***This post has been given an R rating due to the violence that was incurred upon one of the cows in this post. This post may not be suitable for vegitarians or vegans or small children or any totally normal person who may not want to acknowledge that their hamburger meat comes from a cow that was alive at one point. You have been warned.***
I can turn all of this into...
this...I can turn all of this into...
I can turn one of these into...
I would like to say that I definately was not in charge of or even playing a lead role in most of the work that was done to do those things. I am merely a worker bee. I am given an assignment and I stick to it. And as far as the cow goes, you will be relieved to know that was handled by a professional butcher. We can clean a lot of things around here (deer, hogs, raccoon, my bathroom, sometimes) but not a cow. We leave that to the professionals.
The tomatoes we buy from a farm that is about 45 minutes away. We buy a lot (obviously) and the whole family works on jarring them, then we split the total jars in the end. I love my jarred tomatoes. I just add whatever seasoning I need to them and I can make any sauce I need to. We have tried growing tomatoes in the garden that Josh's father does over at Nanny and Grandpa's* farm but they need A LOT of attention. I'm sure one of these years we'll be able to make tomatoes, again. Maybe.
As far as the cows go, those are Josh and his father's. They live over at Nanny and Grandpa's. They are not really a business for us, they are more recreational. Josh and his dad just like to have them. But they do provide us with lots of beef. This past year I asked that they hamburger a whole cow. They looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't really understand why that was such a big deal. I just know that the kids won't eat steak and we eat a lot of hamburger. They did it for me because they love me. Josh finally explained that when you hamburger a cow that means that all of those really good cuts (strip, tbone, ribeye) get mixed into the hamburger. I get it now, but I still just want my hamburger. If that's what we use the most, that's what we should have, right? At least it should be the best tasting hamburger in town.
*You have already seen a shot of Grandpa Beach but if you look closely up at the top you can see Nanny's little head over the edge of the truck. Just a little factoid about Nanny, her name is Juanita Levinia and she got married when she was 14.(not to grandpa, though) Oh, gosh, what have I started. I'll have to do a whole nother post.
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17 comments:
We go over to a farm on the other side of the big swamp ... I'm wondering if that's the same one you get your tomatoes from. We make salsa with about 3/4ths of our pick and then the cold pack, like yours with the rest. I love canning! It's hard work, but I think it's fun, and there's nothing more satisfying than eating off of your harvest. We just need to get us a cow, like you.
Wow - that is prime cut hamburger. Lucky you. It's going to taste far better than any supermarket meat. Can I come and eat at your house?
We can get 10ths of bullock from a farm near us for about £100, but our freezer isn't big enough to handle it. We are still getting through the half a lamb from earlier this year.
Not sure I could handle the canning. I'm hacked off of pureeing veggies so I don't think I'd have the stamina.
Fab post by the way. Great to see how you live - and how hard you work.
I have never done the canning with yall. I have never been invited either so maybe thats why I've never been.
That is alot of cow.
that is alot of hamburger. However, I agree with you hamburger is the way to go. I mean you just use so much more of it.
Do you buy you chicken in bulk as well?
Sass E-Mum what do you do with all that lamb?
I want a farm...okay maybe not really because I wouldn't even know what to do. But still to be able to take care of yourself, and not always rely on the grocery store is huge.
I am determined to learn how to can this summer. We always grow lots of tomatoes, but many of them go to waste or are given away. My dad makes salsa with them, but he makes it so hot that no one but him will eat it. Well, there is this one guy in our branch who likes my dad's salsa. He always tells me how much he likes my dad's salsa (he pronounces the sal like "sally" and I just want to slap him). The cow is just awesome! I keep trying to convince my dad to let me keep chickens, but he won't.
I really want to know about Juanita's first husband.
Did he die? Did Farrel know his dad at all or has John always been his father-figure?
Thanks for showing us a little of your farm life. Very interesting. When are you going to start home schooling?
Hi Echo
We've roasted the leg and shoulder. That was pretty easy. Chops were great - they were large, not the skinny little ones.
But we've still got lamb steaks and ribs to go. Recaro prefers sirloin steak and I don't like getting sticky eating ribs... Makes you wonder why we bought it... (It does taste fantastic - we were the first to freeze it and it hasn't travelled more than 5 miles).
Perhaps a kind person reading this could post a lamb rib recipe!
The last time I had a steak was on my mission... when I'm pregnant I get a craving for a juicy burger, but other than that, I rarely eat beef! I can honestly say that I have not had a hamburger from fast food since I was 13 years old - not exaggerating! I thank that weird fetish to my grandpa who was a cattle rancher and stored cow liver, tongue and heart in his freezer with the ice cream - YIKES! I witnessed and helped butcher many a cow and I do admire the work and art that goes into that!
I'm also very impressed with your canning - I wouldn't have a clue where to start with canning... what kind of "mormon" woman am I! Kidding!
Yummy! With all that hamburger maybe you can send us each a little bit...just to try.
I remember growing up we butchered chickens ourselves, I must be a disturbed child, but I thought they tasted better when you butcher them yourself.
i love jarred tomatoes! slow roasted are so yummy
wow, I bet you save alot of money on beef killing your own cows!
Have you heard of that 100 mile diet? It's supposed to be so good to eat food that is locally grown.
Butchered cow meat is the best. If I could afford one.....that is the only beef we would ever eat!! And how nice to jar tomatoes. I use lots of canned tomatoes....I'm sure yours are a million times better than canned ones!!!!
I never would have dreamed in a million years when I knew you back in the day that you would...marry my cousin...have 4 kids....CAN STUFF....and have dead stuff hanging off of your wall. It must have been a very private, shameful dream of yours.
Sorry it took me so long to get back to everybody.
barney's friend chris- we go to a farm in Maynor, GA (I can't figure out the right spelling). You can either pick your own five gallon bucket for $5 or you can buy a prepicked bucket for $6. We Kirklands pick our own. And one of these years we are determined to try to make big pots of marinara with ours. We'll see.
sass- How's 6:30 next Sat? You can check your schedule and get back to me. I can understand how you might stay away from working too much with vegitables after making all of your own baby food. I was going to try to do that but I just gave into the little jars. And, sorry but I can be absolutely no help with the lamb. I've had it at restaurants but never made it at home.
echo- you're a stinker. 'I've never been invited'. None of us have ever been invited. We ask what we can do and we do it.
aramie- Farrel's real father JH, and nanny got divorced a long time ago. She and Grandpa have been married for over 30 years. I will share their story one day...
gigi- I will definately be leaving my kids' schooling to the proffesionals, thank you very much.
To everyone else, yes, food that you have worked very, very hard for does taste much better than anything bought in the store.
Oh, Amanda, those tomatoes must taste absolutely FABULOUS! As a vegetarian, I'll try to ignore the meat pictures *shudders*, but I get the fact that some eat meat and won't preach. ;) Plus, you DID warn me.
It all looks good to me!
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