C-r-o-c-k-p-o-t that's how you spell...

Right before Chris and I got married we ran into a friend of ours who had just got married.  She was so excited for us.  She said, "You'll love being married, I mean I do!" She had just gotten married a month before and was sweetly enthralled.  As she is telling me about all the joys of our soon to be marriage she stops dead in her tracks and says, "You have to get one of these amazing things!   It is called a "CROCKPOT".  and you can just put stuff in it and sit all day and it is great every time.  You HAVE to register for one of these!"  She was being so sweet and helpful I didn't have the heart to tell her I knew all about crockpots and that I actually owned one, instead I said, "Oh thanks!"

What was the purpose of the little anecdote?  Not much of anything save to say that a lot of people do know about crockpots...

I have another friend who cannot seem to figure out her crockpot.  Isn't comfortable with it and so doesn't use it.  This isn't a bad thing but it got me thinking how some people though know about a crockpot don't know the key secret to making crockpot dishes.

Oh, yes there is a key secret and I am in possession of it!  Ready, it is life altering!  DON'T MESS WITH IT.  The key to a great crock pot dish: meat, sauce, water, turn it on and LEAVE IT ALONE for hours.  No turning necessarily, no messing, no playing, and no checking needed.  This is a difficult concept because everything we know about cooking is that attention is needed but not true with a crockpot.  Resist the urge to poke and prod.

So with this thought I made dinner:  Catalina Chicken with roasted potatoes 

 Step one: pull crock pot out

Step two: put chicken into CP with water

Step three: add Catalina dressing (amount... your choice)

Step Four:  Wash some red skinned potatoes

Step five: Cut up said potatoes into bite size pieces and pour some olive oil on top and dust with your choice of spices (I chose garlic, pepper, salt, rosemary and a little copped onion)  Whatever you put it will be great.  If you question a spice: my go to is to smell the dish and then smell the spice, if it smells off from the rest of the dish don't use it.

Step six: Carefully remove the chicken from the CP (it will be falling apart) top with a little of the sauce from the pot.  Add some potatoes (and whatever else you want to the dish) and you're good to go!

I decided to do a little cinnamon sugar butter: just add cinnamon and sugar to butter till it tastes good to you!  You can't go wrong.

This has rocked your world hasn't it! ;P  Well even if it hasn't maybe you will be challenged to pull out your CP and do something you haven't ever done!