The "Meat Ordeal"

This picture was entitled "Cows in the Mist". Isn't that a hoot. I like the white one. It looks like she's got shaggy hair on her poll.

But seriously. I picked up a couple of books at the library about agricultural farming and animal welfare. Now, I already knew about the horrors and maladies associated with containment animal production facilities (aka Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations - CAFO for short), but I wanted more info.

Both of these books are well written, and the authors are activists and animal advocates in their own rights. They're also both vegetarians. In these books, I believe they are not only trying to open the readers' eyes to what goes on in feedlots all across the country, but in a way, I think they're trying to turn people into vegetarians.

I have nothing against vegetarians. As a matter of fact, my wife and I were vegetarians for awhile before we had kids. Thinnest I've ever been in my life - hmmm, maybe I should try that again (NOT!). But I believe there are different reasons for doing a thing. In this instance, I feel that the authors are vegetarians because they believe that raising of animals to be used as food is morally wrong. I, however, do not. Of course there are the health concerns. Do you KNOW where the meat in that burger you ate came from? Best not to think about it. I do most of the shopping for our family. I know the ills inherent with most of meat I buy. Even Tyson chicken, though labelled as antibiotic free, still contains traces of the stuff. But it's not enough to turn me vegetarian.

See, I realize that animals have personalities, express emotion, have intelligence to their respective degrees, can express affection or disdain. However, I feel that to give an animal the same protective status that we would give a human (less and less these days), is wrong. Why? Because humans are the only creatures God breathed life into and gave a soul to. That makes us special, unique, different.

Now believe me, I think the kind of life 90% the meat animals in this country live is awful. CAFO's are a bane to health, environment, and economy. I believe that if you have animals you're raising for food, you are obligated by the Biblical mandate to have dominion over the Earth, to not abuse what you've been entrusted with. Meaning, you should do all you can to ensure that your animals live healthy lives with as much access to sunshine, fresh pasture, clean and safe housing, and plenty of room to move around, as is within your ability to provide it. So that when the time comes to "Say goodnight, Ruthie" and put the chickens in the freezer, not only will they be healthier to eat because of the life they lived, but they will not be full of stress hormones to taint their meat. Further, you can do your butchering knowing that you aren't just taking life from the birds, but that you also gave them a good life in the process.

So what does this mean to me? Well, my wife still isn't a big fan of red meat. My daughter has also periodically shown some distaste for it as well. So really, I should probably look at ways of cutting it out of my diet a little more. I do have sources for grass-fed beef and pastured chicken. Both, however, tend to be a bit on the expensive side. I suppose if I cut the meat intake down to only a couple of times a week max, then it would be more economically viable. These are some of the reasons I want a place in the country. To raise my own food.

To cut the meat intake down will take some planning and forethought. Beans, rice, veggie stir fry, quiches, pastas - these can be done fairly easily without meat. And really, ground beef is about the only red meat we eat. Once in a while I'll buy a roast or stew meat. But I don't think my kids have ever had a steak. Maybe this is doable after all. Especially if I can and freeze more veggies this year. I'll let you know how it goes. Your thoughts?

Last Year's Food

My homepage is set to Yahoo! Sometimes it kills me what they think is news, but the site does offer some interesting blurbs, periodically. So recently, I opened a link to a Yahoo! Money news article that said, "Americans' lower standard of living may be permanent." Like that's a bad thing or something. We all need to live more within our means, myself included.

Here's the crux of what they were saying... Retailers are having fits. People just aren't buying things like they used to. When they go to the mall, they aren't going home with three $100 pairs of shoes. Nor are they buying the $150 torn and faded blue jeans (I never understood that to begin with). No, rather, consumers are basically concerned now with just covering themselves (barely, sometimes). You can wear last year's clothes. Consumers are spending their money not on clothes, but on food, especially as prices continue to rise. The comment was, "You can't eat last year's food." WHHAAATT?

Ok, well, hmm. I'll concede that I understand what they were 'trying' to say. But just barely. Really, it's not a true statement at all. Obviously Mr. Money-Analyst person who made this comment is one of the millions of Americans that couldn't feed themselves for a year if the grocery store closed for good tomorrow. Fact is, you CAN eat last year's food.

This is what I'm saying, people. We Americans are so stinking spoiled that we have become soft and have forgotten many of the basic skills our parents and grandparents took for granted. Why'd they take them for granted? Because they were such a common part of their existence.

Wanna eat last year's food? Plant a garden, go to a farmer's market, join a CSA, whatever, but learn to can and 'put up', or 'put by' your food. Yes, it takes time, equipment, and some know how. But you can acquire all three pretty easily if you put your mind to it and make it a priority.

I don't have a pressure canner. It's something I want and will probably get in the next few years. But I still preserve food. I have a dehydrator and a water bath canner. Water-bath canning is so easy it's almost unfair. Why more people don't do it can only be attributed to the ease with which we can go to the store and buy food already canned or preserved. Or laziness. But the idea is to save money and not pay so much for what you eat. You can use water-bath canning for pretty much any type of fruit jam or jelly, applesauce, tomato products (as long as you don't add so many other ingredients that it lowers the acid level), pickles of all kinds (carrots are good, and I've heard green beans are too). There's a lot you can do.

I have a hard time not being down and gloomy as it is, without making dire predictions about our country's economic future. But I truly believe it'll get worse. A lot worse. Don't be caught feeling the crunch between paying bills and buying food. Think about what you can do, make phone calls, ask around, read books... find out where the good food is or how to grow it, then learn to preserve it. The "Ball Blue Book" is probably one of the best places to start. Go to your local library and search for food preservation. There's likely more there than you care to look at. Search yard sales this spring and look for jars, canners, supplies. You may get a real deal. Ask older relatives or neighbors for advice or instruction on canning. Truly, the most valuable people in our nation in coming days may be those of us with this kind of knowledge. We'll be surviving and have to help everyone else out.

A final note about dehydrating. there are many different ways to dry foods. My wife bought me my Nesco dehydrator as an anniversary present last year. Nothing says "I love ya, honey" like homemade beef jerky. But something very worth trying: Dried Watermelon. Seriously. Cut it up into thin strips or chunks, take the seed out and dry it. It comes out like chewy fruit leather, and wow is it sweet! You'd think it had soaked in sugar. My kids loved it. No additives or preservatives. Just watermelon. Amazing!

Not just another rainy day

Well, here I sit. It's been raining since last night and the water is standing in the yard and field like it usually does this time of year. I can't help feeling a little nervous as I think about the flood of last June. But we haven't had nearly that much rain, and the snow melt all drained away before this rain came. It's just pretty gross outside today.

Sunday night at the end of church, one of our Pastors told us that they had just learned that the son-in-law of our building manager and his wife was killed in action in Afghanistan. Our building manager, Carl, plays bass on our worship team and his wife Gayla plays keyboard sometimes. That I also sing on the worship team gives me a slightly closer connection to them than perhaps most of the other people there that night. But the news was still met with sadness.

I support our troops. I believe that they work and fight to protect the freedoms that I hold so dear. Freedoms that I fear may be endangered in coming days. I grieve his death and I feel sorrow for Carl and Gayla... not to mention their daughter who lost her husband and the father of their two children. But I do not believe his death was in vain. He surely knew the risks involved in military service. He served his country to protect our rights and safety. I honor him and all of his fallen military brothers.

Further, I got an email today telling another sad story. A lady named Denise has an at-home business that she calls "The Country Baker". She sells grain mills and baking supplies. Every year that my wife and I go to our state homeschool convention, she's there with a booth and often holds a seminar about baking with whole grains. Well, she and her husband decided to allow their 14 year old (or thereabout) son to attend public school this year. Sadly, he recently contracted spinal meningitis, apparently at school, and has passed away. His funeral was this past Saturday.

Sigh.

Lastly. I'm not an economist. But I do read the news (no, we don't have cable and I don't watch it). Many businesses, some that have been around a long time) are facing serious problems. I believe we'll see quite a few bankruptcies in the near future. Job loss will rise even more. Folks, regardless of what BHO says (and I think he's coming around to being truthful about how bad it is... just beginning to), I think we're only starting to feel the crunch of what's to come. I don't know if it'll be another great depression. But I think it'll get pretty close. I'm hoping it'll wait until I get get out of Dodge and make my way to the country. If not, I'll do what I can where I am.

Even if you have a 'black thumb', may I suggest you look into a small garden for your family? Even a few plants can be grown on a sunny porch or deck in 5 gallon buckets and can provide some produce. The more you grow yourself, the less money you spend at the store.

As a Christian, I think I have an obligation to those around me to show how to survive tough times. Diligence, thrift, industry, self-reliance (God-reliance)... these are the things that our neighbors are going to need to see in order to find some hope, and perhaps survival.

It's time to start thinking ahead and really considering how we'll survive this mess. Don't be caught unaware and unprepared. Learn how to prepare and preserve food. "But we don't really like vegetables". Hogwash. Learn to like 'em. That processed junk they sell at the store will only get more expensive, and surely won't help you live a healthy life. Sometimes we do things, not because we like to (like eating our veggies), but because we have to. We may not have to now. Operative word, "now".

I guess I'm just feeling a little grumpy and fed up. Support our troops and eat your veggies!

A new hat

Here's my lovely daughter modelling her new Seed Stitch Hat that I made for her. I started it last Thursday, knit like a mad-man, and finished it today. It was tricky because I used two strands of yarn, which makes the hat a little stiffer. She likes it though.

The pattern came off of the Lion Brand Yarn website and was a Vanna's Choice (oh, Vanna, pick me a letter) pattern. I had to use smaller needles though, to accommodate the extra thickness of the two yarns. The seed stitch is pretty simple. It's just a matter of knit and purl over and over again.

My daughter had bought the yarn for a totally different project, but I thought it would go great for a hat. It's pink and lavender and they mix really well. Yeah, so it's cheep-o Red Heart Super Saver yarn at about $2.00 for 364 yards. Listen, I'm not a 'fiber snob'. If I like the stuff, I'll use it.

On another note, I had a pretty stressful day where a bunch of little things (like having to stay and help clean up at co-op this morning, to not finding out that the Kashi cereal I wanted to buy at the store -which WAL shall remain MART nameless - was recalled but was still on the shelf for purchase and I couldn't buy it) ... where a bunch of little things piled up and nearly sent me over the edge. I checked my blood pressure at the 'afore-not-mentioned' store and it was the highest it's ever been. Melora said I should be on medication for a bp like that. Sigh. Well, I know those store machines aren't the most accurate, and I was feeling quite stressed at the moment, but it's been on the climb for awhile now. Yes. I need to lose weight. That's all there is to it. Sigh.

I'll take care of myself. I promise.

What's for dinner?

Well, for lack of much else to say these days (except the fact that I've joined Ravelry.com and LOVE it), I thought I'd post a recipe of what the Ferren's will be having for dinner tonight.

Ham Quiche - Yes, it does take a real man to eat quiche. I happen to love it.

4 eggs
1/4 lg. green pepper, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss, mixed with 2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3/4 t. Italian seasoning
1 c. diced ham
1/2 med. onion chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms
2 green onion tops, chopped
Bacon and parsley for top

Mix eggs, milk, pepper, salt, seasoning, onion, onion tops and green pepper well. Add shredded cheese, ham and mushrooms. Pour into a 9 inch prepared pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Crumble 4 slices cooked bacon on top. Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe is credited to one Joyce Benbow from Marion, Indiana, as printed in the 'Heavenly Dishes' cookbook. Published by Walter's Cookbooks, for Brookhaven Wesleyan Church... back sometime in the early 90's.

Ok, so now you have the recipe... here's how I do it. First, I'm out of bacon - scratch that. Second, I usually don't add the mushrooms. I like them, but I just don't put them in. I don't have Swiss on hand so I'll use some sharp Cheddar and Monterrey Jack I have. Measure pepper? Nah, just dump some in. Oh, and I'll add some 'fresh' (meaning not frozen), finely chopped broccoli to this too.

Want something different? Use ground beef instead of ham and replace 1/2 c. of milk with mayonnaise. Don't want a pie shell crust? Cook 1 cup of rice, combine it with one egg and a little bit of soy sauce. Press it into your pie plate and bake it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. There, there's a healthier crust for your quiche.

That's why I like quiche... you can put just about anything at all into it and it's gonna be good. We love this stuff. Of course it helps that I get fresh eggs from a farmer every week, but still, it's good food. Sorry I don't have a pic... maybe I'll post one soon. I've been intending to create a "Ferren Favorites" cookbook of my own anyway with pics and recipes, etc. I need to start that.

Bon Appetit!

Some Serenity Please

Something's been happening to me lately. Oh, actually, it's probably been a few months now. I don't really understand why. I feel like I'm going a little crazy.

See, I hate being cooped up in the house, and winter... well, I hate the cold, brown, grey of winter, and I tend to stay inside if I can help it. Admittedly, I suffer a bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Days when the sun shines help.

The effect of winter on my mind is a sense of insanity. I feel anxious. I get short tempered. Easily frustrated. Lazy. I find myself clinching my teeth, and occasionally wanting to scream. Even my driveway looks different in the winter, greyer, harder, more dead (if that's possible).

TMI?

I do get out of the house sometimes. That helps. Melora and I get a sitter for the kids and get out once in awhile, and I try to get together with my friend once a week as well. Sometimes I just need conversation with an adult. Kids are fine and all, but they aren't adults, you know what I mean?

My in-laws are on their way to Florida where they'll be for the next few months. They called the other day and were in Chattanooga, TN at a hotel for the night. It was sunny and 60. My heart sank. I felt a deep pang of longing and a little bit of envy.

What do I need? Spring, that's what. I need to get moving. I need some sunshine. I take vitamin D daily. I need to stretch my legs and see some beauty, growth, life. That's not likely to happen for awhile though.

I guess you could pray for me if you think of it. And if you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

Bread Baking

You may or may not know, depending on what posts you've read of mine, that I make all our bread. Well, ok, on those very rare occasions when we have hot dogs (gaaack) I might buy buns. But otherwise, since last winter, I decided to save some money, get healthier and make our bread. I use a recipe given to me by my mom-in-law. It's a whole wheat recipe that you can put together and use your bread machine to knead and do the first rise. That's great 'cause I don't have to do the kneading!

I have a friend that's very into healthy eating. She makes all her family's bread, to the tune of five loaves a week, though she usually gives one away. She also makes tortillas, waffles, pasta... all that stuff. And she uses her own fresh ground wheat. She heads up a shopping group that orders wheat berries (that's what you call the grains) from a company and has them shipped bulk to save money. There are quite a few people in this group. They order hard and soft white and red wheat, spelt, kamut, and I'm sure several other grains. These usually come in 50# bags or 45# plastic tubs. Now, you have to have a grinder in order to use this stuff. My friend has a grinder. It's niiiiicccee! Expensive, but nice.

Let me pause here and answer a question you may have.... One loaf of bread takes about three-and-a-half cups of flour. The grinder grinds about 8 cups of berries at a time, which yields about 12 cups of flour.... That's a lot of flour! Doesn't it all go bad before you use it up? (There, right there, that was the question. Did you catch it?) First of all, you typically don't grind it all at once, because it would lose much of its vitamin content due to time. However, you can prevent this by freezing the flour. More on that later. But no, the wheat and grain berries don't go bad as long as you keep them dry and pest free (no bugs please). When archaeologists uncovered the tombs of the Pharaohs in Egypt, there were some tombs that contained pots with wheat berries in them. Much to the scientists' surprise, these berries were STILL viable and sprouted when planted, after centuries in a tomb! Some of the folks in the ordering group went a little overboard with the Y2K scare and ordered a BUNCH of wheat berries. I guess some of them are still using the last of that supply with continued good results. Now, didn't God just know what He was doing?

Anyway, this friend of mine, Tomi is her name... she called the other day and said that there was an extra 50# bag of hard white wheat left and wondered if I'd want it. She said she'd grind it for me if I could put it in my freezer. Um, let's see... fresh, whole wheat flour.... 50# of berries for $27..... Yeah, I'll take it. So I went yesterday and she let me use her machine to grind the last little bit of berries so I could have the experience using the machine (it's a Nutrimill if you want to know...http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/nutrimill.asp). She also gave me about 12 cups of soft white wheat flour for use in no-yeast baking, like for cookies or pastries. So now I have a ton of whole wheat flour in my deep freeze which should last me well through the winter.

I've been using store bought whole wheat flour for my baking up to this point, but even the 'whole wheat' from the store isn't really whole wheat. It doesn't contain the bran or the germ, which is where most of the nutrients are. So I've been adding wheat germ when I bake. NO MORE! I was so excited about this flour that I came home and baked a new loaf last night, even though we still have part of a loaf left. This loaf baked up so high and nice, it's amazing! I think I'm ruined when this flour runs out. Maybe I can be like the widow that fed Elijah during the famine and it'll never run out......

The Death of Lard

For years, a lot of people have gotten away from using lard in their cooking because it's "fattening" and just has to be bad for you, I'm sure. Everyone, that is, except the old timers and the people that know how to make really good biscuits and pie crust, they still use lard. But much wiser and 'healthier' people these days know they should never use a product that comes from a natural source, can be made easily, and is generally pretty cheap. NOOOO! We must use processed vegetable matter, chock full of partially hydrogenated oils. Let's call it Criscrap, shall we?

Having recently (and I don't know what took me so long) read the label of said Criscrap, I wanted to knock myself in the head for being so stupid. Here I am trying to avoid all kinds of unhealthy stuff and I'm using that stuff to season my skillets and make biscuits. Sheesh, am I stupid.

So, I decided to forgo my cultural bias and ignore my upbringing on the subject and buy a tub of good ol' fashioned lard. I went to my local "Wally-Morgan" supercenter and found a tub of the stuff. Just wondering if it might list what kind of animal the fat came from, I looked at the label. It read, "Contains lard and hydrogenated lard". I wanted to scream right then and there and spent the next 10 minutes, at least, muttering under my breath about the stupid stuff and fuming. So this morning I go to another locally owned store to buy my meat for the week (I won't buy it at that other place anymore. Do you KNOW what they put in that stuff? Yeecchhhh!). I asked the butcher (yeah, a real live butcher, go figure) if they had lard. "Yep," says he, "It's on the top shelf of that cooler over there." OH GREAT! That's what I was hoping for. I go check it out. Nooooo, say it isn't soooooo. More "Lard and hydrogenated Lard". CRAP! Do the powers that be wanna kill us all? MUST they put it in LARD!!!!!??????

Needless to say, I'm vexed. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Some day I'll have a pig of my own and have all the fat I want, but until then..... I guess I'll have to look harder for some place that has a real butcher where I can get some fat and make my own. I'm so put out.......