Ok another Slow Cooker Question

[mummyhill]

Had a slow cooker for about 9 years and rarely use it but now that DD is starting school and I work evenings so I am not a morning person I need some answers!

Can I really just put a joint/chicken in it with out any water?

Can I do porridge over night?

How about rice pudding?

Any other good ideas welcomed as I am getting bored of stew and casserole!!!!!!

I'm not really an expert in slow cooking but I've found that when I've done a whole chicken in mine, the whole thing falls to bits and loses flavour. So I've kind of given up with doing those. When I do joints in it, instead of browning the joint in a frying pan with oil, I use water in the frying pan instead. Then all the juices mix together in the slow cooker, and can be used for gravy.
I haven't tried porridge or rice pudding (but that's an idea though!) I've just read my instruction book with mine, and it says to do porridge on the "low" setting but it doesn't have a recipe for how to do it! I would think it would work though wonder whether might need to do them in a bowl and fill the slow cooker half- way with water. I've got recipes for egg custard and lemon curd which I suppose is similar, and it says to do them this way.
Hope someone can help a bit more than me!

Wow thanks for the reply will have to see if I can find a book of recepies at the library or something. Not sure where the bbok went that came with it.