Nola Books, Saints Crafts, and Crock Pot Gumbo
Randomly my daughter brought out this book, What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo, but appropriate, after I set up my crock pot gumbo. She loves this book and all the animals and their silly behavior.
It’s a great book about what happens at night in the Audubon Zoo. It gives all the zoo animals NOLA character, and culture.
My husband and son are from New Orleans, teaching me about culture, and trying all their favorites dishes was very important to them. When we visit we stock up on every Cajun food item that is non perishable or that we can freeze.
The other night, I’m trying to write, but my hubby keeps shouting out Cajun dishes like it’s food porn. I can’t think straight with his ooos and ahhhs and his slurping mouth. It’s that important to him. I think his food nostalgia is triggered by Saints footfall season. My hubby is a simple guy, and doesn’t need much, Saints, and a taste of Nola here and there. I surprised him the other day with these DIY wreaths. We already had the green wreaths from a fabulous summer clearance from At Home . I got all the supplies from Walmart, I didn’t need to go online but shared links so you can get the idea. I painted the football, tied the bows, hot glued pipe cleaners to the back of everything including the letters, and attached with a twist. Each season I can change the wreath. But you can mold it into your own NFL team. My advice is alway keep it simple.
Tonight we will eat gumbo, drink cold root-beer, and watch some pre-season football. This is the easiest crockpot meal that my whole family loves.
Gumbo
-1 pack of Oak Grove Smokehouse
-3 Chicken Breasts
-One 32oz Chicken Broth
-2-3 cups minute rice
-Smoked sausage
-a sprinkle of file ( I never knew this exsisted till my mother-in-law introduced me. It is made from Sassafras leaves. It’s a must have for NOLA stew and gumbos. It has a very familar smell and taste to it, but I can’t put my finger on it. I have heard it smells like root-beer, or eucalyptus, I think it smells like earl grey tea. I’m probably wrong. It brings a different depth of flavor and thickening to the gumbo, but it's not needed if you can not get it.)
Just toss gumbo base, chicken/sausage, and broth all into the crock pot set on low, raw unfrozen chicken shoud be cooked on low for low for approximately 3 hours. Chicken needs to reach 165F on a digital thermometer.
My daughter cannot have organ meat or MSG due to her Galactosemia. I haven’t found a sausage safe for her that we like. We do not put in smoked sausage and it is still just as good.
Once ready, I use two forks to shred the chicken in the pot, I then spoon gumbo over a cup of rice, and sprinkle a little file on top.
I buy chicken in bulk from walmart because its so cheap. I can get 6 breast for around $10, vs regular grocery stores that are around $20 for 5 breast. So I personally use frozen chicken, that I prepackaged and froze from my bulk buy. I set my frozen chicken in the morning on low and forget it till dinner. Just remember to chicken needs to reach 165F on a digital thermometer.
