Embrace The Crock Pot

I have had a crock pot for about 7 years.  I could probably count on my hands the number of times I have used it.  I have only used it for spaghetti sauce, chili, pulled pork sandwiches and potato and sausage stew.

I don't love the crock pot..actually, I don't even really like it at all.  I prefer to make all of this stuff on the stove top.

Perhaps it is because my mom never used a crock pot except for meatballs on occasion.
OR
Perhaps it is because my mother-in-law stayed with us for a bit and cooked a roast in it and Brian said it was terrible, but she went on for days about how she cooked it in the crock pot, like she invented the damn thing!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the idea of the crock pot...throw stuff in, forget about it and at the end of the day, eat dinner!

For the past little while, I have heard people talk about their crock pot usage and I say, "I need to learn to embrace my crock pot"  When I got my crock pot, it had a recipe for a whole chicken cooked in the crock pot, but was always too scared to try it.

For some reason, Sunday night I decided I would take the chicken out to thaw and throw it in the pot with potatoes and enjoy supper when I got home from work Monday night.  I found an awesome blog about a woman who used the crock pot to cook a meal every day for one whole year!  http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/  CRAZY!  I just want to make one meal! So, between her site and a couple others I read, I had a recipe all together in my mind....maybe, just maybe, that was where I went a tad wrong.  I concocted my own mix.  I read where someone mixed Dijon mustard and honey together and poured it over the chicken...sounds delish right?!?  I went to bed all excited.  All day I wondered how it was, my little bird.  Was it cooking, would the potatoes be done?  Perhaps with the juices I could whip up a pan gravy!
I opened the door, waiting for the delicious smell to fill my nostrils! 

YUCK! What is THAT smell?!?! 

SUPPER!

The chicken was fall off the bone cooked.  I got it out of the pot and went for the potatoes next.  STUCK TO THE BOTTOM!  Well, I got them out and tasted them!  CRAP!! That is what it tasted like (not that I know from personal experience of course, I just assume they taste the same!)  What would be my next plan of attack?  Clubhouse sandwiches.  I broke out the frying pan, the bacon and the phone book!  Why the phone book you ask?  I called the restaurant to order fries to go with the sandwiches.

All in all, I salvaged the chicken and pulled off supper.

I have not completely given up on the crock pot, but will put it back in the cupboard for a bit until I get inspired to try something else.

So, my question...do you embrace YOUR crock pot?  What do you make!  What can I try to make me love it!?!