Teenagers and sports practices have forced us to rearrange our kitchens. Since we now spend a good portion of the evening between 5 and 7:30 dropping off and picking up, we need meals that more or less cook themselves.

Enter the slow cooker. Lots of cookbooks concentrating on this handy appliance would have you spend a good half-hour in morning preparations. That just doesn't work for us. So we've developed dishes that require 10 minutes max of morning prep.

Today's recipe for Slow-Cooking Boeuf Bourguignon draws on the flavors of that famous food region in France, but we've streamlined the process to make it fit the desperate life. We've included the signature combination of beef chunks, red wine, bacon, mushrooms and onions. However, we leave the baby-sitting to the Crock-Pot. If you don't have a slow cooker, we've included instructions for preparing the recipe.

One tip: Many new models of "smart" slow cookers have a warming feature. After the cooking time has elapsed, the appliance automatically switches to the warming mode for several hours. This means your stew stays hot (but not burned) so family members arriving late can eat at their convenience. If you're treating yourself to a new cooker, buy a big one -- we love the oval-shaped 5-quart models. These new pots cost about $50 online or at discount stores.

With our new hectic schedules, we're especially grateful for recipes that let us stay connected to the kitchen without actually being in it. You'll find more of our easy slow-cooker recipes in our "Desperation Entertaining" cookbook. For Beverly's favorite slow- cooked Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe, check our Web site at www.desperationdinners.com.

Menu:

Slow-Cooking Boeuf Bourguignon

Spinach leaves with bottled Italian dressing

Sliced apples

SLOW-COOKING BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Start to finish: 10 minutes preparation, plus 8 hours unattended cooking time

Cook's notes: You could also use regular bacon cooked to the not- quite-crisp stage before adding it to the crock.

You can also use a drained jar of small whole onions, which are usually found near jars of mushrooms on the supermarket vegetable aisle and are sometimes labeled "Holland-style." (Do not use pickled or otherwise flavored onions.)

1 can (14 ounces) reduced-sodium, fat-free beef stock

1 cup Burgundy wine or other full-bodied red wine

1/4 cup water

1 envelope (1.2 ounces) plain brown gravy mix, such as Knorr

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

2 bay leaves