I've never been a cook by any stretch of the imagination. I knew how to make maybe five things on my own--why make anything else where there was always a McDonald's, Papa John's, or Wendy's nearby?!?!?! But when Jeanel went back to full time work, I decided I wanted to get in the kitchen while she was away. Instead of trying to tackle everything, I wanted to focus on something. I chose slow cookers. Although I sometimes have to pull out a skillet or pot to do something on the stove, the bulk of my recipes involve a slow cooker. My goal was to keep a focus, but also to be able to enjoy company when they are over. Too often the hosts and/or cooks are stuck in the kitchen. So either the party has to be in the kitchen, or the cooks don't get to enjoy socialization. By cooking with a slow cooker, it significantly minimizes time preparing food at the last minute.