Why you need a slow cooker in your life

When I moved in with my boyfriend one of the first things that he purchased was a slow cooker. At the time I thought it was a bit strange but I let him get on with it. Since we have been living together it has completely changed my cooking an now I'm here to tell you why you need to have a slow cooker to make cooking healthy food quicker and to save on the washing up!

Easy to make Stock or Bone Broth
I don't digest gluten well and the majority of store brought stocks have gluten, loads of salt and other nasties in them. The hassle of making my own stock hasn't interested me before now as leaving bones boiling on the hob all night feel like a real waste of energy and e pensive for my bills. Now I throw bones in the slow cooker with onions, garlic some other herbs and it makes beautifully tasty stock without the hassle. The energy used costs less then a lightbulb which makes its a far more cost effective way. 

Quick Meal Prep
On a sunday I can throw in some veggies and stock, leave them all day to stew, come evening time I have soup for the week with no hassle from me. I easily throw together some meat and vegetables go off to work and then I have a enough food to feed a small army or two hungry adults and a couple of portions for a freezer. With a slow cooker you don't need to spend your sunday meal prepping as spices and herbs stew to make tasty meals. 

Cook Cheaper Cuts of Meat without it Getting Tough
I would love to buy organic grass fed meat but my budget doesn't always allow it. Sometimes I buy cheaper cuts of beef because its getting dangerously close to payday my. Often they're so tough I really wonder why I bothered wasting my money but now with the meat slow cooked in liquid the meat doesn't end up being tough and I'm happy eating a tasty meal without my bank balance suffering.

Add Flavour and Tenderness without Extra Calories
Cooking food with herbs and spices allow the flavours to really develop over the day, I then get tender and flavoured meat without having to use cream or butter. Also roast chicken cooked in the slow cooker is the juiciest roast chicken I have ever eaten, I actually can't go back to oven roasted chicken as its just not juicy enough.

Do you have a slow cooker? What do you use it for?