Jason closes his journal... Thanks!! I love you!!

[2dream]

MP If you really need winter projects have I got stuff for you. DH says come on down and take some of the load. LOL

Sarah will be a wonderful addition and a busy diversion. You won't have time to be down. Even if Sarah happens to end up being a Sam.

 

[modern_pioneer]

I bet you would have me do all your chores so that you could spend more time here posting.

I spent the day making some different sausage, ground right here on the homestead. The pork was 1.79 a pound which was raised by a local farmer and his clan. I had visited his farm last year, so placed and order for pork last spring. The pigs are feed grain and trashy veggies from the local markets. Fruits, veggies it all goes into their food. With 20 pigs in one huge pen, I'd guess 1.5 acres. I ordered 1.5 hogs.

I decided to put a twist on a Andouille recipe I found on line, I started with the original, tasted it, took out some stuff, and added more of the stuff I like. I cooked a small sample of that, and again adjusted the recipe to my liking.

I also took a big ole block of cracker barrel cheese, 1 pound and diced it up to add to the pork and the other top secret meat. Now I wouldn't tell my friends that I put in 2 pounds of pheasant meat that I harvested this week into the sausage.

The meat list includes the 2 pounds of pheasant, 6 ponds of pork, and 2 pounds of just pork fat. I will save about ten pounds of the fat to use in cooking, the rest I plain to render down to make some good ole pan licking lard.

I must admit that I wasn't keen on cleaning my own casings, not that have any anyway. So I purchased some pre-cleaned from a local butcher shop. It was a bit difficult to handle because it was so slippery, but once I towel dried the outside it was much easier.

I was able to make 44 links about 1 1/4 around and we're having some for dinner tonight. I was able to vac pack 6 packs with 6 links in each one.

There is something to be said about making your own, and when it turns out to taste better than you hoped, well you just wanna reach around and pat yourself on the back.

I twisted the links, but will use linen string to tie the ends off next time, its a learning process in the works.

As for the meat grinder for the kitchen aid, I love that thing !!! I had also purchased this stuffer on sale, plus I had a free shipping code.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200308623_200308623

It says its a five pound stuffer, but I could only get 4 pounds in it at a time. However it works better than any stuffer I have used before. So it gets as well.

I am also open to suggestion on how to tie the end of the sausages???

 

[modern_pioneer]

Today is a day filled with great sorrow, I kept busy as much as I could. I tried greatly to avoid the feelings of WHAT IFS? and forced myself to be grateful.

With respect, this is a sensitive topic to me, and I ask for no one to comment. Thanks...

I have my moments or triggers that bring me to face my feelings of war from time to time. Most often those feelings are holding myself accountable for the job I did, and did so with pride. I remind myself during those times that I had a job to do and so it was done. It is what it is.....

In my time of service I never fought for freedom, I had freedom and waged war on the enemy that my leaders decided I should face in combat. I did what was expected of me and did it well. But years later, ghost are fought trying to understand life and death. Man creates war, why? There is no final end or final solution in war, it's just killing of each other. There is no middle ground in war, it is what it is, die for your country or make the enemy die for his.

Why can the human race be so smart yet decide war is a solution? I could think of at least a hundred other problems that we need to solve before we decide to kill each other.

I sometimes wonder if I hadn't been a soldier, would I be so smart? If I just kept on in life, how different would things be today? I stopped wondering that a few months after DS was born.

Of course there is pros and cons of war, and service to our country is what it is. Like so many before me, people I fought with, and service members today. We will always be brothers in arms....

It's The Soldier
-Father D. E. O'Brien

It's the soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the PRESS.

It's the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of SPEECH.

It's the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to DEMONSTRATE.

It's the soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a FAIR TRIAL.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag,
Serves under the flag
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who gives the protester the right to burn the flag.

To my bestest pal/friend/comrade Scotty (1989) Oswald (2004)

Dire Straits Brothers in Arms Lyrics

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

I know the final price of war is death, whether it be on the battle ground or suicide at home.

A couple brothers I am proud to say are family. I miss you both...

 

[dragonlaurel]

I'm glad you are home and safe now. My DH has been haunted by things that happened in his military time too. The memories do pop up. Hope you're doing well.

 

[TTs Chicks]

 

[TanksHill]

Great job on the sausage. They look amazing and you did a excellent job. I think that is one more SS skill you have mastered. Your freezer must be getting full. I have space in mine if you need it. lol

Have a great day.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Good looking sausage!

 

[modern_pioneer]

Often we will brag up our food that we make, the day I was making it a friend of the family stopped over. Like always I feel good about giving some away if I should get a visitor.

Later that evening I got a text message from Jody who said OMG that was so good, u tech me how to mk it.

Than of course I gave some to Mark, he said it was the best sausage he had ever ate that I made. I started making my own sausage when I found out what goes in the stuff bought locally or at the market. Eating pigs hinny holes, ears, and snouts just doesn't appeal to me, no matter how you cook it.

I was thinking about mailing a couple of these wonderful kits to my ss friends on line for xmas presents or for bartering.

I don't do soap, I thought I could get into it, but found that its just not my thing.

If you would like to trade a couple kits for some soap PM me, and please remember to keep it under $20 plus flat rate shipping via USPS.

I am going to send some to Lori and Chad for xmas this year. Hmmm...... Goat meat sausage, wheres free when you need some advice?

Any clues or methods to share on how to tie these buggers up??????

 

[TanksHill]

That's a great idea MP. The barter system is amazing.

How do they tie up sausage normally? Isn't it twisted? Is that not working for you?



gina

 

[dacjohns]

MP,

I can't really put my feelings into words at this time except to say that you aren't alone in your feelings.

You lived up to your oath, that makes you an honorable person.