The Compromising Crockpot
Ahhh...the moment has come for me to finally post about our Crockpot dilemma. A historian might reference this moment in history as the following:
The Great Crockpot Carnage of 2017
Crockpot Crusade on Griggs Street
Crockpot War: A Tale of Epic Proportions and the Misuse of Liners
I could go on, but you get the point! So what happened at this great battle? Well, it all started 3 weeks ago. Benjamin decided he wanted to make his mother's recipe for Vegetable Soup. From what I understand, the recipe calls for a large piece of beef and a ton of vegetables. Ben and I drove to Forrest, IL to Slagel Family Meats which is where we usually buy our meat!
Ben scanned the freezers for what he needed, while I grabbed 10 lbs of extra lean ground beef (we make aaaaaa lot of tacos lol). He found a package that said "round roast." But what he MEANT to buy was a "rump roast." Tomatoes, ToMAHToes...Ben bought it anyway!
In the morning, Ben pulled out my crockpot to start making his soup. Despite my pleas for him to use a crockpot liner, he just threw everything in it. He set it on low and left for work. Later that day, I get a call from my husband in somewhat of a frantic state. "Stevie! Your crockpot doesn't work! It didn't even cook the meat! The meat is raw!" There I was thinking: IMPOSSIBLE! I think Ben put WAY too much food inside the crockpot, and I don't think it should have been set on "low." And possibly using the wrong meat too! Soooo...mostly user error! :)
He immediately wanted to throw away my crockpot! OH HELL NO! YOU'VE GONE AND LOST YOUR MIND! I've had that baby for a looooong time! I remember doing a bunch of research to ensure that I was buying a good one that will last. And, it has lasted, err until Ben touched it, I guess.
Because Ben did not heed my advice about using a liner in the crockpot, I told him he had to wash it. Washing dishes has become MY chore in the house, which is a crock of shit (see what I did there?), because he insists it is a "woman's job." I'm still working on changing his view on that! In the meantime, I still do the dishes (but definitely not as regularly as Ben would like...ahaaa SUCKER!)
That damn crockpot sat in the sink for THREE WEEKS, PEOPLE! I refused to wash an unlined crockpot, damnit! In those 3 weeks, I would wash the dishes surrounding the crockpot, but never the crockpot itself. Ya, I was petty, but come on! I had no part in the vegetable soup ordeal, and I asked him to use a liner.
During the 3 week "timeout" my crockpot was receiving, Ben went out and bought a brand new one. I look at that shiny new Crockpot in disgust (lol...not really, but go with it!). I think he thought buying a new one would make it easier to throw away my old one (which works just fine, BTW!)
Last night, I was washing all the dishes (AGAIN...not a woman's job, Benjamin!). I caved and decided to wash the stupid crockpot myself! As soon as I did, I called Ben to come into the kitchen. I pointed at the freshly washed crockpot, and with a smile on my face, I said..."THIS! THIS IS WHAT COMPROMISE MEANS IN A MARRIAGE. You're welcome!" And, he spun me around to face Vader and said, "THIS! THIS IS WHAT COMPROMISE ALSO LOOKS LIKE! You're welcome!" We laughed and hugged each other.
Compromise is so incredibly important in a marriage. I bet if you sat down and took note of everything your partner does for you, you would find several actions you didn't even recognize as compromises.
Leaving a dirty crockpot in the sink wasn't doing ANYONE any good. It didn't really prove a point of any value either. Will Ben use a liner the next time he cooks in one? Probably not. Will it be the end of the world? Nahhh...
You bet your ass my crockpot isn't going in the garbage though!
