Saturday, June 6, 2009

Sunday Favorites

Sunday Favorites   

     Welcome once again to Sunday Favorites hosted by Chari at Happy to Design. Join in and travel down memory lane, as we revisit previous posts.

     Here’s mine.

     A downside of becoming 'informed' healthwise is the demise of the small kitchen appliance.
     At one time or another I have owned and thoroughly enjoyed using a fry daddy,an electric skillet, an electric knife, a crock-pot, the usual waffle iron, a sandwich press (nothing as sophisticated as a panini press- mine was a little more blue collar), a blender, and a Daisy Seal-a-Meal.
     I resisted bread makers and immersion blenders out of fear. The last thing I needed was a way to produce hot, fresh , bread because as my father says:
"A minute on your lips, forever on your hips."
     Ironically I have been known to satisfy my genetic urge for hot bread by making cinnamon toast with my Sunbeam toaster.
     An immersion blender involved sticking something with an electrical cord into liquid ,which is supposed to result in electrocution.

     No thank you.
     My fondest memories involved my fry-daddy ,or for the less serious fryer, the fry-baby. I could fry an inexpensive bag of frozen french fries( I swear, back in the late 70’s, they were sometimes on sale 4 bags for a $1.00) in nothing flat. Culinary efficiency and economy in one fell swoop.
     My electric skillet had a sentimental use: preparing my mother's delicious roast from a rock solid frozen cut of meat. She somehow coaxed a frozen block into a fork tender, perfectly seasoned pot roast- all without teflon coating.
     My Daisy-Seal -a Meal transported me to that magical era of 'putting food up' or 'by' ,depending on which grandmother was speaking.

     True confession: it was all about the sealing. The end result never quite matched that thrill. Especially when my sealed bags went into the black hole of my freezer.
     About thirty years ago, I did own a pressure cooker. That didn't last long, because I realized I couldn't operate it while hiding in the front yard waiting for an explosion.
     Today I have narrowed it down to three necessities.
*I must have a Bunn coffeemaker; water in , coffee out- perfect for my early morning impatience.
*I must have a heavy duty blender with a glass pitcher. I think they make the best margaritas.
*And finally, I must have a crock pot for chili con queso, certainly, but also for

My Easy, Lazy Chicken
Instructions:
place a thawed, rinsed chicken into a crock pot
sprinkle the chicken with
TexJoy seasoning
place large chopped pieces of carrots and onions in the crock pot
put the lid on and cook all day

serve with rice

14 comments:

Keetha Broyles said...

My crock pot is busy making pot roast for tomorrow dinner as I type!!!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

I don't think I've ever owned all those appliances, so I guess it's just as well. I agree with the coffeepot and I do have an electric skillet, but never remember to use it or the crock pot. lol Guess I'm just too use to the oven or top of the stove. You chicken recipe sounds delicious. I will definitely give it a try. Hugs, Marty

Happy To Be/ Gl♥ria said...

Now Girl you can't beat a Bunn coffee maker..they cost more but are great...I use to forty years ago have a resturant one even in my kitchen ha ha!! Got me a bigger crock pot for Christmas and it's so funny all the stuff you mentioned I gave to my Granddaughter to get it out of my cupboadr to clean up needed space...May you have a great Sunday...hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

You've inspired me to get down my crock pot and use up some carrots. (oddly, you've also inspired me to keep an eye out for those Fry-Daddys at yard sales... go figure.)
:)

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

I LOVED this post.... I was a young bride in the 70's toooooo! I LOVED my Fry Baby. My dad bought it for me and let me tell 'ya....I cooked up LOADS of things in that little cooker, including doughnuts. MMMMmmmmm....could that be where the "can you pinch more than an inch?" extra "stuff" came from? And, I had a pressure cooker for about two weeks......Boy, those things are SCARY! A gal has to be really brave to pop a roast into one of those!

Thanks so much for the tickle and for the recipe....I'll try it!

Hugs and blessings,
Spencer

Mrs. Petrie said...

I love the crockpot! I, too, am a little afraid of a pressure cooker. I haven't heard of TexJoy, I'll have to find some around here. Sounds yummy. :)

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

How funny, Laura! I really found myself in vitually every word of this post...except the bread maker! To give you a hint of its power, my daughter would come home and say, "What kind of bread are we having for supper tonight?" lol I have a pressure cooker that has NEVER been used due to pure fear! Love my fry baby for fried okra in the summer...yum! Hope you are having a great weekend...Debbie

Anne Marie said...

Hi Laura~
Thank you for your compliment on my photos...
I use a digital Fugi camera, and I am very pleased with it.

Blessings!
Anne Marie

Lisa Pogue said...

I love this post!! I'm starting for fall for my crockpot. I just bought one back in November and have used it several times. I was just thinking about what to do with 4 chicken breasts I have thawed. your recipe may hit the spot. Just not sure if hubby will like it or not. I'm going to keep it for future use. Now I have to ask about your blander. Does your blender produce that good soft slushy ice for your margaritas? We are trying to find the perfect thing, but can't seem to...

Dixie said...

Laura... love the recipe... and I have to say.. those are my 3-major counter top appliances for the same reason... My stepson bought me an electric wine cooler a couple of years ago for Christmas (after checking with his dad to make sure it would be an approved gift appliance.. I don't allow appliances for gifts! LOL).... that wine cooler... my #4... maybe I sould blog about it? ;)

have a blissful Sunday... love the music today.

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hi Laura...

Ohhh yes....modern technology and kitchen gadgets..."We've come along way baby!" Hehe! Through the years I have owned most of the kitchen gadgets that you have mentioned but only the crock pot gets any use at my place! I must admit, that while I think these gadgets are pretty "nifty" I hate the clean up, especially the ones that involve grease...ick! Hehe! I think that all of the cleaning they require outweighs the convenience! Am I lazy? hehe! Maybe!!! Oh yes, and then there is always the storage issue of these gadgets...most of them are bulky enough that they take a fair amount of storage space...my kitchen is pretty small!

I loved your post! Thank you for joining in with Sunday Favorites this week, my friend!

Chari

Domestic Designer said...

I love my crock pot. A good meal with little effort! :-) Your recipe sounds great and so easy. I will give it a try. Have a great Sunday!

Pam @ Frippery said...

I love my crockpot and of course coffee is a necessity. I don't used my blender much but I think a pitcher of Margaritas is called for today. I left a little something on my blog for you.

kate said...

Laura, Tag your it!!! Go to our Blog and ck out the rules!! PS. hope all is ok at your house.
kate

 

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