Kade, Spencer and I have thoroughly been enjoying this fall season. We taken a bunch of evening hikes, attended a few local Fall Fests, played at the playground, trick or treated, and baked our very first apple pie. We love spending time outdoors! Especially when the weather is perfect for getting together with friends and family, firing up the grill or fire pit, playing some games and sharing a great meal all while being outside…it’s just the best!
The other weekend we planned to have some family over for an afternoon cookout and smore’s making! Well, mother nature had other plans. Grrrr… or rather Brrrr! It was actually a beautiful sunny day, but it was in the 40s and super windy! Not willing to completely let go of our family funday, we decided to have our cookout inside. Spencer was still going to grill the food, but we would eat it inside, picnic style! I set up a makeshift picnic table out of a giant wire spool and some car jack stands. Of course, Spencer helped me out with this part…all that stuff is heavy! Then I decorated it with some fall decor including this adorable kids cup. (I found it a Target a few weeks ago.) It actually had fox on it but with help from Kate at Event Emerald Design it has a turkey!
As many of you know, I’ve become a huntress over the past several years through working in the Outdoor industry. One of the best things about that is that our freezer was always full with wonderful meats that I have harvested for my family! There’s nothing better than knowing exactly where your meat comes from in terms of quality and taste. And now that I’m a mom, I think about the quality of the food we eat way more than ever before! I want to make sure Kade eats the healthiest meats possible.
Typically, when we have people over, they always expect us to serve some sort of wild game. But lately, our freezer is starting to get a little bare. Since Kade was born, time really hasn’t allowed me to go on as many hunts as I have in years past. I’ve been on a few recently, but unfortunately have been unsuccessful in filling my tags.
The problem this presents is that I still want our family to be able to enjoy high quality proteins for all the reasons I mentioned above. The meat I have harvested simply tastes better, is of better quality, and is all around healthier for us than what I can find in the grocery store. Not to mention, I have no idea where the store meat actually comes from or what it’s been treated with before we buy it.
I know the next best thing would be to buy meat from local farms that responsibly raise their animals to provide clean, healthy meat. But unfortunately, finding and getting to a local farm usually isn’t convenient for us. Not to be deterred, I did some searching and came across an awesome online company called Crowd Cow!
Basically, they give you the ability to shop for the highest quality, farm raised meats, without having to drive all over the place to get it. And they ship everything right to your door!
Their selection of meats in incredible. And don’t let the name fool you, they have so much more than just beef. In addition to Craft Beef, they also have a ton of options including Pastured Chicken and Heritage Pork too! And if you’re looking for something for a really special occasion, they also offer authentic Japanese Wagyu beef. I didn’t know what that was, but as soon as I mentioned it to Spencer (the self-proclaimed Carnivore Connoisseur) he started drooling! It is pricey and rare, but apparently, it’s an “unmatched beef experience” according to Spencer. (I’m thinking about splurging and getting him a Wagyu steak for his birthday!)
For our first order I stayed relatively traditional with some ground beef for burgers, a chicken (we love beer can chicken), wings and some filets (my personal favorite cut of meat). It all showed up a few days later, neatly packed in dry ice. Each package shows the farm that the meat came from. I’m always a big supporter of shopping local, so it’s really cool to see that our meat was coming from nearby farms in Pennsylvania. Wherever you are in the country, Crowd Cow will ship your order from farms in your general area. So cool right ?! Like I said before, it’s important to me to know where our meat is coming from and that it’s the best possible protein we can eat. And short of harvesting it myself, Crowd Cow gives us the ability to get the next best thing!
I invited my mom over to enjoy our meal with us and she brought some baked beans and coleslaw. Spencer is always game to light up the grill so he was excited to get the burgers and wings cooking. And for dessert we had fresh chocolate covered fruit from our local Bmore Edible Arrangements!
Once the food was ready we sat down to a nice picnic inside! Life has gotten so frantic lately that it really is nice to take an afternoon and enjoy some quality time with family. And Kade is ALWAYS happy to see his Gigi! Spencer and I caught up with my mom, and each other, as we all watched Kade being his little ham self!
Lunch was SO good! The burgers were so flavorful and even though the meat arrived frozen, I would have never guessed it. They tasted better than the fresh ground beef we’ve gotten from the store in the past. And Spencer did the wings in true Baltimore fashion, on the grill with plenty of OLD BAY seasoning! My Mom’s coleslaw is always a hit and from what I hear the beans were good too. Personally beans are not my favorite.
I have a few more opportunities to hunt, including this weekend before the end of the season. And I’m definitely hoping I can bring home some venison. But even if I don’t, I’m happy to know that I found Crowd Cow to get our meat from. It’s the next best thing to going out and hunting it yourself! And I can rest assured knowing that what we are eating is sustainably raised, and hormone and antibiotic free. Check them out and know exactly where your meat comes from!
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Thank you Crowd Cow for sponsoring this post.
