An Ode to Crockpots.

Oh my hand-me-down crockpot, how I love thee
From April's home you came to me

For years you've warmed my food
For friends, neighbors, and my growing brood

Meals are so easy when we work as one
And in the end there is only a single dish to be done

We've seen days of potatoes, beans, pasta, and fruit
The time spent preparing seems so minute

Gathering ingredients I have on hand
You make a meal that is never ever bland

All This week you've been by my friend
Warming my soups and stews till the end

So thank you dear friend, for feeding the ones I hold dear
I'll see you next week for lasagna, it's different, have no fear!


Hope you enjoyed that little ode. I think I have used my crockpot 4 time this past week. Sometimes I try stuff without a recipe. This one is very similar to a friend's, Harlan, from back in Boston, I just didn't have all the ingredients, so here is what I did:

Veggie Chili/Soup

1 large can tomoatoes cut up
1 can black beans
1 green bell pepper, cut up in bite size pieces
1 cup mushrooms
1/4 onion, or more if you like it lots!
1 cup water
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed

Throw it all in the crockpot and let cook on low for 5-6 hours or until hot. Near the end of the cooking add 1 tsp oregeno, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp curry, 1/2 allspice, and whatever other spices or flavors suite you. The original recipe you can also toss in some couscous to thicken it up, and peanuts tossed in first with some oil to soften them. I LOVE the crunch and nutty flavor in it. This would be great with some cornbread, yum. Or rolls or biscuits.

Just a tip: You can throw pretty much anything into a crockpot that you'd normally put into the oven, or on the stovetop. Just always make sure that there is enough liquid so that it doesn't burn. Have fun!