Fox On The Trail Camera

It is almost two years since I started blogging.  Living where we do in Wisconsin,  the seasons and wildlife have a way of repeating themselves.  Sometimes it is difficult to find new things to blog about.  Although this life may not be appealing to most people, it works for us.  We have to entertain ourselves at times.  In January of 2013 I had another slow blogging week without much to talk about.  In the blog I showed photos from our trail camera.  I discovered for the first time a headless creature in big boots.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/01/critters-of-night.html

Well the Big Boot creature is back and in living color.  She is even brave enough to appear in broad daylight without the cover of darkness.

Last night we had the usual animals appear on camera, but in addition, there were these photos.  We usually don't see the fox during spring, summer or fall.  They appear regularly after a good snow cover.   I imagine they have to broaden their hunting area to survive.  These appeared last night.

Cranberry Cake with Butter Sauce

Thanksgiving is in a couple days.  When we think of Thanksgiving in the United States, we think of turkey, stuffing and cranberries.  Wisconsin is one of the biggest producers of cranberries.  Last year I made a very good jellied cranberry sauce for those who like cranberries in the shape of a can.  In my opinion cranberries in a can aren't the real thing, but it is all some people will eat.  This recipe doesn't have high fructose corn syrup so it is a better option.  You can use a jello mold or pour it in an empty can to gel.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/11/jellied-cranberry-sauce.html

This year I decided to make my mom's Cranberry Desert Cake.  I thought I had blogged this recipe before, but I haven't.  My mom had this desert for the first time at a coffee klatch when I was in elementary school.   Someone in the family has made it almost every year since.  The butter sauce that goes on top has a most amazing taste.  If you don't like cranberries, the sauce alone could be eaten with a spoon.  No kidding.

This is the original recipe.  It makes a 9 inch square pan.  I doubled the recipe and put it in a silicone bundt pan.  It took much longer to bake.  Mine took 60-70 minutes.  Keep testing until the testing stick comes out clean.   I also used cranberries that I had in the freezer.  I thawed them under running water and drained them well.  Then I shook them in a little flour to absorb some of the moisture.  It also helps the wet cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the baking pan. 

I doubled the recipe and baked in a bundt pan.

Cranberry Desert Cake 

1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups whole cranberries

Mix sugar and butter together with a mixer until light and fluffy.   Add the milk and combine.  Then add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.  Add the cranberries and stir them in with a spoon.  The dough is fairly stiff.

Prepare a pan by spraying with cooking spray and then dust with flour.  Spoon the batter into the 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve with butter sauce. 

Butter Sauce

Melt 1/2 cup butter
Add 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup heavy cream
Bring to a boil and boil for eight minutes.
It will thicken up.  Watch it carefully because it burns easily

Happy Thanksgiving 

Yearlings Looking For Mom

It is Monday, November 24th, 2014.  It's only a few days until Thanksgiving.  It has been a crazy day as far as the weather goes.  The last couple days have been quite mild.  Yesterday we had temperatures in the 50's.  It felt very seasonable for November in Wisconsin.  When I got up this morning, it was dark and dreary.  It was misting a little, but the temperature remained mild.

We helped our daughter out today and stayed at her house to let some delivery people in.  While we were waiting, the weather took a turn.  It started to snow slightly.  The temperature dropped to 37 degrees.  When the young men came with the delivery, it was snowing quite hard.  Afterward we quickly headed home, but not before the roads became slippery and the temperature dropped again to 34 degrees.  We made our way slowly and turned into our driveway just as the temperature dropped to 30.  We were very happy to walk into a warm house.  Actually looking out at the weather, it is quite pretty.

As we were sitting trying to decide what to make for dinner, we had deer visitors.  Two little yearlings came over to the window.  They stopped at the birdfeeder but couldn't get up that high.  I didn't see anything of their mom.  I hope we didn't lose her to deer hunters.  Every night she would come with her twins.  Now the twins are on their own.  Either she sent them off or something happened to her.

The twins are looking for corn.

One checking out the bird feeder.

Making eye contact,

and asking for food.

I went outside at this point.  They ran a short distance away until I put out some corn.  It's dark now, but I'm sure they are back filling their bellies.  I will find out tomorrow when I check the trail camera.  It will be fun to see how quickly they return.  I'm hoping mommy deer will show up on the camera, but I don't have a good feeling about that.

*I am happy to report that I was wrong.  Twelve hours after I posted this blog, I spotted Mama deer with her twins.  She was hiding in the woods, but safe and sound. 

We also had a buck munching on the pumpkins this morning.