24/365 {Deer Chili and Cornbread}

{Chili con "Bambi" and Cornbread}

Also known as Deer Chili.

Please don't hate me or call PETA, okay?

I am married to a man who loves to hunt, particularly bow hunting.  So we eat deer.  To me, it tastes like beef.  But some of you have had it and don't like it because it has a "wild" taste to it.  Most likely, you had some meat from some old, 12 point buck that was shot and ran around for an hour before it died.  That would taste terrible.  But, if early in the season, you get a young doe, get a good shot and she dies quickly, it will be delicious. 

This chili tastes the same whether made with venison or with beef.  It is SO yummy and perfect for a cold day!

Chili

1lb. ground beef or ground venison

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-28oz. can diced tomatoes

1-15oz. can tomatoe sauce

3-15oz cans of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn

3 tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1.  Cook your hamburger with the onion.
2.  Put hamburger and all remaining ingredients into the crock-pot.  I use a 6 quart for this.
3.  Cook on high for about 2 hours and then turn down to low for 4 hours.
4.  Ladle into bowls, sprinkle on lots of Mexican blend cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  Enjoy!

Now, moving on to the cornbread.  I've had many types.  Crumbly, dry kind that you think you will choke and die on; moist, overly-sweet kind that resembles cake; spicy, cheesy cornbread with jalapenos; or the worst, the kind from the "Jiffy" box. 


Mine is different though. It is moist, but not cakey, a bit crumbly, but not dry and a tad bit sweet.  I think it's fabulous...and it's even better with a drizzling of real maple syrup.  YUM!

Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (sometimes I use white whole wheat and it's just as good)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1tbsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk (or use 1tbsp. vinegar and add milk until it reaches 1 cup)
1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
1 egg
6 tbsp. melted butter
3 tbsp. honey


1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease a round 8 or 9 inch cake pan or pie dish with butter.
2.  Mix together all your dry ingredients in a bowl.
3.  Mix together your buttermilk, cream, and egg.
4.  While your butter is still hot from being melted, stir your honey into it.
5.  Mix your buttermilk mixture with your dry ingredients.  Do not over-stir. 
6.  Pour the butter/honey mixture into the batter and stir just until combined.
7.  Pour the batter into desired pan and bake for 20 minutes, until it looks nice and golden brown.  Enjoy!

{Daddy the Deer Slayer}

by Caleb Chambers

This is a picture of Daddy (see him standing on top of the tree?) deer hunting with his bow.  I bet you can guess which one is the deer.  To the right is Daddy coming in the house to tell us that he had gotten a deer. He drew himself, Lydia and I reading together because that's what we were doing when he told us.  I asked him where Levi was and he said, "Mom, don't you remember?? Levi was already sleeping!"  Oh.  Okay.  


Caleb drew this picture and of course had no clue that Mommy was posting on deer chili!  Smart boy. =)