crock pot wednesday: well...

Today's crock pot meal was a fail.

It didn't taste bad, really. It was just very bland.

I didn't even bother sharing pictures with you, because I am going to change some things that I think caused it to fail tonight and share with you at a later date.

One good thing about me is, I am a good cook. Seriously. I am. I've always been told that by other people for as long as I can remember. I started cooking when I was six years old. And for many, many years, I made everything from scratch, because that was all I knew how to do.

Very rarely, a recipe that I come up with in my head does not translate well. Tonight was one of those times. I've got a few ideas on what I will change. First, let me tell you what I made.

I made Lemon Rosemary Chicken.

I took boneless, skinless chicken thighs and put them in the pot. I added one and a half cups each of lemonade and apple juice. The lemonade and apple juice were store versions of the Simply brand, which I love. I added probably a tablespoon of minced garlic, and one whole sprig of rosemary. I cooked it on high for four hours, and during the last hour I added some lemon pepper.

Most of the ingredients I already had on hand, so I didn't have to buy anything except the juice and the rosemary. I thought I had plain jasmine rice in my pantry, but it turns out I didn't. So, I used what I did have, which was Thai curry rice. We also had salad. We were going to have bread too, but I didn't make the dough in time.

As I said, the chicken didn't taste bad. Every bite was infused with rosemary flavor, as well as the flavor of the juice. However, here is where I think it failed, and thus will change the next time:

1. While the meat was infused with the juice flavor, it was too much apple. The lemon was completely lost, even with the lemon pepper added at the end. Next time, I will use lemonade only.

2. The garlic was completely lost as well. This is either due to me not adding enough garlic, or adding it too soon. Next time, I will add the same amount but during the last thirty minutes of cooking.

3. I under-seasoned when it came to the lemon pepper. Not nearly enough. I've always been light-handed when it comes to seasoning; I err on the side of caution, since my feeling is that one can always add more at the table. Next time, I will season my chicken liberally right after I put it in the pot.

The flavorful rice definitely helped with the dish; I am now glad I didn't use plain jasmine rice. The chicken smelled great while it was cooking. I was even concerned that maybe I added too much rosemary, since it smelled so strong. My concerns were unfounded. I probably could've added another spring, but I won't do that next time. I'll just see if the above modifications fix it first.

As for next week's crock pot meal, I'm tossing around a few ideas... white chicken chili, barbecue pork ribs, red beans and rice with sausage... just don't know yet.

What I do know is, I am lamenting the fact that after three blissful weeks with my husband I have to head back home with the kidlets on Sunday. We will be separated for A MONTH! That's the longest we've ever been apart. Not fun. But we will be keeping busy, and that always helps pass the time.