Living Simply: Crock Pot!

     In this busy season, what can you do to simplify your life? Drag out your crock pot - you probably got one as a gift years ago and it's been buried in the back of your pantry or cabinet ever since. If not, you can buy them at grocery stores, Big Lots, WalMart, Amazon, just about anywhere. They don't need to be a big expensive one with all useless bells and whistles. Just one basic crock pot is all you need. Get one appropriately sized for you/your family, whether you cook for 1 or 2, or a family of 6, or whatever you need. All you need is a knob that has "off", "low", and "high". Everything else is unnecessary.

     What can you do in a crock pot that will simplify your life? You can throw a few things in first thing in the morning and enjoy a home-cooked meal when you get home after a long, cold, busy day. You can even set it up before bed to make a hot breakfast for a busy morning.

     I would recommend doing Google searches for recipes, rather than having me list them here. I'll give you a few things to search for to get you started:


     Beef Stew, Chicken & Dumplings, Fish or Clam Chowder, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Split Pea Soup, Slow cooked beef, pork, or chicken (then pull it apart for dozens of uses), Chili, Meatballs, Beef Stroganoff, Enchiladas, Stuffed Peppers or Cabbage Rolls; the solutions are endless.

     PS: To make life even easier, look where you buy storage and freezer bags for crock pot liners. When you're done eating, just lift it out and toss it. No cleanup other than the lid.