Gluten free crockpotting

We had originally planned to scrub the crap out of our big aluminum stock pot. Aluminum is a softer metal and there are some pits on the inside that no matter how long we soaked in enzymes and scrubbed with steel wool, we just couldn't get well enough for my comfort. This pan has been in my family for decades, so you can imagine what gluten filled goodies have been cooked in it. (By the way, just so I don't get emails, Alzheimer's/aluminum.) I can't find find a stockpot that fits our needs locally and haven't made it to Jackson to Williams Sonoma to see what they have, so a crockpot is the only thing we have bigger than 3qt. (Although I have been dreaming about the Le Creuset French oven I sa at TJ Maxx for $135 (!!) but decided not to get...)

So anyway, dinner.

I love crockpots. I grew up in a house that used one often, and a crockpot was one of the first things I bought when I moved out. I never knew that they weren't popular any more, and happily used my crockpot for everything from stocking my freezer with "canned" beans to soup on a cold night to... everything.

I am sure most of you have heard about the blog A Year of Slowcooking by now. Every once in a while I would pop over there to see what was going on, but never really paid much attention. For some reason (probably a link on another blog) I headed over there again last week and boy was I surprised! Turns out? Stephanie's daughter has celiac disease and they are a gluten free house. There are over 400 gluten free recipes on her blog, and her book, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking totally gluten free. Sure, almost any recipe can be made gluten free by just choosing gluten free ingredients and substitutions, but it is nice to have a no brainer recipe to toss in to the crockpot - especially this early on.

When we went gf (a week ago today!) and replaced everything in the kitchen, including the crockpot, we decided to get the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go. I figured we would be taking food with us a lot (parties, on vacation, etc.) and something that will clamp shut can't be a bad thing, right? Christian tried to talk me in to the programmable 6qt, but I opted for the plain old regular one. Now, I think I am going to get the programmable one, too. My only complaint is that they only make up to 6qt. Other than that, I heart my new crockpot and if thr dinner that is currently cooking in it tastes as good as it smells, I heart A Year of Slowcooking, too!