Saturday, November 28, 2009

Why we shoot deer in the wild...


This may make you pee in your pants.....!!!! Enjoy!

(A letter from someone who wants to remain anonymous, who farms, writes well and actually tried this)

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up-- 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold.

The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope .., and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no chance.

That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual.
Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand...kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.

It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp... I learned a long time ago that, when an animal --like a horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope......

to sort of even the odds!!

All these events are true... An Educated Farmer

Friday, November 27, 2009

I'm a pooped little puppy





I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We certainly did. :) Since dad is in Africa working, mom and I went to Josh's parents for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful. We ate and ate and ate...it was great, the food was awesome! In fact, I think we all had seconds later on in the night! Josh lit a bonfire and we listened to music, watched the fire and enjoyed the weather!

What wonderful company and so much to be thankful for. They are the absolute best group of people that we could have spent our day with. I'm so so so very greatful!

I went to bed at 3am this morning. It's in the 30s outside in Southwestern Louisiana. What better weather for coffee in bed and a great movie!!

Another Rave...Luna bars, yay!


THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! TASTES LIKE A LEMON BAR, BUT CRUNCHY!

Luna bars are specifically designed for women...vitamins, minerals, etc.

At 180 cals per bar, these are so far my fav. I've tried pretty much ever bar out there but these are great! A little pricey but totally worth it. It definitely curved the hunger!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

I'm Thankful for....


Tons of Things!!!

My awesome parents
My wonderful pets
My fabulous boyfriend (and his family)
My beautiful friends and family
My neat-o job!
My super health

What are you thankful for????

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Rave of the week: Moroccanoil


Anyone that knows me knows that I've been bleaching and dying my hair since the Mesozoic era! It has been every color in the rainbow and takes a real tow on my hair. Months ago I found Red-E to Go smoothing hair spray that has really saved my hair from tons of breakage...



Recently my hair stylist told me about Moroccanoil hair products and the absolute ridiculous price tag they slap on the bottles because it contains Argan oil. I ignored her of course and then came across an article saying that all the celebs use the stuff (I think Fergie was one of them, who doesn't love Fergie???). Six weeks later I return to do my hair and told her I was out of shampoo and conditioner at home. I mean, i've tried EVERY shamp and condi under the sun and usually stick with the cheap stuff (Suave and Dove). Every now and again I'll splurge for Rusk or Biolage. She proceeds to tell me that she has some Moroccanoil and i'm like "oooooh no, no way" and she said "but smell it" and I was in love. At 20 bucks a pop for shampoo and 20 bucks for conditioner at 8.5 oz each (ouch) I was thinking I was out of my mind! She said "don't worry, it's VERY concentrated and you only need a dime-sized amount. It should last you a while." Ok Tasha, whatever you say!




So, after adding more bleach, darker blonde and a little bit of purple "peek a boos" underneath I bought the stuff and couldn't wait to try it this morning. I added a dime-sized amount of shampoo and quarter-sized amount of conditioner and all i can say is "OOOOOH LA LA!". The fragrance is AWESOME. It's very exotic, tames fly-aways and makes your hair very smooth. Of course I still used my Red-E to go spray (a must have for any blonde) but Moroccanoil definately lives up to its price tag. That's almost a bad thing because I'm pretty sure I'll be a customer for a while! Crap!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Duckies, duckies everywhere......NOOOOT!


You see that? That's what a happy duck looks like!

Opening duck season weekend was terrible for us. We were 4 hunters Saturday, killed 8. 3 of us Sunday, killed 1. Yeah, that's pretty darn terrible.

The ducks are laughing all the way to the pond....and I'm starting to miss deer hunting!

Better luck tomorrow!!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Heeeeeeee's baaaack!

After a 3 1/2 day hiatus Monk decided to return from his "vacation." Last time I saw him was Monday morning on the side of Highway 14 watching the cars pass by. Have I mentioned he's frickin crazy???? This is the cat that jumps in the truck to come hunting with us.

I even called Peggy at rabies control and after saying "no, that's not him.....he's all black, no white. no, that's not him either. no, no, no!!!!" I realized he wasn't picked up, he was probably at some little kid's house or at New Wok eating Chinese food! Oh, the stress today as I realized my little boy had never been gone for this long. But alas, he returned, FAMISHED......at least he knows where the good food is!

Chad looks a little too happy posing here........and Monk does NOT look amused. He's like "why are you people making such a big deal?"

SILLY MONKEY!!! I sure did miss this little furry turd.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy



4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions:
Mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper on plate. Coat chicken.
Heat butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken 10 minutes or until browned. Set chicken aside.
Add soup and green onions. Heat to a boil. Return chicken to pan. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in sour cream.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Italian Sausage Melt



Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 45 min
Makes: 4 servings (1 cup each)

1 1/4 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons very hot water
1/2 lb bulk spicy Italian pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup Alfredo pasta sauce (from 16-oz jar)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, cut into strips


Total Time: 5 min

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray bottom of 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, butter and water until dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan.
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage and bell pepper over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Spread sausage mixture over crust; spread pasta sauce over sausage. Sprinkle with cheeses.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until mixture is bubbly around edges and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle tomatoes and basil over top.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Monte Cristo Sandwich


Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 slices bread
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 slices cooked ham
2 slices cooked turkey meat
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup milk


Directions:

Spread bread with mayonnaise and mustard. Alternate ham, Swiss and turkey slices on bread.
Beat egg and milk in a small bowl. Coat the sandwich with the egg and milk mixture. Heat a greased skillet over medium heat, brown the sandwich on both sides. Serve hot with berry jam.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Chicken Fajita Casserole





Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hour 15 min
Makes: 6 servings

1 can (16 oz) Old El Paso® refried beans
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® fajita seasoning mix
1 package (9 oz) frozen cooked Southwest-seasoned chicken breast strips, thawed
8 Old El Paso® flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (6 inch; from 8.2-oz package)
1 bag (1 lb) frozen stir-fry bell peppers and onions, thawed, drained
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)


1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix refried beans, tomato sauce and fajita seasoning mix. Stir in chicken.
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the bean mixture over bottom of baking dish. Arrange 4 tortillas, overlapping if necessary, in baking dish. Top with half of remaining bean mixture, half of the stir-fry vegetables and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, bean mixture, stir-fry vegetables and cheese.
3. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Roasted Garlic



Ingredients

1 medium head garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions

Method 1: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (125 degrees C). Slice 1/4 inch off top of garlic bulb. Place in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until outside is lightly browned and garlic cloves are soft. When cool enough to touch, squeeze each clove to extract softened garlic.
Method 2: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (125 degrees C). Peel each garlic clove. Place in a single layer in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, until garlic is soft.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Betty Crocker's Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 2 hours 10 min
Makes: 24 bars


1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® French or Golden vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (from 11.5-oz bag)
1/3 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting (from 1-lb container)


1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, mix cake mix, butter and eggs with spoon. Stir in chocolate chunks. Spread evenly in pan.
2. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 20 to 25 seconds or until melted; stir. Drizzle over bars. Let stand about 30 minutes or until frosting is set. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Or for triangles, cut bars into 6 rows by 2 rows, then cut each bar diagonally in half to form triangles. Store covered at room temperature.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Portobello Penne Pasta Casserole

Allrecipes.com's Portobello Penne Pasta Casserole



Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 cup soy sauce


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, cook 1 minute, and set aside. Melt margarine in the saucepan. Mix in flour, garlic, and basil. Gradually mix in milk until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted. Remove saucepan from heat, and mix in cooked pasta, mushrooms, spinach, and soy sauce. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly brown.


Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving Calories: 380 | Total Fat: 21.3g | Cholesterol: 23mg

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Sausage-Cheese Balls

With the holidays already here I thought I'd offer a recipe a day (or every other day) to maybe give some of you ideas if it's your turn to bring something to the party!

Betty Crocker's Sausage-Cheese Balls

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 45 min
Makes: About 8 1/2 dozen cheese balls

3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 pound bulk pork sausage
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
Barbecue sauce or chili sauce, if desired


1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x2x1 inch.
2. Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place in pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

This is one of my favs from Ms. Crocker! I've made them several times and its a really quick recipe. :)


Betty Crocker's Cheese-Garlic Biscuits:

Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 15 min
Makes: 9 biscuits

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder


1. Heat oven to 450ºF.
2. Stir Bisquick mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir together butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

No way dude! I am NOT getting sick...


There's a cold going around at my office and I thought I was clear until this morning when I woke up with a terrible sore throat, nasty cough and sneezing fits!

I NEVER get sick anymore. I was such a sickly child and somehow within the past 5 years I've built defenses against the "germies" of the world by eating healthier and taking care of myself.

I'm praying this is just my body's response to the little bonfire we had last night and its just allergies or something.

Zzzzzzz.....