Incident Report

There was an "incident" this weekend. Don't panic! I barely did. Well, let me start over. What's a good incident report without a preface?

I was supposed to go camping over the weekend, but forces conspired against me and the plan was kiboshed. Crestfallen, I trudged back up to my mountain perch. I opened the door and... Holy Expletive Batman! I've been robbed! The condo was sacked and my junk had been scattered.

Wait. Scratch the burglary theory- the TV was still there along with my Kitchen Aid Mixer and Le Creuset enamel (what? don't most burglars know their cookware?). Along with everything being scattered about, the carpet was torn up in several spots and a liberal amount of pasta and oatmeal had been strewn about. Then what could have made this mess... Oh my god! Bear in the White Pine Condo Complex! Retreat!

And as I was about to boogie on out of there in favor of somewhere a little less bear-ridden, when I noticed a trail of droppings that seemed petite, even by baby bear standards. Upon further investigation, the culprit was spotted. Ground Squirrel? Prairie Dog? Well, whatever it was, the well-fed member of the rodentia family had taken up residence in the fold-out couch.
Feeling like Nathan Lane in the 1997 Disney epic "Mouse Hunt," I spent the better part of Friday night/Saturday Morning chasing the intruder around with a Swiffer Duster extension and James the security guard who claimed "it was the most excitement he'd had in a while."

One Hugglie (generic form of the infomercial sensation the Snuggie. Yes, it was a re-gift.), multiple shrieks of rodent-induced fear, and a live trap later, the mess-maker was trapped like a rat. Because that's what it was. A Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) to be precise, more commonly known as a Pack Rat.
How it got in? I have two theories. One- I leave the door open when it's nice for some fresh air and it may have just wandered in and got trapped when I shut the door. Two- During the hunt, that dirty rat ran up into the wall to the right of the sink. There is a hole where the cabinet baseboard meets the wall. This is where the live trap was set in front of with an elaborate tunnel made of black garbage bags and the aforementioned Hugglie.

The damage toll is as follows: Couch- more than vaguely musty, even after copious amounts of febreze. The pack rat had made a nest out of whole wheat spaghetti, toilet paper, and one of every earring I own. Carpet near both doors- moderate chew-age.

And what does all this have to do with food, more specifically Outdoor Gourmet Grilling Planks? Drum roll for this week's recipe please!

Cedar Planked Woodrat with Shallots and Herbs

Ingredients:

1 well-fed pack rat (they seem to thrive on pistachios, pasta, and toilet paper)
1 Outdoor Gourmet Cedar or Hickory Grilling Plank
2 Shallots
3 Cloves of Garlic
Fresh Rosemary, Thyme, cracked black pepper, and sea salt to taste

Ok, so I actually didn't cook it.

Here's wishing you an infestation-free weekend! -KB

Disclaimer: No rodents were harmed in the making of this blog. Once caught, Woody the Woodrat (I even named him.) was released back onto the 4th floor. KIDDING! Actually, he was released back outside, if indeed outside was where he came from. It was basically like a scene from Free Willy or Born Free. For any of you who do decide to grill up some rodents, the Outdoor Gourmet is in no way responsible for the contraction of Hantavirus, Rabies, squAIDS, or the Bubonic Plague.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Not to brag, but I live on Schweitzer Mountain, which is part of the Selkirk Mountain Range, a sub-range of the Rockies. I'm all sorts of "Rocky Mountain High" most the time sitting around 6,400 ft.! Residing here lets me live out my life-long dream of being a ski bum, whilst still being a somewhat-contributing member of society. (My contribution is, of course, making the world a better place one cedar-planked entree at a time.)

In the winter, there is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and other snowy fun to be had up here. In the summer, there's hiking, biking, huckleberry picking, and music festivals to take in. This past weekend was The Mountain Music Festival, which was a whole day of bluegrass and BBQ.

Here are some photos we snapped while playing the 9-hole Folf course and just cruisin' around before the music started.


A bit about the mountain...

According to Wikipedia- Schweitzer Mountain was named after an old, Swiss hermit who lived at the bottom of the basin. "Schweizer" is German for Swiss and the name evolved to "Schweitzer" and stuck. As part of a crime investigation, the Schweizer hermit's house was raided and searched, yielding the bodies of numerous neighborhood cats that had gone missing. According to legend, the man enjoyed cat stew; Mr. Schweitzer was soon hauled off to the asylum and forgotten, but his name remains...

What, really? No, but seriously? I thought the name was a tip of the hat to the Swiss Alps or maybe they named it after Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the philanthropist. Anyway, enough about crazy/geriatric Swiss dudes.

During the ski season, Schweitzer runs seven lifts: a high-speed six-pack, two high-speed quads, one fixed-grip triple, and three doubles. In the summer, the Great Escape Quad is fired up for hikers who just want to go down hill. My feet are in high-top hikers, second nearest to the lens...
Come up and check out my home mountain.

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Cedar- It Grows Here!

I just can't say it enough- Outdoor Gourmet is the OG! Not only are we the original, but we're the sustainable and authentic choice. Here's why...

Our competitors (more like imitators) simply cannot measure up for one simple reason. Cedar- it grows here! Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata) is an indigenous species of the Pacific Northwest and other producers of similar products are wearing hard on their "carbon karma" by using first-cut timber from Canada, then shipping it to China for processing, then back to east coast for distribution.
Instead of using first-cut timber, we recycle "seconds" and waste pieces from local mills that own tree farms that are managed for a sustainable yield. Our beautiful product is hand-selected from this post-production cedar and we are careful to cut around any defects. The grade of cedar that we salvage our planks from lumber that cannot be used by construction or artisan craftsman industries, and is therefore destined for the burn pile. This gleaning process is a lot like cutting a bad spot out of apple or pear that then yields perfect fruit.Sustainability also means being part of an authentic community. We provide living-wage manufacturing jobs to families that would otherwise be priced out of our resort area. All phases of manufacturing and packaging occur in our Sandpoint facility. This means that our team has to be very productive in order to compete with the offshore producers that don't pay American living-wages. This very productivity is the economic proof of sustainability. Our local manufacturing and control also ensures that our grilling planks are 100% pure.

Choose the sustainably option. Choose the Made in the USA option. Choose the Northwest Pure Outdoor Gourmet for your Cedar Grilling Planks!

Seein' What's in the Cabinets

Sandpoint, Idaho- my home town and "world headquarters" of our family-owned business Outdoor Gourmet. Conveniently located smack-dab between Lake Pend Oreille and Schweitzer Mountain Resort, weekends are tough to schedule because there are more than a couple good options. Nestled in a valley where the Selkirks, the Green Monarchs, and the Cabinet Mountains converge, this leaves great outdoor activities in any direction you turn.

So this weekend, up Trestle Creek Road I went to quick 6 mile hike to Lake Estelle, one of four Lakes (Moose, Gem and Blacktail Lake being the others), then over to Lunch Peak Fire Lookout. The Brookies at Lake Estelle were biting on the mosquito wet fly, but they were just little guys, so they were saved a cedar-y, yet delicious, demise.
The Northwest is the real deal. Sorry everywhere else.

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Happy 4th of July

Celebrating independence with RED wine, teeth that used to be WHITE, moving more towards purplish-BLUE. Bit of a stretch? Maybe so, but Happy 4th of July all the same!

This is the view from my deck here at Schweitzer Mountain Resort as we wait for the sun to go down and the fireworks to begin! Welcome to your INDEPENDENCE DAY weekend! -KB

We be Jammin' - Strawberry

The strawberries from the Brandt Family patch are ripe for the pickin', so we made the 2010 Chateau Syringa Confiture de fraise . I think this vintage is one of our best thus far. Here's how it's done...

INGREDIENTS

•2 cups hulled strawberries, from the Brandt patch preferably
•4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
•3/4 cup water
• 2 TBS. Lemon Juice
•1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin



DIRECTIONS
Rinse clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes; stirring occasionally. Mix water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring mixture to boil on high heat, stirring constantly.

Continue boiling and stirring for 1 minute. Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) Fill all containers quickly to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; quickly cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use.

Prep Time: 30 mins.
Ready In: 30 mins.

This is our back yard strawberry patch!

Welcome to your weekend! -KB