a lot.

a while back, i happened upon a blog called 'a year of slow cooking.' perhaps you've seen it? if you haven't, please check it out. or, perhaps you've heard of the fabulous woman behind the blog, stephanie o'dea. or, maybe you've heard of her book - yes, book:

{source}

i own this cookbook {and, maybe, just maybe there will be a giveaway for a copy in the near future...}. i love this cookbook. i adore this cookbook. it's not your conventional cookbook because there are no pictures, but everything in this cookbook is made in a crockpot {2 qt., 4 qt. or 6qt.}. and, we're not talking just stews & roasts...

we've made a couple recipes {including super easy dulce de leche that our kids like to dip apples in}, but last night i made the pineapple pork tenderloin.

{sorry for the crackberry pic quality!}

The recipe is as follows:

3 pound pork tenderloin - the tenderloin i used was just under 3 lbs.
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning - i used an asian seasoning blend instead
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, chopped - i used the 'already minced in a jar' stuff
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced - i cut my peppers into a large dice rather than slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce - we have gallons of kikkoman in this half-chinese household!
1/2 cup apple juice
16 ounces frozen pineapple - i used canned pineapple

Combine meat, sugar, spices, and cornstarch in a plastic zipper bag. Seal and shake well to coat. Pour contents of bag into crockpot. Add garlic and peppers. Pour in soy sauce, apple juice, and an entire bag of frozen pineapple. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6.

{recipe adapted from 'make it fast, cook it slow'}

i sort of strayed from the recipe's directions. i added all of the ingredients - except for the peppers & pineapple - to the large plastic zipper bag. after all of the wet & dry ingredients were combined, i dumped everything into my crockpot - i used our 6 qt. i added the peppers & pineapple on top and i also added one chopped onion. halfway through cooking, the hubs added just a touch of chicken stock. we cooked everything on low for about 7 hours. the peppers & onions broke down, but the pineapple was still whole. we served our pork over steamed rice and, as you can tell from my picture, we shredded the pork.

the hubs is enjoying some of the leftovers as a sandwich today. i will be heating up a bowl momentarily.

we really enjoyed this recipe & i cannot wait to try more of stephanie's crockpot recipes.

enjoy!

p.s. sorry for the wonky font...i'm tired of fighting with blogger. grrr....