Slow Cooker Week: (grati)Tuesday

As I'm typing up this post Spike the kitty, who just celebrated his 6 month birthday, is chasing a piece of uncooked penne up and down the hallway. I made a quick pasta dish for dinner and dropped a couple of bits of pasta on the floor and they've kept him amused for the better part of three hours. Cheapest cat toy ever! And highly amusing for the humans of the house too. Gotta love pets that love to cuddle and keep you laughing.

More Slow Cooker tips: Did you know that each time you lift the lid while you're cooking you need to add an extra half hour of cooking time? Well, now you do! So don't lift the lid. Or, if like me you can't resist giving the dinner a bit of a stir, be sure to allow the extra time needed when you're doing your planning and prep.

Got any tips you want to share. Any fab meals you've made in the slow cooker that you think someone else might like to try? Don't be shy...

And here's Tuesday's recipe. Good old Pea and Ham Soup. Easy to make at the best of times but even better in the slow cooker. To be honest, I'm not a huge pea and ham soup fan but Hubby is and, as I am a huge fan on his, I make it a couple of times each winter to make him happy. We generally have it for dinner the night I make it then I freeze the rest in single portions so he can take it for lunch or if we're having an easy dinner over the weekend. Hubby's grandma is also a fan (of him and the soup!) so I usually send her some too.

Pea and Ham Soup

Slow Cooker by Sally Wise

Serves 4-6

3 carrots

1/2 parsnip (optional)

1 onion

300g green split peas

300g bacon bones or ham hock (I generally use bigger because that's what I've got - extra meat is just fine by the carnivorous man I'm married to)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

5 cups water (this is way too thick, I always add more water at the end to thin it a bit).

Peel and dice the carrots and parsnip. Peel and finely dice the onion. Place in the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and stir.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.