Slow cookers are sometimes the forgotten heroes of the kitchen. They’re either stashed on the top shelf of the cupboard above the refrigerator (you know, the one you almost never open), or in the basement, or behind the waffle maker and panini press. Out of sight, out of mind.

But they shouldn’t be. They’re workhorses, those slow cookers. Just check out all the great recipes in our slow cooker category. They’ll cook amazing meals for you with very little assistance, slaving away while you’re busy working or running errands. And few things are as comforting as coming home to a warm, hearty meal, your kitchen filled with the enticing aroma of a satisfying home-cooked meal.

So let’s talk slow cookers today! We want to know:

What are your favorite tips for cooking with a slow cooker?

We’re leaving this wide open. Do you have a favorite brand or model of slow cooker? A favorite recipe or technique? (The Slow Cooker Korean Short Rib Tacos you see above is one of my favorites.) Any special tips or tricks you’ve learned? We want to hear them all!

Happy Wednesday! Stay warm, cozy, and nourished, friends!

We all could use a healthy dose of comfort on a cold, blustery winter day. When thoughts of warm soups or hot chocolate dance in your head as you put on layers of clothing, a hat, scarf, gloves, and boots just to walk out to the mailbox. Dreams of bowls of creamy pasta or hearty stews occupy the time spent indoors, interspersed with other dreams of warm sandy beaches.

Can you tell it’s cold where I am right now?

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in my wintry reverie, and it looks like the cold spell isn’t going anywhere soon for most of the country. So let’s huddle up and keep each other warm! Tell us:

What are some of your favorite cold weather comfort foods?

For me, it’s a big bowl of soup. Like the homemade ramen noodle soup above (definitely with the egg on top) or a hearty bowl of chili. Those are my favorite comfort foods when cold weather strikes. And of course, copious amounts of coffee during the day. That’s a given.

How about you? How do you fight off winter? A nice helping of creamy mac and cheese? Tomato soup with grilled cheese? A simmering bowl of beef stew? Share what keeps you warm inside and out, and if you have a recipe or a link to go with it, all the better!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

We live in busy times, and few seasons are as busy as the one we’re in now. The shopping centers are teeming with people, there are friends to visit, parties to attend, and the doorbell rings a bit more often, announcing guests both expected and unexpected.

With everything going on and filling up the day’s hours, sometimes dinnertime sneaks up on you so quickly, it’s easy to get caught without any plans for the meal that should be on the table in about half an hour or so. Takeout is always an option, but sometimes that can be more money that you’d like to spend, and not as healthy as something you make in your own kitchen.

We’ve all had to scramble to pull together a meal in a hurry, so I know you have some last-minute tricks up your sleeve that you pull together out of whatever you usually have in your fridge or pantry. So let’s help each other deal with these occasional crises! Tell us:

What’s your favorite dish for those last-minute meals?

My usual standby is a meat and vegetable stir fry with jasmine rice. Sometimes, if I have corn tortillas on hand, I’ll wing it with tostadas or tacos using whatever I have in the fridge. And when all else fails, I’ll make something with eggs, because I almost always have eggs in the fridge.

How about you? What quick and easy meals do you whip up when you glance at the time and find it’s half an hour to dinnertime? Come share below!

There are so many different gadgets, contraptions, and machines dedicated to coffee, and we want to know what you use, how you use it, and how you make each cup just so, perfectly perfect for you.

All holiday plans have probably already been made, and some of you might be a bit anxious or nervous about tomorrow. So today, let's encourage one another and try to alleviate some of that holiday stress. Tell us:

What are your most memorable holiday fails?