For me, the main use of my crockpot is for cooking Chili and corned beef -n- cabbage..

aeiou - there are many dessert, cake and bread recipes for the crockpot - and I just don't understand it - they are cooked in just a couple hours - so it is not like putting a meal in the crockpot and going to work and it's done - the desserts would be so overcooked! - so why use it for that??? I dunno - maybe it is me....

Plating food is an art.. along with cooking it. I spend 10-15 minutes fine-tuning, making the meal look wonderful.. but the proof is always in the pudding.

Nothing like serving a cold meal! Not in my house! Homestyle - period. And the dishes look very appealing! We do not believe in "art on a plate".

Mama, why are you assuming that taking the time to plate artfully equals a cold meal?

Not in my house. And not in any other place---restaurant or private kitchen---I know of. Food is served the way it's supposed to be. Hot food is hot, cold is cold, and room temp is room temp. But how it's arranged on the plate, and what is arranged with it, makes all the difference.