Jim: Question. What kind of bear is best?
Dwight: That’s a ridiculous question.
Jim: False. Black bear.
It’s question time.
First up, questions for you.
- Best slow cooker recipes. Please tell me your favourites in the comment section. My slow cooker has been an under-utilized appliance for too long and I’m committed to using it more in 2025! (Things were getting off to a good start at the end of 2024 with Hot Buttered Apples and Baked Potatoes.)
- Best exfoliating gloves. Do they work? Asking for a friend. (Not really. I’m asking for me.)
- Best drugstore shampoo. Here is how I select what shampoo I will be using for the next two months: I look at the store shelf and see what is on sale/the cheapest. That’s what ends up in my cart and in our shower stall. Is there an incredible drugstore shampoo I’m missing out on for just a few extra dollars?
- Best bathtub/shower cleaning products. I HATE cleaning the shower. Does anyone use an extendable scrubber that works well? I’m short and find it so hard to lean over and clean the tub surround. And, has anyone found a miracle shower cleaner? I’ve tried every homemade one on the block + lots of store-bought varieties and nothing seems to minimize the required elbow grease.
Second, questions for me. It’s been a while since I did an Ask Me (Almost) Anything series. If there’s a topic you’d like me to discuss or if you have any burning questions, now is the time! You can ask questions in the comment section, but it’s even easier to use this handy Google form. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer every question (hence the addition of the discretionary “Almost”), but I tend to be an open book.
Your turn.
- Slow cooker suggestions?
- What’s your favourite shampoo?
Questions for me? Ask them here!
Header photo by Pete Nuij on Unsplash
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mbmom11
I only use a slow cooker anymore for applesauce or stew, neither of which I have recipe for. I made a nice lentil stew with it when my vegetarians where home ( from website thegeniuskitchen,I think).
And I buy whatever shampoo is on sale, has a pump, and doesn’t have a strong scent. I think right now it’s a suave shampoo with mint? We tend to have oily hair in my family (and teenage boys) so I don’t have to worry about conditioners.
My favorite bathroom cleaner was reformulated a year or so ago, and I can’t stand it now. The smell is just awful. ( comet spray, why did you need to change?) Now I just use generic bleach cleaner. Still have to scrub. And Barkeeps friend for heavy duty cleaning.
Elisabeth
I do have Barkeepers friend and it’s been…fine. But I was hoping for something that would clean my bathroom for me with zero effort on my part. What, such a product doesn’t exist?
SIGH.
I get so, so frustrated when formulations of products change. It’s almost never an improvement!
mbmom11
The Google form denied me access. Did you enable sharing?
What’s one thing about parenting you would change if you could go back when your kids were little?
Elisabeth
Oops. No I did not. It has been fixed!
Lisa’s Yarns
I rarely use our slow cooker either! I use our instant pot a ton though, but mostly I love that it’s a one pot meal maker that can make things more quickly. But it’s not the kind of appliance where you walk in and your meal is ready to eat like a slow cooker is. I just bought some nature brand shampoo and conditioner from target because I needed something that had a pump to make showering easy for me while I’m recovering. But otherwise I don’t have a drugstore brand that I’m loyal to. I tend to switch to a product that’s good for straight hair during the winter and then something for curly hair in the summer so I’m not really brand loyal.
Elisabeth
I keep hemming and hawing about the Instant Pot. I don’t think I’d love it? Maybe I would? I hate the thought of having yet another kitchen appliance. Mostly because we don’t have a lot of counter space and our cupboards are 1970’s and not overly spacious. I think if I had a ton of space I’d have a stand mixer, Instant Pot, and air fryer. But I know seeing all those things cluttering up my countertop would drive me insane!
AA
We have an instant pot that came with two lids—one makes it into an air fryer—and a few very small accessories. We keep the basic instant pot and lid out all the time and store the other parts nearby—while we use the instant pot pieces, we stow the normal lid where we keep them.
Julia
One of my favorite slow cooker meals is beef roast. Any kind of roast works- chuck, shoulder, arm. Place it in the bottom. In a small bowl, mix one can cream of mushroom soup with one packet onion soup mix, then pour over the meat. Cook on low 8-10 hours til fork tender. We love it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
I have been using Aussie miracle moist shampoo for a couple years now and have been pleased with it. I think it’s pretty middle of the road in terms of price and quality.
Julia
Oh, re: bathroom cleaner. Take an empty spray bottle, fill with approximately one cup vinegar, one cup blue Dawn dish soap, and 2-3 cups water. Spray onto bath and shower walls and let it sit while you clean everything else. Then use a sponge with hot water to clean the shower. This worked great for me at our old house which had a lot of iron in the water.
Elisabeth
I have done this before and it was…fine. But I still struggle to get enough leverage to scrub the deposits off the bathtub properly. I should re-try it because it’s such an inexpensive solution!
Elisabeth
We have Aussie shampoo at our drugstore; I don’t think I’ve ever tried it. Thanks for the rec!
Nicole MacPherson
Oh gosh I am completely unhelpful on all these fronts. Wait. Wait! I do have one, it’s the CLR Routine Clean bathroom cleaner. I don’t use it that often but it really gets the stains off the shower.
Elisabeth, I don’t even have a slow cooker, that’s how useless I am at these questions!
Elisabeth
Noted about the CLR cleaner! I have a bottle of CLR bathroom cleaner but the nozzle is broken and I’ve been too lazy to switch it to a different bottle. Thanks for the reminder. I will report back.
Katy @ Practical Walk
I mostly use the slow cooker to make big batches of beans, cook bone-in sale chicken down for meat and broth or use it to make soups.
Elisabeth
Yes! I’m a big fan of using slow cookers to make broths. It’s so easy to set it and forget it overnight and wake up to rich, hearty broth.
Hannah
I love your opening to this, that’s on of my favorite opens to the Office.
I love my slow cooker! Here are a few of my favorite recipes:
https://www.food.com/recipe/margarets-beef-stew-359928
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/217821/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-roast/
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/
My favorite shampoo and conditioner aren’t drugstore, they’re from Costco. One bottle of shampoo lasts me about a year, the conditioner longer. Part of what I like about them is just that I don’t have to decide on a new shampoo every time I run out. https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-moisture-shampoo-338-fl-oz-1-count.product.100745514.html
Btw, you can order them online without a Costco membership, they charge a 5% surcharge, but I still find them to be a good value for me.
Elisabeth
That and “Altoid”, and Kevin spilling chili are my three all-time favourite cold openings.
Thanks for these recipes! I have butternut squash in my freezer so that’s perfect timing.
We have a Costco reseller in a neighbouring town; I will look for these next time I visit! Plus, purple is my favourite colour, so that’s basically enough to sell me on it 🙂
Karen A.
We use our slow cooker for hamburger stew (I think I started with the recipe from Budget Bytes and adapted it), garlic Parmesan potatoes (from Damn Delicious), and to keep warm our homemade tomato soup and roasted carrot soup. I’ve also used it in the past to bake quick breads, without turning on the oven in the summer. This was before we got our toaster oven, which can fit a 9×13 pan very nicely. The slow cooker is also great for cooking corn on the cob–no need to boil a huge pot on the stove or fire up a grill that we don’t have! And finally, I think we use it to keep taco meat warm on taco night, and to cook big batches of fried rice.
Regarding shampoo, we need to avoid SLS around here due to allergies, so I actually order Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo from Amazon, as it’s cheaper in bulk, and my biotin shampoo I order as well. The drugstore prices for SLS-free shampoo are insane.
Elisabeth
Garlic Parm potatoes? Those sound AMAZING!!!
And I’ve never made stew in the slow cooker. Checking out that recipe ASAP.
And I’ve never used it to cook any baked good – I love the thought of using it to cook a quick loaf of bread. I generally use it to warm up meatballs and sauce, will sometimes put a cooked soup into it on warm while we’re serving it to a crowd, and I always cook pork tenderloin in a slow cooker.
Also, corn on the cob?! How have I never heard of this. Sounds perfect.
Jean C
Did you know you can cook a winter squash in your slow cooker. Google it. It seemed like a stretch to me, but it really does work.
One of my fave easy recipes is throw in skinless chicken breasts or boneless thighs with a jar of salsa. (You could also toss in dribs/drabs of other condiments or elderly veggies but 100% salsa is the way do it). Serve over rice.
Elisabeth
Yum! That sounds so easy and yet delicious. And I cook rice in a rice cooker so that really would be so easy!
Sarah S.
We also love this style of slow cooker chicken and started off with this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/taco-chicken-bowls/
Sarah
I love you; I understand the spirit of your question. **whispers** You should buy nicer shampoo. **hides from fall out of this comment** In my experience (I wash my hair every day because I am who I am), nicer shampoo is worth it and pays off because your hair looks better with less styling effort. I like Biolage for an entry-level upgrade, Aveda for a killer smell, and Augustinus Bader if you are ready for a real splurge. Also, I buy Shea Moisture (drug store) brand for the kids– they really like it. Shampoo is one of those products that you really do get what you pay for…
I will make literally anything in the slow cooker because convenience trumps taste for me. My faves are soups of all kind, chili, and meat for tacos (just, um, meat and some salsa).
I use dish soap, The Pink Stuff, and a magic eraser to clean the tub and then spray the hell out of the drain area with beach spray and give it a rinse. Definitely interrupting our endocrine systems.
Elisabeth
Ha. No need to hide, Sarah. I KNOW you have thoughts about products and brands and I also know you are 100% right. I just don’t know if I can stomach it? Can I? Should I? Gah. I don’t know.
But don’t hide!
There is a place locally where I can buy Aveda. Am I ready for the plunge?
I have NEVER used a Magic Eraser in the tub. I mean…I know they show it on the package, but it has literally never crossed my mind. I will need to give that a try. Also, The Pink Stuff keeps coming across my radar. Is this new? US only? I need to research it.
Allison
Most of my favourite slow cooker recipes come from an ancient book that my mom gave me with HER old slow cooker. I’m seeing if I can find links to similar recipes.
Pork and peaches: https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/slow-cooker-peach-pork/ (I always made this for someone who had had a baby, and it was always a big hit. Actually I haven’t made this in a long time and I’m going to, thanks for the reminder!)
Veal stew with apples: https://www.framedcooks.com/veal-stew-with-apples/
Green Chicken Chili: https://slowcookergourmet.net/slow-cooker-green-chicken-chili/
Can’t help with drug store shampoo, although I used to like Pantene. I have weird hair and I spend an ungodly amount on shampoo now that I’m older and have some disposable income.
I would love to know if you designed your own blog website or if someone else did – it’s so beautiful and gives me blog envy every time I visit.
Elisabeth
Pork with peaches sounds DIVINE!
I have made note of your question and will answer it on the blog soon!
NGS
When we ate meat, we used to do the same thing as Jean: dump in some chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, some black beans, some canned corn, and cook it on slow for 6-8 hours. You can shred the chicken and use it in tacos, put it over a bed of rice, or use it in a salad. It makes a ton of food, though, so we tended to have leftovers. Sometimes, if I was feeling spicy, I would even add a brick of cream cheese at the end and it turns into a creamy deliciousness.
We did a beef stew in the slow cooker, too, but it was actually a fair amount of upfront work because for beef to keep any flavor in a slow cooker, you need to brown the sides before putting it in there.
We use a daily shower spray that prevents us from having to clean the shower very often. Then when the shower gets gross, I bring in a Magic Eraser with me when I’m showering and go to town. I don’t know if this is the way other people do things, though.
Elisabeth
I need to know the daily spray you use, Engie! And why have I never thought of using a Magic Eraser? Though I do find they disintegrate easily. Are there more rugged ones for showers, I wonder?
Adding cream cheese in at the end is brilliant!
Jenny
Unfortunately I will be no help. I don’t own a slow cooker. For a while I was using expensive Aveda shampoo and conditioner, but got tired of shelling out all that money and now just use whatever my daughter is using. She keeps yelling at me that it’s totally wrong for my hair (her hair is curly) and I do have to admit that my look these days kind of screams “I’ve given up.” Maybe I need to go back to my Aveda products.
I also kind of feel like our shower has that “I’ve given up” look. But we have had luck with Clorox Clean-up, which is just a cleaner with bleach. Here in Florida we’re constantly fighting mildew, so I go for the heavy duty stuff.
Elisabeth
I hate having hair. If I thought I wouldn’t look ridiculous with a buzz cut, I’d do it just to save myself the hassle of hair.
Part of it is our shower, part of it is me. I can’t decide how much I care, but I am intrigued about using a Magic Eraser.
Sam
I love using the slow cooker to make a green salsa chicken that we put in burritos. Basically put chicken in with salsa verde, sliced onions, cumin, salt, and a little extra water with better than boullion. Super easy and tasty!
Elisabeth
Yum. I need to keep my eye out for chicken on sale. It sounds like chicken works very well in the slow cooker!
Ernie
I love my crockpot. I do chili in there and my people love my chili. I also use it for big tubs of Italian Beef on warm – ready to put on sandwiches. I put boneless chicken breasts in there with taco seasoning and salsa for yummy chicken tacos. One recipe that I used too much and then the kids were ‘over it’, but recently they’ve welcomed it again is Campbells golden chicken and noodles. It’s really simple. We serve it with egg noodles.
I found the recipe that I use online here: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a8481/golden-chicken-noodles-recipe-campbells-1109/
I’m no help on the bathroom cleaner as I have the same issue. I do like Kaboom, but I still struggle with the mildew stains in the grout. Ick. Hate that.
Elisabeth
I’ve never heard of Kaboom but what a fun name!!
I use my crockpot for chili, too. Speaking of which, it has been months since I last made a batch of chili. It feels overdue…
Chicken and a creamy sauce and noodles sounds DIVINE.
Michelle G.
I wish someone would invent an extendable scrubber!! Hello inventors – this is a thing that needs to be in the world!! I would also like a good “spray on and leave it to magically clean everything” shower cleaner.
I use Dove Ultra Care shampoo and conditioner. It’s not expensive and it works well for me.
I mostly use my slow cooker for ultra-bland stews. I just throw in whatever meat, potatoes, carrots, maybe celery, salt, pepper, and water. That’s it!
Elisabeth
Right – is it too much to ask the world for something that cleans our bathrooms for us?
I’ll take a look at the Dove shampoo and conditioner the next time I’m at the store.
AA
I admire The Frugal Girl’s method to just wipe it down every time she takes a shower so it doesn’t get super dirty. (She uses what she uses on herself.)
Elisabeth
I tend to wipe down the ledges when I shower, but deep cleaning the bathtub and walls…not so much. I know it would be much easier if I did it more regularly, I just…never seem to think of it. Somehow I need to come up with a way to make it logical to do a quick scrub every time I’m in the shower.
Maria
Haven’t read to see if this is a duplicate suggestion…
Roasts of meat! I usually put a roast (beef or pork) in with canned tomatoes and a bunch of veggies (potatoes, carrots, onions always and other like turnip if I have them). Add salt and pepper and any herbs if desired (but honestly I don’t think you need them). Cook on high 6-8 hours or low 10-12. If it’s a particularly cheap (ie tough) roast I’ll cut it into slices about and hour or two before serving and let them simmer in the vegetable broth-y goodness which really helps tenderize.
Vegetable dump soup – loads of leftover need to be used up veggies, water or broth, salt and herbs as desired, a splash of oil, cook on high for 4-8 hours. The longer this summers the better.
Sorry these aren’t more exact recipes!
Elisabeth
I made a soup just like this yesterday (albeit on the stovetop). It was literally me going through the fridge and finding all the odds and ends that I wanted to use up! Maybe not my best soup ever, but hearty and it feels oh-so-good to clear out the last little bits of veggies, meat, and pasta.
Kate
I have three — no, four — crockpot recipes on heavy rotation. I LOVE getting dinner prepped in the morning if we have evening activities so I’m not racing the clock to have dinner ready by the time we need to leave. I also *hangs head in shame* buy the plastic slow cooker liners to cut down on the crusted mess afterwards.
1) Not even a recipe: just a big bag of frozen meatballs, with 1 or 2 jars of marinara sauce depending on how big the bag of meatballs is. Dump meatballs in the crock, drizzle the sauce over top (I don’t even mix it until later on in the process) and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with spaghetti or over hoagie buns for sandwiches.
2) Chicken and Wild Rice Soup — so hearty and full of veggies! I serve with frozen breadsticks or garlic knots. Note — everything on the Damn Delicious website is worthy of the blog’s name!!
https://damndelicious.net/2016/12/09/slow-cooker-chicken-wild-rice-soup/
3) Chicken Caesar Wraps. Lol, I didn’t realize until just now that this is also a Damn Delicious recipe. It just goes to show you.
https://damndelicious.net/2016/12/06/slow-cooker-chicken-caesar-wraps/
4) White Chicken Chili. I use just 1 cup of chicken broth instead of 2 because I prefer it thicker. The recipe calls for pre-cooked chicken, but I now just put the raw chicken breasts directly in the crock and shred afterwards, like the chicken & wild rice soup recipe. So it’s even faster to prep!
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/slow-cooked-white-bean-chili/
ALSO I use a daily shower spray cleaner — not even every day, maybe 3-4 times per week? And it has DRAMATICALLY reduced the need to scrub the shower. It’s called OxiClean Shower Guard. My mom has a tiny squeegee she keeps in the shower and wipes down the walls and glass after every shower and that works well too.
I am in the exact same boat as you with the shampoo. I do like the Costco Kirkland Signature shampoo and conditioner, and I also used to like the Pantene Ice Shine line but I’m not sure they even make it anymore. When I get my hair cut at an actual salon once every 2 years, they use Pureology shampoo that smells DIVINE so that would probably be my splurge if I wasn’t spending all my money on diapers 😉
Elisabeth
I haven’t eaten lunch yet, and those Chicken Caesar Wraps are making me drool!!
Hey – cooking at home cuts down on a TON of waste, so no judgement about liners that make your life easier. In fact, gold stars. My crockpots both have removable pans which fit in my dishwasher, so I take a lazy route and let the dishwasher do the work. Hand-scrubbing a slow cooker? Life is way too short.
I looked it up and don’t seem to be able to get that Shower Guard spray 🙁 I do have a squeegee but was never consistent about using it. I think 90% of the problem is I’m very lazy and just in principle hate anything to do with cleaning bathtubs/showers…
Alexandra
Wow, I’m late to this party and need to go check links and do some bookmarking of suggestions. But from this household to yours, I don’t have a slow cooker, unless you count my oven as a slow cooker. I put stuff in there for 2-3 hours, so I suppose I really should use a slow cooker instead. I have recipes for slow cooking if you need any.
Shampoo? I use two brands, TRESemme and Garnier Whole Blends. Used these two for, well, forever. Both are excellent.
Elisabeth
I think my mom uses Garnier Whole Blends. I don’t think I’ve ever bought it, but seem to recall it smells amazing?! I need to go to the drugstore this weekend, so will check it out.
Alexandra
Yeah, the smell and the way your hair feels afterwards is why I love the Garnier products.
Amanda
Try the Aveda (Says, a previous purchaser of whatever’s on sale shampoo). You can also buy it in a 1 L container with a pump and only feel heartbroken at this cost once a year. But try a little one first from a local store.
All of these are great.
Slow Cooker:
-I chop up an onion, some celery and carrot, red lentils, and a can of crushed tomatoes plus spices then cook away all day in the slow cooker and immersion blend the heck out of it. Lentil-tomato soup. Preferably with cheese of choice.
-Also, basic lentil dahl. The spices won’t be as good. But can totally ignore and then add in spinach at the end.
Elisabeth
Ha! I’m sure I would feel heartbroken, but I’m sure a little goes a long way. It’s so hard to pull the trigger on something expensive that I know I can buy for practically pennies at the drugstore but…I think it might be time? Can I do it?
Marcia from OrganisingQueen
I get Brazilians on my hair (to remove frizz) so i have to use a sulphate-free shampoo. My options are very limited but I wait for the 3 for 2 special at my local pharmacy.
Re bathrooms, I have a shower cleaner spray bottle which we spray after every shower, then the scrubbing once a week is not bad. (I actually LOVE cleaning bathrooms – my own only – because I love the after….)
I love anything in the slow cooker in winter. Chilli con carne is very good in there, I’ve done chicken stews too. I really am a terrible person to ask because I am an experimenter with recipes. I see something on IG, screenshot if it looks interesting but then I follow my own head. E.g. Oh it has a thai/ coconut milk thing going on, and then I just do my own thing. So this is good – nothing to remember, but also bad, nothing remembered. My family will say “oh tonight’s bolognaise was extra delicious” and I say “I’m glad, but I can’t repeat it”. I don’t care enough to write notes to myself so I feel like it will just be a surprise forever 🙂
Elisabeth
I think part of my problem is that I just hate cleaning bathrooms. Even with a magic spray, I suppose if I have to do anything at all, it will likely make me grumpy.
I am terrible about remembering to write down tweaks I make to recipes. Sometimes it will taste extra good, as you mention, and I will have zero idea why. Ha.
Stephany
I am very brand-loyal to Tresemme shampoo/conditioner. I love it and it makes my hair so silky and soft!
I loooove my slow cooker. I try to use it on a near-weekly basis because I love that it makes lots of leftovers and I don’t have to worry about cooking lol. Most of my favorite recipes are from Budget Bytes and Skinny Taste so I would just check out their websites for some good options!
Elisabeth
I really do need to take some time to actually peruse the recipe options at my favourite sites. I generally just search for a recipe and then never dive into what other things are there on the site! Thanks for the reminder…
Laura
I use OGX shampoo and conditioner most of the time, but will get a bottle of Biolage when it’s on sale. I typically wash my hair every 1.5-2 days, so regular-sized bottles tend to last me a few months!
Most of my crockpot go-to’s have been mentioned already, but here are a couple that haven’t:
– Mississippi mud roast (chuck roast, packet of au jus mix, packet of ranch mix, all on top of pepperoncinis; some will add a stick of butter to this, but I don’t and enjoy the taste anyway; cook on low for at least 9 hours)
– BBQ pork (pork tenderloin or pork shoulder, depending on what’s on sale; season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder for a little extra spice; add about 1L of dark soda, like Dr. Pepper or root beer; cook on low for 7-9 hours; shred and add BBQ sauce of your choice)
Have a great week!
Elisabeth
Yum. Both of those recipes sound amazing.
I think I’ve had OGX once and it smelled extremely good, as I recall? There are just so many choices and the way I’ve narrowed it down is by price. I’ll have to take a gander at some of the specialty stores that sell nicer brands of shampoo at lower prices to see if I can source some of the “better” brands people have mentioned!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I tried an Herbal Essences grapefruit shampoo and conditioner when I was in Seattle and I thought of you (and meant to say that before, but I forgot!) I think you would really like it, and it is not really that much more than the drugstore brand! I think it is this shampoo https://amzn.to/3Cg4ezG and this conditioner https://amzn.to/40De2gE (however, my normal favorite is Biolage but it can be pricey!)
Elisabeth
Ohhhh. I do loveeee anything grapefruit! You know me too well 🙂
Suz
I also need to utilize my slow cooker more! Last month I made one pot roast in it and we ate it for days; twas good. (sirloin roast, small potatoes, carrots, celery, lots of whole mushrooms) I’m gonna check the comments for new suggestions.
I’m dealing with thinning hair, so I’ve been using some special shampoo (Zenegen) that is not found in the drugstore. There were days back in my youth where I could use any shampoo with great results; not so much in my current state.
Elinoora
Late to the party, but I do have extra cleaning options!
Do you have a cream Vim/Cif/Jif in Canada? Because you can put it on, needs less elbow grease than a spray to get everything clean and you can have fun using lots of water to get rid of it. You might get a better result of you then dry any steel type items 🙂
Also, for any glass, you can get cleaning products with technology which makes the water slide down the glass faster and easier, which leaves less residue and mess to deal with (car lovers tend to have this too, hah). Not sure what’s available on your side of the pond though, and yes, these are not cheap. But, they do make life easier!
And yep, we’ve also got the squeegee in the shower since we have a new bathroom. It does help!
Elisabeth
They do have cream Vim in Canada. Good to know that it’s easier than spray! I have a squeegee but don’t use it. No excuses…