PLEASE do yourself a HUGE favor and keep the crockpot!
i was given one as a gift, 27 years ago...yes they did have them THEN..not
many changes over the years, but if yours has the wonderful removable
"crock"...then you have even more reason to hold on to it...those are
great...from cooking source to the table in a nice neat and attractive
"casserole".
back THEN i was "uneducated" in those days as to the wonderful world of the
crockpot and the horizons that lay ahead for me using this brilliant
appliance, so to "save space" i gave it away to my brother who was going
through his own transition..a divorce and needed some help with replacing
the items that were "recalled"....he loved me for it...but i lost all those
valuable crockpot years until recently.
my reason NOW for having this love affair with my new crockpot, has changed
greatly, like I have. it is NOW is due to health problems i have had over
the past few years. i find that i am ONLY able to operate a knife and
other kitchen gadgetry early....i mean early...4/5ish...in the morning. if
i wait too late my arm/hand will fail me and nothing positive will be
achieved in my kitchen....knowing this, one of my dear friends blessed us
with a new crockpot..with the removable crock. at first i did not
appreciate it...again. but after i invested in a few crockpot books at the
local book vendor i was on a new adventure in cooking. i thought the books
would be archaic and did not realize the new popularity of this appliance.
we tried a few of the dishes and we were sold...not only beans and soups
etc. everything was delicious and a huge hit around the table. i just
prepare all the ingredients first thing, and plan to plug it in at the
appropriate time for the recipe...if it has to be refrigerated in the
meantime, i do that and take it out about 30 minutes before to bring to
room temp.
there is another wonderful side of this too. when i make a large batch of
these dishes, the crockpot is a wonderful aid in helping me to rewarm the
leftovers (if there are any) the next day..because so many veggies stay
tender/crisp/firm they don't break down into mush when reheated, the way
some cooking methods do...so the next day, if we are having left over
baked beans...thank you beryl....i will just take the leftover beans and
pop them into the crockpot about 2 hours before i want to serve them...set
them on LOW...and they will be slowly warmed through and taste as fresh and
delicious as they did the very first day...where if i had warmed them on
the stove and stirred i might have stirred the life out of them..and why
heat up the oven for that....micro? well, i am never really that happy
with how they warm up LARGE masses of foods...like casseroles...we like
ours hot and heated completely....we found the crockpot is a beauty for
warms up too.
so, if i have not convinced you to "hold on to your crockpot" maybe it is
because you need something to inspire you and get you started in the world
of crockpot cooking...like i did...instead of heading for the local book
market...check this out..it is a good place to start...there might be
something here that will fit into anyones diet...it did not choose this
site for it's either being ff or other dietary needs...so forgive me if
there are foods there that might not work for everyone...like any good
cookbook...you look, you buy...and you pick and choose...
http://vegetarian.miningco.com/library/crockpot/blmaindish.htm
have fun...i can't make any comments really about the other
appliances...the only others that i would not part with are my food
processor...same reason...helps me chop/cut and do big cutting jobs when
my knife and arm fail me. i also would not live without the micro...and
coffee maker...essentials to life as we know it...
happy crocking...
nancy
wings@xxxxxxxxxxx
--
~Friends are Angels who lift us to
our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly.~
-anonymous
~May the sweetness of Angels bring
such Joy to your heart and Peace to
your life. Angels are with you~
The Box Said "Requires Windows 95 or Better"
So I bought a Macintosh