I love my toaster oven. And I love my crock pot. If I had to choose a favorite, I would probably pick my toaster oven- something about toasted sandwiches just makes life worth living. (Maybe it's just the crazy reuben/sauerkraut craving I've had this pregnancy?) But, the crock pot is a very close second.
Why do I love the crock pot so much? Firstly, I love the aroma! Nothing makes me feel like a better homemaker than walking over to the crock pot, lifting off the lid, smelling the delicious meal that is cooking, and then putting the lid back on.
Secondly, it frees me of the burden of the 4:00 dinner crunch. I love being able to throw ingredients into the crock pot in the morning. It fits in well with my morning 'routine' of emptying the dishes, and cleaning up from breakfast, and then I can be satisfied knowing that dinner will be ready when my husband walks through the door, with no extra effort on my part. Not only does it maximize my efficiency, it has saved me from the last minute, "lets just go out to dinner, I don't feel like cooking" syndrome that becomes ever more prevalent during pregnancy. Suffice it to say, our budget really appreciates the crock pot!
A few other good things about the crock pot: it's a great way to use dried beans, and for those of us who are meat-cooking impaired, it produces some delicious meat! Also, it is really nice in the summer when you're trying to keep your house cool- it produces a lot less heat than the oven and stove, and consequently, probably uses less energy.
Here are a few of my favorite crock pot recipes:
Cafe Rio Chicken
Goulash (contact me if you'd like the recipe- this one is from an actual book, and I'm feeling way too lazy to get up from the couch right now to get the cookbook and post it!
Any kind of vegetable stew
I will be trying this recipe this week...I'll let you know how it tastes!
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