Weather!

What a week this has been – we started off in glorious sunshine, so spent the weekend mowing, pruning, weeding etc. but now we are back to winter. We have had hail, sleet and snow with very chilly temperatures. This inspired me to reach down the slow-cooker and make a delicious beef casserole. I don’t use it very often, usually for a beef/brandy/chilli/tomato concoction, but this time it was more conventional and very delicious. The bonus is that the house smells amazing whilst it bubbles away. I struggle to resist lifting the lid and giving it a stir as that can do more harm than good, letting out the warmth and lengthening the cooking time. Do you have a favourite recipe for the slow-cooker, or is it a gadget too far ?