'Tis Hunting Time—A smallish blog

[Shelby]

7 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

@Shelbythat is a big boy grinder!  Nice.  It is so much easier when one has the right tools…using a Kitchen Aid grinder attachment would have taken you all day.

 

thank you for taking the time to bring us along.🥰

SO true.

 

One of the best purchases we've ever made.  It came from a restaurant supply store.  I bet we've had it for at least 20 years and it's still going strong.

 

 

[Smithy]

19 minutes ago, Shelby said:

SO true.

 

One of the best purchases we've ever made.  It came from a restaurant supply store.  I bet we've had it for at least 20 years and it's still going strong.

 

 

 

That might be what we have to do. We also discovered that the KitchenAid meat grinder attachment is too wimpy, so we bought another grinder at Gander Mountain. It lasted us a few years, but the last time we tried it the grinder made a horrible noise as though the gears themselves were grinding. We haven't made sausage in a while so haven't pursued the issue, but if we can't repair it I'll look for something sturdier when the time comes.

[billyhill]

On 12/9/2022 at 5:02 PM, Smithy said:

 

That might be what we have to do. We also discovered that the KitchenAid meat grinder attachment is too wimpy, so we bought another grinder at Gander Mountain. It lasted us a few years, but the last time we tried it the grinder made a horrible noise as though the gears themselves were grinding. We haven't made sausage in a while so haven't pursued the issue, but if we can't repair it I'll look for something sturdier when the time comes.

 

I am concerned I will kill My wife's 20+ year old KitchenAid Mixer trying to grind 20 to 30 lbs of meat. I do not think she would take it very well.  I am looking at a LEM or Weston 1/2 to 3/4 hp unit.

[Okanagancook]

Ditto for the sausage making attachment for the Kitchen Aid….useless.  If you are going to make sausage every year, get a 5 lb piston sausage stuffer.  Make sausage with friends…too much fun.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

I've owned a horizontal 5 lb. piston stuffer (Italian made) for about twenty years. Well designed, easy to clean, and a breeze to use.

When I started I used my grinder to stuff casings and it took a toll on both my patience and the grinder.

Definitely recommend.

 

[Shelby]

It's me again 😊

 

Our friend arrives this morning.  I don't know how the hunting is going to be,  but I suspect not very good.....it's hot.  Highs in the 90's every day.  We're 5 out of 8 on the fire danger level for today.  We really need some rain.  The only season open is dove right now...duck closed for a bit and will reopen later.  I think they may go to a lake and fish sometime.  Anyway, you might just be stuck seeing food pictures and hearing me complain about being tired 🤣.

 

I did my usual fall decorating--I wasn't really in the mood since it feels like July,  but I took some pictures :

 

 

 

 

 

The corn is from our field corn--Ronnie picked some for me and strung them together so I could hang them

 

 

And look at those two massive pumpkins!  They are on either side of the ladder.  It's hard to tell in this picture but they are HUGE--to us anyway.  We just planted regular pumpkin seeds.  These two weigh at least 60 lbs each.

 

 

For the first time at our place the farmers planted Milo which is a type of sorghum.  Kind of fun to have something different.  I enjoyed watching it grow.  They just harvested it on Monday.  Not sure if they are going to keep it for themselves to feed their cattle with or if they took it to the Co-op.

 

 

When it's about ready to harvest it turns this lovely reddish color

 

 

I've been scrubbing the house for days now, all the while thinking that @Anna Nwould be telling me that cleaning is way overrated--and she's right lol.  I need to make two different kinds of bread today, spaghetti sauce (some tomatoes from the garden need to be used before they go bad), I have tomatillos to do something with....and so on.  

 

I picked up a package of roast beef at Sam's yesterday to make pickle roll ups with so, needing a quick easy dinner last night, I used some of that and made a sort of French dip sandwich with tater tots (made extra of those for breakfast burritos) and shishito peppers.

 

 

 

I'm off to have morning meeting with the outside cats.  Be back later  

 

[Smithy]

So glad to see you blogging again, even if the season doesn't feel seasonable! As always, I love your decorations and admire your energy. I agree with @Anna N about housecleaning being overrated, but it still seems necessary sometimes. I find that having company coming is my best motivator.

 

I have a surfeit of tomatoes that I should use up today -- several pounds worth. One can only have so many BLT sandwiches though I've been scratching that itch lately. I ask you, therefore: what's your favorite quick tomato sauce? These are big beefsteak tomatoes and I haven't been pleased with slow-roasting slices as I'd do with cherry tomatoes.

[Shelby]

9 minutes ago, Smithy said:

So glad to see you blogging again, even if the season doesn't feel seasonable! As always, I love your decorations and admire your energy. I agree with @Anna N about housecleaning being overrated, but it still seems necessary sometimes. I find that having company coming is my best motivator.

 

I have a surfeit of tomatoes that I should use up today -- several pounds worth. One can only have so many BLT sandwiches though I've been scratching that itch lately. I ask you, therefore: what's your favorite quick tomato sauce? These are big beefsteak tomatoes and I haven't been pleased with slow-roasting slices as I'd do with cherry tomatoes.

Same here--company coming is my ONLY motivator.  My cleaning angel has Lyme's Disease and hasn't been able to come since last December soooooooo.....it was super dusty.  Hopefully I can be a grown up and remember that if I just do a quick dust using my Swiffer every day it doesn't have to turn into the Sahara Desert.

 

I don't measure this, I just dump and eyeball.  Peel tomatoes and roughly chop.  Add what veggies you like--also chopped.  My go-to is onion, carrots (if need to be used), bell pepper, zucchini and/or yellow squash.  I like to roast and eggplant and peel and add if I have it.  Garlic of course.   Saute all the veggies besides the tomatoes in olive oil--sometimes I add a pat or two of butter--until a bit softened.  Deglaze with a few glugs of red wine.  Add tomatoes and spices--basil and oregano...salt and pepper.  I like some Lawry's salt.  A few pinches of red pepper flakes.  Simmer on low for several hours until it thickens up.  If you're in a hurry or it doesn't get as thick as you want it (look away chefs) I sometimes add a bit of store bought sauce.

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

 

At first glance my eye interpreted the cat-cutout and the toy truck as a chainsaw, which struck me as an odd decor choice. Then I blinked and it all came properly into focus. I've been dealing with our winter's firewood lately, so I'll blame it on that!

[FauxPas]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

I did my usual fall decorating--I wasn't really in the mood since it feels like July,  but I took some pictures

 

I just love everything about your home - the warmth and charm of the wood, the decor and the food! Surprised that neither of the real cats did a photo-bomb, though.  🙂

 

[Shelby]

35 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

 

I just love everything about your home - the warmth and charm of the wood, the decor and the food! Surprised that neither of the real cats did a photo-bomb, though.  🙂

 

They've known that something is up.....mom never cleans this much unless a stranger is going to invade our domain.   Too much of that vacuum machine monster.

[rotuts]

Great 

 

Looking forward to this .

 

dusting off the Filson.

[heidih]

2 hours ago, chromedome said:

At first glance my eye interpreted the cat-cutout and the toy truck as a chainsaw, which struck me as an odd decor choice. Then I blinked and it all came properly into focus. I've been dealing with our winter's firewood lately, so I'll blame it on that!

I did the same. Chainsaws echoing here thru canyons dealing with downed trees and I also thought alluding to some horror movie.

[billyhill]

Thanks for the reminder! It's time to start cleaning out the freezers

[Shelby]

Good morning!

 

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I had planned.  Not unusual for me lol.  

 

Garden is still producing a bit--I don't think the okra is ever going to die.  Some plants are over 12' tall now.  One can get smacked in the face while pulling them over to pick if you're not careful.

 

 

Got 2 loaves of bread done.  Need to make sandwich bread today.

 

 

I'm more forgetful than I was last time.  I made breakfast sandwiches--just sausage patties, sunny side up eggs and cheese on English muffins.  Then I stuffed some mushrooms with a mix of cream cheese and shredded cheddar seasoned with Tony's Cajun seasoning.  Topped those with bread crumbs and baked.  Along side that the usual cream cheese/roast beef/pickle roll ups.  Totally forgot to take pictures.  sigh.  

 

Dinner was tomatoes (of course lol)

 

 

Bagged Asian salad that is surprisingly good

 

 

Hot wings and fries

 

 

 

Sour cherries sorbet for dessert

 

 

It's hot already outside.  You can almost tell from this sunrise picture they sent:

 

 

I do love seeing our windmill

 

 

[Shelby]

We may break heat records today.  I'm so ready for cooler weather!  Will it ever get here?

 

The guys were able to get about 10 doves yesterday morning so we will have them for dinner tomorrow night--hopefully they will get more this morning.  A few pictures from yesterday.  They took the 4 wheelers out and planted the food plot with rye--we have a seeding attachment that can be pulled behind them.

 

 

Scout was absolute heaven.

 

 

 

She retrieved every bird.  That's her swimming in the pond.

 

 

They were going to go fishing today but over the summer some significant damage happened at the shooting house

 

 

So they have to go back out to work on it.

 

Garden pick yesterday:

 

 

Sandwich bread done--now if they come home for lunch I have something to feed them lol.

 

 

I did a charcuterie board using my favorite board from @Ann_T

 

 

 

 

My pickled okra--I didn't do anything different but it is the best I've ever made.  Maybe because of the okra itself?,  habanero cheese, sharp cheddar, spiced pecans, herbed roasted cashews, salamis, blue cheese stuffed olives, crackers and an herby brie.

 

Breakfasts for this morning:

 

 

I made my spaghetti sauce mid-morning and kept it simmering all day.  Sometimes I'm weird about smelling certain foods all day long cooking and I don't want to eat them for dinner but not spaghetti sauce!  I did an Italian sausage meatball and just some regular ones.  Salad and French bread to go with.

 

 

Raspberry and blueberry galette for dessert

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Shelby (log)

[KennethT]

4 minutes ago, Shelby said:

They were going to go fishing today but over the summer some significant damage happened at the shooting house

 

 

 

 

Is that graffiti on the shooting house?  I imagine there's no one around to do it, so it Ronnie and company did it.  The darker marks almost look like antlers or is that my imagination/rorschach ink blot?

[Shelby]

6 minutes ago, KennethT said:

 

Is that graffiti on the shooting house?  I imagine there's no one around to do it, so it Ronnie and company did it.  The darker marks almost look like antlers or is that my imagination/rorschach ink blot?

Yeah......I think they were attempting antlers 🙄.  Artists they are not 🤣

[heidih]

Thank goodness Ms Scout had that water to cool off in!  Ummm - we wanna see the board nekkid! Your offerings a nice selection though

[lemniscate]

4 hours ago, Shelby said:

Sometimes I'm weird about smelling certain foods all day long cooking and I don't want to eat them for dinner

OMG!  I'm the same.   I thought I was the only one.  That's why I default to long cooks using the outside kitchen.  My IP's and Oster oven and an induction hob live on the patio.

 

I think green chile stew is the only smell I can tolerate for hours and still want to eat it.

[Shelby]

13 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

OMG!  I'm the same.   I thought I was the only one.  That's why I default to long cooks using the outside kitchen.  My IP's and Oster oven and an induction hob live on the patio.

 

I think green chile stew is the only smell I can tolerate for hours and still want to eat it.

@suzilightningwas like us too!  Pork roast really gets me not hungry--it does smell good while it's cooking but after 8-9 hours.  No.  Especially if it's hot outside.

[ElsieD]

8 hours ago, Shelby said:

@suzilightningwas like us too!  Pork roast really gets me not hungry--it does smell good while it's cooking but after 8-9 hours.  No.  Especially if it's hot outside.

 

I'm in that camp as well.  It's  not all foods, but some.  Chicken stock in particular leaves me with little to no appetite after smelling it all day.

[heidih]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

 

I'm in that camp as well.  It's  not all foods, but some.  Chicken stock in particular leaves me with little to no appetite after smelling it all day.

Ha! My avatar dog Murphy would worship all night when I did crock pot chicken stock, wait patiently as I decanted next morn and put some in a big stainless biwl for him to clean up/slurp up. I was good with smell. 

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

Scout's in her element doing what she loves.

 

[Shelby]

Happy Saturday!!

 

The guys came home super tired and sweaty--they did a lot of work--but before that they hunted.

 

Beautiful moon first thing in the morning

 

 

Doves!

 

 

They had company-the cows came to observe

 

 

Scout is distressed at the moment.  The guys went to go work at another property and aren't hunting today so she's stuck at home with me.  There's a lot of pacing and whining going on lol.

 

Here's @Ann_T's beautiful board.  My mom got it for me

 

 

 

Back to food :  they texted me that they were on their way home around noon so I made a little lunch.  Just roast beef sandwiches with onion, cheese, tomato and lettuce.  I also set out some cold chicken wings left from the other night.

 

 

Then I actually got to take a nap!  It was just what I needed.  

 

Since they had lunch they didn't want any appetizers so I went to work on breakfast burritos for this morning.

 

 

Dinner was ribs that Ronnie smoked a couple weeks ago and I froze them--45 minutes in the IP and then under the broiler with some BBQ sauce.  Sides were Mac and cheese, tomatoes and @kayb's fried okra which is just like my grammy made it

 

 

Tonight is dove night!

Edited September 30, 2023 by Shelby (log)