Quarantine Adventures of 2020

Adventures, Challenges & Perseverance

Adventures, both good and bad, is how I think of 2020. The year 2020, what a challenge! What an adventure. What a disappointment. Resilience and perseverance are needed characteristics in life, both coming in handy during 2020. I hope that 2020 allowed folks to focus on the simple things in life. Yet, many do not want to remember 2020. I believe every day is a gift. Every year as well. I had to try a bit harder to cope with 2020 than other years to find the silver linings and be thankful.

What Carried Me Through

  • Technology – from learning to communicate better via video chat software to watching church services from home via Chromecast, technology shined.
  • Adapting to constant change – Both in work & family life
  • Family & family time (the increase in family time was an incredible perk. I got to share countless breakfasts with my daughter & wife during the time I would have been commuting to work.)
  • Journaling – A great outlet! This allowed me to cope with feeling isolated early in the COVID-19 pandemic while adjusting to being in an empty house for workdays. I was able to get out my thoughts.
  • An exercise routine. Exercising was a priority each morning, and I kept the same exercise time I had while going to the gym. 5 am – 6 am or 4:45 am – 5:30 am.
  • Video editing: this is something I enjoy doing. It was great using a professional skill to create a memorable family home video shared with family and friends we did not get to see.
  • Lifestyle pursuits – turkey hunting & woodworking allowed for needed camaraderie.
  • Becoming a dad again with the birth of a son in August 🙂
  • Faith – Trusting in God, though hard this year, brought me through it all.

Creating a Video Keepsake

Often times, it’s the challenges in life that turn into memorable adventures! Working from home has been an incredible blessing to my family and me, with the proper mindset. There still are challenges to overcome on a daily basis, and that’s what makes life worth living. Try to see the little “wins” of a moment and learn to love the simple things in life. To be mentally & physically refreshed each day, I try to exercise every morning by either walking, running, or biking.

Despite the challenges of 2020, there are many highlights! This video showcases memorable experiences that occurred during the safer-at-home ordinance implemented by the Wisconsin governor.

About this video:
As a family, we took home videos and our experiences are shared with you in this video.
During my early morning bike rides, I captured footage of sunrises and other scenic views. I wanted a video to stand the test of time and reflect on this unique experience during the journey of my life. Editing this video is a personal best for me of 2020. Remember, optimism can be found in the midst of hardship.

Keeping an Optimistic View

Overall, it was my faith that carried me through and strengthened my spirit. Looking back, 2020 reminds me of how important mental health is, even more so than physical health. Yet, physical health makes you mentally stronger. And, being mentally healthy allows you to keep going when your body is saying “no!” It’s the human spirit that 2020 heavily tested. Feeling emotionally distant from family and close friends is tough. Video chatting can help, though face-to-face interaction reigns supreme.

Journaling about Exercise Adventures

Deep down, I had to find the motivation to keep working out when the gym & aquatic center closed. I found alternative ways to exercise from my usual routine of the past several years. To help my motivation, I journaled about what I did every day. The fear of not writing an entry about exercise kept me on a consistent regimen. Setting goals also kept me mentally sharp and to feel optimistic about accomplishing them. I set a goal to do 100 pushups every day during the stay-at-home ordinance implemented by the Wisconsin governor. Because it was dark during my 5:15-5:30 am morning runs, I would pick a street light and visualize it being a light at the end of this dark pandemic. Doing so made me run faster and lift my spirits. On days I did not run, walk, or bike outdoors, my attitude suffered. Getting outside increased my mood and produced an optimistic outlook for the day. (My journaling about exercise led me to journal about every day things my family & I did. Such as how we celebrated Easter, birthdays (my wife’s in March, mine in April), and hitting 200k miles on one of our vehicles on April 13, which is the first time achieving 200k on a car!)

Workouts by the numbers during the safer-at-home order from March-May:

  • 3,583 pushups (My goal was 100 per day.)
  • 10 runs – met my goal doing a 4-mile run
  • 12 walks
  • 12 bike rides – longest bike ride was 8 miles

Overall, 2020 saw many highlights. Most highlights came from setting personal goals for myself- such as doing a certain number of pushups, running, biking, or walking a certain number of miles. I’m a goal-oriented person who enjoys the feeling of accomplishment. Even for those who may not be naturally goal-oriented, my advice is to set goals. Becoming goal-oriented is attainable and builds accountability, confidence, and boosts your mood. Goal setting is a great way to lift your spirits and become mentally stronger.

Cheers to a new year and the adventures of 2021!

Reflecting on Writing & Blogging

Reflecting: Life Changes & Blog Purpose

It has been a while since I have created a post. I have been reflecting on how to set aside the time to create content. I originally started this blog as a hobby since I enjoy writing and expressing my thoughts. Writing is a creative outlet for me. I enjoy reflecting on my experiences and sharing them. However, my priorities have shifted since getting married in 2015 and with becoming a dad in 2017. Although I have still been writing, blogging has been placed lower on my priority list. Being a dad and husband are my most important jobs.

What’s Next?

I believe I am reaching a point where I’ll be able to begin blogging again. For me, writing is refreshing. During 2020 I journaled about my experiences dealing with the pandemic and the safer-at-home ordinance implemented by the Wisconsin governor. The main reason I journaled was to cope with the pandemic. Secondly, I wanted to remember my experiences to share with my kids and God-willing grandkids someday. Being a reflective person, writing down my thoughts comes easily to me. The next post will be about the memories created during the pandemic in video form!

Previous Posts

In the meantime, see these last posts from my time at Sportsman Channel. (These posts are no longer active on Sportsman Channel, so I wanted to get them on my website as a keepsake.) Adding these posts are a great way to reflect on my career experiences.

When I added these, I included background info on how the idea started or why I choose to write the blogs. Even if you read them before, the additional commentary may be interesting for you. Thanks again!

Andy & Josh’s Steezy Boarding Adventure

Andy & Josh’s Steezy Boarding Adventure at Cascade Mountain.

ChairLiftRide

The conditions were great with light wind and the temperature ranging between the high 20s to low 30s.

 

Two videos straight from Cascade Mountain taken February 7, 2015. Andy and I filmed each other snowboarding. We both used our iPhones. First time filming each others steezy rides down the slopes. Glad Andy and I met our goal of not wiping out while on tape!

 

Recommend folks film themselves or others while snowboarding. It’s neat to look back at your run. You get to see yourself and friends snowboarding in a different perspective. You can also see your technique on film and how you turn and carve. Plus, it’s a memory you can watch again.

One tip for filming, or taking pics, with your phone is to hold your phone horizontal, I’ll have to remember this the next time if I continue filming while boarding. This makes me wanna get a GoPro!

cascade mountain black diamond run

One of my favorite things about snowboarding is looking out at the horizon when getting off the chairlift.

 

Relaxing view and awesome sunset while driving back on I 90/94.

 

Back to Blogging

Going to get back to blogging here. I got a few more venison recipes to post, one is for venison burgers. Since the last post, I moved, and, time flies, so that brings me to now. My last post is from April 2014 and April 2015 is coming up here in a few months. If one thing’s for sure it’s that time keeps going.

The next post will be about my first time filming during a snowboarding adventure. Good times for sure!

Venison Fajitas Using Deer Chops

Venison Fajitas Using Deer Chops

venison fajitas using deer chops

Fresh off the stove, the blurriness is actually steam. Thinly sliced deer chops are the best cuts of venison for fajitas. Very tender meat that cook fast for a quick meal

 

What you’ll need

  • About a pound of venison chops
  • One green pepper
  • One medium sized onion
  • Olive Oil (just pour till you think you’ve got enough in the pan)
  • 1 Fajita seasoning packet (do not follow cooking time instructions as they’ll be for chicken of beef) – or make your own
  • Chili powder
  • Cayenne pepper if ya want a kick

 

sliced deer chops - venison fijitas

Slice deer chops thin.

What you do:

  •  Rinse deer chops under cold running water
  • Cut away silver skin and clean up deer chops as needed
  • Slice-up venison chops for fajitas.
  • Slice green peppers and onions into strips

Once sliced, fry in a pan with olive oil for 2-4 minutes, flipping once. Do not over cook, in fact leave some purple color to the chops. Then, add in your favorite seasoning and veggies.

venison fijitas ingredients

Here’s what I chose to use when making venison fajita’s.

 

Other venison recipes:

Appreciating Nature While Outdoors

Appreciating Nature – God’s Creation 

snow on trees

Each time you’re afield, take time to appreciate nature; things that you can only observe from being outdoors. Sounds simple, though, do we always do this?

While out hunting during this past year, this thought came to mind, “enjoy the simple and come back for more.”

Slow… down… and enjoy the world around you; observe what’s around you. What’s the weather doing? How do the trees look? What’s above you? What are you walking on, dirt, sand, gravel, is there a marsh coming up?

Feel the sense of freedom of the great outdoors. Exploration makes up hunting as well as the shot itself. It’s just another reason why “smacking some birds” or “smoking a deer” are not the only things that make up hunting.

appreciating nature

Reached out to catch the snowflakes as they fell during Wisconsin’s late bowhunting season.

 

Take snowflakes for example. We have learned that snowflakes are geometric patterns either from articles, science class or pictures of them.  However, to actually hold a snowflake in your hand and make out their geometric design is awesome and in real time. It’s one of the mysteries of God’s creation. God created this world for us, you and I to enjoy.

A random thought here, It’s always amazing to me how the trees can grow upright, against gravity.

 

 

appreciate nature

Saw a fallen tree from a distance and pictured myself making a fort of it if I were stranded.

This post been in my head for a while so decided to take a break from the venison recipes to share. Next post will continue the venison recipe series.

Venison Macho Nachos Recipe

Venison Macho Nachos

venison macho nachos recipe

Venison macho nachos were made on-the-fly. On this night, I ran out of tortillas and still had a lot of taco leftovers, (lettuce, cheese and cooked ground venison). I improvised with chips on-hand to make macho-nacos. Ya see, I was too hungry to get more tortillas at the store.

This is a venison meal recipe that’s low cost and quick to make. (I used recipe below with one pound of ground venison.)

Stuff to use:

  • Lettuce
  • Sharp cheddar cheese (or any shredded cheese)
  • Multi-grain chips (or any tortilla style chip)
  • Salsa
  • 1 lb ground venison
  • taco seasoning packet

What you do:

  • Semi-brown ground venison
    • (leaving some pink color will keep venison moist so you’ll be able to microwave leftovers without overcooking.)
  • Add seasoning
    • (while following directions on seasoning packet, remember cooking time should be shorter because most packets are writing for cooking with beef.)
  • Scoop cooked ground venison on a plate, add in chips and condiments.

Making meals with what you have on hand allows you to be creative. You’ll discover new meals to use the food you already have, ya may surprise yourself!

 

Other venison recipes:

Deer Heart Grilling

Deer Heart Grilling (warning, eating the heart will increase buck fever)

deer heart grilling

Recommend putting tin foil on grate first, then, place deer heart on the tin foil. Midway through grilling I threw tin foil down over grate. Tin foil will prevent the heart’s soft meat from getting scorched. (Use two layers of tin foil, or one layer of heavy duty tin foil.)

MeatEater has an episode where the featured meal is deer heart tacos. Ever since watching that episode, I had it in my mind to cook and eat the heart of my future deer.

Cooking and eating a lovely deer heart dinner is exactly what I did with my first deer, (and will continue to do with future deer). In this post, I’ll be sharing with you the deer heart recipe I used. Saving the heart was a priority while field dressing.

This was my first time cooking deer heart, so, before firing up the grill, I tweeted to MeatEater about venison heart recipes.
MeatEater responded with two deer heart recipes.

Seeing as I would be using a small grill, had apples and garlic powder on-hand, I improvised MeatEater’s apple-roasted venison heart recipe. I did not have a lot of tin foil so chose to cook heart on the grate instead of in the coals.

 

Supplies used when grilling deer heart:

  • Charcoal grill
  • Tin Foil

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1 deer heart
  • Garlic powder
  • 1 apple – cubed

What you do:

I used a granny smith apple because it's what I had on-hand. Granny smith has a bold flavor, would recommend using.

(Before the grill photo.) I used a granny smith apple because it’s what I had on-hand. Granny smith has a bold flavor, would recommend using.

  • Clean out and trim deer heart
  • Rinse deer heart thoroughly with cold water
  • Cut open deer heart and lay flat
  • Shake on garlic powder as desired
  • Stuff apple cubes in the heart ventricles
  • Grill heart until the top layer of skin is brown, keep checking, do not walk away from the grill.

Lessons learned: Here’s the mistakes I made:

  1. Not laying tin foil over grate to begin with. As a result, the heart’s outer layer got overcooked. (middle of heart was unharmed)
  2. Cooked the heart too close to coals. (cooking heart higher above coals would be recommended.) I found the heart is very soft, delicate meat.

One deer heart satisfied my appetite. If this were for two people or more, side dishes would be required. Next time you fill your tag, take the deer heart home with you. You’ll love the meal!

dear heart grilling

(After grilling photo.) Meal turned out well! Heart was very tender. Looking in the middle you’ll see it’s still pink, which is a must while cooking heart. Only the outer skin got a bit overcooked.

If you have cooked deer heart before, please share how you cooked it. If you decide to use my recipe let me know how it goes and if you added some ingredients along the way. Enjoy hearing how wild game is cooked and what parts of wild game are cooked. Good huntin’ and good eatin!’

Read Other Venison Recipes:

Venison Meatballs

Venison Meatballs

 

venison meatballs and pasta

This was the first spaghetti meal with venison meatballs.

In the previous post, “the hunt continues,” I mentioned doing a series of posts on venison meals from my first deer. So, let’s start making venison meatballs!

Venison meatballs turned out to be a favorite way to use ground venison.

There’s two ways I prepared venison meatballs and I’ll share with ya the recipes below. First, we’ll go over the part that’ll make or break your venison meatballs: cooking time.

 

Cooking Time
For venison meatballs, 10-12 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees will get ‘er done. Anything over 12 and you start losing flavor, drastically. Less is more when it comes to cooking time, especially if you plan to reheat wild game meals for leftovers. This leads me to the next point: cook venison meatballs closer to 10 minutes so microwaving won’t over cook leftover venison meatballs.

venison meatballs

Prepare a 9×13 pan with butter or extra-virgin olive oil. Then place rolled venison meatballs, with ingredients added, in the pan. Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.

You always need to be attentive and near the grill, oven or stove that you’re using to make a wild game or fish meal. Stand by the cooking source, do not leave it.

Two Venison Meatball Recipes To Try

Recipe 1) Using seasoning:.

  • Italian Seasoning
  • Garlic Powder
  • 1 lb ground venison

What you do:

Roll up ground venison with your hands. While rolling, shake on Italian seasoning and garlic powder. (*No measuring of spices required. This way, you’ll find some meatballs  will have more garlic, some more Italian season. Each one will have it’s own flavor, a surprise in every bite!) Place meatballs in a 9×13 pan pre-treated with either butter or extra-virgin olive oil (extra-virgin olive oil is meant for baking at high temps). Put pan in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Recipe 2) Using fresh onion and garlic:

  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 minced small onion
  • 1 lb ground venison

What you do:

Mince garlic cloves and small onion. Mix together the minced garlic and onion on cutting board. Roll venison meatballs into a ball with your hands. While rolling, sprinkle in minced garlic and onion mixture. Add as desired. Place meatballs in a 9×13 pan pre-treated with either butter or extra-virgin olive oil. Put in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Venison Meatballs-garlic and onion

Note: a butcher knife is the recommended knife for mincing. A sharp knife is a must.
I do not have a butcher knife, the knife pictured did the job becuase it was sharp!

(Before cooking my first deer, I had no desire to mince anything. Yet, when seeing minced garlic was an ingredient to making venison chili, I learned by watching “how to mince garlic” YouTube video. To me, hunting and fishing create a willingness to learn more about cooking.)

 

Next Venison Meal: Grilled Deer Heart 

 
 

The Hunt Continues

The Hunt Continues After The Shot.

(Second blog post on my first deer.)

Remember, the hunt continues after the shot. After the shot, the deer will need to be gutted. After gutting, the deer will need to be skinned and processed. It’s why hunters say, “the shot is just one part of hunting.”

My dad, grandpa and I worked to skin and quarter my first deer. (The quartering process was another part of the hunt that made memories.) After skinning, I took the meat to be processed. Taking the meat to be processed took priority to getting the head and hide to the taxidermist.

Cooking Your Trophy Is the Greatest Trophy

In my book, the meat was the trophy. I say this because when fishing and hunting, obtaining a meal is my main objective. The goal of my previous deer hunts was to obtain deer meat. Going 13 years without shooting a deer, made each meal of my first deer it’s own trophy. With my first deer, I’m able to cook meals with meat from a deer I shot myself. (Achieving the goal set when obtaining my hunter’s safety license.) At each meal, memories of those who have helped me come to life again.

grilled deer heart

Grilling the heart of my first deer. Eating the heart brought the hunt full circle that much more.

When eating wild game from your hunts, the hunt is prolonged. Each time I sink my teeth into venison, I relive the shot, as well as, gutting and skinning the deer.

First deer mount

The European mount of my first deer was a bonus. Trophy from the hunt: venison and sharing time with family

Gain Responsibility 

It’s a fact that hunting also teaches how to be responsible with the game you kill. Hunters should remember this; anti-hunters must learn to understand this. Therefore, as a sportsman, I want to respect the animal by making sure the meat does not go to waste. This is why hunting teaches responsibility. Hunters learn the value of life and what it means to be a steward of the land.

Learn Cooking Skills

Just as fishing helps me cook, hunting teaches me about cooking as well. In the next series of blog posts I will be sharing meals and recipes made with the venison from my first deer taken during the 2013 Wisconsin bowhunting season.

Here’s a few venison meals – more meals to be added to this list:

The Hunt Continues

Above all, I’ll continue to look forward to future hunts and meals with wild game and fish, and, yearn for the next hunting season. It’s why “the hunt continues.” And if I don’t get anything, that’s alright too. My passion for the adventure and the thrill of even finding sign is what drives me. Read more on the following posts: