Life around my house is lived as though someone stepped on the accelerator—going 80 miles an hour, everything and everyone in constant motion (that happens when you have five kids). Lots of running around.

Last month is a good example—getting everyone ready to go back to school is a balancing act… no, a juggling act, beyond compare. Clothes to pack. Doctor appointments. School supplies. Planes to catch. Trains to catch.

And no real time for meals.

So, it’s kind of ironic that my salvation during all this activity isn’t something that moves fast. Just the opposite…it moves slowly. Methodically. It’s my slow cooker…and it’s a life-saver. Uh, make that a time-saver.

My good friends at Hamilton Beach sent me their Set & Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker to try out. What do I think? In three words: I. Love. It.

What’s really great is that I’m able to prep meals the night before… like this Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Green Salsa recipe. First I sliced an onion really thick and put the slices in the bottom of the Slow Cooker’s crock. I rubbed the pork shoulder with spices and set it on top of the onions… and then put the crock in the fridge.

The next morning I added the chicken stock and programmed the Slow Cooker to be ready by the time I got home. The salsa is so easy to prepare, I made it while I got the rest of dinner ready, but you can also prepare it in advance.

I shredded the pork, stirred in half of the salsa and served it with warm tortillas so everyone could make their own tacos as we all sat down for dinner… and put on the brakes for a little while.

And if you have any salsa leftover, it goes great with eggs the next morning!

One other cool thing is that this slow cooker comes with a temperature probe so that you can cook large cuts of meat, whole chickens or even turkey breasts by relying on the internal food temperature to test for doneness.

I used the probe to cook a 4-pound chicken on High in about 4 hours (internal temperature 180°F in the chicken’s thigh). The skin didn’t crisp up and brown the way I like it, so I but it in a roasting pan under the broiler for about 5 minutes… beautiful!

One more thing… head on over to my friend, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, to find more delicious recipes… just like this one!

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Yasmine asks: What is mincemeat pie? Can a vegetarian eat it? Does anyone eat it anymore?

I always eyed mincemeat pies suspiciously when I was a kid. Was it a pie made of meat? Why was it so dark and weird looking? Why wasn’t anyone else taking a piece?

Then, one Christmas, I ate a mincemeat tart at a fabulous hotel in London. The tart was brimming with brandy infused apples, dried fruit, sugar, nuts and lots and lots of spices. The mincemeat was dense and sweet and tasted, well, very British.

But what is mincemeat?

The English (who have a deep history with this recipe), traditionally mix finely chopped beef (minced-meat), beef suet, dried fruit, nuts, candied peel and loads of cloves, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg and bake it into a tart or a pie.

But, Yasmine, most of the mincemeat pies or tarts you’ll find in the supermarket or bakery today leave the meat out. Same with newer recipes. Instead of beef suet, vegetable shortening is substituted. Bourbon or rum is also a popular replacement for the brandy.

And just in case you’re considering making mincemeat pie (with or without meat) the mincemeat mixture needs to be prepared well in advance so the fruit can soften and the deep, rich flavors have a chance to develop.