MasonFamilyFarm
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Sites I like: Punk Domestics
A great site for learning how to do things like Make Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar or Handmade Soap. I think I’m going to try the Make Your Own Vanilla Flavoring soon.
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Give peas a chance
It’s a shame to let the remaining peas go to waste. If we don’t eat them all straight off the vine, I’m pretty happy we have a vacuum sealer.
Note to self though - next time plant more.
Probably should have picked these sooner …
Nicely done.
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Gerber’s got nothin’ on me
What do you do when you’ve got a hungry baby and you want to turn this look:
into something more along the lines of this …
Hogie likes apples. A lot. Unfortunately, we do not own an orchard. Fortunately, applesauce is easy to make from store-bought apples. I’d love to be able to say I planned to have those red tantalizing beauties in the fridge. I did not. They were leftover apples from a meal I made last week. (Can we say pork with apples? Yum! But don’t tell Hogie that.)
Anyway, being the dutiful mother that I am (and also wanting to use the leftover apples and the organic oatmeal he refused to eat), I decided I’d whip up breakfast for my hungry little hippo.
First, a little maintenance on those apples. I used Galas, in case you were wondering. Which you probably weren’t.
Then just puree in the blender with a little extra water or breastmilk, the oatmeal and a bit of cinnamon.
Voila! Easy-peezy. (I think that is the first time I’ve ever written that.)
After taking out a bit for a “right-now” meal, I just package in Tupperware - I know our little hungry boy will want more tomorrow morning.
Oh and all that leftover apple peel and core? It’s going straight to the compost heap. Maybe with enough sweet-smelling, compost-rich soil, I can convince the hubby we need that orchard after all.
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The last of the fall garden. Remnants of the small winter harvest. Spring garden - we’re ready for you. Bring it.
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So we realized …
As this is mostly a family blog, we realized we should add some way for people to comment on posts. Thus commenting, via Disqus, has been added. Feel free to tell us anything by clicking on “Comments and Reactions” underneath any blog post.
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How to cook a whole pig (in 10 steps)
Want to cook a whole pig?
Step 1. Buy a Caja China or similar roasting pit.
Step 2. Buy a pig.
Don’t be afraid of the pig. It only wants to provide you nourishment. Forget all about that cute, curly tail (trust me, you will when you taste it).
3. Let it thaw if frozen and clean it thoroughly. Soak in a tub of brine if you like.
4. Flay, i.e. Hammer Time!
5. Marinade and injection. We used Cuban Mojo.
Make sure you do this on the inside of the pig. Don’t pierce the skin. Trust us, it’s worth it. Oh .. and this might get a bit messy.
6.Ready to rack it? You can DO IT! Follow the instructions for your pit. Our Caja China called for placing the pig between two locking racks then putting inside (belly up), lid on top, then hot coals on top of it all.
7. Four hours (and several bags of coals later), we were ready to take off the lid and see what was hidden beneath.
Here’s looking at you pig!
8. Now we flip and score the pig. Each quadrant gets a knife slice. Zorro!
9. A little more cooking with the skin side up (just to crisp it). Then here’s how she looks after her tan.
10. Let the feast begin. You probably won’t have much left in the end. Just as it should be.
