crockpot recipes… anyone? anyone?

Look what I scored at the Cherry Chase Walk-A-Thon on Friday afternoon! Way to go Dawn, Fran, Shelley, Bridget, Cindy, and everyone else who made it such a terrific event despite the inclement weather. It was wonderful to see so many dedicated parents and students brave the wind and rain – I hope it was wildly successful once again. I miss you guys!

My silent auction win is just in time for tonight’s “Successful Strategies for Middle School” event. I am serving warm apple cider and don’t want to borrow a friend’s crock pot again. You see, last time I did, I accidentally broke my friend Debbie’s backup crock pot.

It was at the “Conversations with Great Teachers” event with Dr. Bill Smoot* (remember that?). Debbie’s was fully ceramic, old fashioned and fragile. It was like one of those slow-motion sequences in a movie as I watched it slip out of my hands and shatter on the floor. I told Debbie I’d be on the lookout for another one even though she told me not to bother. But this one just happened across my path and I am a very competitive bidder at silent auctions! One time, Paul and I took home ONE SIXTH of all the items at an education foundation auction I co-chaired – I think he wanted to make me feel successful or something.

Anyway, I’ve got tons of last minute preparations for tonight’s event. If you can join us, it’s at 7pm at Sunnyvale Middle School (Multi-purpose room).

In the interim, would any of you care to share your favorite crock pot recipes? I’ve never used one – except for heating cider, of course – so I don’t really know what they are capable of.

I am donating the two-inch thick recipe book from the auction basket to Cake4Kids’ upcoming fundraiser. No room on our cookbook shelf, sadly!

If your recipe may be found online, please post a link!

* http://dirtandsunshine.posterous.com/conversations-with-great-teachers-tonight