Quick Note: Chaos Wolf is on sale for $2.99 through November 30th as part of Book Nook Nuts Thankful 4 Book Boyfriends Book Fest!
This is the last week of NaNoWriMo. I’m still on pace, although the novel is no where near done. But with any luck, I will have the first 50,000 words of Chaos Hunt done by the 30th.
This post originally appeared on The World Remains Mysterious – The Writings of Cat Rambo on May 15th, 2018
I’m not the world’s best cook by any means. If given the option, to steal more time for writing I will order in or use prepackaged dinners. But there are things I make when I need that extra comfort that take-out or microwave meals won’t provide. It was no surprise that one of my favorite home-made meals made its way into my novel Chaos Wolf.
In that scene, Jordan is due to present herself to the alpha werewolf of the Black Oak Pack for one final test. Alpha Shane has made it clear that if she can’t prove that she is in control her shapeshifting, he will kill her. She has just confronted Montgomery, her vampire mentor, about information he has withheld from her. Her trust in him is shaken when she needs his support the most. She’s exhausted emotionally and physically and needs something she can look forward to beyond mere survival. So she cooks.
Jordan doesn’t toss something into the microwave that warms up in two minutes. She doesn’t reach for the take-out cartons from the dinner the night before. She chooses to make a meal that will take a half hour to prepare and ten hours to cook.
In an act of quiet defiance against all of those who think she’s going to fail, Jordan chooses to hope that she will be there to eat it when it’s done. In her mind, it’s not her last meal, but her next meal to look forward to when she returns home.
I have made crockpot short ribs many times. It’s a recipe my mother taught me, and now I make it for her. I can throw it in the slow cooker when I leave for work and it’s ready when I get home. Any crockpot with a low, medium, or high heat setting can be used. I make it when I know I’m going to have a rough day and want something comforting when I get home. While it won’t win any plating awards on cooking shows, it is a delicious and satisfying meal.
Crockpot Short Ribs
- 3.5 Lbs. Bone In Short Ribs
- 6 Russet Potatoes
- 1.5 lb. Carrots
- 2 large Yellow Onions
- 3 Tablespoons Garlic Salt
- 7 Quart Crockpot
Peel and slice half the potatoes into coins and cover the bottom of the crockpot.
Cut the carrots into chunks and layer over the potatoes. I cheat here by using bagged baby carrots.
Cut your yellow onion into eights and layer over the carrots.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of garlic salt on top.
Repeat with another layer of potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic salt.
Place the ribs on top of all the vegetables. Sprinkle with the rest of the garlic salt.
Cover with lid and cook on low heat for ten hours. If you want to do it the “fast” way and don’t mind tougher meat, cook on high for four to five hours.
By the end, the fat on the ribs should have melted and the potatoes and carrots will be tender. Remove the bones and serve in a bowl.
Does Jordan get to enjoy her meal? You’ll have to read the book to find out.