Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
FIRST MEAT HARVEST
We (J and I since he did most of the work) decided to harvest one of the chickens last night.
We picked the largest bird, weight it at 4 pounds. Bigger than I thought.
He really wanted to do the killing part so I let him. We had the water ready and dunked it for 10 seconds.
As it was over 100 degrees outside I decided to process in the kitchen. The feathers came off easily with only a few stragglers.
PS...I don't take chances. Everything was wiped down with soapy bleach water when I was done.
I cooked the gizzard, liver, heart for cat food and my cat did not appreciated it at all so I will be giving the innards to the dog. He on the other hand made short work of 100% of the leftovers...head and feet included.
I cooked the neck and back/rib section into a rich broth and got almost a quart. That is in the freezer.
J and I cooked the meat on the grill without any seasonings. I wanted to taste what it really tastes like before beginning to use marinades, bbq sauses etc.
A little rice and harvard beets and we had an amazing meal.
Now...had I not had a hungry 14 yr old boy with me....this 4# bird which dressed out to 3#....would have provided me with 5 meals...2 leg/thigh combos, 2 breasts and broth for soup. And actually the soup or rice if that is what I used it to cook with, would probably provide 2-3 meals. I am very impressed.
I will be harvesting the rest next saturday and will prep for the next 50 birds.
50 birds = 200 meat servings and 50 qt of broth or 100 pints
9 remaining birds = 36 meat servings and 18 pints of broth
If I am assuming that I want a serving of meat every evening of the year, that is 363servings...not counting the feast days.
With a breeding trio of rabbits I will easily be able to provide all of the meat I want on my own. This is a very good thing.
We picked the largest bird, weight it at 4 pounds. Bigger than I thought.
He really wanted to do the killing part so I let him. We had the water ready and dunked it for 10 seconds.
As it was over 100 degrees outside I decided to process in the kitchen. The feathers came off easily with only a few stragglers.
PS...I don't take chances. Everything was wiped down with soapy bleach water when I was done.
I cooked the gizzard, liver, heart for cat food and my cat did not appreciated it at all so I will be giving the innards to the dog. He on the other hand made short work of 100% of the leftovers...head and feet included.
I cooked the neck and back/rib section into a rich broth and got almost a quart. That is in the freezer.
J and I cooked the meat on the grill without any seasonings. I wanted to taste what it really tastes like before beginning to use marinades, bbq sauses etc.
A little rice and harvard beets and we had an amazing meal.
Now...had I not had a hungry 14 yr old boy with me....this 4# bird which dressed out to 3#....would have provided me with 5 meals...2 leg/thigh combos, 2 breasts and broth for soup. And actually the soup or rice if that is what I used it to cook with, would probably provide 2-3 meals. I am very impressed.
I will be harvesting the rest next saturday and will prep for the next 50 birds.
50 birds = 200 meat servings and 50 qt of broth or 100 pints
9 remaining birds = 36 meat servings and 18 pints of broth
If I am assuming that I want a serving of meat every evening of the year, that is 363servings...not counting the feast days.
With a breeding trio of rabbits I will easily be able to provide all of the meat I want on my own. This is a very good thing.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
NEW SHED/GREEN HOUSE
I love watching a 14 yr old given free reign, scrap wood, power tools or paint.
Monday, August 16, 2010
BORN INTO MOURNING
I stopped by my parents home this evening to say bye to my dad because he is going on a trip. I thought I would sit and drink a glass of water and talk to my parents for a little while.
Because he is going to WV for his high school reunion our discussion of course turned to the past, mom and dad's childhood, and how life was in the depression era.
I love these discussions but had no idea that I would be finding out something that I may have been told but do not remember.
The setting was Majestic KY. My dad moved into a coal camp at the age of 1 and he soon found his BFF...his best friend from the time he was 1 yr old who was around the same age.
His name was Billy. There wasn't anything he and Billy wouldn't do, or try. No matter how dangerous or scary. Through him he met my mom. See Billy had a beautiful cousin named Wanda.
To Wanda, Billy was the deepest friend, her favorite cousin and her confidant. There was no other cousin with whom she felt closer. So you see the bond....the common denominator.
Billy introduced his best friend to his best cousin and sparks flew.
Mom and Dad moved on and fell in love and got married.
Billy must have done the same but you see he didn't have a very easy life. His parents divorced, his mother died, and I am not sure what happened to his wife but she left him a daughter. And he became hopeless.
Signs of this were coming out but back then no one paid attention. When a person spoke often about dieing, it just was ignored.
And when that person completely loses hope...the results are hidden under the rug. There was no internet, and news programs didn't dwell on bad things that happened in little towns in rural KY and WV.
In the year I was born, 1961, my dad's best friend and my moms best cousin, kissed his 12 year old daughter on the cheek and told her there was something wonderful to look at out the window. There was not....but he knew he wasn't going to make it through another day and didn't have the heart to leave her there alone.
He took himself and his daughters life.....and left me to be born into a house of complete mourning. I wonder if my parents...whose hearts were shattered....thought to hold and hug their little girl. I mourn for that little girl but more for my parents.
Because he is going to WV for his high school reunion our discussion of course turned to the past, mom and dad's childhood, and how life was in the depression era.
I love these discussions but had no idea that I would be finding out something that I may have been told but do not remember.
The setting was Majestic KY. My dad moved into a coal camp at the age of 1 and he soon found his BFF...his best friend from the time he was 1 yr old who was around the same age.
His name was Billy. There wasn't anything he and Billy wouldn't do, or try. No matter how dangerous or scary. Through him he met my mom. See Billy had a beautiful cousin named Wanda.
To Wanda, Billy was the deepest friend, her favorite cousin and her confidant. There was no other cousin with whom she felt closer. So you see the bond....the common denominator.
Billy introduced his best friend to his best cousin and sparks flew.
Mom and Dad moved on and fell in love and got married.
Billy must have done the same but you see he didn't have a very easy life. His parents divorced, his mother died, and I am not sure what happened to his wife but she left him a daughter. And he became hopeless.
Signs of this were coming out but back then no one paid attention. When a person spoke often about dieing, it just was ignored.
And when that person completely loses hope...the results are hidden under the rug. There was no internet, and news programs didn't dwell on bad things that happened in little towns in rural KY and WV.
In the year I was born, 1961, my dad's best friend and my moms best cousin, kissed his 12 year old daughter on the cheek and told her there was something wonderful to look at out the window. There was not....but he knew he wasn't going to make it through another day and didn't have the heart to leave her there alone.
He took himself and his daughters life.....and left me to be born into a house of complete mourning. I wonder if my parents...whose hearts were shattered....thought to hold and hug their little girl. I mourn for that little girl but more for my parents.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
CLEANING MANIA
The boys came over and worked very hard til dark.
J and J worked on the rabbit frame.
D and I scrubbed bathrooms.
J vacumed.
Now Big J is in my room beginning to paint. I am going radical with the color.
J and J worked on the rabbit frame.
D and I scrubbed bathrooms.
J vacumed.
Now Big J is in my room beginning to paint. I am going radical with the color.
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