Crockpots and newfangled technology

My friend Jim has had a rough year dealing with a hit upside the head that came, for him, out of left field, followed by his daughter heading off to college. He is suddenly alone in his house contemplating a very different retirement future than the one he envisioned. Our family has walked beside him through his journey, offering hugs through sad emotions, lending him an ear to get out frustrations , and giving him a swift kick when needed to propel him forward.

Earlier in the year when he was moaning about missing home cooked meals, I told him I would teach him how to use a crockpot. He is from the generation that gripes about "newfangled technology" and he refuses to learn new things, but then he surprised me by purchasing a crockpot from a garage sale for $5.

Jim: "I'll probably never use it."

Saturday I taught him how to use it.

We shopped and purchased the ingredients for my Mock Steak Recipe. We threw in the cart two potatoes and a bag of fresh green beans, and pudding for dessert. The crockpot was still in the original box so we washed the pot, plugged it in and started cooking.

We doctored the steaks with seasoning, braised them on both sides, and stuck them into the pot with broth, some Lipton onion mix, and Worcester sauce. I put Jim to work peeling potatoes. We couldn't find a peeler so he used a knife and grumbled through the process while I snapped the green beans.

We threw everything into the pot and turned it on high. I made him repeat the process aloud to make sure he remembered it and then I left for four hours. When I returned, his house smelled delicious and the meal was done. The meat broke apart when touched with a fork and the potatoes mingled with the sauce enough to thicken it nicely into a gravy. Tom joined us and we devoured the entire crockpot meal.

I made him repeat aloud the process again while we ate. He did well, but he swears he won't remember or be able to duplicate it again when his daughter is home for the holidays. I told him we would do a new recipe once a week so he gets his $5 worth, and then Tom and I tried to talk him into an Iphone. It put him over the edge.

Baby steps....