Slow and Steady Wins the Race

During the month of January one of the large superstores in the city had a 50% off sale on a variety of appliances. I think it was mostly items that are new to Romania and perhaps people don't quite know what they're for or don't see the need to spend a lot of money for them. For instance- rice cookers, vegetable steamers, and sandwich presser-maker-thingamabobs. AND. Crock pots. They had crock pots on sale for 52 lei, down from 104 lei. 52 lei = $16. For a real, genuine, not-ghetto crock pot. Even 104 lei isn't outrageous when translated to dollars, but I just never really looked into it. But when I heard about 52 lei I jumped all over it. And got myself my very own crock pot.

I have been using it multiple times a week, and I don't even know how I lived without one. It's just SO EASY. Stick in some meat and veggies in the morning, put the heat on low, and set the timer for however many hours you want. And BOOM, you have a meal ready for you at dinnertime. I'm delving into the realm of beef and pork roasts- hitherto uncharted territory, as meat here can often be quite tough. Oh but no amount of toughness stands up to 8 hours in a slow cooker. No sir-ee!

In the past two weeks I have made:
Garlic Rosemary Pork with Carrots and Potatoes
Chili (my dad's most excellent recipe, made on the stove but simmered in the crock pot all day)
Teriyaki Chicken
Pork and Sauerkraut (with mashed potatoes)- a central PA favorite

Let the culinary adventures continue.