Tuesday 18 November 2014

They're out!



Max complaining.
Why?


Because his sow and youngsters were not where he was.
Out on the grass of the paddocks, that is where they were.


And by crikey, those pigs were soon making the ground churned up,
On the left is a bright green paddock,
and that is Max's patch,
but the fences are not finished,
and the gates are not made,
that is why he was in a grump,
because he has to stay in his home paddock for now,
his mood not being helped by Mum pig being in season,
and him not being able to get to her,
even though she flirts with him and says he can.



Two days later, and most of the grass has been eaten,
now they are digging up the roots. 
They are doing a grand job of getting the ground ready for ploughing next spring.


The sheep in the background, and the pigs in the foreground,
with fields all mostly fenced.
And we think..
"How the hell did we manage to do all this!"
Keeping on going, that's how.
But I still do not have the Rayburn wood burning stove in,
and I still do not have a kitchen,
and we still do not have heating in the house,
but not to worry.
the animals come first,
and getting them sorted out has been the priority,
and our own comforts can wait. 

Anyone know how to make pâté?
Found a pig's head down the bottom of the freezer,
spent two days slow cooking it,
so that it disintegrated into a mush of meat and bones,
that way one cannot distinguish exactly what bits go where,
which makes the task of sorting everything out easier,
makes me less squeamish.

Anyways,
I have one pot of bones, one pot of meat for the dogs, one pot of meat for us.
Thought I would have a go at making pâté.
Anyone know how to do that?
Or else I can mince the meat up,
and lose it in a pie or something.

Off to go ride my bike,
by the bed,
inside,
dry,
and not out on the wet, muddy, and windswept roads outside.

Bye for now,
Vx

And a special thanks to Jaana for nudging me into posting a blog.
I have been here, but words in my head have been all gone away,
but today I tried to get them back again,
at the request of Jaana.
x

8 comments:

Mizumatte said...

yes I have been waiting for them and as always enjoyed the readingJaana

Sunnybrook Farm said...

We haven't had pigs but have a place to raise one and get the ground tilled as it is one of the gardens. I need to read up on it more. They used to make scrapple out of the ground hog scraps and it is a mixture of meat and corn meal, almost like a pudding. It sets up and then gets sliced in cubes and fried. Probably not health food but it is good and was yet another way to use all of the hog. They would sell the hams.

Vera said...

Jaana, hi! Thanks for nudging me into blogging again.

Sunnybrook Farm, we don't sell any of our pigs or pork at the moment, but might have to at some point in the future. As for pigs to till the soil, I think that the Tamworths are a good pig to have, because they are sociable and love to stop and have a chat with you, and are also good rotovators. We have Tamworths and we would recommend them. Thanks for the info about scrapple.

northsider said...

Hi Vera. Love the pictures of your pigs. Ours are getting the left over contents of our food cupboard today. They love jam and biscuits and cereal.

rusty duck said...

It's looking like a right proper smallholding Vera!

John Going Gently said...

Mucky buggers
Nothing is ever pristine with pigs

Tim said...

Vera... at last...
I thought you'd fallen off your bike...

I make paté quite regularly... but wouldn't use a head for it.
Get a block of Saindoux [lard] and stir your meat and "shut up and eat it" into the lard...
simmer in the lard for around twenty minutes and season to taste. Pull any big lumps of flesh apart with two forks and stir it back in...
hey presto! You have B'rillette...
half way 'twixt Brawn and Rillette.
Use as rillette

Vera said...

Northsider Dave, no waste in our kitchen either!

Jessica, we are slowly getting it into shape......hope the sheep have not gone roaming all about your lovely garden again.

John, 'tis true, mud and pigs go together as a sticky team!

Tim, nnoooooooo, not fallen off yet! Thanks for the paté recipe, will have a go. Thanks again.