John’s gone Galt for the evening and I’m feeling too down for politics, for various reasons I won’t go into. Okay, I will. I couldn’t sleep last night after the Colts-Patriots game.

So this is going to be a sad attempt at John-type post. I’ve been making steel-cut oatmeal in my slow-cooker and, while it’s delicious, it’s kind of a pain. Even with a four-to-one water-to-oats ratio, it runs out of water and starts sticking to the sides. Should I use cooking spray? Just add a ton more water? Keep it on “warm” the whole time instead of having it “cook” at all?

Any particular recipes people like for this? I like the idea of adding dried fruit.

Because there’s a lot of frustration going around recently. Make stew, not sausage! Take it away, Bad Horse’s Filly:

In honor of the fall colors, it’s time to break out the slowcooker and make a traditional menu. How nice is it to come home from a day’s work or outdoor chores like raking leaves and have a hearty beef stew waiting for you? Add some biscuits and baked apples and you have the perfect fall dinner. On the board tonight:

1)Beef Stew
2)Wheat Biscuits
3)Baked Apples

Click on the blue highlight for full recipes & shopping list.

Tonight’s fare, which smells so good right now I am going to nap rather than eat it early and screw up the cooking:

a couple cups of great northern beans
a couple cups of sliced yellow squash
a couple cups of sliced zucchini
2 diced onions
a shit-ton of garlic
2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
a pound of ground italian sausage

Served on steamed baby spinach with a loaf of hard-crust Italian. I can’t decide on the wine atm.

Crockpot mania is growing.

Consider this an open thread.

Split Pea Soup.

Ham hock, split peas, carrots, etc.

For whatever reason, I skipped the French Onion soup idea I had been tossing around.

*** Update ***

In another crock pot thread, it was mentioned that turnips are an under-appreciated vegetable. Is this true? I love turnips, and try to find as many excuses as I can to eat them with a meal (if you haven’t had hashed turnips, you have not lived). But then again, I always was weird. As a kid, my favorite vegetables were lima beans and brussel sprouts, and I love beets, so maybe I am atypical as I have a lot of friends who don’t like any of those.

BTW- sorry for the lack of substantive posts, but I am unmotivated and will start again on 2 Jan.