They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
The last lamb we slaughtered was a difficult and frustrating process. The kill was quick and humane, but a single slip of the knife early in the dressing process resulted in slicing the achilles tendon and dropping the carcass, then a difficult skinning, which in turn delayed evisceration, resulting in the stomach falling and rupturing.… Continue reading Lamb slaughter and butchering, take 2
Monday morning, harvested 6 stalks of brussels sprouts. These have been let go a month too long, and some of the larger buds are starting to open. When that happens they lose some of the sweetness and become a bit tough, and they don't hold together for cooking or pickling anymore. So it was time… Continue reading Brussels Sprouts
Nothing goes better with late winter weather than soup and fresh bread. Especially when you have been Rosary ruck marching. Like a man. Saturday was a divide and conquer day. After First Saturday Mass, Mommy and the older girls went shopping for one set of necessities (mostly fabric), while Daddy and the little two went… Continue reading Saturdays and Soups
Ellie finished her school early. So she gets to learn how to make focaccia! Focaccia is one of the easiest breads to make. It is very simple, but time consuming to make it. We weigh out 500mg of high gluten pizza dough. Then we whisk in 3 tsp yeast, and a teaspoon of salt. We… Continue reading Focaccia!
Allow me to introduce you to one of our kids' favorite books. The children call it "Christmas Family" for reasons that become obvious as soon as you read the book. One of the key moments in the early part of the book is the family preparing candles from the wax of bayberries, to burn on… Continue reading The Day Before the Day Before Christmas
Harvest and scrub: Two small turnips One large radish One medium rutabaga Five small carrots Six green onions. Clean and dice. About 1/2 inch cubes is the goal. Slice and dice sausage, to about the same size, 1/2 inch chunks. Stir fry and simmer together until rutabagas are just starting to get soft. Salt, pepper… Continue reading Root and Sausage Pasties
https://youtube.com/shorts/j49IEp-aJek?feature=share Yes, it really is this chaotic around here. All day every day.
We have been getting quince from our quince tree. It is that time of year. The Havran is completely empty, but the Van Deman still has a good number of (much smaller) fruit. The quince are sharp and astringent, and quite hard to chew, when raw. Not pleasant at all. However... If you grate or… Continue reading Quince and Walnut Crumble
It is that time of year! Winter Squash season! Ellie is well known for the deliciousness of her steamed squash. This is probably related to the fact that she does not believe in skimping on the butter or the brown sugar. First step is to cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds… Continue reading Squash and Buttered Roots
