...the owner of a crock pot!
Yes, I do love my crock pot in an almost fiercely maternal way. And yes, there is something pathetic about getting super-excited over a crock pot. Believe me, dear readers, I never thought it would come to this. I never thought I'd ever see the day when I'd be getting jiggy over an appliance. Had I looked into a crystal ball and seen myself engaging in crock pot talk in my thirties, I am quite sure I would have drowned myself in a vat of lychee martinis rather than continued my search for true love and a baby daddy.
But life changes, and here I am, digging my crock pot like nobody's business so as to provide easy sustenance for the hungry little Crabfamily when it's my turn to cook. Granted, I haven't deviated much beyond basic crock pot fare, but I have purchased Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker, which jazzes up such standards as corned beef and cabbage, and offers schmantzy alternatives to traditional crock potting. I highly doubt I'm going to be become so crock-pot-obsessed that I will be making overnight oatmeal, crab cioppino, and "steamed" brown bread, but I am flirting with upping the ante by attempting Chinese poached chicken, high as I am on a successful stint with the "lazy day" pot roast.
Bring back the family dinner: Learn how to reinvent dinner to work for your family.
But, really, if I never use this crock pot except to make pulled pork sandwiches it will be worth it for that alone. Crabhubby is back in love with me since I started pulling pork and I don't mean that in a sexy way. The recipe comes from my good friend, Karen:
A shoulder of pork rubbed with various BBQ-esque spices, some apple-cider vinegar poured over it. Cook all day on low. Pull it with a fork, add BBQ sauce if desired and slap on a bun or make some mash. Unbelievably good.
The above is what I love about the crock pot. It makes even recipes sound lazy. Quantities are vague. How much cider vinegar? Who cares! Trust me, it will all taste good. But okay, I use about a 1/2 cup cider vinegar and a 1/2 cup of water. Ish. And I use mixed BBQ spice from QFC and throw some cumin at the whole thing and it is divine. I hope if you're not enjoying the crock pot yet my unabashed endorsement will give you the encouragement you need to get your crock pot on. Have no shame—all the cool moms are doing it! It's retro-chic! And, like my cheapo-cool Thanksgiving party picks for you this week, it's truly recession-fabulous, turning a cheap cut of meat into a sumptuous evening meal of a wintry day.
How to cook the perfect turkey: A shockingly easy method that won't take you the whole day.
Snort at me if you must, but I am am proud to be a crockmommy, though thankfully am not as zealous as this blogmommy, who made a 2008 New Year's Resolution to use her crock pot every day. She's going crazy over there. She even makes candles in the dang thing! I guess it's a slippery slope...
Got a crock pot recipe to share? CROCK ON, sisters!
(Or if you prefer, just make fun of me. Crabmommy can take
it!)
image via amazon.com
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