A few months before a tick bite made me allergic to meat we had made a bulk purchase of beef. Along with a couple of friends, we split a cow 3 ways and filled our freezer. Fast forward a few months, and I could no longer eat the beef. I couldn’t even cook it for my family without provoking an allergic reaction. So the beef sat in our freezer taking up space that I needed for stocking up on non-mammal foods.
If you’re not familiar with the Alpha-gal Syndrome meat allergy, you can find more information here.
Snow Goose Hunt
In late February of this year, my husband had planned a Snow Goose hunt with his brothers and nephews. Nebraska is in the migration path of literally millions of birds in the winter including Snow Geese, Canadian geese, Sand Hill Cranes, and more. In some parts of the state there is no limit as to how many Snow Geese you can take.
How About a Trade?
As the date approached for the Wisconsin and Michigan Tyler Clan to come to Nebraska for the hunt I started talking to my Sister-in-law about the trip. She wasn’t coming, they have younger children still in school and farm animals to care for. Among those animals is a growing flock of ducks. She mentioned having quite a few of them and needing to cull the flock. I had not been able to find duck in the grocery store since Christmas and I was getting pretty tired of the turkey-chicken-turkey-chicken meal rotation. So, I offered her a trade! How about I send home all of this beef in exchange for some of those ducks? She agreed!
The day of the hunt arrived along with the hunters! They brought me 10 ducks and headed out to hunt for snow geese.
Plucking Ducks is Hard Work
They left for the hunt early Tuesday morning and I went to work on the ducks right away. I had asked for them to remove the heads and feet, but please don’t skin them. I wanted the fat to render for cooking! Trust me, I knew how much work it was going to be! But I felt like it would be worth it. I laid the ducks out on a table in the garage and got to work. I worked all day and into the next day plucking ducks. And then dipping them in wax to help remove the down.
By the end of the day on Wednesday I had 10 beautiful, skinned ducks! Once again I laid them out on the table to admire my work!
When the guys came back from the first day of the hunt Tuesday evening, they had 63 snow geese to clean! They removed the breasts and went back out to the field the next morning.
Duck, Duck, Goose!
On Wednesday I finished plucking and waxing the ducks. Then I cleaned and removed the shot from the goose breasts from the hunt the day before. As I was cleaning the goose breasts I noticed a little tenderloin on some of them. So, I separated those out and cooked them for the guys when they came home that night–with another 87 geese. Here’s my recipe for Goose Breast tenderloins.
On day three, I cut the ducks up into breasts and leg & thigh pieces for the freezer. Then, I trimmed the fat and removed the remaining skin from the carcasses.
On day four, I rendered the fat and boiled the carcasses for stock.
I ended up with a lot of goose breasts, 20 duck breasts; 20 leg and thigh pieces; a quart plus about ¾ cup of duck fat; and 16 pints of stock.
It was a monumental amount of work and it took about a week for the arthritis in my hands to settle down from all that work. But it was totally worth it! And, I didn’t spend any money except for the original cost of the beef, which I couldn’t use anyway. My freezer is now filled with alpha-gal safe, red meat poultry! It’s a well-earned victory in the never-ending Alpha-gal Syndrome quest for safe, satisfying, and affordable meals.
Do you have a great food find or wild game story? Please let me know in the comments here, or on my Susan by a Thread facebook page!
Be sure to check back in on my blog recipes regularly or follow my Susan By A Thread Facebook page for the recipes I use to cook both the ducks and the wild geese. I’ll post them as I go. Here’s the recipe for our first Snow Goose steaks meal!
The tenderloin is found under the breast of the goose. If you trim the breast away from the bone carefully, you will find the small tenderloin muscle on the back side of the breast. It will pull away easily and you can set it aside to cook fresh! Here’s my Snow Goose Tenderloins recipe. Ingredient amounts will depend on how many tenderloins you have. I had maybe half a pound.
Ingredients:
½ pound snow goose tenderloins, cleaned & checked for shot
1 teaspoon All-Purpose or Steak seasoning
1 T Olive oil (More or less, enough to coat each tenderloin)
1-2 T Duck fat
Instructions
Place the tenderloins in a bowl and toss them with olive oil and your favorite all-purpose seasoning. I used Misty’s All-Purpose seasoning, but you can just use garlic powder, salt, and pepper if that’s what you have on hand. Let the meat marinate in the oil and seasoning for about 10 minutes while you prepare the pan.
In a skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of fat. I used duck fat, but vegetable oil will also work.
When the pan is hot, place the tenderloins in the hot oil in a single layer, with space between the pieces. Don’t over-crowd the pan. You want them to brown quickly without overcooking. Turn the pieces once or twice until they are browned and place on a paper towel to drain. Serve immediately before they cool!
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments, or on my Susan by a Thread Facebook page.
Also try my Snow Goose Breast recipe. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more recipes!
Snow Geese are a common sight in Nebraska late winter/early spring. Millions of them migrate through the state on their way to someplace else. In some areas of the state, hunting without a bag limit is allowed to control their increasing numbers. Maybe that’s why Snow Geese are not a popular wild game food here in Nebraska, but they are delicious! Snow Goose meat is a dark red meat similar to duck. I cook it almost like a steak, with steak seasonings and medium-rare. Here’s my recipe:
Snow Goose Breast
Ingredients:
4-6 Snow Goose Breasts (skinned, cleaned and checked for shot)
2 t. Steak or All-purpose seasoning. (or blend your own onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper)
2 T Olive Oil
2 T Duck Fat or cooking oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400◦ Fahrenheit.
Trim any remaining fat and silver skin or connective tissue from the breasts. Tenderize the breasts by pounding them with a meat mallet or a rolling pin to break down the tissue. Then place in a large bowl or Ziploc bag. Add olive oil and seasoning and toss to coat each piece evenly. Allow to marinate in the seasoning for 15-20 minutes.
Heat the duck fat in a cast iron or oven-safe skillet until hot. Place the breasts in the hot pan and sear both sides until browned. Place the pan in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Carefully remove pan from the oven. Place the goose breasts on a cutting board and allow to rest covered with foil for 5-10 minutes. Breasts will be about medium rare. Increase or reduce oven time according to your preference for more or less rare meat. (Always use caution with undercooking wild game.)
Slice and serve!
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments, or on my Susan by a Thread Facebook page. you may also like my Snow Goose Tenderloins Recipe.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more recipes!
Making this Peppermint Ginger tea is so simple, yet the clean, clear tea has complex flavors and aromas that are perfect for an afternoon reset or to unwind at the end of the day. Enjoy this tea on stressful days, or if your stomach is feeling a little unhappy. There is nothing like a calming cup of tea to help you refocus and get through the rest of your day!
I buy the ginger roots whole at the grocery store and slice them to use fresh, or dry them in my dehydrator. The peppermint is from my kitchen garden, but you can also use dried peppermint, just use a little less and be sure to give it a quick crush before adding to your pot to get the most out of the flavors! Give this tea recipe a try, and let me know in the comments below or on my Susan by a Thread Facebook page!
Peppermint Ginger Tea Recipe
Ingredients
1 T sliced ginger (fresh or dried)
1-2 T fresh Peppermint (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 cups boiling water
Honey (optional)
Instructions
Add ginger and peppermint to a tea pot or infuser. Pour boiling water over the herbs. Cover and allow to steep 5-10 minutes. Sweeten with Honey if desired, and serve. Makes 2 cups.
You can find more of my tea recipes here
February 23, 2023, I boarded an early morning flight bound for Detroit. An ice storm had made its way through the southern Michigan area the night before. When I arrived at my oldest brother Jim’s house, the power was out. We grilled dinner by flashlight and got up early to embark on a road trip together the following morning. We were heading to our parents’ home near Aiken, South Carolina for Mom’s 85th birthday. A stop along the way in Wheeling, West Virginia was planned so that we could spend time on some genealogy and family history research. Jim, my youngest brother Dave, and myself took on this portion of the journey. We would be joined in South Carolina by our brother Ed and his daughter Lindsey.
Stone Church Cemetery
Our first destination was Stone Church Cemetery in Wheeling, West Virginia. Dave, Jim, and our Dad all dabble in ancestry research. They are working on building out our family tree that has branches going back hundreds of years. The purpose of this stop was to locate and document gravesites of relatives from our Mom’s side of the family tree.
We pulled up to the cemetery and parked on the street. There was a smaller section to our left. To the right was a vast hilly area that seemed covered with head stones. According to findagrave.com, Stone Church Cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent Wheeling residents including 19 Revolutionary War patriots. There were many very old grave stones that were slowly succumbing to the elements. Some names and epitaphs were obscured to the point of illegibility.
Our mission at the cemetery was to locate, photograph, and geotag headstones with the name Smith, but there were also several other names to keep an eye out for including Baxter, Henry, McKernan, and Higgins.
Memories Found
We knew that our great-grandparents, Fred & Bessie Mae (Smith) Henry were buried there. So that was the first grave we searched for, and found, in the smaller section on the left side of the road. Great Grandma Bessie (we called her Nana) was from Wheeling, but made her home with Great Grandpa Fred (Pappap) in the Detroit, Michigan area where they raised my Grandmother Alice, and where my Mom was born. At Fred & Bessie’s grave, I paused to spend a few moments in my memories of them.
Nana
I didn’t know my Pappap very well, but after he passed away Nana came to live with us. We shared a bedroom for a while. Nana loved to bake! She said it made her feel useful to bake for us. Cinnamon buns were her specialty. Her eyesight was very poor. She couldn’t see well enough to read a measuring cup. Mostly she measured by feel, adding hands full of flour until the dough was right.
Nana liked to share her favorite pink candies which she called “lozengers.” They tasted like Pepto-Bismol. She regularly sent money from her small pension check to a television preacher named Rev. Leroy Jenkins. Jenkins was constantly sending her letters asking for more. Despite admonishments from my parents about sending money away like that, she considered it her tithe, and gave what she could spare.
Nana had a great sense of humor and she loved to hear jokes. She claimed she could never remember jokes to tell them, but she would occasionally come up with a “knee-slapper.” We laughed a lot together.
She called her purse a pocketbook and she always wore a dress. Eventually, I became a teenager busy with things that are only important to teenagers. When she became frail she moved to a nursing home where she lived out her last years. I think of her often, and in that moment, standing at her grave I missed her terribly as I relived those precious moments that we had together.
Weathered Remembrances
My brothers and I walked the grounds of Stone Church Cemetery for several hours, feeling our age as we walked up and down the hills. We dreaded the late-night aches in store for us from walking the uneven ground for so long. There were head stones everywhere! A large majority of them dating back into the 1800’s. Many were difficult to read, some impossible. Others were crumbling. Some tipped over by storms, or vandals.
As I wandered the meandering rows, reading each name and epitaph, I couldn’t help but wonder about those who placed these monuments. Those who couldn’t bear the thought of a world without their lost one, etched the names in stone to keep them, at least a little bit, in this world forever.
Even the stone markers–that tell the tales of long, fruitful lives, or tragically short ones–cannot escape the relentless march of time. Soon, those who mourned were long gone. And no one was left to remember the person who loved jokes, baked treats, and loved family more than anything. Those who knew and loved the person behind the epitaphs are now themselves nothing more than fading names and dates on the next weathering stone.
Family History
After finding quite a few of the family names, we were ready to call it a day. But then, Jim found Quintilla (Baxter) Smith and Lawrence Smith—Nana’s parents! We were cold and tired, but we stopped to take photos of their stones. As far as I can remember, Nana spoke very little of her parents. Fred and Quintilla are just names carved in stone for me. But surely, their influence on Nana filtered down through Grandma Alice and my Mom to have a formative effect in shaping who I am today. I never knew them. But, in some small way, they are a part of me.
Time to Go
We continued to search for a few more minutes, but we had found what we were looking for. It was time to go. I took with me a new appreciation for the memories that we make with our families and friends. The real memories are not just the big events, the weddings, the funerals. They are the small moments, the tiny details, and the stories that truly define a person. Memories are fleeting, but they are precious. For better, or for worse, we make a formative difference in the lives of our loved ones far beyond our own lifetime. My son Jon never met Nana, but he has her quick wit and sense of humor. My son Bill never knew his namesake, my Grandpa Bill Allan, but he has his intellect and quiet introspective manner.
We are the sum total of our family tree. We can discover so much about ourselves by taking the time to look back at those who came before us. We need to learn our family history, and tell the stories! Through stories our lives continue on, even when we ourselves fade from collective memory. By learning and telling our stories, we can move forward, intentionally bringing along the best parts of our heritage to pass along to the next generation.
Turmeric Milk goes by a few different names, Golden Milk, Turmeric Tea. I think you could even call this a Turmeric Latte if you were so inclined. No matter what you call it, Cozy Hot Turmeric Milk is a great warming drink for a cold winter day! Filled with warming spices, this is the perfect cup to go with a blanket and a good book while you stay at home and wait out the storm! A hot cup of turmeric milk is a great way to relax in the evening before bed. This simple, yet incredibly delicious and beneficial drink is a must try!
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments here or on my Susan by a Thread facebook page. Please share your ideas and creativity with making this recipe your own! You can also watch the YouTube short video of how I made it here. And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to the Susan by a Thread YouTube channel!!
Ingredients:
2 cups of Oat Milk
½ t ground turmeric
½ t ground ginger
¼ t ground cardamom
1/8 t ground black pepper
1 t honey
Instructions:
Warm the oat milk in a small sauce pan. Add the spices and stir briskly until well combined. Add the honey and stir. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the milk is a lovely turmeric golden yellow color. Pour your turmeric milk into your favorite mug, using a spoon to strain out most of the spices. Enjoy your Cozy Hot Turmeric Milk!!
Croutons are so easy to make! And made fresh, they are worlds better than the dry stale packaged ones you get in stores. I used homemade bread and plant-based butter, but you can use your favorite kinds of bread and butter, it will turn out just fine! You can also experiment with the seasonings. If you don’t have dill, try it with just garlic, salt and pepper. Or use your favorite all purpose seasoning.
Here’s a link to the YouTube video short for this recipe.
If you try this recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments here, or on my Susan by a Thread Facebook page!
Ingredients:
4 cups Leftover bread cut into ½ inch cubes (or whatever size you like)
Half stick of plant-based butter
¼ t garlic powder
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper
¼ t dried dill ¼ t onion powder
Instructions:
In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dill, and onion powder. Heat on low until, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted and well mixed with the seasonings.
Add the bread cubes to a bowl and pour in the melted butter mixture a little at a time, toss with a spoon between additions. Be gentle, you don’t want to break up the bread cubes.
When bread cubes are evenly coated with the butter mixture, spread them out on a baking tray and place in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until they are toasted, golden brown, and as crispy as you want them to be. Flip them with a spatula every 5 minutes or so to toast evenly on all sides. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Serve on your favorite salad!
Experiment with making your own seasoning blends! Keeping the basics on hand gives you lots of options for seasonings you can whip up as you need them rather than spending a lot of money on spice blends you may use once or twice a year. If you have food allergies, seasoning blends can also contain problematic ingredients, so be sure to read labels–or make your own! Use this recipe as a starting point. Be creative and adjust the measurements. Add or omit ingredients based on what you have in your pantry right now. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Ingredients:
1 T Chili powder
1/4 t Ground cumin
1/2 t Dried thyme
1/2 t Onion powder
1/2 t Garlic powder
dash of Cayenne (or more depending on your level of bravery!)
1/2 t Dried oregano
1/2 t Paprika
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a small airtight container or simply add them to your Cajun recipe as you go!
Jambalaya is a traditional dish in Louisiana. It’s easy to make and very adaptable to both an Alpha-gal diet, as well as the ingredients you have on hand. In this recipe I use chicken, turkey sausage, and shrimp, but you can swap out any combination of proteins that you have in your fridge right now. Use up leftover chicken, or the other half of the onion you used making dinner last night. I usually have some Cajun seasoning on hand, but in a pinch you can make your own using spices you already have in your cupboard. Cooking is about being creative and resourceful. Use what you have and make it delicious!
See the YouTube Video of the Jambalaya recipe here
Ingredients:
2 T Olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
4 Stalks of celery, chopped
2 Bell peppers, chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
1 lb Turkey smoked sausage, sliced
1 lb Leftover chicken, deboned, cut into bite size pieces
1 lb Peeled and deveined uncooked shrimp
1-2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (to taste) or make your own with this Cajun Seasoning Recipe
2 cups White rice
4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock
Salt & pepper
Instructions:
In a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil. Add the celery and peppers, sauté for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and stir for 30-40 seconds. Add the sausage and allow to cook until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cajun seasoning. Season with salt & pepper.
Stir in the rice and then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and add the chicken and shrimp. Replace the cover and continue to cook the rice for 10-15 more minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Remove from heat, stir the mixture and serve!
Serves 4-6 people depending on portion size
Banana bread is a favorite at our house. So are bananas, but there are always a couple that we can’t finish before they are overripe. Banana bread is a great way to use those bananas.
When you first find out that you have a food allergy like Alpha-gal Syndrome, it seems like you can’t eat anything. But you can. With a little creativity, most recipes can be adapted. This banana bread recipe uses vegetable oil and oat milk to make it alpha-gal safe, and delicious! Feel free to use regular milk if you don’t need to avoid dairy.
Here’s a link to the YouTube video short.
If you try this banana bread recipe, please let me know in the comments here, or on my Susan by a Thread Facebook page!
Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ¾ c flour
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 t salt
½ t cinnamon
½ c sugar
½ c brown sugar
½ c vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup of mashed ripe bananas
2 T Oat Milk
2 t. vanilla extract
½ c chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
Add the sugars and oil to a mixing bowl and mix on medium until combined. Add the eggs, bananas, oat milk and vanilla extract until well combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chopped nuts.
Lightly coat a loaf pan with pan spray or oil. If desired, place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of the loaf pan and spray the paper as well. This will ensure that the bread will release from the pan easily after baking.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 350◦ fahrenheit for 55-60 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. The bread will slice best when fully cooled, but if you can’t wait, put some butter* on a warm slice and enjoy!!
*Alpha-gal safe note: I use Country Crock plant based butter, use your favorite plant based butter if you are sensitive to dairy butter.
