I wish I could find a certain essay I wrote several years ago. As part of my great unfinished memoir about my and Homero's quest to get married despite the best efforts of the U.S. government ("an epic story of love, separation, and reunion; spanning all of North America and the third part of a decade") I wrote a few pages about what happens to my husband when he crosses the Mexican border.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Time/Money Conundrum (Hello Housewives!)
Posted by Aimee at 2:51 PM 4 comments
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Productive Day (Redneck Coldframes and Unnatural Apples)
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2cMiCm1OV1I/T0WCgp08__I/AAAAAAAACAw/VbrVjE3rJG0/s400/IMG_2503.jpg)
Posted by Aimee at 4:01 PM 3 comments
Labels: gardening, seasons, self-sufficiency
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Meat Math
Now that Keizer meats has called me with the hanging weight on our tiny, skinny, little pigs (109 lbs and 137 lbs, less than I expected) I can do the math to figure out how much our own pork is costing us and whether or not it is worth it to raise two pigs.
Price Per Pound | Estimated Weight (lbs) | ||
Smoked Products | Smoked Bacon | $5.50 | 1 |
Smoked Bacon - MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.80 | 1 | |
Smoked Boston Butt Bacon - MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.95 | 1 | |
Smoked Canadian Bacon | $5.75 | 0.75 | |
Smoked Boneless Chops | $5.35 | 1 | |
Smoked Ham | $5.25 | 2 to 5 | |
Smoked Ham - MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.60 | 2 to 5 | |
Smoked Hocks | $3.30 | 1 to 3 | |
Smoked Hocks - MSG & Nitrate Free | $3.60 | 1 to 3 | |
Sliced Honey Glazed Smoked Ham | $5.25 | 1 | |
Ground & More | |||
Ground Pork | $3.95 | 1 | |
Seasoned Ground Pork | $3.95 | 1 | |
Roast BBQ Pork | $5.75 | 1 | |
Sausage | Bratwurst | $5.50 | 0.75 |
Itallian Sausage | $5.50 | 1.25 | |
B-fast Saus. Links MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.50 | 1.25 | |
Andoulle Sausage | $5.50 | 1.25 | |
Bratwurst - MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.80 | 1.25 | |
Chorizo - MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.80 | 1.25 | |
Andoulle Sausage - MSG & Nitrate Free | $5.80 | 1.25 | |
Cuts | Boneless Pork Chops | $5.00 | 1.5 to 3 |
Tenderloins | $8.00 | ,75 to 1.25 | |
Fresh Hocks | $2.25 | 2 to 3 | |
Shoulder Steak | $4.75 | 2 to 3 | |
Shoulder Roast | $4.75 | 2 to 4 | |
Loin Roast | $5.00 | 2 to 4 | |
Side Pork | $4.75 | 1 | |
Baby Back Ribs | $4.00 | ||
Spare Ribs | $3.50 | ||
Extras | |||
Liver | $1.75 | 1 | |
Tounge | $1.75 | ,75 | |
Heart | $1.75 | ,75 | |
Rendered Lard | $2.10 | ||
Pork Soup Bones | $1.50 | 1 |
Posted by Aimee at 10:48 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Getting Off My Ass (Or Not)
Except for a freak snowstorm that dropped twenty-some inches of snow and brought sub-freezing temperatures in January, this has been a very mild winter. Lots of rain, but generally above average mercury. Since the snow melted three weeks ago, it's been quite warm, and the earliest signs of spring are at hand.
Posted by Aimee at 3:23 PM 0 comments
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Zion's Traditional Arts Project (Keeping the Flame Alive)
A friend of mine at my church, who I'll call J., has had a pet project for awhile now. One of many projects, actually - she is the kind of woman who, in addition to raising her children, running the family farm, and helping run the family business also volunteers for the PTA, and generally manages to be a pillar of her community. The kind of woman I admire but will never, ever be.
Posted by Aimee at 6:08 PM 2 comments
Friday, February 10, 2012
Putting the Pork in my Pocket (Farm Finances)
The time finally came to call our local meat processors and schedule the pigs for execution. These two have been slow growers - probably due to the time of year more than anything else - and just as loud and obnoxious as every other pig we've ever owned, and we are heartily sick of them. Sometimes, pigs actually bowl me over when I head out to feed them. These two haven't actually knocked me down into the mud, but they do chase me, push me with their horrible snouts, and scream. I am not actively frightened of these pigs, but I can't say I enjoy their company either.
Monday, February 6, 2012
What Do You Do With a Drunken Pony?
The last time the farrier came out, he was unable to trim Rosie's back hooves. Rosie, remember, is my rescue shetland, who has some sort of abuse in her background and is absolutely terrified of having her feet touched.
Posted by Aimee at 1:04 PM 2 comments
Labels: pony