Crock-Pot-Club

I have become somewhat of a Crock-Pot connoisseur (a person of informed and discriminating taste). Some are connoisseurs of wine............me of Crock-Pots.

I own 7 Crock-Pots. Let me explain. This has happened by accident.

When I got married to Jay........we had 4 showers. One was even a kitchen shower. I received what seemed like "everything". What is one thing I didn't receive. You guessed it, a Crock-Pot. For several Christmases one thing I asked for and did not receive.........a Crock-Pot. I felt like I was destined to be without one forever.

I heard all these wonderful stories about Crock-Pots. How people could get up before work, put everything in and like magic...........when they arrived home from work that evening dinner had prepared itself in the Crock-Pot! I had dreams of coming home to roasts, ribs, soups, chili,.....I heard you could even make brownies in one! Oh how I wanted to be part of the Crock-Pot Club.

Finally, after about my 4th year of having it on my "Christmas Wish List" upon opening my gifts I knew this was it. This was the year. I opened what looked like a book from a friend of the family, dear, dear Sally. She was Grandma Teddy's friend. She always got us "a little something" for Christmas. Never big and dramatic, but always something small and from the heart. Upon opening her gift I knew it was a book. As I tore away the wrapping paper I could see the cover. In big GIGANTIC letters on the cover "The Crock-Pot Cookbook".

YEAH, YIPPEE!!!! I have never been so excited. Sally was beside herself. She had really scored that year. She could tell how much I absolutely loved her gift. I danced around holding my book, smiling from ear to ear. Little did she know, not only did I love her book, I loved the Crock-Pot I knew MUST be in one of the other wrapped packages. Why would I get a Crock-Pot cookbook if someone didn't get me a Crock-Pot? I set off anxiously gathering my other wrapped packages. Sizing them all up. Which one could it be? Well, they must have wrapped it in another box because all of these were not the size of a Crock-Pot. Perhaps they have it hidden in the back room. They are going to bring it out as the last gift to really "surprise" me. I opened all my gifts. None were a Crock-Pot. I was not deflated. I knew how people liked to pull pranks on me and my Christmas gifts. I knew they were being sneaky. I sat there holding my book.....waiting......Nancy got up to go to the kitchen to get everyone some snacks. Snacks, right, I know what she is up to. She is going to make a grand entrance with my Crock-Pot. I will play along. "Nancy, do you need any help? Would you like me to help you get those "snacks"? (he-he). "No thank you". O.K., I'll just sit right here then. Right here on the couch waiting for the "snacks".

Out came the snacks.

Hours went by and they didn't make the grand entrance with my Crock-Pot. How could this be? Where was it??

As Sally was getting ready to leave to go home she came up to me to give me my goodbye hug and kiss and said warmly "I hope you enjoy your cookbook dear. With your busy work schedules I thought maybe you could use some new recipes for your Crock-Pot so you have something different to try". What?!? The words came flying out of my mouth, "Sally, I don't have a Crock-Pot". What?!? All heads turned. Grandma Teddy's, Sally's, Aunt Vicki and Nancy. In unison "You don't have a Crock-Pot!". Exactly!!! Did nobody read my list!! For the last 4 years!!! I don't have a Crock-Pot!!!!

I got my first Crock-Pot three months later for my birthday from Nancy. At Christmas I got a small Crock-Pot from Sally. That same Christmas I got a slow-cooker (it's a little different than a Crock-Pot) from Grandma Teddy. That same Christmas at a Christmas party I won a little tiny Crock-Pot.

I was a member of the Crock-Pot Club!! What a member in good standing I was. I was cooking everything in those Crock-Pots. Some days I would have three going! There was nothing like coming home after a long hard day at work. After a day of running and being frazzled; to the warm, welcoming smell of dinner cooking. Crocks of delicious soups, chili, roasts, ribs. Sharing dishes with friends that were kept warm and served out of them. Just like I had dreamed.

Fast forward many years (12). I remember in 2000. I was newly divorced. I had went to the laundromat with Kyle, Justin and Gregory. It was the day after New Years Day. It was about 21 below out. While I was getting the kids settled and transporting my laundry from the car into the laundromat I handed Kyle the soap and asked him to go put it in the car. He came back in "Where's the car Mom". "Right outside the door". "No, it isn't". "Kyle". I walked to the door. The car was not there. It had been stolen. I was at the laundromat with 3 young children (1 a little baby) and piles of laundry. The laundry baskets had been put in the car. This was my only form of transportation. I had no idea what I was going to do. After calling the police and the police officer going to the store to purchase some garbage bags to put my laundry in, helping me put the laundry in the garbage bags and helping me load up the kids and laundry in his police car to drive me home, I arrived home. As I walked into the house, my mind spinning of what just happened and what I was going to do, all I remember was the smell of ribs cooking in the Crock-Pot. Dinner I had put in before we had left for the laundromat. The warm, welcoming smell. The smell of safety, comfort. The Crock-Pot sitting there on the counter. The symbol of those that loved me and cared about me. Things were going to be O.K.

Fast forward 9 years to today. I have all my original Crock-Pots and have acquired some new. When I married Dave, he had one. I have won another (that is shaped like a football) and purchased one last fall. It was a new design. The crock comes out of the heating element (that is how old mine are) to put in the fridge and it also has handles that lock on the sides for easy transport to potlucks, etc. It is also extra-large capacity. It is the new "fancy" model.

I still like how my older ones heat up and cook better, but the new one sure is purtey!

I had a very busy weekend. We had a a wrestling invitational meet here in New Richmond. The Wrestling Club, which we are in, sponsored the event. For those of you not familiar; an invitational is where your school invites many other schools and hosts the event. Your school takes care of getting the mats out, the gym set up, custodial service, programs, providing water to the teams, coaches, refs, and concessions for everyone. The day begins at 7:00 a.m. and goes until about 10:00 p.m.. There were 8 other schools participating. I was part of concessions. We had to make, provide and prepare all concession items, set everything up, work the concessions and tear everything down.

I made 2 gallons of chili, brownies and brought 2 extra large coolers I use for weddings for the pop and ice, and, of course, provided Crock-Pots.

There they were. All of them lined up on the floor in the backseat. For some, this was their first trip to a pot-luck. For others, they have been doing it since 1988. The new fancy model was all loaded up with chili (remember, large capacity). The others, were empty, for now.

We arrived at the school and off they were whisked to the kitchen. Nancy was filled up with cheese for the nachos. Grandma Teddy was filled up with taco meat for the Walking Tacos, Dave was filled up with hot dogs, and Sally was filled with broccoli for the loaded baked potatoes.

Hundreds of adults and children passed by me and my crocks full of fixin's. I was busy, scooping, stirring, refilling........all day long. At the end of day, my back hurt, my hands were sore, my feet ached. We were finished. We had had a very successful day.

The school was cleaned out. Most everyone had gone home. I walked back to the kitchen where everything had been taken to get cleaned up to get my items to put in the car and go home. As I walked in the door, in the quiet of the still school that had been so full of laughter, whistles, activity all day long, I was beyond tired. I looked up and there on the counter. There they sat. Sparkling from being freshly cleaned and ready to go home. Nancy, Dave, Grandma Teddy and Sally. A smile crept across my face and a warmth filled my heart. I gathered them and put them in the car.

Sally has been gone for many, many, years. Grandma Teddy has been in a nursing home for nearly 10 years now with alzheimers. Nancy was diagnosed with lung cancer last year and continues her battle.

As I brought the crocks home and put them on their shelf. Sally's right next to my worn and ever so loved "Crock-Pot Cookbook" I took pause. I smiled and I looked up. I simply said "Thank You".

The Crock-Pots had contributed to yet another fun and laughter filled day. Provided their warmth, comfort and sharing. Just like the women who had provided them to me. Just like the lives they lived and represented. Just like the many other Grandmas, Mothers and women who have lovingly prepared in and served out of crocks just like them.

I couldn't be more honored to be a member of the Crock-Pot Club!