[caption id="attachment_1359" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Potato, cheddar and chive soup. Photograpy by Joe Kim"] [/caption] The appeal of a slow cooker for a busy mom is undeniable. Merely set the slow cooker before you head out to the office or before you jump in the car to chauffeur the kids to sports practice and the thousand other places they need to be driven to and come home to a nice homemade meal, all steamy and ready to eat. I asked for a slow cooker for my birthday (and a bread maker. Last year I asked for measuring spoons. Really.) and I love it. I throw in some ribs, knock in a few ingredients and come home to a restaurant-style rack of ribs after work. At the dinner table everyone is happy and covered in rib sauce. Success, right? Herewith, some Canadian Living kid-friendly slow cooker recipes to try with your family. Let us know if you like them! Slow Cooker Potato, Cheddar and Chive Soup recipe (pictured above) Just omit the chives if your kids don't eat "green stuff" (because I know that's not just my house!) Slow Cooker Maple Barbecue Pork Ribs Not too sweet, perfectly tender ribs. We serve it on steamed rice chez moi with a side salad. Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken Stew So good! Especially if your kids are getting bored of roast chicken. Slow Cooker Braised Chicken and Potatoes And if they're not getting bored of roast chicken, this is a nice change-up. Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Great for tweens and teens who have decided they are vegetarians. Don't like any of my slow cooker picks? Here's a roundup from our archive where you're sure to find something: Slow cooker express: Our easiest recipes Happy Slow Cooking, and let us know if you like these! -Helen Looking for more dinner ideas? Here's 4 alternatives to chicken nuggets.