dollars and cents

 After spending too many DOLLARS eating out the past few days,

I pulled out the crock pot - my current favorite cooking instrument.
(Actually, I didn't "pull it out".  It sits ready-for-use on our countertop.)

I washed and sliced the 3 potatoes from the bottom of the bag,

chopped some onions,

and cut the 1-pound tube of frozen ground turkey meat into 2 sections.

While 1/2 of it was defrosting in the microwave, I popped the other half back in the freezer,

boiled some water and dissolved a cube of beef bouillon in it.

It all went into my $1 garage sale crock pot 

where the flavors are ALREADY blending and scenting the air!

Noticing a couple of apples I'd purchased from the bargain rack at the back of the supermarket,

I decided to chop up one of them and add it to the mix.  

Their flavor had been a bit disappointing, but I think it will be a good addition to the "stew".

Closer to eating time, I'll add some frozen mixed veggies since I don't have any fresh on hand.

Today we will dine for CENTS.

When using the crock pot, I generally don't follow a recipe.

Going out and purchasing items for a recipe defeats the purpose of it for me.

As a result, I seldom can duplicate a crock pot meal since I never have quite

the same combination of ingredients on hand from one time to the next.

To me, that's what crock pot cooking is all about!