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It's A Crock ...
When you've reached the age where the Tooth Fairy isn't coming to visit anymore and where any future teeth you lose will not be replaced naturally, but with really expensive man-made appliances ... And how convenient ... because MY suggestion is that when you reach this point, you try to find yourself an Appliance Fairy!!!
My Appliance Fairy came into my life a couple of years ago. I didn't know she was the Appliance Fairy because it was her hidden alter ego. We bonded over a mutual love of books, our kids being in the same class and shared irreverence about, well, everything.
It started off slowly. First I was an official consumer tester for a blender. Then when I was randomly complaining about my coffee pot, a new one magically appeared! A while back, I had a moment of clarity in which I realized that storing one's Crock-Pot on top of one's fridge is not a good idea. Close your eyes…you’ll see it falling in slow motion and shattering on the floor like I did. You, however, will not have to clean it up!
How delighted was I that the Appliance Fairy magically appeared, promising a new Crock-Pot? And how thrilled was I when I realized she was not only magical and generous but omniscient too, because she knew enough not to send it until we were moving into the new house? So, soon after we moved in my new Crock-Pot appeared on my doorstep.
It's not "just" a slow cooker, my friends. It is not your mother's Crock-Pot. It is the queen mother of all Crock-Pots. This is the Crock-Pot that read our collective minds and incorporated every feature that could possibly make our slow cooking endeavors easier ... and even a little bit more fun. There are two "cycles" ... so you can cook your dinner on high for 6 hours and then on low for 3 hours. And then if you don't get right to it? It automatically switches to warm. The top IS HINGED to the appliance. You know how you used to take the glass top off only to be standing there with it dripping steam, wondering where to put it while you serve. Hinged, my friends. Brilliant! It even has a temperature probe so that you can cook your meat to just the right state of doneness.
In the past few weeks, I have made French Dip (a family favorite!), chili, teriyaki wings and my specialty, poulet au pot (which is chicken in a pot, but it just sounds fancier if you say it in Frency.) I know that it is only a matter of time before my husband says, “Um, can we have some meals that AREN’T made in the Crock-Pot?” But until then, I’m loving it!
If you own a Crock-Pot, by all means pull it out and start cooking with it. Oh, and now that I am working at home during the day, it is glorious to smell the food cooking all day long! If you don't own one, rush to the store to get one. My fully-loaded, tricked-out one costs only about $100, but you can get a simple one for $19.99 at Wal-Mart.
Let me know how it goes!!!
Diane appears Saturday on TriangleMom2Mom. Read more about Diane at her blog Live and Let Di.
Live and Let Di
Diane is a TriangleMom2Mom featured blogger, appearing every Wednesday.
I try to be the voice of Moms with teens. My daughter Haley is 16. She's at that age where she is convinced that I know nothing. I'm thinking I'll seem a lot smarter when she's 22. We bond over Broadway shows. My son Rory is 13. He started reading the sports page when he was 5 and his passion for anything sports-related has grown ever since. This year he beat out 9 guys in their 40s to win his Fantasy Football League. Watch for him on ESPN in a few years.
My husband Hurley works from home, but travels quite a bit. When he's gone, I usually take a break from making dinner and cleaning the house. Oh, I don't do those things regularly when he's here either! Our parenting philosophy is "choose your battles." The only problem is that we often choose different battles. It keeps it interesting!!!
Diane appears Wednesdays on TriangleMom2Mom. Read more about Diane on her blog Live and Let Di.
Comments
Di - I think you need to share some recipes.
That's right; I want to hear some good* ones!
(*quick to assemble + tasty = good)
I love my crockpot, too, but last week I made in it the worst meal my family has ever tasted. It was so bad that when my son asked if he could be finished eating, I said "yes, that was pretty bad, wasn't it?" He promptly declared "That was horrible!" I usually have much better luck.
Please post your french dip recipe. Or, direct us to where we can find it.
For the French Dip recipe, go to my personal blog:
http://www.liveandletdi.com/my_weblog/2008/09/un-rivaled-slow.html
Seriously easy and seriously yummy!!!!
.
,
Thanks for the link to the recipe!
For your reward, I'll share one of my fav-o-rite C.P. recipes: Chicken Enchiladas. (I got this from a friend, so I really have no idea if it has been lifted from a cookbook or not.) It's informal & super-easy, but the family always loves it.
Place in the crock pot:
- 3-4 frozen chicken breasts
- a bag of frozen corn
- a jar of salsa (I prefer to add closer to 1.5 jars - the liquid will get absorbed and you can use the extra 1/2 jar at serving time)
- a can of drained black beans
I like it a bit spicy so I add some cumin in, too.
This preparation procedure should take you about 3-4 minutes.
Set on high & cook for 6-8 hours. Spend the afternoon eating bon-bons.
When it's done, stir everything around. You'll see that the chicken sort of shreds itself and any excess liquid will get absorbed. I stir it until it's all shredded & mushy.
Serve with flour tortillas and sides of diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese... whatever extras that you want.
Hope you enjoy it!
This sounds so delicious that I think I'm going to go get the stuff to make it tonight!
Let me know how it goes -
That's definitely being added to my menu next week!
Di,
I made your French Dip recipe and it was wonderful. I gave half of it to a friend who just had a baby and she and her husband loved it too, and want me to pass on the recipe. Thanks.