Not-So-Sweet Potatoes: Conquering the Crock Pot

This past semester was extremely, extremely busy and was not really scheduled in a way that provided with me with the opportunity to cook. That left me constantly eating out, grabbing and going, snacking and munching, thus, in turn, a whole lot more broke and a little pudgier. Mega sad.

Therefore, I decided 2012 was going to be the start of my transition into actual adulthood. Not young adulthood, but actual be responsible, think long term, don't be a college kid moron, adulthood.

This began with my freezer.

 From lots of cut up vegetables to meats I am terrified to cook, it is starting to be a bit ridiculous. I often take one look inside at what could be a real meal, put my head down, and call 549-5326 (...That's Quatros for you non-Carbondalites.)

I digress.

I felt that in order to use up what I actually had, I had to know what I actually had. Makes sense, right?
This resulted in all of the food being laid out on my table as I created a list of everything there. What I discovered is that there is real potential here. Lots of meat. Lots of veggies. And an assortment of high-processed boxed foods belonging to my roommate. (Thankfully, I also decided to begin avoiding this type of monstrosity we so often shove into our bodies, so there was no problem in simply putting them back in the freezer.)

This led to the need for a plan. I've got my list of potential ingredients, a laptop, and little time with the up and coming book rush season at 710 Bookstore.

I glanced over my list and saw a (2) next to the word "roast." That meant, you guessed it. It was time to make my first roast. However, I don't have the time to slave of preparing a roast.  I needed something quick and easy. Easy? What word equates with that? Crockpot. Now to everyone else, this machine is a God-send. To me, it was terrifying and I have successfully avoided this device for almost two years of living on my own. Ridiculous. I know.

Fast forward through a bunch of online researching on Pinterest and food websites (procrastinating on the inevitable) and I finally settled on a plan.

Ingredients: 1/2 of a roast, sweet potatoes, celery, red pepper, onions, and chicken gravy. (Granny always used chicken gravy, and it's what I had.)

I started with what seemed the most simple. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. Let me just say, that name is a fallacy. These damn things were the devil! I about gave up at the peeling stage. Let alone having to do the actually cutting. I ended up with a wicked cut on my thumb. And a sore palm from pushing the machete through the potato. Evil.

Note the assortment of knives it took. 

However, after the twenty minutes of screaming and wanting to chuck the vegetable through the window, I finally had them cut up. All that was left was putting the meal together. I mixed in all my ingredients, clicked the crockpot on, and left for work.

That evening I entered my apartment to the delicious, non-burnt smell, of a roast.

The meat was literally falling off the bone! 

I have to admit, it was quite tasty! And very exhilarating! It must have caused me to overcome my fear of the crockpot, because once the dishes were done, I immediately refilled it with the other half of the roast, au jus, and peppers for tonight's supper. Needless to say, I can't wait to get home tonight.


I guess this path to becoming domestic woman isn't so bad...minus the not-so-sweet potatoes.