What a meal!!!

Took a boneless Beef Roast and seared it in the iron skillet this morn. then stuck it in the crockpot with a lovely combo of spices (including some of my homemade Ras-el-Hanout), garlic, red wine, basalmic vinegar, and tomato chipolte broth, 3 hrs later had my fiance throw in carrots, potatoes, and celery. Let it continue to cook until I got home from work, made a delicious brown gravy from the stock that cooked in the crockpot. Whipped up an iron skillet of corn bread. This meal was out of this world! Sometimes the faithful old stand-by's are so surprisingly good! And oh my goodness that cornbread was like a piece of cake topped with tupelo honey!!! Still in love with that good old crock pot!!!

What did you guys have?

Sounds delish, Cathy! I too love the crock pot. I use mine year 'round. Of course they're great in winter 'cause who doesn't love a savory simmered meal during the cold months? But summer is a great time to use it too, since one doesn't want to heat up the kitchen by burning the oven when it's 90 degrees outside. *Also- another hint, I make a box of Jiffy Cornbread in a greased Kathryn Beich's Chocolate Pecan Turtles tin placed inside of the smaller hot-dip model crock-pot, and it works wonderfully!

Thank you for that helpful hint Kevin!!! I will give it a try whenever I get a chance, I have never tried to bake in a crockpot as I just never really thought it would work. You know I love that ole' crockpot yr. round, cuz' as you pointed out it doesn't heat up the entire house in the summer. Plus there is no better feeling than the wonderful aroma of food when you step thru the threshold upon returning home from work! I don't care if it is just a pot of red beans and sausage!
Plus ya' know Kevin the best part was seeing my 8yr old literally lick the last drops of gravy off her plate, she normally eats like a bird and she really lavishingly enjoyed that meal last night, it made Eddie and I just grin from ear to ear seeing her do that!!!
Wouldn't you tend to agree that that is one of the real satisfactions in being a good cook, seeing another enjoy the fruit of your labor?!? There are few feelings in life as enjoyable!

Y'all ever notice how people either love slow cookers or hate 'em. There's no middle ground.

You can put me in the latter group. I've tried them, on and off, since they appeared in the '50s, and have never been satisfied with how they work. Everything comes out like the same old overcooked pot roast.

Sure, they have their uses. For soups and stews they're fine. And for rendering down tomaties or apples etc. for sauce you probably can't beat them. But I can't justify the storage space for such limited usage.

Yep you are "right-on" there is no middle-ground.

I have been fond of them as long back as I can remember, at times I do flub up, but for the most part whatever I cook comes out just so tasty and tender and not overcooked, I use low alot and leave it all day or have my fiance lower it at some point during the day. But I have on occassion ruined some food in it, just stupid mistakes is all, but boy does it make me mad to ruin perfectly good food!!!