I remember a day when I asked Chuck to bring up the two biggest crock pots from the basement so I could begin processing tomato sauce. My sister-in-law asked, “Daisy, how many crock pots do you have?”

I couldn’t answer immediately. I had to think about it. Back in the heyday of the Mom Blogs there was a blog called Crock Pot 365; her goal was to use a slow cooker of some type or size every day for a year. I loved her recipes. Me? I don’t use them every day, but I do use them often.

On the left: butternut squash, simmering until suppertime. I’ll serve it mashed with butter and brown sugar.

On the right: the Little Dipper, with a chopped apple and caramel. A side dish with lunch.

How many do I own? Let’s see: three large (6 quart), two medium (3 or 4 quart size), the Little Dipper, and a Medium Dipper (2 quart). That’s seven – and that’s not counting the old one in the garage that we don’t use for food. It’s handy for a number of tasks.

Could I use a slow cooker every day for a year? Maybe. I’m more likely to pull out the big ones for canning projects like broth or tomato sauces. The 3 and 4 quart sizes are the ones I use the most. Chili, soups, fall basics. Today, butternut squash. During apple season, the Little Dipper is handy. Today it holds one large Honey Crisp apple, chopped, and a spoonful of caramel for a topping. Not only can this apple treat be a side dish, but I’ve added caramel apples like these to oatmeal or Dutch baby pancakes. Yum!

Eating the Opponent: New York Giants still remains. Since the Giants actually play in New Jersey, we’re going to start with Jersey Bagels. New York style pizza is an option, but we’ve had a lot of pizza lately. We might want to go a different route. Stay tuned, readers. Our Packers seem to need all the help they can get.