Recently I've been thinking about dutch ovens. It seems that all the recipes I want to try or have tried recently, call for one. At first I didn't think it was a big deal but so far, I'm 0-2 for total success with trying to substitute with my crockpot. They are very different tools and even with my adjustments, it's just not the same. 

I never thought I'd want one and probably didn't completely know what it was when I first married my husband. But now I'm beginning to think it should be as essential as a crockpot. I mean, can you really saute or simmer anything in a crockpot?! No. And the reason I love the crockpot (one pot to clean!) is the same reason I think I'd love a nice cast iron dutch oven. One of my new favorite cooking websites is TheRedbirdLife. She is SO good at explaining how to make dishes (especially for a newbie foodie like myself). Plus we're legally related and I love that. It's like knowing a famous person! But better because I can talk with her. :) And our kids are similar in age so we have a lot in common. Anyway, a few of the recipes she has require a dutch oven and I love that! I can just smell the spices simmering in the bottom of it...but, of course, that's in my head because I'll tell you that NOTHING simmers in a crockpot when you first kick that on! Long and slow....which is, obviously, one of its strongest qualities.

My birthday is coming up. The fact that I even considered wanting a dutch oven for my birthday shows that I must really be an adult. As if getting married, having two children and living in a house aren't already evidence that I'm aging.... As a child, when you think of your birthday there are images of shiny, new toys and fun objects to entertain the mind. As much as I'd love to be pampered on my birthday, I've begun to think in more practical ways, considering the great benefit to the family if I were to become the proud owner of a dutch oven. We'll see. I may change my mind and hope for something more "fun" like new clothes or makeup. Mostly for my birthday I just want to be with my husband. If I could wish for anything, including a dutch oven, he'd ALWAYS win. He's more than just a whimsical idea that maybe I'll be a better cook with that dutch oven. With him as my ideal husband, there's always the hope that I can be a better wife.