Stew pot is actually closer, Linda. The style we currently call "Dutch oven" is a flat-bottomed kettle with a lid added. And is, of course, with its heavy, heat-holding design, ideal for stewing. Kettles originally were round bottomed (and some had legs), designed primarily to be hung over an open fire; either from a tripod or a crane. They did not have lids. There was a point, measured in gallons, where a kettle became a cauldren, but I misremember it right now. Thirteen comes to mind, but don't take that to the bank. Dutch ovens, of course, had three legs and a deeply recessed lid so you could put coals both under and on top, to provide even, dry heat. They were used on the hearth, not in the firebox. In the first quarter of the 19th century, "portable" cast iron stoves became popular. Initially kettles were still used by removing an eye and setting the pot right in the hole, over the open fire. Eventually they began modifying the pieces, flattening the bottom and adding a domed lid. A chicken fryer has a somewhat different configuration; being relatively wide for it's height (for stability), and with sidewalls that slope more sharply than those of a skillet. Chicken fryers, too, have domed lids; many of which are of the self-basting type. Now, if you really want to know about hearth trivia, ask me nicely and I'll tell you were the term "hob nobbing" comes from.

This past weekend for a Superbowl party I made a crock full of Norwegian Meatballs, that were a big hit. (They were supposed to be Swedish meatballs but they turned out slightly different than what I intended. :-) The sauce turned out fantastic, but was a little too thin. I bought two large bags of frozen fully-cooked meatballs (making sure they weren't italian style meatballs) and microwaved them. The sauce was as follows: 3/4 stick butter 1 large yellow onion chopped fine 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup flour 6 cup beef stock 1/4 cup medium dry madeira 3 dashes worchestershire sauce 1 pint sour cream melt butter over medium heat, add onion and pepper, cook for about 15 minutes making sure the onion doesn't start browning. Add flour cook for another minute or so. Add remaining ingredients except for sour cream. Cook until sauce thickens. Use stick blender to puree sauce until onions are reduce heat, add sour cream, stir until well blended, pour into crock pot over meatballs. The sauce was really good, but a little thin. I think perhaps a little more flour and also perhaps some paprika for color and flavor.

Well, I don't know about the white dipping cheese, but here are a couple of recipes to get you started - both enjoyed by my family. For a simple nacho cheese sauce, mix 1 pound of cubed Velveeta with a can of diced Rotel tomatoes. Microwave until the cheese is melted, stirring every minute or so. * Exported from MasterCook * Chicken Taco Filling Recipe By : Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 package taco seasoning mix (4 Tablespoons) 1 cup chicken broth 1 pound boned and skinned chicken breast halves Dissolve taco seasoning into chicken broth. Place chicken breasts in crockpot and pour chicken broth over. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. With two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces. Use in soft tacos, hard tacos, burritos, nachos, etc. To Freeze, place shredded meat into freezer bags with the juices. Press out all the air and seal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sharing a favorite Thanksgiving Recipe... Posted by babblingbetty in 2003 Dressing has never been the same at our house! Get lots of request for the recipe....if you don't have a Crock Pot...it bakes up nicely in a 9X13 pan...just be careful not to overbake...remembering there really isn't a lot to cook...because if you were real smart...you cooked the eggs in the cornbread when it was baking! This is a very moist dressing...just in case you prefer a dry one...my family says yuck to dry dressing! This is a family favorite....so good and so easy! Gives you time to sit and visit a while with your family. Notice #1 calls for celery...my family does not care for celery so I use #2 Crockpot Cornbread Dressing #1 Cornbread Dressing 1 cornbread, 8 inch pan 8 slices day old bread, toasted and cubed 4 eggs 1 medium onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 cans cream of chicken soup 2 Tbsp butter Lightly grease crock pot. Crumble cornbread into mixer bowl. Add all ingredients except butter. Pour mixture into crock pot. Dot top with butter. Cook on high 2 hours or on low 3-4 hours. __________________________________________________ Crockpot Dressing #2 1 (8 inch) pan cornbread 8 slices dry white bread 4 eggs 2 c. chicken broth 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 tsp. sage 1/2 tsp. black pepper Celery to taste 1 med. onion 2 tbsp. butter Mix ingredients except butter. Place in crock pot. Dot butter on top. Cook 2 hours on High then 4 hours on low. Have a Wonderful Holiday!