Baby it's cold outside

Tis the season for hot soups and chilis and breads. I love my crock pot. There are so many delicious things you can make while you are out running errands, at work or just hanging around the house. Our crock pot has been the holder of pulled pork. The recipe I got from my mom is pretty simple- pork shoulder ( which apparently is a fancy name for the pig's butt) on a bed of onions adn cloves of garlic and a can of Coke. When all is said and done, you add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and Voila! you have a delicious meal.

Our red crock has also been full of Mac n' Cheese-  recipe courtesy of Paula Deen. B-U-T-T-E-R and
C-H-E-E-S-E do not have a minor role in this dish, but those of you who know Ms. Deen know that low cal is not her forte. A host of other things have come from our culinary crock- hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps, wonton soup and of course our favorite- homemade chili.

This chili is some of the best chili we have ever had. We are fortunate enough to have a friend named Todd who likes chili as much as we do. He was kind enough to fork over the recipe a few years back when we were on the hunt for a to-die-for chili recipe. We struck gold when Todd gave us that recipe. It has become one of our staples when using the crock-pot. Served up with homemade corn bread ( I am still on the hunt for the perfect recipe) it fills us up and leaves us with big smiles. And sometimes a little tummy ache from eating too much!

In a way, the crock pot is our way of bringing calm times to the house. It has brought friends together and even given Greg and I the opportunity to spend a few more minutes together when our days have been so hectic. So this holiday season, I am giving one of my many thanks to the Crock Pot. You have made my life so much easier and my life is much more delicious because of you. May your pot always be full and never bring disappointment in years to come!