The program I was watching said to use milk (it was probably actually cream, come to think of it--a rich recipe) in the cooking. But I didn't think it made it taste any better. You might want to add some powdered milk to the mix to get a higher protein mix, and if you serve it with milk in the morning you won't notice the flavor difference.

My newer crock pot is a slow slow cooker, even on high I need to let it go for a long time. On the other hand, I have one of my Dad's older crock pots that can finish a good-sized chicken on the high setting in 3 or 4 hours. Because it cooks so much hotter I use it only when I'm here at the house, to keep an eye on it. The other one I'm more comfortable turning on and leaving. But I think the general rule is that it isn't a good idea to leave appliances* plugged in, let alone running, when you're not there.

SRS

*Aside from the usual fridge, freezer, sorts of things.