The Crock Pot - God's Gift to Mother's Everywhere. Review AND Recipe!

I'm ashamed to admit but I've never owned a Crock Pot. I know, you're probably thinking, "Seriously? What is wrong with you, AP?" But it's true. In my three and a half years of marriage and now motherhood, I've managed to survive sans Crock Pot. Although at times, barely, let's just say it hasn't been easy. Can we still be friends?
When CSNStores contacted me a few weeks ago about doing a product review, I didn't think twice about hopping on that train and ordering up a Crock Pot, mostly because I just love the fine folks there. With a baby that rarely naps, desperate times called for desperate measures. Imagine, yours truly, scrambling every night around 5pm in a wild attempt to have some semblance of dinner cooked and prepared by the time The Husband walked through the door. Not a pretty picture, my friends. Not a pretty picture. 
CSNStores, I can't thank you enough. I ordered my new best kitchen-friend (move over, Kitchen-Aid!) on Monday at 1pm. By Tuesday, the following day, at 3pm, this beauty was already waiting for me with open arms on my front door. 

The Crock Pot arrived safely packaged and without so much as a scratch. Truth be told, I was so excited about my new addition that I had to call The Husband at work immediately to let him know of it's arrival. Within seconds I had it unpacked and sitting on the counter, ready for action. I already knew that our first Crock Pot meal would be Chicken Salsa. Well, sort of. 

After having used this West Bend Crock Pot for a meal, there are several things that I absolutely love about it. First and foremost? The price. Although I was compensated with a gift card for the review of this product, this Crock Pot is a super affordable $27.71. For a 6-quart crockery? You can't beat that price. Believe me, I did my research!
It has three settings, High - Low - Warm which for this Crock Pot virgin? Seemed absolutely perfect. I guess it's important to note that it also has a 20-hour automatic shut-off. Pretty neat, huh? 
Perhaps the best thing that I love about this Crock Pot is that it's dishwasher safe. Remember, I barely have enough hours in the day to cook a meal, let alone hand wash all of the dishes that it requires. So dishwasher safe? Is a MAJOR plus in my book!
Not to mention the stainless steel shell and stay-cool handles. Keep wowing me, West Bend! I'm hooked!

All in all? I give this Crock Pot five stars! Not to mention the customer service and kind folks at CSNStores. As always, it's been great working with you!
Oh, I'm sure you're wondering how dinner turned out, right? Well, I had all intentions of making a dish called Chicken Salsa that my Sister-in-Law has raved about time and time again. Some chicken? Some salsa? Dumped into a Crock Pot? Stop it. You're kidding right?
Well, if you happen to know me at all, you know I don't like to follow a recipe. Sometimes I like to think I'm Cat Cora in the kitchen and can just throw things together and wha-la! Delicious dinner. Well, that's pretty much what happened. So, what did I make? 
Husband likes to call it "Mexican Pulled Chicken Dinner." Sure, I made most of it up, but it was delicious! And isn't that what truly counts?

What you'll need:4 boneless skinless chicken breasts32 ounces salsa (I used 15 ounces, Medium)1 bag frozen sweet corn kernels1 can drained black beans1 can drained diced tomatoes8 ounces sour cream1/2 packet Taco SeasoningDash of olive oil
Accouterments:Flour tortillasMexican shredded cheese Shredded lettuceSour Cream Hot Sauce
What to do:Coat the bottom of the crock with a tiny bit of olive oil
Throw in your first seven ingredients. Seriously. Could it be any easier? I threw them into the crock in the order that they are listed. 
The original recipe for Chicken Salsa called for a cook time of 6 hours on LOW. Since I started this dish at 2pm in the afternoon (no judgies!), I checked with my Twitter Friends if it was alright to cook on HIGH for 3 hours. After a resounding yes, that's just what I set out to do. 
I ended up cooking on HIGH for 4 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, I pulled the chicken from the pot, shredded it and then added it back to the pot. Despite draining a lot of the excess liquid in the ingredients, it was a bit soupy for my taste, so I threw in a dash of flour.
When The Husband phoned from the car to let me know he'd be home in 30, I turned the Crock Pot to "WARM" and let it work it's Crock Pottery magic. Seriously, this was basically the easiest dinner I've ever cooked in  my entire life. 

If only The Husband wouldn't mind Crock Pot Dinners every night of the week!  

So, how did I serve this "Mexican Pulled Chicken Dinner?" On Tortillas of course! I guess it was kind of like a Chicken Burrito, only better. Throw in a little cheese, some shredded lettuce, a heaping spoonful of sour cream and hot sauce to your liking! Perfection.

So, Meal Number Uno in the Crock Pot? A raging success! 

So, what are your favorite Crock Pot Meals? I'd LOVE to expand my Crock Pot repertoire!