Ahh there is nothing quite like fresh grilled octopus. Here is an excellent recipe from here the lodge.

Skin and clean fresh octopus

marinate overnight in olive oil, fresh minced garlic, pinch of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh minced basil.

I like to grill the octopus on an open flame however you can also place under the broiler. Either way this cooks very quickly if cooked too long can become rubbery. Serve warm or chilled.

This bread has a beautiful texture and chewy crust

2 cups room temperature water
2 cups room temperature milk
1 palm sugar
1/2 cup crisco on board
3 fingers salt
1 compressed yeast cake dissolved in warm water
12 cups flour

Read more on Bearfort's basic yeast bread

Make Bearfort’s Biscotti.

Basic anise cookies are very simple to make. They always seem best after they get old as they get very crunchy and are great for dipping in your favorite hot beverage. Feel free to vary the recipe by adding nuts, cocoa or just about anything else.

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Disjoint a plump pheasant.

Prepare a bowl with a small ladle olive oil, three fingers ripped rosemary, three fingers torn thyme, one fingertip sage, a two finger pinch kosher salt, three fingers freshly ground pepper, three fingers granulated garlic.

To the above add the pheasant and 8 or 9 halved little red potatoes, a hand of chopped mushrooms, and two hand-fulls of sweet peas.

Mix every thing together and make sure all is coated nicely with the oil and herb mixture. Lift every thing out of the bowl and place in small roasting pan. Place in 350 preheated oven for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes - drizzle the remaining olive oil herb mixture over everything in the roasting pan and put back in oven.

Done when pheasant and potatoes brown.

To make the crust:

Cream one hand of sugar and three fingers Crisco shortening, 2 eggs, one palm of vanilla and one hand of milk

On large board blend four hands flour and one finger baking powder. Make a bowl with the flour mixture and to the center add the creamed mixture from above and fold together till combined and knead gently.

Roll out and press into pie dish.

Sweet Ricotta filling:

Read more on Bearfort's sweet ricotta pie

Here is my recipe for a basic quiche - a favorite morning meal at the lodge

4 eggs slightly beaten
About 1 1/2 cups half and half cream
Dash of kosher salt
Dash freshly ground pepper
Four hands shredded natural swiss cheese
Four fingers flour
One hand cubed ham

read more on Bearfort's quiche

I love this stuff. There is nothing quite like pulling a fresh loaf of moist date nut bread from the oven.

Two hands chopped dates
1 chunk butter
1 little finger baking soda
1 cup boiling water
Two hands white sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 hands flour
1 finger teaspoon salt
1 hand cup nut meats

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A Bearfort Omelet is another simple recipe. This is a bit heartier than a basic omelet.

6 eggs
2 cups milk
A couple of slices of white bread cubed
One finger salt
One finger dry mustard
1 pound sausage
Two hands grated swiss cheese

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Unable to be at home back in the Chicago area with family this year I had originally planned on taking care of a few things around the house. My neighbors however, graciously invited me to join them and their family for Thanksgiving dinner. I’m delighted.

I asked if I could make anything of course and she said that she had heard about my stuffed artichokes - “could you make those?” Absolutely! Its one of my specialties - and often requested.

I called the local grocer and they had just received a fresh supply of artichokes. They were beautiful and I nabbed the best twelve I could find.

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Chinking a log home is actually an easy thing to do. Think of it like icing a cake.

As you may have read in one of my earlier posts, I am not a fan of pre-made synthetic chinking or synthetic chinking of any kind. I make my own chinking with a simple mix of portland cement, sand and lime.

Before adding water I tend to mix all the ingredients together in my trough - you don’t have to as its just a quirky thing I do.

The consistency that I’m trying to achieve is like that of thick peanut butter. I want to be able to mix just enough water to it so that when I form a ball of the mix with my hands — it holds.

Read more for the chinking recipe