Hunter's Chili

     A few weeks after the trail ride Bug asked me to make him a kettle of chili for a deer hunt.  He, Danny and Patrick, his brothers and their sons were all going deer hunting.  Only, he didn't want me to use venison he wanted me to use raccoon!

     I had a small fit.  Finally, I decided I could substitute the venison with the raccoon if he had it ground up like the venison.  He told me he had the raccoon meat ready.  I prepared the chili.  I used all the same ingredients, green peppers, onions, celery, kidney beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Since the weather was much colder now, I added extra red pepper flakes.  I cooked it for about an hour or so and took out two bowls of no meat chili for myself. I browned the ground raccoon, then added it to the chili.  I simmered it for hours. 

     I helped Bug carry the kettle full of chili out to his truck.  They left about 4:00 a.m.  Danny and Patrick were all excited about the hunt.  Then I thought about the extra pepper flakes, I didn't really chuckle hard but I did chuckle a little as I watched them go out the driveway.

     They met the brothers and nephews at their camp site.  The brothers decided where their sons would hunt.  The hunt was important, but the safety of the kids was more important.  Then they decided to meet back at the camp around 10:00 a.m. and Bug would have the chili hot.

    It was very cold, the temperature about 10 degrees above zero.  The hunters came out of the woods one by one really cold and ready for the hot chili and a drink of brandy.

     Bug had come back a little earlier than the rest and had the chili on the camp stove piping hot. The paper bowls, plastic spoons and box of saltines were all sitting on the tailgate READY!

     He ladled out a bowl for each one as they stood before him. They started eating.

     "Whew, this is toooo spicy hot," one brother grumbled and ate another spoonful.

     They complained about the heat, too much pepper, but still they ate. (Well, maybe I did put tooooo much red pepper flakes in it.)

     Patrick told me, "Mom, you should have seen them eating, complaining and all of a sudden, sweating." It seems that they had sweat coming off their brows by the time they finished.  They ate the whole kettle.

     The RESULTS:  No deer were bagged this day.  By late afternoon the men were all sort of gasious.  Danny said, "Mom, you could hear them, Uncle Tom over here, Uncle Carl over there and Uncle Albert way back there.  They were very noisy.

     They didn't ask me to cook the chili again.  Bug's brother Albert has had his wife Susan prepare the chili since that time.  Her chili is great,but not as ready HOT as mine.