ChocoMom

Picked up the beef from the butcher yesterday. We now have 12 cases of grass-fed yumminess ready to feed the inner-carnivore. Went with a slightly different cut order this time, though. We took two cows down, and normally, I'd get short ribs, lots of stew meat, steaks, roasts, and a portion of ground beef. The orders we've received are primarily ground, 10# of stew meat, a few roasts, and some steaks. Since there were no orders for ribs, and I wanted to experiment with something new, decided it was time to take a little gamble. I had heard about beef bacon recently through my grocer, and got curious. Had my butcher package the slabs needed to make it. And now, am on a quest for a delectable cure. Would, by chance, any of you wonderful egulletlanders have tasted beef bacon, or made it before? Any advice, cautions, or info you'd care to lend out before I set upon the quest to make something new? I'd love to hear about any experiences with this! And of course, I will report back with progress and results, (and failures, should things go south.) Thank you very muchly! Andrea

We just got a new BK in town about two weeks ago. They have a very fast, efficient crew. The burgers are so-so, but the fries are much better at this location versus other BK's and McDonalds. We just don't seem to attract The cool places like 5 Guys or Shake Shack...which is a drag. I'd like another option to choose from. But, it is what it is.

@kayb Sounds like a winner! I make this confession....Hubby took the kids camping over the weekend. No one to see me eat this, but I had Jiffy Pop, a Redbull, and dark chocolate gelato for dessert. Sometimes, ya just do what ya gotta do.

Just a joyful update.....the event for which I prepared the above food occurred around 1:40am today. Miss Tilly weighed in at 8# 13oz; 21 inches. She is absolutely delightful and a no-fuss kind of girl! It was truly an amazing blessing to be present for, and assist in the birth of my 4th grandchild. The exhausted, albeit thrilled parents are giddy over how many meals they've received. A few quarts of the beef-barley soup over on the preservation thread also went to them, so as not to use up more freezer space.

The garden is pretty slow to produce this year, as the temps have been below normal, and we've only had about 1/2 the sunny days we need. However, I did snatch some decent sized potatoes out a couple days ago, and cooked through 6 pretty meaty soup bones from our last butchered cow. Then, added in carrots, onion, barley and seasoning, pressure canned, and ended up with: Beef Barley Soup

When I remember to specify, the pricier cuts-like steaks- will be vacuum packed- 2 per package. I usually have them cut the steaks 1/2" thick. The roasts, soup bones, stew meat, organ meat, and short ribs- are double wrapped in butcher paper, then labeled with the weight and cut. The ground beef, ground chuck and ground round are all packaged in 1 lb thick, plastic bags. The ground beef doesn't have the weight listed, but the chuck and round do. The butcher tries to pack all the similar items together in cardboard boxes, and has them all rock-solid frozen and ready when I come to pick it up. Once I go through each box, and have an idea where everything is, I spend the next 3 hours driving home and mentally dividing up the contents based on customer orders. I just fill in the sales orders with the weights and costs, then have the customers come and pick up their orders. If the timing is right and the season has been good, I send them off with fresh veggies from the garden to toss in with their roast. =)

@lindag...Commerical Freezer. When we moved up here, the local school was selling their freezer and getting a new one. (All it needed was a freon charge.) We bought the old one (dirt cheap), anticipating we'd need it once we got started with bison or grass fed beef. Opting for the beef cattle, we usually do two head at a time. I sell 50-60% of the beef, and keep the rest for us. And, with the meat chickens and turkeys I raise and butcher, we keep it pretty full.

The main dish tonight: Steak. Trying to use up the various cuts of grass-fed beef from our last cow, as we have about 1000 # coming in two weeks. While not pictured, the steaks were accompanied by new potatoes that I plucked from the garden this afternoon.

A little note on the key lime cookies (above)....they taste waaaayyyy better the second day. The oil from the lime zest must migrate through and intensify the cookie dough flavor overnight. Tangy/tart flavor is fantastic!

Well, that was an eye-opener! Thank you for posting, @liuzhou !

It might annoy family members....but It is far more annoying to a host, when one is entertaining, and ends up with missing flatware. Happened way too many times. I went on many a scavenger hunt in my youngest son's room searching and searching. I found a few pieces, here and there, but the majority of it was unearthed when I happened upon his "forts" out in the back 40 some years ago. The little bugger was using my flatware in place of building tools! I asked why in the blazes he would do that...and his reply was priceless...."Because Dad would get mad at me if I lost his tools." (Face palm.) That child moved out two Saturdays ago, and I've yet to lose another utensil. =) Thank you @kayb for that Amazon link! I will keep it in mind, should the child return and swipe the flatware. On another note, with the season of garage and estate sales in full swing up here, I am on the hunt for more canning jars. Going to start working through some of these soup bones from the last cow, and canning the bone broth. Must have more jars!!!!

White chocolate -key lime cookies.....for my daughter's pal. He loves key lime EVERYTHING...and,cookies and baking, but doesn't have a lot of time to do it. After work, he heads over to our house, and has helped her remove the old engine, and install a new one into her Subaru. So....we feed him. These are so delicious ...I am having a REALLY hard time sharing...

Not terribly pretty like everything else here, but, I had several requests for it. Our daughter-in-law is over-due with their 3rd baby--- and the other two kids wanted 'Grammie's sloppy joe'. Its a bit of work tp prepare, which the expectant mom is totally not up to. So, since I was invited to attend and assist in the home-birth....I thought I'd make a small vat of sloppy joe, freeze some, and take it with me when the blessed event occurs.

I just realized that I construct grocery lists by the actual dish I'm preparing...no wonder I end up wandering around the store so much! LOL!

That is my hope too! The concept familiarizes the kids with some kitchen tools, ingredients, and operation of the stove, etc. I know at least one of the kids is more interested than the other. And, should this become a pathway to show them the joys of cooking, its great! Its just, from a farmer's perspective, a pretty expensive avenue to go down. I mean, they can afford it and all, and I certainly wouldn't tell them differently. Its just that, as a lifelong coupon cutter, sale shopper, and farmer - the cost of some things makes me cringe a bit. I ended up being pretty "old school", I guess. My parents adopted me when they were well into their 40's, and my grandmothers were in their late 70's and 80's by the time I was old enough to start learning cooking, canning and freezing. Going to U-pick farms all over lower Michigan was a routine event every year, along with processing and preserving. I never learned any other way. In some ways, I've turned into my Mother and Grandmothers- still doing what they did. And, having listened to all the elderly relatives speak of their experiences during the great depression, I suppose, helped shape how I think about feeding my family and weighing the costs and benefits of everything. Their sense of frugality and creativity still astounds me today.

Well, I am not going to defend the meal kit delivery thing, no matter if its from Blue Apron, Amazon or Martha. Its way too expensive, IMHO. And, without seeing the origin of where these foods come from, how can you be sure they're "clean" (organic, non-gmo?), etc. But I can shed some light on why some folks might do this. My relatives work full time. She works 3 12-hr days, plus being on call. He works 4 10-hr days. They have three kids, 2 of whom who are fully capable of cooking, but not always inclined to. So, she started with the Blue Apron service on a trial, got a free meal kit a couple times, and signed up for delivery 2 or 3 times a week. Because the kits come with directions, and pre-portioned ingredients, it makes it easier for the kids to wrangle. Everything is right there, and they just follow the directions, using the items in the box, and cook dinner themselves. And, there is little to no food waste. They cook for the family, before the parents get home. From her perspective, it's a way to get the kids in the kitchen, eliminate the excuses like "I can't find xyz", and the 'too lazy to read and reason' syndrome, and it gets them to cook. And, she doesn't have to spend time shopping. While I can understand her thinking, and applaud her for getting her kids in the kitchen to cook, I believe it does a great disservice to kids if they don't learn how to measure, read labels, and use their senses in cooking appetizing meals. Back when I homeschooled my two recently-graduated kids, we enjoyed a great deal of flexibility in scheduling on my days off. So, during elementary and middle school we'd spend hours in consumer math- sometimes at the grocery store doing price comparisons, and compiling meals for X dollars. Then, I'd take them home, and have them sort through the groceries, find a recipe and make a meal. They learned how to shop and save $, how to read recipes and labels, cook and serve meals, and basically take care of themselves with regard to feeding themselves on a budget. And, I worked 40+ hours a week. Was it always easy? no. Can my kids shop sensibly, read recipes, and cook successfully? Yes. My end goal was the same as my relative's, but we went about it in different ways; and, the way I see it, one way more fiscally responsible than the other. Cooking on your own allows you to make more than you need, save the leftovers for additional meals- or take your extra meal to someone who needs it. I guess if one can afford it, is completely trusting of the food being sent to them, and enjoys idea of "cooking", then fine. But I see so many more benefits to doing it the old fashioned way.

@rotuts Do any of the books you've mentioned happen to contain information on beef bacon? I'm just curious, because I've set out on a mission to try this delicacy. The cut (I think) is somewhere around the short loin, in between the short rib and the brisket. And, since we've got two large cows going to the butcher next Saturday....it seemed like the perfect time to get those parts, and proceed with some experimental curing. As soon as we send out the "Beef-mail" to our customer list, I know the phone will ring off the hook. Should I dare to add Beef bacon to the availability list, I shan't get any sleep, I fear. Grass fed beef is a much sought-after item around here, and it would follow that grass fed beef bacon would likely send demand through the roof. I'd just like to play around with curing it, before offering it for sale. If we're lucky, the butcher will do it all for us, and it will be a non-issue. But, any books you might know of that would have a treatment on beef bacon would be most interesting!

What this one lacks in beauty, it makes up for in taste. White Chocolate Strawberry Lasagna

Well, just got back from the grocery store. Hubby invited friends over for dinner tomorrow....and that means me actually planning a meal, and shopping. And, the shopping list, I discovered, got a whole lot shorter! My 19 yo son left this morning, and is moving downstate to live my bro for awhile (near Detroit). Not having him living here means no more RedBull, bagels, gatorade, soft pretzels, pizza rolls, and hot pockets. It also means we cut our ketchup consumption by 75%, bread and lunchmeat consumption by 50%, juice consumption by 75%, and milk consumption 100%. Beef consumption goes way down too, because this kid would dig through cases of beef, locate the prime cuts, and cook 2 steaks in the middle of the night, FOR A SNACK. My brother didn't believe me when I told him how much that kid eats. I'll give him 3 days to realize I was telling the truth. My grocery cart was no where being full, so YAY!!!! Don't get me wrong, I'll miss the kid. But he is a 6'2" eating machine, and barely weighs160#. We think he was born with a hollow leg, as we just cannot figure out where all the food goes. His metabolism must be so high, its illegal.

I had sticker shock when I attempted to replace all of my stuff after the fire. Ended up utilizing my JCP Bucks, and got a gorgeous 8-place setting package for about $60. It was over $200 originally. If you have a JCP near you that is most unfortunately closing, like I do, then you may fare even better. But, selection can be pretty skimpy in those situations. While I prefer brick and mortar stores, we don't have a lot where I live. So, I end up visiting Overstock.com. And, I must say, they do have a fantastic selection. If you look at something, pull it up, and leave it on your computer a while but don't buy it, you'll get a 10% off email coupon from Overstock, usually within 24 hours. So, then you can apply that to your purchase. Discovered that little phenomenon by accident when I was shopping for dishes, rugs, furniture, etc. HTH.

While I do love bulk shopping, the nearest Sam's or Costco is roughly 3-4 hours away. =(

Well, before the house fire, I was WAAAYYYY more organized than I am now. Meals were all planned out, two weeks at a time, and I'd make my list accordingly. Not sure if it still exists, but there was a Taste of Home cookbook that had the actual grocery/ ingredient list next to the recipe. LOVED that! And it was used with great success. But, it burned along with everything else. So, I've tried to reconstruct the favorite meals of my family, and store up ingredients ahead of time. For dry goods, the local country store has amazing deals on spices, bullions, pantry items. Even on 25 or 50# bags of rice, beans and oatmeal. Its really pennies on the dollar. A dear friend taught me how to dry-can, so there's enough oatmeal and rice here for years to come. For beef, we raise it, so there's usually some on hand. I'm ordering chickens and turkeys this week (I hope), so there will be chicken-turkey galore this fall. Veggies, I try to grow enough potatoes to last from October to April. Managed that for a few years now. Carrots, I always run out of. But, I buy them on sale and pressure can them when possible. For long life items, I've ordered from Boxed.com and gotten fabulous deals on soups, PB, Spaghetti Ooos, and fruit roll ups. Everything else, like bread, lunch meat, etc....I make a short list and just buy as needed.

Well, I did a boo-boo. In my haste to get the garden planted, I neglected to diagram the garden. I even failed to label the rows. So, while I was out pulling weeds today, I came to the conclusion that in about 8 weeks- I will be able to figure out what I planted where. The potatoes, beans, peas and beets are obvious. Its the brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, chard and rutabaga that I am clueless about. To top it off, hubby and the kids tossed all the old squashies from the root cellar out into the garden. The chickens and turkeys ate plenty, but some seeds appear to have planted themselves. Now, I have absolutely no idea what is growing all over the south west corner of the garden. Its maddening. No clue what I need to plant elsewhere. Grrrr. I rototilled today, and will plant the carrot varieties tomorrow morning. Also need to get more of my tomato seedlings planted- because all eight of my tomato plants died. There were 4 Belarus, and 4 of the 50 day BuckBee. I am totally bummed about that. Tomorrow is our last warm day for awhile. Wednesday, we are forecasted to get 3/4" rain with a high of 59F. So much for "summer". =(

Thank you @Shelby and @kayb!!! Breakfast kabobs are the probably the biggest hack I came across. Having something that a 4yo can help make was as fun as it was handy. I think I had some cooked turkey sausages on a few of them, too. And, for all of you searching for a fun and amazing little dessert treat for a large number of people, the brownie kabobs were a hit too. The mini brownies you can buy, or make using a mini-muffin pan, are great. But, you have to put a marshmallow on first, then the brownie, then a strawberry, then a marshmallow, and another berry. Drizzling with chocolate before serving make them irresistible. I cheated horribly using pre-cut and frozen onions and peppers for the strata. And, the 3lb bag of diced, frozen onions, and 1 lb of diced frozen peppers for the sloppy joe. Mega time savers. Gotta say, I'd likely do that again if I found myself in the same situation again. =)

Barely. I posted bits and pieces on various threads, but I can go through it here more completely.... I hit up Gordon Food Service for the bulk of the food and serving supplies about 4 days prior to the arrival of company.. Menards had a lovely Nesco roaster- very similar to my grandmother's- on sale, so I grabbed that, too. The sole purpose was to have a heated vat large enough to hold 25# of sloppy joe for the graduation party. While at GFS, my wheels were turning, wondering how to feed an additional 15-20 people every morning- so (gasp), I purchased pre-made muffins that only required thawing. And, some of the industrial size cans of GFS tropical fruit salad, and added berries. Also snagged frozen croissants, chicken salad, some amazing chip dips, chicken breasts, and table skirts. I made strata most mornings, when I got up early enough. Eggs, turkey ham chunks, onions, peppers, cheese, etc....I think one had spinach and mushrooms too- but I can't remember for sure. I'd try to get up before the grandkids...so like 530 or 6, put the strata in the oven, head outside to bottle feed the calf, feed the chickens, gather eggs, etc. The first morning with the kids here, I employed the 4 year old to help Grammie make breakfast kabobs: mini waffles, strawberries, donut holes, banana chunks---thank you Pinterest. Proceeded to prep for graduation. Graduation party rocked. (On the "I will never again" thread, there is a post about the filleting incident with the Rapala knife/Sword of Elindil beast. - which slowed me down a bit.) I did the 25# vat of sloppy joe. Having grass fed beef from ones own cattle is a definite bonus! I used the chicken salad and croissants from GFS to make croissant sammies, with curly leaf lettuce. Also had chips, dips, veggies, brownie kabobs, punch with floating rubber duckies, a tub of red bull on ice, and pop. And, graduation cake as well. Our family friend owns a lamborghini, and showed up to take the kids for rides in "yellow car". That was a hoot. Hubby and I gave our son (19) a car for his graduation. Daughter (18) already had her car- but the engine was fried. So, we gave her a check to buy a new engine. Never thought I'd see my kids cry over any gifts we gave them.....but apparently, they were moved to tears. OH! For fun, I made a "Candy bar", with honor rolls (tootsie rolls), class rings (candy rings), college tuition (100grand bars), teacher pets (animal crackers), Nerds (nerd candy), etc. Served over 100 people. I way over did it on the sloppy joe but It was nice having leftover S-joe for quick lunches during the rest of the week. We cleaned up from graduation by 445. The caterer for the anniversary party arrived,so we had to git. I got back to the house, assembled the 7 layer cake for the anniv. party, only to have two layers crumble. So, after much to-do with attempting to paste/glue together the pieces with buttercream- I thought it was going to be a massive fail. Mind you, this is at 5pm, and I have to get the cake back to the pavilion by 6pm. The plan was to watercolor the buttercream, but there was no way. I ended up piping a trim around all the edges- 3 tiers. Then mixed the gold powder with some vodka, and created a marble design, and hauled the cake down to the pavilion. It was a 3 mile ride, and with every little bump the crumbled sections of the cake would just sink a little more. The caterer and my husband took folded napkins, and tucked them under the base of the cake stand, so it didn't tip over. I thought it would crash before it was served. Ugh. It made it through just fine. After it was all over, I think I fell asleep as soon as I got home. Next day, it was fruit salad and muffins and strata, hauled the whole crew off to church, then out to the Adventure mine for a tour. Got back home late afternoon, and fixed my pineapple salsa chicken and rice for dinner - for 20. That went well, dishwasher was very busy. Next day we hit Agate Beach and roasted hot dogs. Got the kids all tired out, and I cannot remember what I made for dinner that night. Next day, was the 4th, so we headed out to a couple other beaches, and up to the Keweenaw Mountain lodge for dinner, and Brockway Mountain, Copper Harbor, etc. Set off fireworks in our yard- because we have a BIG yard, and the neighbors love it. I had made lists of foods for every day we had company, and had everything on hand- so it was relatively easy to execute meals at home. But doing it in-between playing with 3 grandkids was a hilarious challenge. Managed to get bath towels washed and folded, and cleaned house pretty well. The cat came out of hiding after a full week in the basement. Poor baby. Feeling like I'm caught up on sleep now, and heading out to the garden in a bit. The cake pic on the What are you Making and Baking thread, btw. =) Thank you for asking about it! Having a house with 15 guests was a blast, cooking for them was a pleasure. =)