Archives March 2020

You get to choose. It’s not a default setting.

I don’t know about you but there are times that my attitude really sucks. Life happens and sometimes it just doesn’t go the way I want it go. I find myself sinking into a pit of self pity and before I know it I’m mad at the world and they aren’t even aware of it.

Our attitudes are key to success in life and they are totally in our control. Most of the time we let out attitudes take control of us which, at times, produces negative results…depression, anger, fear, anxiety, and even doubt. But in saying that we have the capability to flip that script if we consciously take notice of the negativity before it settles in. Attitude is a choice. It always will be and regardless of our circumstances it’s our decision to ultimately make. Will we let negativity reign over us or will we take a step of faith to the possibility that better things are waiting just ahead of us if we’ll just hold on a little bit longer?

The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians that we are to be content in all circumstances and not to be anxious or look back but to strain forward to better days.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13

I read that and want it to be that easy but let’s face it, it’s just not. Sometimes there are situations that we go through that take us down to a place where it feels like rock bottom is actually a looking up from where we are in that moment. There are times when we feel so defeated by life and people that we just can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel and our hope fades to a color we’ve never even heard of. That’s the exact moment that we need to realize that what we are going through is really meant for us to “grow through.” When we flip our mindset from dread to thankfulness and look for meaning in our mess instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, the winds of change in our attitude shift over to the positive side. Over time of flipping the script we will release the death grip a negative attitude has over our thinking and we will slowly resonate the fact that everything really does happen for a reason and this was all part of the plan.

I know something that really helps to change my attitude into the positive is when I do something for someone else. When I take my attention off of myself and place it on showing compassion toward another person I instantly feel a little better. Sometimes a lot better. Another way I force myself to change my crappy attitude is to go for a walk in the woods and quiet myself long enough to listen to the birds chirp and all the little sounds of the critters around me. There is nothing that humbles me more that to be in the middle of God’s grandeur and remind myself that it’s not all about me and there’s greater work that’s being done and I’m not the one in control. He’s got a plan and it’s my job to sit tight and see how it unfolds.

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

How can I be anxious or have a bad attitude when I know God has something so much greater just waiting for me?

I don’t have the magic formula for inner peace or being content in any given circumstance, let alone all circumstances, but I do know what works for me and that is shifting my focus off of myself and my struggles and pointing them toward compassion and doing for others, even in the smallest of ways. I believe we are supposed to use our lives, the struggles and mistakes, to make someone else’s life better and to inspire them to do the same.

Show Some Love Today!!!!

A Very Simple Venison Burger Recipe That Will Quickly Become One of Your Family’s Favorites Also

I get asked to make this all the time!!! One of our family’s most favorite venison recipes EVER!!! And believe it or not, it has quite a story attached to it.

How The Recipe Came To Be

Several years ago I had seen a competition online for a women’s hunting and outdoor website and thought it might be fun to enter it. Prizes were involved along with recognition as a female hunter on this particular website. And although I am only a slightly competitive person, I thought it might be fun to step out of my comfort zone and just do it.

There was a long list of “to do’s” and points were earned by checking off the completed tasks.

Contacting businesses in the hunting industry and asking if you could review their products was one of the tasks we were asked to complete. We had to contact the business, ask them to send you THREE products, and then review it and write up a review to leave on the website. We were to keep ONE of the products for ourselves but send the other two to the website putting on the competition. I was on fire as far as contacting companies went. In fact, I am still friends with those contacts today. It was a huge learning experience for me but one that helped me meet people in the hunting circuit.

Another task we were asked to complete was to submit a wildgame recipe of our choice and we were to take a picture of our finished work.

I will interject here and just say that I have a chicken pot pie recipe that was to die for and I made it all the time for my family. I mean I made it at least once a week. It was that good.

Our Kids Can Sometimes Be Our Best Recipe Inspirers

Months prior to the competition, our son, Tyler, had suggested that I take my chicken pot pie recipe and tweak it, subsituting the chicken for deer or venison burger. I had never tried this but it peaked my interest. I was curious how it would compare to my already tried and true recipe. As it turned out Tyler had a good idea and that recipe would end up being a family favorite in our household.

That would be the recipe I submitted.

First, I prepared the pot pie and baked it. Feeling proud, I took a few pictures and submitted them. It worked out well. Because I needed something for supper that night and voila! That part was covered.

The next day I received an email stating that it would be great if I would take step-by-step pictures as I was making my recipe. Okay! Yes, I can do that.

Yet, another pot pie? Sure, no big deal.

Twice As Nice

Although it wasn’t what I planned to do, I baked another one. Step-by-step, picture after picture. I got it done. And yes, my family had to eat pot pie for a second night. They devoured the previous one for dinner the night before followed up by lunch. These are growing boys. It was fine.

Again, I submitted the pictures.

And again, I received another email saying that I would get more points IF I could do a video to show HOW TO make the venison pot pie. Of course I was up for that! How could I not be? I was trying to win.

Third Time’s A Charm

So here I go a THIRD time. I got all the ingredients, set up the camera, and videoed myself preparing yet ANOTHER venison pot pie.

I won’t lie. As much as my family loves my pot pies, by this point they were SICK of it. Three pot pies in three days! That’s a lot of vegetables for boys that don’t like vegetables. However, they were troopers and kept eating everything I kept making.

Long Story Short

I ended up getting second place in the competition, although I held “first” for a very long time. Proudly I can say that although I wore the welcome out of this family favorite, whenever I make it for our grown children they still devour it just like that very first time.

It will be one of those recipes that get passed down long after I’m gone. It thrills me to know that they still get excited when they stop by and I pull one of those pot pies out of the oven. You can bet that they grab a plate and a fork and sit down for a slice. It’s easy to make and I believe your family will love it as well.

A Few Simple Ingredients

All it takes is a very few ingredients to make this tasty venison burger pot pie and I even made a step by step video for you to follow along with. Here is what you need:

1-lb venison/deer burger
1-bag shredded cheddar cheese
2-cans cream of potato soup
1-bag frozen vegetables – cooked
2-Pillsbury crusts (top and bottom)

The Steps In Making Venison Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 350

1. Brown burger
2. Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly together
3. Fill into bottom crust and then put on top crust
4. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until nicely browned
5. Let cool and then cut

Watch The Video

Below is the step-by-step video in case you get stuck on what to do. By the way…YOU’RE WELCOME :).

This is such an easy recipe to make your family and takes literally and hour and a half at the most, including baking time. Even though I have friends that don’t like the taste of deer meat (or so they think), I always get rave reviews from them on this venison recipe. If you’re a mom like me that has many irons in the fire, this dinner classic will become a family favorite in your house. I can almost promise that.

xoxoxo

Kelly

I Had To Start Somewhere

Ever since I was a little girl I have always been obsessed with nature and exploring the great outdoors.   There was just always something inside me that was sparked by watching butterflies flit from flower to flower, or listening to the different songs birds sing, or even so simply as studying squirrels gather their food for the oncoming winter.   I was always in awe of it. When I was a kid, if you wanted to find me all you had to do was walk down the road through the neighbor’s pasture, to the little patch of timber down by the creek. I’d be busy making maps of my little forest and would give different areas and trees their own individual “names.” I grew up eating fried mushrooms, deer steaks, squirrel, and fried rabbit as my dad was an avid hunter and my mom was an amazing cook.  Nature has always been a passion for me and a place I feel most at home.

By the fall of 2009, I had lost both parents and was basically “orphaned” at the age of 45. The passing of my mother hit me terribly hard and it was in that life altering event that I began to question whether or not I would be able to provide for my family, if times got tough enough, to have to go out and kill something.   Would I be able to shoot something? What would I do after I killed it? How would I gut it and skin it?     Heck, I didn’t even really know how to load a gun, let alone shoot it.  Although my children were grown and were living their own lives, these questions weighed heavy on my heart. It was then God sent me an angel, the love of my life, my very own hunting mentor…and he bought me a bow.

From the very first time I buckled my release, nocked my arrow and drew back, I was hooked. There is nothing, in my opinion, more rewarding than bow hunting.   My hunting experiences began with a rifle in 2010, where I shot my first spike, but my passion is hands down bow hunting. There is just something more challenging and traditional about hunting with a bow and arrow.   Over the last five years I have shot and killed several does, a spike, even this past fall a wild hog. However, the deer I am most proud of is my first “mature” buck that I harvested this year during fall bow season…my 8 pointer.

That morning is still very vivid in my mind.   The rut had just started and that particular morning, here in southwestern Missouri, was colder than it had been in the weeks past.   Although I’ve only been hunting for 5 years, I have already acquired quite a hunting wardrobe and I was struggling between Under Armour Early Season or Scent-Lok Late Season. This might not seem like a big decision for some but for me I have a hard time pulling my bow back when I’ve got bulky clothes on so I was not really wanting to wear the heavy fleece. However, with the cold temps…heavy fleece it was.

I always believe that early is better and waking up early to prepare for your hunt is key.   I normally get up at five o’clock so I can have my coffee and relax a little and think about what I need to take with me out to the stand.   That morning was no different. I had my fanny pack filled a grunt call, doe bleat, rangefinder, and release.   I sprayed down my clothes with scent free spray and my drag rag was saturated with doe estrus. I was ready to head to the stand.     At about 6:15 I was in the stand, sitting in the dark, just listening and waiting for all the little critters to wake up. I always find it very peaceful in the stand. There’s just something about watching the darkness disappear as the first light takes over because for me it’s a little unnerving to walk out to your stand in the pitch black.  As I sat there for what seemed like a very long time listening to the quiet sounds as well as watching my breath in front of my face, all of a sudden out of nowhere I heard the loudest, noisiest CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH coming from down the draw behind me headed straight up to my stand with the sound of purpose and intent. My first thought was someone was trespassing on my property. What I found when the heavy footsteps stopped and I looked down was an 8 point beauty strutting right out in front of me about 20 yards.   I quietly stood up and positioned myself to draw back.   With a racing heart, I calmly pulled back and put my 20 yard pin right on his vitals and “meh’d” at him to stop and turn and THWACK…I shot.   He ran off. Although I know you’re supposed to stay in your stand for at least an hour or two to give the deer time to lay down and die, I was anxious and impatient and got down early and ended up pushing the deer farther than I needed to.   That one mistake was costly.   I shot the deer at about 7:30 a.m. and by 2:30 p.m. we were still following blood without finding my buck. Long story short we didn’t end up finding him until the next morning a very long way from where he was shot, down by the lake’s edge and the coyotes had been feasting on him all night.   We dragged the buck back to the house and I tagged him but that moment was bittersweet for me. We all worked hard tracking him but in the end all we had was a rack and no meat. I take pride in putting meat in the freezer for all of us and I fell short with my first “mature” harvest.

The advice I would like my fellow huntresses to take away from my story is to appreciate the journey of hunting first. It’s about gaining more knowledge each season over the prior season and constantly growing in your experience.   I think it’s important to learn new things every year that you can apply in order to grow as a hunter.     If I could give three tips that I feel are most important I would say safety has to be number one because you won’t be able to hunt if you get injured. Secondly, live by the philosophy to fill your freezer first. Big bucks aren’t the most important. Feeding your family is. And last but not least…when you hit your target…WAIT! Be patient and sit. Pushing your deer could cost you all the hard work you’ve put in.