Retirement is a week filled with Saturdays and Sundays interrupted only occasionally by a holiday.

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Monday, April 9, 2007

A Slow Cooking Mind

I will be the first to tell you that I am not a Domestic Goddess. Somehow I must have missed that training when I was growing up because the kitchen is my least favorite room in the house. When Hubby and I met, I was relieved to discover that he loved to cook and, more importantly, he did it very well. He’s the type of chef who can take a recipe, tweak it to his own liking and then prepare it to perfection. Me? I can read and follow a recipe if I’m forced to but it never quite looks or tastes like the original so I basically let Hubby do the cooking. Me? I did learn how to wash dishes (thanks Mom) and, since we currently have a non-working dishwasher, I’m the designated clean-up person.

So…how amusing is it that on Saturday, while I was at our local Big Box Warehouse, I found a small kitchen appliance that I’ve been wanting forever. What is it…it’s a slow cooker…AKA a crockpot. My mom had one for years and, although neither my sister nor I wanted it when we cleaned out Mom’s apartment when she moved in with Sis, the two of us have been talking about it ever since. I immediately called Sis from the store and proceeded to purchase two…one for each of us. Here’s what it looks like and isn’t it beautiful?

Okay...that's not our dinner colorfully sitting in the pot all ready for us to savor...I admit it...it's an ad. My new slow cooker is still sitting in its box on the dining room table calling my name. Hubby insists that I’m responsible for using it so now I have to go in search of recipes. We’re not really red meat eaters so I’m thinking chicken or vegetarian dishes are what I want and they need to be easy ones…you know the kind…a few ingredients just plopped into the cooker without much fuss or muss. That much I can do…maybe.

14 comments:

Patti said...

I just bought a slow cooker myself.
It's bigger than our old one, and it was on sale and I couldn't resist.

Spouse and I are planning to make large amounts of stuff and freezing it to economize. But we haven't gotten around to it yet.

Iamthebookworm said...

I have a slow cooker that my mom gave me. I don't use it. I really don't cook. My sister does.

Lynn said...

After you try out yours...I'll try out mine:~)

meno said...

You are a great sister. I am jealous because i don't have a sister. Of course, slow cooking would require planning, at which, along with cooking, i do NOT excel.

thailandchani said...

Joan, I just had to come here and leave a comment. Now excuse me while I read your post...

...
......

...

..

Okay.

I live by the microwave and the slow cooker. Tonight I made something on the stove and it tasted weird to me.


Peace,

~Chani

Joan said...

Patti: So what constitutes a big slow cooker? Ours is a 5 qt one...will that be large enough?

Iamthebookworm: That's what I'm afraid of...owning a slow cooker that I'll never use.

Lynn: You go first!

Meno: Oh, Oh...I'd better go make that list of ingredients I'll need. And thanks for the "sister" compliment!

Chani: Welcome! Oh good, someone who knows a thing or two about slow cookers. Can I come to you if I need help? Pretty please...

Renee Nefe said...

I actually have 3 slow cookers...my old one which I've kind of retired...I'm keeping it though because the parts are good. This one was a pot that sits on a hotplate base...you can use the base as a griddle if you want and the pot can go on the stove and the lid is like a casserole. They don't make them like that anymore.

and then two that look like yours. The one is like 4qt size and the other is 1.5 qt sized. I originally asked for the the little one for dips...but it will cook a small roast just like the big one.

My favorite recipe...dump a roast in it with a can of stewed tomatoes over it. after a few hours the house smells yummy and everyone is drooling.

Bar-b-qued chicken or pork chops are very good and easy too. Just dump the sauce over the meat and let it go.

Patti said...

Joan, I bought an oval one and I believe it's a 7-quart one. Naturally I already threw the box out.

Joan said...

Renee: If Hubby and I ate red meat, your roast with stewed tomatoes recipe would be perfect...simple and tasty. I'm wondering if I could just substitute chicken for the roast...what do you think?

Patti: I've never actually seen a 7 qt one advertised but I can see using it to make a dish lasting several days. I guess I'll just have to experiment to see how much I can cook in a 5 qt one.

jaded said...

I know those are supposed to be easy to use, but the Missus isn't patient enough to wait for the food to cook. She likes instant gratification which is usually found on the grill or in the wok.

Joan said...

Patches: To be honest, cooking on a grill or in a wok far exceeds my culinary abilities. How sad is that!

Patti said...

Joan please keep us apprised of what you make in the new slow cooker.

Midlife Mom said...

I love throwing in some chicken with bar be que sauce on it and then when it's done I throw it on the grill just for a few minutes to makes it crusty and it is so yummy will just fall off the bones!

Joan said...

Patti: I'm off today to the bookstore to find the perfect slow cooker cookbook...you know the one...where every recipe has no more than 3 ingredients and 3 steps. Wish me luck!

Midlife mom: Everyone keeps talking about "throwing in" this ingredient or that ingredient. I'm beginning to like my slow cooker even more. :~)