Slow cookers hot for '09?

While anchoring may be the premiere trend expectation for 2009, this is really a catch-all term for the many things people will do to nest in the coming months — from purchasing cable knit blankets and gourmet hot chocolate to kitting out home bars and theatre sets.

One fascinating facet is the prophesied rise of the slow cooker. One such prediction comes from the CBC's Food Bytes team, which writes that as people stay in more, they will turn to the slow cooker, "the perfect vessel for comfort food, and turning inexpensive cuts of meat into nourishing meals."

As a new-ish slow cooker owner, I'm still learning to branch out from the chili and pasta sauce standbys, but certainly enjoy coming home to a warm, cooked meal after a day of work.

And, I recently learned there's lots of room to grow — props to Food Bytes for sharing the link — with the "A Year of Crockpotting" blog.

Blogger Stephanie was a little ahead of the curve, spending 2008 trying a different recipe every day. From a solid beef and broccoli recipe (which I tried yesterday) to candles and even a full turkey, she reviews each effort — including some failures — for a full 366 days (it was a leap year).

What do you think? Will you dust off your slow cooker and/or try some new recipes this winter?