Butter

Along with the banana bead I got this butter at the farmers market. It is the best butter we almost died when we had it on a biscuit and it was pretty darn good on the banana bread.
It is made by some Amish people and is well worth getting.

Banana Bread

I know we posted this before I think with out a picture. Our pecans just make it so much better.
1/2 cup butter room temp.
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana about 3
1/2 cup pecans (we added just a few more)
/2 cup sour cream
cream butter,sugar,eggs and vanilla
add dry ingredients then bananas,nuts and sour cream
Mix well then pour in 1 large greased loaf pan
bake in preheated oven 350 for 1 hour.
let cool then take out of pan.

Deer leg and roast

pull apart shoulder

roast roast

shoulder

shoulder
We were lucky to be given three pieces to deer. One we had ground meat made up and the other two pieces we roasted in the oven. We still have meat in the freezer from these two pieces. We went ahead and cooked them as we have a small chest freezer and we didn't have room for much else. This was cooked on two different weekends. We did the shoulder first and the roast (we think that was what it was) two weeks later. Needles to say we have ate a lot of deer meat.

On both we pretty much did the same thing.
This is an all day event so plan accordingly. Once its in the oven its just a mater of time.
Using a dry rub of your choice (we used DJ's the same we used on the pork butts) and wrapped it in plastic and placed in the frig over night.
The next morning place in roasting pan add more of the seasonings then sprinkle with olive oil. Add onions,carrots,celery.
Place in 325. oven uncovered.
after one hour pour apple juice, beer or chicken stock (we used apple juice) cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours till it falls apart.
On the second one we placed slices of bacon on top to give it some more fat.

Merry Christmas

Hope everyone is having a great Christmas. Sweetie Pie got a little festive this year. Still hoping we can find Baby Girl a home. She is real shy but after we get her out from behind the bed she loves to be petted.
I will post some new food this coming week as I have been busy with work. They have me working some crazy hours this year so not much new cooking has been going on. We have revisited some of our older recipes but we have got a few e new ones that were real tasty.
Sweetie Pie got a little festive this year.

Sunday Cat Baby Girl Needs a home !

About 2 months ago this baby showed up barley able to walk. She would flop over if she got excited or if Mommy Socks or Gin Gin got near her. And of course Gin Gin did not want her around and would go pop her. She would sit on the edge of the patio till all the other cats had eaten then she would creep up to the bowl. Wife has been sitting out every morning, afternoon and night talking to her and moving the food bowl closer to her. We thought she may have had a broken leg or back by her actions. We were afraid we would hurt her if we made a grab for her and if we missed it would take a long time for her to get close again. And she was doing better since she had some food.
All the outside kitties know when we whistle its feeding time(even the opossum and coons come). So we have to guard them from the unwanted critters while they eat.
With the cold weather wife decided Sunday she had to make a go of catching her. Success, she was grabbed placed in a pillow case and brought in the house to a large carrier and only bit once while petting her.
Monday it was off to the vet. Poor baby knew we were cat people as she loved being petted and really liked her face rubbed. She was real good at the vets and they ran all the virus test (FLV,FIV,HW). She was clean and vaccines and rabies shots given, spayed and x rays showed no broken bones so they are not sure why she has trouble walking. It could have been from a tick or a blood clot.
If any one can give this sweet baby a inside home please let us know. It would be best if there were no other cats or maybe one female as she can not defend herself well.

Cheese Ravioli with Shrimp Tomato Sauce

This is a Taste of Home Recipe and they always have good ones. we picked up some cheese ravioli from Sams as we have not made our own yet.
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
2 packages ( 9 oz each) fresh or frozen cheese ravioli
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (we used half and half)
1/2 lb shrimp (peeled)
1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese (we used more)
1 Tablespoon minced chives
Process tomatoes in blender till pureed
In a large skillet,saute onion in butter until clear. Stir in flour until blended. Bring to a boil and stir till thickened.
Add tomatoes,brown sugar,bay leaf,clove,basil,salt and pepper to onion mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cover for about 10 minutes.
Cook ravioli according to package. Remove bay leaf and clove from sauce. Gradually sir in cream, add shrimp and heat till shrimp turn pink.
Drain ravioli top with sauce, cheese and chives.

Pecans

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I want to thank my sister for cooking all the good food. We brought deviled eggs and a sweet potato casserole and forgot to take a picture. Ooh well that just means we will have to make another one. They are like a desert really.
And this year our pecan trees have pecans. The last two years they did not do good and we ran out of pecans. Wife has been cracking like a little squirrel, and still has a few bags to go. We have about 3 gallon bags put up and some sent to mother in law a friend and sister in law.
Wife has been under the weather the last few days and only wanting sprite and cheese and crackers so I have not been cooking. She got sick standing in the drizzle and rain last week trying to catch a kitten. She did get her Sunday night.