Ohiofarmgirl'sAdventuresinTheGoodLand-where ya been? whatcha been doin

[ohiofarmgirl]

watch? yes. chase around the pond in the snow.. not so much. but we got everyone in and now all is well.

we got a SMOKIN' hot fire going in the wood burning stove, gonna make nachos for supper... whoot! are you kidding?!? i LOVE a snow day!*

*note: feel free to quote me this in 6 weeks when i'm stalking around the house like a caged tiger cursing The White Death.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

*note: feel free to quote me this in 6 weeks when i'm stalking around the house like a caged tiger cursing The White Death.

Will do!

 

[Javamama]

I can just see you and QA sitting around griping about the snow
I just love that WTH? look from the hens on the first snow day of each year. Cracks me up!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

wow talk about The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly... we've had it all here today. for the record yesterday was heavenly - good church day, got some things done (we had 'meatball day') and had some pretty good laughs with a pal.

as for today:

The Good: had a great time in town with a friend who totally encourages and inspires me!

and

Bourbon Red and his lovely wife sent me the perfect gift (totally unexpected!!!), a book on salting, smoking and curing: Charcuterie by M. Ruhlman & B Polycn. its basically a romance novel of everything you can do with a pig (once gutted of course!).. i'm so excited!!! salami - here i come! whoot!!!

and

we got our bacon back from the local butcher!!! we ended up with 33 pounds from him. so it looks like we got about 40 pounds of belly from 2 pigs, then about 5 lbs total of jowl - i'll update the hog butchering thread with the poundage and cost (very reasonable) as someone asked.

The Ugly:

wow we thought we were going to loose our still-ugly, slowly feathering in, turkey hen, Runner today. we think she got chilled but someone (sorry i cant remember who!) said in their journal they were giving their birds a tonic of molasses, honey, and ACV...so i added this to her water, we moved her back into a warmer coop and... she's up! whoever it was.. thank you so much for your casual mention of this!

The Bad:

dang. our biggest 'scovy drake would not go into the duck garage with the others...there he is...sitting down on the pond in the middle of all the fox tracks. nothing we can do at all... the outer edge of the pond is melted but its an easy fox-hop over to the still-iced-center. prepare for crying from me tomorrow... sorry DJ, we did what we could for you, buddy.
:-(

and now back to my book! yay!!!!

 

[freemotion]

Bourbon Red and his lovely wife sent me the perfect gift (totally unexpected!!!), a book on salting, smoking and curing: Charcuterie by M. Ruhlman & B Polycn. its basically a romance novel of everything you can do with a pig (once gutted of course!).. i'm so excited!!! salami - here i come! whoot!!!

Please give us a detailed review of this book and it's usefulness. I am planning for spring piggies!!!! And fall bacon!!!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'm telling you! this book is the BUSINESS! whooot! and ohmigosh i'm getting all flustered now.... (shakes hands in front of eyes Miss America-style) the forward is by.... gasp...... Thomas Keller!!! whooot! (expires dramatically on the couch)

oh.... what... ok i'm back.

but seriously - i'm a Bouchon-o-file, big time. not so much about the French Laundry (who could just get a table for heavens sakes)... but ah... Bouchon.... a dream within a dream.

i worked (briefly) in the Bay Area and if i left early enough, i'd hit one of the tool boths up to the wine country covered in chocolate from stopping in quickly at Scharffen-Berger for a mocha AND and pain au chocolat... and then hit Bouchon's bakery for a box (YES A BOX) of pastries before a hard day of vineyard visiting...and then a late lunch at the bar of Bouchon.

i'll give a full review but seriously - he starts out talking about duck confit. need i say more!?!? so i cant wait for my kitchenaid grinder attachment to show up then the sky's the limit! do you know Mario Batalli's dad's charcuterie, Salumi??? i'm going to be Salumi-Mid West. or at least stop be able to stop buying grocery store pepperoni and salami.

whoot!!!

 

[freemotion]

It truly amazes me how we can eat the best gourmet food by spending the least amount of money....if we want to take the time to learn how. YUM!!!!!!

Tell me more!

eta: I love my KitchenAid grinder!!! We made oatmeal this morning with the flaker attachment from....er....Family Mill or something like that....made to fit KitchenAid.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hold on.. i'm reading more! whoot!!

 

[freemotion]

PS: You lost me with all the name-dropping....who are these people anyways, who have you all a-flutter?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

they are fancy pantsy Left Coast "chef-lebrities" ooooohhh! aahhhhhh!

the one great thing i'll say about all them west coasters...oh the food. love it! especially in the Bay Area and the wine country. they might not know the NASCAR drivers...but they know all the local chefs!

but you are right - sometimes the most simple dishes - and FREE if you grow it yourself -- are the best ones. but then sometimes a perfectly prepared and plated meal can be a vision......

one nite, on business, i spent so much money on ONE meal that i had to have them split up the check just so i could submit it on my expense report. and then i ate my way thru downtown Sonoma one time.....

Thomas Keller owns The French Laundry near Napa. its the fancy pantsiest 'new' cuisine restaurant ever and was totally an original idea when it opened. i generally gave the folks who booked their tables 6 months in advance the finger as i slid past them to his other restaurant, Bouchon. right across the street. when i promptly found a seat at the bar and got the same food. for a third of the price. and a chatty, yet able barman, poured deep glasses of perfect, round, lush cabernets.....

anyway the funny thing, to me, is that they 'started' their own revolution about fresh food grown locally. well, Tommy, my boy - you dont get much fresher than seeing the surprised look on that darn pigs face when you do it yourself!

hey look how trendy we 'grow-it-yourselfers' are!!!