It is time.

Yes. It is crock-pot time!
There is a chill in the air and winter is encroaching.
It is so nice to walk in the door around 6 pm and smell a wonderful stew-like smell knowing that all I have to do is make a salad and throw a loaf of bread in the oven because I was smart enough to have started my crock-pot up twelve hours earlier.
Yes, that's the catch. You can't be spontaneous with a crock-pot as it is a slow cooker. You have to plan ahead and know what you are preparing for dinner that morning.
But the pay off is amazing! It's like having your own wife :)