crock pots are magical

and i'm not even kidding. mine isn't pretty; it's 30 or 40 years old, with gunk caked in the bottom of the crock and stains on the cooker from the overflowing food of yesteryear.

but dude. have you ever made cider in one? or erin's mac and cheese? or ... hot breakfast cereal?!

i'm not kidding. i got a new cookbook (surprise), Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. and indeed it is not my mom's; i have a copy of hers and it is crappy indeed. mostly bland. and unaware of the realm of possibility.

so back to hot breakfast cereal. observe the recipe and then, i'll come back.

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Cracked Wheat/Bulgur for Breakfast, serves 4

1 c. bulgur or cracked wheat
3 c. water
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in slow cooker. Any size is fine. Cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or overnight. Try serving with brown sugar or honey and a bit of milk poured in to cool.
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"And wake to a hot breakfast"--Berryman.

i don't know how to keep extolling this. there's a recipe variation i haven't tried yet, but just listen: replace water with apple juice, add cinnamon and cloves, add raisins, and chopped dried apple. can you imagine how that will smell when you wake up? bliss.

today i am making a berry pie for a friend's "bring your own pie to our potluck reception" wedding. inventive. and i am broke, so it's frozen berries from aldi and an overdue premade pie crust. but there will also be dinner, for the first time i've made dinner just before eating in weeks. in other words, crock pots save my life.