This year will mark 33 openers in which I have purchased a license either in Minnesota or Wisconsin, throw in 10 more years where a license was not required and 43 of my 49 years I have attended an opener and in some cases two or three openers depending upon the state.
Now a few of those years there was more thought given to how much beer one should bring , Porketta one should cook, and how many more layers of clothing one should bring because the weatherman has threatened the continuation of winter.
There was also the year in which we planned everything and did not bother to check the weather or Ice conditions only to arrive to a frozen lake. What do you do? Well in our case you grab a chair and watch ice melt or look for an open river.
Most openers include boats, lots of boats and boats need to be prepped to make sure they are operating correctly from their long winter slumber. In our case the boat was used as an highly effective decoy.Our boat or in some cases boats would stay near the cabins covered with tarp to protect the extra beer ,food, supplies and the occasional mis-guided angler looking for his bed.It was also leaned upon at the end of a long day or the beginning of a new day where strategies could be mulled over and stories were told with barley pops flowing as free as the Mississippi River,with short abbreviated one word answers like,Huh!,Yeah,Got It.Beer? and many more.
In some circles we are looked down upon and in others we are referred to as gypsy,wanderers,wader geeks and steel headers.The boat being a source of pride and a bench mark of ones success and if you got decals well look out,this opens up the conversation to a whole new level.
We are and will always be wader fishermen,At least on the opener. Now I have missed a few wader openers in exchange for boat trips with my brothers and my dad. But We belong to a fraternity of anglers that is little understood and secretive, loyal and protects its own.. We travel in packs and break off into pods to track our prey and once we have cornered they prey we attack from all sides and fill our chest with booty and bring it back to our camp where in the cleaning houses we do our best to blend in with the boat people.
I often think of David Altenbourough narrating one of his made for public television nature shows.explaining of how we may better understand these nomads of the sand flats and river banks. Quietly speaking of the movements and social behavior of the the pack. Locating the leader and studying the dominant behavior and learning the inner workings of one of the most efficient harvesting machines assembled.
If you have fished the Grand Rapids area from a boat you have no doubt witnessed or claim to have seen a wader fishermen. Elusive by nature,You may be rip jigging the flats or drifting with the wind in the trough and gaze shoreward and caught a glimpse of a silhouette of what looked like a wader fisherman only to turn and the figure is gone.
For the most part wader guys are nocturnal and well camouflaged by day.
Some of the better documented sightings of wader guys occurs in a section called the "Narrows" were the wader fisherman congregate en mass as the boat people slowly motor through the narrows, while the wader fishermen gaze coldly at the boat people as they move out to the open water of the Big Lake and the Gap.We try to look this way so they will not catch on and for the most part we dress the same blending into our elements for stealth approaches and quick get aways.
Every once in awhile a boat person will try to scatter a group of wader guys by driving close to shore and eating there lines up with the prop,but the wader fisherman having seen this before are always ready and will quickly cast a line of Monkey Braid 80-100 pound test and wait for the prop to eat the line while the wader fisherman slowly opens his bail allowing the motor to consume as much line as it wants before breaking away and running to the next pod. Lower Unit seals can be a high price to pay for attacking a pack of wader fishermen.One year the boat people caught on to this practice and went a shore to harass the wader anglers,trying to lure them into a trap. The wader anglers though not wanting to harm unarmed men crept through the water and removed the prop from the motor to keep all safe.
Some wader fisherman feel that Deliverance would be a whole different movie if wader fisherman were involved and Jaws would be laughable, As a group we pay homage to those anglers brave enough to enter the fishes domain. Larry Dahlberg rises to the top of anglers we respect and worship and we often quote his teachings.
Wader fisherman come in all shapes and sizes as well as professions from missing limbs and appendages to tea totaling administrators who have a weakness for a comfortable stump and a slow sip of scotch.
Wader fishermen blend into their surroundings and look like the average citizen but are equipped to the hilt McGyver style.All of our tools must be able to attach to either our waders or our Neptune like scepters we carry to hold rods,lanterns, bait and beverage holders. Food is carried in foil packets and water proof baggies and warmed over a lantern or on shore near a fire.Most diets go to hell for this four day event as quick prep items with long shelf life dates are the go to food. Big meals are served once a day and involve no menu as cooler marauders usually empty the food supply while drinking beverages around the camp fire. The cooks must be flexible because what they need is not always there and improvisation is essential.
The group has a leader with commanders serving underneath who are responsible for assigning chores, the importance of the chores varies by what the group determines priority. Beer Supply is usually near the top along with food and bait. Most members are seasoned veterans of wader fishing but we always try to sustain the ranks by inviting newbies. The newbies take on the brunt of the core chores ensuring coolers are stocked with beer and ice and that food is taken care of. Most newbies go wrong on bait minding.
Wader Fishermen go for the prime rib of bait this time of year and the prime rib of bait is the shiner. Our advance scout teams have our sources nailed down before our arrival and we spread our resources about looking for the best and only by the quarts.We have been known to drive 40-50 miles to get good bait when action is heavy and supplies are running low. The shiner is the ammo that makes us look good and helps us win the war against the might White Tail ( Walleye) .You can never have enough and bless the group that gets caught in the heat of a hot bite and one hears the announcement that the shiners are out. We have scavenged the banks for dead and discarded shiners as one stomach turns as do the tables and the walleyes stop biting.
There is a danger to our trade as we fish at night and near fast breaking drops, ripping currents, rocks and of course the dreaded drunken boater.As a group we have never lost a man but there have been a few members from other tribes that have provided us with much entertainment.We have seen boats collide in the fog, men disappear under the water after tripping on a rock and of course we have seen beauty wrapped in a cloak of Neoprene as Lacrosse lady graces her presence and shows up the guys.
We have stayed safe and employ the buddy and mentoring system when we fish and most of all we ensure the new guys will learn catch and provide fish to the tribe.We ensure all men needing to bring sustenance home to the imperial queen or elderly parents get their fish.It brings smiles to the wader elders to watch our students succeed,
And when Monday roles along and it is time to break camp and leave with the promise of doing it again we as wader fishermen . smile as we realize that it is not the fishing but the friendships and the relationships that were made and although the faces change the result is the same. And now as opening day approaches and i prepare for a trip that I am familiar with I find myself a stranger will meet a few new faces,
Good Luck to you and yours on the Minnesota Opener.
Make some memories.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Black Cloud, Chapter 3
Not long after the sock episode my brother would once again show the neighborhood that he was completely un-hooked.I knew better then to judge him at this point . We all pedaled a Schwinn or a Huffy of some sort around the neighborhood and the older guys were no different.Cheater Slicks, Banana Seats ,Sissy Bars, Extended Forks and Va room engines,we were the first American Choppers, Polishing our bikes and cruising chicks.Many a Hall of Fame baseball players collectors cards ended up in the spokes of our wheels.
My brother however as today always had a knack for tweaking,building and modifying things, One must only look at the pictures of his Chevy Impala from High School to know he knew his way around a tool box.But he wanted more.He he did so by capturing the eyes of the neighborhood girls trying win their admiration through stunts and death defying acts which meant trashing some bikes.
One afternoon as I played quietly building yet another city for E.J. Goroni in the backyard sandbox the chatter from the street was to much to resist and I wondered over in stunned amazement looked on as every girl in the neighborhood was there to watch my brother attempt to pedal his bike up a mighty big Oak Tree perched on the boulevard.
The plan was simple enough as he was to pedal at full speed down the hill next to my parents house reach terminal velocity at the alley hitting a small ridge which would launch his bike in a wheelie, projecting it forward and upward reaching the first branch about 30 feet off the ground or so it seemed to me. it was big none the less taking three kids my size holding hands to reach around the trunk. For me it meant holding hands with some of the girls and this alone would be a big step.
As planned and with a peck on the cheek from a few of the girls he pedaled up the hill slowly,looking over his shoulder and giving them the wink.The bike and his body swaying in opposite directions as the girls oohed and I thought,"Show off!".
Now I had been witness to much carnage of the neighborhood kids as they threw safety and common sense into the wind when playing the simplest of games . Broken toes and sprained ankles,bruised arms, nails through foot and hand and knee, black and blue eyes from playing games; Kick The Can, Tin Can Alley, Four Squares, Ante Ante Eye over, Dodge Ball to name a few. We played full contact hockey and football with no pads and jumped from cliffs into log laden pits of water.
Coolly flipping his hair out of his eyes which was standard for the cool crowd to do he kicked off with his foot and started pedalling with that side to side sway that was now a swagger. Building speed and momentum,faster and faster until he hit the ridge ,popped a wheelie and headed for the tree full speed, hitting the mighty oak straight on and with a mind numbing sound of metal and flesh hitting the solid oak his body slid from the bike into a pile.
Silence spread throughout the crowd of girls and we stood frozen staring, waiting for movement. he hit the tree frigging straight on. the first words out of my mouth were. " Shit...... He just killed himself.The silence broke, girls screamed and ran to his side crying over their fallen prince as Lucky Man played on the radio.. I was frozen and did not move and debated about running to get my parents but they were busy in conversation with the neighbors from up the street.
Slowly his body started to move and he sat up against the tree to a swarm of girls pleased he was not hurt. He dragged himself off the ground picked up his bike and smiled as he noticed it was still in working order.
Swaggered up the hill without provocation to attempt this death wish feat again.With the same devastating results He wheeled down the hill hill building even more speed as parts started to fall from the bike.This time the blow equally as hard causing great damage to the bike and crushing his ego along with a few scrapes and bruises as the girls sat in sheer be wonderment at the pure heroics or stupidity of the moment.
There would be other accounts and other stories throughout my adolescence but none I would take witness of. And the stories about the weather while he was around started to surface from these stories.
Over time we had drifted apart some and we were on our own paths.He remained a ladies man and had a wild untamed side to him.Voted by his classmates as the best one armed driver in his by then famous Chevy Impala. He would pursue hobbies such as anchor diving and sports such as prison tag, Elephant Hunting which required driving a perfectly good vehicle through the woods with the lights shut off.My brother was noted to be the life of a party or two. And i would witness this on a few occasion's,but that would change. Somewhere between the struggle of boyhood and the journey into manhood an internal struggle of good versus evil developed.
As with most young adults growing up you leave the comforts of home and pursue life on your own, spreading wings and meeting new people. But on those occasions when you return home to visit and rekindle those old friendships and family relations secretes are exposed.
The glow of a camp fire and the crisp cracking of cold beers in the woods with people you have trusted and grown to trust ,has a lulling affect on the body and soul.
My brother however as today always had a knack for tweaking,building and modifying things, One must only look at the pictures of his Chevy Impala from High School to know he knew his way around a tool box.But he wanted more.He he did so by capturing the eyes of the neighborhood girls trying win their admiration through stunts and death defying acts which meant trashing some bikes.
One afternoon as I played quietly building yet another city for E.J. Goroni in the backyard sandbox the chatter from the street was to much to resist and I wondered over in stunned amazement looked on as every girl in the neighborhood was there to watch my brother attempt to pedal his bike up a mighty big Oak Tree perched on the boulevard.
The plan was simple enough as he was to pedal at full speed down the hill next to my parents house reach terminal velocity at the alley hitting a small ridge which would launch his bike in a wheelie, projecting it forward and upward reaching the first branch about 30 feet off the ground or so it seemed to me. it was big none the less taking three kids my size holding hands to reach around the trunk. For me it meant holding hands with some of the girls and this alone would be a big step.
As planned and with a peck on the cheek from a few of the girls he pedaled up the hill slowly,looking over his shoulder and giving them the wink.The bike and his body swaying in opposite directions as the girls oohed and I thought,"Show off!".
Now I had been witness to much carnage of the neighborhood kids as they threw safety and common sense into the wind when playing the simplest of games . Broken toes and sprained ankles,bruised arms, nails through foot and hand and knee, black and blue eyes from playing games; Kick The Can, Tin Can Alley, Four Squares, Ante Ante Eye over, Dodge Ball to name a few. We played full contact hockey and football with no pads and jumped from cliffs into log laden pits of water.
Coolly flipping his hair out of his eyes which was standard for the cool crowd to do he kicked off with his foot and started pedalling with that side to side sway that was now a swagger. Building speed and momentum,faster and faster until he hit the ridge ,popped a wheelie and headed for the tree full speed, hitting the mighty oak straight on and with a mind numbing sound of metal and flesh hitting the solid oak his body slid from the bike into a pile.
Silence spread throughout the crowd of girls and we stood frozen staring, waiting for movement. he hit the tree frigging straight on. the first words out of my mouth were. " Shit...... He just killed himself.The silence broke, girls screamed and ran to his side crying over their fallen prince as Lucky Man played on the radio.. I was frozen and did not move and debated about running to get my parents but they were busy in conversation with the neighbors from up the street.
Slowly his body started to move and he sat up against the tree to a swarm of girls pleased he was not hurt. He dragged himself off the ground picked up his bike and smiled as he noticed it was still in working order.
Swaggered up the hill without provocation to attempt this death wish feat again.With the same devastating results He wheeled down the hill hill building even more speed as parts started to fall from the bike.This time the blow equally as hard causing great damage to the bike and crushing his ego along with a few scrapes and bruises as the girls sat in sheer be wonderment at the pure heroics or stupidity of the moment.
There would be other accounts and other stories throughout my adolescence but none I would take witness of. And the stories about the weather while he was around started to surface from these stories.
Over time we had drifted apart some and we were on our own paths.He remained a ladies man and had a wild untamed side to him.Voted by his classmates as the best one armed driver in his by then famous Chevy Impala. He would pursue hobbies such as anchor diving and sports such as prison tag, Elephant Hunting which required driving a perfectly good vehicle through the woods with the lights shut off.My brother was noted to be the life of a party or two. And i would witness this on a few occasion's,but that would change. Somewhere between the struggle of boyhood and the journey into manhood an internal struggle of good versus evil developed.
As with most young adults growing up you leave the comforts of home and pursue life on your own, spreading wings and meeting new people. But on those occasions when you return home to visit and rekindle those old friendships and family relations secretes are exposed.
The glow of a camp fire and the crisp cracking of cold beers in the woods with people you have trusted and grown to trust ,has a lulling affect on the body and soul.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Black Cloud , Chapter 2
Born in the Northern Minnesota . An iron Mining community of 5000 in the heart of the Iron Range surrounded by tailing's mountains and gaping holes gorged out of the earth. Bright orange sunsets fill the landscape almost apocalyptic in their beauty.
He was born to a first generation American son of an immigrant miner and bride whom also was an immigrant.
Number four of six children his school pictures would give one no indication of the supernatural powers that lay beneath the surface waiting to unleash a fury on anyone who dared to have a nice day.
Popular with the girls from a young age and a member of one of the best garage air bands to emerge from the sixties his powers would begin to show.
As if haunted from a young age.When, the spirit took him over is a matter of great debate in the outdoors circles.
The hippies congregating at the base camp below the Grand Tetons where he climbed believe he was the spirit of the sixties bands Rare Earth and Fridjid Pink in which was never heard until his arrival at camp.
The Post Hippie Cyclist friends who's bike payments equal that of a small mid size vehicle, believe he is the spirit of the Italian Legend Constante Giradeago,A celebrated national Champion and Seven Time Road Cyclist King from the turn of the 20th century.
Talk in the Upper Peninsula Of Michigan where Ted Nugent has claimed to see the spirit in which haunts him along with locals whom drink Old Style believe his mystic story is told out in the label.
Talk in Duluth is much different as a person similar in appearance to him was photographed at the top of the lift bridge during several Nord Easter on the big lake. Arms spread to the sky while lightening and wind pounded the shores and lake.
North of the border in Canada, Gordon Lightfoot sits sipping another bottle of rye. Obsessed in writing another song,waiting for the spirit to talk.
Surprisingly the stories around his home town reveal a normal child and young man growing up in small Iron Range Town.Favorite of teachers,businessmen and his neighborhood pals.
With much debate the First documentation of his ability to change the weather could be traced back to his child hood in Pig Town where the family first settled.
According to his mother they found him in the alley half crazed and throwing rocks at the neighbors garage breaking every window only to be stopped by his father with no answer as to why he did this destructive deed.Did he see the spirits then? In the windows? Perhaps he was trying to destroy them,
It would again appear.Using his power against his younger brother, which could be debated as it was I whom felt the presence of something much greater.My brother was often put in charge of caring for me,his brother, on his mothers order.
He used those powers to cast a curse unto me that would send fear to all kids in the neighborhood once told behind the shed in the neighbors yard before curfew.
Upset about having to take care of his brother and Sitting on the steps with friends as they discussed what to do with the next few hours.
The sun would set and the curfew siren would sound from above the fire department echoing through the town and sending every child fleeing for home. Fearful not of trolls and spooks but the voices of Mom and Dad bellowing if you were not in the yard within five minutes of the siren ending. Most of us never dared to stay out past curfew let alone try to beat the siren home.
My brother and his friends because they were older often had different plans for the evening.Some to me seeming as sinister as Ding Dong Ditch and curfew was the time instead of running home found them melting into darkness hiding from 'The Man". And having the liability of your younger brother was like being the runt of the litter in a lion pride.
Wanting to go someplace a distance from the confines of our neighborhood, which was internationally recognized as the four blocks around your parents home, he realized his kid brother would be this liability.
Taking notice of this and Trying my best to negotiate my worthiness,explaining I could keep up as my mom had just bought me a new pair of PF Fliers and Matching tube socks that for my size stretched above the knees.
He was a quick study and gazed upon me with the eyes spiraling sending me into a trance and explained that there was no way I could keep up with his crew. Not because I had a new pair of PF Fliers but because my socks were new and white, very white, and new white socks like new shoes had to be broken in. If I decided to come with.... my knees would become weak and get sore causing me to slow down the group and expose them to The Man.
His friends of course under his trance already, nodded in agreement as if they had seen this happen before, but I was not going to believe this. I was strong,I just got a new pair of PF Fliers for crying out loud. I had heard a man could run thirty miles per hour in his PF fliers,something KEDS or Converse couldn't touch.
Startled by his command that I jump up and down and do a few wind sprints across the yard, I grinned and thought, I will show him that this cub is ready to rumble with the pride. The first few times across the yard I felt as if I was floating above the ground. When he motioned towards me, the response was immediate, the pain shooting from my knees, shooting down my legs. How could this be,How could he know this would happen? by the time I reached the stairs the pain and fatigue had sent the tears in my eyes rolling down my cheek as I stared into his and all he did was laugh.A deep laugh from the belly and his friends would join in,the lion cub now a kit looking for his mom back in the security of the den.
I quickly begged them to stay and said I would run home, run not walk and change into my dirty socks and everything would be OK and I could certainly keep up with them then.As I looked over my shoulder I thought I had a chance.
I ran home and my knees were truly aching and sore,as I dug through the hamper looking for my best pair of dirty socks. By the time I had changed and ran back to the neighbors the boys were gone. vanished, to my dismay. It was at that point I began to wonder what powers lay within my brother.How could he claim and then proceed to produce the exact suffering in which he described?
For years after this I would avoid tube socks and PF Fliers never held the same appeal as they did back in the day.Even now I fold them down once making sure never to pull them up to the knees.And as I lie in bed at night I can hear the laughter and still feel the pain of being rejected from the pride.
He was born to a first generation American son of an immigrant miner and bride whom also was an immigrant.
Number four of six children his school pictures would give one no indication of the supernatural powers that lay beneath the surface waiting to unleash a fury on anyone who dared to have a nice day.
Popular with the girls from a young age and a member of one of the best garage air bands to emerge from the sixties his powers would begin to show.
As if haunted from a young age.When, the spirit took him over is a matter of great debate in the outdoors circles.
The hippies congregating at the base camp below the Grand Tetons where he climbed believe he was the spirit of the sixties bands Rare Earth and Fridjid Pink in which was never heard until his arrival at camp.
The Post Hippie Cyclist friends who's bike payments equal that of a small mid size vehicle, believe he is the spirit of the Italian Legend Constante Giradeago,A celebrated national Champion and Seven Time Road Cyclist King from the turn of the 20th century.
Talk in the Upper Peninsula Of Michigan where Ted Nugent has claimed to see the spirit in which haunts him along with locals whom drink Old Style believe his mystic story is told out in the label.
Talk in Duluth is much different as a person similar in appearance to him was photographed at the top of the lift bridge during several Nord Easter on the big lake. Arms spread to the sky while lightening and wind pounded the shores and lake.
North of the border in Canada, Gordon Lightfoot sits sipping another bottle of rye. Obsessed in writing another song,waiting for the spirit to talk.
Surprisingly the stories around his home town reveal a normal child and young man growing up in small Iron Range Town.Favorite of teachers,businessmen and his neighborhood pals.
With much debate the First documentation of his ability to change the weather could be traced back to his child hood in Pig Town where the family first settled.
According to his mother they found him in the alley half crazed and throwing rocks at the neighbors garage breaking every window only to be stopped by his father with no answer as to why he did this destructive deed.Did he see the spirits then? In the windows? Perhaps he was trying to destroy them,
It would again appear.Using his power against his younger brother, which could be debated as it was I whom felt the presence of something much greater.My brother was often put in charge of caring for me,his brother, on his mothers order.
He used those powers to cast a curse unto me that would send fear to all kids in the neighborhood once told behind the shed in the neighbors yard before curfew.
Upset about having to take care of his brother and Sitting on the steps with friends as they discussed what to do with the next few hours.
The sun would set and the curfew siren would sound from above the fire department echoing through the town and sending every child fleeing for home. Fearful not of trolls and spooks but the voices of Mom and Dad bellowing if you were not in the yard within five minutes of the siren ending. Most of us never dared to stay out past curfew let alone try to beat the siren home.
My brother and his friends because they were older often had different plans for the evening.Some to me seeming as sinister as Ding Dong Ditch and curfew was the time instead of running home found them melting into darkness hiding from 'The Man". And having the liability of your younger brother was like being the runt of the litter in a lion pride.
Wanting to go someplace a distance from the confines of our neighborhood, which was internationally recognized as the four blocks around your parents home, he realized his kid brother would be this liability.
Taking notice of this and Trying my best to negotiate my worthiness,explaining I could keep up as my mom had just bought me a new pair of PF Fliers and Matching tube socks that for my size stretched above the knees.
He was a quick study and gazed upon me with the eyes spiraling sending me into a trance and explained that there was no way I could keep up with his crew. Not because I had a new pair of PF Fliers but because my socks were new and white, very white, and new white socks like new shoes had to be broken in. If I decided to come with.... my knees would become weak and get sore causing me to slow down the group and expose them to The Man.
His friends of course under his trance already, nodded in agreement as if they had seen this happen before, but I was not going to believe this. I was strong,I just got a new pair of PF Fliers for crying out loud. I had heard a man could run thirty miles per hour in his PF fliers,something KEDS or Converse couldn't touch.
Startled by his command that I jump up and down and do a few wind sprints across the yard, I grinned and thought, I will show him that this cub is ready to rumble with the pride. The first few times across the yard I felt as if I was floating above the ground. When he motioned towards me, the response was immediate, the pain shooting from my knees, shooting down my legs. How could this be,How could he know this would happen? by the time I reached the stairs the pain and fatigue had sent the tears in my eyes rolling down my cheek as I stared into his and all he did was laugh.A deep laugh from the belly and his friends would join in,the lion cub now a kit looking for his mom back in the security of the den.
I quickly begged them to stay and said I would run home, run not walk and change into my dirty socks and everything would be OK and I could certainly keep up with them then.As I looked over my shoulder I thought I had a chance.
I ran home and my knees were truly aching and sore,as I dug through the hamper looking for my best pair of dirty socks. By the time I had changed and ran back to the neighbors the boys were gone. vanished, to my dismay. It was at that point I began to wonder what powers lay within my brother.How could he claim and then proceed to produce the exact suffering in which he described?
For years after this I would avoid tube socks and PF Fliers never held the same appeal as they did back in the day.Even now I fold them down once making sure never to pull them up to the knees.And as I lie in bed at night I can hear the laughter and still feel the pain of being rejected from the pride.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Black Cloud Chapter 1
My brother for the most part is a normal guy. Living a normal life,In a Normal neighborhood working a normal job. In fact a honorable job. For the most part his daily existence is normal.
Yea.. he has a few quirks as one may say. Long Bike rides in the rain. Longer bike rides through the snow, almost obsessive you might think when reading his blog.
He enjoys a good read a good meal and enjoys a nice bottle of wine or micro brew although his choice in wines to me is some what baffling as he enjoys dry wines,really dry wines. A glancing view of his personality but like most things there are layers to his character and as each is folded back a little bit more of his personality is exposed.
His inner most layers are surrounded by a world of fog and mist, brewing storm clouds gusts of winds ,bending trees and breaking limbs as lightening races across the skies. A a swell of water builds in the dark distance invisible to those around him, unless of course you happen to be fishing with him.
Yes, you would be correct in saying he writes nice blogs about the beauty and whimsy of mother nature but I say heed my warning.Be prepared. For as sure as day is long and turns to night ,Your day of play will never be the same when you share it with The Black Cloud. -------
Some say to mess with Mother Nature is to mess with the devil himself.The Tribal Shaman say that he may be illegitimate child of the women her self.The off spring of some lustful relationship in which she would succumb to loves lustful music and relinquish all inhibitions to bear the fruit of evil into a mortal being.
Far fetched you say No.. I am not crazy, delusional,fried,baked. nor do I hold any grudge against my brother for those child hood atrocities in which I was subjected to. I am witness to his power and fury, Others are also witness but fear keeps them from talking.Fear has gripped their souls and they are haunted in their dreams by the cloaked figure hovering over their soul. It is not a mere coincidence that events have happened and well timed events that have tested the very best men that share the woods and water with the legend they call Black Cloud .
He toys with the best leading you to a false sense of security. Comforted by your surrounding and whom you are with and when you least expect it and you are unprepared he unleashes a fury that can last for days and bring mountainous men to their knees,in tears begging for forgiveness and asking to be spared.
And as quickly as it had began the skies clear,wind calms, sun shines and bodies warm Beer and wine run freely and we celebrate the fact that we were spared our souls by the powers of this common man now legend.
For many years, young warriors from various tribes were sent to the forest as a right of passage to test their strength,skills,cunning and spirituality.After months and sometimes years these young men returned to their tribes and shared the skills and the powers which they had learned and earned while out alone.
There were however always a few whom never returned and were lost becoming spirits of the wild.Bodies and minds succumbing to the powers of Nature and earth. Now if you have been following to this point you may know where I am heading with this story.
Like these warriors my brother to journeyed to find himself .
His journeys would take him to the lands of Colorado,Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Michigan and Northern Wisconsin and of course many nights in the woods of Northern Minnesota. He would Dance with wolves,sing with coyotes, swim with the fish and read tales of mans failures in nature.
Slowly he would take a long nerble (which is between a sip and a slug) from the Chianti Bottle and recite.
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.The Arctic trails have there tails That would make your blood run cold."
Looking deep into to the woods he would wipe the moisture from his lips and howl to the spirits of the forest Nerbling from the bottle of Chianti, eyes rolling back deep within and whispering ,
"The northern lights have seen queer sights But the queerest they ever did see was that night on the Marge of Lake Le Barge I cremated Sam McGee.....
Somewhere along the trails in which he traveled one of these lost spirits sat and observed this thin rail of a man recite the tales of men who traveled before and made the decision that his spirit would be lost no more and before he nerbled the last of his Chianti from the jug, the spirit of this lost warrior used this man as his vessel into the world in which he could exercise his powers, through this man known as Black Cloud.
Yea.. he has a few quirks as one may say. Long Bike rides in the rain. Longer bike rides through the snow, almost obsessive you might think when reading his blog.
He enjoys a good read a good meal and enjoys a nice bottle of wine or micro brew although his choice in wines to me is some what baffling as he enjoys dry wines,really dry wines. A glancing view of his personality but like most things there are layers to his character and as each is folded back a little bit more of his personality is exposed.
His inner most layers are surrounded by a world of fog and mist, brewing storm clouds gusts of winds ,bending trees and breaking limbs as lightening races across the skies. A a swell of water builds in the dark distance invisible to those around him, unless of course you happen to be fishing with him.
Yes, you would be correct in saying he writes nice blogs about the beauty and whimsy of mother nature but I say heed my warning.Be prepared. For as sure as day is long and turns to night ,Your day of play will never be the same when you share it with The Black Cloud. -------
Some say to mess with Mother Nature is to mess with the devil himself.The Tribal Shaman say that he may be illegitimate child of the women her self.The off spring of some lustful relationship in which she would succumb to loves lustful music and relinquish all inhibitions to bear the fruit of evil into a mortal being.
Far fetched you say No.. I am not crazy, delusional,fried,baked. nor do I hold any grudge against my brother for those child hood atrocities in which I was subjected to. I am witness to his power and fury, Others are also witness but fear keeps them from talking.Fear has gripped their souls and they are haunted in their dreams by the cloaked figure hovering over their soul. It is not a mere coincidence that events have happened and well timed events that have tested the very best men that share the woods and water with the legend they call Black Cloud .
He toys with the best leading you to a false sense of security. Comforted by your surrounding and whom you are with and when you least expect it and you are unprepared he unleashes a fury that can last for days and bring mountainous men to their knees,in tears begging for forgiveness and asking to be spared.
And as quickly as it had began the skies clear,wind calms, sun shines and bodies warm Beer and wine run freely and we celebrate the fact that we were spared our souls by the powers of this common man now legend.
For many years, young warriors from various tribes were sent to the forest as a right of passage to test their strength,skills,cunning and spirituality.After months and sometimes years these young men returned to their tribes and shared the skills and the powers which they had learned and earned while out alone.
There were however always a few whom never returned and were lost becoming spirits of the wild.Bodies and minds succumbing to the powers of Nature and earth. Now if you have been following to this point you may know where I am heading with this story.
Like these warriors my brother to journeyed to find himself .
His journeys would take him to the lands of Colorado,Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Michigan and Northern Wisconsin and of course many nights in the woods of Northern Minnesota. He would Dance with wolves,sing with coyotes, swim with the fish and read tales of mans failures in nature.
Slowly he would take a long nerble (which is between a sip and a slug) from the Chianti Bottle and recite.
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.The Arctic trails have there tails That would make your blood run cold."
Looking deep into to the woods he would wipe the moisture from his lips and howl to the spirits of the forest Nerbling from the bottle of Chianti, eyes rolling back deep within and whispering ,
"The northern lights have seen queer sights But the queerest they ever did see was that night on the Marge of Lake Le Barge I cremated Sam McGee.....
Somewhere along the trails in which he traveled one of these lost spirits sat and observed this thin rail of a man recite the tales of men who traveled before and made the decision that his spirit would be lost no more and before he nerbled the last of his Chianti from the jug, the spirit of this lost warrior used this man as his vessel into the world in which he could exercise his powers, through this man known as Black Cloud.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Chicken Cacciatore Arabiata
One must look at it as a sign.
Finding an unopened bottle of Chablis and the immediate thought of cooking runs through my head.Of course the cook gets his taste also but the cooking screams from the bottle.
Pre- Heat oven to 325.
( I set mine at 280 per my mom. She says the chicken does not like the heat.)
1 Whole Chicken cut up.
In my case a nice package of thighs.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder both sides evenly.
Wash Hands thoroughly.
Glass of wine for the cook please.
Set chicken aside.
In a large fry pan with a tablespoon of Olive Oil and Pad or two of butter heat med high.
Brown the chicken on both sides in small batches so you don't crowd.
Sometimes the chicken can be sensitive ,treat it with care. Leave the skin on as the chicken does not do so well without clothes on.
Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
Ask it how its day was.
Have a glass of wine.Pour excess fat off leaving a tablespoon in the pan.
Now add 1/2 cup of butter to the pan and listen for the sizzle and turn down to medium.
Loosen the goodies from the bottom of the pan as you would when making a gravy.
Make the sign of the cross across your chest as you are about to sacrifice a glass of wine into the pan.
The cook gets 2 glasses of wine.
Bring to a Hard simmer( boil)
1/8 to1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg,cloves/
1/2 teaspoon of powdered Sage and Rosemary
1/8-1/4 teaspoon of allspice
Simmer 4-5 minutes and remove from heat.
It should be noted that in the step above you may uses Broth,Sugo,Red wine, celery, carrots or tomato's.You may use Parsley, Bay or Basil. Some recipes call for vinegar.
I get the feeling Italians were not picky and what ever was in the kitchen became the recipe. OK the cook needs a glass of wine .
Arrange the chicken in a baking pan giving them enough room to play. Pour the pan mixture over the chicken and into the pan. Place in the oven and bake for one hour .
Checking to make sure the chicken is getting along with each other and give them a batch in the sauce.
Now, very important to remember.Chicken should be skin up so the meat is always moist.. If your guest don't like skin they can remove once they have it plated. Don't undress the chicken in front of everyone.
You should be pouring yourself a glass of wine at this point and admiring your work because it will bring a tear to your eye, really.
You can serve with Noodles, Potato's,Rice or Risotto, the later my favorite.
Good eating to you. Good drinking to the cooks.
Keep your Spirits(eh) up..
Finding an unopened bottle of Chablis and the immediate thought of cooking runs through my head.Of course the cook gets his taste also but the cooking screams from the bottle.
Pre- Heat oven to 325.
( I set mine at 280 per my mom. She says the chicken does not like the heat.)
1 Whole Chicken cut up.
In my case a nice package of thighs.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder both sides evenly.
Wash Hands thoroughly.
Glass of wine for the cook please.
Set chicken aside.
In a large fry pan with a tablespoon of Olive Oil and Pad or two of butter heat med high.
Brown the chicken on both sides in small batches so you don't crowd.
Sometimes the chicken can be sensitive ,treat it with care. Leave the skin on as the chicken does not do so well without clothes on.
Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
Ask it how its day was.
Have a glass of wine.Pour excess fat off leaving a tablespoon in the pan.
Now add 1/2 cup of butter to the pan and listen for the sizzle and turn down to medium.
Loosen the goodies from the bottom of the pan as you would when making a gravy.
Make the sign of the cross across your chest as you are about to sacrifice a glass of wine into the pan.
The cook gets 2 glasses of wine.
Bring to a Hard simmer( boil)
1/8 to1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg,cloves/
1/2 teaspoon of powdered Sage and Rosemary
1/8-1/4 teaspoon of allspice
Simmer 4-5 minutes and remove from heat.
It should be noted that in the step above you may uses Broth,Sugo,Red wine, celery, carrots or tomato's.You may use Parsley, Bay or Basil. Some recipes call for vinegar.
I get the feeling Italians were not picky and what ever was in the kitchen became the recipe. OK the cook needs a glass of wine .
Arrange the chicken in a baking pan giving them enough room to play. Pour the pan mixture over the chicken and into the pan. Place in the oven and bake for one hour .
Checking to make sure the chicken is getting along with each other and give them a batch in the sauce.
Now, very important to remember.Chicken should be skin up so the meat is always moist.. If your guest don't like skin they can remove once they have it plated. Don't undress the chicken in front of everyone.
You should be pouring yourself a glass of wine at this point and admiring your work because it will bring a tear to your eye, really.
You can serve with Noodles, Potato's,Rice or Risotto, the later my favorite.
Good eating to you. Good drinking to the cooks.
Keep your Spirits(eh) up..
Sunday, April 10, 2011
New Recipe
New cook books excite me as well as new books and authors .
My brother Black bought me a copy of the Complete Fish and Game Cook book by A.D. Livingston. Great recipe's from Skillet to Crock Pot Squirrel to fish Patty's.
I have been craving to thing a Fish Patty as I have seen made on several of my favorite cooking shows and real Fish and Chips of which I never had.
The local Grocery Store ( No fish monger) here had a sale on Code and Talliapia.
OK I know what you are going to say. "Jeff you fish for a living ". Well I get lazy and am not as fond to ice fishing as I once was. So i figured I would have some on hand for the lenten season.
The bride is particular about her fish and my girls are fished out from dad.This would be a me dish and I would have to make something else for the house.
Fish Patties:
Great for a lite Lunch or dinner served with Cottage Cheese, Salad, Slaw, Veggies.....
1 cup of Italian bread Crumbs
1 Medium Onion Minced.
2 large eggs, whisked
Salt
Pepper
Butter or Margarine
2 or so cups of Cod ( 5 small cod fillets)
(Walleye, Perch, Catfish, Sucker, Northern Pike or Musky would work well here.)
Wash the fillets and pat dry.
Season with salt and pepper.
In a skillet melt two pads of Butter .
Cook fillets on medium heat flipping once until flaky ( 4-5 minutes a side)
Cod is a little oily so this will render some of the fat out.
When done remove to a plate and allow to cool completely.
In a large bowl add the bread crumbs, onion and whisked eggs
(I added a little oregano but I am thinking if you are not an onion fan is chives would be good)
Flake the cooked fillets into a pile and salt and pepper to taste.
Add flaked fillets to bowl and mix thoroughly.
Form mixture into patties ( 4 large or 6 smaller)
Place on plate and cover with plastic wrap.
Vitts Tip:
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This helps set the patty and allows seasoning to blend in.
Using the same skillet clean discard the fat and butter from the cod and add either 2-3 pads of butter or 2 TBS of cooking oil to the skillet and cook the patties until they are cooked through and crown.
( For best results use a combo of oil and butter oil alone got to hot on my stove and darkened the patties too much.)
Serve with your favorite sauce , add a hunk of cheese, or just plane with a side of slaw and some fried potato's for that shore lunch feel.
I am not a tartar sauce guy, ketchup, mustard,steak sauce but in a different recipe using cornmeal I found a sauce recipe that peaked my interest and was a bit spicy for me but worth a try.
1 can of tomato paste (6 ounce)
1 small onion finely chopped.
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or other Hot Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
Mix the Worcestershire Sauce, paste with one can of water(using the paste can)
stir in onion vinegar and Tabasco. Bring to a quick boil simmer adding salt and pepper and tasting until you like it.
Either pour over your fish or serve on the side.
I thought this was good. Spicy but good.
The patties were good and moist not dry and i experimented with the sauce and enjoyed. Great dinner which led to a great lunch the next day. The bride did try it and gave the nod so I felt I could add this to the list.
Remember catch and release is a good practice but it doesn't taste as good so keep a few for the cooler.
My brother Black bought me a copy of the Complete Fish and Game Cook book by A.D. Livingston. Great recipe's from Skillet to Crock Pot Squirrel to fish Patty's.
I have been craving to thing a Fish Patty as I have seen made on several of my favorite cooking shows and real Fish and Chips of which I never had.
The local Grocery Store ( No fish monger) here had a sale on Code and Talliapia.
OK I know what you are going to say. "Jeff you fish for a living ". Well I get lazy and am not as fond to ice fishing as I once was. So i figured I would have some on hand for the lenten season.
The bride is particular about her fish and my girls are fished out from dad.This would be a me dish and I would have to make something else for the house.
Fish Patties:
Great for a lite Lunch or dinner served with Cottage Cheese, Salad, Slaw, Veggies.....
1 cup of Italian bread Crumbs
1 Medium Onion Minced.
2 large eggs, whisked
Salt
Pepper
Butter or Margarine
2 or so cups of Cod ( 5 small cod fillets)
(Walleye, Perch, Catfish, Sucker, Northern Pike or Musky would work well here.)
Wash the fillets and pat dry.
Season with salt and pepper.
In a skillet melt two pads of Butter .
Cook fillets on medium heat flipping once until flaky ( 4-5 minutes a side)
Cod is a little oily so this will render some of the fat out.
When done remove to a plate and allow to cool completely.
In a large bowl add the bread crumbs, onion and whisked eggs
(I added a little oregano but I am thinking if you are not an onion fan is chives would be good)
Flake the cooked fillets into a pile and salt and pepper to taste.
Add flaked fillets to bowl and mix thoroughly.
Form mixture into patties ( 4 large or 6 smaller)
Place on plate and cover with plastic wrap.
Vitts Tip:
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This helps set the patty and allows seasoning to blend in.
Using the same skillet clean discard the fat and butter from the cod and add either 2-3 pads of butter or 2 TBS of cooking oil to the skillet and cook the patties until they are cooked through and crown.
( For best results use a combo of oil and butter oil alone got to hot on my stove and darkened the patties too much.)
Serve with your favorite sauce , add a hunk of cheese, or just plane with a side of slaw and some fried potato's for that shore lunch feel.
I am not a tartar sauce guy, ketchup, mustard,steak sauce but in a different recipe using cornmeal I found a sauce recipe that peaked my interest and was a bit spicy for me but worth a try.
1 can of tomato paste (6 ounce)
1 small onion finely chopped.
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or other Hot Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
Mix the Worcestershire Sauce, paste with one can of water(using the paste can)
stir in onion vinegar and Tabasco. Bring to a quick boil simmer adding salt and pepper and tasting until you like it.
Either pour over your fish or serve on the side.
I thought this was good. Spicy but good.
The patties were good and moist not dry and i experimented with the sauce and enjoyed. Great dinner which led to a great lunch the next day. The bride did try it and gave the nod so I felt I could add this to the list.
Remember catch and release is a good practice but it doesn't taste as good so keep a few for the cooler.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Five Day Challenge, Bonus!!!
"Tuesday's Gone With The Wind", so the song goes . Funny how burps in routine can leave one feeling over whelmed and struggling to find the calm peace that has been the norm. The day was a normal day involving the multi pronged approach to the job search and making a vague attempt keep up with world and current events. The morning workout or rehab session as I refer to them was good and the dogs had been walked and I had started thinking about what to cook for the family come dinner time.
It should be noted that the lovely bride and child are up and out of the house long before I make the decision to awake which is a side effect from the hospital and continuing recovery.Mornings are the toughest as the body is sore,stiff and does not want to move like it once did and my normal roosting hour was at five A.M. or earlier.
Once awake I am allowed two cups of Joe a bowl of cereal, banana and my daily load of pills and vitamins. Lunch is Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Apple of a hard cheese with some crackers,so dinner is an exciting time for me as along with my daughter and the bride we look forward to a good meal and as seems normal not always together.
My neighbor Dan, called waking me from my computer induced snooze and he wanted to cut stuff with chain saws.Now for most people you would think two guys with chainsaws could only spell trouble...But today would be different I am trying to save a forty year old one hundred foot plus elm tree which was originally damaged last June in a wind storm. With the plan set in motion I needed to make a quick decision on what to do for dinner and at least get it prepped.
Apple Pie:
Craving a pie I reached for the last Apple pie in the freezer chest.
No homemade here, not that I do not want to try but at a later date.
Mean While 400 degrees for 60 minutes.
Mashed Potato:
Five Red potato's rinsed,chopped and placed in a pan of cold water and placed on the stove. Ready to go as soon as I finish the cutting. Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper for seasoning.
Meat Loaf:
With left over Burger from Burger Night I made the decision that this would be easy as I could form it and it would be ready to go.
1/3 Cup of Italian Bread crumbs.
1/3 Cup Milk
1/3 cup of chopped parsley
1 Large egg
3 TBS of Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion chopped or minced.
4 cloves of garlic chopped or minced.
1 1/2 # of Ground beef.
(I am believer of mixing meats with meatballs and would normally have mixed a 1/2 pound of pork with this recipe but no pork available today unless I ground up breakfast sausage.)
Mix the above in a large bowl making sure not to pack to tightly.
Prepped a cooking sheet with parchment paper so I could free form the loaf.
( You can use a loaf pan, but I prefer this method as the fat can drain away from the loaf, rather then sit in it)
This will bake for around 60 minutes at 350 or until the center is at 160 degrees.
In a separate bowl.
1 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBS of of Brown Sugar
1/2 cup of Ketchup
( I had no Cider Vinegar so I used regular white.)
Whisk together a brush the loaf before placing into the oven.
Half way through the cooking process brush a generous coating over the loaf and allow to cook the balance of the time.
The Meat Loaf remained moist and was quickly destroyed by Dani , my starving college student and Jacqueline who insists the school menu was developed to kill her the bride and myself. No veggies as everyone snacked on carrots waiting for dinner to finish.
The prep took 30 minutes and I was able to place the loaf in the fridge while the pie baked and I was out in the yard playing lumber Jack.With well timed breaks I was able to get the whole deal done and clean up the yard and the bride still has not noticed the work that was done.
It should be noted that the lovely bride and child are up and out of the house long before I make the decision to awake which is a side effect from the hospital and continuing recovery.Mornings are the toughest as the body is sore,stiff and does not want to move like it once did and my normal roosting hour was at five A.M. or earlier.
Once awake I am allowed two cups of Joe a bowl of cereal, banana and my daily load of pills and vitamins. Lunch is Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Apple of a hard cheese with some crackers,so dinner is an exciting time for me as along with my daughter and the bride we look forward to a good meal and as seems normal not always together.
My neighbor Dan, called waking me from my computer induced snooze and he wanted to cut stuff with chain saws.Now for most people you would think two guys with chainsaws could only spell trouble...But today would be different I am trying to save a forty year old one hundred foot plus elm tree which was originally damaged last June in a wind storm. With the plan set in motion I needed to make a quick decision on what to do for dinner and at least get it prepped.
Apple Pie:
Craving a pie I reached for the last Apple pie in the freezer chest.
No homemade here, not that I do not want to try but at a later date.
Mean While 400 degrees for 60 minutes.
Mashed Potato:
Five Red potato's rinsed,chopped and placed in a pan of cold water and placed on the stove. Ready to go as soon as I finish the cutting. Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper for seasoning.
Meat Loaf:
With left over Burger from Burger Night I made the decision that this would be easy as I could form it and it would be ready to go.
1/3 Cup of Italian Bread crumbs.
1/3 Cup Milk
1/3 cup of chopped parsley
1 Large egg
3 TBS of Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion chopped or minced.
4 cloves of garlic chopped or minced.
1 1/2 # of Ground beef.
(I am believer of mixing meats with meatballs and would normally have mixed a 1/2 pound of pork with this recipe but no pork available today unless I ground up breakfast sausage.)
Mix the above in a large bowl making sure not to pack to tightly.
Prepped a cooking sheet with parchment paper so I could free form the loaf.
( You can use a loaf pan, but I prefer this method as the fat can drain away from the loaf, rather then sit in it)
This will bake for around 60 minutes at 350 or until the center is at 160 degrees.
In a separate bowl.
1 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBS of of Brown Sugar
1/2 cup of Ketchup
( I had no Cider Vinegar so I used regular white.)
Whisk together a brush the loaf before placing into the oven.
Half way through the cooking process brush a generous coating over the loaf and allow to cook the balance of the time.
The Meat Loaf remained moist and was quickly destroyed by Dani , my starving college student and Jacqueline who insists the school menu was developed to kill her the bride and myself. No veggies as everyone snacked on carrots waiting for dinner to finish.
The prep took 30 minutes and I was able to place the loaf in the fridge while the pie baked and I was out in the yard playing lumber Jack.With well timed breaks I was able to get the whole deal done and clean up the yard and the bride still has not noticed the work that was done.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Five Day Challenge
Well the sun rose on another day as it always does and another day of opportunity was upon me and my family. The first priority was the paper and coffee to check the box scores and shake the cob webs that seem to occupy my had more these days.
A Quick shower and I was off too mass where we would hear the sermon of the woman at the well, one of my favorites.
Upon arriving home from service it was apparent that the house was still quiet and no one else was moving and it was now that I was looking at a day where nothing was going to happen. You know, One of those days where all the excuses are built in and you do not have to think about your next move. There is snow on the ground and in the trees so that ruled out any early yard work and quite frankly it was cold out.
My daughter came up and said she was hungry for a burger so I told here to run out and grab a package from the freezer.
Today would be easy as there is a different favorite burger for everyone in the house and the challenge would be to keep everyone happy. Since there is only three of us I figured I was up for the challenge. Both the Bride and my daughter are straight out burger fans. Don't mix anything into the meat just slap a patty together and cook it juicy. For myself i like to add things to my burgers as I am not a ketchup or mustard user so taste is everything. Mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, juicy Lucy style burgers or just a seasoning mix can make burgers good. Adding Ham, Roast Beef, egg, gravy, onion rings, Bacon, etc... make burgers interesting. Ground beef has also proven to be my ally with the new digestive system so I now spend a little more time thinking about how to make it better. My personal preference is adding 1/3 pork to my burger for an out of this world taste.The bride usually buys extra lean meats so adding some fat usually helps. This particular day was 80/20 so for the most part it was ready to go.
With the day pretty much planned I retreated to the Television to catch some more NCAA Basketball and Hockey, what a great sports weekend. With an ample supply of News Papers and periodicals and the room now resembled the waiting area of the waiting room at the clinic.
The dinner hour was upon us so it was time to go to work as there would be two more Hockey Games in the evening session.
Fries:
Sorry no home made here, went to the freezer and grabbed a bag of curly fries, although I had a craving for sweet potato fries but would be out of luck today.
Cottage Cheese:
No more needs to be said here.
Cole Slaw;
Left over from yesterdays meal.
Burgers;
With five ponds of beef I reserved a good portion for another dinner during the week.
with approximately a pound and a half I mixed Montreal seasoning into the meat and let it sit a bit before making the patties.
I guess the hot shots may call it hand made burgers but really, is their any other way?
The burgers were all well over a quarter pound each as I made only three burgers from the mix. Using my knuckles I made a depression in the middle of each to keep the burger from folding up.
In a large skillet I placed some olive oil and a pad of butter and set at med high.
Placing the burgers in the pan and of course this all depends on the thickness of your burgers I cooked them 6 minutes flip and cooked 8 minutes until juices ran clear from the burger.Of course if you like your burgers a little on the rare side back off a little.I prefer a burger that is more done but still juicy but not red. This probably goes back to my days as a distance runner when some doctor from Finland or The former Czech Republic said raw meat was better and for a time anything made with beef came to my plate cooked one or two minutes per side and served. The prevailing thought being that raw meat digested quicker thus giving your body the much needed nutrition quicker resulting in a more efficient body that go turn around and be destroyed by running another 20 miles in a day.We believed anything back in those days but had a sense of humor as our track club name was Coke,Speed, L.S.D reflecting three training techniques distance runners used not the drugs they used. Our refrigerator although healthy had plenty of Beer and Wine.
With burgers almost done I cooked a few pieces of Ham and Egg and the left over mushroom sauce from Day fours dinner. selected the cheese 1 American, 1 Provolone, 1 Swiss.
Jacki Burger:
Topped with 1 egg easy over, 2 slices of Ham, Toasted Bun.
The Bride;
Plain topped with Swiss. Pocket bread toasted.
Dads;
Mushroom sauce covered with provolone served on home made sweet bread toasted.
sides;
Cottage Cheese, Cole Slaw , curly fries
You cannot go wrong with burgers and I am sure there are plenty of great recipes out there to try and it is easy to give people what they want. Hopefully this covered Caroline's request and actually it was fun to keep track and now I am looking for something to do with the rest of the beef. The last time it was meat balls, this time I am looking at Miny Meat Loaves....
A Quick shower and I was off too mass where we would hear the sermon of the woman at the well, one of my favorites.
Upon arriving home from service it was apparent that the house was still quiet and no one else was moving and it was now that I was looking at a day where nothing was going to happen. You know, One of those days where all the excuses are built in and you do not have to think about your next move. There is snow on the ground and in the trees so that ruled out any early yard work and quite frankly it was cold out.
My daughter came up and said she was hungry for a burger so I told here to run out and grab a package from the freezer.
Today would be easy as there is a different favorite burger for everyone in the house and the challenge would be to keep everyone happy. Since there is only three of us I figured I was up for the challenge. Both the Bride and my daughter are straight out burger fans. Don't mix anything into the meat just slap a patty together and cook it juicy. For myself i like to add things to my burgers as I am not a ketchup or mustard user so taste is everything. Mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, juicy Lucy style burgers or just a seasoning mix can make burgers good. Adding Ham, Roast Beef, egg, gravy, onion rings, Bacon, etc... make burgers interesting. Ground beef has also proven to be my ally with the new digestive system so I now spend a little more time thinking about how to make it better. My personal preference is adding 1/3 pork to my burger for an out of this world taste.The bride usually buys extra lean meats so adding some fat usually helps. This particular day was 80/20 so for the most part it was ready to go.
With the day pretty much planned I retreated to the Television to catch some more NCAA Basketball and Hockey, what a great sports weekend. With an ample supply of News Papers and periodicals and the room now resembled the waiting area of the waiting room at the clinic.
The dinner hour was upon us so it was time to go to work as there would be two more Hockey Games in the evening session.
Fries:
Sorry no home made here, went to the freezer and grabbed a bag of curly fries, although I had a craving for sweet potato fries but would be out of luck today.
Cottage Cheese:
No more needs to be said here.
Cole Slaw;
Left over from yesterdays meal.
Burgers;
With five ponds of beef I reserved a good portion for another dinner during the week.
with approximately a pound and a half I mixed Montreal seasoning into the meat and let it sit a bit before making the patties.
I guess the hot shots may call it hand made burgers but really, is their any other way?
The burgers were all well over a quarter pound each as I made only three burgers from the mix. Using my knuckles I made a depression in the middle of each to keep the burger from folding up.
In a large skillet I placed some olive oil and a pad of butter and set at med high.
Placing the burgers in the pan and of course this all depends on the thickness of your burgers I cooked them 6 minutes flip and cooked 8 minutes until juices ran clear from the burger.Of course if you like your burgers a little on the rare side back off a little.I prefer a burger that is more done but still juicy but not red. This probably goes back to my days as a distance runner when some doctor from Finland or The former Czech Republic said raw meat was better and for a time anything made with beef came to my plate cooked one or two minutes per side and served. The prevailing thought being that raw meat digested quicker thus giving your body the much needed nutrition quicker resulting in a more efficient body that go turn around and be destroyed by running another 20 miles in a day.We believed anything back in those days but had a sense of humor as our track club name was Coke,Speed, L.S.D reflecting three training techniques distance runners used not the drugs they used. Our refrigerator although healthy had plenty of Beer and Wine.
With burgers almost done I cooked a few pieces of Ham and Egg and the left over mushroom sauce from Day fours dinner. selected the cheese 1 American, 1 Provolone, 1 Swiss.
Jacki Burger:
Topped with 1 egg easy over, 2 slices of Ham, Toasted Bun.
The Bride;
Plain topped with Swiss. Pocket bread toasted.
Dads;
Mushroom sauce covered with provolone served on home made sweet bread toasted.
sides;
Cottage Cheese, Cole Slaw , curly fries
You cannot go wrong with burgers and I am sure there are plenty of great recipes out there to try and it is easy to give people what they want. Hopefully this covered Caroline's request and actually it was fun to keep track and now I am looking for something to do with the rest of the beef. The last time it was meat balls, this time I am looking at Miny Meat Loaves....
Monday, March 28, 2011
Five Day Challenge
Excitement resonated through the air waves as Man On The Silver Mountain played on the radio and found myself doing the Tom Cruise slide across the kitchen floor excited that absolutely nothing was going on this day and having some me time as the bride and young one were office to play tennis in the big city.
Looking at my schedule there was a program on about noodling. Not spaghetti noodles but fishing for flat head cats in the Okies. Hand Fishing some would call it as the object is to stick your hands down holes, tunnels that are under water and a favorite hiding spot for Flats.and get bit. Upon getting bit you are supposed to grab hold and wrestle the fish out and bring it to the surface. Some as big as 90-100 pounds have been harvested this way and I say harvest because if you are going to go through this act to catch the fish . You most certainly are obliged to kill it and eat it, but that is a different story.
There was also a total of Eight Basketball games on both High School and College as well as NCAA Hockey Regional. Bliss . I am not a basketball fan until March Madness Nor do I follow High School other than box scores.Hockey on the other hand I watch and if they televised more curling I would be watching that also.
So knowing this I also realized my challenge was going to take place over the weekend and I needed to do prep work as I figured I had one hour in which I could do this and not lose focus on game day.Still listening to tunes I slide back across the kitchen floor to check on ingredients.
I opened the fridge and came across Mushrooms,Half of a Sweet onion,Four slices of Bacon and in the freezer I found some Pork Chops,boneless and trimmed.Having trouble with certain meats since surgery to correct intestinal problems I was on the ropes and this would be my last experiment with pork in chop form if I decided this was what I wanted to cook. We just had chicken the night before( see day 3) so that was off the list.Glancing at the chops I declared that it could work this time.. so they came out and were put in an ice water bath to help thaw.
Checking the pantry area I found french cut canned green beans, beef stock and wheat wholegrain noodles, ( yuck) but that's all I had and they did not look as bad as the wheat noodles. OK i should go a little easier on the noodle deal as there are people that cannot eat the real deal and my surgeon is really trying to give me the best advice to elongate my life.The plan was simple prepare as much ahead of time spices,chopping, slicing ,dicing set it on the counter and the fridge so it would be ready to fly.
Chopped the Bacon, onion.garlic,cabbage,carrots washed and sliced the mushrooms
Marsala,beef stock,olive oil,butter, salt pepper.
Using the coleslaw recipe from Day one I mixed together a small batch to toss in with the chopped slaw,chopped carrots and 1/4 cup of onions and mixed well ,covered and refrigerated.
Next I wanted to brine the pork. I mixed a quart and a half of cold water to 3/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar and whisked until salt and sugar were evaporated. The chops by now were soft but not entirely thawed I placed the chops in the brine and covered and placed in the refrigerator. ( My after thought was I should of forked the chops to allow the brine to soak in ,not sure on this call.)
Finally I filled a large pot with water for the noodles double checked my punch list and
prepped the broiler pan before retreating to the entertainment center for the day. The games were all good but non of my college teams made it through and my High School picks were pretty much neutral as Chisholm was through playing but the remaining teams in all classes were very good.
The break snuck up quick and delayed as there was some overtime.
Cole slaw:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 can tomato soup
Whisk the ingredients until blended and dissolved
1/2 Head of Cabbage quartered and chopped.
4 carrots chopped thinly or grated.
1/4 of a onion.
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients until blended well and refrigerate.
Set the oven to broil and place the rack within six inches of the element.
Italian Green beans:
Using a skillet preheat on Med high .
Place the chopped bacon ( four strips) and cook until browned.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and dispose of grease.
add 3 TBS of Olive Oil.
Add 3 TBS of butter to the pan
2 TBS of minced garlic
1/4 cup of chopped onion allow to cook until soft.
Add the 2 cans of French cut Green beans and mix with butter.
Salt and pepper to Taste.
Add Bacon.
Simmer ,covered for 10-15 minutes.
I placed in a bowl covered and placed in microwave.
In the same pan, start with
3TTBS of Olive oil.
1 pad of butter
add the onion 1/4 cup, 1 TBS of chopped garlic,
let cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms mixing well and cooking until tender.
Add the 1/2 cup of Marsala to de-glaze the pan.
Allow this to cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of beef stock bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and let cook for 15-30 minutes making sure to stir.Drain and let stand. Wheat noodles do not get sticky like regular flour based noodles.
At the same time the Marsala is being done the noodles should be cooking until al -dente
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
Place on the broiler pan which was prepared before hand.
Place in the broiler. Depending upon the thickness( These were thin) I broiled four minutes flipped and broiled five minutes and they came out perfect.
On a large serving platter I bedded the noodles first. Next I layerd the chops on top and finally covered them with the mushroom sauce ( Marsala).
The Italian beans were served in their own bowl and the Slaw in its own bowl.
The noodles were not bad and I now believe will have a minor presence on my plate.
The mushroom sauce was helpful in covering the taste.I also imagine some salt as I do not season my noodles as heavy any longer.Again a personal choice.
The Pork was tender and had plenty of flavor but I would let them sit fin brine for 24 36 hours the next time as recommended by many chef's. The mushroom sauce added a layer of taste to the chops and overall i would rate this maiden dish at B.
The Bride and Daughter were quiet and plates were cleaned off so I would say it was good for them also.
The Italian Beans were great and gone as usual when I make this dish whose recipes is my mothers as is the Cole slaw dressing.( You may be wondering Why slaw?) It was on sale and a head of lettuce was 3.75 versus 59 cents for a pound of cabbage.Now that I got my Sandra Lee out of the way, I heard our veggie prices will be coming down shortly.
This is not a meal you would have considered if you just got home from a long day but having a plan can help make your cooking experience more enjoyable and less stressful at the end of a long work day or a long play day.
final segment coming......
Looking at my schedule there was a program on about noodling. Not spaghetti noodles but fishing for flat head cats in the Okies. Hand Fishing some would call it as the object is to stick your hands down holes, tunnels that are under water and a favorite hiding spot for Flats.and get bit. Upon getting bit you are supposed to grab hold and wrestle the fish out and bring it to the surface. Some as big as 90-100 pounds have been harvested this way and I say harvest because if you are going to go through this act to catch the fish . You most certainly are obliged to kill it and eat it, but that is a different story.
There was also a total of Eight Basketball games on both High School and College as well as NCAA Hockey Regional. Bliss . I am not a basketball fan until March Madness Nor do I follow High School other than box scores.Hockey on the other hand I watch and if they televised more curling I would be watching that also.
So knowing this I also realized my challenge was going to take place over the weekend and I needed to do prep work as I figured I had one hour in which I could do this and not lose focus on game day.Still listening to tunes I slide back across the kitchen floor to check on ingredients.
I opened the fridge and came across Mushrooms,Half of a Sweet onion,Four slices of Bacon and in the freezer I found some Pork Chops,boneless and trimmed.Having trouble with certain meats since surgery to correct intestinal problems I was on the ropes and this would be my last experiment with pork in chop form if I decided this was what I wanted to cook. We just had chicken the night before( see day 3) so that was off the list.Glancing at the chops I declared that it could work this time.. so they came out and were put in an ice water bath to help thaw.
Checking the pantry area I found french cut canned green beans, beef stock and wheat wholegrain noodles, ( yuck) but that's all I had and they did not look as bad as the wheat noodles. OK i should go a little easier on the noodle deal as there are people that cannot eat the real deal and my surgeon is really trying to give me the best advice to elongate my life.The plan was simple prepare as much ahead of time spices,chopping, slicing ,dicing set it on the counter and the fridge so it would be ready to fly.
Chopped the Bacon, onion.garlic,cabbage,carrots washed and sliced the mushrooms
Marsala,beef stock,olive oil,butter, salt pepper.
Using the coleslaw recipe from Day one I mixed together a small batch to toss in with the chopped slaw,chopped carrots and 1/4 cup of onions and mixed well ,covered and refrigerated.
Next I wanted to brine the pork. I mixed a quart and a half of cold water to 3/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar and whisked until salt and sugar were evaporated. The chops by now were soft but not entirely thawed I placed the chops in the brine and covered and placed in the refrigerator. ( My after thought was I should of forked the chops to allow the brine to soak in ,not sure on this call.)
Finally I filled a large pot with water for the noodles double checked my punch list and
prepped the broiler pan before retreating to the entertainment center for the day. The games were all good but non of my college teams made it through and my High School picks were pretty much neutral as Chisholm was through playing but the remaining teams in all classes were very good.
The break snuck up quick and delayed as there was some overtime.
Cole slaw:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 can tomato soup
Whisk the ingredients until blended and dissolved
1/2 Head of Cabbage quartered and chopped.
4 carrots chopped thinly or grated.
1/4 of a onion.
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients until blended well and refrigerate.
Set the oven to broil and place the rack within six inches of the element.
Italian Green beans:
Using a skillet preheat on Med high .
Place the chopped bacon ( four strips) and cook until browned.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and dispose of grease.
add 3 TBS of Olive Oil.
Add 3 TBS of butter to the pan
2 TBS of minced garlic
1/4 cup of chopped onion allow to cook until soft.
Add the 2 cans of French cut Green beans and mix with butter.
Salt and pepper to Taste.
Add Bacon.
Simmer ,covered for 10-15 minutes.
I placed in a bowl covered and placed in microwave.
In the same pan, start with
3TTBS of Olive oil.
1 pad of butter
add the onion 1/4 cup, 1 TBS of chopped garlic,
let cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms mixing well and cooking until tender.
Add the 1/2 cup of Marsala to de-glaze the pan.
Allow this to cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of beef stock bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and let cook for 15-30 minutes making sure to stir.Drain and let stand. Wheat noodles do not get sticky like regular flour based noodles.
At the same time the Marsala is being done the noodles should be cooking until al -dente
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
Place on the broiler pan which was prepared before hand.
Place in the broiler. Depending upon the thickness( These were thin) I broiled four minutes flipped and broiled five minutes and they came out perfect.
On a large serving platter I bedded the noodles first. Next I layerd the chops on top and finally covered them with the mushroom sauce ( Marsala).
The Italian beans were served in their own bowl and the Slaw in its own bowl.
The noodles were not bad and I now believe will have a minor presence on my plate.
The mushroom sauce was helpful in covering the taste.I also imagine some salt as I do not season my noodles as heavy any longer.Again a personal choice.
The Pork was tender and had plenty of flavor but I would let them sit fin brine for 24 36 hours the next time as recommended by many chef's. The mushroom sauce added a layer of taste to the chops and overall i would rate this maiden dish at B.
The Bride and Daughter were quiet and plates were cleaned off so I would say it was good for them also.
The Italian Beans were great and gone as usual when I make this dish whose recipes is my mothers as is the Cole slaw dressing.( You may be wondering Why slaw?) It was on sale and a head of lettuce was 3.75 versus 59 cents for a pound of cabbage.Now that I got my Sandra Lee out of the way, I heard our veggie prices will be coming down shortly.
This is not a meal you would have considered if you just got home from a long day but having a plan can help make your cooking experience more enjoyable and less stressful at the end of a long work day or a long play day.
final segment coming......
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Five Day Challenge
Well to my surprise day three was easy as I did not have to cook.
Busy watching Basketball on the Television I lost track of time.
During the time out breaks I was in the office checking Job Sites out and writing up a proposal for employment.My brides girls weekend to Izaty's was cancelled as everyone was sick.
I am not sure of the rules if any my cousin had in mind but no shopping had to be done.The recipe was simple as it required Chicken and Rice. chicken breasts seasoned with Poultry seasoning and pan fried. I am partial to butter and Olive Oil as I feel it boosts the flavor factor. The bride is a minimalist who looks at the end result. Nothing wrong with her cooking but I do not think it is her favorite past time. Although tonight I believe she cooked this particular recipe as she likes the sweet and sour factor. I was a good person and avoided the kitchen to allow her space.
I am also not sure of the recipe used but here is my guess.
Rice;
Long Grain Brown Minute Rice.
Butter
Soy sauce
( No veggies as she does not like to mix her food)
4 Boneless Chicken Breast.
Poultry Seasoning ( Lemon Pepper Blend)
Honey
Orange Juice Concentrate
Lemon Rind
Lemon Juice of whole Lemon
Blended Mustard.
Brown chicken in large pan.
4-5 min per side.
In a separate bowl she mixed the Mustard, Honey and 1/2 can of orange juice concentrate, Lemon.She poured the mixture over the chicken reduced the heat and covered.She did not put cashews in as I cannot eat them but she could of and I could have picked them out.
She served the finished dish family style, the Chicken and sauce covering the rice. In all it was probably and hour of prep and cooking and it is one of her favorite dishes to make.
Dinner was good, tender breasts with flavor. I would say she used more Honey as the sweet factor was there but I could taste the lemon and mustard. I believe this is a dish best left for the individual to decide as some like more sweet and some like more sour. based off my daughters empty plate it was perfect.
As I said earlier I like veggies in my rice so that was the only thing missing for me but it was good and true to the brides minimalist cooking style.
Great easy dinner to make.
Busy watching Basketball on the Television I lost track of time.
During the time out breaks I was in the office checking Job Sites out and writing up a proposal for employment.My brides girls weekend to Izaty's was cancelled as everyone was sick.
I am not sure of the rules if any my cousin had in mind but no shopping had to be done.The recipe was simple as it required Chicken and Rice. chicken breasts seasoned with Poultry seasoning and pan fried. I am partial to butter and Olive Oil as I feel it boosts the flavor factor. The bride is a minimalist who looks at the end result. Nothing wrong with her cooking but I do not think it is her favorite past time. Although tonight I believe she cooked this particular recipe as she likes the sweet and sour factor. I was a good person and avoided the kitchen to allow her space.
I am also not sure of the recipe used but here is my guess.
Rice;
Long Grain Brown Minute Rice.
Butter
Soy sauce
( No veggies as she does not like to mix her food)
4 Boneless Chicken Breast.
Poultry Seasoning ( Lemon Pepper Blend)
Honey
Orange Juice Concentrate
Lemon Rind
Lemon Juice of whole Lemon
Blended Mustard.
Brown chicken in large pan.
4-5 min per side.
In a separate bowl she mixed the Mustard, Honey and 1/2 can of orange juice concentrate, Lemon.She poured the mixture over the chicken reduced the heat and covered.She did not put cashews in as I cannot eat them but she could of and I could have picked them out.
She served the finished dish family style, the Chicken and sauce covering the rice. In all it was probably and hour of prep and cooking and it is one of her favorite dishes to make.
Dinner was good, tender breasts with flavor. I would say she used more Honey as the sweet factor was there but I could taste the lemon and mustard. I believe this is a dish best left for the individual to decide as some like more sweet and some like more sour. based off my daughters empty plate it was perfect.
As I said earlier I like veggies in my rice so that was the only thing missing for me but it was good and true to the brides minimalist cooking style.
Great easy dinner to make.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Five Day Challenge
Today was going to be a busy day regardless of what mother nature had in store for all of us so making a decision to get up early seemed like a great idea. A pot of coffee was awaiting me ,tickling my sense of smell and luring me into the kitchen where I was able to see that winter was still with us.My brides office was set up on the kitchen table and the sound of her fingers on the keyboard could be compared to a Jimmy Page or Peter Frampton guitar solo wailing out instructions to her counterparts both domestic and international.My youngest slept in on the first snow day in a half a dozen or so years.All she needed to hear were those words "No School "and she quickly slipped into a catatonic coma.
Sitting in my recliner next to the window i figured it was best not to put off the snow removal duty as the man on the radio was talking dropping temps and wind. The result would be a crust requiring the special tools of the snow removal trade in the likes of scrapers and metal edged American made shovels.For most the art of snow removal just requires moving snow from ones drive way or walk to it's appropriate place without putting it into to your neighbors yard. For a few though and it seems to relate to those of us born on the Iron Range that removing the snow is simple not enough. We must also free the walks and driveways of all snow, yes every flake and then and only then we can allow ourselves to lean back on the shovel and look with a modest amount of admiration and smile, knowing we defeated mother nature whom to most men is just another women trying to mess with his day. I selected three shovels ,one broom and hit the electric start on the eighteen horse Yard King 42 inch dual stage thrower with its Briggs motor sounding like winters version of a Harley.It would be nearly four hours later and my task would be done and I would lean back and smile.
Job complete I retreated to the laundry room to hang wet clothes and change out of game gear into something a little more comfortable.I prefer Champion wear as it seems to be a softer cotton then the standard Bar T-Shirt most shoveling athletes wear.Another cup of coffee awaited me and my next job which was to supervise the Nordic Trac Repair Tech who was coming to make adjustments on the XJ15LVN-3500 Turbo Quad Maxilator.The XJ, as I will refer to it was assembled with specials nuts and bolts requiring special tools and a service tech named Jake.Nice guy, great Gig, wish I had his job is all I can say.Jake opened his tool kit and unrolled the secrete tools wrapped in a suede tool carrier with crushed velvet lining to protect the special tools.
A tweak here and a tweak there and he was done. I only had three sips from my cup and he was finished and already asking me if I wanted to check it out.Doing my best athlete pose I shook my legs as if I actually knew and spilled coffee. Realizing my mistake I mounted the XJ and was trying to make it look like the setting was tough until the XJ chick broke into tell him we were on level one. No noise so I signed the papers and asked how a guy gets a set of the special tools only to get the " Right Buddy" look.
Checking the clock I figured I better get on with it and completed my daily work out .
forty five minutes on a level fourteen format with one minute breaks and another fifteen of stretching and wishing I was twenty one.
A quick snack provided me with energy to take a shower and get ready for an job interview over lunch.The interview went well and a light lunch tasted good and the meeting ended with us nerbling some wine. Not bad i would say. Arriving home I quickly found that the wind would be my enemy today and the driveway and walks needed my attention. I suited up and like the seasoned veteran player who walks out onto the field of play stoically I entered my domain once again.
After cleaning up it was time for the day two challenge.
Knowing, going into today that Bacon was going to be used in my dish and I was having a craving for cabbage and carrots with a slaw dressing and the meat dish I was not worried about and was going to skip until I saw that there was a left over Chop and piece of chicken. So assembling my items here is what I made for dinner.
Vinny slaw:
1/2 head of cabbage quartered and chopped.
3-4 whole carrots grated.
Place in a sealed container.
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 can of tomato soup.
Mix together in bowl. I use a whisk to incorporate the three ingredients as the seem to want to fight each other.
This recipe has been modified from the original to cut back on sugar.
I would imagine you could use honey or syrup for a more unique flavor.
Slowly pour mixture over your slaw and carrots . Cover and shake. shake shake.
place in fridge.
( the longer this sits the better it tastes.)
Try adding onions, peppers, sliced crinkle cut carrots that have been boiled. ohhh yea.)
Serves one, rigghht!!
This is also good over a pulled pork samey for you BBQ folks out there.
Carbonara:
Butter: (Of which most recipes I have come across call for two full stick I cut back to one)
12 oz of condensed Milk.
( Heavy Cream, or Milk can be used. Each region has their own. for the most part this recipe is a combination of three. Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking,La Cucina Della Razza Dei Ciurri)
Salt
Pepper
2 eggs
1/3 cup or more or less of either. Romano,Parmesan, Asiago cheese
( I used Parmesan and Asiago)
4 slices of smoked bacon chopped.
( Prosciutto,pancetta, or bacon are the most common with pancetta being my fav)
1 pound of spaghetti or egg noodles.
( I only had whole wheat noodles and was not going there so I used Penne)
In a large pot boil water for the noodles.
Add salt to the water once it starts to boil not before.
In a heavy fry pan add the chopped bacon and fry until it starts to turn brown.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil.
Place pan back on heat and add the butter.
once butter is melted add the condensed milk( shake well) stir and what you want is a simmer not a boil. season to taste with salt and pepper continue simmering for 20-30 minutes
Grate your cheese into a bowl.Set aside
Break two eggs into a bowl and stir.Set aside
Continue stirring the sauce adding the bacon back in.
When Noodles are al dente drain and place back into your pot and cover.(No heat)
Stir sauce.
Now, remove cover and add your cheese to the noodles mix good.
Stir Sauce.
Now, Slowly add the egg poring and stirring at the same time( some people are challenged in this respect and should dump and stir or ask for help)
Stir the noodles.
Stir the sauce checking it for taste. Pour sauce over the noodles and stir good.
A true recipe will say serve immediately.
Cover and set aside it will stay warm.
Meat:
My favorite with this is sweet Italian sausage or chicken.
Nothing thawed so I set the oven to 350 and placed the left over chop and chicken leg on foil and warmed through for 10 minutes.
( I hate microwaves)
The meat was warmed through and tasted just like the night it was cooked, which I was not going to ask..
Wine;
Drink what you want. I chose Water.
No complaints as this was easy and delicious.
I am light on salt and Pepper in my use. So adjust as you cook and always tatse.
Carbonara can be made different ways and is called many things but this recipe will remind you of your favorite.
Sitting in my recliner next to the window i figured it was best not to put off the snow removal duty as the man on the radio was talking dropping temps and wind. The result would be a crust requiring the special tools of the snow removal trade in the likes of scrapers and metal edged American made shovels.For most the art of snow removal just requires moving snow from ones drive way or walk to it's appropriate place without putting it into to your neighbors yard. For a few though and it seems to relate to those of us born on the Iron Range that removing the snow is simple not enough. We must also free the walks and driveways of all snow, yes every flake and then and only then we can allow ourselves to lean back on the shovel and look with a modest amount of admiration and smile, knowing we defeated mother nature whom to most men is just another women trying to mess with his day. I selected three shovels ,one broom and hit the electric start on the eighteen horse Yard King 42 inch dual stage thrower with its Briggs motor sounding like winters version of a Harley.It would be nearly four hours later and my task would be done and I would lean back and smile.
Job complete I retreated to the laundry room to hang wet clothes and change out of game gear into something a little more comfortable.I prefer Champion wear as it seems to be a softer cotton then the standard Bar T-Shirt most shoveling athletes wear.Another cup of coffee awaited me and my next job which was to supervise the Nordic Trac Repair Tech who was coming to make adjustments on the XJ15LVN-3500 Turbo Quad Maxilator.The XJ, as I will refer to it was assembled with specials nuts and bolts requiring special tools and a service tech named Jake.Nice guy, great Gig, wish I had his job is all I can say.Jake opened his tool kit and unrolled the secrete tools wrapped in a suede tool carrier with crushed velvet lining to protect the special tools.
A tweak here and a tweak there and he was done. I only had three sips from my cup and he was finished and already asking me if I wanted to check it out.Doing my best athlete pose I shook my legs as if I actually knew and spilled coffee. Realizing my mistake I mounted the XJ and was trying to make it look like the setting was tough until the XJ chick broke into tell him we were on level one. No noise so I signed the papers and asked how a guy gets a set of the special tools only to get the " Right Buddy" look.
Checking the clock I figured I better get on with it and completed my daily work out .
forty five minutes on a level fourteen format with one minute breaks and another fifteen of stretching and wishing I was twenty one.
A quick snack provided me with energy to take a shower and get ready for an job interview over lunch.The interview went well and a light lunch tasted good and the meeting ended with us nerbling some wine. Not bad i would say. Arriving home I quickly found that the wind would be my enemy today and the driveway and walks needed my attention. I suited up and like the seasoned veteran player who walks out onto the field of play stoically I entered my domain once again.
After cleaning up it was time for the day two challenge.
Knowing, going into today that Bacon was going to be used in my dish and I was having a craving for cabbage and carrots with a slaw dressing and the meat dish I was not worried about and was going to skip until I saw that there was a left over Chop and piece of chicken. So assembling my items here is what I made for dinner.
Vinny slaw:
1/2 head of cabbage quartered and chopped.
3-4 whole carrots grated.
Place in a sealed container.
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 can of tomato soup.
Mix together in bowl. I use a whisk to incorporate the three ingredients as the seem to want to fight each other.
This recipe has been modified from the original to cut back on sugar.
I would imagine you could use honey or syrup for a more unique flavor.
Slowly pour mixture over your slaw and carrots . Cover and shake. shake shake.
place in fridge.
( the longer this sits the better it tastes.)
Try adding onions, peppers, sliced crinkle cut carrots that have been boiled. ohhh yea.)
Serves one, rigghht!!
This is also good over a pulled pork samey for you BBQ folks out there.
Carbonara:
Butter: (Of which most recipes I have come across call for two full stick I cut back to one)
12 oz of condensed Milk.
( Heavy Cream, or Milk can be used. Each region has their own. for the most part this recipe is a combination of three. Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking,La Cucina Della Razza Dei Ciurri)
Salt
Pepper
2 eggs
1/3 cup or more or less of either. Romano,Parmesan, Asiago cheese
( I used Parmesan and Asiago)
4 slices of smoked bacon chopped.
( Prosciutto,pancetta, or bacon are the most common with pancetta being my fav)
1 pound of spaghetti or egg noodles.
( I only had whole wheat noodles and was not going there so I used Penne)
In a large pot boil water for the noodles.
Add salt to the water once it starts to boil not before.
In a heavy fry pan add the chopped bacon and fry until it starts to turn brown.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil.
Place pan back on heat and add the butter.
once butter is melted add the condensed milk( shake well) stir and what you want is a simmer not a boil. season to taste with salt and pepper continue simmering for 20-30 minutes
Grate your cheese into a bowl.Set aside
Break two eggs into a bowl and stir.Set aside
Continue stirring the sauce adding the bacon back in.
When Noodles are al dente drain and place back into your pot and cover.(No heat)
Stir sauce.
Now, remove cover and add your cheese to the noodles mix good.
Stir Sauce.
Now, Slowly add the egg poring and stirring at the same time( some people are challenged in this respect and should dump and stir or ask for help)
Stir the noodles.
Stir the sauce checking it for taste. Pour sauce over the noodles and stir good.
A true recipe will say serve immediately.
Cover and set aside it will stay warm.
Meat:
My favorite with this is sweet Italian sausage or chicken.
Nothing thawed so I set the oven to 350 and placed the left over chop and chicken leg on foil and warmed through for 10 minutes.
( I hate microwaves)
The meat was warmed through and tasted just like the night it was cooked, which I was not going to ask..
Wine;
Drink what you want. I chose Water.
No complaints as this was easy and delicious.
I am light on salt and Pepper in my use. So adjust as you cook and always tatse.
Carbonara can be made different ways and is called many things but this recipe will remind you of your favorite.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Five Day Challenge
After a few months of doing very little the creative juices were not or ceased to flow as they once did so freely.Like the old saying states, I reached out and touched someone.
Sending a message to family and friends for an idea,any idea to help loosen up the non creative grip on my brain. Behold twenty four hours later ideas, not many but ideas.
My cousin suggested i challenge myself to cook several meals at home with what is at my disposal. No running to the grocery store,local market,neighbors house or calling in for a delivery.
There were several other ideas that were good and I shall pursue after this effort is complete but I was drawn to this. For starters I am not a competitor at heart. I love competition do not get me wrong. Fifteen years of competitive running and another five years of training. Ten years of competitive fishing. I tend to leave my challenges on the track or lake.This is probably why I stay away from competitive recreational sports that are supposed to be fun but turn into much more.Competitive cooking is the same. Although I am amazed at the prowess of the chef's i keep asking myself would i really enjoy that meal because he or she made it fast.I come from the school of doing it right and for me at least that usually means taking my time.
But, this was not a competition as much as a personal challenge ,right of passage, you know kung fu stuff. Walking barefoot with a bag of spice slung over my shoulder playing the recorder I received in Mrs Lind's first grade class and playing kumbaya Heck yes I can do this. I am not a chef, just a guy who likes to cook which is a story in it's self.My high school cross country coach would say we should learn something about ourselves from each practice and race, words that have resonated with me over the years and can be said about cooking also.
Upon awaking this morning to nasty weather I first thought of planning and doing an inventory but quickly decided not to as if l was actually working and had to come home and prepare a decent meal without the aid of Ronald McDonald's or TV Dinners.
There really were no rules other than what was readily available
in my kitchen. Checking e-mails and my social web sites along with my first cup of coffee I starting considering the options. Now normally I would plan ahead and take something out the night before and plan and run to the market to pick up any last minute ingredients.I resisted an opened the fridge to see what kind of shape i was in and to my surprise the bride had gone shopping over the weekend while I was out of town so there will be some variety and I will stay away from fancy. I will also pay attention to dietary needs and tastes of my family and myself.Eating alone has been an adventure for myself so I am usually careful as to what I will use for ingredients and what I will stay away from or use sparingly.
The freezer had Bacon,Shrimp and Rice and the fridge had some cottage cheese my first meal was planned but the automatic plan ahead part of my brain kicked in and all of a sudden three or four ideas came to mind ,just like on TV.Sticking to today's menu items I needed to thaw the shrimp and bacon and make a decision as to what would be the meal.Since this is not television I cannot show you the pictures but I will share them in word. I first thought Risotto with shrimp and a salad on the side using some of the bacon to flavor the Risotto a little. I also thought of Noodles with a white sauce which included bacon served with veggies. No bread as I try to stay away from it unless it is the good stuff, and that is not a reference to whole Grain ,Wheat and such. That is Italian, French or something on that line.A soup sounded good because of the day but I noticed I still had some Turkey Noodle soup left in the fridge.What would Giada do?
Checking a few recipes nothing was hitting home until I found a recipe and I saw the word Shrimp and Bacon. Cross referencing quickly I came up with a total of three . Out of 787 shrimp recipes only three involved bacon and not one stood alone so I did the next best thing and borrowed a bit from all three.
Meal One;
BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. Broiled
Served with Rice ( brown Whole Grain) plain with butter.
Cottage Cheese would serve as my salad.
Soaked the Skewers in water.
Rinsed the shrimp and peeled.
Cut six slices of Bacon in half.
BBQ Sauce ( Kraft) Had a recipe for homemade but chose the easy route.
4-5 shrimp per skewer.
( could have used veggies as an addition but skipped.)
Brushed the shrimp with a generous dose of BBQ sauce.
Wrapped 1/2 piece of bacon around the shrimp and used tooth pick to hold in place.
Brushed more BBQ Sauce on and set on a broiling pan.
(Grill would have been a better option)
Set the oven to broil and placed the skewers 6-10 inches from the broiler.
Six minutes and turn. Six -Ten minutes or until crisp.
The idea is the bacon will keep the shrimp moist along with the sauce.
The rice was easy as it was in a steam bag and was done in 4 minutes.
The cottage Cheese was served solo although if i had thought I would have put it on a leaf of Romaine.
My critique:
Excellent recipe for the grill
pre-cooked.
The BBQ Sauce added flavor but not the desired result. It added a great flavor to the bacon.I would let the shrimp sit in the sauce for a few hours next time.
The rice was simple and good, I would add peas or another veggie to give it depth next time.
You cannot screw up cottage cheese but a leaf of Romaine would have been nice.
cauliflower with cheese would be good or Broccoli .
Sending a message to family and friends for an idea,any idea to help loosen up the non creative grip on my brain. Behold twenty four hours later ideas, not many but ideas.
My cousin suggested i challenge myself to cook several meals at home with what is at my disposal. No running to the grocery store,local market,neighbors house or calling in for a delivery.
There were several other ideas that were good and I shall pursue after this effort is complete but I was drawn to this. For starters I am not a competitor at heart. I love competition do not get me wrong. Fifteen years of competitive running and another five years of training. Ten years of competitive fishing. I tend to leave my challenges on the track or lake.This is probably why I stay away from competitive recreational sports that are supposed to be fun but turn into much more.Competitive cooking is the same. Although I am amazed at the prowess of the chef's i keep asking myself would i really enjoy that meal because he or she made it fast.I come from the school of doing it right and for me at least that usually means taking my time.
But, this was not a competition as much as a personal challenge ,right of passage, you know kung fu stuff. Walking barefoot with a bag of spice slung over my shoulder playing the recorder I received in Mrs Lind's first grade class and playing kumbaya Heck yes I can do this. I am not a chef, just a guy who likes to cook which is a story in it's self.My high school cross country coach would say we should learn something about ourselves from each practice and race, words that have resonated with me over the years and can be said about cooking also.
Upon awaking this morning to nasty weather I first thought of planning and doing an inventory but quickly decided not to as if l was actually working and had to come home and prepare a decent meal without the aid of Ronald McDonald's or TV Dinners.
There really were no rules other than what was readily available
in my kitchen. Checking e-mails and my social web sites along with my first cup of coffee I starting considering the options. Now normally I would plan ahead and take something out the night before and plan and run to the market to pick up any last minute ingredients.I resisted an opened the fridge to see what kind of shape i was in and to my surprise the bride had gone shopping over the weekend while I was out of town so there will be some variety and I will stay away from fancy. I will also pay attention to dietary needs and tastes of my family and myself.Eating alone has been an adventure for myself so I am usually careful as to what I will use for ingredients and what I will stay away from or use sparingly.
The freezer had Bacon,Shrimp and Rice and the fridge had some cottage cheese my first meal was planned but the automatic plan ahead part of my brain kicked in and all of a sudden three or four ideas came to mind ,just like on TV.Sticking to today's menu items I needed to thaw the shrimp and bacon and make a decision as to what would be the meal.Since this is not television I cannot show you the pictures but I will share them in word. I first thought Risotto with shrimp and a salad on the side using some of the bacon to flavor the Risotto a little. I also thought of Noodles with a white sauce which included bacon served with veggies. No bread as I try to stay away from it unless it is the good stuff, and that is not a reference to whole Grain ,Wheat and such. That is Italian, French or something on that line.A soup sounded good because of the day but I noticed I still had some Turkey Noodle soup left in the fridge.What would Giada do?
Checking a few recipes nothing was hitting home until I found a recipe and I saw the word Shrimp and Bacon. Cross referencing quickly I came up with a total of three . Out of 787 shrimp recipes only three involved bacon and not one stood alone so I did the next best thing and borrowed a bit from all three.
Meal One;
BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. Broiled
Served with Rice ( brown Whole Grain) plain with butter.
Cottage Cheese would serve as my salad.
Soaked the Skewers in water.
Rinsed the shrimp and peeled.
Cut six slices of Bacon in half.
BBQ Sauce ( Kraft) Had a recipe for homemade but chose the easy route.
4-5 shrimp per skewer.
( could have used veggies as an addition but skipped.)
Brushed the shrimp with a generous dose of BBQ sauce.
Wrapped 1/2 piece of bacon around the shrimp and used tooth pick to hold in place.
Brushed more BBQ Sauce on and set on a broiling pan.
(Grill would have been a better option)
Set the oven to broil and placed the skewers 6-10 inches from the broiler.
Six minutes and turn. Six -Ten minutes or until crisp.
The idea is the bacon will keep the shrimp moist along with the sauce.
The rice was easy as it was in a steam bag and was done in 4 minutes.
The cottage Cheese was served solo although if i had thought I would have put it on a leaf of Romaine.
My critique:
Excellent recipe for the grill
pre-cooked.
The BBQ Sauce added flavor but not the desired result. It added a great flavor to the bacon.I would let the shrimp sit in the sauce for a few hours next time.
The rice was simple and good, I would add peas or another veggie to give it depth next time.
You cannot screw up cottage cheese but a leaf of Romaine would have been nice.
cauliflower with cheese would be good or Broccoli .
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Snow Blind
After a few glasses of vino, sleep was eminent and came upon rather quickly. All the walking and fresh air left me me both tired but recharged at the same time. As all things that we truly love to do their is never enough time and they come to an end and we must push and move on and look forward to the next opportunity.
This became evident on Sunday when I awoke at four A.M> and needed to make the visit to the biff. The biff in the cold takes a little persuasion and it is not from the guys unless the flactuant are so bad in which they all wake you up and ask you to go. In My case the warmth of the bed and the sure solitude which was hard to believe with eleven other guys sleeping away. Maybe it was the peacefulness of the first snow where everything seems a little quite.
Slowly removing one leg at a time to find the floor and my muddies I exited the building to see that the snow was still accumulating and coming down hard..This also meant that the biff would be cold...reaaalll cold!.
To spare details,the trip was a success and I made my way back to the shack and the comforts of my bed.
The alarms sounded about an hour later and the more ambitious arose and started coffee and debated the hunt.
Snow is one thing, Heavy snow hanging from everything is a whole different story.
I lay in bed listening to the conversations which mostly surrounded around how good they slept, A few coffee complaints were lodged and blown off which reminded me of my dad at his camp when he would chime in'
" What do you think this is? Burger King?"
" Good enough for where we are"
or
"Good enough for Chisholm."
A few more minutes a few more bodies and now everyone was up and about.
The body was beyond stiff and I waited as late as I could and arose to meet the day. The snow had stopped and it was quite and a good way. I put on all the under garments and went outside to collect my blaze orange goat wear and the of the magnitude of what one would have to face in order to hunt became evident.
I made a quick call to the bride to get the 411 on how much snow was on the ground back home and figured it would be better to head home a few hours early rather than deal with frozen snow and digging out the snow blower in the dark.
I sat on the back porch and sipped coffee and held mass,. Not in a brick and mortar building but where church should be, surrounded by all the good thing of creation.
I left the camp with the guys waving in the rear view and the knowledge that I would be welcome again next season.
So God Willing,
Here is to next season.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The final push
Soreness has spread to the legs. Getting up a chore but than there is 22 miles on the legs and today and possibly tomorrow to go. more coffee needed this morning along with something more than a banana and Pop Tart, I'm going all out and have a slice of toast with butter. Juice and the daily dose of pills bring the body bake to life.
I again start the day returning to the home of Mr. Bone himself to see if he will appear, fresh scrapes and rubs indicate that indeed he has been back so I settle in and wait,. Since I am alone I make several small moves looking for the optimum vantage point but realize that I am a guest in this house and he hold every advantage there is. There is weather moving in but you would be hard pressed to tell by the blue bird skies and mild temperatures.
My mind starts wondering back to the trails I was on yesterday and make a late morning decision that I need to be close to water.Leaving was tough but I believe I made this one wary of showing himself again.I tell myself that it gives me something to look forward to next season if he can survive another week.
Refueling for a quick lunch I head North to the Dark River as there are a number of stands not being used today as some of the guys prepare to leave for home. I head the opposite direction as yesterday and and am payed dividends immediately by jumping a deer but no visual other than the white flag indicating he is moving very fast to avoid me. I head North as I feel I may jump him further up the trail. about a mile up the trail I find the stand I have been looking for as it over looks the river and has a very clean view of the river bottoms. i settle in and in a matter of time the sun has disappeared and the clouds begin to thicken. I remember walking past a field with a ditch leading to the river and there was a stand there that would be good and allow me to cover more ground. I climb down and begin to walk as it begins to snow.
In a little less than a half mile the snow has become thick and is heavy and wet, I cover the scope with a bag ,climb the stand and settle in. A half hour passes and the trees and the ground are now covered making the woods more visible. An Hour passes and than two and my rear is crying. I leave the confines of the stand to sit beneath a spruce tree that is blocking the snow and the now North East wind blowing steady. Another hour and the sun is setting behind the clouds and it is time to make track back to the vehicle.
No tire marks ,no tracks no one is out. Back on the highway there are no vehicles with the exception of mine . The snow has been coming down hard for a few hours now and it is amazing on how quick the colors of autumn are covered in a blanket of white. back at camp there is a sense of urgency to stack wood by the sauna and getting the big meal ready.
BBQ Venison Roast served with Carbonara and a salad. Wine to chase it down and for the most part lights out at ten. The snow has now been falling for several hours.......
I again start the day returning to the home of Mr. Bone himself to see if he will appear, fresh scrapes and rubs indicate that indeed he has been back so I settle in and wait,. Since I am alone I make several small moves looking for the optimum vantage point but realize that I am a guest in this house and he hold every advantage there is. There is weather moving in but you would be hard pressed to tell by the blue bird skies and mild temperatures.
My mind starts wondering back to the trails I was on yesterday and make a late morning decision that I need to be close to water.Leaving was tough but I believe I made this one wary of showing himself again.I tell myself that it gives me something to look forward to next season if he can survive another week.
Refueling for a quick lunch I head North to the Dark River as there are a number of stands not being used today as some of the guys prepare to leave for home. I head the opposite direction as yesterday and and am payed dividends immediately by jumping a deer but no visual other than the white flag indicating he is moving very fast to avoid me. I head North as I feel I may jump him further up the trail. about a mile up the trail I find the stand I have been looking for as it over looks the river and has a very clean view of the river bottoms. i settle in and in a matter of time the sun has disappeared and the clouds begin to thicken. I remember walking past a field with a ditch leading to the river and there was a stand there that would be good and allow me to cover more ground. I climb down and begin to walk as it begins to snow.
In a little less than a half mile the snow has become thick and is heavy and wet, I cover the scope with a bag ,climb the stand and settle in. A half hour passes and the trees and the ground are now covered making the woods more visible. An Hour passes and than two and my rear is crying. I leave the confines of the stand to sit beneath a spruce tree that is blocking the snow and the now North East wind blowing steady. Another hour and the sun is setting behind the clouds and it is time to make track back to the vehicle.
No tire marks ,no tracks no one is out. Back on the highway there are no vehicles with the exception of mine . The snow has been coming down hard for a few hours now and it is amazing on how quick the colors of autumn are covered in a blanket of white. back at camp there is a sense of urgency to stack wood by the sauna and getting the big meal ready.
BBQ Venison Roast served with Carbonara and a salad. Wine to chase it down and for the most part lights out at ten. The snow has now been falling for several hours.......
Goat 2010, The sun rises on another day
Waking up today was difficult as the body not the legs were hurting. The stomach tightens when it is rested and on some mornings it takes up to an hour to loosen up,today the process was a bit longer but it gave me time to have a bonus cup of coffee and check my pack to make sure I have everything needed.With this many guys in camp my mornings have been timed so the out house is empty and know one is waiting on my departure.
Inside the confines of the shack is a board indicating where each hunter is located so one knows who will encounter in the woods. In my case it is good to know as I know where each guy is allowing me to calculate my journey in hopes of pushing a deer in their general direction. It also helps to know in case I myself jump a deer and need to figure out or consider my shot selection, the later being critical since we are not exactly hunting with pop guns.Rule never one ,two and three pretty much cover it. Never shoot n towards fellow hunters in stands, Never shoot blind, and never shoot in the vicinity of building or in our case the hunting shack. Very few hunters possess the skills to shoot an animal on the run or one that is past his range 100 yards for the most part up here,if that. I have been in stands where a 40 yard shot was long distance.
Armed with this knowledge I sprayed an additional amount of no scent on the cloths which hang outside the shack and are quite cold when slipping into the. My decision is to sneak into the area where I last saw the buck and wait the morning out to see if he would return. Walking down the trail and clearing in a large stand of Norway's I come across a large bed. three and half to four and half feet indicating either a large Lew or buck, a few feet ahead and off on another trail some trail scrapes. With the heart beating a smidgen faster I locate a stump and windfall on a slop and make myself comfortable on the ground staying downwind from the site.
The hours passed and I gazed at squirrels and an assortment of birds all gathering and feeding heavy which made sense since the weather mentioned the threat of snow tomorrow.Nature is and always will be a pretty good barometer of what mother nature is going to throw on the plate.The call came and I knew i needed to head back to camp and take care of business and refuel for the afternoon hunt. I have not stayed out later as in my late forties now my eye sight is not getting better and the thought of gutting an animal out in the dark has lost some of its attraction along with having to track an animal for miles which has happened on several occasions hunting with some of my buds from the Mi la Cabina Camp a bit further North.
With a small lunch behind me a total change of venue was needed for the afternoon as a few stands on federal land were available to sit in for the afternoon and one in particular I wanted to sit in as a number of deer have been seen earlier in the week.The stand sits at the end of a field cut out of a spruce patch about 300 yards deep by 100 yards wide with dense heavy woods surrounding it. The walk back to the stand was enough to get the blood going as the field looked like it was used as a buffet for a number of creatures including wolf scat and bear scat piles.
Easing into the stand there was two south facing spolks which were not much to look at but would provide a view of deer if they choose to flank the field rather than walk across the field. The real view was to the North as you looked out over the field and wondered where would they come from. Looking through binoculars I made mental notes of where shots could be placed and where they should be avoided. as there was a farm and a road to my North with permanent residents traveling to and fro.
As I made myself comfortable I gazed away from the field and when i looked back up a deer had appeared at the edge and was grazing casually on the greens closest to the pines. Cross Hairs placed it was a young Lew Calf and would make for fun watching. She kept looking back into the woods so I knew there was another animal out of sight so I kept the sight pinned on her. She kept feeding and was migrating in my direction when her little brother should up directly underneath the stand and made his way out into the field. he kept looking towards his sister and she kept looking back into the woods so Mom was here also but not showing her face.The scope now placed on the young buck the antlers were not even close to making the required 3" allowing me to harvest this Lil roaster deer. I kept the rifle within reach and began to run some video which surprised me as I needed to make some noise in order to retrieve it and turn it on.Mom would not show her self and the two young ones played and frolicked in the field eating until mom summoned them into the woods. OH the relief as my rear ,not accustomed to sitting this long needed a break. As I stood to stretch the two young ones Ran along the edge of the field and my cover was busted. Mom jumped out snorted ,stomped a hoof and trotted to catch up to her kids.
This two and half hour episode pretty much sealed the deal on my hunt and I decided then that if I did not see or shoot a deer that my journey and trip were a success. Another bridge crossed in not only my long recovery but as a complete hunter who can now enjoy what is presented to him.
No longer able to sit I finished off my afternoon walking South along the Dark River looking at the flats one hundred feet below wondering how difficult a drag it would be to retrieve your quarry from there.I made my way back to the vehicle thinking I would make it back to camp to sit by a field but light was fading quick as clouds started to build.
A sauna, quick dinner and tonight I would go visit old friends at their camp and see how the season was going. Tomorrow another day and a plan already forming in my head. Would tomorrow be the day..........
Inside the confines of the shack is a board indicating where each hunter is located so one knows who will encounter in the woods. In my case it is good to know as I know where each guy is allowing me to calculate my journey in hopes of pushing a deer in their general direction. It also helps to know in case I myself jump a deer and need to figure out or consider my shot selection, the later being critical since we are not exactly hunting with pop guns.Rule never one ,two and three pretty much cover it. Never shoot n towards fellow hunters in stands, Never shoot blind, and never shoot in the vicinity of building or in our case the hunting shack. Very few hunters possess the skills to shoot an animal on the run or one that is past his range 100 yards for the most part up here,if that. I have been in stands where a 40 yard shot was long distance.
Armed with this knowledge I sprayed an additional amount of no scent on the cloths which hang outside the shack and are quite cold when slipping into the. My decision is to sneak into the area where I last saw the buck and wait the morning out to see if he would return. Walking down the trail and clearing in a large stand of Norway's I come across a large bed. three and half to four and half feet indicating either a large Lew or buck, a few feet ahead and off on another trail some trail scrapes. With the heart beating a smidgen faster I locate a stump and windfall on a slop and make myself comfortable on the ground staying downwind from the site.
The hours passed and I gazed at squirrels and an assortment of birds all gathering and feeding heavy which made sense since the weather mentioned the threat of snow tomorrow.Nature is and always will be a pretty good barometer of what mother nature is going to throw on the plate.The call came and I knew i needed to head back to camp and take care of business and refuel for the afternoon hunt. I have not stayed out later as in my late forties now my eye sight is not getting better and the thought of gutting an animal out in the dark has lost some of its attraction along with having to track an animal for miles which has happened on several occasions hunting with some of my buds from the Mi la Cabina Camp a bit further North.
With a small lunch behind me a total change of venue was needed for the afternoon as a few stands on federal land were available to sit in for the afternoon and one in particular I wanted to sit in as a number of deer have been seen earlier in the week.The stand sits at the end of a field cut out of a spruce patch about 300 yards deep by 100 yards wide with dense heavy woods surrounding it. The walk back to the stand was enough to get the blood going as the field looked like it was used as a buffet for a number of creatures including wolf scat and bear scat piles.
Easing into the stand there was two south facing spolks which were not much to look at but would provide a view of deer if they choose to flank the field rather than walk across the field. The real view was to the North as you looked out over the field and wondered where would they come from. Looking through binoculars I made mental notes of where shots could be placed and where they should be avoided. as there was a farm and a road to my North with permanent residents traveling to and fro.
As I made myself comfortable I gazed away from the field and when i looked back up a deer had appeared at the edge and was grazing casually on the greens closest to the pines. Cross Hairs placed it was a young Lew Calf and would make for fun watching. She kept looking back into the woods so I knew there was another animal out of sight so I kept the sight pinned on her. She kept feeding and was migrating in my direction when her little brother should up directly underneath the stand and made his way out into the field. he kept looking towards his sister and she kept looking back into the woods so Mom was here also but not showing her face.The scope now placed on the young buck the antlers were not even close to making the required 3" allowing me to harvest this Lil roaster deer. I kept the rifle within reach and began to run some video which surprised me as I needed to make some noise in order to retrieve it and turn it on.Mom would not show her self and the two young ones played and frolicked in the field eating until mom summoned them into the woods. OH the relief as my rear ,not accustomed to sitting this long needed a break. As I stood to stretch the two young ones Ran along the edge of the field and my cover was busted. Mom jumped out snorted ,stomped a hoof and trotted to catch up to her kids.
This two and half hour episode pretty much sealed the deal on my hunt and I decided then that if I did not see or shoot a deer that my journey and trip were a success. Another bridge crossed in not only my long recovery but as a complete hunter who can now enjoy what is presented to him.
No longer able to sit I finished off my afternoon walking South along the Dark River looking at the flats one hundred feet below wondering how difficult a drag it would be to retrieve your quarry from there.I made my way back to the vehicle thinking I would make it back to camp to sit by a field but light was fading quick as clouds started to build.
A sauna, quick dinner and tonight I would go visit old friends at their camp and see how the season was going. Tomorrow another day and a plan already forming in my head. Would tomorrow be the day..........
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Gales of November
Entering public land I could see the one hundred plus foot Norway's and white pines swaying already in the morning breeze.At a snails pace I entered the woods and made the decision to follow yesterdays path as there was signs of activity and possibly i could jump a deer or two.
It was not long before I had my answer as a Lew came charging across my sights startled as if she did not see me until the last moment. I whistled as I was taught by my dad and she stopped in her tracks now curious and looked at me. She was only 20 yards out and would have been an easy kill if the zone area i was hunting was not doe by permit only.Pushing East than South I got onto the snowmobile trail and decided to follow it slowly East and explore some of the forest south of the trail. Fifty yards down the trail a grunt and then hoof stomps got my attention really quick to the North. This time I was busted early so I raised my rifle not at the woods but at a small opening leading out to the trail where yet another Lew was staring me down. I slowly lowered my rifle and watched as she calmly walked unto the trail before jumping off into the tall Norway's heading South.She was bigger the the first so instead of walking in the middle of the trail I hugged the South edge hoping it would improve my sight and possibly give me a chance if I was to jump a buck.
It did not take long as I was looking for signs in the woods when I noticed a large tree scrape off the trail to the South that I did not recall seeing yesterday. I inched off the trail and quietly walked 20 yards in to further inspect the scrape and decided that this was a big boy as it was scraped to near eye level on me. Taking a closer look at the area there was a major trail just East leading back to the snowmobile trail and a young grove of pine and grass. I took a picture and punched the location into my GPS so I could come back later and possibly sit and wait but for now I wanted to push on.
I walked back to the trail and was adjusting my pack and bagging my GPS when in front of me appeared the buck. He was standing in the grove of young pines in a opening just grazing and then noticed me.I was able to slowly drop the GPS and inch the rifle down off my shoulder trying to be smooth and not erratic.cold sweat was forming on my brow as i knew I got busted,let down my guard , but i was excited as this is the first time in two years I have been out and now on three days into my journey a trophy buck awaits.I slowly raised the rifle up and the deer amazingly was not moving ,maybe due to the noise of the woods. I leveled the rifle barrel down and picked up the deer in the scope,still there.There was a tree branch in the way and my arms were shaking a bit as i talked to myself asking god to help me relax.I aim just above the heart giving myself some room as I was standing and not sitting.I breathed ,released the safety and exhaled as I squeezed the trigger.
I placed the gun at my side and a smile broke across my lips as I knew it was over for the buck. I looked on in amazement as the buck was looking straight at me put its head down continuing to eat while staring at me. I raised the rifle up put the deer in the cross hairs and slowly worked the bolt action to dispense the expired Shell and put fresh ammo in the chamber.
Now nervous and shaking a little more the deer started to advance slowly but allowed me to follow in the scope. with my open eye i could see he was heading for the trail which curved just ahead of me and would not give me a good line of fire. At this moment I had nothing to lose as i started to walk as i kept the deer in the sights waiting for a better shot. The deer broke the plane of two branches and I picked up the head and dropped the sight until i saw brown and squeezed.
The deer disappeared but I was not confident of the shot at all. I reloaded and ran down the road in time to see the big bodied buck running across the trail into a mature stand of Norway with plenty of nut brush.
Don't panic I dropped the pack where i found the jump tracks and walked back to where I dropped the GPS aimed the rifle at where my first shot was placed and paced it off. Seventy five yards with some branches in the way and no sign of damage to the animal. I followed to the next spot and again nothing. WTF went through my mind as I aimed at a stump and squeezed off to see impact right where I aimed. OK,OK back to the trail, I picked up my pack re-clipped the rifle and decided to pursue, the deer headed straight south and then crossed a small trial and then a major logging road, if there was snow I would continue but at this point there was no need as I could not find any jump tracks in the moos and sand.
I walked back to the trail and sat on a stump for awhile replaying my actions and wondering what I could of done different. it was at this point I smiled and fist pumped as I was just happy that I was given this opportunity and realize how many do not get this chance. I,m back I whispered quietly and resumed my walk making note of stopping back later and set up a ground blind.
I continued my walk East and was poking around and found a few stands which I marked on the GPS and decided to sit in one for a bit. As I approached the stand another grunt and I looked thought the ladder to see yet another Lew.She stood stoically watching my every move as I froze to get a better look at her. No wonder the buck was in this area.She scampered South as every other deer had been that day and made me look smart for planning my walk this way.
Pushing on I walked and decided to take a rest on a rock I cam across. realizing that I have been out for close to four hours I figured a rest and I should start my journey back towards camp where I would try to sit in a stand for awhile.
On my Journey back I would encounter One more Lew and several grouse and see some amazing woods from some well placed portable stands. No one in the woods it was hard to believe.
Arriving at the shack I grabbed a heavier coat as the winds were really cooking now and some trees were coming down in the woods.Walking a Half mile back I sat in a stand on the edge of a swamp and reflected on my day and what I saw more than focus on the shooting lanes. The wind was strong and the stand was being lifted from the ground. I exited the stand and made my way back to camp as two more trees fell .
Sauna, Cheeseburgers , wine and stories and bed, another great day in the woods.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
First thought at camp
Group Meals,Group sleeping quarters, Group chores. The way of life at camp.Not knowing my sleeping arrangements would be my biggest worry but not before hunting.
Duffel bags unloaded and truck organized for efficiency as it would be my storage area for extra cloths, Food and supplies.
A quick layering job of not so winter type clothing as temps would be near fifty today but there was a chill non the less.
The Day pack was supplied with first aide, deer processing, snacks, extras ammo, knives, saw, compass. and general supplies which could handle any emergency I would encounter . My belt was stocked with a Buck Knife, A GPS and a pouch containing Candy Bars and water proof matches.
I was not going to push myself today but the plan was to walk and get to know the woods again and just generally see how I was feeling. The plan was not to get back until last light and then asses how the entire body was feeling. If I saw deer it was going to be a bonus as it was not a priority today.With hundreds of acres of State and Federal land waiting for me I left camp ad started my journey. Walk slow,take your time,use your eyes and your ears, sit and take in the woods.
As I topped the slope and accessed the public land through a series of trails I heard the hoof echos and as I looked up and caught glimpse of my first loo she stopped briefly to check me out and in two bounds disappeared into the forest ahead of me.
My first stop was the trailer stand and the plan said stop at any stand that was not occupied and spend some time in it. GPS its coordinates and move on. No straight paths or trails just keep changing it up and learn the lay of the land.After leaving the Trailer Stand I first headed East than cut South until I hit a snowmobile trail which brought me East some more and the headed north. As I walked I was focusing on signs that animals had been in the area and I was not disappointed.
Deer are not supposed to be in Big woods but yet there had been 13 Bucks harvested from this area over the weekend.
Six and a half miles and 12 stands and a few rest stops complete it was time to head back to camp for the evening,
With the sun setting and the temps noticeably cooler I entered the camp and the talk of the day. My brother made his way over to ask how the day went at which I could only reply fine as that is what it was. Would he or the others understand how excited I was just to be here and be walking in the woods again.
A hearty beef roast with all the fixings and a few glasses of wine were all this boy needed to put him to sleep on this,his first night at camp.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Road Less Traveled
I spent the weekend going over equipment and checking out my rifle and a quick bore sighting indicated everything was good to go, Business being completed, bags packed and the all essential supplies were packed and my trip was about to begin.
Usually an event like this requires phone calls to buddies informing them of your plans and trying to think of those last minutes I forgot lists.This one would be done under the radar by choice. Not wanting to disappoint people I just wanted to go out on my own and do what I felt I needed to do to prove to myself that things were good and distraction would not be conducive to what I was thinking should be the perfect weekend.When I arrived in town I had that night to stop and visit some people and blow some steam off, which I felt was needed since the weeks prior involved a series of doctors appointments and a visit to the lovely surgeon for what will be more appointments in the near future.
Somethings Never change and as I approached the Iron Range I could feel the pressure lifting and that relaxed feeling i have come accustomed to took over and a smile came across my face as if seeing an old friend for the first time in awhile.
Pulling into town my thoughts changed to a glass of Sangria and hopefully catch my brother whom was in the basement of the Old Moose Lounge playing Bocce Ball and celebrating his birthday. As luck would have it his games were complete and he was occupying his usual stool at Tom and Jerry's. An hour later the vehicle was parked in front of moms for the evening and this would now be time to visit and rest for the big day tomorrow...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Hammock thoughts
A buddy of mine said it sounded like a song.
You know windshield wipers slapping.....
This time of year brings so many feelings to the surface.
In one sense it makes you look back and wonder if yo did all you really wanted to do this past summer.
In my case the answer was no.
As much as I want to think I am better the recovery process has been long and there were things I avoided doing because of that.
I did find some things out though about myself.
I love hammocks,
I mean really like Hammock.
The moment you lay your ass in the sling and lay back you start to feel it.
It is like getting the wind knocked out of you only better, because your filling your lungs with fresh air..
You immediately find yourself re-adjusting your body to get a better look at the sky.
Boring you say..
If you can sit in front of a television for hours on end watching the tube you would get the same experience...Except that you have the wind blowing in your face, sun shining on you between the branch of a tree you once thought invincible, the birds animals and the occasional visit from the neighbors dog to take a leak on the brides Hosta Plants.
It never gets boring as you can move the hammock with around to get a different perspective on the yard or the clouds.
The sky takes on its own character and the character changes as the Hammock is moved from one location to the next
A little on the heavy side you say...
Yes of course it is, but I have had time to think about it.,you haven't.
I even took the hammock on the road with me and set it up at various location which were not in my back yard.
My own Island experience every time and town that I have traveled to.
When you lay in the hammock you cannot see the ground
You are floating, gliding ,floating.
gently rocking away. You can of course read but you will lay the book down to just stare at the clouds and wonder ..How Fast are they really moving? Or could I follow that cloud forever or will it eventually disappear.?What the whole Hammock experience gave me was the realization that I could relax and not worry that I was not doing nothing, cause in the end I was, I was thinking at a different level or place. A good place that I like visiting frequently.
What will i do over the winter without my Hammock?
Will i forget it?
Will it forget me?
Maybe I will start a hammock Club....
Yeah I can see it now, Kind of a hammock,wine and book club,maybe poetry!!
Think about it.
Monday, August 30, 2010
New Look
Had a great week of traveling. The appropriate amount of work mixed with pleasure . Who could argue
The primary of course and the factories but than all work and no play........ well we all can conjure up that image of Jack Nicholson axing through the door...
Fished with one of the nicest pro anglers you could want to meet, Dave Van Oss of Appleton WI. His no nonsense approach and easy demeanour allowed me to actually enjoy the day in the boat even though Dave was busy looking for fish for the upcoming AIM Walleye championship later this week on Winnie.
Dave brings his work ethic to the water and fishes. Yes he is always looking for better spots but he actually wets the line.
Most guys now will rely on their electronics Tell them how many fish are holding on a spot forgetting that the cone angle is only giving them a small picture of what their spot looks like. Dave like myself like to wet the line even if we have not marked fish.
Also had time to spend with the Breeze. His new property and dreams of building his home were shared overlooking the Little Fork River and a Beer. Doe not get any better than that . The solitude of the woods still amazes me and the whole experience was enhanced due to the lack of flying biting insects.The company and conversation is always good and I am blessed to know so many good people.
Finally the walks are what I usually look forward too back home is it allows me to reflect on friends and faces from the past as you walk past their homes and wonder where life has or will bring them. It is sad though to know so many would travel home but no longer have ties o family living their to draw them back.
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