Slow cooker tip

(Note: I'm sure everyone knows this, but I must have missed the class/email/blog post/etc. where it was published.)

Before you put any of the ingredients into your slow cooker (crock pot), lightly spray the inside with a cooking spray, such as Pam. Then, when you are done with cooking and have removed the leftovers, the slow cooker will come clean with minimal effort.

I have cooked food in it all day, served the meal, let the dirty dish sit on the counter for at least three hours without any rinsing or soaking, and then washed it completely clean with some hot, soapy water and a dishcloth and plastic scrubber. Before I discovered this, I dreaded having to scrub and soak and scrub the slow cooker. I often would let it sit all night filled with soapy water with the hope that it would somehow magically come clean the next day: it wouldn't and I was back to more scrubbing.