FEBRUARY 19, 2020
THE SUN
19
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BENNETT: Keep an eye on the horizon; spring arriving March 20 FROM PAGE 15
places people don’t. They nest in open farm fields and recently burned areas. Nesting has to go smoothly and be done before farmers take to the fields to plant crops. Perhaps that is why their population numbers have dropped 65% in recent years. Corporate farming cares little about Horned larks. According to Cornell University Birders, Horned larks seek out prairies, deserts, tundra, beaches, dunes and heavily grazed pastures. This time of year they look for
seeds in ditches and field edges but will feast on early spring insects when their young arrive. Nests are made from grasses woven into a basket situated in a small depression or a site she excavates herself. When excavating she will use her bill to loosen the sod and then kick it aside with her feet. They will often inter mix with other birds, feeding with Tree sparrows, Dark Eyed Juncos, Snow Buntings and migrating Lapland Longspurs. Males will often sing in flight, like the one I heard, and then defend their territory with abandon. With spring arriving March 20,
we should soon be seeing many more spring migrants arriving such as Robins, Red Winged Blackbirds, Swallows and Bluebirds. Until then I’ll keep an eye on the horizon and my face to the wind because I wasn’t able to catch that Horned lark on my camera, but I did manage to catch just enough sunfish for fish tacos. Jim Bennett is an outdoorsman who lives and worked in the St. Croix River Valley and can be reached at jamesbennett24@gmail. com
HOROSCOPES
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, you may want to pick up a relationship right where you left off, but the other person may not be as amenable. Bide your time and give this person some space. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 A few extra goals never hurt anyone, Taurus. St down and see how your new resolutions can be turned into ways to achieve all of those tasks you hope to get done. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, while you may want to expand your social circle right now, you’re just not sure how to get started. Networking opportunities may be the way to go. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 There is no point getting into a disagreement over a situation you have no control
over right now, Cancer. Instead, wait for the right opportunity to express your position. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, take a step back from responsibilities at work to devote more energy to your relationships at home. Embrace activities that your family can enjoy together. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Some melancholy may have you seeking out quiet corners, Virgo. Distancing yourself from the crowds is only a temporary fix. Instead, look for activities you find soothing. LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Someone close to you may be feeling under the weather and could use some extra support, Libra. Take a few days off to be the rock that this person can use right now. SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22
Friends may make excessive demands on your time this week, Scorpio. As a generous person, you want to go along with it all, but be careful not to overextend. SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you are usually outgoing, but this week you may be feeling more shy and reserved. It could be because you are missing someone. CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Don’t take what you hear this week at face value, Capricorn. The information that has been coming your way may not be entirely accurate. Make up your own mind. AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Group activities or time spent with a spouse may not go as well as usual this week, Aquarius. Your mind is elsewhere. Until you are focused, things
may seem stressed. PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 A minor disagreement could have you questioning a relationship, Pisces. Don’t fret, as you’ll soon find that the turmoil is short-lived. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS FEBRUARY 16 Elizabeth Olsen, Actress (31) FEBRUARY 17 Ed Sheeran, Singer (29) FEBRUARY 18 Matt Dillon, Actor (56) FEBRUARY 19 Seal, Singer (57) FEBRUARY 20 Cindy Crawford, Model (54) FEBRUARY 21 Ellen Page, Actress (33) FEBRUARY 22 Drew Barrymore, Actress (45)
CLUES ACROSS 1. Expression of disgust 4. A place to unwind 7. A type of cooking range 8. Grasp tightly 10. Sea eagles 12. Carb dish 13. Late-night host 14. Revolutions per minute 16. Indicates odd or erroneous 17. FDR’s military chief of staff 19. Swiss river 20. Norwegian district and river 21. A form of motivation 25. Car mechanics group 26. Once a must-have home theater accessory 27. Broken branch 29. Apple and pumpkin are two 30. Skeletal muscle 31. Small Eurasian deer 32. Tight-lipped fellow 39. Comes after a cut 41. A place one lives 42. Cognizant of 43. Albanian monetary unit 44. Carrot’s partner 45. Famed garden 46. Chilean seaport 48. Days (Spanish) 49. Sudden anxiety 50. 100 square meters 51. A type of beer 52. French/Belgian river CLUES DOWN 1. Spanish dish 2. Concurs 3. __and her sisters 4. Patti Hearst’s captors 5. Used to refer to cited works 6. A state of excited movement 8. Advertising term (abbr.) 9. Nocturnal S. American rodent
Two favorite foods: wild game and cheese
W
ild game and cheese go well together. Wild game meat is usually dry because of the lack of fat. Cheese is high in fat. When you combine the two, you have a magical meal. I had a great time cooking on the Pheasants Forever Wild Game Cooking Stage. I expected to only cook pheasant or quail, so I was surprised when they asked me to make a dish with venison and cheese. I cook a lot with of venison. For some recipes you can switch out the beef for venison, but in other such as tacos or spaghetti, Wild Chow recipes, you can’t. Many people can taste the difference and expect their Lisa Erickson tacos to taste a certain way. I have learned over the years to create new recipes with wild game, so people do not have any expectations. They are pleasantly surprised when they taste something completely new. Vanilla Bourbon Venison with Colby Corn Cakes 2-3-pound venison roast (if the roast is small, use 2) 1/2 cup bourbon 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 12 ounces of Wisconsin Spotted Cow Beer or Minnesota Grainbelt Nordeast Beer 1/3 cup vanilla dry rub (see recipe below) Preheat oven to 325º. Pat roasts dry with paper towels. Coat roast with dry rub seasoning and place in a Dutch oven. Slowly pour beer down alongside the pan being careful to not pour over venison. Top roast with remaining dry rub. Cover with foil and tightly seal with Dutch oven cover. Bake for 4-5 hours until tender. On a large cutting board, using two forks, gently pull the meat apart. Return to Dutch oven and toss in cooking juices. Keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with vanilla plum sauce and Colby corn cakes. Vanilla plum sauce 1/2 cup plum or berry preserves 1/4 bourbon 1/3 low sodium soy sauce 1/2 vanilla bean In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes until sauce is thickened; about 10 minutes.
11. New York art district 14. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! 15. Pre-release viewing 18. Northwestern Canadian territory (abbr.) 19. Consumed 20. Falters 22. Radioactive form of an
element 23. Catch a wrongdoer 24. Breeze through 27. Thick piece of something 28. Yellowish-brown color 29. “The Raven” poet 31. Rural free delivery (abbr.) 32. Creating 33. Supervises flying 34. Northwestern state 35. Was obligated to repay
East Farmington Just 5 minutes South of Osceola on Hwy 35
715-294-4410
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36. Diverging in lines from a common center 37. Bleak 38. We all have them 39. Hit with the palm of one’s hand 40. Sea that’s part of the western Pacific 44. Political action committee 47. Famed Spanish soldier El __
To make Colby Corn Cakes: 1-1/4 cups flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 -1/2 cups Colby cheese, shredded 1/2 onion, chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1/2 cup butter 1 cup corn 1 can cream corn 1/2 to 2/3 cup milk 3/4 tsp. salt 3 eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cheese and toss; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add onion and green pepper. Cook until tender; about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the cream corn, corn, milk, salt, and eggs to the dry ingredients. Add the cooked onion, green pepper, and butter. Stir to combine. Preheat griddle to 375º. Using a 1/3 cup measure cup, scoop batter onto griddle. Cook until the edges are bubbling and golden brown. Flip and cook the other side. Repeat until batter is gone. Serve with sour cream and chives. To make Dry Rub: 1 tsp. coarse salt 1/2 fine ground fresh pepper 1/2 vanilla bean 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder Cut the vanilla bean in half. Reserve the other half for the berry sauce. With a sharp knife, carefully cut vanilla bean lengthwise without cutting through the bottom layer of the bean pod. Peel back the pod, and with the back of a spoon, scrape the seeds into a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients.
