pheasant and farming

I made my first successful pheasant dish of the 2013 hunting season! last year my attempts at cooking that lean, bone-ridden bird were laughable. picture the Christmas turkey in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and you'll be able to understand my plight with this fowl. I had tried roasting it in the oven, which dried it to the point of no return. cue the polite chewing and copious amounts of water.

well, that bird got conquered. by a CrockPot.

I rubbed the plucked and cleaned bird (after removing all little feathers, bird shot, etc.) down with coconut oil (almost 3 Tbsp, I greased him up well), then made my normal chicken rub of thyme, smoked paprika, garlic, sea salt, white pepper and onion powder and rubbed that [dry] over the bird before putting it on a bed of carrots, potatoes, onion and turnips (cut into 1" chunks) in the CrockPot. high for two hours, low for 4, and that bird came out just perfect.  Lydia ate some of the breast and a leg, plus veggies, bread with butter, and most of an acorn squash that I baked with butter, a sprinkle of salt, and brown sugar.

in other news, harvest has been kicking our butts this year. I really feel for my husband--when he comes home sore and exhausted from being on the farm all day (5am-12am some days!) all I want is to keep him home and in bed, waited on hand and foot for working so hard for our family. the amount of work he does in a day is incredible--from chopping silage to loading hogs, feeding cattle, making bales, running semi loads of corn to the elevator, etc...he doesn't quit moving for hours on end. makes me feel so...I don't know, like I could never match the amount of energy he puts into a day with what I do on my end. from one camp I suppose balancing two jobs and taking care of the house, Lydia and pets would seem like it requires so much energy (which it does)....but it's not the same. and I certainly wouldn't expect Charlie to get home from work and do anything but take a hot shower and cuddle in with Lydia if she's still awake. but this too shall pass, the corn and beans will come in, the fields will get plowed, the animals sent away, and another season shall start at the farm once this time is over. it's just a lot of hard work and emotional sacrifice right now--hard not seeing my husband in any other mode other than exhausted and sore.

however, it has been so nice to grab up Lydia from daycare, make a quick supper, and bring it out for a ride-along in the truck or tractor with him! I am learning so much from other farm wives as to the best ways to keep in touch with husbands who seemingly marry their tractors for a month.  those ride-alongs give us a chance to talk, and it gives Lydia time with her daddy, something I have noticed to be very affective in her little life. she misses her dad, and it becomes readily apparent at times via meltdowns or her simply vocalizing, "I need Daddy." this winter we'll have to make up for lost time and spend more time together doing fun things as a family...looking forward to the Christmas season to do so! I've been Pinteresting some ideas already, but the mature adult in me is petulantly waiting until after Thanksgiving to do any serious Christmas planning. :)