2012-04-09 19:46:27 - Woman makes meals in slow-cooker for 365 days straight.

AMERICAN FORK, Utah — In 2009, Karen Bellessa Petersen had only one good slow-cooker recipe. Three years and nine slow-cookers later, Petersen is known in the blogging world as the “Slow-Cooker Queen

Petersen, a stay at home mom of two, once dreaded family dinner because she was busy with her children and seldom found time to sit down and figure out what to make for dinner.

The says her dinner routine drastically changed one evening when she cooked a meal in her slow-cooker. To Petersen, the 10 inch ceramic cooker was an answer to her dinnertime dilemma.

“I liked the freedom that came from having dinner done early in the day, and was pleased when I didn’t have to fight my cranky

kids at 5 p.m. while I was trying to make dinner at the same time Petersen says.

After seven consecutive days of cooking dinner for her family in a slow-cooker, Petersen wondered if she could continue this for a year. She decided to keep track of her progress by starting a blog, www.365daysofcrockpot.com.

Her blog attracted many readers who felt the same liberation using a slow-cooker for meals—and the blog eventually became a forum for Petersen and others to share recipes and tips.

“Dinnertime is the worst time for so many busy moms to actually cook dinner. I know when I prepare everything for dinner earlier in the day when I have more time, energy and patience, everything seems to go smoother she says. “I feel free because I don’t have to think constantly about what I am going to make for dinner

Peterson will be releasing a book called 365 Days of Slow-Cooking this spring, that showcases some of her best recipes she used during her year experiment. She says that she hopes the book will reach people beyond her blogging community, encouraging people to use their slow-cookers a few times a week to help alleviate the pressures of making dinner each night.

“The cookbook will be a great go-to source for quick and tasty meal ideas. The recipes are delicious, have easy to find ingredients and take minimal time to make Petersen says.

Some of her favorite recipes from the book include: chicken artichoke dip, lemon herb pot roast, sweet and spicy ribs, smothered pork chops, buttermilk mashed potatoes, tomato basil parmesan soup and hot fudge pudding cake.

As for Petersen’s slow-cooking habits now, she still uses her slow-cooker a few times each week, as well as maintains her blog. She says her family still requests slow-cooker meals, despite having them each day for a year.

“When I finished with my year of slow-cooking goal, my husband came home from work one evening and we were eating ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner she says. “He began chanting ‘bring back the slow-cooker”

365 Days of Slow-Cooking is available on Amazon.com.

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