Rewarding myself…

So I ordered my new slowcooker a few days ago, 2 maybe and since I got free shipping it said it would take 3-5 days to arrive.  The fed ex guy just delivered my slowcooker, the estimated delivery day wasnt til next thursday!!   So….being as Bo is sleeping I unveiled my new appliance and read the directions.   I am so excited.  My life must be really boring because I feel like a little kid on Christmas day who gets exactly what they wanted, but more! The best thing I like about it without having used it yet, kicking myself for having already started potato soup in the old crockpot about an hour before the new one arrived, is that it’s rectangular.   Who cares? well last week I put frozen manicotti w/ sauce in my round slow cooker, it turned out ok but it would have been a lot easier if they hadnt been layered on top of each other but we were taking it to a party and I needed it to be able to stay warm.  So the directions for the new slowcooker say you can take the “cooking vessel” out and use it like any 9X13 pan in the oven(how I would have made manicotti if I didnt need it to stay warm for entertaining purposes) then after it’s baked in the oven put the “vessel” in the slowcooker base and turn on the keep warm setting so it stays hot during the serving time.     Then…if there are leftovers, take the vessel out of the base, snap on the plastic lid(similar to one on a tupperware container) and place in the fridge!    how freaking awesome!!   My old slowcooker just had the glass lid, this one has both, glass lid for cooking and plastic lid for storage.

I thought slow cooking made my life easier but now, oh wow my life is going to be really easy. Have I mentioned my love of reynolds new slowcooker liners.   You’d think a sahm would have time to prepare a meal without all these conveniences, but once 4:30 hits my kids are complaining to eat and if I am in the kitchen Bo demands to be in there, if he sees food he thinks it’s meal time ASAP but realistically we cant eat til Dean gets home.    Not to mention by the end of the day my big fat pregnant self doesnt want to have to prepare a meal let alone deal with the kids while doing it.  Slowcooking makes my life so much easier and Dean has enjoyed having good meals all week due to it.  He’s not thrilled about the potato soup I’m making for dinner but I am, so that’s ok.   4 out of 5 meals this night he’s been pleased with so that’s not so bad, I tend to take the weekends off so we eat out or eat leftovers.    Just wanted to share my excitement over my new “toy”  Dean gets a Nintendo ds and I get a slowcooker, huge price difference yet mine makes all of us happy!   Funny how women’s minds work differently than mens when it comes to spending money.  Speaking of spending money, well I need to shower and get ready so I can meet my hubby for lunch today, bo and I that is.