murraygrey

We have a local fellow who has a large gooseneck trailer set up for farm slaughter and processing. He told us the reason he skins the hog instead of leaving it on is the tremendous amount of labor and time involved in removing the hair. The carcass must be dipped repeatedly in a barrel of hot water and the hair scraped off manually. Skinning the hog allows the carcass to cool more quickly, as well. Having your farm animals slaughtered and processed is a learning process, especially when it comes to communication with the butcher. Possibly next time you can arrange to be on site when the animal is slaughtered. By doing so, you can learn even more about the process and ask questions. I used to be somewhat unhappy over the style of cutting my butcher normally does. But, over the years, I've spent time with him in his shop when he's not been busy, and we've talked about how changes can be made. I like our steaks and chops cut twice as thick as he normally cuts them. I also like more fat left on. Doing so costs me more, as the meat is charged for by the pound, but I like the results when cooking. I've cultivated a good relationship with my butcher. If and when he retires, I may just go vegetarian! He knows I like to make sausage and called me one day to say he had saved me some really nice hog fat. I stopped by and came home with about 30# of the whitest, nicest hog fat I've seen a awhile.

Absoulutely, patience! What a great story. Watching my grandmother stand at the stove caring for the chicken as it cooked was watching patience personified.

SR flour = self rising? brown paper sacks? like the ones the ones from a supermarket? Those are REALLY hard to find in Japan.... What does this do? can it be skipped? when do you eat it? ← I'm sure I'm replying late & haven't even read all the posts in this thread, but the paper bag thing started in the 1950's. Before that, everyone breaded their chicken in a bowl or on a plate or whatever container worked for them. I think the thing with the paper bag was the chicken wasn't floured as heavily using the bag - and it was one less container to have to hand wash (most of us didn't have dishwashers back then). I can't get the same lightly floured result using a ziploc but I sometimes use one. Other times I bread my chicken in a 13 x 9 pyrex dish or something similar. OK, here's how my grandmother fried her chicken. She was from OK, and her mother was from MO. She would cut up one whole chicken and dredge it in flour that was heavily salted and also heavily peppered. She swore that Watkins' pepper was the very best to use when frying chicken. She put the chicken in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight after it was breaded. Usually it was a plastic bread wrapper she had saved and washed. I have no idea what she did before plastic bags arrived on the scene. I suspect she just breaded and fried the chicken. I know that when I was little she still had an icebox instead of a refrigerator. Leaving the breaded chicken in a bag in the frig overnight is the key to crispy chicken. She also would use nothing but Wesson Oil to fry her chicken in. Over the years I've tried many other substances to fry chicken in, but she was right. Wesson corn oil does seem to work well. These days I use canola oil for health purposes. She fried the chicken in a cast iron skillet in about 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of oil. She stood over it and nursed it along, usually with a two tined fork, turning it as needed. I use tongs. She also salted and heavily peppered the chicken again while it was frying in the skillet. Most of the pepper was sprinkled onto the bony side of the chicken pieces. One day when I was in junior high and was taking home economics class, I put it all together and asked my grandmother if it might be possible to finish cooking the chicken in the oven. She had been standing over the stove frying chicken for her extended far too long and I was desperate to find a way to help her get off her feet. And, no, she wouldn't let me take her place. We decided to line a shallow pyrex pan with 3 layers of paper towels, put the browned chicken into that pan in a single layer and put it into a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. It worked! She was satisfied with the finished product and was able to sit down for a bit. And, that's the way I've fried my chicken ever since. Yes, I've tried the buttermilk soak, and a million other ways of frying chicken, but if I want my granny's fried chicken, I go back to her simple way of doing it.

You're doing a great job and I'll bet all the thought you are putting into your food selections are very much appreciated. The seniors like potatoes, of course. I would guess partly because that is a familiar comfort food. However, don't discount the fact that nearly all older folks come to a time in their life where they need added fiber in order to help stave off some problematic digestive issues. I think sometimes that is a reason they don't eat as much rice (besides the problems foods with small particles can cause with dentures and bridges) as they do potatoes. You're right on the mark with the potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. Try to keep the word "FIBER" at the front of your thinking. Pasta and rice generally contain less fiber than do some other foods. That may be the reason the seniors shy away from basing an entire meal on them, even if they do like those dishes. You may serve your pasta dishes or the tried and true mac & cheese. Just make sure there is another good source of fiber on the table. Yes, I've reached that age (sigh). As a suggestion, I grate carrots into my salad greens, eat small portions and take the rest home for another small meal later in the evening. It's not by choice. I've just had to adapt as my body has aged. Talk to the folks. Ask for their ideas. If you do a written survey, also take time to talk to them in person. You might be surprised at how open the older folks will be with you when it comes to the foods they enjoy and the foods they can tolerate. They may say they "like" this or that, and "don't like" this or that, but usually it will boil down to an underlying health problem. Keep a very open mind. You're doing a great job under difficult circumstances. I think you'll do well. edit in: squash, both winter and summer, is another great fiber food! And, you can be very creative with it. We both hated squash as our mothers used to fix it. Now, we look forward to a baked acorn squash with apples, maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, etc.

100% Dixie! Probably because my ancestors spent quite a bit of time around Spartanburg, SC. They then migrated down to Missouri, where my great grandfather homesteaded. When the Indian Territory in OK opened to homesteading, he moved his family there. That was about 1905. Even though the Depression and WWII moved my grandparents and parents west, we still make biscuits and homemade sausage with milk gravy. At the end of the month I'm sending 3 pigs in for processing. I want all the fat and trim back so I can make my own sausage and will also make my own hams.

I don't know if this is the place to do it, but I'll share my family's tamale recipe for any who want to try it. These are the tamales my grandma & mom & aunts used to make. They would gather in our kitchen and work and visit. It was surprising how many neighbors just "happened" to drop in while the tamales were cooking. My grandma would use a portable electric oven to cook the tamales. About a 1/2 inch of water was put in the bottom of the oven, then a rack. The tamales were stood up on their folded edge, leaning toward the center, and cooked with the steam. For smaller batches, a pot with a rack and lid would do. My mother always said the tamales kept better in the freezer if they were frozen without cooking. Of course, in those days, no one had a good freezer, so we would eat tamales until they were gone. Edit in: I should mention this was considered, in our family, to be my aunt's recipe. But, she got it from her aunts who were from San Angelo, TX. Their parents, who were my great- grandparents, were from Chihuahua, Mexico. Enjoy! I've made these and they're very, very good! I moved away from Southern California many, many years ago. About the only things I miss are access to fresh masa, and In-N-Out burgers! Aunt Eloisa’s Tamales MASA 10 pounds freshly ground masa 2 ¾ pounds lard salt to taste 7 teaspoons baking powder Knead until a chunk floats in cold water. SAUCE 1 pound California Chiles (dry red chiles) whole cumino (cumin) seed 8 to 10 garlic cloves Boil California red chiles in water until tender. Remove stems, squeeze peppers with hands, and run through sieve. Brown flour in lard. Add chile mixture to which cold pork roast broth has been added. Add cumino and garlic to chile. Add powdered or dried New Mexico chiles to taste (for hotness) while boiling. MEAT Boil 6 pound pork roast with 3 garlic cloves in water until tender. Cool. Tear apart pork roast with fingers and add to chile mixture. CORN SHUCKS Soak 1 ½ pounds corn shucks in warm water for one hour. Take apart and wash. ASSEMBLY Spread masa on corn shuck in a thin layer. Place spoonful of chile on masa. Fold sides in then bottom up. Stand tamales up in roaster that has been lined with shucks – Stand one tamale up in the middle. Lean other tamales against center tamale and away from sides. Put ¾ inch of water in bottom of roaster and place lid on roaster. Cook one hour at 375 degrees. If you wish to freeze tamales, freeze them uncooked.

Aunt Eloisa's Tamales These are the tamales my Grandma & Mom & Aunts used to make. They would gather in our kitchen and work and visit. It was surprising how many neighbors just "happened" to drop in while the tamales were cooking. My grandma would use a portable electric oven to cook the tamales. About a 1/2 inch of water was put in the bottom of the oven, then a rack. The tamales were stood up on their folded edge, leaning toward the center, and cooked with the steam. For smaller batches, a pot with a rack and lid would do. My mother always said the tamales kept better in the freezer if they were frozen before cooking. Of course, in those days, no one had a good freezer, so we would eat tamales until they were gone. I should mention this was considered, in our family, to be my Aunt Eloisa's recipe. But, she got it from her aunts who were from San Angelo, TX. Their parents, who were my great- grandparents, were from Chihuahua, Mexico. Aunt Eloisa’s Tamales MASA 10 pounds freshly ground masa 2 ¾ pounds lard salt to taste 7 teaspoons baking powder Knead until a chunk floats in cold water. SAUCE 1 pound California Chiles (dry red chiles) whole cumino (cumin) seed 8 to 10 garlic cloves Boil California red chiles in water until tender. Remove stems, squeeze peppers with hands, and run through sieve. Brown flour in lard. Add chile mixture to which cold pork roast broth has been added. Add cumino and garlic to chile. Add powdered or dried New Mexico chiles to taste (for hotness) while boiling. MEAT Boil 6 pound pork roast with 3 garlic cloves in water until tender. Cool. Tear apart pork roast with fingers and add to chile mixture. CORN SHUCKS Soak 1 ½ pounds corn shucks in warm water for one hour. Take apart and wash. ASSEMBLY Spread masa on corn shuck in a thin layer. Place spoonful of chile on masa. Fold sides in then the bottom up. Stand tamales up in roaster that has been lined with shucks – Stand one tamale up in the middle. Lean other tamales against the center tamale and away from sides. Put ¾ inch of water in bottom of roaster and place lid on roaster. Cook one hour at 375 degrees. If you wish to freeze tamales, freeze them uncooked. Keywords: Intermediate, Pork, Mexican, Hot and Spicy ( RG1857 )

I've noticed whenever I'm tempted to hit McDonald's, I'm simply craving salt. I get my salt fix at home.

A local nursery started carrying garlic that can be planted in our high desert/high altitude area in the spring and will be ready to harvest in the fall. I tried it last year with great results. I learned there is absolutely no comparison to using garlic fresh out of the garden as opposed to the dried husks commonly available in the supermarket. Unfortunately, even the nursery doesn't know the name of the garlic. Fortunately for me, I kept back some cloves and planted them this year. I called the nursery today and she said they ordered more of the garlic last fall, but the supplier didn't come through. I'm going to take very good care of my garlic plants and save some over again this fall for spring planting. I don't know how aware chefs are when it comes to heirloom garlic, or even the wonderful quality of garlic fresh from the garden. I feel privileged to have the chance to grow and cook with my own garlic.

I like to glaze them in butter with parsley, lemon zest (sometimes I add a very small squeeze of lemon juice), a very small pinch of sugar or a small amount of honey (maybe 1/2 tsp of honey), salt and pepper, and chicken stock. Reduce chicken stock until carrots are firm but done. I slice the carrots the way mentioned above - slice, turn the carrot 1/4 turn, slice again, so there are, I think, 5 or 7 sides to each slice. We had a few leftover the other evening, so the next day I tossed them into a simple warm pasta dish I was making. They added a lot of flavor and character to the pasta dish.

When I was little, my uncle would take me to neighborhood baseball games. The older ladies of the neighborhood would bring homemade tamales to the games and sell them. The meat in the tamales was boiled tongue. They were fantastic tamales!

Mmmm, there are some good ideas in this thread. I learned to make carnitas nearly too many years ago to admit. My grandfather was Mexican and I grew up in a Mexican neighborhood. My version is a pretty simple one. Cubed (about 1 to 2 inches), untrimmed pork simmered in water (pressure cooker works, too), with garlic, minced onion, salt and generous amounts of pepper, until the meat is falling apart. If you have any pork bones, add them to the pot, as well. Shred cooked pork with a fork or old fashioned potato masher works well, but leave small chunks. Serve hot on two corn tortillas heated on a griddle and overlapped. Place meat down the center, and top with fresh salsa & chopped fresh cilantro, a little guacamole and a squeeze of fresh lime. A few months ago we happened on a little tiny Mexican food place in a northern Utah town. This was exactly how they made theirs, too. I couldn't buy enough of them, they were so good and they brought back such good memories.

Me, too! I find myself talking to my TV when I see containers not being scraped clean on the food network.

Baklava is what is really appreciated here. I mostly make it for gifts around Christmastime.

Kathy, thanks from here, too, for your blog. I'm enjoying it very much. I do agree with your methods of helping your boys to develop dietary habits that will serve them well later in life. Having gone through similar times with my children (my daughter had some borderline autistic tendencies) I know it isn't easy. But, the methods you are using are pretty much what worked with my kids close to 40 years ago. I understand, too, Lori, that we each need to find what works best for our own children. So, no criticism from me. It always makes me smile when I think back to when my daughter was little and called broccoli "trees." Somehow having "trees" for dinner made eating more fun for all of us. However, Kathy, you can stop anytime with the talk about In-N-Out - and the pictures, too!! LOL You've had me drooling into my keyboard. I "escaped" So Cal more than 25 years ago, but In-N-Out is about the only thing I constantly miss. When we drive down to visit family, our only stop in Vegas is guess where? When we get down to CA I find myself looking for an In-N-Out at least once a day. I was just a kid when the first In-N-Out went into business not far from where I was raised. Most of my Saturday night dates included a drive through In-N-Out.

Now why didn't I think of that years ago? Great idea! Guilty on all other counts here. I'd say it's genetic, but my daughter skipped this gene. My son, on the other hand, says he laughs when he finds himself, once again, cutting open nearly empty tubes of medication, or finding ingenious ways to get to the last speck of toothpaste.