What a week!! Country music star Dierks Bentley reposted our note about him and the steak sandwiches we were cooking on The Moose at the Iowa Speedway during NASCAR weekend. Then we received a wonderful photo of ABC’s Sara Haines in a super cool Moose Fireplace Grill hat.

We are moving up in this world.
It’s been a pretty fun couple of years.
I recently had a great conversation with another small business owner who asked me what the best part of this whole Moose thing has been.

Truthfully, two words came to mind: Family and learning.
First, family.
This is truly a family business. Everyone in the Allen 7 has helped. All of the kids and Emily have been such a huge part of this adventure. Whether it’s helping at events, taking photos, setting up, tearing down or just being along for the ride, it has taken all seven of us to make The Moose what it is today. They have all helped me chase after this dream and make it possible. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

And then there’s the learning.
I know a whole lot more now about what small business owners go through with logistics, taxes, patent paperwork, inventory, scheduling—and welding.
The last two years have been fun, frustrating, enjoyable and educational. I've learned a lot about owning a small business and a lot about myself.
Including the realization that I really enjoy cooking and eating.
A lot.

But somewhere along the way, this became about more than building and selling a really cool fireplace grill.
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I was sitting in my good friend Jessica’s office last week, and we were discussing our next steps with The Moose Fireplace Grill, LLC. We just celebrated our two-year anniversary as a company, and as I was talking about the future, I felt myself getting a bit more animated.
Jessica mentioned that she loves my passion for this idea.
And she's right. Continuing to develop this business gets us Allens fired up.

I started telling her about what I would love to do if this works the way Emily and I hope it does. Both of my parents, John and Margaret Allen, were educators. Lifelong teachers. Emily and I have talked several times over the last few years about what it would mean if The Moose grew enough that we could start establishing scholarships in their names.

Maybe we start with colleges and universities around Iowa. And someday, who knows? Maybe we could do it all over the place.
We could help young men and women who want to become educators get through college with minimal debt and into classrooms as soon as possible. How awesome would that be?

We don't know where this adventure is going to take us. Two years in, we're still learning. We're still working. We're still figuring things out as we go.

One week we're doing paperwork and figuring out inventory. Another week we're cooking steak sandwiches at NASCAR and finding out Dierks Bentley shared our post.
Maybe we're heading in the right direction.
Only time will tell. But that's the endgame. That's the goal.
In the meantime, we're going to keep building. Keep learning. Keep cooking. Keep dreaming.
And hopefully we'll get to gather around a lot more Moose Fireplace Grills with a lot more people along the way.
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Gather around & stay awhile folks,
​Mark

We had the Moose Grills fired up last week and the food was delicious. I get asked every now and then what is my favorite item I prepare on the grills. The answer: When we cook up our veggie packets, they are amazing!

Moose Fireplace Grill Veggie Packets:

• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Green Pepper
• 1 Red Onion
• 2 Idaho Potatoes

+Cut them up. Dice up potatoes, dice up the onion. Cut up the peppers.
+Tear off sheets to tinfoil
+Divide up veggies, potatoes, and onion onto the sheets. This should be enough for 3-4 sheets.
+Drizzle extra virgin olive oil onto the veggies
+Salt and pepper to taste
+Tear off sheets of tinfoil, place on top and fold all around to seal

Place on top of your Moose. Continue to cook until you hear the sizzle of the olive oil and veggies working together. Wait several more minutes to make sure the potatoes are tender. On a lit grill, this is usually 15-20 minutes.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know
As I got out and meet people at community events, farmers markets, the Craft Beer Festival, and even just one of the kids' ballgames, the same questions keep 
Can you keep the grills at a consistent temperature? On The Moose Fireplace Grill we have smoked chicken wings and drumsticks and have been able to maintain the temperature between 250–300° just fine. And that dinner was amazing with some fresh Iowa sweet corn!

Also, I’ve been asked "Does the fire burn your leg hair?". As with any fire or grill you need to be careful, but just standing nearby cooking and enjoying the grill I've never lost a single leg hair. LOL! I always wear an apron and cooking gloves just to be safe and it works just fine.

Thanks for reading my first blog post. I'll be sharing some Moose Adventures, more recipes and new products so be sure to tune in to read The Moose Tracks. 

Have a great day!
~ Mark (aka The Moose) Allen

A new blog from Mark Allen - owner, inventor and the OG Moose - sharing stories, recipes, ideas and more about his journey developing The Moose Fireplace Grill. Stay tuned! First blog post coming soon!