The Home Front
I love hanging out with my husband of 44 years. During hunting season, it can be a challenge to carve out time with David, who is an avid deer hunter. So, many times I will pull on my camouflage clothes and go with him. There is nothing better than leaving civilization behind and heading out to the hunting club with my honey to enjoy a few days of respite and being immersed in nature, and hopefully filling the freezer with meat we harvest.
One such time, we headed to the hunting camp during the week, and to our surprise, we were the only two people on the 3,000 wooded acres in rural Alabama. David and I made our way to to one of the brand-spanking-new shooting houses on a beautiful and peaceful field at the edge of the deep forest. No one had ever hunted in it before. It was so new you could still smell the wood! We climbed into that shooting house, shut the door, and started to get settled in. It was a tight space for two regular-sized adults, but we were okay with that.
As we are getting all our gear, snacks, and seating situated, we heard a sound. A strange sound, kind of like metal on wood. You know, like a latch falling. Uh-oh… a latch falling? Can we get out? NO…the latch on the outside evidently slid back down of its own accord and locked us securely inside. The only ones on the 3,000 acres that day, we had no one to call to come let us out. Well, what are our options? We could kick the door out, but we didn’t want to destroy it. Maybe we should call someone from our family to drive the two hours from home to come let us out. Getting them here was the easy part; trying to help them find the right path to get to us in the wooded acres was a completely different situation. The next option was the narrow window. It was two feet wide and 10 inches tall. So, we decided that David would go feet first through the window and make the small drop to the ground. Yes, that should work.
Well, it’s a tight spot in there. We don’t have much room to maneuver. So, I think back to my cheerleading days when performing stunts and holding up other cheerleaders, and I brace myself to help hold him up while he tries to wiggle through that tiny opening. If a deer happened to walk by, what a sight it would see- two legs hanging out the window! All was going well until we got to his belt. It was too wide. No matter how much we tried, we could not get him and his belt through that little window. And neither one of us could turn loose of what we were doing to take off that belt. It was just too tight a squeeze. The decision was made to bring him back inside. So, I braced myself again and pulled him back through that tiny space into the little house. I don’t mind telling you it was awkward; we were breathing heavy, I was tugging and pulling, and David was too. He was scratched up a bit, but we did it! We finally got him back inside.
We tried it again minus the belt, headfirst. Again, I’m braced and holding his legs, and he’s wiggling through that tiny space. Then, whoosh, he finally falls through and catches himself for a safe landing. David came around and unlocked that faulty latch so I could get out- my hero yet again. We decided not to stay to hunt in that shooting house. We went back to one of our crusty, dusty, trusty old ones. It might not be new, and it might have a critter or two, but we knew we wouldn’t be in another tight spot! Enjoy David’s favorite venison recipe.
-Danna Standridge, Author of Happiness is Homemade Y’all! For speaking engagements and cooking demonstrations, email [email protected]. Join her in the kitchen on Facebook @DannaSwannStandridge and YouTube @dannastandridge8749.
Venison Stroganoff
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground venison (can substitute ground beef)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon of: ground mustard, cayenne pepper, and black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 large can sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions:
Brown meat in olive oil. Add spices, flour, and mushrooms. Stir well. Cook for 2 minutes while flour browns. Stir in evaporated milk until sauce thickens. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add a little water if it gets too thick. Take off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over egg noodles. *Throw in a handful of frozen green peas for added flavor.
