I finally bought a Crock Pot large enough to make dinner in. We were given a small round one as a gift years ago. I saved up my spare change, went to CoinStar, and got an Amazon.com gift card. I used that gift card to buy a Crock Pot.
I used it a few times and I must say I picked a winner. Some of the Crock Pots online have reviews saying that the food gets burned or dried out because the Low is not really Low or something. I have not made a single non-delicious meal with this appliance. Unlike the 'set it and forget it' rotisserie (gifted to us as a wedding shower gift by my husband's grandfather) it does not require a crazy amount of cleaning. Ron Popeil was a master in his time (read about him in 'What the Dog Saw' by Malcolm Gladwell).
Set it and forget it aside...what was delicious about your 2011? Did you go to a restaurant that really stands out from the others? Did you master the art of bread, fudge, pie, or pot roast? I'd love to hear from you.
(the great Ron Popeil, RIP)
Farmers Markets. I loved our near weakly visits to the farmers market here in Bethesda. Fresh ingredients can improve any meal.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you eat in your house, DarkTouch and I hope to visit you guys in 2012. I have to start going to VA for work and flying into the DC airport like last time. I will be in touch. I enjoy all of the projects you and your family do at home. You have many delicious local treats and that's why I'm inviting myself over for dinner in 2012 when I'm in your area. <3
ReplyDeleteI've yet to buy a crockpot, but I don't really have to, as my wife buys one every few years as new features become available. Our church has a lot of carry-in meals, so when someone gets a new crockpot, everyone sees it -- including Deb. She has one now that's only a few months old: the vital feature was the lock-on lid that makes it easy to transport, full of food, without spills.
ReplyDeleteMy own food revelation for 2011 was fresh spinach. I've always liked spinach, but I'm not sure why -- my mother always used to buy it frozen, and then she'd cook it until it was pretty well cooked to death. Early this summer, I was checking over the cookbook for some Sunday dinner ideas, and I read about how you're apparently supposed to cook fresh spinach, so I tried it. It was amazing to me how a large volume of fresh spinach wilted down to not-very-much cooked spinach in the pan, how short a time it took, and how doggone good it was. And is. If my mother was still alive, I'd open her eyes to a whole new realm of spinach reality -- she'd have liked it, I think.
Jim! I love this response--I shall think of it the next time I eat spinach (cooked the right way). :) I also enjoy spinach salad. Thanks for following my posts, that means a lot.
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