Out shopping recently I returned with a bagful of great foods. Which included some pork and beef for casseroles, some chicken, with skin on ... which I love cooking 'til it's browned and crispy! I had a great selection of vegetables too, things like swede, carrots, leeks, onions, broccoli, courgettes, cauliflower, mushrooms and I didn't forget the eggs, butter or avocado either. Did I also mention I bought some lovely low carb fruits ... raspberries and strawberries - well they go so nice with double cream don't they!
I was looking forward to getting indoors, un-packing the shopping and relaxing with a nice cup of tea...
I opened the front door, put my bags down to pick up the post and a sudden movement caught my eye ... what was that I thought.
I looked down and looking up at me was a little field mouse, which quickly scurried into the corner, whiskers twitching. Hey ' mouse' you're in the wrong place I thought ... you should definitely be outside. But what was I to do? The sensible thing would be to pick it up and gently put it back outside. The thought went through my mind but for some reason I just could not bring myself to pick up the mouse ... and there we were just staring at each other. You silly thing I told myself you are a grown woman who is afraid of a tiny mouse !!!
Fortunately my 'Knight In Shining Armour' arrived ... AKA Eddie. He must have sensed his damsel was in distress !!!
He quickly found a little box and gently got the mouse into it, and then very carefully placed the unexpected visitor in the hedgerow.
Pork casserole rustic style
This meal is one of our favourites.
Ingredients:
Serves two
2/3 pork chops remove fat and cut into small pieces
2 large leeks chopped
1 hand full of button mushrooms
1 large sliced carrot
1 table spoon of dried mixed herbs
Approx 1 pint of gravy stock
Salt and pepper to taste.
Method
Clean, cut and place all ingredients in a casserole dish or earthenware oven proof pot with lid. Pour over the stock and cook at 190c in an electric oven 90 mins. Gas mark 5.
What could be easier, very lowcarb, real food and tastes great.
... Thanks for reading.
All the best Jan
22 comments:
Don't mind mice. Don't like spiders.
Jenny S
Meant to say like the recipe
Jenny S
Awww, bless it. Glad it got rescued and returned to where it was meant to be. That's the kind of food we like here, and it's the type of food I like to cook, very simple.
Good for setting him free. They seem to find ways in.
The soup looks great.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Mice at my house aren't that lucky: the dogs hunt them and I trap them. The mice here are too skittish to be picked up and my house would be overrun with them in winter if I didn't get rid of them.
Spiders, OTOH, are left in peace in my house as long as they're not too scary.
Thanks for visiting, Jan.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Laughing at the mouse standoff. Looks like a great recipe. I'll definitely give it a try.
They look so cute:)
But better outdoors than in.
I had such a laugh with the mouse standoff! And I have to say that I was SO pleased that you set it free. I do the same. Once in awhile one will get in here by accident and unfortunately for the poor thing, my cats nab it. Every single time. Thankfully, I discover the cat and mouse game going on before the cats go in for the kill. I trap the traumatized mouse, walk down to the green space near our home and set it free. And always say to it "Boy, did you get lucky!"
Over 55 years ago I was out in a woods with some pals. We were collecting wood for a fire. We had some potatoes and sausages for a little feast. Someone picked up a log and a frog jumped out. Someone shouted kill it, with a reflex action I hit the frog with a lump of wood, killing it instantly. I have been ashamed of that most of my life.
If I ever kill another living creature it will because I am starving and need to live. OK, I eat meat and fish, and I know part of the price I pay is for someone else to kill for me. A hell of a paradox and maybe very hypocritical.
Eddie
Oh my dear, I did like the mouse standoff. I can picture it quite easily.
Eddie, we can and have done things in our youth that are perhaps best forgotten, or indeed we learn from the situation.
Very nice way to end the day that meal looks most enjoyable.
Kath ( retired HCP )
I enjoyed the story about the mouse. :-)))
The recipe is wonderful!
Carla
It's a sad fact of life that for us to live, something has to die, whether it's for the value of its meat, or to keep it from eating crops, or to keep it out of the house. All we can do is avoid wasting food and never kill just for sport.
Enjoyed the story and reading the comments. Wife fully appreciated the stand off.
Aside from the story I hear what Lori is saying we should avoid wasting food and never kill just for the sport. There is too much food waste in certain countries while others go hungry. Something is wrong but that is another story and perhaps not for this post here.
Ted
Eddie said...
We were collecting wood for a fire. We had some potatoes and sausages for a little feast. Someone picked up a log and a frog jumped out. Someone shouted kill it, with a reflex action I hit the frog with a lump of wood, killing it instantly. I have been ashamed of that most of my life.
You murdered a poor little defenceless frog ! I am appalled and at your complete disregard for gods creatures and have reported your dastardly deed to Kermit, expect a visit from Miss Piggy in the near future.
Still in shock
Graham
It is so weird but I'm afraid of mice yet I love chipmunks and squirrels and they are rodents too when you really think about it. Have a gentle weekend.
i'd have gotten a towel and grabbed him up in it. they're cute little buggers but i hate having them in the house and leaving their messes about. :)
I'm a huge fan of rustic cookery. Looks good.
Oh how sweet, i like mice to an extent, but i hate the way they scuttle about and they can totally terrify me if i find them unexpectedly! Also, I agree with TexWisGirl about their messes....
I said "awwwww!" too, when I read that Eddie caught and set him free.... :-)
One winter when I was out of town, J found a little house-mouse in the canary's cage -- naturally, he got in their to scavange seed. So J managed to scare him out and was trying to capture him under a basket when the mouse "charged" at him, according to his story. I wish i'd been there to see him running down the hall squealing like a little girl with a two-ounce mouse on his trail!
Goodness me ... THANK YOU ALL so much for reading and taking time to comment on the Unexpected Visitor. It has been great to read all your comments and stories, and I'm sure all who have read this post have loved reading them to.
You are all stars ... thank you.
Have a Happy Weekend - and hope you do not have any Unexpected Visitors!!!
Take Care
All the best Jan
:-)
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