Who does not love Winter and crockpot meals. Throwing all your ingredients into a crockpot and then going out for the day, come home, and it smells like MAMA'S been in the kitchen all day.

I will be sharing a lot of recipes for the crock pot. Time to stop working so hard in the kitchen. If you don't have a crockpot, just go and buy one. I usually cook on low for the longer period of time, just in case I get caught up in town for longer.

Freezer - A large freezer should be one of your best friends in Winter. When you are having a ''feel like staying in the, kitchen day'' Prepare a whole lot of RAW crockpot meals and place them in the freezer. The night before you just, take out a RAW meal and thaw overnight and then tip it into the crockpot and turn it on.

Easy as :)

If you are not going to freeze you meal, just brown the meat, onions and carrots for that extra flavour before placing all ingredients in the crock pot.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew Recipe

you can served this with stir fried bok choy and brown rice or Polenta.

1 kg stewing steak - trim and cut into cubes

2 large onions - sliced

4 garlic cloves or more, smashed and chopped

4 large carrots - sliced into large pieces

400 gr tomatoes - tin or fresh

4 cups beef stock - (if I brown my meat and vegetables, I don't need the extra flavour from stock, I just use water )

Bunch of fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried stock

To add later

3 tbsp cornflour mixed with a little water

450 gr mushrooms - sliced

Himalayan salt

Method

Option 1 - Place all your ingredients into a freezer and freeze. Thaw over night, the night before you need it, place into a crockpot and cook for 3 - 4 hours on high or 6 - 7 hours on low.

Just before it is cooked add your mushrooms and mixed cornflour.

Option 2 - If you are not freezing this meal raw, you can brown the meat in small batches first, for flavour, then placing it into the crockpot to cook with the rest of the ingredients.

Taste and then season.