SQUIRRIL STEW

SEVERAL YEARS AGO (ABOUT 65) I WENT DEER HUNTING WITH MY PARENTS & UNCLE WOODROW LAWSON. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, UNCLE WOODROW BROUGHT ALONG A COUPLE OF HIS SOUTHERN FRIENDS THAT WORKED WITH HIM IN THE OIL FIELDS.

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE HUNT, HIS FRIENDS TOOK THEIR 30:06's AND WENT TRAIPSING OUT INTO THE PINES.

PRETTY SOON BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG AND WE THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD STARTED THE HUNT EARLY. AFTER AN HOUR OR SO, THEY RETURNED WITH A BLOODY SACK SLUNG OVER THEIR SHOULDERS. THEY DUMPED IT IN THE TABLE AND OUT TUMBLED THE REMAINS OF SEVERAL CHIPMUNKS. "NOW WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW WE SOUTHERNERS KNOW HOW TO EAT, WE'RE GOING TO WHOMP UP A DELICIOUS SQUIRRIL STEW ".

WELL, WE DIDN'T GET TO EAT THEIR DELICIOUS "SQUIRRIL STEW" THAT NIGHT, BUT WE DID HAVE A LASTING NAME FOR OUR OWN SLUM-GULLIAN STEW THAT WE PREPARED OVER THE YEARS, "SQUIRRIL STEW".

AS MY DAUGHTER CHERYL KNOWS, THIS STEW EVOLVED INTO A GASTRONOMICAL DELITE. I WOULD TAKE PRIME BEEF, POTATOES, CARROTS, ONIONS, CELERY, TOMATOES, SNAPPY-TOM, SAUCES OF VARIOUS KINDS, A COUPLE OF SHOTS OF TABASCO, SALT & PEPPER, ETC. PUT IT ALL INTO A DOUBLE WRAPPED PIECE OF ALUMINUM FOIL AND THROW IT INTO THE HOT COALS OF OUR CAMPFIRE. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES I'D TURN IT OVER AND 15 MINUTES LATER IT WOULD BE DONE. DELICIOUS ! ! !

I FIXED THIS ON EVERY CAMP TRIP THAT I CAN REMEMBER. IT MAKES ME HUNGRY JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. I'M GOING TO "WHOMP ME UP A BATCH OF SQUIRRIL STEW" RIGHT NOW. YUMMY.