Pets, their care and companionship are an important part of many people’s lives. Whether it is a stray kitten you have adopted, a wild
animal you rescued, a goldfish in
a bowl or a faithful dog, they all
provide meaning, routine and interest to our lives.
TEAM Resources is having a summer contest for our readers. To enter this draw, send us a pet story. Tell us how your pet has become part of your life, the place it holds in your heart and its adventures or misadventures. Send the stories to team@producer.com or mail them to The Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4. We will use your entries to have a draw for a number of prizes June 30.
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Here is a story Betty Ann wrote about her neighbour’s cat.
Frosty
The black animal was lying at the side of the road on a -40 C winter day. As Doug drove by he noticed that it moved, so he stopped to check it out. The black cat crawled over to the truck and put its front paws on the running board as if asking for help. A trip to the vet revealed that the poor animal had a broken leg, frostbitten ears, jaw, paws and tail, and was badly dehydrated. The possibility of the cat surviving was slim, but it did seem determined, so they decided to give it a chance. The cat took up residence in a small box in the back of the truck in their heated garage.
The poor cat must have been living in a culvert because it was pretty dirty and smelly. It seemed to have been a well-trained house cat because it knew how to care for itself and use the litter box. Over time the cat healed well and was given the name Frosty, because of its frost-altered appearance. It had lost most of its ears, a few toes and its tail.
It has become the faithful companion of its rescuers, Doug and Gay Hunt. Frosty has enjoyed many trips with them in their motor home and loves trips to the farm. It will climb into the truck if the window is open or sit on the workbench in the garage waiting for Doug to take it for a ride. The cat is not happy unless Doug is around. Part of its daily routine is to get a brushing and play in a paper bag or chase a ball. They have also taught Frosty to sit up and to roll over – pretty smart cat.
Recently, Doug has not been well but Frosty is his constant companion, sleeping with him and curling up on his lap when he is watching TV. When Doug says it is time for breakfast, Frosty will hop up onto Doug’s walker and ride on it to the kitchen. The cat lies on the seat and holds on with its front paws.
With the nicer weather Frosty also likes to be outside. The cat is put on a leash so it can sun itself. It earned its keep recently by catching a gopher that had decided to take up residence at the side of the house.
Frosty is one lucky cat that was given a second chance. In return, it has given many laughs and much love to Doug and Gay.
Cookbook for youth
Dear TEAM: My husband and I subscribe to The Western Producer. A few weeks ago, there was mentioned a cookbook called Recipes for Young Adults. I was given a copy of this cookbook when I was married 32 years ago and it is a great cookbook for young people just starting out on their own. As my youngest is graduating from high school this June, I would like to give him a copy. Do you know if they are available and where I would be able to buy one? – C.B.
Dear C.B.: I also think it is a great cookbook for young people. We used these books when I was teaching home economics years ago. This little cookbook was published through the courtesy of the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers’ Association
and Canadian Sugar Factories Co. in Taber, Alta.
I contacted the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers Marketing Board, 403-223-1110, which sent me to the Rogers Sugar website. I called the company but had no luck in tracking down the cookbook.
There are several other cookbooks designed for this same purpose. Two that I like are: Where’s Mom Now That I Need Her?: Surviving away from Home by Betty Rae Frandsen, Kathryn J. Frandsen and Kent P. Frandsen, Aspen West Publishing Co.; and Straight A’s College Cookbook: Quick Cooking for 1 or 2 by Karen Wokes, Centax Books, Regina, Sask., www.centaxbooks.com.
Out of the Frying Pan is a parenting and human interest book as well as containing 45 recipes. It is a chef’s memoir of hot kitchens, single motherhood and the family meal, written by Gillian Clark.
She compares the similarities between running a home and running a restaurant. She opened Colorado Kitchen in 2001 and proved that people will travel to a tiny, out of the way spot for good food. For more information, check www.chefgillianclark.com.
Enjoying wild meat
Since my father was a hunter, I grew up eating wild game. This past fall our nephew, Evan, shot a deer for us. We have enjoyed venison throughout the winter. For more information on how to cook wild game, check the following resource.
Saskatchewan Association of Conservation Officers (SACO) Cookbook is printed by Jumbo Jack’s Cookbooks, Audubon Media Corp. The cookbooks are sold out but a new edition will be out this fall.
Call 800-798-2635 or 306-933-7928 in Saskatchewan, to confirm price, postage and handling charge. You can mail orders to: Saskatchewan Association of Conservation Officers, Box 1615, Outlook, Sask., S0L 2N0 or e-mail prov.fam@sasktel.net. This cookbook features soups and salads, game birds, wild game, fish and desserts. It is in a convenient binder that is practical and easy to reference. Here is a recipe from the book.
Roast venison
(From John Pogorzelec, conservation officer)
1 pkg. Lipton’s onion soup
salt and pepper
garlic powder
parsley flakes
sweet basil
Use a roast or several steaks. Wash and clean the meat. Wrap up tightly in heavy foil after you have seasoned same with all ingredients. Roast in a heavy roasting pan for two to three hours at 325 F (160 C).
Other game cookbooks:
Wild Game Cookbook by Doug and Peggy Kazulak, printed in 1995 by Lone Pine Publishing. Available at www.lonepinepublishing.com for $8.95. This paperback cookbook features 120 recipes for venison, moose, bear, other large game, small game, game birds, specialty recipes and marinades.
Cranberries & Canada Geese by Helen Webber and Marie Woolsey is a cookbook intermingled with personal touches and stories. Beverages, breads, salads and preserve recipes are included along with the wild game recipes. It is published by Blueberries & Polar Bears Publishing, Box 304, Churchill, Man., R0B 0E0, first printed in 1996. To order, contact Centax Books, 306-525-2304 or fax 306-757-2439.
Another item of interest is the Wild Game Field Care and Cooking DVD featuring gold medal master chef Milos Cihelka. Discover how to get the most from your venison as you watch this 225 minute DVD. It is available from Stoney-Wolf Productions, 800-237-7583.
Freshly killed game
Betty Ann and some of her family recently had an opportunity to have a caribou steak barbecue. John Kozar of Ethelbert, Man., was the hunter and the chef. The meat was tender and delicious. He marinated the steaks in zesty Italian dressing in a ziplock bag for about an hour. The meat was lean and dark red with a mild flavour. He credits the tenderness and taste to how he handles the animal after it is killed.
- Always bleed the animal out immediately after the kill, and gut it as soon as possible.
- When cutting through the hide, always cut upward to prevent hair from contacting the meat.
- Leave the hide on, cool the meat and hang it. Skin just before cutting it up. This will keep the meat clean and there will be less waste from trimming off air-dried meat.
- Never cut through the bone. Debone the meat instead. The gamey taste develops in the meat when the bone is cut.
- The best meat is from young bucks with small horns. These horns are often referred to as two prong horns, sling shot or basket horns.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
