By Cooper
There was a time -- the BEFORE WE HAD KIDS era that seems more like a dream than anything else -- when my husband bedecked me in sparkly jewelry and pretty clothes at Christmas.
Naturally, I'm more than a little perturbed that 10 years of marriage and four kids later the presents have become considerably less sparkly and less pretty. This year took the cake, as my big Christmas present from my husband was a crockpot.
Things change, right? It is better to give than receive. Christmas isn't about gifts. After four kids, who needs to get all fancy? Dry cleaning is expensive! What we need is comfort food!
Try as I might, I just couldn't make friends with my new appliance, so I shoved it into a corner and tried to forget about it.
I will say, in my husband's defense, it is a top-of-the-line, chrome, gourmet-ish "Slow Cooker" but that didn't help me one bit. Where was my little, tiny box with the bauble inside? The only small box in my pile this year contained a pen.
One of my New Year's resolutions, like most of the world, is to exercise more and eat better. I joined a gym and my first day there one of the gym's employees said to me, "The best thing you can do if you are trying to eat better is to buy a crockpot."
"Really? Well, I already have one!" I said brightly.
I went home, ripped open the "Slow Cooker" box and put a chicken, carrots, celery and onions in the pot. It cooked all day and boy was it good.
Would you believe that for the last two weeks I have made just about every, single dinner in that thing?
I must admit, I do find it more than a little bizarre that I get excited when I find low-fat crockpot recipes. (Do you have any?)
Darned if that crockpot didn't teach me a lesson. Like my grandmother always said: don't knock something until you give it a chance, you may end up really liking it. Come to think of it, my grandmother had a crockpot, too.
Yeah, I know what you mean about the crock pot.
I'm just discovering crock pot recipes and I love it.
Steve
http://www.easy-crockpotrecipes.com
Posted by: orbit | May 24, 2006 at 07:37 PM
what is the difference of a crockpot from a casserole?
or can it just be any point where i can boil veggies and stuff for eons of time? :D
Posted by: delish | January 24, 2005 at 03:25 AM
hee hee. my hubbie grew up on crock-pot cooking that was watery and tasteless - he still shudders if i leave too much tomato liquid in the spaghetti. so i know he'll never get me one. i'd like one, though, so i could make enchilada soup:
saute one chopped onion until translucent, add to crockpot with 2 cans vegetarian chili, 2 cans enchilada sauce, 1 can kidney/garbanzo/black beans, 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can black olives, sliced. cook forever in your crockpot and, before serving, add any kind of meat you like, grated cheddar cheese and sour cream or 1/2 & 1/2 to taste. i add frozen corn to my not-quite-so-delicious stovetop version.
Posted by: sarah | January 16, 2005 at 10:20 PM
I love crockpot cooking! We have two huge ones and we often have them both going at the same time. I have one of the Fix-It-and-Forget-It cookbooks, but mostly we just throw stuff in there and experiment. You can't go wrong.
Posted by: Suzanne | January 16, 2005 at 08:38 AM
I love my crockpot. It is now 10 years old and the bottom underneath is rusted out. I saw a wonderful one in Wal-Mart where the dish you cook in comes out and that is my very next purchase. What elegance! I can't wait to buy it. Everything tastes delicious in a crockpot. It really does! Enjoy!
Posted by: RobinP | January 15, 2005 at 03:32 PM
I got smart after the first Christmas with my husband, and started giving him my wishlist every year. Worked like a charm.
Posted by: MollieBee | January 14, 2005 at 09:43 PM
Hey, Cooper...I had a crockpot some years ago during the bachelor days. Like you, I was pretty skeptical about the whole endeavor until I started using it. Then, it become love at first sight. Everything went in the crock pot. Just load it up in the morning and come home after work to a hot meal. I was using the thing every day...until I overdosed on crockpot food and got sick of it. I had to throw away the crockpot because I couldn't even look at it anymore. Even today, the sight of a crockpot (or a can of Campbells French Onion soup) makes me nauseous!
In other words, enjoy it while it lasts!
Posted by: MetroDad | January 14, 2005 at 01:48 PM
I can never remember specifics to share recipes while at work and away from the written down recipes, but I can tell you I'm a fan of the Cooking Light Slow Cooker Cookbook and I've heard good things about "Fix It and Forget It Lightly."
Crockpots are the working moms friend.
Posted by: Laura | January 14, 2005 at 01:33 PM
Yes, share recipes! I also received a crockpot for Christmas, but I must admit, I requested it! As a working Mom, I'm trying to feed everyone something nutritious, and this seems to be the silver bullet...
Posted by: Laura | January 14, 2005 at 11:36 AM
It's great that you were able to discover the sparkle in the crock pot.
When I was a kid, I remember at one point my mom made an ultimatum of sorts. She said she no longer wanted presents for the house, only presents for herself. No vacuum cleaner gifts any more. I think that was a good decision, and I've tried to remember it. The fact that she'd recovered from cancer made such an ultimatum more possible I suppose. My mom is still healthy and fiesty, and the same rule still applies.
Posted by: Robin | January 14, 2005 at 10:22 AM
Sorry about your lack of sparklies. I think domestic gifts like crock pots should be banned at Christmas. :)
There are a few recipes I've tried from this site that have been pretty good: http://allrecipes.com/directory/43.asp
Posted by: andrea | January 14, 2005 at 10:04 AM
Now, I'm feeling really bad. Last year I got a crockpot, and I couldn't get my mind around chopping meat and veggies at 7 a.m. so I returned it! I didn't even give it a chance. What would your grandmother think of me? And now, those slow-cooking stews of yours are sounding really yummy.
Posted by: Emily | January 14, 2005 at 08:40 AM
I know what you mean. I got a Cuisinart for Christmas, and a pair of merrel shoes for my birthday. Both are things that I wanted, but neither are really romantic gifts you expect from your husband. I mean, the Cuisinart is something you get from a parent or in law or something.
But I have to admit, my husband always makes up for it. I had been searching for months for a new ring set, hoping to get it for my anniversary, and when I finally found one I liked, my husband bought it for me. So I did get my sparkles after all.
As for the crock pot, you'll have to share your low fat recipes!
Posted by: Michelle | January 14, 2005 at 07:46 AM