What's for dinner--and when do we eat?

• Position: What's New? - Slow cooker - Product/service evaluation - Brief article

With school-age children, we find this time of year to be the most hectic. It seems we're running back and forth to school every day for one event or another. Between art shows, concerts, author's teas, field days, stepping-up ceremonies, etc., the list goes on and on. Then there are after-school activities like dance recitals, soccer practice, Little League games--you get the point; everyone's busy. Who has time to cook? The thing with kids, though, is they expect to eat.

That's where the Crock Pot Smart-Set 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, from Rival, Milford, Mass., comes in handy. Featuring Auto-Cook settings for perfect results, the advanced capabilities of this Crock Pot elevate slow cooking to a new level. The pre-set meat options and digital thermometer take the guesswork out of cooking, producing perfect results regardless of the size or cut of meat. It automatically switches to "warm" when food is done--this prevents overcooking and ensures the meal is ready when you are.

Digital Timer Mode allows you to set the temperature and time from 30 minutes to 20 hours. This works...