Ask Nana Jorj Morgan is the author of 5 books whose subjects range from entertaining to cooking and most recently to health and wellness. Jorj’s books include Gorgeous: The Sum of All Your Glorious Parts, Fresh Traditions: Classic Dishes for a Contemporary Lifestyle, and At Home in the Kitchen. Most importantly Jorj is a mom and new grandmom. Learn more on her website, From Nana's Kitchen Slow Cooker Makes Cooking Easy Q: Dear Nana, My daughter’s birthday is next week, and I want to get her a present that shows I’ve been listening. She wants a cookbook, but I’m going a step further than that, and getting her a slow cooker too. She’s been complaining that she makes the same thing for the family three nights a week, and she wants an alternative to pork chops and pasta. Can you recommend a slow cooker gadget that’s both effective and stylish? I’m picturing something clunky, but I understand crock-pots have come a long way since the ’80s when I had one. I want to pick out a winner! Thanks, Gift Giving Grandma Garland, TX A: Dear GGG, Thanks for writing in! I’m impressed with what you’ve heard about slow cookers—mainly because it’s all true! Like Virginia Slims, they’ve come a long way, baby. For me, this slow cooker (by clicking the link, you can see what it looks like and buy it on Amazon) is a Kitchen Must Have or KMH! I debuted my new slow cooker during the Super Bowl last year, when my hubby had a dozen buddies over—not just for the game, but to chow down on whatever I had planned. Now, I like to think I’m a good cook, but I’ve really got to hand it to my slow cooker—it turned out my recipe for fiery beef and black bean chili so well that the crock pot was scraped clean before half-time! But it wouldn’t have mattered, because this KMH is a breeze to clean. On a side note, the slow cooker is also great for pork chops. Your daughter and grandkids might be sick of them, but wait ’till they try it from a slow cooker. It’s so easy—just defrost the pork chops and place them in the slow cooker, after submerging them in your favorite barbecue sauce; I generally use 3 cups for 6 chops. In about four hours, your house smells AMAZING, and you’ve got fall-off-the-bone tender chops. It’s a 2-ingredient wonder! Let me know if your daughter likes her present. Oh, and since a slow cooker insert of recipes already comes with the KMH, might I suggest you wrap up one of my books as the accompanying cookbook. I’m just sayin…!!! : ) Best, —Top Nana Send your Ask Nana questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it