Venison Burgers

A family friend gave us a deer (um, for our freezer, not for a pet) this past winter, and what a blessing! We have had a freezer full of deer, and it has saved us so much on groceries!  It's pretty safe to say that venison is basically organic - and you know how much organic meat runs.  Not to mention the added bonus that venison is much leaner than beef.  I chose to get most of my meat ground, with a few cubed steaks, tenders, and backstrap packs thrown in.

The biggest complaint I hear from people is that venison tastes too gamey.  I'm hear to tell you, that if your venison tastes gamey, then you may not be cooking it properly.  Meat like this needs seasoning, especially if you're used to the taste of store bought, grain fed, minimally exercised meat.

We had a cookout for all our naysayer friends and family who thought venison was gamey, and all who tried our "deer burgers" said that they were delicious.  Most were very surprised by how good they were.

Here's our general recipe:

I start by tossing 1 medium yellow onion and a few cloves of garlic in the food processor.
Pulse until finely chopped.
Add in a handful of spinach leaves and pulse mixture until it looks like picture above.

Combine with 1 pound of venison.
Mix in salt and pepper to taste.
Form patties and grill to desired cook temp.

*I cook our burgers well done - that's just my style.

Dress your burgers as desired and dig in! So delicious!

How do you feel about venison?  Have you cooked it before?

Pregnancy: Week 15

img from sharetoimprove.blogspot.com

This week:

Baby is 4 inches long and about the size of an apple.

Baby can sense light and is forming taste buds!

Maternity Clothes:  Are so expensive and hard to find!  It's definitely slim pickin's in our town.  Luckily, my sister-in-law gave me some to add to the few I did buy, and I've bought some large regular shirts that should last me through to the end.  Still using the ponytail holder method on any remaining pants.

Food Cravings:  This week I've been loving apples, but certainly haven't forgotten about the carrots - they're still my fave.  Mmm!

Sleep:  Still tossing and turning, but much less often now that I have the Boppy Wedge.  Waking up 2-3 times a night to pee now.

Morning Sickness:  Came back!!  What in the world?!  I woke up and had to make a beeline for the bathroom.  Couldn't keep anything down until almost lunchtime, and then just as quickly as it came, it left.  *Slams door* "And STAY OUT!"

Showing:  I'm thinking so.  Unless you may just happen to think I drink lots of beer, but since I think beer is pretty disgusting, I'm hoping you realize it's a baby.

Boy or Girl:  Not a clue.

How Many Babies:  We have no idea, but we'll find out in a few more weeks.

Wedding Rings:  Now have to come off every night before bed.  My hands swell so much while I'm sleeping that they end up so tight it hurts in the morning.

Exercise:  Still walking the trails in the mornings.  I've also been doing yoga squats throughout the day to open up my hips.

Five Little Homesteaders

This week's Sponsor Spotlight shines on the Five Little Homesteaders!  The Five Little Homesteaders are comprised of Colleen, her architect husband, and their 3 little ones (3 and under - bless them!).

I love reading about the Little Homesteaders and checking out Colleen's family friendly, do-able whole foods recipes.  She also shares great tips and info on gardening and making the most of your outdoor space.  

Marshmallow Mudpie:  Tell me a little about yourself and your blog.

Five Little Homesteaders: I'm a teacher turned stay at home mom to 3 little ones:  ages 3, 2, and 1 year old.  Our family recently moved to a 1935 bungalow on a .15 acre lot near downtown Phoenix.  We are currently working to transform our little plot of land into an urban homestead.  My blog, Five Little Homesteaders, is a chronicle of our attempt at homesteading and living closer to nature.  I also post weekly recipes that we have tried and use only whole ingredients, as we want to reduce our intake of processed food.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  How did you get into blogging?

Five Little Homesteaders:  I've been reading blogs for the last ten years or so. I really enjoy reading about other people's adventures and ways of life.  I also have several friends who blog and it looked like so much fun, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  What do you love most about blogging?

Five Little Homesteaders:  I really like the community aspect of blogging.  I love making and growing the virtual friendships that naturally arise.  Blogging is a great way to find a like-minded community of people, even if they don't live anywhere near you.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  What do you hope your readers take away from your blog?

Five Little Homesteaders:  I hope my readers come to my blog and find what they are looking for, whether it is a new recipe or an idea for their backyard garden.  I've had a lot of people tell me they don't have time to garden or raise chickens.  I hope my blog conveys the simplicity of some of these endeavors and that it empowers people to do more on their land, however small that piece of land might be.

Pregnancy: Week 14

img from fact-discovery.blogspot.com

This week:

Baby is the size of a lemon (about 3.5 inches)!

The yolk sac is gone and baby is now completely dependent on the placenta.

Baby is growing eyebrows and can now pee!

Weight Gain: I had an appointment with my midwife midweek where I found out that I've gained 7 pounds so far.  

Maternity Clothes:  Starting to break some out.  Any pants I have left have to be buttoned with my ponytail holder method, and I've packed away about 1/3 of my shirts.  I've also had to buy bigger bras.

Movement:  Still not feeling anything, but there is definitely visible movement going on in there.  Baby is still doing the shift to one side or the other thing.  It's so cool!

Symptoms:  Achy lower belly - called round ligament pain.  It's like a sore/achy feeling on either side of my lower belly.  And when I sneeze, it's a sharp, shooting pain unless I crunch into a ball.

Sleep:  Getting really rough.  Definitely no more tummy sleeping.  I had to buy a Boppy Prenatal Sleep Wedge  (it was the only thing that helped me make it through the night when I was pregnant with Little Guy).  I'm telling you, this thing is fantastic.

Food Cravings:  Still loving carrots, but also milk and V8 juice.  I'm usually not much of a milk drinker, but I've wanted milk with a spoonful of Ovaltine almost every day.

Showing:  I say (and so does everyone else who sees me regularly) definitely!

Worries:  At my first prenatal appointment, the midwife's assistant measured me to be around 12 weeks (I was 10 wks, 6 days), which is not too big of a deal (besides the fact that I'd been having dreams of twins a lot).  At this week's appointment, the midwife wasn't there, and there was a midwife who only performs homebirths there to fill in for her.  She measured me to be 18 weeks (I was 14 wks, 4 days).  Now we're really nervous about twins.  The substitute midwife said we don't have to be too worried, but if it made us feel better we could schedule our ultrasound for 18 weeks instead of 20 weeks.  I suppose that's what we'll do.
Aside from all of the obvious reasons I'd be nervous for multiples, I'd have to switch from my birth center to an ob-gyn because in Florida, midwives aren't allowed deliver twins or more.  So....we shall see how it goes.    Que sera sera....

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic Mommy Adventures

Our Sponsor Spotlight this week shines on Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures.  I've asked Natasha a few questions to help you get to know her and her adorable little boy, Micah, better.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  Tell me a little about yourself and your blog.

Epic Mommy Adventures:  I'm Natasha....single mommy to a rambunctious toddler named Micah.  I blog about our adventures and life as a first-time and single mom.  I also blog about co-parenting, caring for an elderly parent, and much more.  I also showcase other mommies (in my Epic Mommies series) that have risen above all levels of adversity to become even stronger mamas.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  How did you get into blogging?

Epic Mommy Adventures:  I always enjoyed writing - it was a way to release the stress from everyday life.  One day, a friend recommended that I start blogging since I always had a story to tell.  I started blogging that day (December 29th to be exact) and never looked back.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  What do you love most about blogging?

Epic Mommy Adventures:  I love the freedom that blogging brings me.  I enjoy writing about everything and I get a really kick out of having people read my blog and in some way they can relate and enjoy.

Marshmallow Mudpie:  What do you hope your readers take away from your blog?

Epic Mommy Adventures:  I hope my readers will be able to enjoy and relate to my blog.  I hope they can walk away knowing me and my little man just a little bit better.  And lastly, I hope I can inspire other mommies to rise up above the adversity in their lives to become even stronger and more powerful.