We went from Red Danger (fire warning) due to a prolonged period with no rain and slightly warmer than usual to a bit of rain and a full-fledged snowstorm—all within one week.
You gotta love Mother Nature, as she keeps us on our toes!
The previous weekend, we saw and heard how a local volunteer firefighter battled a raving brush and forest fire 10 miles from our house. They fought tirelessly against the odds but managed to stop the fire from destroying homes.
As the fires were 6-70% contained and under control, we had the first raindrops in a long time. It was a help, but not enough water to put out the fires.
As a miracle, we heard the forecast of wintery weather with approx. 1-3 inches of snow would hit our area. Well, some other weather forecast models predicted more snow.
As the weather had been relatively mild, I thought we would get 0-2 inches of snow. As such, I did not install the plow on my UTV. I miscalculated.
By 10 PM, it was raining with no sign of snow. However, as I woke up at 5.40 AM to get the kids ready for school, I was greeted by several inches of wonderful white (and heavy) snow. The schools were closed, much to the kids’ delight, and I made a cup of coffee while staring in disbelief at the falling snow.
Solar panels are excellent when the weather is warm and sunny, but they can be dangerous when we get hit by a snowstorm.
As the snow got thicker, large quantities of heavy snow slid off the solar panels, landing with a heavy thud around the house. The dog leash got buried under 2 feet of snow from the solar panels, and you had to brave yourself if you had to go outside.
Around midday, I kicked the family outside to start clearing the driveway of snow. Since I did not have my trusted UTV with a plow attached, I relied on my 20+ year snowblower to help move large quantities of slush and heavy snow.
Much to my amazement, considering the snowblower had been sitting outside, uncovered, since the last windstorm in early March, it started with a purr. Granted, it spewed a few nasty clouds of fume from the engine, but then it ran smoothly, and we cleared the snow.
Our Great Pyrenees had a blast outside. He loves the colder weather and is camouflaged when lying on the snow. He can (and would) stay outside all day if we let him.
Meat for the Freezer
5 to 6 years ago, I became interested in hunting and spent several hours attending hunter safety training to become a certified (approved) hunter. While I went out to hunt a few times, I never really committed myself to shooting a deer. You have to invest time in hunting, and you can’t just sit on your deck to shoot a deer – or can you.
I’ve tasted wild game in the past, and some good friends have shared deer and bear with me on a few occasions. While visiting a great friend in Texas a couple of years ago, we trapped, killed, prepared, and feasted on a wild pig.
I wanted to hunt and shoot a deer to prove my skills, but more importantly, fill our freezer with excellent lean meat.
When deer season opened in New York State, I stood on my deck under the new outdoor kitchen roof, looking at the suburban wilderness. We have been blessed with various wildlife visiting us, including grey squirrels, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bears, and deer—not to mention all the winged creatures we see.
As I was standing there enjoying a Black Rifle coffee, I spotted half a dozen does (female deers) lying in a forest clearing by my house, relaxing. I said to myself, “If these deers are lying there when we get back from Sunday mass, I might as well shoot one.”
When we got home, the does were still lying there, and they couldn’t care less that I was staring at them.
I loaded the crossbow, as we can’t use a rifle within city limits or if you can see a property, and slowly walked to the lawn. I slowly moved towards the deers, but they did not move.
Long story short, I finally pulled the trigger and successfully took down a large deer. I will share the whole story in a separate post.
The final yield was 37 lbs of delicious, healthy red (lean) deer meat for the freezer. I can’t wait to cook some dishes with it.
Week Forty-Eight Meals
It is a short week for me. We are celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday, and I took Wednesday and Friday off. The kids are only in school on Monday and Tuesday.
I will be preparing three turkeys in total, and we will eat a lot of food while cooking a full Thanksgiving spread. It is turkey celebration week! And I get to make my famous bourbon pecan pie on my Traeger.
- Turkey for my wife’s bible study women’s group
- Turkey for local families in need (two families)
- Turkey for the Viking family
I will keep the dinners relatively light to leave enough space for an overindulgent amount of scrumptious food we will consume.
The kids will get a few light lunches, so this week’s published meal plan does not include anything elegant or exciting.
School Lunches
Sweet and straightforward; mac and cheese one day and dumplings the other. Done! Nothing exciting.
Dinner Time
As advertised, I’m only making a few simple and light dinners.
Last weekend, I fried up some Tilapia, so we will enjoy fish tacos. I will make some Chipotle Aioli and chop some lettuce.
We will feast on pasta dishes with shrimp, sausage, and peppers tomorrow.
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Simple Mac n Cheese | Tilapia Fish Tacos |
| Tuesday | Dumpling with Soy Sauce Dip | Shrimp, Sausage, and Peppers Pasta |
| Wednesday | Calm Before the Feast | Light Snack While Preparing Turkey |
| Thursday | Turkey Feast | Turkey Feast Premium Party |
| Friday | Leftover Party | Firepit, leftovers, relaxation and alcohol |
One day, I might get so organized that I will link the meals below to my recipes. We can only live in hope!
Have a fantastic week, my friends. I hope you enjoy these meal plans. It is much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.
Meal Prep Party Pictures
Here are a few mood pictures from the previous week since I did not prepare dishes this week.
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