Be Still And Know

 

Be still and know that I am God... Psalms 46:10

I like quiet. I am comfortable with quiet. I love the early mornings when things are still and the sun is just coming up and the sky is full of color—when the air is so still that the mist sits on the ground. Even the birds have not started singing yet. I keep my camera on the kitchen counter so that when I see this outside my kitchen door, I can capture this moment of stillness. It only lasts a couple of minutes and then the day goes on as usual.

The movie Tammy Tell Me True (Sandra Dee, 1961) was on television over and over when I was growing up and there is a moment from that movie that I still remember. When her life had gotten complicated and everything was about to fall apart, she closed her eyes and scrunched up her face. The old lady that she was trying to help asked her what on earth she was doing. Tammy answered, "I'm just gathering the stillness around me." That was how she dealt with problems. That one scene has stuck with me for many years. Funny where we learn good life lessons.

But after a few minutes of stillness it's time to face the day. Some days that includes cooking.

Crockpots came into existence when I was working as a home economist. I remember some testing being done at the university to see if foods were indeed safe when cooked at low temps for a long time. They concluded yes. I also seem to remember that we were told one of the bonuses of slow cooking was that you couldn't overcook foods. Well, that's not exactly so. Many people did not love the end result that was often overdone and rubbery. Over the years folks have come up with new recipes that yield a better product and some slow cookers have timers that let you be more precise. So use your slow cooker enough to figure out the times that work for you. (My newer crockpot seems to get hotter than my very old one.)

I made this right before Jessica and I went on vacation. I just found the photos on my camera today. The flavor was delicious. I need to adjust the cooking time when I make it again. I think I left these chicken thighs in the crockpot on LOW for close to 8 hours. I'm thinking about 6 hours would be enough.

SLOW COOKER BALSAMIC CHICKEN 

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons dried minced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced (I used jarred minced garlic)

1 tablespoon extra vigin olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

fresh chopped parsley

Combine the first five dry spices in a small bowl and spread over chicken on both sides. Set aside. Pour olive oil and garlic on the bottom of the crockpot. Place chicken pieces on top. Pour balsamic vinegar over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

As noted, I cooked mine on LOW for 7-8 hours and I think 6 hours would have been about right. Next time I'll try this as written see how it works cooked on HIGH.