Not bad...

Not bad a'tall.

Homemade Deer Bologna

In my never-endin' quest to be a little more self-sufficient about such things, I decided I was gonna whip up my own batch of deer bologna. I picked up an ol' hand grinder at the auction a few weeks ago, a few ol' pillowcases to use for casin', and most of the ingredients layin' around. All I needed was time to do it.

To start the fracas, I discovered that tryin' to use a grinder with shot knives is pretty much a pain in the ass. I didn't realize the knives were that beat until I was balls deep into the process. Took a lot longer than it shoulda, but I finally got it done. Thankfully I only thawed about five pounds just to experiment with. Reckon I'll have to go about orderin' a new set of knives and plates before I try that again.

I also had a helluva time findin' some cure, as the shit the recipe called for wasn't exactly readily available as I thought it was gonna be. Not a good discovery to make once everythin' is already ground, mixed up and ready to go. A trip to Grander Mountain netted me a different type of cure, so with a few minor recipe adjustments, I got pretty close to what I needed.

And, just to make sure the entire process was an all-around shitshow, the sewin' machine decided it was gonna be a rat bastard commie while I was tryin' to sew up the casings. A lot of help from the girl and her mother got me through that.

So, I'm sittin' here soakin' in the wonderful aroma comin' from the oven and wonderin' if I managed to get a decent end product. I'll let ya know.

*  *  *

Here's the recipe I used. As normal for me, I didn't follow it to a T, but it was a good base to start from. I also used pork instead of beef as an add-in for the higher fat content, since I trim most of the fat offa my scrap durin' the butcherin' process.

4lbs fine ground venison
1lb ground hamburger
1/3 cup Morton Tender Quick (cure)
1 TBsp Black Pepper
1 TBsp Accent
1 TBsp Ground Mustard
1/2 TBsp Onoin Powder
1/2 TBsp Ground Red Pepper (less if you want less spice but 1/2 tbs is not spicy at all)
1/2 TBsp Mace (you dont have to put mace in it. this stuff is like 6 bucks)
1/2 TBsp Garlic Powder
6 TBsp Liquid Smoke
1 Cup Brown Sugar (less if you dont want it to be sweet)
1/2 Cup King Syrup (molasses should work i use king syrup)

 I was a little short on liquid smoke, and didn't feel like runnin' into the store again so I have maybe 2 TBsp. I also scrapped the Mace since I'm cheap like that. My add-ins included Old Bay (of course), dried crushed onions, a dash of cinnamon, some soy and Worcestershire sauce and 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Prolly over-seasoned the hell outta it, but oh well.

Mix all ingredients very good by hand in a large bowl. Then place in fridge in a  covered bowl or wrap with saran wrap to keep it from drying out for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Stuff in casing as tight as possible getting all air pockets out. Bake at 200 degrees for around 5 hours or until inside temp is 165 degrees. Ovens vary so a meat thermometer is a must. If the inside temperature don't reach at least 165-170 the meat will be undercooked.

A favor returned

Y'all might remember a lil' huntin' trip I made to Wyoming a few years back. Uncle Bill and I had the good fortune to get to hunt with one of the best guides Bear Track Outfitters has to offer. TJ put us on some fantastic trophies and was just a pleasure to hunt with all 'round.

Well, durin' that trip, Ron and I finally managed to talk the owners into comin' out and joinin' us for a Pennsylvania spring turkey hunt. Owners Pete and Carey and guides TJ and Scrawny made the trip last year. While a great time was had by all, we didn't put a shellackin' on them dirty birds. Regardless, they had a damn good time, and decided that they needed to do it again this year.

When the crew arrived at camp last Thursday evenin', Joe and Tater had a few jakes from that afternoon waitin' for 'em. The weekend was already off to a good start.

 
After the excitement died down a bit, we figgered out a game plan, then got ready to hit the woods bright n' early the next mornin'. I had the pleasure of guidin' TJ, and was hopin' to be able to return the favor for him gettin' me and Bill on our Western trophies.

Boy, did I ever.

After listenin' to the birds gobblin' after they hit the ground, I quickly decided to ditch our initial set up and sneak into a strut zone in the middle of the woods. After gettin' busted in there last year, Matt and I constructed a little stick blind over the winter, so that's where TJ and I wound up. Sure enough, within a half hour, TJ was tyin' a tag on one helluva longbeard. In all the years we've been pilin' up turkeys at the Full Strut, TJ did somethin' in his third turkey hunt that we'd never done; whack a bird with multiple beards.

18lbs, 2oz. in front of me and Matt's stick blind.

Five beards totallin' 28-1/8".

7/8" and 1" spurs.

The bird wasn't exceptionally old or heavy, but the five beards totaled up 28-1/8". With a total score of around 93ish, the bird should easily score in PA's top 25 atypical gobblers.

Not to be outdone, Matt put the hammer on one first thing the next mornin'. Poor ol' bird hadn't even stretched his legs out after flyin' down before he got a heavy dose of brain damage.

18.5lbs, 8-5/8" beard, 1" spurs

They sure are purty.

 All things considered, it was one helluva weekend. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get the rest of the Bear Track crew on more birds, but the huntin' was good and so were the stories. We all ate way too much damn good food and drank way too much of Matt's Apple Pie shine. Ron was, as always, a fantastic host, and Pete, Carey, TJ and Ben were great guests. The birds were dyin' and the bullshit was flyin'. Ain't no better way to spend a weekend.

Grandpa Reinhart

I've been light in postin' lately. Part of that is because we've been turkey huntin' like a buncha crazy bastards (more on that later). Part of it is because I don't see a computer very much, and tryin' to post by phone is usually just a shitty experience. Part of it is because I'm lazy.

Bigger than all of those reasons was the loss of Grandpa Reinhart last week.

It wasn't unexpected, all things considered. He'd been battlin' Alzheimer's disease for longer than most of us care to remember. Long story short, the man we knew and love pretty much succumbed two or three years ago after steadily goin' downhill for three or four years before that. His death as a whole was a blessing, and our family has been spendin' the last week laughin' cryin', storytellin' and celebratin'.

Grandpa was among the last of the Greatest Generation, and honorably served aboard the ol' Flyin' Fortress in the Second World War. He was a patriot through and through, and taught me to love the country that he fought for.

Grandpa was a fantastic father and grandfather, a man of God, and one who truly served his community through countless organizations. He was ridiculously intelligent, a sharp dresser, and a conversationalist of the highest order. He loved his family, ice cream, yellin' at baseball umpires through the TV and he played a mean game of pinocle. I could go on for a while, so I'll stop there.

I'll damn sure miss that man.

I'm postin' the obituary more for my future reference, but feel free to read over it.

Kenneth G. Reinhart Jr. of Gettysburg, died Saturday, May 18, 2013 at the Village of Laurel Run.

Ken was born in Scranton, on Sept. 9, 1922. He was the son of the late Kenneth G. and Leona (Rebhorn) Reinhart Sr. 

He was a 1940 graduate of Wyalusing High School and a 1949 graduate of Ursinus College. Ken served proudly with the U.S. Army during World War II and retired as a Major with the United States Air Force Reserve in 1982 after more than 30 years of service. He was a member of the Gettysburg United Methodist Church, 60 year member of the Gettysburg Lions and a past district governor. Ken was also a member of American Legion Post #202 in Gettysburg and a member of the club's World War II Last Man's Club.

Ken's professional career started in 1949 as a Assistant Bank Examiner with FDIC. In 1952 he became Gettysburg Joint School District's Business Manager and Board Secretary until 1964. He became a branch manager and salesman of mutual funds from 1964-1965. In 1966 he was appointed to the position of Business Management Advisor and Chief Division of Food Services with the Pennsylvania Department of Education in Harrisburg; from 1974 until his retirement in 1980 he was Administrative Assistant for Management Services for Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12.

He is survived by his wife, Edith P. (Parry) Reinhart, a son, William E. Reinhart of Vienna, Va.; three daughters, Deborah L. Reinhart of New Holstein, Wisc., Patricia L. Murren of New Oxford, and Nancy E. Routch of Boiling Springs, Pa.; three sisters, Mary Kennison of Wyalusing, Pa., Jane Glenn of Fort Collins, Colo. and Carol Laudermilch of Bloomsburg, Pa.; 13 grandchildren, Ian Geiser of West Chester, Pa., Joshua Geiser of Appleton, Wisc., Adrian Geiser of Marina del Ray, Calif., Jesse Murren of York, Jonathan Murren of Hanover, Joseph Murren of New Oxford, Nathan, Adam, Eric, April and Emily Reinhart all of Vienna, Va., Jordan and Allison Routch, both of Pittsburgh, Pa.; and four great grandchildren; Nevaeh and Bentley Geiser of Appleton, Wisc., and Alexander and Lydia Murren of York.

A Memorial Service to celebrate Ken's life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 11 a.m. from the Gettysburg United Methodist Church. The Family will receive friends on Friday, May 24 from 4-7 p.m. at the church. A private burial will take place in the Wyalusing Cemetery, Wyalusing, on Sunday, May 26, 2013 with military honors.

Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Association, 3544 N. Progress Avenue, Suite 205, Harrisburg, PA 17110 or Gettysburg United Methodist Church, Attn: Building Fund, 30 West High St. Gettysburg, PA 17325. Online tributes and condolences can be made at monahanfuneralhome.com. The Monahan Funeral Home in Gettysburg is assisting the family with the funeral arrangements.

Only half of my Mondays suck

Part of the joy of my new schedule is only workin' three 12-hour shifts a week at that job. That means that every other week, I get to spend the shittiest day of the week doin' fun shit, which means chasin' turkeys 'round this time of the year.

True to form, the little bastards ain't very cooperative this mornin', and frankly, it's a touch on the chilly side. No worries though... I'm havin' a damn fine time.

Pennsyltucky Spring

Six hours ago, just before I went to bed, it was hoverin' around 65° up on our little hill.

Now, try on 35°.

It's been like this the last few weeks, and the 30°-40° daily temp swing is gettin' old real quick.

End rant.

First fire of the year

Today was the first purty evenin' that we didn't have anythin' goin' on, so it seemed like as good a time as any to burn up some winter bills and singe off the grass around the fire ring.

Warm fire, cold beer, a good lookin' woman and some good ol' outlaw country on the radio. Ain't much out there that gets better'n that.