Crockpot?

Back at the apartment, vacation over. This morning, we (my father and I) got up ungodly amounts of early and drove back to the city. It was about three hours of driving time. The plan was to get back to my place with enough time for me to get a shower and be presentable before work at 930. Well, we got back with plenty of time. So Dad decided it was a good time to unveil my new and wonderful back-to-school gift!

It’s a crockpot. Apparently, it’s been sitting in my parents’ garage for several years, unused. So the box was quite dingy, dusty, and covered in dead spiders, but the crockpot inside is immaculate. Brand new. My mother has owned a single crockpot for my entire life, which she got as a gift when she was first married. Because of this I’d never seen a new one. It’s much more pristine than I thought.  Beth laughed at me a bit for being so pleased about getting this, but I’m truly delighted about it.

Before I moved out, I thought I was a really good cook. Now, I’m having doubts. My diet since moving out has been primarily carb-y, monochromatic (white shades, mostly), and not so nutritious. I think the plan from my dad’s standpoint was to convince to eat more veggie-heavy stews if I had a slow cooker.

After bestowing me with this magnificent gift, he even took me grocery shopping to find some delicious things to toss into it. Right now I’m making baked beans. They take about 14 hours to cook though, so they’re a treat for tomorrow. Dad dropped me at work and left, happy that I liked my new kitchen plaything.

Are you guys any good at cooking? Did your skills deteriorate when you moved out? Any good crockpot recipes? I’m a little lost. I don’t know what to do with it really. Mom’s instructions on use consisted of throw the stuff in there, and leave it a long time. Descriptive, I know. Let me know if you can be of any help. It’s greatly appreciated. Hopefully my beans aren’t a disaster.