. Root vegetables take longer to cook than meat, so place them on the bottom of the pot when layering food. Add delicate vegetables such as peas or mushrooms toward the end of cooking.

. Dairy products break down in the Crock-Pot. Substitute “cream-of” condensed soups and processed cheeses such as Velveeta.

. Fresh herbs and garnishes added at the end of cooking give “a nice uplift” to Crock-Pot meals, Pappas says.

. It’s good to be at home the first time you use your Crock-Pot. Rattray had one melt on her once – it was funny at the time, but it could’ve been a disaster had she not been there.

. In the summer, double up your recipes and use the extra meat or vegetables in a cold salad the next day.

. Lean meats and fish dry out if they stay in the Crock-Pot all day.

. Don’t open the lid during cooking.

. Always defrost meat before putting it in the Crock-pot.

. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension urges Crock-Pot users to try the “Safe Temperature Test” to see if the temperature is sufficient to kill bacteria in food. Fill your Crock-Pot two-thirds full of water. Cover the Crock-Pot and set the temperature to high. Use a thermometer to check the temperature two hours later. If it is able to reach 160 degrees F in two hours, it is safe to use.

. Many Crock-Pot recipes call for a whole roast or a whole chicken. The Cooperative Extension warns against this, saying that they cook so slowly they could remain in the bacteria “danger zone” for too long.

. Fill your Crock-Pot no less than half full and no more than two-thirds full.

Web sites:

www.southernfood.about.com

www.crock-pot.com

Cookbooks:

“Extra-Special Crockery Pot Recipes” by Lou Siebert Pappas

“Crock-It!” by Barbara M. Murray

“Healthy Crockery Cookery” by Mable Hoffman

“Crockery Cookery” by Mable Hoffman