With Much Respect and Gratefulness...But Still Probably Not for the Squemish (or the Vegetarians)

   
     Today we slaughtered our six meat birds.  I said my prayers and thanked them for their giving of their life for us and then...off with their heads.  Weird.  It wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard.  We were ready for them to go and they were ready to go.  It was time.  We heard about someone who processes them for a few bucks a piece, but you have to drive there 1.5 hours away...we couldn't round up the name of the local guy, and well we had done a big chicken slaughter before with friends and Nick grew up hunting/cleaning birds...Sooooo it was way easier to consider doing it ourselves.  We borrowed a knife and I got the word this morning to head out and help hold down the chickens.  I did.  I knew it was coming.  I had been watching them grow for weeks knowing that they were going to die for our table, knowing if it wasn't us it would be someone else doing the killing.  Surprisingly,  nothing really prepares you for holding a chicken's neck while your husband cuts it off.  Nothing really prepares you for feeling the life slip away or the blood spattering up on your arm or your face.  But on the other hand that is just how it goes...right? I mean we are just harvesting our chickens.  I will tell you this, as bizarre and awful as that is, it was not as bad as having to tend to the two dead baby chicks that we had amongst our new brood.  That was a different kind of death altogether.
     As for the overall experience, the kids were around but did not watch the actual kill.  They did come back around quickly after each beheading for the clean up of the bird.  Curious for sure.  Maceo would have watched not really knowing what was going on, we just didn't want him to.  His brother kindly entertained him during the initial parts and they watched the skinning...he was rooting for us, "go mom, go dad"...ignorance is bliss.  Then he looked for himself in the "scrap" bucket (for the lack of a better term) and did an honest face covering with a very clear "that's gross".   There was no doubt in my mind though that I would rather the kids all see and smell this experience and decide to become a vegetarian, than to go to the store and buy their meat from the counter.   It all went pretty well.  We did not do the full process of saving the skin and the organs, as these quick meat bird crosses didn't seem worthy.  I think we solidly came to the conclusion that our meat birds will be part of our layer flock as well (we are raising several dual purpose breeds) and come in to the table as needed rather than an overall slaughter day.  It will be more like, hmmm, let's have chicken for supper and go out to the field rather than the freezer.  It was really that simple overall.  Back to the basics with respect and gratefulness. Chicken on the grill for supper.  We almost had two new vegetarians, but by supper time they came around...

Going in the freezer...

And just a side note:
Of course there are plenty of local farmers here in Maine, and all over that you can get to know that will offer you conscious meat/organic meat for sale, including chicken, pork, lamb and of course beef.  (That is how we still get our beef.  Not quite ready to slaughter a cow)... Gotta love those farmers!  And of course in Maine how could we ever overlook our hunters, that is a whole other ballgame... I think I am ready to take the women's hunting class for sure.  If ignorance is bliss, I'll go with Knowledge is Power on this one...

                         

My Chicken Experience So Far... have three, gain two, lose four

the Funny Farm truck cap coop and pen

     Well I am so eager to have chickens I can hardly stand it.  Our own eggs, can you imagine?  It is truly hard to believe that we are just getting to it, but whatever, so is life.  About six weeks back we set out one day to Tractor Supply because we called ahead and they had 40 plus chicks available and it was easy.  By the time we got there about 1.5 hours had passed and only 6 meat birds were left.  Not totally what we were going for but what the heck.  Slightly disappointed but not defeated,  we took home our first baby chicks.  I do not think I will go into much about the meat bird crosses other than they grow super quick and we are going to eat them.  They are doing good and the best story there is probably the truck cap home and its attached pen they reside in.  We made due with what we had and for the short 8ish weeks they are alive it will suffice.  It is ghetto and we love it.

    So finally after deciding chasing chicks down all over Maine to buy off craigslist was silly, we placed an order for about 30 chicks of random varieties due to come in the first week of June.  To be continued...

before today Biff, Buff and Boff together

    Meanwhile, we found the Silly Goat Farm around the corner downsizing and found ourselves with three Buff Orpingtons chicks about 3 weeks old, while we were there to pig up a couple pigs.  The chicks have been living in our friend's horse trailer that is parked in our yard while we finish the free-range-but-not-really chicken pen, which a week later is still unfinished. Unfinished pen and all, I headed back to the Silly Goat Farm today to grab the next hatch of Buff Orpington chicks they had, but to no avail, no chicks.  Not wanting to send me home empty handed, they offered me a pair of Bantams.  A beautiful pair, a hen and a rooster and in the rubbermaid they went. Surely, a fine way to finish the pen, a bit of forceful pressure.  I got them home and decided to stick them in with Biff, Buff and Boff, the aforementioned Orpington chicks while we really finished the pen fence.  Bad Move.  Two of chicks freaked out and made their way quickly out of the closed trailer, squeezing thru the door.  The rooster, Cogburn, bailed too, up and out the highest hole in the door- it all happened so quick.  Damn.

     Left with one beautiful new hen, Henrietta and Buff the only Orpington chick that didn't escape, we temporarily make-shifted the pen closures and put them in there.  I can still see Henrietta waddling around, and Buff was hiding under the brush pile for awhile, but has been spotted.  Although I do not know if we will ever catch Cogburn, he is maintaining the outside perimeter of the pen staying close to his lady.  A love story unfolding.  The other two chicks, Biff and Boff, well they were close to the edge of the woods for awhile, sticking close together, but now they are nowhere to be seen.  Exploring the woods before they come home is what I'd like to think.

     A learning experience for sure, my chicken experience so far...

Chicken Saga Update: Next Day: Everyone is accounted for. Cogburn is now in the pen and Henrietta is out. The love story continues. Biff and Boff hang closely to their Buff, on the outside of the pen, and I almost had them this morning... we are trying to coax them in another way... We will see.

Biff, Buff and Boff together again

Day Two: Well I have learned that chickens are like homing pigeons even if they are not familiar with their home! Everyone is home. Henrietta and Cogburn waddle side by side most every moment of the day. Lovers reunited and grateful. Biff and Boff found their way back to Buff and they too hang pretty tight with one another. And so it goes a new chapter in my book of chicken experiences, or at the very least a few paragraphs...;-)!

Henrietta and Cogburn: "Reunited and it feels so good..."

Butter...

                    
I wish you could see the drool...well I guess not really, I mean its there, I just don't want you to see it.  I just love good butter, I really, really do!  The baby eats it like Brie, or at least like we eat Brie. He must take after his Nana who I remember just eating slices off the stick of butter. However, I will say that sounds gross when I realize I do not think we once had fresh butter in our house growing up, I think I would be lucky to remember when it wasn’t margarine! YUCK! But that is a whole other topic I do not even want to get into right now. (Sorry Mom!)

     We are finally getting Raw Milk (yeah!) on a regular basis and finally getting into the habit of harvesting that sacred cream and shaking it silly into delicious homemade butter. Ever done it? Are you a pro? Have tips?

      
    Here’s what we’ve been doing: We use 1/4 c. measuring cup to skim the cream off the top.  Once we have the cream safely in our mason jar- to a’shakin’ we will go!  And shake, shake, shake (we take turns), you’ll see it start to change right before your very eyes...it even turns yellow- anyone know the science behind that? The whole shaking process for us is taking about an hour or so.  Addsalt or not to your liking and WAH-LAH!!  Delicious, fresh, raw, homemade butter! It can’t be beat, unless you have a local farmer do it for you and put it in one of those really cool molds with the shapes on top! Gotta Love Your Local Farmers!! 

       I seem to make it sound so easy, as it is, but it does take time. We shake for about an hour or so and last time Aneah took it for a ride on the four wheeler, that finished it off quickly! I have also heard you can use your blender but that was a fail for us. 

    Oh, and don't forget the buttermilk! The milk that is left, that doesn't ever turn to butter no matter how much you shake... pour that off the butter, that is buttermilk- seems so simple doesn't it? And so delicious and useful! My mother in law insists drinking it cold is amazing and so sweet, haven't tried that yet... well actually I did, but it was with the batch that I added the salt to before I skimmed off the buttermilk, not so sweet! So I do recommend adding salt after you skim off the buttermilk!! Lots of exclamation points, all this butter talk must excite me!! 

     So knowing I am not a butter expert, now that we have been doing it this way for a while and it is becoming habit, I am looking forward to researching and learning more. I do hope for a butter mold one day, some of them are so pretty and the dynamics of the different styles intrigue me with their patters and usage designs. My mother in law also told me I needed a paddle. Not for the children (although sometimes I wonder...;-)) but a butter paddle. I have seen these too, but again need to gain some more knowledge on why/how these tools will aid in our process. I have an interest as well in the old style mason jar lid butter churn and also the image of the tall wooden ones with plungers like things are concrete in my brain- Little House on the Prairie like...that will be for when we have our own milking animal! Hmmm...for now we are shaking and four wheelin' and have a couple local junquers keeping an eye out as well and for now our completed butter rests in a glass dish...  I'll keep you posted as we transform our butter making skills into something more and further my knowledge. Please share your experience or ideas at will!

Learning to Preserve

     Canning in January... the way to be.  And the launch of the Bartlett Funny Farm- Garden Blog!!  Hooray! (thanks for last kick in the butt, Ashley;-))
    We had great friends that came the other day along with their mother,  a certified master canner- and now a new friend, who so graciously showed us the first tool in self sufficient food preserving- the hot water bath.  We had cooked down four gallon bags of frozen garden tomatoes and after eggs in sauce (a classic recipe homage to my father) and pizza for lunch, canned three whopping quarts of delicious sauce.  Additionally to it being the first time I have ever really canned anything, aside from helping Grandmother Naomi with pickles years ago bc (before children),  we managed a first on making homemade jam and hot water bathing that as well!  Strawberry Jam, from frozen Maine berries- what a treat!
     The process is pretty straight forward. It really wasn't that bad at all.  We have a project of Cinnamon Pears to tackle on our own this week, to reinforce our new learned skill and are looking forward to it.  It was such a great help for me to learn by doing and not just thru reading about it.  Ironically,  I was called out on my inability to be an exact recipe follower,  it was bound to happen one of these days ;-).  I will practice being more precise, for I did see the error of my ways.
     So we are set to go, we have the canning pot, a new found respect for recipes, a ton of gratitude to our master canning friend and our canning tool kit is on the way.  As soon as the pears ripen a bit, Cinnamon Pears here we come.  Do not hesitate to attempt this at home!  We CAN all do it ( he he ), we should all do it!  Aside for maybe a new tiny paranoia of botulism, but now knowing some facts, we are ready to take the next step in growing and storing our own food.  (here's a link with some basic info on Botulism) Here's to happy and healthy canning!

Ang's Famous Eggs in Sauce:
      Whenever my Mom was gone around supper time, Dad made dinner! And if it wasn't fried dough with sugar,  it was Eggs in Sauce:
      - a poached egg or fried egg- a little dippin' (or most people say over-easy)
      - tomato sauce
  Take your poached/fried egg and slather in tomato sauce- yummy!!
It is magical, especially with good sauce, and it is that easy!!


Cinnamon Pears in Apple Juice
      - 1-1.5 pounds pears per pint
      - stick cinnamon
      - unsweetened apple juice
Wash pears; drain. Cut into halves, core and peel. Treat to prevent darkening. Drain; rinse and drain again. Cook pears in water one layer at a time until hot througout. Heat apple juice just to boil. Pack hot pears, cavity side down, into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Place 1 cinnamon stick into each jar. Ladle hot juice over pears, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 20 minutes in a boiling water canner.