Scrapple

    Spleen   Kidneys The lungs, or as they were known in times past, the “lights” Scrapple is a perfect breakfast food – it is meaty, savory, and sticks to your ribs.  It is delicious and nourishing, and a perfect way to start off the day. I like it because it is a delicious…

Sausage

  Sausage seasonings being mixed – we only use pure organic herbs and spices and sea salt.   Sausage being mixed   The results   Black Sausage Ingredients   Liverwurst getting ready to be made There has been some confusion about the pig classes we are offering.  I think in being overly flexible about what…

Pâté Progression

  I thought it would be interesting to show what goes into the various tasty things we made over the weekend.  Naturally, I am starting with the most photogenic end – the result.  Most Americans, I think, would be a bit squeamish when it comes to looking at a picture of raw liver.  They are…

First Pig Harvest

Getting started….   All of these fresh organs are used to make delicious traditional foods….     We harvested the first of the spring piggies over the weekend.  Everything went so well, and we were careful not to pack too much into one day this time.  The scald water was the perfect temperature, and scalding…

SOUPE A L’OIGNON: Onion Soup

The onions are bulbing beautifully.  This year we were careful not to water them, and they are keeping very well.  They are very strong – I’ve never shed so many tears while slicing onions before.  Through gardening, I have not only been impressed by how much flavor home-grown vegetables have, but also the remarkable lack…

In the Garden: Between Seasons

    I loved this quote from Ben Hewitt that he posted recently:   “Things will get done, and that which doesn’t get done will get done later or ultimately be deemed unnecessary in the first place, and we’ll think to ourselves isn’t it lucky we didn’t do it back when we thought it had to…

Clo and Belle

  Car trouble marred most of yesterday – it seems like whenever we have savings, the car breaks, and the repairs always magically cost exactly how much we have.  It’s more of a broken car fund than a savings account! I remember reading an article in ACRES USA magazine years and years ago about all…

Fruitful

Despite our years of neglect, the orchard seems to be having a good year so far.  The early blueberries are just beginning to turn purplish.  No one can wait until they are properly blue.  The girls go through every day and pick every one that even thinks about turning color, and offer up a handful…

Hidden

    The past few weeks have been an absolute crush of work – the garden must be finished, and the KonMari-inspired, once-in-a-lifetime spring clean is nowhere near complete.  And we are still homeschooling for several more weeks.  Every day there is just so much to do.  The weather has been beautiful, which has made…

The Snapping Turtle

    On Saturday we went to the BugFest put on by the UF Entomology department.  They had cockroach races, an arthropod petting zoo, beautiful specimens displayed, all kinds of food made with bugs to taste.  We had a good time, but the best thing was the huge snapping turtle we found in the parking…

CARROTTES A LA MENAGERE

 I finally got some carrots from the garden this season.  I have been making do with inferior store carrots.  My first planting did not like the hot weather in the fall, but the second planting was finally ready to pull.  It’s always a challenge to actually get carrots into the kitchen:  they are very popular…

Rainy Day Colors

  Easter brightened up the end of a rather dismal week – with illness and rainy weather, everyone was grouchy and cramped.  It felt like I spent the week with both of Cinderella’s obnoxious step-sisters, and The Little Engine That Could – And Did, even though you told it not to several times. Clothilde managed…