Goodbye Crock Pot

Memories & Melancholy

It's showtime ring the dinner bell
Crockpot cooking mmm what's that smell
Plug it in turn it on can you feel the heat?
Yeah I like it hot so it's time to eat
Crockpot set can't wait until seven
On the clock, yeah, crockpot heaven
Time to wrap it up
Tell them I said, "Wassup?"
I'm beating Bobby Flay

source: https://lyricsondemand.com/toby_yarbrough/crockpot_2_feat_abby_yarbrough

Do you get attached to "things" or the memories they invoke?

The lid to my 40+ year-old Crock Pot cracked last week. I received it as a wedding gift a million years ago. ( And it is from the brand Crock Pot...not any old slow cooker.) This appliance has seen it all. Chili for football gatherings, warming up vats of queso dip for parties, day-long simmering soups and stews, and my favorite applesauce, it performed brilliantly. In my former corporate life, I used to leave for work early in the morning and get home after 8 pm most nights unless I was traveling. Every once in a while, I was organized enough to prep ingredients in the crockpot and have something delicious ready for me when I returned home after a very long day. Pure magic!

I love to cook, and I have small kitchen appliances that are much fancier and offer several options. For example, my Vitamix blends, purees, makes hot soup, and freezes desserts. It is a must for my smoothies. I need it, and you would have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers to take it away. (Thanks to my sis for one of the best gifts ever!!) But my little Crock Pot is as basic as can be. Throughout the years, I have seen bigger and more elaborate "slow cookers" with multiple functions. Braising in the receptacle, multiple temperatures, family-sized versions; some now include steamers, air-fryers, or pressure cookers. Not mine; I have a choice of low or high. That's it. And I think the simplicity is what I love. The durability is so exceptional. These days, new items seem to break after a few years. But, 40+ years later, the heating element is as strong as can be. The sad reality, though, is I cannot find a replacement lid. And I need the proper top to use it. So, during Prime Days this week, I broke down and ordered a brand-new machine.

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By now, you may be asking yourself, "Why is she droning on and on about a small appliance?" The reason is that saying goodbye to my Crock Pot makes me sad. And reflective. So much of my history involves the meals or appetizers from my Crock Pot. I made soups for lunch with my Mom. I hosted so many parties where the dips, chili, or soups I discussed earlier were cooking all day while I completed my party prep. It has been a staple for football Sundays. Friends and family members have borrowed it for their gatherings. It has been packed up and moved at least five times, and when unpacking in a new kitchen, it always gave me a sense of continuity, of being home.

I have been thinking about transitions a lot this past year. My sisters and I only took a few things each before we sold my parent's house...their home for 60+ years. We didn't want or need anything else, but saying goodbye to furniture and household items that we grew up with was tough. We each decided to begin the "clearing out" process in our own homes. We are resolute in our commitment that the kids and grandkids in our family will not have to clear out our stuff. I got a head start a few weeks ago during the aftermath of the flood I told you about in We Had A Flood. The steamer trunk is now organized, with many items donated, given away, or trashed. And I am not a hoarder. I like a clean, slightly minimalist life. But I am in my 60s and have a lifetime of accumulations.

My goal for this year is to go through every closet, chest, pantry, outbuilding, and drawer and clean, organize, downsize, and lighten up. I want to donate anything I don't use regularly to someone who can use it more than me. I am giving myself a whole year to accomplish this because I know difficult and emotional decisions will be ahead. But it must be done. My sisters are doing the same, and we plan to use each other as sounding boards when faced with the tough choices.

I also hope to buy kitchen gadgets only as replacements when something I already own breaks. We shall see how committed I am to this last goal.

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Where are you on this journey? Are you waiting to downsize until you are older? Have you already started? How are you feeling about this situation? Or are you assigning this task to your heirs? It feels so strange to be at a point in my life where I even think about topics such as this.

My new slow cooker arrived today. I am sending thanks and gratitude to the old Crock Pot for all the delicious meals—40+ years!! What a workhorse. I may have to make some applesauce in the new machine this weekend to see how it performs. Goodbye, Crock Pot, old friend. And to my 40+ year-old KitchenAid mixer. Please, please, please, stick around for a long time. I can't lose you, too!

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Slow Cooker Applesauce

4 lbs apples (I like a combination of cooking and eating apples)

1 cup water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Tiny pinch sea salt

1 Tbsp pure vanilla

Maple syrup to taste (if needed)

• Core apples, but do not peel. Cut into 2-inch pieces.

• Add the apples, water, and cinnamon to the bowl of a slow cooker.

• Cover with lid and cook on low for 6 hours. (If you are in a rush, you can set it to high and cook for 3 1/2 or 4 hours.)

• The apples are ready when you can easily pierce them with a sharp knife.

• Stir the applesauce and add the vanilla.

• I like chunky applesauce, so at this point, I just taste and add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup if it needs a bit of sweetness. If you want a smoother texture, use a hand or regular blender and pulse to your liking.

• Let cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze.

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Thanks to everyone who voted for their top choices in the "What do we call the 66- to 80-year-old group?" poll in last week's story Sen-Gen? Gen S? Something Else? I will keep up the poll for another few weeks and then launch one last poll with the top five choices. What do you think will emerge as the final name?

Have a good week!

Diane

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