That ole crock joyful, with minimal pot .. and his crock-pot adventure
joyfulguy
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (20)
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
7 years agojoyfulguy
7 years agoRelated Discussions
I'm Tired of Over Decorating for Christmas...Looking To You!
Comments (49)Another here who has both scaled down and clarified my decorating for the holidays. I realized a few years ago that 1) I don't even LIKE red and green(!) 2) living in subtropical Florida the entire classic theme of snowmen, reindeer, frosty whatever was completely irrelevant to our life 3) my passion in decorating and in life is to celebrate the natural beauty and grace of what *is* in this area, ie shells, driftwood, sand and the loveliness of what surrounds us. So...I went through my boxes of stuff collected almost at random through the years and tossed/gave away all of it. Then over the course of several post-holiday sale seasons I zeroed in on what I truly wanted. My colors for decorating are now silver and white-period. I had always done my tree (natural, thankyouverymuch, I had enough of those fakes growing up :), with tropical and nautical ornaments so that was already in place. But I switched from multicolored blinking lights-my husband used to call them my "eat at Joe's Diner" holiday lighting. Now it's clear lights that read white, along with only white/light colored ornaments, silver and glass balls and that is it. No tinsel, no green or red ornaments. Well, a very few special sentimental things like picture ornaments of my kids when they were young. But otherwise, silver, white and tropical tree. As for decorating, I several sparkly gift baskets with shells, one basket of pine cones with a pretty holiday bow on top, pillar candles with some white garlands, a basket spray painted white with glass ornaments heaped, a shell wreath at the front door and a hurricane candle with a garland on top of a silver runner on the dining room table. It's enough. As my daughter commented yesterday when I finished 'Mom, it looks so elegant and classy'. I also splurged this year on a bunch of half-price Bath and Body Works aromatherapy diffusers with holiday scents. So now in the evening I sit in my peaceful LR, watching my beautiful tree, surrounded by my serene and minimal decorating and inhaling the gentle scent of cinnamon, vanilla and balsam--yes I put in all those scents around the living area. And I love it! Ann...See MoreDo you own a Slow Cooker?
Comments (23)The article above is either old, or misinformed or both. Jarden owns the CROCK-POT name and a number of other trademarks on the product. Not all crock-pots have removable "crocks". That was the problem with one of them I had. The 50plusfriends site tried to get technical on whether the hyphen makes a difference or not and was threatened with a lawsuit by Jarden. (Here's what their lawyer had to say in one letter.) A little more trivia, "Slo-cooker" is a UK trademark for a similar appliance. That issue aside, the biggest complaint I see from people with these appliances these days is the temperatures are so high. They've always been inconsistent and one unit's "high" temperature could be the same as another unit's "low" temperature. It's not unlike the problem with people talking about hot, warm or cold wash in laundry. They'd be far better off to talk about temperature in degree rather than ambiguous terms. Interesting how cooks get concerned about oven temperature when they put a roast in the oven, but don't care when they put it into a countertop appliance. This is why I prefer a roaster oven or at least a unit with a temperature control probe. Forgot to address it earlier, but the point about a timer on here is much like a timer on an oven. What good is it? Possibly for stewing some veggies but I sure wouldn't put meat in there and leave it feed bacteria for hours before starting. Plus these units with a crock take a long time to get up to temperature which is why they say never put frozen meat in them and many say it's best to brown stuff first....See MoreCooking Rut!!
Comments (29)The problem I have with a rut is that there's certain days I just don't feel up to cooking. Other days when I feel like cooking I might be busy and not have the time. Or something comes up, work schedule changes or whatever. For me, it really helps to do a little meal planning. I don't do it as often as I should but when I do it really helps and I think "Why don't I do this all the time?" I long ago realized I couldn't do the Monday is _______, Tues _______, etc since it changes so much. But if I go, for the days I don't feel up to cooking I have sausage, cheese, crackers, toast for a worst case, I have lasagna in the freezer to heat up or whatever. Then on days I have a little time I can thaw some burger and do any number of things (and sometimes I change the idea while pulling it out of the frig. And when I have a day of relaxation I can go, now it's time for ribs, turkey breast, pot roast or whatever. Keeping some frozen cooked hamburger speeds things up, saves cleanup and time too. Making lasagna? I can't handle a whole one so I try to make it into two and have one in the freezer to thaw and cook a couple weeks later. And I keep a couple cheater meals around, Stouffers has a pretty decent frozen meatloaf, some chunky soup or something too. For some, especially with picky eaters, take and jot down what they'll eat and make the menu. You might have had something different for a couple weeks so you can repeat the menu. At least it's some variety. AFAIC, make some different things. If they won't even try it, there's always peanut butter on the shelf or go without....See MoreOle Joyful, How Are You Doing?
Comments (45)I haven't been out much this week - staying home and getting the establishment more or less back in shape. An art show has take over the village church today, and when I saw one of the old guys walking down the street away from the church, I'd forgotten that we were to meet at a seniors' apartment building this week, till I got to the church, then as I was going to the meeting place, passed him, there was traffic (four-lane street), I went down a short way and turned around, came back to pick him up. He was nowhere to be seen ... I almost went into a store there ... then saw someone walking down a side street, drove down there, picked him up and we went to the Old Farts' Coffee Hour. I wrote a story about the church magazine's situation, our discussion group, and my getting to know the other members in a much more in-depth situation than we usually find, maybe it would be a good idea to suggest it for other churches, to send to the magazine. I'd checked it with the minister of that church and went to pick it up today: she had minimal suggestions as to editorial revisions. Had a good visit with another cancer survivor that I've known for a dozen years, both members of an investment group: he'd had radiation and chemo at the same time, not a pleasant experience, and one doc had suggested that he might have only a few months to live ... but he's still here, and going strong. Fewer visits to bathroom, so feel that I'm on a much longer leash. At one grocery store today a staff person had picked up a stray bag of milk, and another said that he was careful about picking up stray items near the bathroom when the door was closed ... and a man came out just then to reclaim his bag. I thanked them for having that available bathroom, as I had made good use of it several times in recent months, sometimes when given quite short notice from an interior authority of an essential change in my plans. Weather's been rainy and chilly, but warmer, and the landlord cultivated both gardens yesterday, initial pass. He took out a full tractor trailer load of sod, yesterday afternoon: I was embarrassed, for I hadn't removed some of the stakes. So I guess that spring has finally sprung. "Spring is sprung ... the grass is riz ... I wonder where ... the flowers is?". Actually, forsythia and daffodils are out ... and some grape hyacinths down behind the shed. Can't resist this: one of the items passed around at the Old Farts' was a colour "pic" of a rather rough landscape, with a smiling civilian with an automatic rifle in a saddle atop a moose carrying large antlers ... titled, "Canadian Border Patrol ... watching for illegal Americans". Hope you're all having a good day - good wishes for the rest of the week. ole joyfuelled ... who, sitting at table right next to the stove, forgot to turn the burner off under the stew pot last night ... and had some scraping to do as a result...See Morejoyfulguy
7 years agojim_1 (Zone 5B)
7 years agojustlinda
7 years agoadellabedella_usa
7 years agodances_in_garden
7 years agoElmer J Fudd
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMarilyn Sue McClintock
7 years agoalways1stepbehind
7 years agojemdandy
7 years agojoyfulguy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agojemdandy
7 years agocynic
7 years agojoyfulguy
7 years agojemdandy
7 years agomamapinky0
7 years agoYayagal
7 years agojoyfulguy
7 years ago
Related Stories
PRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: The Well-Stocked Starter Kitchen
We’ve got all the kitchen basics and tableware you need (or that recent grad needs) to make cooking a joy
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTSMother-in-Law's Tongue: Surprisingly Easy to Please
This low-maintenance, high-impact houseplant fits in with any design and can clear the air, too
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN8 Kitchen Design Tips for Foodies
If you own at least one pricey knife and have a slew of kitchen tools, you’ll want to read this
Full StoryMOST POPULARThe 15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas on Houzz
Solve common kitchen dilemmas in style with custom and ready-made organizers, drawers, shelves and more
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN8 Kitchen Organizing Ideas for Messy Cooks
Not the clean-as-you-go type? Not to worry. These strategies will help keep your kitchen looking tidy no matter what your cooking style is
Full StoryDECLUTTERINGFoolproof Ways to Declutter Your Kitchen
If you find yourself fumbling through cupboards to find what you’re looking for, it’s time to take action with these simple steps
Full StoryKITCHEN APPLIANCESConsidering a New Kitchen Gadget? Read This First
Save money, time and space by learning to separate the helpers from the hassles
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGNHere's (Not) Looking at Loo, Kid: 12 Toilet Privacy Options
Make sharing a bathroom easier with screens, walls and double-duty barriers that offer a little more privacy for you
Full StoryMOVINGRelocating? Here’s How to Make the Big Move Better
Moving guide, Part 1: How to organize your stuff and your life for an easier household move
Full StoryPETSHouzz Call: Send in the Dogs
Have the greatest dog in the world? Share your best design photo featuring the dog you live or work with
Full Story
Georgysmom