Crack Open the Crock Pot

School has been in session for almost a month and, sadly, I think my family has only had a handful of homemade dinners. With daily soccer practice, late games and extra-curricular activities after school, I’m scrambling to get dinner on the table after driving back and forth

With that on a back burner of my mind, it so happened that simultaneously on Facebook there were a number of people joining a group called the Crock Pot Girls.

Literally, every time I logged onto Facebook, one of my "friends" from near or far was "liking" this crock pot page. So, of course, I too jumped on board with the gang and considered the possibility of finally cracking the seal on my own crock pot.

Yippee! Perhaps this method of cooking would help me put dinner on the table when I’m crazed.

But there’s a problem. About five years ago, I bought a beautiful, shiny, bells and whistles, new crock pot that was on clearance at Target that is still sitting in the box. Why haven’t I opened it? Plain and simple answer: I’m scared of it!

I learned to cook from my mom and she never used one, so in sync with that, I never used one either.

As weeks went by, friends on Facebook were now posting crock pot recipes they tried with the results of which ones were successful and which ones weren’t crowd pleasers.

Stephanie Janower of Buffalo Grove posted on Facebook that she made the balsamic chicken (from the Crock Pot Girls page) and although it was easy, she suggested not cooking it as long as the recipe says. This is a perfect example of why I’m scared of the dang thing; I could likely serve my family under-cooked chicken now.

I questioned Stephanie further. She said, “I use a crock pot so I can have dinner ready on days when I am gone all day or won't be home at night due to work. Then my husband, the non-cook, can give my kids a real dinner." She added that, “I just started cooking with one a few years ago. My favorite recipe is probably my chili. However, I am making a boneless turkey breast for dinner tonight, which always turns out better in the crock-pot than in the oven.”

Another busy mom, Joan Rosenbaum, was adding to the Facebook crock pot craze. “I have had the same crock pot since I got married. Every few years I dig it out and dust it off. I use it to make comfort foods like beef stew and chili."

Even with an abundance of cookbooks out there that are chock full of crock pot recipes, most people find using the Internet is the easiest way to find a good recipe. Usually there are reviews of the recipes that also include suggestions of how to improve them or make them healthier. 

I’ve set a goal to open and use my crock pot before Thanksgiving. Please feel free to send me your favorite recipes. I’ll for sure post them in the comments!

As always, email me with any news, topics or ideas that you want to read about. Remember, I’d like to be the first to know! I can be reached at laurenbgpatch@aol.com.