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Sunday, November 27, 2016

Nature's Best

My brother (77) still keeps chickens for eggs and still hunts. He no longer processes his deer but there are two excellent meat processors in our area for that function.  A few days ago he stopped in and brought us a dozen eggs, venison bacon, and sweet Italian sausage, plus some home-grown potatoes, spicy meat sticks and homemade oatmeal cookies.

Do you know which end of the egg should be up when storing them? Here are two pictures. Which is correct? 
If you said the second one with the bottoms up you are correct. The blunt end of the egg has an air pocket between the inner and outer shell membranes. This gradually enlarges as the egg looses moisture during storage. Keeping the air pocket at the top helps to keep the yolk centered within the eggs and prevents the air pocket from rupturing. We don't keep a dozen eggs here very long, anyway but it is good to know this.

I will sauté the sausage into crumbles, bag and freeze them, and be able to use them in sauces and as toppings later. The bacon has to be thawed to be sliced into thin wafers and fried. It has much less fat than pork bacon and, to our taste is even better.
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Come on over. We have good stuff here.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Grindin' & Cookin'

Yes, I am pretty sure you don't shiv a git but I must keep going until the job is finished.  Today I dug out my old Gem food chopper. I like it way better to grind the turkey pieces than the electric food processor. The pieces are more consistent and much nicer to work with later on than what the processor does to them. 
Gem Food Chopper 20
Sargent & Co.
Patented Apr.25 1899
comes with 5 cutters
Made by Sargent & Co. (on Handle)
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AND...we had turkey salad sandwiches for lunch.  The bones and scraps simmered all day in the stock pot and have been strained through the colander. Now the broth is sitting outside to cool so tomorrow I can skim the fat off and add vegetables and rice and create a gallon and 1/2 of soup! 

Friday, November 25, 2016

Pickin'

Thank goodness it was cool enough overnight to store our turkey remains in the carport on top of the freezer. Today it got up to 40° so I brought it all in and started the process of separating and saving dark meats, white meats,  all bones, skin and the rest. For years I watched my grandmother and mother do this and then I pitched in. There is no way but to just do it! It is a sit down job.  We waste not in our home! Never have, never will. 

The stock pot with contents and water will go on the stovetop tomorrow and simmer away all day. The broth will be strained and then set outside to jell. The fat will then be removed by skimming and the soup will be created with celery, onions, carrots and rice with some turkey bits added at the end. There is no recipe. The remaining containers will be frozen after we have it for dinner tomorrow.
I intend to make a turkey loaf (somewhat like meat loaf) and will grind up the dark meats for patties and will grind some of the white meats for turkey salad with mayonnaise and more. A few larger slices will be saved to have hot turkey and gravy sandwiches. 
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In the meantime, I sit here just feeling very contented that I was able to enjoy doing it all, even though still weak and tired.  I had lots of help with the washing of the dishes and pans but I am the PICKER!

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thankfulness

I should have titled this FULLNESS! Really good eating here on a nasty rainy day.

It's all over but the pickin' and soup makin' and visitin' over the upcoming weekend. Whew!
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Good thing it's cold outside and I can store leftovers on top of the big freezer!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Push

Still I have not much energy or stamina but I have GRIT. I WILL have a turkey dinner on Thursday. It WILL be prepared and simplified in three days, this being Day 1. That's my plan.

I've made the corn casserole and it can be warmed over before serving. I've made the stuffing and it can be warmed over before serving as well. I've made one pie - traditional recipe pumpkin and baked in my homemade graham cracker crust. I have Cool Whip to give it a dollop when served.
That's it for today. 
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Day 2 will be preparing mashed potatoes. They can be warmed over before serving.

Day 3 - THE DAY will be the roasting of the 12 pound turkey and gravy to be made. Actually, this is the easiest part. The applesauce will be served warm, the fresh cider cold. (note to me from me: Remember to thaw it.)

Thanksgiving Day is going to be a day of thanks for all we have and the ability to still enjoy whatever that may be. There is so much else to be thankful for and we definitely are. We have fine family and fine friends. We have support and love. To simplify it we also have a secure roof over our heads, water, heat, and are fortunate compared to many others. We've enjoyed the opportunity of having freshly home grown strawberries, onions, string beans, tomatoes, corn, melon, cabbage, peaches, cucumbers, eggplant, red and yellow peppers, squash, pumpkin, apples in this order throughout the months past and this is our harvest festival celebration.

Celebrate with us in your own way as you sit at your table and enjoy your day!
(Turkey photos may be coming in a couple of days.)



Sunday, November 20, 2016

Blah

Been sick for two weeks with allergic reaction to runny nose prescription from doctor.  Never again will I complain about my dripping face faucet. I've had rhinitis for many years and mentioned it at last visit. Four days in, I couldn't breathe. Well, I'm still weak and lacking energy and have no stamina but starting to improve (with more medicines, of course!).

I intend to roast a small turkey in four days!  And....we've had our first snow! Last night and this morning it snowed and continues normally for the season. The 7.0" is ours. This morning it is 30° with a light breeze.
 James is miserable and needs his winter attire!
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Friday, November 11, 2016

Honor and Freedom

We honor all who served and fought for American freedom. These are just a few of my family members who have stood for our country. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Strung Up? OUT? Strung

I should have dug out the pictures I took two years ago when we had to replace the old clothesline. You have no idea how important this line is to us. The mister thinks differently than I and doesn’t plan ahead in the same way as I. He just knew it broke, had to be thrown away and a new one purchased.  He also purchased a new tightener that will tighten the rope as it loosens with use. BUT! He didn’t keep any of the old line attached to the tightener so he could remember which end went where.  After climbing the ladder to the tree pulley he threaded the rope through and I kept tension on both ends until he stepped down and came to the carport post where the other pulley was waiting to be threaded. After he tightened the knot on the loop of the tightener, the next step was to thread the line through the ball bearings that do the clamping but the end has to be pulled back to loosen and open the ball bearings.  We know to wrap the end with electrical tape so it won’t fray while trying to push it through. One time I even went so far as to thread a heavy duty needle with heavy duty thread, sew it into the rope end and then pull the needle through the ball bearing portal dragging the rope behind. If there is a will there is a way!

It sure is an accomplishment and takes coordinated effort to string a new clothesline. I had to be a bit bossy!

Two years ago he bought clothesline rope which was packaged in a 200 foot bundle and we only needed 105 feet. This time he remembered to buy old fashioned window sash rope like we always use to use and it is sold by the foot and is much better. I wish I had taken a picture of my line filled with clothes for a family of eight. It was a looooong one!

It doesn't matter which end the rope comes out as long as it works! It does!
2014
2016
2016
Good to go
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Monday, November 7, 2016

Agnes Applehead

She the big mouth of the house! Wiley doesn't mind. He likes company.

Before
After
Please click on image to view larger, Agnes won't mind.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Silly Sadie

This rescue dog Sadie, is part border collie and of other questionable heritage. I'm not sure of her age but think she must be around 6 or 7. She goes almost EVERYWHERE with her master, my nephew.  She swims in streams, flood water,  has been skunked, and is living a full and adventurous life. I snatched the first three shots that he took today because it depicts Sadie at her best. The captions are his.
What you talkin' about Willis?
Ooohhh! Look! A squirrel!
"Stop taking my picture already!!!"
(There is a nugget in the air here, can you see it?)
At the summer campout
Queen of the mountain!
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(She even has her own Facebook Page!)

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Pumpkins' Remains

From pigs to pumpkins, how did I get here?

This little(?) pumpkin went to a party, 
These little pumpkins went to the distillery,
These little pumpkins had a get-together,
This little pumpkin had no friends, and was alone,
This little pumpkin strayed from home and got himself trapped in the tomato patch and he cried all day long!
 Pumpkins courtesy of my grandson who grows them every year.
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Meanwhile...back at a granddaughter's farm in NY the pumpkins and the pigs got together!


Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Snafued By a Varmit

DANG! It was only 2 years old and now we have to replace it again. Major operation for old people. Necessary. Perhaps we'll wait until next spring.

This morning when I was enjoying the sun and my coffee, my excellent peripheral vision picked up a movement on the tree outdoors. AS I TURNED MY HEAD, I SAW IT HAPPEN! There was a little red squirrel on the tree pulley and the rope sprang away into the air just like a whiplash!
 Of course he disappeared immediately. They are fast little critters. I took pictures(above) of the results of his winter preparations that are a big deal for us to repair. He lost his bundle of bedding on the lawn. See below how important the clothesline is for us.
The good part is that it didn't chew through the power lines! They do tons of damage and we hope a natural predator such as an owl or hawk will soon disperse with this culprit! (Don't forget to click on an image to view the first three photos larger - the rest don't matter, they are examples of the importance of our clothesline.)

2014 Clothesline Story.