January is a cold chilly month and for this we need good comfort food. The ideal choice for cooking this is a slow cooker. It has been around a long long time, in fact mine is about 50 years old, and there is nothing better as a kitchen gadget.

The slow cooker was invented in 1930 by Irving Naxon but didn't really get on the market til the 1950s. Even then, it took a while to catch on, and was getting popular in the 1970s, and the number of recipes is endless. From endless different casseroles to cooking roast meat, soups, curry, spag bol and chilli, to name a few.

You can also use, and it benefits from it, much cheaper meat in the slow cooker, veg does well as well, and apparently so does proper porridge, not what we buy in packets now.

So it definitely deserves to be celebrated this month.

You can forget your modern kitchen gadgets, air fryers, microwaves, and different sorts of mini ovens, nothing will cook as cheaply as a slow cooker. You can prepare it and put it on before you go out for the day and come home to the lovely smell of dinner cooking. They are safe, and won't catch fire, so no danger at all.

When trying to decide if it’s worth using the slow cooker, perhaps it’s time to consider or remember some of these benefits that make it an important staple in a modern kitchen:

• Slow cookers use less electricity than an oven. So whether making a roast, a lasagna or some other recipe, if there’s a slow cooker alternative, it will cut the electricity bill.

• Use less expensive meats. Also, along the lines of being budget-friendly, when cheaper cuts of meat are slow-cooked, they can still be tender and delicious.

• Slow cookers travel well. Whether it’s a potluck at work or a taco party where you’re bringing the hot bean dip, a slow cooker is an excellent way to travel with food.

• Start it and forget it. For many recipes, a slow cooker can receive a pile of different ingredients in the morning and simply be left to cook all day with no problem. It’s an extremely convenient way to have dinner ready upon arriving home after work.

So, to celebrate today, cook something in your slow cooker and believe me, you won’t be disappointed.

For those that don't have one, you are seriously missing out, so maybe go buy one, they are very cheap nowadays, and you won't regret it!

So please share any slow cook recipes you may have - I am always looking for new ones - and tell us what you cook in it.

Today, post anything related to what can be cooked in a slow cooker and to celebrate, cook something tasty in yours.