Small Talk: Ughngnggh! Ugghhnnn!

[shanndee]

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

Hubby and I rang in the New Year by having a nice evening of appies, drinks, board games and Wii U. I still managed to drink a little too much...but we had a lot of fun. I spent today inside reading "Horns" by Joe Hill (a Christmas gift from a friend). This is the first book of his I have read, and I am really enjoying it. His writing style is comfortably familiar (similar to his father's) but he definitely has his own voice.

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year filled with health, happiness, and laughter!

 

Cheers!

[kikismom]

They made rataide from rats!

The good out of the bad!

 

When it comes to rats, I really liked the middle.

[PunkyMouse]

The umbrella thing is cute. I get caught between admiring squirrel cuteness and wondering how they would cook up in a ZA.

My cousin is a hunter and she says that squirrels are a lot of work for a little bit of meat, but if you're hungry they're not bad. I'm thinking you'd have to come up with a way to trap them since you really wouldn't want to waste bullets in the ZA. Either that or go all Katniss on them.

[kikismom]

My cousin is a hunter and she says that squirrels are a lot of work for a little bit of meat, but if you're hungry they're not bad. I'm thinking you'd have to come up with a way to trap them since you really wouldn't want to waste bullets in the ZA. Either that or go all Katniss on them.

The U.S. Military Survival Manual has a very good section on trapping game in survival situations; using just what's around you. It has clear diagrams, as well as other info. That and as Nashville mentioned, the Foxfire books, are good reading for anyone.

[Irishmaple]

I'm not willing to do a taste-test or anything but, looking out my window right now, city squirrels are not exactly svelte.  There's a grey one climbing a tree in my yard who is the size of a decent chicken.  The pigeons have some size to them too.  There are several pizza places nearby and I believe that explains why the wildlife is looking so healthy. 

[Nashville]

Squirrel - the other white meat. 

Pretty tasty if you get the seasoning right.

And not that much work - shoot, skin, gut, fry, and eat.

They were a staple country food during the Depression - and still are, in many areas.  Hunting season for them is a lot wider than deer season.

[kikismom]

Squirrel - the other white meat. 

Pretty tasty if you get the seasoning right.

And not that much work - shoot, skin, gut, fry, and eat.

They were a staple country food during the Depression - and still are, in many areas.  Hunting season for them is a lot wider than deer season.

Indeed! Just don't eat the brains. (CJD).

[maplebrew]

city squirrels are not exactly svelte

 

 

Stop making me hungry. The idea that city squirrels are being fattened up on pizza crusts only makes me more curious about squirrel meat. I assume that this would be a good time of year to dine on one since they would still be chubby from autumn feasting. I haven't tried squirrel but the Missouri Dept of Conservation has squirrel recipes on its website. 

[kikismom]

Just Google _________ recipe with an animal type and there are scads of hunters sites with best ways to cook squirrel rabbit woodchuck whitetail deer elk aoudad and everything that flies or swims. Might want to browse, you never know when you might want to---or need to---try this.

[kikismom]

Speaking of which, why doesn't RIck even talk to Herschel about what's wrong with Violet? Plus after Patrick turns and there's a whole massacre in the cellblock, then Herschel says pigs and chickens are vectors of diseases that transmit to humans (paraphrase). So he said nothing the whole time they are building a pigpen in the back yard? He's a lifelong farmer but never takes a look out of curiousity at the animals?                                                                                                                                   Sp

[AngelaHunter]

why doesn't RIck even talk to Herschel about what's wrong with Violet?

 

Gee, I never thought about that until just now. Yes, it seems kind of nuts that there's a vet with about fifty years of experience on site and Rick never even asks him to take a look? Obviously he didn't even mention it to Hershel since Rick continues to look totally perplexed about whatever is making the pig sick.

 

I love the Jean Luc meme, but whoever made it needs to stop fooling around on the computer and delve into the mysterious world of contractions. Sorry. That's a bit of a pet peeve of mine.

[lulee]

The article doesn't mention it, but apparently after she was done headbutting the bow hunter, the doe said, "And you tell Daryl Dixon he needs a haircut."

[kikismom]

I love the Jean Luc meme, but whoever made it needs to stop fooling around on the computer and delve into the mysterious world of contractions. Sorry. That's a bit of a pet peeve of mine.

 

[nachomama]

Happy New Year, late. Boring as ever. Watched a little marathon. I'm applying lotion to my neck at the moment Because its another year and we don't wanna get old lady neck. 

 

They eat prairie dog on occasion in New Mexico. I have never eaten a squirrel, prairie dog or pigeon type thing but I will learn quick in the ZA. Well...I'll be dead within 3.2 nanoseconds but I'm willing to learn. 

[Too Late Kev]

I had rabbit once. It might have tasted like chicken (as the old joke goes), but it was really so long ago I'm not sure. And now that I really think about it, was it rabbit or rarebit? [Looks up "rarebit"...] Must have been rabbit; rarebit isn't actually meat. I've also had venison steak (gamey, but fine) and fried calamari (in my gluten-eating days -- pretty good), but that's about it for kind of weird meats/seafood.

[Nashville]

I had rabbit once. It might have tasted like chicken (as the old joke goes), but it was really so long ago I'm not sure. And now that I really think about it, was it rabbit or rarebit? [Looks up "rarebit"...] Must have been rabbit; rarebit isn't actually meat. I've also had venison steak (gamey, but fine) and fried calamari (in my gluten-eating days -- pretty good), but that's about it for kind of weird meats/seafood.

If your rabbit tasted like chicken, then your chef seriously needs to be shot in the face multiple times with a bazooka.

[walnutqueen]

Long ago I made a delicious rabbit pate from a recipe I found in LaRousse Gastronomique.  Sometimes I impress even myself.  :-)

[BrokenRemote]

My cat is the most zealous squirrel-hater I have ever known. She's strictly indoor, but is a rescue stray. She watches them through the window with the most venom-filled eyes I've ever seen and I know in her former life she has to have been the scourge of the squirrel community. If the ZA comes I will rely on her to happily fetch me squirrel after squirrel.

I don't eat meat, but if it's them or me, I'll gladly chow down on squirrels. And make them into slippers. Soft, soft slippers... Where was I?

(Also, not only was Herschel a farmer, he was a vet. Rick should have absolutely asked him about Violet.)

[nachomama]

I've eaten plenty venison in my time. My dad was the hunter. We have pictures of him skinning in the garage with many upside down deerses. No pictures of him, like normal "cheese", just skinning a deer or a 15 second clip of him mowing the grass that my mother shot and when he noticed her.....ooooh the look he gave her and it's captured on film. Hee! I have eaten rabbit. Once upon a time we were having fried chicken for dinner and I looked at my chicken leg and I looked at my sisters chicken leg and I declared "there's something wrong with her chicken". It didn't look right. For some reason this made my sister cry...anywho upon further investigation I said "her chicken's got KNEES!" and sho' nuff papa was having frog legs and they tried to pass one off on my sister. They knew they couldn't get it by me. I have eaten frog legs as an adult and hell they taste like chicken.

 

Im impressed and frightened by rabbit pate. 

 

I called a friend/co worker last night who I haven't seen in a few months because we no longer work the same shifts. We are gonna go have dinner Wednesday. We have such an incredibly soul suckingly bad horrendous job, I only do it on weekends and now overnight so no boss, no customers, slightly extra money but she's 5 days a week, boss, customers and horrible horrible "help", for some shit-tastic pay. I had been hearing that she's getting an "attitude" and inside me I'm like "yes! kick someone's ass" but we got off the phone and she called me right back and told me my call changed her whole attitude for the day. Even though all we did was bitch about work, ha, but it perked us both up that we have something to look forward to. So that's my resolution, not give up any bad vices, per se, but just get the f outta my house and go do some crap. apparently any kind of crap will perk people up.

[NurseGiGi]

I've had fried squirrel before.  My dad would cook it up for breakfast and I was the only one who would eat it.  I guess he knew how to season it right because it was pretty darn good.  He took me out squirrel hunting, though, and I cried when he shot a squirrel so that was the end of my squirrel eating days.

 

I also accidently ate a frog leg one time, thinking it was a small chicken leg.  No one told me until after I had eaten it and I was horrified, even though it tasted pretty good.

 

Oh, and I've also eaten lots and lots of venison, prepared many, many ways.  My parents knew how to prep it so there was no gamey taste.

I've eaten plenty venison in my time. My dad was the hunter. We have pictures of him skinning in the garage with many upside down deerses. No pictures of him, like normal "cheese", just skinning a deer or a 15 second clip of him mowing the grass that my mother shot and when he noticed her.....ooooh the look he gave her and it's captured on film. Hee! I have eaten rabbit. Once upon a time we were having fried chicken for dinner and I looked at my chicken leg and I looked at my sisters chicken leg and I declared "there's something wrong with her chicken". It didn't look right. For some reason this made my sister cry...anywho upon further investigation I said "her chicken's got KNEES!" and sho' nuff papa was having frog legs and they tried to pass one off on my sister. They knew they couldn't get it by me. I have eaten frog legs as an adult and hell they taste like chicken.

 

Im impressed and frightened by rabbit pate. 

 

I called a friend/co worker last night who I haven't seen in a few months because we no longer work the same shifts. We are gonna go have dinner Wednesday. We have such an incredibly soul suckingly bad horrendous job, I only do it on weekends and now overnight so no boss, no customers, slightly extra money but she's 5 days a week, boss, customers and horrible horrible "help", for some shit-tastic pay. I had been hearing that she's getting an "attitude" and inside me I'm like "yes! kick someone's ass" but we got off the phone and she called me right back and told me my call changed her whole attitude for the day. Even though all we did was bitch about work, ha, but it perked us both up that we have something to look forward to. So that's my resolution, not give up any bad vices, per se, but just get the f outta my house and go do some crap. apparently any kind of crap will perk people up.

Your stories crack me up!

Edited January 6, 2015 by NurseGiGi

[nachomama]

blargh! I remember my dad used to eat tripe too. pttooey

[PunkyMouse]

I've had tripe. Eh, it was kind of flavorless and chewy, but some folks claim when cooked properly it's quite good. I love tongue, though. Now THERE'S a deli sandwich for you!

Edited January 6, 2015 by PunkyMouse

[NurseGiGi]

I've had tripe. Eh, it was kind of flavorless and chewy, but some folks claim when cooked properly it's quite good. I love tongue, though. Now THERE'S a deli sandwich for you!

I've heard several people say tongue is good but I've never tried it and likely won't since I have no idea how to prepare it.

[PunkyMouse]

I've heard several people say tongue is good but I've never tried it and likely won't since I have no idea how to prepare it.

 

I usually get it at the deli (well, I did in NY. Down south... not so easy to come by). I believe it is usually boiled for several hours in a briny liquid (like corned beef), cooled, peeled and sliced thinly for sandwiches, although I'm sure there are a lot of other ways to eat it. For me, pastrami and tongue on rye bread with brown mustard... heaven!

[NurseGiGi]

I usually get it at the deli (well, I did in NY. Down south... not so easy to come by). I believe it is usually boiled for several hours in a briny liquid (like corned beef), cooled, peeled and sliced thinly for sandwiches, although I'm sure there are a lot of other ways to eat it. For me, pastrami and tongue on rye bread with brown mustard... heaven!

Next time I'm up in that neck of the woods I'll have to keep an eye out for it and give it a try.  You're right about the south, I don't recall ever having seen it in a deli.

 

I just remembered that my father used to eat souse meat, too.  There used to be a little store around here and the people who owned it made it fresh and that's where he bought his.  I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole.  It looked and smelled awful.  And I'm not sure what kind of meat was in it but I'm fairly certain it wasn't squirrel (you know, kinda sorta trying to get back on the topic of the ZA).

[AngelaHunter]

I just remembered that my father used to eat souse meat, too.

 

As I rapidly scrolled down, I read that as "mouse meat".

[kikismom]

I just remembered that my father used to eat souse meat, too.  There used to be a little store around here and the people who owned it made it fresh and that's where he bought his.  I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole.  It looked and smelled awful.  And I'm not sure what kind of meat was in it but I'm fairly certain it wasn't squirrel (you know, kinda sorta trying to get back on the topic of the ZA).

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/home-made-souse/

 

I've eaten venison, rabbit, gator, rattlesnake, frog's legs, goat. Ate horsemeat when we were kids. Nice.

 

My cat is the most zealous squirrel-hater I have ever known. She's strictly indoor, but is a rescue stray. She watches them through the window with the most venom-filled eyes I've ever seen and I know in her former life she has to have been the scourge of the squirrel community. If the ZA comes I will rely on her to happily fetch me squirrel after squirrel.

 

My family's house in on a lake named "Moccasin Lake" and not named after Native American footwear either.

The lake is now only eight feet from the back door, and the lake is full of moccasins. Mom has a tuxedo rescue cat named MeiMei, who is kept indoors but can go out on the screen porch. Baby moccasins slither in and she loves it; she chases them and bites their heads off.

 

 

"her chicken's got KNEES!"

 

That is the greatest conversational ice-breaker I have ever heard.

[NurseGiGi]

As I rapidly scrolled down, I read that as "mouse meat".

This gave me a giggle.

[NurseGiGi]

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/home-made-souse/

 

 

Ugh.  I knew that stuff looked gelatinous.  Kinda like stinky meat jello.

[AngelaHunter]

Ugh.  I knew that stuff looked gelatinous.  Kinda like stinky meat jello.

 

Oh my. I don't eat ears, feet, tongues or innards of any kind. Oh, and no mouse meat either.:p

[nachomama]

angelahunter is the first one going down in the ZA! I got dibs on her knees. :D 

 

A few years ago I became fascinated with the true story that inspired Moby Dick. A whaling ship was rammed by a whale and sunk, most of the crew survived initially, setting out in several row boats/dinghis whatever they're called. They stayed together for a few weeks, they fished and caught a turtle once. They did find an island at some point to get fresh water. Many died along the way. The boats got separated. One of the boats eventually made it to some caribbean island where the 2-3 who survived were rescued and another boat was found at sea. The story was from the perspective of the 15 year old cabin boy who survived. When he and the 2 others with him were found they had eaten a crew member. I kinda think they'd eaten one who just died and then they did the draw straws and killed one to eat. But they were so far gone and cuckoo when they were found they had finger bones in their pockets that they were gnawing on and wouldn't give up. I read where they are now making a movie of that book. 

[AngelaHunter]

angelahunter is the first one going down in the ZA! I got dibs on her knees. :D

 

Not much meat on these knees!

 

In case of starvation, my Will Not Eat list will shrink to nothing, probably. "Long pork"? If it's well done, perhaps. There, I've just ruined my own breakfast.:(

[kikismom]

[Ocean Chick]

I've had both frogs' legs and rabbit, as well as venison, to eat.  They were all edible, but a good cook makes a world of difference to the quality of the eats, lemme tell ya.  I don't normally eat innards, but I suppose if I were starving they might start to look good.

 

My mom's favorite meat as a child was tongue.  I've not tried it yet.

[Nashville]

Oh my. I don't eat ears, feet, tongues or innards of any kind. Oh, and no mouse meat either.:p

More for the rest of us!

[nachomama]

those silly termites, eating bob's legs. They coulda gone right for the ears and tongue. 

[kikismom]

I love liver. Beef liver, calves liver, chicken livers, would probably eat any kind of liver.

Don't say it; I will tell you right now that I hate Chianti.

[AngelaHunter]

I love liver.

 

You're like my husband. I used to cook it for him once in awhile, but eventually said I couldn't do it anymore, so he had to go to a local restaurant that served it every Thursday.  We were both happy with this arrangement. Okay, maybe I was a little happier.

[walnutqueen]

Liver makes me sick - the taste, the smell of it cooking - instant gag.  When I was young I had a Siamese cat who ate little else.  I cooked her chicken liver and chopped her raw baby beef liver all the time (now THAT'S love).  My Mum loves liver, too and I don't let her cook it in my house - I take her to a restaurant.  :-)

 

Lest you think I'm totally heartless, Mum can't stand the smell of garlic, so I avoid it whenever she is visiting - which is a very big deal for a garlic lover like me!  Especially since her visits last several months.  heh

[Too Late Kev]

If your rabbit tasted like chicken, then your chef seriously needs to be shot in the face multiple times with a bazooka.

That's...extreme. :(

 

It wasn't a chef, it was at someone's house. And since I was about 12 at the time, making it...4 decades ago, who knows? Maybe they just told me it was rabbit, and it was actually just chicken.

 

But again, super-extreme. I hope you're on my side in the zombie apocalypse.

[kikismom]

That always makes me wonder; when people in a family are so different in likes/dislikes of foods. Sometimes right from the beginning.

My 3 oldest sisters were just normal/average, the sister born right before me was a 4.5 lb preemie, was given Similac formula, had terrible colic, was a fussy eater and still is. I was born 18 months later and weighed 9 lbs, we still have the doctor's note for a homemade formula for me: 1 can condensed sweetened milk, 1 egg yolk, and a teaspoon of Karo corn syrup. Mom says then I would cry because I was hungry so she'd stir in so much rice cereal the spoon would stand up in it and I was happy. Over 1000 calories for 8 ounces, my check-ups show that I weighed 28 lbs at a year old. I looked like a beach ball with eyes.

 I ate anything that wasn't red-hot and nailed down. But after that I was skinny kid, skinny as a rail. Go figure.

[Nashville]

I love liver. Beef liver, calves liver, chicken livers, would probably eat any kind of liver.

Don't say it; I will tell you right now that I hate Chianti.

Same here RE the liver. Gizzards, too. My father was raised country AND raised during the Depression, and one of the life lessons he passed on to me was you better eat WHAT you can get WHEN you can get it, because there's no guarantee when the next meal might come along. Cuts down on the pickiness a lot.

[AngelaHunter]

Liver makes me sick - the taste, the smell of it cooking - instant gag.

 

Just looking at it in the store counters makes me queasy. I certainly ate it growing up, and liked it. I guess I never really thought about it then, but when I did that was the end forever.

 

I ate anything that wasn't red-hot and nailed down.

 

You and my husband would have been a match made in heaven. Red-hot wouldn't stop him either. I guess I deprived him, as when watching him chow down on (Ugh) pig's feet at my mother-in-law's house I'd feel a little (very little) guilt because I flat out refused to have such grotesque things in our house. Snails, kidney, liver, pickled herring/tongue/eggs and anything that walked, crawled, swam or flew - he'd eat it. 

 

When I was young I had a friend whose parents were British and they ate something so gross I couldn't even look at it - blood sausage.

 

"Black pudding, also known as blood sausage, is a pudding made of curdled and boiled pig blood, mixed with chunks of pork fat (for texture and juiciness) and spices, then stuffed into a sausage casing."

Yum.

[nachomama]

Omg the recipe for formula is the same thing we were told for trying to bottle feed a baby rabbit. Our neighbors went out of town and we were watching their chickens and critters. We fed and watered and collected eggs. She warned us that mama rabbit was having babies and we didn't need to worry about them. I go in there one morning and she's chowed down on one baby already and one baby was unharmed but I wasn't just gonna leave it in there if mama was going to eat it! So I brought it home and we had no vet nearby that knew what to do with a rabbit so we looked around. They gave us the sweetened condensed milk, egg mixture and we fed him. He was gobbling it up and we said oh he's fat and happy. Well...then we noticed he didn't poop. They told us put him in warm water kinda try to coax it out. He kinda bloated up. And no he didn't make it. Later  >: ( someone suggested hey maybe put some olive oil or laxative-y type thing in there. I was very traumatized by the event. 

 

One time at my old job we went to lunch at a soul food place and they had liver as a special and co-worker/former boyfriend type guy ordered the liver and this came as a surprise to me that he liked liver. I gave him some shit about it so the lady behind the counter asked if we were married and we both shout HELL NO! Apparently we bickered like an old married couple. 

Edited January 8, 2015 by nachomama

[lulee]

I've heard raccoon is greasy, but I'd think they'd be plentiful in the ZA world.

[Nashville]

I've heard raccoon is greasy, but I'd think they'd be plentiful in the ZA world.

Possum more so than raccoon.

Or so I've heard.

ETA: CORRECTING DAMN AUTOCORRECT

Edited January 8, 2015 by Nashville

[nachomama]

While you two argue over which is greasier I shall CALL IT and then the possum and the sqwewwel are both MINE ALL MINE. ;P

 

Curious if youse guys are gonna call Saul? Feb 8 I tune in for WD I'll stick around for Saul. 

 

*oh it was a raccoon but sqwewwel is funner to say

Edited January 8, 2015 by nachomama

[walnutqueen]

While you two argue over which is greasier I shall CALL IT and then the possum and the sqwewwel are both MINE ALL MINE. ;P

 

Curious if youse guys are gonna call Saul? Feb 8 I tune in for WD I'll stick around for Saul. 

 

*oh it was a raccoon but sqwewwel is funner to say

 

I am SO looking forward to Better Call Saul, nachomama!

 

I am glad y'all don't know where I live, and that my birds, possum, raccoons and cats are safe from your voracious maws.  :-)

[ghoulina]

I love liver. Beef liver, calves liver, chicken livers, would probably eat any kind of liver.

Don't say it; I will tell you right now that I hate Chianti.

 

But what about the fava beans?

 

 

(Sorry, I feel a bit left out with this food discussion, so I had to get my two cents somehow!)

[kikismom]

Same here RE the liver. Gizzards, too.

Oh yeahhh, gizzards! My mom makes a wonderful gizzard gravy, and we'd always stop after work and get fried chicken livers and gizzards and fried catfish. Cholesterol, shmolesterol, I'll eat anything fried.

 

 

Omg the recipe for formula is the same thing we were told for trying to bottle feed a baby rabbit. Our neighbors went out of town and we were watching their chickens and critters. We fed and watered and collected eggs. She warned us that mama rabbit was having babies and we didn't need to worry about them. I go in there one morning and she's chowed down on one baby already and one baby was unharmed but I wasn't just gonna leave it in there if mama was going to eat it! So I brought it home and we had no vet nearby that knew what to do with a rabbit so we looked around. They gave us the sweetened condensed milk, egg mixture and we fed him. He was gobbling it up and we said oh he's fat and happy. Well...then we noticed he didn't poop. They told us put him in warm water kinda try to coax it out. He kinda bloated up. And no he didn't make it.

Yes, it does make a wonderful formula for baby animals and I've raised feral kittens on it too. Guess the pediatrician was a Herschel type. But you have to "stimulate" baby animals after you feed them (no, not like that!) You take a soft cloth dipped in warm water (not hot) and wipe their hiney. Yes, you wipe them before they poop.

They don't have a poopie reflex at first and the doe or other mother animal will lick their hiney and the wet cloth feels just like mama's tongue. After a few days they get the hang of it.

I bet a lot of people are happy that human babies don't require this.

 

 

I've heard raccoon is greasy, but I'd think they'd be plentiful in the ZA world.

 

 

Possum more so than raccoon.

Or so I've heard.

We had to set hav-a-hart traps around a lot because raccoons and possums would come to eat the animals food and there's too many cases of rabies so even it they were healthy they had to be caught and were supposed to be taken away....but the grounds crew guys would always say You're not going to get rid of that are you? and my boss always let them take it home to eat. Those guys always seemed healthy enough.

 

 

But what about the fava beans

I love lima beans, will that do? You name it, lima beans, spinach, liver...if people hate it I'll be the one ordering seconds.

 

 

Just looking at it in the store counters makes me queasy. I certainly ate it growing up, and liked it. I guess I never really thought about it then, but when I did that was the end forever.

 

You and my husband would have been a match made in heaven. Red-hot wouldn't stop him either. I guess I deprived him, as when watching him chow down on (Ugh) pig's feet at my mother-in-law's house I'd feel a little (very little) guilt because I flat out refused to have such grotesque things in our house. Snails, kidney, liver, pickled herring/tongue/eggs and anything that walked, crawled, swam or flew - he'd eat it. 

When one of my sisters got engaged and brought her fiance over to our family home to have supper, my mom made smothered chicken (&etc.).

He took one look and said  " I don't eat things that have only one hole".

I can still see my mom frozen half way over the table with a serving ladle in one hand just as still as a statue. I looked at my dad and he had his mouth wide open and his eyes real big. (He had Daleface!)

Mom says....um, what?

Her fiance said "I only eat animals with two holes, one for defecating and one for sex. I don't eat one-hole meats."

My dad turned his head to me and rolled his eyes.