Looking to the future

AToday I am feeling my age, with the feelings about unions, city employees, and pensions I am looking to the future.  Where are we going to retire to, not Omaha that is for damn sure.  So we have a vacation coming up in April and I would love to drive around and see how we like some states that we are considering.  I have time, lots of time but still it would be nice to have an idea and begin in that direction.  So states like New Mexico, Wyoming, Minnesota, Missouri,  Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Alaska, and Both of the Dakotas come to mind. Why you ask. Well they all have excellent hunting opportunities, they are a bit more wild.  We are looking at small towns and country living.  Yes I am a country boy at heart and I miss the farm life, correction I miss the acreage life.  We are looking for a place to let the dogs roam, a place to hunt - waterfowl, upland and big game, a place to set up a trap house so we can shoot trap from the back deck.  Somewhere near national forests, wildlife management areas, Mountains would always be a plus.  Somewhere with topography.  Nebraska is a topographic wasteland.  We have a few bumps, a few hills but mostly we are a wind swept plain of blah.  Now the sand hills in Northwestern Nebraska are so amazing that they should be a state themselves.  Hell I could see us moving to Western Nebraska to be near my family, but thats the catch.  Why not move to Iowa to be near Nej's family.  So a conclusion, we are just plain moving away.  Getting out of Dodge.. I used to live in Dodge so I know how that works.
Now what do we look for?  When I look I tend to track toward farm properties. Small farms would be ideal for me.  Plant in food plots and manage for game.  I would be in hog heaven.  We would have to make trips to Mexico to get our tequila fix.  We would have to go to hockey games somewhere.  There will be enough room to have family and friends stay with us for a couple of weeks without having a Shinning moment.  Ahh well, to be honest all it has to be is a place where Nej and I are happy.  Thats really what counts.  The rest is just frosting.  Still, shooting trap off the back deck would rock.

Brain droppings

Some thoughts have been running around in my head.  I feel the need to get them out, I remember being younger and having fun until the wee hours.  Now that I am older, I just don't see any reason to be out past 11pm.  I don't drink nearly as much as I used to but I enjoy drinking more then ever before.  So the combination of the two makes me an middle aged fuddy duddy?  I still feel young, but my body sometimes disagrees with that.  So to combat that I have followed my wife's lead.  Working out at Lifetime Fitness in Omaha.  I tend to hit the ellipticals for 30 to 40 minutes with the resistance turned up, do some moderate lifting, and then off to the pool for a swim where I discover just how out of shape I am.  To date I am 20 lbs down.  I will take that.  I feel better, sleep better and will be in better shape for hunting season this fall.  Its all win.
Hunting is about to start back up with turkey season coming soon.  This year I registered our niece Lauren for a youth turkey hunt at Desoto Bend.  Its a drawing that I hope she wins.  She has been hounding Nej and I to take her for some time now.  The down side is location location location.  I really do not have a good turkey hunting spot near us so its either Desoto Bend or a long hall out to North Platte which is 4 hours one way.  Not sure I am really ready for that.  I think she would do fine but thats a long way if things go bad.  Either way this spring Lauren will get her turkey,... I hope.
Nej is running in the mornings, pretty much every day.  I am immensely proud of her.  I just worry.  I know she is being safe but damn I still worry.  Its a husbands right.  Lots of options out there and we are looking into them seriously.  More to come.
Next month we are going to St Lious to visit month to do a 5 mile run.  I do know that running hurts me.  Ahh well its family I really enjoy spending time with.  Nej has to have the coolest aunt and uncle.  Much more to come on this portion of the family.  Heck even starting to write about them makes me grin.  I am so looking forward to this despite having to run.  Love ya Nej.
Yeah yeah I am rambling I know.  This blogging stuff is not as easy as Nej makes it look.  She can turn a phrase and make it interesting.  Ahh well, we shall see how this turns out.

Till later

Nekid Pheasant Pasta

"The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude." 
— Julia Child

That is one of my all time favorite quotes, they are words to cook by.  Do a quick Google on Julia Child and one of the things you will notice if she is near food she is smiling.  It was her passion and she made it fun.  My wife did give me one of her cookbooks and I do use it.  I follow her idea more so then her receipts.  Trying things and see how they go.  I have screwed up more meals then I care to remember but every now and then things really work and when they do it is awesome.  This is one that works.

Naked pasta is one of my all time favorites.  You have cream sauces, tomato sauces and then olive oil based nekid sauces.  I personally love the olive oil based sauces since they are so blazingly fast to cook.  That and its a two pan main meal.

 So we start with the basic ingredients.

Ingredients Assembled

here is the list:  

First your cooking beverage tonight its Lucky bucket Lager nice "cooking beverage".
Pheasant breasts, fresh basil approx 2 tbs chopped, half a med onion diced, 1 tbs Garlic minced, 3 tbs sun-dried tomatoes chopped, an equal protion of crasins, 2 tbs Olive oil,  2 bay leaves and 1 tbs of oregano and thyme, salt pepper, fresh block parmesan cheese and lastly what ever variety of pasta you like to use.   That is it, all she wrote, of course you can add in a 8 oz pkg of portabella mushrooms to make it extra special.

Getting started:
Start your water for your pasta and cook them to al dente while everything else is going on, ideally the pasta will finish just as your meat finishes and then you look like a pro when you pull both pans off and mix ready to serve.

Well here we go, drizzle your olive oil into your pan, I use stainless steel and cast iron pans, have your flame on medium and we start by caramelizing our onions and garlic.  While the onion cooks you rinse off your pheasant breasts and julienne them.   As these get that lovely browned color you will have people walking in to see what smells so good.  Prepare to entertain in the kitchen.  As they caramelize down add in your bay leaves, your basil, oregano, and thyme.  Once you get the mouth watering smell of everything starting to combine together add in your meat.

Meat Added

Now things speed up.  Work the meat around in the pan to cook evenly allowing all the spices and olive oil to coat the meat spreading the wonderful flavors you have created.  Several minutes in your meat will be done.  This is a fast receipt.   Once the meat is has a little pink left add in the crasins and sun-dried tomatoe goodness.

Sun-dried tomatoes and Crasins added

We are almost done, add in your al dente pasta cover your dish and let the pasta finish cooking.  Ohh we are so close.  Once your dish is covered start serving up your vegies, we tend to do green beans with this.  Grab your block of Parmesan cheese and your micro grater.  Uncover, serve and great a nice layer of fresh Parmesan cheese onto your dish.  Salt and pepper to taste and we are done time to eat. 

Ready to serve

Yes this is a very simple very fast receipt.  Zero to dinner in about 20 minutes total.  10 minutes of dishes at the end and you have the whole evening to enjoy with your family.  Enjoy and remember its a what-the-hell kinda meal.  As my brother always says, if you screw it up to bad, there is always delivery.

Mot

Coming soon:  Venison with blue cheese sauce, life with a hunting dog, and a day at the range.

  

Titles, authors and cover art.

Now that we have our libation we are set to get down to business, today that will be reading.  We need to find the ideal location to spend the next several hours in comfort.  My personal favorite in the spring and fall is to lay in the hammock with our 90 lb puppy of love, Duckdawgs Sam I Am.  Yes, we are the proud guardians of a outstanding black lab and she is determined to be the center of any and all activities that occur at Mot household.
So we are situated with beverage in reach, good lighting, a puppy of love in a position that does not cause intense amounts of discomfort, what shall we read.

Choosing the book.

I choose books at the store based on several criteria

•     Do I know this author and enjoy them?
•     Have people / authors I like recommended them?
•     Does the cover jump out at me?
•     Does the first chapter drag me into the world?

My shameful  secret is that I am sucked in by cover art.  People make large amounts of money just to create a picture to make you look at it a second time.  I fall prey to the influence of the cover artist.  I have several that really grab me and I have to look back at them several times.  Lets face it not all artists are created equal.  You have the classic greats like Frank Frazetta.   One of my current favorites is Raymond Swanland, his work caught my eye and I ended up reading the entire James Wyatt dragon series.  Now I know that you can't judge a book by its cover but it is the cover grabs me initially.  

Now several for my favorite fiction / science fiction / fantasy authors (the vast majority of what I read)

1.  Jim Butcher.  If you have not read the Dresden files you really should.  I met Butcher at a book signing he is very personable and a pleasure to talk with.  Harry Dresden is a GREAT character, as a wizard detective in Chicago that the author tortures over and over in the series.  Here is the first chapter of Storm Front, the first book of the series.  Currently there are 13 books out and each one gets better then the previous.  Once you get into the Dresden Files you had better check out the Codex Alera series, which is where I started actually. Now I own all the books in hard back and wait for each new one to come out.  Pick up Storm Front and start the series you will not be disappointed. 

2.  John Ringo.  Published via Baen books this is one of my repeat reads.  He has several series and I devour on a periodic basis.  Paladin of the shadows, Empire of Man, The Last Centurion,   legacy of the Aldenata and Council Wars.  Now Ringo is a diverse author that appeals to my soul, his books range from hardcore science fiction to modern fiction.  When I get tired of the fantasy and fiction I tend to come back to Ringo for a breather.  

3. Mercedes Lackey.  Not much to say about her that has not already been said.  AMAZING author.  I have read a huge range of her books and have enjoyed them all.  She is an old friend in my world of books.

4.  W.E.B. Griffin  Well, if you have ever read any military fiction then you should know Griffin.  His series cover Army, Marines, OSS and Police.  His characters are filled out, believable, and damn smart.  This author is a family favorite.  My father, a former Marine Corps drill sergeant, introduced me to Griffin and now its a race to finish the new books first.  Friendly competition is after all part of life.  His Army series, brotherhood of war, spans from the conflict in Greece to Korea and very well worth the read and then several beers to discuss whats happened in the series.  Fantastic series.

5.  Jack Higgins.  Jack Higgins created one of the greatest and most brutal characters I have ever read, Sean Dillon an IRA enforcer captured and convinced to work with the British government.  Great series Great author.  

Now I have been an avid reader since I was a wee lad.  Our current library upstairs holds many different authors and series.  To many authors to list initially ranging from J.R.R. Tolkien to David Weber to  Mario Acevedo to Kim Harrison.  This is but an overview, a mere taste to wet the appetite.  Getting into individual books/series will come later.  

Day 1: Setting the tone

Books, Booze and food.  Yep, thats me.  I love to read, cook, eat and well have a few adult libations.  So lets just jump right in and start this off right.  What is your favorite beer?  Everyone has one.  I have 5, so I am either an overachiever or unable to make a decision, but variety is the spice of life. I am a firm believer that life is too short to drink anything that does not taste good to you.  When having a beer they should all be smooth, enjoyed, and not leave a bad aftertaste.   I tend to track toward the amber and dark beers.
    I have certain rules about drinking beer.  First, beer tastes best to me out of a ice cold frosted mug or heavy pint glass.  Pint glasses tend to be the route I go just for the ease of cleaning and their availability.  Beer should be served ICE cold and allowed to slowly warm  as you drink.  Yes, I know beer purists say that domestic light beers should be with 3 to 7 degrees F and that ales should be served around 11 degrees.  Personally, since I let the beer go through range of temperatures I start colder then suggested and let it go much warmer.  Hold on, don't panic!  This is not a bad thing, we are not talking about some nasty light beer that goes all skunky and vile.  Try it, might find you like it and discover one of the most overlooked pleasures of a good beer.  Now a word of moderation, Ice cold to warmed by your hand is the range you are looking for.  We are not talking about ice cold to left in the sun for 6 hours on a 107 degree July day.  Common sense is the rule here people.

My top 5 favorite beers today are:

5.  Double Dead Guy Ale by Rogue Brewing Co. in Oregon.  This one I have to give credit to my brother in Portland for introducing me to this.  It is currently my favorite amber great fruity taste nice clean after taste.  I love it in the large bottles but its a single beer selection in my book.  One and done primarily since I buy it as a single bottle.  I love this with smoked wings.  It is a great summer beer for sitting outside over a grill.

4.  Mighty Arrow by New Belgium Brewing Co.  This is my favorite pizza beer.  Its also the lightest beer on my list and well, its one of the only ones that I find locally on tap.  Now its a great pale ale its very nice balance between hops and malt.  I highly recommend it for lighter appetites or hot days.

3. Belhaven Scottish Stout   Now this is an awesome beverage by any means.  Nice smooth malty flavor.  Excellent body.  I found this completely by accident at a local specialty beer store.  Its well worth the the time to find.   Not really sure what you should eat with it since it never makes it to dinner.
  

2.  Turbo Dog produced by Abita Brewing Co. out of Louisiana.  I had this beer for the first time in New Orleans this fall.  Its a rich chocolate malty dark brown ale and excellent dinner beer for heavy foods and is especially good with barbecued ribs or in my first tasting Gumbo.

1.  Certified Evil produced by Lucky Bucket Brewing Co.  in Omaha.  If you have never had this beer then  hunt it down and try it.  Its not the cheapest beer out there but it is amazing.  Most of their line up is very good, but evil is rocking awesome.  It is the beer that you will typically find in my fridge on any given day.  It is a great afternoon beer.  It goes well with steak, both buffalo and venison.  It goes well with all sorts of wild game.

Try one of these and let me know what you think, I hope you like what you find.  So I enjoy a beer on a sunny day sitting on the back deck while cooking or reading.  One of the finer things in life is to kick back with a good book and a equally good beer.  Perhaps cooking for friends where everyone is gathered in the kitchen area enjoying all the smells and talk.  More to come stay tuned.
Mot