How Slow and Steady Won the Kitchen and Our Southern Hearts

Y’all ever look at your Crockpot and hear it whispering….“Don’t worry, honey, I’ve got supper handled”? Yeah, me neither… lol But we all know if ole Crocky could talk that’s exactly what it would say.

That little pot’s been feeding families, saving busy mamas, and filling kitchens with the smell of heaven since way before Pinterest recipes told us what to do with a packet of ranch dressing.

Long before “meal prep” was a thing, from 1930s to the 1940’s Mr. Irving Naxon {bless his inventive heart} was dreaming up ways to keep folks fed without breaking a sweat. Inspired by his Lithuanian grandma’s bean stew that she baked all night in a warm oven, he thought, “Well shoot, why not let electricity do the work?” He called his invention the Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d win on The Price Is Right in 1957? It was small, humble, and about as glamorous as a breadbox, but it changed one way we could cooked forever.

By the 1970, the folks at Rival Company bought Naxon’s gadget, slapped the name Crock-Pot on it, and started preaching the gospel of “start it in the morning, eat like a queen by supper.” And Lord, did we listen. Southern women everywhere .. juggling babies on hips and Tupperware parties on the side were hollerin’ “Hallelujah!” Dinner could finally cook itself while you were at work or gossiping down at the Piggly Wiggly.

By the late 1970s and ’80s, the Crockpot had gone full celebrity status. Church socials? Crockpots everywhere. PTA dinners? You could smell the creamy chicken and wild rice before you even got out of the car. Every family had that one aunt who swore her pot roast was “top secret,” but everyone knew it involved a packet of Lipton onion soup mix. And if your Crockpot wasn’t beige, orange, or that avocado-green color that only looked good next to shag carpet, were you even living right? Those community cookbooks .. the ones spiral-bound with love and a hint of mystery stains .. were stuffed full of slow-cooker gold. You can still find’em at flea markets and yard sales today, right next to the crocheted pot holders and the occasional Jell-O mold recipe that should’ve stayed in 1974.

These days our slow cookers talk to our phones and have more buttons than a church organ. You can program them to start, stop, and sing you lullabies if you want. But the heart of it? Same as always: low, slow, and full of love. I don’t care how fancy it gets .. nothing beats walking into a house that smells like a Sunday roast that’s been simmering since breakfast. It’s like a hug from Grandma and a nap rolled into one.

At the end of the day, Crockpot cooking isn’t just about food .. it’s about slowing down in a world that’s lost its patience. It’s proof that good things .. from pot roast to people .. take time to tender up. So next time you plug in that trusty slow cooker, take a deep breath, pour yourself some sweet tea, and smile because somewhere in Heaven .. or where ever Grandma may be I know she is noddin’ in approval .. and would probably tell ya .. add a little extra butter.

Please make me happier than a chicken with a june bug and tell me your favorite crockpot recipe and any memory you’d like to share.

Thanks for stopping by now…till next time, keep your coffee strong and your Crockpot plugged in!

Lara~

aka Junky Jorja

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