SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The crockpot is slowly warming the hearts - and bellies - of many, as it is becoming the unlikely hero of the kitchen.

Take Anita Francesca Claverie's tale of triumph: When a pesky critter chewed through the wires of her stove, rendering it useless, it was Crock-Pot to the rescue.

"My dad felt sorry for us, so he went out and bought us a Crock-Pot that's cute and cheesy-looking," says the University of California-Davis junior.

Claverie, 20, uses her slow cooker to make weekly communal meals - Spanish rice, mole, curries - for fellow residents of the Domes, an alternative-living cooperative at UC Davis. She simply throws vegetarian ingredients into the pot before she heads off to class in the morning. And she's just one of many who agree that nothing is better than coming home to a delicious, warm-cooked meal made by, well, yourself - hours earlier.

Say hello to the new generation of crockpot fanatics. They've ditched Susie Homemaker's family-style meat-and-potatoes for more creative recipes, tailoring their slowly cooked meals to fit their fast-paced lifestyles.

Planning ahead never tasted so good. Since it was made popular in 1971 by Rival's trademarked Crock-Pot, the slow cooker has continued to help home chefs prepare stews and other foods with ease.

And it's not just families labeling the appliance a miracle worker. With smaller models that hold 1-½ or 3-½ quarts, singles also have developed a love for the tool.

On Facebook.com, Gayle Healy of Humboldt State University created a networking group called "The Intercollegiate Crock- Pot Club." There, students gab over their "favorite Crock-Pot color" and more.

Using less wattage than a light bulb, the appliance cooks meals gradually by keeping the temperature around 200 degrees. (A typical slow cooker operates at 176 degrees on low and 194 degrees on high.)

And within the last few years, various slow cookers, which range in price from $15 to $250, have gotten even fancier. Jarden Consumer Solutions (the parent company of Rival Crock-Pots), has introduced new versions of its slow cookers to help people on the go.

"In the last two years there have been meaningful changes to the Crock-Pot Slow Cooker," says Amy Golino, culinary analyst for Jarden Consumer Solutions.

"Five years ago, they were just manual, and that was too limiting." Now, Golino notes, the brandname offers slow cookers styled to fit those who prefer an even simpler "hands-free" cooking method.

Appliances like the Crock-Pot Smart-Set Programmable Slow Cooker ($79.99) can automatically adjust heat levels for various types of foods and can shift to a warming level when cooking is done. The company even sells packaged meal-in-one ingredients to toss into the pot.

"The trend is not losing steam," says Golino. "It's more convenient now than it ever was."

Personal trainer Sharon Felts of El Dorado Hills, Calif., became a faithful fan of slow cookers when she started modifying Weight Watchers recipes to use in a crockpot. Felts, 33, says it helped her lose 65 pounds.

"It kept me on track," she says. "Knowing that a healthy and fulfilling breakfast or dinner will be done when you get up or head home makes a trip to the drive-through unnecessary and foolish."

Now Felts, a single mother of two, plans her meals for the week on Sundays and uses her slow cooker every other day.

Her list of healthy ingredient must-haves includes frozen chicken breasts, frozen mixed vegetables, baby Yukon potatoes, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth and pork tenderloin.

"Don't forget the Pam," she adds. The nonstick spray makes the cleaning process simpler. Billy Summers likes to use his slow cooker to make food for his friends at his midtown apartment but notes that the leftovers are even better for a busy single guy. "I ate my chili from the Super Bowl for an entire week," says Summers, 27. "I live life on the edge."

Bandmates Rochelle Sparman, 45, and Kortnee Barnett, 25, of Sacramento's I AmEden also like to rock the crock when entertaining guests. At a recent party, Sparman set her cooker on high and made nacho cheese with Velveeta and salsa.

"It was a hit," says Barnett of Sparman's nacho bar.

At home, Barnett turns on her own Crock-Pot when she wants to empty out her refrigerator. After Thanksgiving, Barnett used leftover mashed potatoes, turkey and vegetables and added chicken broth to make a yummy concoction in the pot.

Slow cookers, however, aren't without their mishaps. Back at the Domes in Davis, Anita Francesca Claverie says she once left some mole cooking for nearly 48 hours.

"It was completely charred," the 20-year-old says with a laugh. "It wouldn't have been that way if I would have added more water, though."

Either way, a stoveless Claverie continues to use her slow cooker daily.

"Something's always cooking in it," she says. "Now I'm not even as worried about the time frame for when our stove will be fixed."

---

CROCKPOT OATMEAL

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 3-4 hours Serves 6-8

Recipe from Sharon Felts of El Dorado Hills, Calif. Note: This recipe works only in slow cookers with timers.

Ingredients

½ cup barley flakes

½ cup rye flakes

1 ½ cups steel-cut oats

½ cup brown rice

¼ cup wheat germ

6 ½ cups water

1 large grated apple (unpeeled)

1 tablespoon vanilla

A pinch of cinnamon

Optional: Dried fruit or unsalted nuts

Instructions

At night, add ingredients to slow cooker and set for 3-4 hours on low. Set auto-warm option.

Per serving: 241 calories; 7 g protein; 46 g carbohydrates; 3 g fat (1 saturated, 0 monounsaturated, 0 poly unsaturated, 2 other); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 mg sodium; 6 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 11 percent calories from fat.

---

GREEK STEW

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 6 hours on medium Serves 4

Recipe from Sharon Felts of El Dorado Hills

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

2 cans stewed diced tomatoes

1 can quartered artichoke hearts with juice

15-20 pitless Kalamata olives

1 box of instant couscous

Feta cheese (optional)

Instructions

Lightly spray slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place chicken breasts in bottom of the pot. Pour in stewed diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives, and stir. Cover and cook on medium for six hours or on low for eight hours.

To serve, prepare some five-minute instant couscous and put a serving in a bowl.

Place one piece of chicken on top, spoon broth over the meat and then lightly sprinkle with feta cheese, if desired.

---

VEGETARIAN BLACK BEAN MOLE

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 3-4 hours on high Serves 6-8

Recipe from Anita Francesca Claverie of Davis, Calif.

Ingredients

4 cups black beans

10 cups water

1 jar La Costena mole

5 vegetable boullion cubes

However many triangles of Abuelita Marqueta Mexican chocolate cubes to suit your fancy

2 onions

Pinch of cumin

Pinch of nutritional yeast

A couple sprigs of cilantro

Instructions

Put the beans, water, mole, boullion cubes and chocolate in the crockpot (on high) and stir as thoroughly as possible. Peel and chop the onions in half and add the four pieces to the pot. Now either keep the crockpot on high or turn to low and let sit (3-4 hours on high, a lot longer on low).

One hour and 15 minutes before you serve, add the cumin and nutritional yeast. Fifteen minutes before serving, add the cilantro.