Crock Pot Versaware and Slow Cooking Thursday!

This past week I got a new toy in the mail, if you don't know what it is, go check out this post.

So here's my new baby:

A Crock Pot Versa ware. But before I tell you about it here's a little history on the brand name that was passed on by Merideth from Crock-Pot.

Like many great product brand names, Kleenex for example, the Crock-Pot brand name has become so well known that many people think it is synonymous with slow cooker and they refer to all slow cookers as “crockpots”. Crock-Pot is actually the original brand of slow cookers, they introduced the first slow cooker in 1971, and are the most trusted brand with the longest history of expertise and quality products.

My first impression when I took it out of the box was that it was surprisingly light and very sleek, it wasn't one of those bulky huge slow cookers, which is a huge plus for me. I want something that I can move with ease. Then the next thing was the color...it's this really pretty metalic light green which goes really well with the dark chocolate brown of the stoneware.

The biggest pro has to be the versatility of this slow cooker. You know how sometimes you get those slow cooking recipes that require you to brown the meat on the stovetop and THEN transfer it? Well no more, because I can just set the stoneware on the large burners and cook it in there. (In case you have an electric stove top, it brings a heat Diffuser grill to use.) then lift it off the stove and set it into my heating base. Holy Mackerel, you won't believe how nice that is. It's just a really really pretty slow cooker but it's not just looks because it stands by what it can do.

One of the nicest features for me is definitely the timer. You turn the knob to low or high and then turn the other knob in increments of 30 minutes all the way up to 20 hours. 20 HOURS?!?!?!
And once it's done, it automatically sets itself to warm.


This beautiful stoneware looks good on the table to serve your dinner, it works as a Dutch-Oven if you need to cook something in the oven, it holds the leftovers in the refrigerator. I mean, what else could you ask for?

I'm beyond thrilled with it and even more excited that Merideth and the wonderful people at Crock-Pot would allow me to try their product.

One of my favorite things about it is the crock pot word embossed on the stoneware, I just love that :)

I tell you, if I could I would do a contest and offer one of these to a lucky winner, that's how much I love mine and just how highly I recommend it. If you're looking for a new slow cooker, I think this one is the perfect buy.

Now onto Slow Cooking Thursday......I tried out two recipes this past week and they turned out pretty good. Chicken Nachos from the Crockpot Lady and Triple Chocolate Mess from Betsy. Thank you ladies!


All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

EASY AND ELEGANT HAM

Credit: Taste of Home Slow Cooker Classics

2 cans (20 ounces each) sliced pineapple
1 fully cooked boneless ham (about 6 pounds), halved
1 jar (6 ounces) maraschino cherries, well drained
1 jar (12 ounces) orange marmalade

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set juice aside. Place half of the pineapple in an ungreased 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with the ham. Add cherries, remaining pineapple and reserved pineapple juice. Spoon marmalade over ham.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until heated through. Remove to a warm serving platter. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve pineapple and cherries with sliced ham.

Yield: 18-20 servings.

Lookie what I just got in the mail!

I hear a knock at the door and I open it to find the UPS man with this HUGE box in his hand....he hands it to me and asks if I can carry it "it's a little heavy" he says. Oh Pfftttt......really, I can carry this....I say grabbing it from him and smiling through my gritted teeth because indeed it is kinda heavy...what the heck is in there?

I open it and find this inside, I literally jumped for joy and my family came running to figure out what the commotion was. I guess they thought I had opened the door to Publisher's Clearing House, but to me it was even better than a check for money.....because you see, the wonderful people at Crock Pot sent me this:

One of their newer slow cooker models, for little ol' me. They read my blog and saw the Slow Cooking Thursdays and then contacted me to find out if I would be interested in trying one of their newer models. Uhh....are you KIDDING me? Not only interested, literally begging LOL So I want to thank Crock Pot and Merideth specifically, you guys rock :) And I have to thank you my wonderful faithful readers that participate in my Slow Cooking Thursday every week.

I'll be using the crockpot tomorrow and then I'll tell you all about it and you can be sure that I'll be thinking of you all while I play with my new toy. Oh and PLAY I will...I'm more excited than I was when I was pregnant with Nicholas and found out that the base hospital had just started using epidurals. LOL

16 DEGREES PEOPLE....IT'S 16 DEGREES!!!!

I can't believe that it's THAT cold outside. Well yeah I can but I choose not to, guess that it's the denial thing you know. If I didn't see it, it isn't true???

Unfortunately I went outside to put out the trash and almost ended up on my toosh. There's a thin sheet of very slippery ice covering my front porch. It's really sneaky isn't it? I mean at first glance it looks like nothing is there and then you set your foot down and are suddenly transported to an ice rink, just that you're wearing slippers and sweat pants instead of Ice Skates.

Anyway, come on in and sit with me. I have some Hot Caramel Truffle Coffee (it's so good) and I have some Butter Croissants too. I always feel like I'm sitting at one of those French Patisseries, watching the people walk by while I sip on my wonderful coffee and bite into the flaky crust of the Croissant. Well, there's nothing french about me or my house but we can still daydream right??

So yesterday I went to get groceries and then we decided to pick up a Christmas Tree. Now remember I had said we had decided on getting a real one this year because our artificial one was so old and falling apart??? I've always preferred the real ones anyway, I just love the smell of pine and the look of a real tree.....but we ended up picking up another artificial tree, prelit with white lights, and I have to tell you I'm really happy with it, it's beautiful.

We spent the rest of the day decorating and listening to Christmas Music, just hanging out and enjoying the warmth of the house and the Christmasy atmosphere.

I always get melancholy around the holidays and in one minute I am smiling and excited and then I'm down and holding back the flood gates. It's just a hard thing to to be away from family during the holidays and it seems that we never get to celebrate with anyone. Well last year we had Curt's mom and brother here and that was great, but this year, we're back to just us four, at least Curt isn't deployed right now and I don't have to spend it alone with the kids again.

But moving on, I plan on doing laundry today and some housecleaning, I also have this awesome Crockpot Lasagna planned for today. It's a recipe that was shared by Mary Ann over at "Two Many Cooks In The Kitchen", can't wait to try it.

I know there's a lot of new happenings in Blogland, some Christmas Tours of Homes and other fun stuff, and I so wish I could participate, but I am not even going to say I'll try, I just know it won't happen. Hopefully I'll get some time to go visit and see everyone that is participating, but as things stand now, I'm not sure.

I wish I had time to chat more, but I really don't, my house needs attention and besides that, I'm freezing, I can't even feel my toes. Boy it's going to be a cold winter.

Hope you're all staying warm and having fun, wish I was back in South Africa, they are having a wonderful hot summer, I still remember for Christmas we used to have BBQ's....how fun is that???