An Appeal for Easy Recipes

I like to cook, I really do.  Martha Stewart is a GENIUS!!  I mean if I am hosting a gathering she is the first person I go to.  I just don't have tons of time right now for hostessing or cooking for even the two of us.  I need some simple recipes that I can whip up really quickly when I get home from a long day.  So I looked at some crock pot recipes but some of these have some wild ingredients!  What in the heck is agave by the way??  I've seen it as juice, but is it from a fruit, stems from plants, something synthetic?  And what do you do with it??  And finally, WHY is it in so many different recipes I wanna make?  And where do you find fennel?  Fennel and tarragon are in everything.  I Cannot find them in a store!  The recipes usually have fifty ingredients too, even crock pot ones.  So give me some of your best quick/easy/not requiring a trip to three different stores recipes.  I will appreciate your recipes and tips forever and ever and ever amen!