Trapped... So We Cook!

Clover among the clover.

So, I have this moose that has been a frequent visitor, since this summer. Her mother was hit and she showed up in our yard and stayed for almost a month. She ate a lot of clover (which is what my son Connor named her) and slept right out by our porch. We worried, when we left for a month, if she would survive, because she was so little. When we got back, we didn't see her for a while, but then here she came, ADOPTED! Another female was allowing her to tag along, which we were told was a regular occurrence.

 

A visit last summer.

Clover and her adoptive mother.

Fast forward to this morning. It's been snowing a lot! Here comes Clover looking for a pumpkin (which she ate during her last visit). Finding no pumpkin, she did something I never would have thought a moose would do. She got into one of my garbage cans and spread it just like a darn dog would do! Arg! Okay, so I like having her around, but not like this. I opened my door, took a step out onto the porch (where my trash cans are) and said, "Naughty moose! You go away!" and you know what she did? She bellowed at me! Yikes! I quickly got back inside and had to rethink how to get her away from the mess so I could clean up and secure the trash better. After a bit of trial and error, the neighbor helped lure her away, and I popped an umbrella at her a few times to keep her at bay while I took care of the mess. I also found out that at least this moose, doesn't appreciate the smell of Listerine sprayed on the snow around the trash cans. Whew!

Naughty Clover!

She is still out there. I threw some prunes out another door, hoping to lure her away long enough to finish cleaning, and she is now sleeping in front of the back yard porch. I sure hope those prunes don't give her the poops! Oh well.

Connor saying hello to Clover

So, we are trapped! The kids are home from school for parent/teacher conferences and going stir crazy because the moose makes it unsafe to go outside and play. She comes up to the windows and nuzzles the window. Sure seems like she could be a big sweetie, but moose are very territorial, especially around food this time of year. So, with the kids doing crafts, I brainstormed dinner. I figured one out from various items I had on hand and hope you find this one as yummy as I know it will be! Enjoy!

Creamy Crockpot Italian Chicken

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• bacon drippings (what I had) or 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green onion chive diced
• 1 (0.7-ounce) package Italian dressing mix
• 1/2 cup pork broth (or chicken, but I had pork left over)
• 1 (10-ounce) container refrigerated four cheese Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Brown chicken thighs in bacon drippings (or olive oil if no drippings handy) until browned. Place in crock pot. 

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, cream cheese, garlic, chives, Italian dressing mix, broth, Alfredo sauce, Italian seasoning, and pepper and stir until blended. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Stir well, then serve over hot cooked pasta or rice.
You could easily add vegetables to this recipe to make it a one-dish meal. A package of slightly cooked baby carrots, or a cup of chopped sauteed onion should be placed under the chicken and cooked for the full time. Add sliced mushrooms to the crock pot in the last 2 hours. And add sliced bell peppers or zucchini during the last hour of cooking. Serves 4-6

London Broil: Unknown to London and I'm Not Broiling It

According to Wikipedia, London Broil is not a cut of meat, but the method in which it is cooked. The cut is typically flank steak. Further, it is unknown to London, England. I chose this meat, because it was on sale and I wanted a large roasting type of meat to cook in the crock pot. For some reason, I am craving red meat, which may or may not be due to me being in the process of relactating (I'll discuss this in another post). I love the process of marinating over a period of time, because the flavor isn't just on top of the meat, but all through it. Here is a wonderful recipe for a marinade that is divine. I put this in my crock pot, because it's so much easier to start in the morning and go about my VERY busy day without worrying about if it's drying out or the house catching fire.

I was running around with "too many irons in the fire" as is typical for the average mommy and ended up finishing making the marinade one handed, with Lachlan in his wrap, while feeding him a bottle to prevent a break down. I felt pretty accomplished. Only thing that would have made it perfection, was if I could have been nursing. Soon though. Soon.

Marinated Slow Cooker London Broil

To begin, the night before the desired day for having the London Broil, make this marinade for the meat and allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight:

•  1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 C. lime juice
• 4 lrg cloves of garlic minced or 4 Tblsp jarred minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 C. olive oil

Place all ingredients into a large zip lock bag, squishing around to mix and then add your 2 to 2 1/2 lb London Broil to the bag. Put in refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, in the crock, put potatoes and peppers. Pour 1/4 C. water over all the veggies. Carefully remove meat and place on top of veggies, then pour remaining marinade over meat and veggies.

In the crock, ready to cook!

Cook on low over 6 to 8 hours.

The marinade soaks into the potatoes along with the juices from the meat and the onions are almost caramelized. The whole cooking process makes the house smell divine and I am pretty sure I saw some poor hungry single men hovering around the windows of my house, attracted by the smell of my wonderful homemade meal. Poor things. So, single gals, this may be a great trick for luring a good man into your lair.