I'm Sure It Will Be Another Fight - But I Bought a New Crockpot

Good Morning, one and all. Yesterday turned into a day in the kitchen, but I did get a lot accomplished. The first thing on my agenda, however, was a new, larger crock pot. I love my crock pot, but it's very old and it's quite small. DH keeps insisting that I cook amounts of ribs that simply aren't suitable for the space, and I end up with kitchen disasters as the crock pot overflows. So, I bought a new one - low end, but I don't need anything fancy. There was enough room in the cupboard for the old one as well as the new, and with the new one, I can build an aluminum foil wall, and use roasting bags, so that I can use my own BBQ sauce, and he can use his (which is 35% sugar!). 

The BBQ Sauce turned out quite tasty. If you're interested 
in the recipe, look under "Homemade Maple BBQ Sauce 
Recipe" by The Prairie Homestead. 

Having purchased the equipment and gone to the far end of town for roasting bags that are appropriate for it, I hit the grocery store (first of two times for the day) and got loaded up on veggies for my weekly blend of "Ogre Juice", as well as whatever I needed for my baked mangoes. Then I started cooking. 

I got one of these at Target for $50. I saved the 
packaging materials. If I end up not liking it, 
I'll take it back and buy the more expensive 
version. But I think this will work just fine. 

Ogre Juice first, and I have that nailed after all this time. Still, it takes an hour or so to get my next four portions blended, into the refrigerator, and everything cleaned up. Then I started the mangoes. Those took a bit longer because it's still a newer recipe, but I had everything I needed on-hand, so it really was just waiting for it to bake. 

The original baked mangoes recipe I have been using, had 
us making them in the skin. I decided I preferred the bits I 
had cooked without the rind, so this time I cut the mangoes 
into cubes throughout and cut those away from the rind, 
baking the pieces with the other ingredients. It's a more 
sensible portion, much easier to make, and it's tasty. I got 
six portions from two mangoes. 

While it was baking, I started pulling the ingredients for the BBQ sauce I wanted to make for myself. I had everything but ... no paprika. There was no paprika anywhere in my house. I had already "borrowed" tomato sauce and paste from DH's stash (mine has extra garlic and peppers in it, which I really didn't want in my BBQ sauce).. But, as I realized I had no paprika, it became clear that another trip to the store was necessary. So after the mangoes were done baking, I pulled the baking sheet out to cool and headed to the grocery store. 

I'll basically be making a crock pot wall from aluminum 
foil, then using a baking bag to separate things into two 
sections. He can have his BBQ sauce, and I can have mine. 

Returning home with the appropriate ingredients, I put together the BBQ Sauce and then had to stand at the store stirring it for 15 minutes because it was a tomato sauce base and those bubble like lava when they are heated. I was grateful that I had made a Worcestershire sauce substitute a couple of weeks ago, so at least I didn't need to make that recipe as well. All in all, the BBQ sauce seems quite tasty and I'll be using it tomorrow on my portion of the ribs in my new crockpot while his portion has the usual sweet BBQ sauce on the other side of my aluminum foil wall. That's my life - a shared crock pot of a life with an aluminum foil wall between us. LOL *sigh* Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini.