CABIN FEVER FOR SURE!
I am ready to go back to the cabin. If I have to be snowed and iced in, I would rather be in Pendleton County at our cabin.
By the way, I made a mistake last week in this column. It did not snow 2 ½ feet at the cabin. It was 2 ½ inches. I guess I can blame it on my computer, it made a typographical error.
Anyway, thanks for bringing it to my attention. At least I know someone was reading it.
It was a beautiful snow and I enjoyed every minute that we spent there. I have been a little under the weather since Christmas, and I am really getting cabin fever. Thanks for your calls and prayers.
I made about 40 lbs. of ground venison jerky during the last two weeks. It seems to disappear almost as fast as I make it.
It is a new recipe and I will share it with you in this column. I had two dehydrators with 10 shelves total; I made four turns in each. This recipe is really very easy.
Please keep in mind you can add or delete ingredients to suit your taste.
This recipe was from Raymond’s cousin in Fort Seybert. They sent some of it up to the cabin and since it was so good, we made it also.
GROUND VENISON JERKY:   Randy Simmons
3 lb. ground venison (or hamburger)
½ c. soy sauce
½ c. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Accent
2 tsp. season all salt
2/3 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion salt
2/3 tsp black pepper
Mix all together until well blended. (Note) I added about 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke to my jerky. Take a small amount of the meat mixture, pat it out into a thin strip about the size of a half slice of bacon. Do this until you have used all the mixture. Keep your strips uniform in size. Dehydrate until done. About 4 hours or so.
Note: I made some in circles about the size of silver dollars, but my family wanted the strips. They didn’t taste any different, but they liked the strips better. I alternated my trays every so often, putting the bottom one on top and so on. This make a good chewy jerky that is not real tough to chew. I also decided to use Onion powder instead of onion salt. I was trying to cut down on some of the sodium. Do not overlap the strips, try to keep them close but not touching.
WESTERN WINGS:
5 lb chicken wings
Large re-sealable plastic bag
1 12 oz. jar apricot preserves
1 c. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbl. fresh ginger, minced or 1 tsp ginger powder
Thoroughly clean and rinse chicken. Pat dry. Cut wings at joint into two pieces and place in bag. Combine remaining ingredients, in medium bowl. Pour over chicken wings and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.  Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove wings from bag and discard marinade. Grill for about 25 min. turning once, until skin is crisp and juices runs clear.  Makes 8 servings.
POTATO SKINS:
3 Idaho russet baking potatoes
Vegetable oil
3 to 4 tbl olive oil
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, pepper, paprika or cayenne
2 tbl grated Parmesean cheese
1 to 2 tbl. minced parsley
Wash and scrub potatoes; pat dry, rub potato skins with oil
Bake in 425 degree oven for 1 ½ hours or until done. Remove potatoes from oven cool.
Cut in half and carefully scoop out centers, leaving about ¼ to 1/8 inch layer of cooked potato. Cut each half potato skin into 3 lengthwise wedges. Place on baking sheet; brush insides of potatoes generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic, seasonings, cheese and parsley. Return to oven and bake for 20 to 25 min. until crisp and lightly browned.
GROUND BEEF & RICE CASSEROLE:
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 onions, chopped
1 ½ c. warm water
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. raw rice
1 c. sliced celery
¼ c. soy sauce
1 can Chinese noodles
Brown beef and onions. Add rice, celery and soups. Rinse cans with the warm water and add to beef mixture. Stir in soy sauce and pepper. Turn into greased 2 qt. casserole. Cover and bake for 20 min. at 350. Uncover and bake for 30 min. more. Sprinkle with noodles on top and bake an additional 15 minutes.
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Thought for the week:  “When God puts a tear in your eye, it’s because He wants to put a rainbow in your heart.”   Amish Cookbook
………..till next week