Monday, November 30, 2015

Turkey...turkey...turkey

With Thanksgiving just past, I thought it would be a good time to talk "turkey"

We started the summer with 5 turkeys.  I do not have great luck raising turkeys.  This was my last try at raising a flock.

We had two survive to the "juvie" stage.  At that point I actually named them and decided since we had both a hen and a tom, that we would not butcher them, but raise them as a breeding pair.  The Tom's name was Stuffing, and the Hen was Cranberry.

Unfortunately, Cranberry only lived another 2 month (ironically right about the time she should start laying) So then we only had Stuffing.  So the plan changed again and Stuffing would be raised for meat.

He grew and grew. In March he weighed 48 pounds and stood to my waist.  He did not like the guys and would aggressively gobble and posture when he saw them.  He was relatively afraid of me (as I would grab his head every time I walked into the coop to remind him who was the boss)  I was hoping to keep this big guy around until my parents got back from their winter home, but then, he decided that he was now the boss of me and started attacking my bootlaces and feet.

The weekend before we to the processor he was about 10 pounds heavier (58).  When he came back from "camp" he was definitely a bit more manageable. Ha!  They did split him in half as he wouldn't fit into the oven as a whole bird.  We ended up with two 22 pound halves!!!



I've never cooked a half bird, so this was going to be interesting.  He was actually bigger than the whole birds from the store.  I was afraid he was going to be tough with all the chasing he did around the farm.  I cooked him in one of those plastic cooking bags and he turned out surprisingly tender.  The dark meat was darker than any I've ever seen.

So even with him being a half, we still have tons of leftovers (with only 3 of us...and a 22 pound bird).  I thought I might share a new recipe for leftover turkey that we just tried this evening and loved it!!

Three Cheese Turkey Tetrazzini 

  • 7 oz box of spaghetti broken and cooked (I prefer linguine noodles)
  • 2 cups of chopped up leftover turkey
  • 2-4 oz of butter or olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • Garlic Salt
  • Chopped parsley
  • 12 oz package of fresh mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups of leftover turkey gravy (or a can of cream of mushroom soup)
  • 1 cup milk.
  • 1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup of shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti noodles, and drain.  Put in an oiled (baking spray) 9X13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Melt butter (or use oil) in a frying pan, cook onions until translucent.  Add the garlic salt, parsley and mushrooms.  Cook until mushrooms wilt.  Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir.  Add gravy (or can of soup) and milk and whisk. Add turkey and stir.  Pour mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle with the rest of the cheeses (I totally didn't measure the cheese, just used what I had on hand) and another dash of garlic salt.  Bake in 350* oven for 25 minutes (or until bubbly) 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Off to Camp #TBT 6/7/15

Each summer, our Boy looks forward to going to "sleep-away" camp.  Out of the past 6 years, he has gone to the same camp, every year but one (the summer of the infamous black eye!)  I love the camp he goes to because it's less than a mile away as the crow flies and in the evening as I am weeding in the garden, I can hear the kids singing in chapel.  Sign. Smile.



He's gotten SOOO Big!

Dad wearing HIS camp shirt!


Every year he makes new buddies, and usually sees some of the same friends from year to year.  Here is this year's cabin.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Dehorning Day #TBT 6/1/15



The "kids" before the visit from the vet.

After all the unneccessary drama of Weldon's last few days on the farm, we decided that it was time that the girls were dehorned.  And also Mooster was going to have a "close encounter with a few rubber-bands"

So our vet, Dr. Becky came out with a chute and a helper.  The girls, being addicted to sweet feed, had no issues going into the chute.  Then Dr. Becky just snapped the horns off (I say it like it was neat and easy, but OH MY!!!  I almost had to go in the house, my babies!!)

 


I only took pictures of Franci in the chute as I was so tramatized by the whole thing I couldn't take pictures after seeing the procedure.  I did get some  "after" pictures though.  I wish I could have gotten a video after she put the bands on Moosteer's bull parts.  He was walking around "Very FUNNY!"  Mooster is what is known as "Naturally polled" meaning his genetics doesn't have horns.


Franci & Moosteer resting in the hay after their hard morning!


Miracle with a big bloody mess all over her head-UG!

Farm lesson number 552: Get those horns off ASAP when they are young!


Saturday, November 14, 2015

One of the many milking helpers #TBT 5/25/15

The cats love to help with the morning milking.

Asia is in the wagon ready to go to the barn

Quatro used to be so shy, but now when it's milking time, he comes to me and he flops down in between my feet.



Monday, November 2, 2015

Jerky anyone?? #TBT 5/20/15

Man makes some of the most amazing jerky!  Everyone that tries it always comes back for more!

And after my trip to the store today, we are definitely ready to make MORE!!
I didn't even know meat came in chubs this big!


On a side note, I wanted to zoom in on our fridge message board.  It's not all there, but you can see most of what I want to show:
See the drawing of our farm, the Man did for me?!?
And here it is 5 months later and it's still on the board!

Country Mouse, City Mouse: Episode 1 #TBT 5/12/15

My cousin (and lifelong BFF) and I have decided that we need to start our own reality youTube channel or something and it will be called "Country Mouse, City Mouse" (Or she may tell you "City Mouse, Country Mouse". Ha!

We think it's hilarious that our live are so very different but we are so close that conversations that might be strange to ANYONE else seem normal to us.  For example:

Me: I saw a picture on the internet today of a cat riding a chicken.
Her: I think I've seen that.
Me: Now if I could only figure out how to get Molly on the Rooster....
Her: Seriously?
Not my cat, not my rooster...nuts!

OK, So I don't remember exactly what was said but we cracked up.  
Maybe it's just because we crack each other up!

Anywho, every once and awhile we have another "episode" to add.

Enter in her 101 list: To find 10 giant objects.
Well, that sounds like something >I< can help with!

So, when she came out to see her Mom for Mommy's Day (and her birthday) we went on one of our "adventures" to find a giant object, and one that she had seen a picture of our grandfather with;

Giant Concrete CORN!



YAY!  CORN!

That's me!  Yes, this corn is BIG!



You can go see her blog on this HERE!



Sunday, November 1, 2015

Mommy's Day #TBT 5/10/15

I am so blessed. 
14 years (and a bit) ago I got to be my Boy's Mom.
Look at the gorgeous flowers he bought for me!